Bombing Attempt Frays Nigeria’s Ties With U.S.
Diplomatic Sparks Add to Country’s Problems Amid Absence of Its President
ABUJA, Nigeria – The alleged attempt by a Nigerian man to detonate a bomb on a U.S.-bound flight has frayed Nigeria’s diplomatic ties with its number one buyer of oil: the U.S.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe said that the country does not want to alienate its “traditional partners,” but when the U.S. Transportation Security Administration recently included Nigeria among 14 countries of interest — an effective security watch-list — officials and politicians in the West African nation were incensed.
“The goodwill America enjoys here is tremendous,” Foreign Minister Maduekwe said in an interview. “Was there no way of dealing with security concerns without putting that goodwill in jeopardy?”
The move, which followed Nigerian Umar Farouk Adulmutallab’s alleged attempt to blow up a flight to Detroit on Christmas day, means that Nigerians traveling to the U.S. will face increased security screenings upon arrival. Mr. Abdulmutallab has pleaded innocent to the charges against him.