Arizona Congressman Trent Franks reacted this week, to the kidnapping of over 200 Nigerian girls by Boko Haram and the failure of former Secretary Clinton to designate Boko Haram as a terrorist organization. In 2012, Franks called for Boko Haram’s designation on the foreign terrorist organization (FTO) list.
His request was ignored. Franks also now questions why the State Department, under Clinton’s leadership did not publically state that Boko Haram carried out religiously-motivated violence.
“I was heartbroken and deeply anguished to learn of the horrific kidnapping of over 200 Nigerian girls by the Islamist group, Boko Haram,” said franks in a statement released Wednesday. “As the father of a five-year-old daughter, I cannot imagine the pain their parents feel at this moment.
“Over two years ago, my office was one of the first to call for Boko Haram’s designation on the foreign terrorist organization (FTO) list. At the time, Boko Haram was systematically attacking Christian churches nearly every Sunday. Boko Haram has terrorized innocent Nigerians for over a decade and 16,000 Nigerians have tragically lost their lives at the hands of this radically Islamist organization,” continued Franks. “Moreover, there were understood links between Boko Haram, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and al-Shabaab multiple years ago.”
Franks said Clinton’s State Department, “was excruciatingly slow to respond to any congressional calls for Boko Haram to be placed on the FTO list.” He said that Clinton was in fact, “counterproductive to any initiative to place Boko Haram on this list and actively worked against our efforts within the U.S. Congress to combat the religiously-motivated violence perpetuated by Boko Haram.”
“I sincerely hope that the State Department will now wake up to the realities of Boko Haram and their clear intension to radicalize Nigeria and create a state fully governed by Sharia law.”
The July 2012 letter to Secretary Clinton, signed by Representative Franks and 27 other House members, stated, “We acknowledge that the goals of Boko Haram are wide-ranging and its seemingly loose and decentralized structure can make it difficult to discern specific, organization-wide goals. But we must also acknowledge that there are those within Boko Haram who seek to create an Islamic state in Nigeria.”