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US Naval Presence: Envoy Allays Fears

This Day (Lagos)
NEWS
June 26, 2004
Posted to the web June 28, 2004

By Iyefu Adoba
Abuja
Ambassador John Camp-bell, United States Ambassador to Nigeria, yesterday in
Abuja allayed fears over recent media reports of his country's military
presence near Nigeria's coast because of the need to protect U.S interest in
the region.
Campbell however, in a session with newsmen, said the aircraft carrier would
come nowhere near Nigerian territorial waters and would make no stops anywhere
on the West African coast.
The exercise, he reiterated, is only a military exercise being carried out by
the US navy and does not have a specific West African purpose.
Media reports had raised an alarm over the intention of the US to deploy an
aircraft strike carrier off Nigeria's coast in a move allegedly to protect
interests in the oil rich region.
Campbell also said the United States was of the view that should be former
Liberian President Charles Taylor should be brought to justice to answer for
his activities, which the described as horrific at the envoySpecial War Court
in Sierra Leone.
Ruling out plans by the US government to kidnap Taylor and bring him to trial,
Campbell stressed that the US has no interest whatsoever do to so.
He explained that kidnapping Taylor would be in violation of Nigerian laws.
Rather, he said, "the two governments and others in the region, need to work
together to bring about circumstances in which Taylor can be taken before the
special court, but that involves a number of different player. There is for
instance the transitional government in Liberia.
What we have with the Nigerian government is a dialogue. It is a case where
Nigeria and the United States are looking for a way on the one hand to promote
regional stability and on other hand to bring Taylor to justice."

   

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