Concerns mount over double standards, US’ intent over Boko Haram

Efforts by the Nigerian military to procure US-made Chinook helicopters from Israel, to facilitate the movement of troops and the injured, have been blocked by the United States Government, THISDAY has learnt.

This, among other issues, including the US’ refusal to provide Nigeria’s security agencies with timely intelligence needed to defeat Boko Haram insurgents who have been riding rough shod in the North-east, would form part of the discussions when President Goodluck Jonathan meets with US President Barack Obama in New York this week.

Jonathan departed for New York on Sunday for the 69th General Assembly of the United Nations.

The Chinook is a versatile and reliable American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter produced by Boeing. Its primary roles are troops movement, artillery placement and battlefield resupply.

In a war where Boko Haram insurgents move in convoys through arid towns and villages, the helicopters are required to checkmate them, reinforce troops and supplies and recover dead and wounded soldiers.

Although it has a number of variants and is used primarily for the transportation of troops, supplies and search and rescue operations, limited weaponry can be mounted on its door and window for the purpose of enemy attacks.

However, according to defence and intelligence sources, attempts to buy the helicopters and other munitions from, first the US and other Western European countries, have proved to be an impossible task, thus compelling the military to resort to Israel and several retired members of the Israeli defense forces.

Opening up on the challenges the Nigerian military has faced dealing with the procurement of arms for the war effort in the North-east, a knowledgeable official, who did not want to be named as he was not authorised to speak with the press, said: “The US government has frustrated Nigeria all the way in our war against terrorism despite its public statements in support of Nigeria, as it fights the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-east… They want us to fight Boko Haram with our arms tied to our backs.

“They have refused to sell us arms and equipment and even our recent attempt to buy Chinook helicopters, which are manufactured in the US, from the Israelis was blocked, based on unfounded allegations of human rights violations by our troops. This is after the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Natanyahu had initially approved the purchase.

“But because they were supplied by the Americans, the Israelis required a ‘No Objection’ letter from Washington which was refused.

“We had even tried to procure arms from Russia but this was stalled because of the Ukrainian crisis, thus compelling us to turn to other nations like Israel. But even this has been frustrated by the US,” he said.

He said it was not just in the area of arms procurement that US has been most unhelpful, adding that contrary to its public stance that it was assisting in the rescue operations of the abducted Chibok secondary school girls it has done nothing significant to help Nigeria in this regard.

Other intelligence sources also cited the fact that the US has refused to share intelligence with Nigerian security forces in a timely manner.

They said: “When we complained they started sharing some intelligence, but days after the fact when such intelligence is of little value.

“They have blocked us from procuring the helicopters and would not provide us with intelligence despite the fact that they have several drones and sophisticated aircraft overflying the North-east of Nigeria from bases in Niger and Chad where the Boko Haram fighters and movements are clearly in their sights.

“This belies their stance they want to help us to defeat the terrorists and help to rescue the Chibok girls.”

Indeed, a security analyst who spoke to THISDAY on the issue said the US’ role smacks of double standards and questioned its intent over the Boko Haram insurgency.

He warned that ignoring the threat of Boko Haram could be a strategy that could come to haunt the US in the future.

He also wondered why the same US would refuse to assist Nigeria based on unsubstantiated claims of human rights violations, which the military has repeatedly denied and insisted are carried out by Boko Haram insurgents wearing Nigerian military uniforms, yet the same US turns a blind eye to the same human rights violations committed by countries like Israel.

“Look at what happened in the recent war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza strip. Israel repeatedly bombed school compounds and UN buildings and in the process killed scores of women and children.

“Even the UN cried out against the targeting of its facilities by Israeli forces, yet the US did nothing and will continue to supply arms and ammunition to Israel to defend itself against Palestinians and other hostile neighbours in the Middle East,” the security analyst said.

Efforts by THISDAY to get the White House to respond to the allegations were not successful.

Two questions to the White House and the US National Security Adviser’s office which were unanswered as at press time are: The Nigerian military, through its agents, tried to buy Chinook helicopters for the prosecution of the war against terrorism, from Israel. But this was blocked by the U.S. National Security Council and the White House. If so, why was the procurement blocked?; and the decision to block the procurement of the helicopters may have stemmed from U.S.’ concerns over human rights abuses by Nigerian troops who have been fighting the insurgents in the North-eastern part of the country. Does this not appear contradictory given the fact that the U.S. continues to supply equipment and ammunition to Israel, which is also accused of human rights violations in Palestinian territories?

based on unfounded allegations of human rights violations by our troops.

arresa:


What's baseless about the abuse, rights violation and military brutality the average Nigerian experience everyday?

egift: Tell Jonathan to use the Front door during the day and stop climbing people backyard fence at night in search of illegal arms. grin grin grin

If they need any military gear, he should go to the manufacturers and stop the 3rd party illegal deal.

Ngwakwe: Indefinite detention without trial of alleged terror suspects at Gitanamo Bay in far away Cuba is justified by US Army

The famous water-boarding and other unexposed US military brutality and inhumanity were nicknamed Enhanced Interrogation Techniques

May be they thought the world accepted theirs as "Enhanced Interrogation Techniques" and our as torture to give them the licence to frustrate any attempt at eliminating Bokoharam.

American Wonders

Don't forget Obama and Hilary Clinton's Administration refused to proscribe Bokoharam when FG made a personate appeal for that to help us track down their finances and other international connections instead they told us that hunger was the root cause of Bokoharam.

Today they are playing all forms of International and diplomatic politics to frustrate the war on Bokoharam terror.

May be US agrees with el-Rufai who refers to our Military as Jonathanian Army.

When I stated that Amnesty International was playing the pipers tunes to justify US and British sabotage, some abuse and insulted me now what are you seeing?

GowonAbacha:
Even though I'm not a GEJ supporter as well, I can't harness anything meaningful from what you've just said.

egift: Tell Jonathan to use the Front door during the day and stop climbing people backyard fence at night in search of illegal arms. grin grin grin

If they need any military gear, he should go to the manufacturers and stop the 3rd party illegal deal.

Record Fine for French Bank

U.S. uses dollar power to penalize BNP Paribas for violating sanctions.
The precedent-setting fine French bank BNP Paribas agreed to pay U.S. authorities -- nearly $9 billion -- highlights the long reach of Washington's financial sanctions and an obscure part of the global financial system that makes that reach possible.
The giant French bank pleaded guilty Monday to violating sanctions against Iran, Sudan, and Cuba. Between 2004 and 2012, BNP used "sophisticated schemes" to move more than $8.8 billion for blacklisted entities through the U.S. financial system, according to the Justice Department.
In addition to the guilty plea, the firm agreed to fire 13 people and cease processing certain types of U.S. dollar transactions for one year. Suspending the bank's ability to facilitate dollar payments is a new type of penalty with unpredictable consequences. The ban also highlights a crucial part of the plumbing of the international financial system that gives Washington the ability to hold foreign banks to U.S. sanctions laws, even if their customers have nothing to do with the United States.

When a bank converts foreign currency into dollars, the transaction is routed through a U.S. dollar-transfer system. That nexus with the U.S. financial system gives American authorities jurisdiction over the transaction and subjects the bank to U.S. law. The mechanism, known as "dollar clearing," is essential for international banks because most global business and trade is conducted in dollars. BNP routes hundreds of billions of dollars through New York every day, according to Reuters. (Foreign banks do not need U.S. subsidiaries to route international transactions through the United States.) BNP is a member of a private transfer system in New York called the Clearing House Interbank Payments System, which processes $1.5 trillion worth of transactions daily.

When the United States blacklists a company or an individual, not only do American banks and U.S. branches of foreign banks have to comply, but so do the financial institutions that process dollar payments. The dominance of the U.S. dollar in global trade gives American authorities the ability to go after banks all over the world.

"The U.S. is really the only country that can do this because the U.S. dollar is the reserve currency and the oil trade is denominated in dollars," said Zachary Goldman, a former Treasury Department sanctions official who now heads the Center on Law and Security at New York University.
For BNP, not being able to move dollars into or out of the United States for a year will be problematic. Though straight wire transfers are not a huge business for banks, converting other currencies into dollars is an integral service to trade financing, investments, and other international deals. If the bank isn't able to provide that service, it will have to find another bank to do it, which means it risks losing business.
"It will increase their costs some; it might delay the sending of funds," said Nancy Atkinson, a senior analyst with Aite Group. "Clients might choose to leave the bank and go to someone else."

BNP has extensive operations in the United States, including investment banking offices in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, as well as 700 retail branches spread across 20 states through subsidiary BancWest Corporation. Jean-Pierre Lambert, a Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Ltd. analyst, estimated the ban could cost BNP $40 million, according to Bloomberg.

The $8.9 billion fine is several times over the previous record for sanctions violations, which London-based HSBC paid in 2012. HSBC was dinged $1.9 billion for doing business with drug cartels in Mexico and customers in sanctioned countries, including Iran, Libya, Sudan, Burma, and Cuba.
The giant fine is a result of the scale of the misconduct and the lengths to which the bank went to cover it up, according to the Justice Department. In less than a year, between July 2006 and June 2007, BNP processed $6.4 billion worth of transactions for blacklisted Sudanese entities and individuals, including $4 billion for a bank owned by the Sudanese government. And BNP went ahead with the business despite warnings from several lawyers and senior compliance personnel, according to documents released by DOJ. "This practice effectively means that we are circumventing the US embargo on transactions in USD by Sudan," one compliance officer warned in 2005. The bank processed $1.7 billion in transactions for customers in Cuba. When some payments to Cuba were blocked, BNP lumped transactions together and stripped them of identifying information to conceal their recipients, according to DOJ. Through 2012, BNP did more than $650 million worth of business with Iran, including working with a company in Dubai that was a front for an Iranian oil company.

"BNP Paribas went to elaborate lengths to conceal prohibited transactions, cover its tracks, and deceive U.S. authorities," Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement. "Sanctions are a key tool in protecting U.S. national security interests, but they only work if they are strictly enforced."

The settlement brings to a close a years-long investigation and months of negotiation between the bank and U.S. prosecutors but the result could still reverberate in U.S.-French relations. For instance, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on June 6 that the fine could hold up trade talks between Europe and the United States. French President François Hollande had pressed President Barack Obama for a lighter penalty, but Obama dismissed the idea that he could intervene.

Harvard Law School professor Hal Scott said the BNP fine is excessive and will unduly hurt shareholders but said the government should throw the book at the bank officials who flaunted the sanctions.
"I actually like the idea that we insist as part of the settlement that they get rid of the people involved; that's making the people who did it pay, rather than the shareholders," said Scott. "In my perfect world, the French government would agree to put those people in the United States and they'd be put in jail. That may be the best solution for everybody."
PASCAL GUYOT/ AFP/ GETTY

egift: Tell Jonathan to use the Front door during the day and stop climbing people backyard fence at night in search of illegal arms. grin grin grin

If they need any military gear, he should go to the manufacturers and stop the 3rd party illegal deal.

GowonAbacha: Even though I'm not a GEJ supporter as well, I can't harness anything meaningful from what you've just said.

phlemzy: America treating the largest black nation like one small Island country. There's something Obama dislikes about GEJ's personality or his style of government.

egift:

If he want a US made Helicopter, go to the manufacturers and not a backyard deal with a third party. Also the government should come clean with their transactions to give confidence to other partners, not using a jet of a pastor to move cash.

chinazaekperem2: why must you bring GEJ into it? don't you think your brain can do better than this and think beyond GEJ in respect to this issue? You are myopic.....no insult intended.

chinazaekperem2: you never disappoint me with your comments, so if nigeria wants to purchase a US made helicopter owned by Israel, nigeria needs to meet US not israel abi.

chinazaekperem2: why must you bring GEJ into it? don't you think your brain can do better than this and think beyond GEJ in respect to this issue? You are myopic.....no insult intended.

phlemzy: The moment you stop being a pillock, your reasoning will stop being processed from behind your groin..

egift:

After insulting him then you planted a deception.



The man is smuggling money and doing backyard arms deals - nobody will trust him again. By the way, did they also used Mr. Ayo's jet to move the cash?

NgeneUkwenu: Nice Move! Not when ihejirika, Sherrif, Oritsejafor and Jonadaftt are working the streets freemen!

Jonathan is just trying to justify his illegal arms dealing and money laundry mess in South Africa!