Leadership (Abuja)
Michael Oche
16 November 2008
Foreign affairs experts in Nigeria have called on the U.S. president-elect Barack Obama to be cautious in his approach to the fight against terrorism and to ensure that his strategies do not undermine the credibility of the U.S.
Prof. Ogaba Oche, senior research fellow at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos, told journalists in Lagos that the new war on terrorism must be sincere and targeted at the destruction of the Al Qaida network.
He said Obama must adopt a comprehensive strategy that will prioritise the onslaught against Al Qaida, and an early withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
According to him, "Obama's policy on increased fight against terrorism is good, but it should be done in such a way that it does not erode the U.S. credibility. They should not use it as an excuse for continuous stay in the Gulf."
He said the Bush administration failed in its fight against terrorism because it devoted too much time and resources to Iraq.
He said America has not been able to apprehend Osama Bin Laden, dead or alive, because the administration lost concentration to the Iraqi war.
Also, a professor of international relations, Fawole Williams, said he would want Obama's administration to be 'more direct' in the fight against terrorism.
Fawole, who teaches at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, applauded the president-elect's endorsement of American troops' withdrawal from Iraq, saying their continuous stay in the country had created more problems for that country.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Leadership. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
