Nigeria accuses U.S. of cutting military assistance over Iraq 


By GILBERT Da COSTA, Associated Press Writer 

ABUJA, Nigeria - Nigeria's deputy foreign minister on Friday accused the
United States of suspending military assistance to the West African
nation because of its opposition to the U.S.-led war on Iraq (news - web
sites). 

American officials could not be reached for comment. The U.S. embassy in
Abuja and the consulate in Lagos were closed Friday for security
reasons. 

In a communique, Dubem Onyia, Nigeria's Minister of State for Foreign
Affairs, said the suspension of an unspecified amount of U.S. military
aid to Nigeria was "sheer intimidation" by officials in Washington who
had expressed "disappointment over Nigeria's position against the war in
Iraq." 

"The Nigerian government is not taking the decision kindly, insisting
that Nigeria as a sovereign country must not be dictated to by any other
country," the communique said. 

According to the Nigerian statement, U.S. Ambassador Howard Jeter denied
that the decision had anything to do with Nigeria's stance on the Iraq
war. 

The statement cited Jeter as telling Nigerian officials the aid cut was
designed to press for a thorough investigation into the involvement of
Nigerian troops in an October 2001 massacre of hundreds of civilians in
the central Benue state. 

Oniya said Jeter also informed the Nigerians that "Washington was
disappointed at the information coming out of Africa on the Iraqi
issue." 

Repeated attempts by The Associated Press to contact U.S. officials in
Lagos and Abuja were unsuccessful Friday. 

Earlier this month, President Olusegun Obasanjo issued several
statements warning that an Iraq war could destabilize the Middle East
and seriously harm world peace. 

Half of Nigeria's 120 million people are Muslim. Obasanjo, a Christian,
is standing for a second term in elections next month. He faces
significant opposition from northern Muslims, some of whom have called
for strengthened Islamic laws in predominantly Muslim-states. 

Nigerian authorities on Thursday banned anti-war demonstrations across
the country, fearing violent protests against the U.S.-led attack on
Iraq. 

The U.S. Embassy in the capital, Abuja — and the consulate in Lagos,
Nigeria's biggest city — were shut Friday for "security reasons," an
embassy official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. 

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