Washington, Nov 15: US President George W Bush's administration is opposed to a movement within congress to restrict aid to Nigeria if the country does not hand over former Liberian president Charles Taylor to a war crimes court, a spokesman has said. Under siege from rebels and pressure from the international community, Taylor went into exile in Nigeria in August and remains there under house arrest.
He has been indicted by a special war crimes tribunal in Sierra Leone, and some US lawmakers are proposing that the US government withhold aid unless Nigeria turns him over.
State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said yesterday that the United States is working with the Nigerians to ''facilitate bringing Charles Taylor to justice'', but that it would be ''counterproductive'' to penalize Nigeria.
Bureau Report