US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton has blamed failings by
Nigerian leaders for
increasing "radicalisation"
among young Nigerians.
She pointed to poor living
standards and "unbelievable"
corruption.
Mrs Clinton was speaking after
a young Nigerian man from a
wealthy family was accused of
trying to blow up a plane over
the US on Christmas Day.
She said she believed that
bombing suspect Umar
Farouk Abdulmutallab was
"disturbed by his father's
wealth".
The Nigerian government has
not responded to Mrs Clinton's
criticism.
Anti-state uprisings
Nigeria is one of the world's
biggest oil exporters but most
of its people live in poverty.
With its large impoverished
Muslim population and oil
industry, Western diplomats
have long feared that Nigeria
could be a prime target for al-
Qaeda.
There has to be a recognition
that in the last 10 years, a lot
of the indicators about quality
of life in Nigeria have gone
the wrong direction
Hillary Clinton
But there have been no known
al-Qaeda attacks in the
country.
However, there have been
several violent uprisings
against the state by local
radical Muslim sects.
Mrs Clinton was speaking at a
"town hall" meeting with state
department officials.
"I do think that Nigeria faces a
threat from increasing
radicalisation that needs to be
addressed, and not just by
military means," she said.
"There has to be a recognition
that, in the last 10 years, a lot
of the indicators about quality
of life in Nigeria have gone
the wrong direction.
"The information we have on
the Christmas Day bomber so
far seems to suggest that he
was disturbed by his father's
wealth and the kind of living
conditions that he viewed as
being not Islamic enough. "
Following the alleged plot,
security screening for
Nigerians travelling to the US
has been tightened.
Nigeria's government has
condemned the measures,
saying 150 million Nigerians
should not be blamed for the
actions of one man.
Nigerian officials have also
sought to distance their
country from the alleged
bomber - stressing that he left
the country 10 years ago.
Mr Abdulmutallab has
reportedly admitted
undergoing military training
with al-Qaeda operatives in
Yemen.
March 27, 2010, 07:41:22 AM
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