On September 10, 2014 Rep. Lois Frankel of Florida asked for and was granted permission to address the United States House of Representatives for one minute regarding the other terrorist group American’s should be paying attention to – Boko Haram.
Boko Haram (meaning “Western education is forbidden”), Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad, is a militant Islamist movement based in northeast Nigeria. The group has received training and funds from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and was designated by the US as a terrorist organization in November 2013. Membership has been estimated to number between a few hundred and 9000 plus fighters.
Despite its relatively small size Boko Haram has killed more than 5,000 plus civilians between July 2009 and June 2014, including at least 2,000 in the first half of 2014, in attacks occuring mainly in northeast, north central and central states of Nigeria – making them the most destructive and vicious terrorist organization on the African continent.
“Mr. Speaker, in June, I joined colleagues on a trip to Nigeria. The focus of the journey was the kidnapping of 270 innocent young girls at the hands of Boko Haram terrorists. It has now been 5 months since they were taken from school and from their families off to unimaginable circumstances.
Since then, Boko Haram has only become more brutal and more vicious, continuing its rampage in Nigerian villages killing, torturing, kidnapping, raping, burning, and announcing the creation of an Islamic state in northeast Nigeria.
Their reign of terror has been overshadowed on the world stage by events elsewhere. Overshadowed but not forgotten, Boko Haram must be stopped, and the girls must be brought home.”
Source: Congressional Record