Thugs Like Us

[Valin]

Strategy Page:

 

January 30, 2013:

 

The government is sending 1,200 troops to help drive the Islamic radicals out of northern Mali. The government believes that some Boko Haram members have been trained in northern Mali, where the al Qaeda affiliated groups have been for a year now. Many other Boko Haram members and potential recruits are influenced by the al Qaeda activity in northern Mali. But now the Islamic terrorists there are on the run. Since January 15 th France has taken the initiative and sent troops to attack the al Qaeda forces in Mali. This has led other Western nations to contribute troops and support services. African nations in the region are suddenly sending some 10,000 troops to help chase down the al Qaeda fighters, who are seeking sanctuary in the countryside as the French troops, aided by French warplanes and smart bombs, drive the Islamic terrorists from the cities and the roads. Nigerian advice will be valuable in Mali because the Islamic terrorists there are now forced to operate like Boko Haram.

 

Yet Mali and Nigeria are different in important ways. While the Boko Haram are all black African, most people in northern Mail are lighter skinned Tuareg (ethnic cousins of the Berbers and ancient Egyptians) and most of the Islamic radicals are lighter skinned Arabs. Added to this is the ancient animosity between Arabs and black Africans. Part of it is pure racism, but another element is the annoying tendency of Arab Moslems to assume they are superior to non-Arab Moslems because the founder of Islam was Arab and the Moslem scriptures are written in Arabic and many Moslem scholars believe that the faithful should learn Arabic to pray and study the scriptures.

 

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Back in Nigeria the army and police are faced with a Moslem population in the north who hate both the Islamic radical Boko Haram for their violent terrorism and lifestyle rules, as well as the corrupt and violent government and security forces. The corruption and nasty security forces are also present in Mali, but in Nigeria these thugs and crooks look like their victims. This gives Boko Haram more protection and makes the Islamic terrorists more difficult to root out. In other words, for counter-terrorist operations, Mali is easy, Nigeria is hard.

 

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