Obama speech on shared values to conclude Kenya visit

President Obama has been warmly welcomed in Kenya, where his late father was born

US President Barack Obama is to conclude his visit to Kenya with a televised address at a sports stadium in the capital, Nairobi.

The BBC's Karen Allen in Nairobi says he is expected to underscore the shared values of the two countries but also touch on human rights.

On Saturday, President Obama discussed security issues with his Kenyan counterpart, Uhuru Kenyatta.

Later on Sunday, President Obama will fly on to Ethiopia.

The Kasarani stadium, where the US leader will make his speech, was last year used as a controversial detention camp for hundreds of Somalis during an operation against the Islamist group al-Shabab.

Our correspondent says Mr Obama is expected to warn that such tactics risk alienating communities and stoking radicalism.

On Saturday Mr Obama acknowledged the role the Kenyan government had played in the fight against militant groups such as al-Shabab.

The jihadist group has carried out a deadly campaign in Kenya including the 2013 attack on Nairobi's Westgate shopping centre and an attack in April in Garissa that killed nearly 150 people.

Security has been tight for Mr Obama's two-day visit toKenya.

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President Obama and President Kenyatta differed sharply on the issue of gay rights

The trip, which began on Friday, is his first visit as president to the land where his father was born.

In Ethiopia, he will be the first US president to visit the country. He will also become the first US leader to address the 54-member African Union (AU) on Tuesday.

AU Commission chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma described the trip to Ethiopia as a "historic visit" that would "broaden and deepen the relationship between the AU and the US".

On Saturday, Mr Obama praised Africa's economic and business potential in a speech at a business summit.

He also visited a memorial for those killed in the 1998 US embassy bombing in Nairobi.

After holding bilateral talks, President Obama and President Kenyatta said they were "united against terrorism".

But they differed sharply in their positions on gay rights. While Mr Obama spoke strongly against discrimination, Mr Kenyatta said Kenya did not share the same values.

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Angel Di Maria: Louis van Gaal confirms Argentine's absence

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal claims he "does not know why" Angel Di Maria has not joined up with his team on their pre-season tour.

French paper L'Equipe reported that United had agreed a £46.5m deal with Paris St-Germain for the Argentine.

But it is understood talks are continuing between the two clubs, with a fee yet to be agreed.

"He was not on the plane," said Van Gaal of Di Maria after his team's 3-1 pre-season win over Barcelona.

"Marcos Rojo was also not on the plane. He has had a passport issue, from Angel Di Maria I don't know why. I cannot say anything."

Van Gaal said on Friday that Di Maria would join United on their pre-season tour despite speculation about a move to PSG.

However, it has now been claimed that the 27-year-old, who joined United last summer for a British record £59.7m, will travel to New Jersey - where PSG are based during their tour of America - for a medical with the French club.

Biggest transfer fees paid by a British club
£59.7m	Angel Di Maria	Real Madrid to Manchester Utd	2014
£50m	Fernando Torres	Liverpool to Chelsea	2011
£42.4m	Mesut Ozil	Real Madrid to Arsenal	2013
£38m	Sergio Aguero	Atletico Madrid to Manchester City	2011
£37.1m	Juan Mata	Chelsea to Manchester Utd	2014

Will De Gea stay? You never know

Goalkeeper David De Gea - strongly linked with Real Madrid over the summer - started against Barcelona and looked impressive.

He was replaced after 62 minutes as Van Gaal changed his entire starting XI - and afterwards Van Gaal was keen to praise the Spain international.

"He has showed his quality I think," said Van Gaal. "The first chance was for Barcelona. When you stop the first chance, then you can score the first goal, what we have done also.

"That is always the difference in the game. Of course I do hope that David De Gea shall stay but in this world of football you never know."

Second-string impress Van Gaal

Van Gaal changed his entire team after 62 minutes, with Jesse Lingard and Adnan Januzaj finding their way on to the scoresheet.

Januzaj capped a lively performance off the bench with his team's third goal

"I was very happy with the reaction of the youngsters," said the United boss. "They were more aggressive. That is what I want, always.

"Sometimes you make the wrong choices and you step in and then you are always the loser. But that is also the youth. It was a team with spirit. We created chances. We scored two goals with the youngsters. I am very happy.

"Adnan Januzaj was very good. He always gives an option for his midfielders and defenders and scored a wonderful goal. That is also important. He had to fight with two defenders but he did it well. But it was more easy for him in a defence without Gerard Pique."

Barca could not cope with Depay and Rooney

Wayne Rooney, starting up front, scored the opening goal. Memphis Depay played him in the number 10 role, before both were withdrawn as part of the whosesale changes Van Gaal made after the break.

"I think they try to do their best to do their utmost best to look for each other, sometimes too much," said the United boss.

"It should be better when we have a wider orientation. But I think they are always a threat. That is very important.

"Barcelona could not cope with the threat of Depay and Rooney. But I have to say Adnan was also a big threat to them in 30 minutes that he played as a striker. That is good to see."

Di Maria at Manchester United
Games:	32
Goals:	4
Assists:	11

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Ronaldo's angry response to Benitez

Getty Images

The forward wasn't happy with the coach's decision to disallow one of his goals during a training session

Cristiano Ronaldo reacted angrily to Rafa Benitez's decision to rule out one of his goals during training on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old was caught gesticulating on camera by television station Cuatro and shouting 'Vai Caralho!' in the direction of the Real Madrid coach.

The term is a Portuguese insult used to express disappointment and was followed by Ronaldo complaining that Benitez "gives everything against the Portuguese".

Later on he could also be seen displaying his frustration towards team-mate Alvaro Arbeloa as the team took part in a game where they were required to try and hit the crossbar.

Ronaldo said: "We're supposed to be putting the ball in there, the net, not this ****".

Benitez was recently asked who he thought was the best player in the world but resisted the opportunity to back the Portugal captain, leading to speculation about their relationship.

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Windapo: It is time for Africa to host the Women's World Cup

Fifa Women's World Cup trophy

Getty Images

No African country has hosted a Women's World Cup, but Nigeria-born Windapo, who captains the Confluence Queens, feels female footballers on the continent deserve more attention and recognition.

Windapo spoke to Goal from Malabo, where she is playing a part in the Nzalang Nacional's qualification campaigns for the Fifa U20 Women's World Cup and Rio 2016 Olympics.

Goal: What do you make of the standard of women football in Africa?

TW: Women football in Africa is in an ugly state. It's not encouraging at all and it is neglected by Caf and Fifa. No sponsors, no recognition and countries in Africa lack quality and solid women leagues. Africa has got talented female footballers, Caf and Fifa should support and help develop the game. But I'm confident with the increasing rate of stars from the continent dominating big clubs in Europe, better days are here. Africa will be the best place to enjoy your football career.  It is a shame we don't even have age-grade competitions on the continent except for World Cup qualifying series and Africa Women Championship. 

Goal: Africa is yet to host any Women's World Cup event, do you think they should be considered?

TW: I sincerely feel the time is right for Africa to be considered for the next senior Women's World Cup. It is necessary because Africa is one of the continents that has produced talented female footballers and among top continents playing a great role in the development of the football in the men's category. The coming of the Women's World Cup to Africa would help develop women football and bring great awareness to the continent. Fifa should use their powerful office to open doors for women's football development in Africa as such an event will help plant and promote grassroots programmes for talented female footballers. Moreover, Fifa has their means of promoting football. Attention should be shifted to Africa this time. Africa with a great population of talents should not be neglected.

Goal: Which countries are you suggesting could be hosts for the Women's World Cup?

TW: We have great countries in Africa with quality stadia, facilities and peaceful atmosphere. I think South Africa, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon can host the Women's World Cup with the right support from Fifa and Caf. They already showed they can do it with the 2010 men's World Cup. Nigeria too can host not minding its current security challenges that should be overcome before 2023.

Goal: What is your message to Caf about the development of women football?

TW: For Caf, they should invest more in women football at the age-grade levels because Africa has bright prospects with the female than the male at the international level. Caf needs not focus their attention only on male football, but lalso on the females by organizing competitive youth competitions for the under 13, 17 and 20 too. The organizing of only African Women Championship with no age-grade competition is a major reason why the continent has not done well at the World Cup, even as the age-grade World Cups. With all these steps, I think women football in Africa will take a new shape and attract huge benefits.

Goal: Do you think legends and stars have a role to play in women football development?

TW: I'm equally using this medium to challenge our Africa legends and stars to take the development of women football seriously, so that our football administrators will take us serious. Our talents have brought the continent a lot of glory. I think it is high time we have a union that will fight for the welfare of female footballers. With this union, we can annually host a competition for female footballers to bring them together and help the young generation develop interest in becoming stars too. We female footballers in Africa must stand up for each other. We need to help ourselves in this by calling on Caf and Fifa to do more for us. We should be exemplary in terms of discipline on and off the pitch, self commitment and love for each other. Our women African legends too should stand as a body or organisation so as to challenge Caf and Fifa to give us the needed attention that will improve women football in Africa.

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Russian space capsule docks at International Space Station

July 23, 2015: The Soyuz-FG booster rocket with the space capsule Soyuz TMA-14M is launched to the International Space Station from the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, in Kazakhstan. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan –  A Soyuz space capsule carrying a Russian, an American and a Japanese docked smoothly early Thursday with the International Space Station.

The capsule connected to the orbiting laboratory about 250 miles above Earth at 2:45 a.m. GMT (10:45 p.m. ET Wednesday)

The rocket had lifted off from a Russian manned launch facility in Kazakhstan about 5 hours and 45 minutes earlier at 9:02 p.m. GMT (5:02 p.m. ET) Wednesday.

The rocket reached orbit about 15 minutes after launch and circled the Earth four times before heading for the space station.

The capsule carried Oleg Kononenko of Russia, NASA's Kjell Lindgren and Kimiya Yui of Japan. Lindgren and Yui are on their first trips into space. Yui told a news conference that he was taking some sushi with him as a treat for the others.

They join Gennady Padalka, Mikhail Kornienko and Scott Kelly. The latter two are more than four months into a nearly year-long mission on the space station.

The launch was postponed by about two months after the April failure of an unmanned Russian cargo ship, which raised concerns about Russian rocketry. Another Russian cargo ship was successfully launched in early July.

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US military's hypersonic jet could fly 5 times the speed of sound

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The X-51A Waverider is set to demonstrate hypersonic flight. Powered by a Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne SJY61 scramjet engine, it is designed to ride on its own shockwavem and accelerate to about Mach 6. (U.S. Air Force graphic)

The U.S. military is reportedly developing a hypersonic jet plane that could soar at up to five times the speed of sound — faster than a bullet, which generally travels at Mach 2, or twice the speed of sound.

The new hypersonic vehicle, which could take flight by 2023, builds upon research from a 2013 test flight of an experimental hypersonic vehicle, the X-51A Waverider, according to Military.com.

The $300 million X-51A program began in 2004. The program's final test flight occurred May 1, 2013, when the unmanned Waverider reached a top speed of Mach 5.1 (more than five times the speed of sound) in just over six minutes, before it was intentionally crashed into the Pacific Ocean. At the time, U.S. Air Force officials said the flight was the longest-ever for a hypersonic vehicle of its kind. [Flying Saucers to Mind Control: 7 Declassified Military & CIA Secrets]

During the 2013 test flight, the hypersonic jet was released from a B-52H Stratofortress at an altitude of 50,000 feet. After separation, the Waverider accelerated to Mach 4.8 in just 26 seconds, powered by a solid rocket booster. The hypersonic jet separated from the rocket at an altitude of 60,000 feet, eventually reaching Mach 5.1 with its air-breathing supersonic combustion ramjet (or scramjet) engine.

"X-51 was really a proof of concept test. It showed that you could get a scram jet engine, launch it off an aircraft and it could go hypersonic," Mica Endsley, the Air Force's chief scientist, told Military.com. "It was able to go more than Mach 5 until it ran out of fuel. It was a very successful test of an airborne hypersonic weapons system."

But the military's next-generation hypersonic vehicle will go even further, Endsley said. This time, engineers in the Air Force and the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) will take into account materials that can work well at hypersonic speeds and guidance systems that are smart enough to point the plane in the right direction quickly, she added.

DARPA is working on multiple projects to study the capabilities of hypersonic flight. Several years ago, the agency conducted hypersonic test flights with an HTV-2 bomber; in 2011, the bomber prototype reached a top speed of Mach 20 before losing control. The Air Force has also said it is working on hypersonic weapons that could be fired from aircraft traveling at high speeds.

Additionally, in 2014, DARPA announced it would continue with its Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) program, an initiative to develop a military space plane to launch small satellites into orbit. Boeing, Masten Space Systems and Northrop Grumman were all awarded funding for the project, which DARPA officials said could provide a foundation for future fleets of hypersonic vehicles.

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Russia bringing back Cold War mini-subs, report says

Undated photo of the Soviet-era Project 865 Piranha-class submarine. (U.S. Naval Institute)

Russia is reportedly bringing back a fleet of Cold War-era mini-submarines, a move that could ramp up tensions with the West.

Moscow is set to bring back the Cold War-era Piranha-class midget subs as part of a $350 million military spending spree, according to the U.K.’s Daily Express. An unnamed source told the newspaper that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is “breathing life into many old programmes and thinks subs are an effective way of getting what he wants militarily.”

Relations between Russia and the West have sunk to post-Cold War lows after Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and its support for a pro-Russian insurgency in eastern Ukraine.

Amid these simmering tensions, Russian submarine activities are under close scrutiny, particularly in the Baltic. Last year the Swedish military launched amajor hunt for a suspected underwater intruder in the Stockholm archipelago, its largest anti-sub operation since the end of the Cold War. Defense experts cited Russia as the likely culprit, although Moscow denied its involvement.

The incident nonetheless prompted speculation that a Russian Piranha sub was involved.

Described as virtually undetectable, the covert subs can lay mines and fire torpedoes. The diesel-electric submarines displace a mere 390 tons when submerged and can carry nine crew and six combat divers, according to the U.S. Naval Institute.

The Piranha submarines could pose a “significant threat” to the U.K. if they enter British waters, according to the source interviewed by the Daily Express.

However, Dmitry Gorenburg, an analyst at naval research specialist CNA, is skeptical about the prospect of Piranha subs resurfacing in Russia's military. "The two remaining subs of this class have been out of service for more than 15 years," he told FoxNews.com, in an e-mail, adding that it would be a major task to refurbish them. "The subs were originally withdrawn because they were seen as difficult to use and too large for their purpose," he added.

Gorenburg believes that Russia is more likely to build new midget subs at some point in the future, rather then revamping old ones. 

Washington has been keeping a close eye on Moscow’s military moves. On Thursday President Obama's nominee to lead the military's Joint Chiefs of Staff warned that Russia poses the world's greatest threat to U.S. national security. "If you want to talk about a nation that could pose an existential threat to the United States, I'd have to point to Russia. And if you look at their behavior, it's nothing short of alarming," Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford told senators at his confirmation hearing.

Other senior military figures have voiced their concerns about Russia. In April Adm. William Gortney, head of U.S. Northern Command, warned that Russia’s modern military is now “far more capable” than that of the Soviet Union, saying Moscow is “messaging” the United States that “they’re a global power.” Gortney disclosed to Congress in March that Russian heavy bombers flew more "out-of-area patrols" last year than in any year "since the Cold War." The following month, he affirmed that Russia’s “long-range” flights are rising – and occurring in places they haven’t before, like near Canada, Alaska and the English Channel.

On July 4 two pairs of Russian bombers flew off the coast of California and Alaska -- forcing the Air Force to scramble fighter jets to intercept both flights, defense officials told Fox News.

The Russian Embassy in Washington D.C. has not yet responded to a request for comment on this story from FoxNews.com.

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4 apps to help you move across town (or across the world)

 (Gone!)

Moving across town (or anywhere in the world) is not a joyful experience. It’s stressful, involves physical labor, and can be incredibly time-consuming. These apps and services can help ease the burden. They are designed to add some fun and even excitement to the move. When you are all situated in the new home, you’ll be glad you had more than a few friends and family helping.

1. Gone! app

I’m a big fan of this app, which makes moving more bearable. You snap a picture of items you want to sell. The company sends you a box and sells your stuff for you and then you get a check in the mail. It’s mostly for gadgets and electronics, but you can also sell sporting goods and small kitchen appliances. Rates are good — a used thermostat sells for about $20. In Austin and San Francisco, Gone! sends out helpers to take away your boxes for free.

2. HireAHelper

This service runs on mobile devices in your browser, so it’s not technically an app but you can still access it from your phone or tablet. It helps you find movers in your area and compare local moving companies. You can see rates, which equipment they use for moving, and even check the company history and customer reviews. You just type in the dates for your move and see who can help and when. Rates typically run a few hundred for a local move or more, but the service lets you see exactly how much everything will cost before agreeing to the terms.

3. Tote

Moving is a frustrating experience if you can’t find the help you need (even if you have everything packed up). This new startup offers the Tote app only in Atlanta for now, but I’m expecting it to expand soon since it uses the Uber personal taxi model. You type in your address and request a helper who comes with a truck, then you load up together. The services costs $1 per minute plus $1 per mile, so a five mile trip for 20 minutes of loading would cost $25.

4. Clutter

The idea with this app is to make the move easier by reducing clutter in your home. It’s designed to store gear for you on a monthly basis at a remote site, and all you do is choose the items. You pay by the item, so a golf bag, a surfboard, and a lamp would cost $21 to store per month. When you sign up, the company sends out helpers who work for free for an hour to pack. For now, it only works in LA and Orange County but they’re expanding soon to San Francisco.

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The Surface is the surprise success in Microsoft's latest earning report

This product image provided by Microsoft shows the company's Surface 3 tablet. (AP Photo/Microsoft)

I'm not a fan of Microsoft's Surface line. My review of the original declared "it fails to solve any problem for any user," and frankly, my view hasn't changed much since then. Yet it clearly has fans, as evident from the comments received whenever I trot out my opinion. Surface users are the most militant owners this side of the console flame-wars.

And their ranks seem to be growing. Microsoft's fourth-quarter 2015 earnings call was extremely negative not only because of a massive write-off related to the purchase of Nokia, but also because of slow consumer sales of Windows and Office. Yet the Surface line shone brilliantly, racking up $888 million in revenue. That's a 117-percent surge over the previous year. Revenue for the entire year was 3.6 billion, up 65 percent over 2014 as a whole.

What these numbers mean is obvious. The Surface line is finally, after a few false starts, beginning to catch on. This doesn't mean the line is on the verge of becoming a common household appliance -- Apple's Mac line brought in six times the revenue over the same quarter -- but it's certainly a step in the right direction.

Related: Microsoft launches its Windows 10 advertising blitz

Microsoft looks set to continue this expansion over the rest of 2015. The Microsoft Surface Pro 4, which was rumored for debut at BUILD 2015 in late April but failed to make an appearance, is now speculated to hit stores before year end. Microsoft is also set to expand its re-seller program substantially, growing from just 150 retailers to over 4,500 by 2016. More sellers will likely mean greater consumer attention.

I have to admit I'm surprised at the success of Surface. Aside from my personal reservations about the quality of the device, it seemed unlikely that Microsoft would be able to keep up support for it long-term. The company has a history of embarking on, and then abandoning, ambitious projects, yet it has seen the Surface through despite a troubled start -- and it's not reaping the rewards. Maybe Microsoft is changing, after all?

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Is the Apple Watch a success?

There have been doubts about whether the Watch, launched in April, has been asuccessful product so far for Apple. The tech giant seemed intent on allaying any fears by providing plenty of upbeat commentary about strong Watch sales -- without specifics -- during the company’s third-quarter earnings conference call Tuesday.

Here’s what Apple executives said on Tuesday after Apple reported earnings:

Lots more Watch apps

There are now over 8,500 third-party apps available for Apple Watch, according to CEO Tim Cook. This compares to the 3,500 apps announced back in April during the company’s second-quarter conference call.

Positive feedback

Cook cited market research from Wristly that showed a 97 percent customer satisfaction rate for Apple Watch. “Our own market research shows that 94 percent of Apple Watch owners wear and use it regularly, if not every day,” Cooksaid.

Watch likely had about $1 billion in sales

Though executives would not provide specifics about Watch sales, Apple’s CFO Luca Maestri said the Watch accounted for "well over" 100 percent of the approximately $950 million revenue increase in the "other products" category. So it seems pretty likely that the Watch logged sales of at least $1 billion.  Maestri also reiterated that Apple does not “plan to disclose any Apple Watch metrics,” citing the tech giant’s unwillingness to provide insight that could benefit its competitors.

However, Piper Jaffray Analyst Gene Munster estimates that Apple only sold 1.2 million watches in the quarter, according to a Bloomberg report. He added that the number, well below some recent analyst estimates (ranging from about 3 million to over 5.5 million), could fuel doubts about the Watch.

Sales up in June

Cook said that Apple Watch June sales were higher than April or May. "I realize that's very different than what…is being written,” he added. That statement takes a lot of the air out of a recent report from Slice Intelligence that said Apple Watch sales were down in June. Slice told FoxNews.com last week that the reason behind the decline from mid-June is likely due to the fact that Slice focuses on U.S. online sales only and that “sales are beginning to shift into the store,” according to Slice Chief Data Officer Kanishka Agarwal. Another reason for the June sales increase could be that more international sales are beginning to kick in.

Market Researcher IDC also told FoxNews.com last week that sales wereincreasing throughout June, not decreasing.

Apple has caught up with Watch demand

Cook noted that Apple started taking Apple Watch preorders in nine countries on April 10, adding that demand immediately exceeded supply by a wide margin. The Apple CEO also explained that in the past few days the tech giant has caught up with that demand. “The Apple Watch sell-through was higher than the comparable launch periods of the original iPhone or the original iPad,” he added.

Store visits jump

Retail and online stores saw a 49 percent year-over-year increase in customer visits, which Maestri attributed to strong interest in Apple Watch.

Sales channel expansion

Apple is planning to expand its sales channels for the Watch ahead of the holiday season according to Cook. “We're convinced that the Watch is going to be one of the top gifts of the holiday season,” he explained.

Of course, the above is just a snapshot of the Watch after only three months of sales and we won't know until after the holiday season whether Apple is able to see the kind of phenomenal sales growth it has seen for past products like the iPhone and iPad. 

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…Rules Iheanacho out of team

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CHIEF c oach o f t he U -23 D ream Team VI side, Samson Siasia, has insisted that Manchester City young attacker, Kelechi Iheanacho, and other foreign-based players will not be part of the trip to Congo for the return leg of the qualifier for the 2016 Olympic Games.

Siasia, who spoke to journalists after meeting with the Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in Abuja yester­day hinged his decision on Iheana­cho currently on rampage with his Premiership side on the short period of time before the return leg, add­ing that it is only reasonable to rely on the same players who played the first leg in Port Harcourt.

He also declined to give a hint on his approach to the game insisting that he will only work hard to see that the Dream Team gets the de­sired result which will qualify the country for the African qualifying championship in Senegal later in the year.

“Due to the short time before the game, there will be no need to bring some players who are playing abroad because you can never be sure of their coming. We have good players who can give us the game,” he noted

On whether he is under any form of pressure following the slim 2-1 win over Congo, Siasia said: “No, I am not under any pressure because all through my career, I have never been. Also talking about this par­ticular game, I am very optimistic of playing well and winning the game.”

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Oliseh lines Enyeama, Mikel, Moses for Tanzania

Oliseh

Super Eagles  captain Vincent Enyeama is expected to lead several established Eagles stars to Tanzania for AFCON 2017 qualifier against the Taifa Stars. Oliseh is expected to release his list of invited players for the game against Tanzania in the second week of August with the foreign-based

professionals expected to join the team in Tanzania. Lazio midfielder Ogenyi Onazi is ruled out of the encounter after his dismissal against Chad last month, but there will be a return for Enyeama, Mikel Obi and Victor Moses.

Eagles skipper Enyeama, whose differences with the NFF over his comments after the game against Chad have been sorted out, has been tipped as a key player in the plans of new coach Sunday Oliseh.

“From the way Oliseh spoke about Enyeama in our meetings, it tells you that the coach wants him to play a huge role in his team building for the Eagles” a top source disclosed.

“He said the experience of Enyeama is needed by the team but he also highlighted on the need to install discipline in the team.” The top sources also revealed: “We may not be seeing too many new faces in the Eagles from the start, but I think what Oliseh wants to do is change the mentality of the team because he believes the Eagles can win every match.”

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How US is assisting Boko Haram – FG

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• Seeks counter terrorism assistance with minimal strings

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday gave in­sight into how the blanket application of the United States Leahy Law on the grounds of unproven allega­tions of human rights viola­tions levelled against Nige­rian forces was aiding and abetting Boko Haram.

He has therefore appealed to both the executive arm and the US Congress to ex­amine how Washington can provide the country with far more substantial counter-terrorism assistance with minimal strings.

According to him, the Ni­gerian Armed Forces have remained largely impotent in the fight against terrorism because they do not possess the appropriate weapons and technology to match Boko Haram.

The US Leahy Law, is a U.S. human rights law that prohibits the Department of State and Department of Defense from providing military assistance to for­eign military units that vio­late human rights with im­punity. It is named after its principal sponsor, Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont.

To implement this law, U.S. embassies and the Bu­reau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour and the appropriate regional bureau of the Department of State vet potential recipients of security assistance. If a unit is found to have been cred­ibly implicated in a serious abuse of human rights, as­sistance is denied until the host nation government takes effective steps to bring the responsible persons within the unit to justice. While the U.S. Government does not publicly report on foreign armed force units it has cut off from receiv­ing assistance, press reports have indicated that security force units in Bangladesh, Bolivia, Colombia, Guate­mala, Mexico, Nigeria, Tur­key, Indonesia, and Pakistan have been denied assistance due to the Leahy Law.

President Buhari stated this in his remarks at the United States Institute for Peace (USIP), at an event jointly organize with the Center for Strategic and In­ternational Studies (CSIS), the Atlantic Council, the National Democratic Insti­tute (NDI), the International Republican Institute (IRI), and the International Foun­dation of Electoral Systems (IFES), to provide him a platform to explains his plans for Nigeria.

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