Sunday, May 17, 2009 revealed the desperation of the Nigerian armed forces in a war
it has no way of winning when the world witnessed indiscriminate use of missiles and
bombs on several defenseless Ijaw communities in Delta state. This is the height of
cowardice.

At one point we began wondering if the pilots had problems with the calibration of
their weapons. It is now evident that sheer resentment of a people waking up to
claim what has been stolen for five decades was the cause.

To make matters worse, the Nigerian government, aware of the consequences of its
actions and with an existing National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), had no
contingency plans for the displaced persons; yet that same agency is very quick to
respond in the North over a minor rain storm.

If massive bombing can guarantee an early victory, then the United States "shock
and awe" bombings in the opening Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns would have resulted
in early victories, yet today after over five years they are still grappling with
an unfinished war.

We anticipate the same thing here but worse for the Nigerian State.

Our fighters have started playing cat and mouse with the army and the frustration is
becoming evident in their pattern of attack. They bomb non-combatant women, children
and the elderly and we come out at night to kill more soldiers. As long as the
government can not eradicate mosquitoes and malaria, they will not be able to
eliminate freedom fighters and the struggle.

There is low moral and division amongst the soldiers from the Middle Belt and South
who are not in support of an unjust war. We salute them.

Meanwhile, we have ordered the blockade of key waterway channels to oil industry
vessels both for the export of crude and gas and importation of refined petroleum
products. This means vessels now ply such routes at their risk.

Dr Goodluck Jonathan has an opportunity to quit a government that has no iota of
respect for him. If the president can snub him after the genocide over his people,
then the post of Vice President is not worth it.

Jomo Gbomo