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Friday 27 September 2013

US report says Boko Haram may have anti-aircraft missiles

Not only has Boko Haram been linked to the group behind Kenyan mall attack al Shabaab, there are also reports that they may have anti-aircraft missiles. Hmmmm.

From Punch
A report by a committee of  the United States House of Representatives has linked the  fundamentalist Islamist sect, Boko Haram to al Shabaab, the terror group that carried out the September 21 Westgate Mall attack in Nairobi, Kenya.
The  report dated September 13, 2013 and entitled, ‘Boko Haram: Growing Threat to the US Homeland’, also acknowledged the growing relationship between the Nigerian sect and another terror group, the Al Qaeda in the land of the Islamic Maghreb.
The  39-page report noted that “while there is no evidence that al Qaeda’s core in Afghanistan and Pakistan commands Boko Haram’s operations, it is clear from the words of multiple US officials and  media reports  that Boko Haram is supportive of, and supported by Al Qaeda networks such as AQIM.”
It noted that “it is the unity of ideology and mutual hatred for the West between the Al Qaeda networks that exposes the danger Boko Haram poses to the U.S Homeland.”

The committee described Boko Haram as a “hardened and sophisticated terror network” that required  multiple simultenous local and international efforts to enhance the capacity and capability of the the Nigerian Police and the military to curtail its activities.

It said there was an urgent need by the US to designate the sect as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation because it has shown  no signs of ending its aggression  against the government of Nigeria and the Western world.

The commiteee wrote, “The world is coming to know more about Boko Haram; their intentions, what they’re capable of, and who is supporting them.

“The US Intelligence Community is working to erase the gaps in our understanding of Boko Haram, but it is already evident they are a serious threat to US interests and potentially to the US Homeland.
‘‘Acknowledging this threat publicly by designating Boko Haram an FTO will establish a legal mechanism for prosecuting any supporters within US jurisdictions.

“This is an increasingly important tool given their attempts to market themselves to a wider international audience.
“Boko Haram shows no signs of ending its campaign against the government of Nigeria and the Western world. Two years after their August 2011 bombing of a United Nations facility in Abuja, Nigeria, Boko Haram remains a threat to the international community, and continues to be a developing threat to the US  Homeland.”

The report said that Boko Haram had “highly skilled bomb makers who might have received training  from experienced militants elsewhere, potentially indicating a stronger relationship between them and AQIM or Al Shabaab.

 It said that besides building sophisticated weaponry, it was now possible that Boko Haram had acquired or will acquire SA-7  and SA-24  shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles.

The SA-7  missile is effective up to 1,300 metres, while some newer models reach altitudes of almost four kilometres. Although most aircraft cruise around 9,140 metres,  the SA-7  could be used to target aircraft during  takeoff and landing.

 In the report, the committee warned, “It does not take much imagination to picture the threat these weapons would pose to commercial aviation in Abuja if they fell into Boko Haram hands.”
Out of the 20,000 such weapons in Libya, only 5,000 of them had been secured through a $40m US programme to buy up loose missiles during the fall of the Gadhafi regime. Most are believed to have found their way into  countries that share common boundaries with Nigeria.

The committee acknowledged that the  Goodluck Jonathan administration had taken some potentially promising steps in its effort to fight Boko Haram.

 It said the appointment of Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), a northern Nigerian Muslim, to the position of National Security Adviser on June 23, 2012, demonstrated Jonathan’s willingness to give northerners and Muslims a visible role in Nigeria’s struggle with Boko Haram.
“Dasuki has taken the lead in organising government’s fight against Boko Haram, and his background as a Muslim from the North may give him obvious and potent symbolic significance,” the committee said.

In spite of this, the committee observed that concerns regarding the capability of the Jonathan administration to effectively deal with Boko Haram remained prominent.

The committee said without foreign assistance from countries such as the US and the UK, the Nigerian government would  almost certainly face a prolonged battle in neutralising Boko Haram.
According to the committee, the State Department, which has also engaged Nigeria through its African Coastal and Border Security programme, has focused its assistance on peacekeeping support, training, border and maritime security, and increasing military professionalisation.

But it lamented that in spite of the training, the “JTF  continues to behave unprofessionally, and has been accused of human rights abuses by Human Rights Watch, among other  entities, including the State Department’s most recent annual human rights report.”
It also warned that greater pressure must be applied to the JTF to abandon counter-productive and brutal tactics alienating northerners.

The committee said  failure of the Secretary of State to designate the Boko Haram sect an FTO, was  the ‘most obvious flaw in the US effort to combat it and prevent its expansion.’
It said, “If Boko Haram were to be designated an FTO, it would support US intelligence community efforts to curb the group’s financing, stigmatise and isolate it internationally, heighten public awareness and knowledge, and signal to other governments the US takes the threat from Boko Haram seriously.

“If Boko Haram is not designated an FTO, its potential threat to the US and its capability to attack the homeland would likely increase. It is therefore an urgent next step to take in fighting this growing al Qaeda affiliate in Nigeria.”

The committee further said as the number of attacks perpetrated by Boko Haram had increased in 2013, so had  the attention paid to the group by the US.

66 comments:

Kofi Oppong Kyekyeku said...

Hmmmm.....

Anonymous said...

so bad

BONARIO NNAGS said...

hmmmm we're so helpless coupled with our ever focused and pragmatic president.

~BONARIO~says so via NOKIA3310

Mich said...

Not surprising at all,I will be damned if Boko Haram hasn't had an anti-aircraft missile for a while now.
Eventually,the US government is gonna send in its anti-terrorism roperatives into Nigeria to do what they do best,fish out the terrorist bastards and grab as much as they can get from Nigeria.
The saddest part is,we have a government that is more concerned with 2015 than it is with urgent issues as this...a government that knows those behind the Boko Haram scourge but won't say anything because of politics and fear of losing power.
My heart bleeds for my Country!

Anonymous said...

Why is USA shiifting the blame on Nigeria? Why r they not saying anything about the US citizens among the terrorists in Kenya? Obviously their govt is bent on blacklisting Nigeria! They better come carry their Shell and Chevron investment from Naija! Small small they will start Afghan attack on us without us noticing. We better be @ alert!!! I remain a proud Nigerian!!! #slimbeauty

Anonymous said...

na wa o. Fada, into ur hands we commit 9ja.

Apple said...

Hmmmmmm... Islam is the cancer of the world indeed!!!...Hmmmm..

Anonymous said...

Wow. It's high time the United States come in. This Islam religion na wa o, Muslims worship a blood Sucking god. Shikena

Anonymous said...

wooooowwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! speechles

Anonymous said...

Linda am back..I have missed ur blog..came back from istanbul yesterday..May God guide and protect us from Evil............THE DON

bbm pin 23491053 said...

Boko here Boko there. God have mercy on those he chooses. I expand the mercy on whom ever that says amen to this. God protect and have mercy for this Country. Amen. Cheers. Engr Emy.

Anonymous said...

Oya where's Jack Bauer when you need hin..

Anonymous said...

Omg

Hrm paul ojeih said...

Linda happy birthday long life and many more mullah and prosperity.
oya to this story u just published this is not a cheering news if this murderers have anti-aircraft missiles then they can bring down fighter jets and if they are truly behind the Kenyan mall attacks then every mall in Nigeria is not safe

Anonymous said...

Demonic fools, se dem de craze? Y u do de usually cover their faces with those rags? If de are not cowards, de should come out without masking up with those nonsense on their faces. Evil n unreasonable, ur time of destruction is near, vry soon we shall see d end of ds madness.

Anonymous said...

Evil n unreasonable men

Anonymous said...

Vry soon, ds evil people shall be fed with their own flesh n be drunken by their own blood, IJN, AMEN.

Anonymous said...

Hummmmmmmmm, i sincerely don't want to entertain fear in my life

Unknown said...

Woooow. This is crazy ooooo.

Anonymous said...

this is scary o...dat is...dey can decide to shoot any plane off our poros skies..

bubbles said...

Atleast I know better than to be found in a crowded place ...
Shoprite, banex plaza, silver brd, cerdi even vanity e.t.c gudbye y'all... cause you never know...

peteypablo said...

Wonderful Just what we need? God help us

Anonymous said...

God help us

Unknown said...

yawa dey o

Yetinde said...

Opportunity for America to come into our country,it won't work,pata pataa,we'll unseat jonathan,awon ole becos of the oil in d south south,moreover its our business,the power tussle is btw the south-south & the north,God'll see us through...

Anonymous said...

US govt trying to create reasons to penetrate Nigeria, all for our oil... Sad, I guess we are next in line to go to war. Millions will die if they succeed to create drama, whilst they make a profit. Nigeria USA isnt our friend be careful

Anonymous said...

And so they photoshopped boko haram to Kenya Mall abi? It is well, they will never agree that there's a terrorist in their own country

Anonymous said...

Absolute rubbish!...Americans with their selfish interests...Goodluck is this what you went to Obama for? Olodo presido!!!

wemimo said...

Father please help ur children..d world has ended...

EBELE OTUOKE said...

Dis is an old story,we all know b4 nw wat boko haram ar capabl of doin.Even wen Jonathan visited maiduguri,d security operatives confiscated anti aircraft missiles.
Click on my name 4 ur freebies

Babylawyer. said...

Us should go to hell. There've been linked 2 the attack and should deal with it and leave Nigeria the hell alone. Selfish arrogant us always claiming flawlesss when us records the highest number of country with terrorist attack threat here and there. Their pride is contributing 2 the whole threat their receiving here and there.

Anonymous said...

Americans. Them dey craze they are strategically giving bokos strategy mchteww! Odoyewu

@EDDYSYFAR said...

As e d̶̲̥̅̊ε̲̣̣̣̥γ̲̣̣̥ g̶̲̥̅̊ø̲̣̣̥, Gø̲̣̣̥d̶̲̥̅̊ g̶̲̥̅̊ø̲̣̣̥ help u§.

Anonymous said...

Jehova jireh

money in the bank said...

I well understand that boko hara is a deadly organisation responsible for the death of thousands of people and am also not arguing that they are not link to al shaba and alQuada but be link with the Kenya mall attack is an attent by the U.S and is western ally to shift the responbilities of that attack to Nigeria.Before you know it,Nigeria and innocent Nigerians will be head accountable.Our government should start now through the office of the foreign minister to fight this new development.Boko Hara no go but us for problem.

Anonymous said...

only God wil help us,sign of end time.

Merit Gogo said...

Terrible.

Anonymous said...

Don't let ur paranoia kill u...ls would a person that claims 2 b a human utter sucha staement.u know dt cruseAdes hv bin raised by d Christian world n no1 has called dem cancer,israel killing Palestinians,us invading iraq n no 1 has called dem cancer.my friend all I can tell u is make sure ur brain n mouth r Connected b4 u talk

Anonymous said...

US of America is an opportunist Nation, seeking to sow discord. Next thing they'll say we should approve gay law else they won't help. They are just looking for way to colonise nigeria but God pass them. It is WELL. Things won't remain lik dis for too Long

Bonyma said...

wahala dey oh! Time to drain our oil free of charge, so diz tinz we use to watch in t.v's lyk CNN wen America startz sayn sumtin abt a country, nxt dey r dia jst lyk Afghan, Libya etc we go hear am die.... Infact i laf dis country in spanish

Anonymous said...

Just see US with their sense. They wan come chop oil

Bonyma said...

wahala dey oh! Time to drain our oil free of charge, so diz tinz we use to watch in t.v's lyk CNN wen America startz sayn sumtin abt a country, nxt dey r dia jst lyk Afghan, Libya etc we go hear am die.... Infact i laf dis country in spanish

Anonymous said...

ever so 'glorifed' America. Dont trust these guyz o..NEVER! They have their own secret agenda. We will survive with nobody but God's help. I have said my piece.

Anonymous said...

president jonathan and his mumu self(yes in small letters,no respect whatsoever) looks like someone capable of selling my precious Nigeria. Only after his own selfish interest. Don't run again..we(I) don't want you no more...no more. Give someone else a chance to rule( someone capable..someone with sense).

Anonymous said...

What about those American terrorists at Westgate? Senate no go hear abi? First the white widow of Britain now this one. Let them keep shifting blame, they didn't succeed in Syria that is their Painment

Miss G said...

Islam..........LMAO

Anonymous said...

You r an idiot indeed!...@apple

Unknown said...

@ everyone: if any one of you had lost a close relative to such bombings, I guess you would appreciate the intervention of the foreign powers! I rest my case! May God continue to comfort those who have lost a beloved!

Anonymous said...

Islam is d greatest night mare of d whole xtian world,unending destruction of lives they cannot create.....motive=zero

Anonymous said...

That's what happens when the govt of the day is very irresponsible. Let the US send their people, let's see how it goes, I am sick and tired of a president that keeps on setting commitees to tackle terrorism yet these terrorist groups are waxing stronger by the second. Which way Nigeria?

natasha k said...

I think all dis is pointing to one direction and dat is d fact dat d world is coming to and end soon

Anonymous said...

US please mind your business. Just bent on stealing from us. Perfect country filled with lots of lunatics

Anonymous said...

Not that I do not acknowledge the possibility that Boko Haram was involved but as someone else said, they have shifted the blame. What about the US, British, Finnish terrorists that were among them? No Nigerian citizen was not on the list, now they're talking about Nigeria. This woman they're talking about who bribed her way out, do they have confirmed reports that she was directly responsible? Abegi.

Anonymous said...

My dear, you are right

Anonymous said...

Before people start jumping into conclusion, ask yourselves why boko haram didnt attack one of the shopping malls in Nigeria. Had to go all the way to kenya.

This isnt the first time US 'intelligence' has been faulted... accused saddam of nuclear weapons-till today, they never find the weapons.

Doesnt take a genius to know the US intelligence is bullshit. If truely they have anti-aircraft weapons, how come they havent used it in nigeria?

People start talking think

ary said...

Hmmm this one US done put mouth for this one that mean say, e no go hard before them start they do meeting for our head whether to invade or not! Na wa oh!

Anonymous said...

I keep asking myself.... What did gej and obama discuss when they had that closed door meeting after y'ar adua died? No media house reported anything on their discussion. We just know he went in there, and since then boko haram menace started. Lots of looting, riots, strikes, a higher level of discord.... Lots of things enough to destroy a country, but Nigeria is still standing. Now after gej's recent meeting with obama, greedy US is trying to shift blames on Nigeria.... Ha! The country don suffer sha!!!..... They want to come in here by all means, and gej is the kind that will not hesitate to betray the country. Open your eyes people..... And impeach this evil man right now!!!! I wish a petition can be started for this cause.

Anonymous said...

I sorry for everyone who do not know JESUS

AMARACHI (LindaIkeji's Daughter) said...

C'mon shut ur trap. Your comment shows how shallow minded u r nd yes dis is coming from a Catholic

AGB said...

& the u.s. is the one supposed to be doing intelligence gathering for us? Abeggii, let them free us with all this their talk & let's Keep pounding boko harm ourselves. Thanks for the info,but we don't need forwardinhos to be "carrying our case on their head " & start giving these boko boys ideas on what weapons they should be having.

AGB said...

I couldn't have said it better Bro,God Bless you.

Anonymous said...

Well said Mich. My heart truly bleeds for my country

Anonymous said...

Why do Americans like diverting attention when the are obviously @ fault. Where any Nigerians involved in Kenya shopping mall? If is our oil the are looking for, it won't work. A typical naija pikin even get sense pass an average white man. So make them relax, we don't need there help. On our own we are curtailing boko haram. If the need to refill there oil reserve, let them go to the next border. Non of the for seen comment about Nigeria have ever come to fulfillment. Are the not tired of the failed attempts? Hmm... Vampires

Anonymous said...

You guys don't know how deceitful America is, if they designate boko haram an FTO, it gives them the power to carry out airstrikes on our land without our approval. In d end, all them want is our oil! @ fodukes

Anonymous said...

Y'all saying Islam is responsible for this...I'm sure you failed to read the whole article and you are outdated.
That's why you're blabbing sh*t. Glad the number is reduced...indicates we're having a higher number of forward-looking people. Why not treat what's for the future, rather than saying what is not?!?

Anonymous said...

Are alshabarber, alquedaft and bokoheartless pagans? Or budhists?..truth is bitter but truth be said. They are muslims fighting 4 allah. Abi muslims nor dey linked to islam? Lol. They are religious fanatics spoiling the name of good muslims that cannot kill a fly* sorry bro, blame is still on islam (some islamic fanatics)..thank God there are no fanatic xtians killing 4 Jesus..glory!

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