M.E.N.D., a terrorist group for the emancipation of the Niger Delta has issued a statement about the Nigerian Muslim who attempted to bring down a U.S. Jet over Detroit Dec. 25th. In this statement, they appear to insinuate that the Government of Nigeria, who they fight, is complicit with Islamist forces wordwide and that the worlds microscope should focus more on the Islamic forces within Nigeria, as opposed to MEND and it’s activities. While this is not surprising, it may contain at least a grain of truth.

Eeyore for Vlad

MEND reacts to attempted terrorist attack on US plane

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has condemned the attempted attack on the Delta Flight 253 bound for the United States by a Nigerian youth, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.

“The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) condemns the attempted act of terrorism on Delta flight 253 into the United States by a misguided Islamic extremist from the Northern part of Nigeria,” the statement, signed by its leader, Jomo Gbomo, said. “Had the plan been successful, it would have left many families across the globe grieving on a day when Christians celebrate the birth of a peace maker, Jesus Christ.

“It should by now be evident that the threat to world peace will not emerge from the Niger Delta, a region agitating for justice as is acknowledged by every right thinking human being, but from the Islamic extremist northern part of Nigeria covertly supported by its elite who assume leadership of Nigeria to be the birthright of this region.”

In the statement, the group suggested that the Niger Delta is unfairly singled out for violent acts, saying “The Nigerian government has persistently turned a blind eye to Islamic extremists coming from Northern Nigeria, choosing instead to focus and waste its resources on military hardware and troop deployment in the Niger Delta. In spite of this embarrassment to the nation, the government will not re-direct its military to the North, neither will the rights of these violent people be trampled as is the case in the Niger Delta.

The group also suggested that Mr. Mutallab had Nigerian cohorts. “The young man who attempted this cowardly act is not alone,” Mr Gbomo said. “And governments around the world should pay more attention to northern Nigeria with its threat to world peace than to agitation for justice in the Niger Delta which only threatens world oil prices.”

The group did not provide any material or names to support the assertions or name the specific groups in the North which it claims are threats to world peace.

It will be recalled that, based on reports, the young man has not been close to his Nigerian home for a long time. According to the country’s minister for information, speaking to the press on Sunday, “The man in question has lived outside the country for a while. He sneaked into Nigeria on December 24 2009 and left the same day.” His father had also earlier reported his son’s activities to the US authorities in Nigeria.