I recently wrote about the recent resurgence of Al Qaeda in the world. Their comeback is a product of the new administration’s insistence on dialogue instead of action, on withdrawal for political points instead of acting in accordance with the facts on the ground, and on the fact that Al Qaeda thinks that Obama will cower before terrorist threats, not rise to combat it. Well, over the last few days, Nigerian rebels who are part of a group called Boko Haram, which translates to “western education is forbidden,” have risen up and battled the government. More than 400 people have been killed in the fighting. Last week there was a clash between Nigerian troops and the rebels. As of yet there is no connection between Boko Haram and Al Qaeda, but Nigeria is starting to look more and more like a future destination for Al Qaeda.

The conditions are all there: There is a local terror group trying to impose Sharia on the country, there is high foreign investment in Nigeria, there are groups such as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) that are launching terrorist attacks on foreign oil companies and pipelines, and the central government is willing to negotiate with the terrorists. This makes Nigeria, and thus the entire West African region a potential target for Al Qaeda expansion. Already, some traditional leaders in the region have grown wary of Al Qaeda’s influence and have banded together to stop its spread.

Boko Haram Militant

We must not forget that right now Al Qaeda has many supporters scattered around the world, all they need is a safe enough haven so they can start planning their next attack. The United State’s mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan is critical, and Somalia is looming on the horizon. All they need is another psychopathic leader to inspire suicide brigades to strike at us, ‘the far enemy.’ We cannot abandon the war on terror and we must give them men and women fighting that war all the tools they need to succeed.

-AG