NIGERIA: RESPONSE TO NAM STATEMENT DEMARCHE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 000390 SIPDIS CAIRO FOR MAXSTADT E.O. 12958: DECL:2/20/2013 TAGS: PARM AINF IZ NI MY UNSC NAM SUBJECT: NIGERIA: RESPONSE TO NAM STATEMENT DEMARCHE Refs: State 47493 - Kuala Lumpur 944 - Abuja 344 (NOTAL) - Abuja 353 (NOTAL) CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR HOWARD F. JETER. REASON 1.5(b). ¶1. (C) DCM February 22 delivered ref A points to MFA Permanent Secretary Ambassador T.D. Hart. Hart took the USG position on board, promising to convey it to FM Sule Lamido. ¶2. (C) COMMENT: Nigeria believes that Iraq must be disarmed through the UN Security Council but that Saddam must realize that the USG will not stand down its forces without a strong justification. Detail on Nigeria's position is contained in refs C&D. Hart echoed ref A points as DCM made them, but it was not clear whether he did so out of personal or official agreement or was simply reiterating to make sure he grasped them fully. ¶3. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: President Obasanjo makes his own decisions on foreign policy issues and was already in Kuala Lumpur by Saturday morning, Nigeria time. The President's International Affairs Advisor, Ad'Obe Obe, accompanied his boss to Singapore and Malaysia. Obe is clear-headed, knows Nigeria's national interests and can influence Obasanjo on foreign policy issues. He has been accessible to us in Abuja. Lamido, on the other hand, often succumbs to the allure of stand-up-to-the-West NAM "solidarity" and may be harder for the USG to engage effectively. Hart noted, however, that it was Lamido (in Kuala Lumpur since Friday) who was involved in the "nitty-gritty" of drafting the statement. END COMMENT. ¶4. (U) Note: Abuja does not seem to be a member of the NAM Collective. We will request inclusion septel. The Department is requested to insert Abuja as a separate addressee until such time as the collective can be updated. JETER