Boko-Haram: Terrorist Organization

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Boko-Haram designated as a Terrorist Organization
Boko-Harams affiliation with Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), a regional terrorist network operating in North Africa, evoked concerns from international policy makers
(Taylor, L.). The two terrorist groups were thought to be sharing funds, training, explosive materials, and aspirations to expand their focus outside Africa to encompass Europe and the United States (Taylor, L.). Boko-Haram targeted the United Nations building in Abuja with suicide bombers in 2011, killing twenty people. The sect continued its violent attacks, and from 2009 to 2013, had freed 819 inmates (some were former sect members), bombed the city of Jos and Jalingo twice, bombed Army barracks in Bauchi and Maiduguri, bombed a bar in Maiduguri, bombed six churches, bombed Kano twice, bombed three media houses, attacked three police stations, and amassed over 569 murders in the process. Boko-Haram also captured several foreign hostages, and killed them while in captivity (Taylor, L.). Now under the command of Abubakar Shekau, who had directly threatened the United States, in November of 2013, the State Department designated Boko-Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (Taylor, L.). Government corruption creates violence When Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian minority from the south was given the position of President through a signed agreement, following the death of President Umar Musa Yar’ Adua, society was in an uproar.
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Unresolved national issues, including the weak economy, weak security and intelligence apparatuses, and the failure to define what the national culture and identity was, appeared critical to the people (Agbiboa, D.). Nigerians realized how corrupt the government truly was, majority of the population did not meet their basic human and socio-economic needs (Okoro, E.). Factors and circumstances were poverty and illiteracy, the existence and seeming proliferation of radical Islamic groups, and recurrent violent religious crises. Studies showed that 75 percent of Northern Nigerians lived in poverty. The lack of food, education, healthcare, potable water, shelter and employment opportunities were not available, but the political elites were embezzling public funds and living extravagantly (Okoro, E.). The government inability to provide its people the necessities that were needed to function in society outside the realms of poverty resulted in the acts of violence, to include crimes of kidnapping, armed robberies and ultimately made them ready armies in the hands of terrorist organizations. Organizations like Boko-Haram, which Nigeria’s leaders proved to be incompetent at disbanding. Treating the insurgency as a law-and-order issue, and deflecting blame in hopes that the issue would disappear (Orobator, A.), but its operations now has surpassed the capabilities of the government. The United States has urged the Nigerian government to focus on resolving widespread poverty, socioeconomics, and disparities (Taylor, L.), but due to the Leahy Law, they refused to provide assistance to a nation whose military was involved in violating the rights of its own people. It was reported that over 150 billion dollars have been looted from the Nigerian treasury, from corrupt government and military officials (Bajekal, N.) Nigerian Army out of control Boasting a huge budget for its military, Nigeria has the largest military in West Africa. This military has a good reputation, from previous successful campaigns outside the countries border. The government, decided to assemble a Joint Task Force (JTF) that consisted of the best military and policemen to combat the Boko-Haram regime. The

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