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[polly7]

This message was self-deleted by its author (polly7) on Fri Sep 5, 2014, 09:43 AM. When the original post in a discussion thread is self-deleted, the entire discussion thread is automatically locked so new replies cannot be posted.

[Warpy]

1. The terrorist group's main reason for existence

is to prevent girls from going to school. This is their stated aim.

There will be a tipping point, eventually, enough families will have their daughters stolen and sold into a slave type marriage that they will pressure the government into taking this a little more seriously. So far, the families have been on their own, the government largely standing around with their thumbs up their asses and giving conflicting "information."

[polly7]

2. They need help.

"Parents expressed their despair after President Goodluck Jonathan convened an emergency security council on Thursday with state governors, security chiefs and spiritual leaders from across Africa's most populous, religiously mixed country. The government said its priority was to rescue the girls, kidnapped almost two weeks ago on 14 April, amid a deteriorating security situation"



"We must do everything to ensure that the abducted children are retrieved and rehabilitated and returned to their parents, and the military assured us that they are working on it," said Kayode Fayemi, of the southern, Christian-majority Ekiti state, following a seven-hour meeting at the presidential villa in the capital, Abuja, in which attendees also addressed fears that Boko Haram, which is seeking to carve a northern Islamic enclave, is extending its geographical reach southwards and deeper into a linchpin country in a region already plagued by Islamist militancy."



"The mass abduction underlines how even the vast military might of a country that has long been a regional peacekeeping giant is failing to contain the insurgency raging in the north-east of Africa's most populous country. Tens of thousands of civilians fleeing the vast, arid north say they are caught between the militants and brutal army reprisals.

The government said recently that nomadic herdsmen who frequently clash in cattle raids further south, in a tinderbox of ethnic tensions known as the Middle Belt, were now being infiltrated by fighters with sophisticated weapons rather than the homemade shotguns traditionally used by Fulani herders. More than 300 have been killed in such clashes in the past month."

The world needs to help these people. Maybe the UN needs to actually do something for a change.

[WinstonSmith4740]

23. K & R

Unfortunately, our press will only give it real coverage if Faux Noise tries to claim a connection to Obama.

[hlthe2b]

3. This is beyond words...

I can only hope for a miracle that is unlikely to come.

[undeterred]

4. Kerry Condemns Nigerian Schoolgirl Kidnapping

John Kerry is in Africa this weekend and he has spoken about it - he is promising US help:

http://www.boston.com/news/world/africa/2014/05/03/kerry-condemns-nigerian-schoolgirl-kidnapping/z0I5UNXMsO7Jf8yCXW9NEJ/video.html

[CTyankee]

14. I can't help wondering what Hillary would do if this had happened on her watch as SsS.

I'm pretty sure Kerry is on the right side of this but I wonder how much priority he gives it.

This is why we need strong, liberal/progressive women iin high office here...

[A Little Weird]

21. What do you think the U.S. can do?

This story makes me so angry and I don't know of any concrete way to help. It's so frustrating.

[undeterred]

27. The US devotes millions to tracking down terrorists

and our military is all over Africa. When there is a potential threat of a terror attack in Kenya or Uganda the information always seems to come from the US. So I hope that some of that effort is being used to keep track of this terrorist group (Boko Haram) and that we can help the Nigerians in the search for the kidnappers/schoolgirls.

Edit: John Kerry and Russ Feingold are travelling in Africa this weekend. These men have empathy and they have daughters.


The Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo Augustin Matata Ponyo, front center, walks with US Secretary of State John Kerry, front right, and Russ Feingold, left, US Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo, after meetings at the Palais de la Nation in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sunday, May 4, 2014. (AP Photo/Saul Loeb, pool)

[A Little Weird]

28. That's true

From what I've read, a big part of the problem is that the Nigerian government isn't taking action. Our intel will be of limited value if the Nigerian leaders don't put it to use. But hopefully Kerry and Feingold will be able to help.

I can't imagine what those girls and their parents are going through.

[CTyankee]

32. I don't know how much we can do but I am eternally optimistic that Obama and Kerry

have a workable plan.

[undeterred]

33. US Supports Nigeria's Anti-Terrorism Efforts With N3.2 Billion

By Ben Ezeamalu, 3 May 2014

The United States government has said that it supported Nigeria's fight against terrorism with over $20 million in 2012. Marie Harf, Deputy Spokesperson of the U.S. Department of State, disclosed this during Thursday's daily press briefing in Washington D.C.

"As of last year, for Fiscal Year 2012, we provided over $20 million in security assistance to Nigeria," said Ms. Harf, while responding to questions from reporters. Part of what that does is help professionalize their military, investigate terrorist attacks, and enhance their forensic capabilities. And we've worked with law enforcement there as well to help build their capacity as well," she added.

Despite budgeting trillions of Naira yearly for security, the Nigerian government has continued to struggle with combating terrorism in the country. Over the past few weeks, the Boko Haram insurgents have continued to unleash series of gruesome attacks and leaving in their wake hundreds of dead civilians.

On Friday, the U.S. embassy issued a warning to its citizens in Nigeria about a possible terror attack on Sheraton Hotel, Lagos. The embassy also asked its citizens to avoid Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe States in North East Nigeria.

Read more: http://allafrica.com/stories/201405030433.html

US always seems to be watching these groups... but how much can we intervene?

[CTyankee]

34. I wish I knew...

[theHandpuppet]

5. 'Bring Back Our Girls"

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/04/opinion/sunday/kristof-bring-back-our-girls.html?hp&rref=opinion
Nicholas Kristof
The New York Times
SundayReview | Op-Ed Columnist
‘Bring Back Our Girls’
MAY 3, 2014

(excerpt)

In hopes of viral pressure on Nigerian authorities to try to recover the girls, campaigns have started on the White House website, on Change.org and on Facebook to demand: “Bring Back Our Girls.” All this may or may not help, but it’s worth trying.

The attack in Nigeria is part of a global backlash against girls’ education by extremists. The Pakistani Taliban shot Malala Yousafzai in the head at age 15 because she advocated for girls’ education. Extremists threw acid in the faces of girls walking to school in Afghanistan. And in Nigeria, militants destroyed 50 schools last year alone.

If the girls aren’t rescued, “no parent will allow their female child to go to school,” Hadiza Bala Usman, who has led protests in Nigeria on behalf of the missing girls, warned in a telephone interview.

Northern Nigeria is a deeply conservative area, and if the schoolgirls are recovered, it may be difficult for them to marry because of suspicions that they are no longer virgins....

[CTyankee]

8. Excellent piece by Kristoff who has long been devoted to this issue and was riaising it

tirelessly in the NYT for quite a while.

I hope President Obama will use whatever pressure he can to get the government of Nigeria serious about enforcing/strengthening the law and law enforcement efforts. Economic sanctions may work.

[sheshe2]

6. Kicking for exposure! eom

[theHandpuppet]

7. Facebook page link for "Bring Back Our Girls"

https://www.facebook.com/bringbackourgirls?ref=nf

[giftedgirl77]

9. k&r for exposure...

It's a damn shame these threads just drop.

[In_The_Wind]

10. Kick!

[hrmjustin]

11. So sad!

[secondvariety]

12. Horrible...

I can't imagine what the parents are going through.

[intaglio]

13. kicked and recc'ed

(forgot b4)

[UtahLib]

15. K&R nt

[Tribalceltic]

16. kick

[livetohike]

17. Kick

[theHandpuppet]

18. Demand for return of hundreds of abducted schoolgirls in Nigeria mounts

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/03/world/africa/nigeria-abducted-girls/
CNN WORLD
Demand for return of hundreds of abducted schoolgirls in Nigeria mounts
By Azadeh Ansari and Tia Brueggeman, CNN
updated 6:55 AM EDT, Sun May 4, 2014

Washington (CNN) -- International pressure on Nigeria is mounting with protesters taking to the streets around the world to demand the rescue of hundreds of schoolgirls abducted by the terror group Boko Haram.

From Los Angeles to London, demonstrators carried posters reading #BringBackOurGirls -- a campaign that began on Twitter following the mass abduction of the girls in April -- and chanted "Bring them home!," "Not for sale!" and "African lives matter!"

The protests on Saturday came the same day that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called on Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan to step up efforts to find the girls who were abducted April 16 from a school in Chibok, in the country's rural northeast.

In Washington, protesters gathered at the Lincoln Memorial to denounce what they described as a poor response by the Nigerian government to rescue the girls.... MORE

[theHandpuppet]

19. I'm hopeless at posting photos but I think we need a gallery

There are some powerful photos here: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27256860

If anyone has photos to share, please post.

[sheshe2]

20. A few more...

An unidentified mother cries out during the demonstration to demand the government find their daughters
CREDIT: AP PHOTO/ GBEMIGA OLAMIKAN

http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/04/30/3432283/nigerian-women-prepare-to-march-to-bringbackourgirls/

[barbtries]

22. kicked

[malthaussen]

24. DU rec. n/t

[ismnotwasm]

25. K&R

[sufrommich]

26. k&r. Horrific.

[CrispyQ]

29. What kind of monsters do this?

No one knows what will befall these young women. In February, Boko Haram – whose founding purpose is to defeat the influence of western education – murdered 59 students. Teachers, schools and children are in the front line.

Such a horrific story & hardly a word about it on network news.

[Violet_Crumble]

41. I suspect the reason for the lack of media attention

...is that it hasn't happened in a developed nation. I've noticed that some Americans don't seem to be able to empathize with something like this because of that and Can't relate unless they can connect it to the US

[MadrasT]

30. K&R

[Tuesday Afternoon]

31. !

[BlancheSplanchnik]

35. KICK KICK KICK! go viral!

[Warren DeMontague]

36. K&R

[onestepforward]

37. K&R

[Sissyk]

38. Another K&R

It is important to keep this front and center.

These girls need help now!

[Texasgal]

39. kick!!!

This story needs to be front and center!

[SunSeeker]

40. Is the U.S. doing anything to help?

I mean, if we send in Navy Seals to free a ship taken over by Somali pirates, seems like this would be just as appropriate a task for them.

[theHandpuppet]

43. Mustn't upset the Nigerian government!

After all, they are Africa's largest oil producer. Oil washes away a multitude of sins, including their abhorrent persecution of LGBTs.

[polly7]

46. +1000. nt.

[SunSeeker]

47. Dunno, Iraq had oil, yet we bombed the shit out of it. nt

[The Wielding Truth]

42. No child should ever be taken!

[theHandpuppet]

44. Boko Haram leader states he will sell kidnapped girls

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27283383
BBC news Africa
5 May 2014
Boko Haram 'to sell' Nigeria girls abducted from Chibok
Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram has threatened to "sell" the hundreds of schoolgirls it abducted three weeks ago.

Militant leader Abubakar Shekau sent a video obtained by the AFP news agency, in which he said for the first time that his group had taken the girls.

About 230 girls are still believed to be missing, prompting widespread criticism of the Nigerian government...

...In the video, Abubakar Shekau said the girls should not have been in school in the first place, but rather should get married.

"God instructed me to sell them, they are his properties and I will carry out his instructions," he said.... MORE

[polly7]

45. 'God' is probably calling these men all sorts of names I won't mention here.

I wish there was some way we could all 'buy' these girls and give them back to their families. Obviously, the Nigerian gov't isn't doing everything it can ... where is the UN? If all the powerful gov'ts in the world don't give enough of a shit to help them, they're doomed to horrific lives. I can't imagine the torture they and their families are going through.