Running Boko Haram Thread

[Songbird]

2,000 dead this time?

Boko Haram offensive? Reports say at least 16 villages attacked, 2,000 feared killed.

Details are sketchy, but two credible outlets—the BBC and Agence France-Presse—are reporting on a massive Boko Haram offensive in northeastern Nigeria that may have killed up to 2,000 people.

From the BBC:

Nigeria's militant Islamists have carried out a second attack on the key north-eastern town of Baga, an official has told the BBC.

Boko Haram fighters burnt down almost the entire town on Wednesday, after over-running a military base on Saturday, Musa Alhaji Bukar said.

Bodies lay strewn on Baga's streets, amid fears that some 2,000 people had been killed in the raids, he added.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

This is from May, but it's pretty interesting. Basically, the Nigerian populace is between a rock and a hard place with the Boko Haram and the Nigerian military, who aren't exactly babyfaces themselves.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27396702

 

[Michael_ Gee]

It sucks to live in Nigeria. What am I supposed to do about that, or any other American?

 

[Songbird]

It's no fun being
a Boko Nigerian.

 

[Songbird]

Because the girl had lived a full life, all 10 years of it.

Nivedita ‏@ExSecular 21m21 minutes ago
Bomb strapped to girl 'about 10 years old' kills 19 in Nigeria: reports Imagine 10 year old !! http://abc.net.au/news/6010694

 

[YankeeFan]

I forget, which US foreign policy is Boko Haram responding to with these massacres?

 

[BTExpress]

If Boko Haram was smart, they would attack Russia. USA would back them with all kinds of support.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

I heard Whiter Shade of Pale on the radio a few days ago.

Oh.

 

[Dick Whitman]

I forget, which US foreign policy is Boko Haram responding to with these massacres?

I'm not sure I follow. Terrorists attacked the United States because they disagreed with U.S. foreign policy. They attack within Nigeria for different reasons than that.

Are these things incompatible?

Can you - I'm serious here - articulate briefly your argument here again? I'm a little lost.

 

[Songbird]

What's somewhat terrifying is that those stolen girls will be used for suicide bombers just like the 10-year-old was, if that story is accurate.

 

[YankeeFan]

 

[JohnHammond]

Rescuing a kidnapped girl only counts if they are part of the 219 and the news organizations and slacktivists properly use #BringBackOurGirls.

We didn’t bring back our girls - The Boston Globe

But, for most of us, that’s were it ends. A study from the University of British Columbia and Florida State found that there was an inverse correlation between how publicly we signal our empathy on social media, and how much we do to actually help. In other words, people who “like” a cause on Facebook are less likely to make a donation. This is because our brains have already rewarded us. We are so proud of ourselves. We did something good. We are good people. We can move on.