The US is sending support personnel to Chad to help look for the Nigerian schoolgirls.
“These personnel will support the operation of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft for missions over northern Nigeria and the surrounding area,” [the administration] said in a letter.
“The force will remain in Chad until its support in resolving the kidnapping situation is no longer required.”
Also, the UN angle.
Also Wednesday, Nigeria asked the United Nations to designate Boko Haram as a terrorist organization as its escalating attacks spread alarm nationwide.
If approved, it will enable countries to impose arms embargoes, travel bans and asset freezes.
A United Nations al Qaeda committee is expected to decide when it meets Thursday. Nigeria’s request lists the terror group as an affiliate of al Qaeda.
This is a “significant step” in the fight against terror, said Joy Ogwu, the Nigerian ambassador to the United Nations.
There certainly doesn’t seem to be much room for doubt that that’s what they are. Kids getting a little carried away with a prank? No. They’re terrorists doing terrorism.
There was the horrendous attack in Jos yesterday but there were also smaller ones before that.
In separate attacks in Borno state this week, at least 30 people were killed by members of the terror group, according to local residents.
Boko Haram attackers swooped in on motorcycles Monday and killed 10 people in one village, residents said.
A day later, gunmen stormed a nearby village and killed 20 others, residents said.
During the attacks, Boko Haram set fire to homes and food stores, residents said, and fired machine guns. The group has not claimed responsibility for those attacks.
I’d call that terrorism. It sounds terrifying.
The press should stop saying “claimed responsibility for [atrocity X]” and should start calling it what it is: “admitted culpability for [atrocity X].”
@ ^ maddog1129 :Yes, definitely. Seconded.
I hope this works and that the girls are soon recovered, haven’t suffered too much and aren’t too brainwashed and traumatised.
Sadly, I think I read somewhere that at least a few of them have already died. I hope Boko Haram can be destroyed quickly and with minimal innocent casualties.
So after committing atrocity after atrocity for nearly five years now, they’re still not considered a terror group?
Anyone hesitant (read: afraid) to call Boko Haram terrorists would likely be hesitant to call them criminals. Kidnapping and murder aren’t enough to merit either name or acting against them?