BOKO HARAM

Nigeria Terrorist Group Boko Haram Now Deemed A Threat To The West

Posted by Candice Lanier
On December - 27 - 2011

African-based terrorist group, Boko Haram, according to a report by the U.S. Representatives Subcommittee on Counter-Terrorism and Intelligence, has quickly evolved and poses an emerging threat to the U.S.

The report reveals that Boko Haram “has the intent and may be developing capability to coordinate on a rhetorical and operational level” with al Qaeda. The report emphasizes that heed should be taken in view of the group’s rapid progression.

As was the case with al Shabaab, though Boko Haram’s activities have largely been confined to African countries, the group’s size and scale of operations should not lead the West into a false sense of security. Both al Qaeda and the Taliban, as newly formed groups, were viewed by the intelligence community as regionally focused and therefore not a threat to the West.

Boko Haram, which literally means “Western education is forbidden,” uses as its official name “Jama’atul Alhul Sunnah Lidda’wati wal Jihad” and that is translated to mean “people committed to the propagation of the Prophet’s teachings and jihad.” Interestingly enough, when founded, in the mid-1990s, violence wasn’t part of Boko Haram’s vision. It was not, in fact, until Mohammed Yusuf, a Nigerian civil service employee took over at the helm of the group. At this point, they began referring to themselves as the Nigerian Taliban. Adopting a rustic lifestyle, they established a camp in a remote area of the northeast part of the country.

Over the past couple of years, however, a significant surge in the frequency and level of violence of Boko Haram attacks has occurred. Aside from the recent Christmas bombings, another example of this was seen on August 26, 2011 when a suicide bomber drove a vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) into the U.N. headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria. The attack left 23 dead and more than 80 others injured. Responsibility for the bombing, which was one of the deadliest in the U.N’s history, was claimed by Boko Haram. While this attack occurred within Nigerian borders, it was the first time Boko Haram had targeted an international, non-Nigerian entity.

Indeed, Boko Haram has experienced rapid advancement since the days of launching attacks with a few sticks of dynamite. And, it has been an unusually swift progression.

The findings and recommendations, regarding Boko Haram, compiled by the U.S Representatives Subcommittee on Counterterrorism can be found here.

(worldthreats.com)

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