US embassy cable - 01ABUJA2179

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 002179 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2011 
TAGS: NI, PHUM, PREL 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: U.S. PRESENCE AT DURBAN 
 
 
REF: STATE 151077 
 
 
(U) Classified by DCM Timothy D. Andrews.  Reason:  1.5(d) 
 
 
1.  (U) DCM delivered reftel points to MFA Permanent 
Secretary Ambassador T.D. Hart shortly before 0700 EDT on 
 
SIPDIS 
Friday, August 31.  Hart was aware that the Secretary would 
not attend; he had seen the Secretary on CNN earlier.  Hart 
regretted that the U.S. might not participate at all and 
offered that Nigeria hoped circumstances would change such 
that U.S. attendance would be assured.  Hart said he would 
travel to Durban "to look in" on the WCAR and then return to 
Nigeria late in the week.  President Obasanjo was already in 
southern Africa and would attend. 
 
 
2.  (C) Nigeria was displeased, Hart continued, that no 
agreement could be reached on the Middle East language. 
"There is a sense in which (this language) removes focus and 
attention from the purpose (of the WCAR)," Hart added, 
emphasizing, "We did our best to restrain the Palestinians, 
...but some people will use any forum to press the points 
near and dear to their hearts." 
 
 
3.  (C) Hart said Nigeria would use the margins to continue 
its efforts to find a compromise that would allow the U.S. 
delegation in Durban to join the WCAR.  If the U.S. did not 
participate, it would be a "big loss" for what is "supposed 
to be a world conference."  Nigeria felt the WCAR should look 
forward.  It was right to redress the current impact of past 
injustice but not helpful to revisit the past. 
Jeter