Clinton to Jonathan: How you can fight terrorism

 The United States, yesterday, offered to assist Nigeria fight Islamic sect, Boko Haram, which it sees as a growing regional menace, saying Nigeria cannot rely on military might alone. An official, travelling with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton disclosed this after holding a closed-door meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential villa.
Clinton, who arrived the Villa at 3.57 P.M., was accompanied by officials of the U. S. Embassy in Nigeria and some diplomats and were received by the Foreign Minister, Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru. Clinton also had another meeting with Security Chiefs including all the Service Chiefs, the National Security Adviser, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki and the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar.
According to the senior US official, the US is offering to help President Goodluck Jonathan fight Boko Haram, a militant sect that wants to establish a strict Islamic state in the northern part of the country. Boko Haram has launched bomb and gun attacks on churches this year that provoked Christians, leading to deadly reprisals against Muslims. Hundreds of people have died and Washington is concerned about insecurity spreading.

“Northern Nigeria also borders Chad, Cameroon, Niger and we are concerned this radicalism could undermine the security of neighbouring states. A security strategy is not enough. We know all too well from our own experiences in both Iraq and Afghanistan what can happen if soldiers and police are not operating under appropriate authorities”, the senior U.S. official said.
“We will encourage them not to use excessive force and to look at this as a law enforcement operation designed to catch perpetrators and bring them to justice,” he added.
Clinton who was in Nigeria as part of an 11-day, nine-nation African tour also urged President Goodluck Jonathan to boost the country’s intelligence capabilities to better combat growing extremist violence.
She proposed that Nigeria should create an “intelligence fusion cell” that would combine information from the military, spy services, police and other federal, state and local agencies. The cell would also coordinate counter-terrorism activities and serve as a contact for foreign intelligence services, said State Department officials.
The officials said US was ready to assist the cell with organizational expertise, training and equipment, including computers, and would offer the aid to President Jonathan and his new National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, on whom the U.S. has high hopes for, expanded intelligence cooperation.
The US has become increasingly concerned about the threat posed by militant groups in West Africa such as the Islamist Boko Haram in Nigeria and cells of al-Qaeda-linked fighters in northern Mali.

Source