TFUS01: CALL TO PRESIDENT OBASANJO REGARDING AIR

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 002591 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/2006 TAGS: PTER PREL NI SUBJECT: TFUS01: CALL TO PRESIDENT OBASANJO REGARDING AIR STRIKES Classified by Ambassador Howard F. Jeter, reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 1.(C) I spoke by phone with President Obasanjo soon after his October 7 telephone call from the White House during which Vice President Cheney informed Obasanjo of our imminent air strikes against terrorist targets in Afghanistan. Obasanjo stated that he saw the value in VP Cheney's request to call key West African Heads of State to shore up their support for our action. To this end, the President said he would immediately call his Senegalese, Malian and Ghanaian colleagues that evening. 2.(C) Looking a bit closer to home, Obasanjo speculated that Zamfara, Kano, Sokoto and possibly Kaduna could experience public demonstrations as a result of our actions. As a precaution, he had ordered security to be beefed up and placed on heightened alert in those areas. I suggested that he include often tumultuous Lagos in the increased security coverage and emphasized the need for Nigerian security forces to pay special attention to the protection of American lives and property at this critical moment. Obasanjo said that he understood our concern. He suggested that we share as much information as possible with his security agencies, promising that those agencies would reciprocate. Obasanjo requested that I stay in close touch with his National Security Advisor, Aliyu Mohammed, which I assured him I would do. Jeter