Boko Haram

Boko Haram has killed thousands throughout its reign of terror in Nigeria and neighboring countries. They strap bombs to little girls and send them into public markets to act as suicide bombers. Boko Haram means "Western education is sinful." Their goal is to create an Islamic caliphate in West Africa along the lines of ISIS' caliphate in Iraq and Syria. Boko Haram pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2015 and rebranded its state as the Islamic State's West Africa Province. Boko Haram, like ISIS, tell Christians to convert or die. Christians have seen their schools burned to the ground, some schools burned to the ground with children inside. Their homes are targeted, their churches are destroyed, because they are Christians. In April 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped close to 300 schoolgirls; now, 2 years later, many of those girls are still missing. Since the election of Nigerian President Buhari in May 2015, the United States has started to do more to help Nigeria combat Boko Haram. The U.S. must support its African partners to stamp out the Islamic radical menace once and for all. The fight against Boko Haram is essential to U.S. national security interests.