Boko Haram fighters 'surrender' as alleged chief killed

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

The Nigerian military has said that more than 260 Boko Haram militants have surrendered in north-eastern Nigeria.

A spokesman also said that the military had killed the man posing as the group's leader, Abubakar Shekau.

Mohammed Bashir is said to have appeared in the group's videos but is thought to be an imposter.
...
The military said that 135 Boko Haram members surrendered with their weapons in Biu, Borno State, on Tuesday - and that 133 others surrendered elsewhere in north-eastern Nigeria and were currently being interrogated.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29352927

---

Good news, if it's true. This is saying the old leader was killed in fighting in 2009, and the guy we've probably all seen (who did seem ridiculously over-the-top) was a lookalike.

[VanillaRhapsody]

1. oh this will make some more DU heads explode.

Specifically those that pointed to Boko Haram after the Coalition bombed ISIS!!!

[BrotherIvan]

8. Well, since the Nigerian military was able to defeat them without US interference...

I think that's what is called "check mate."

[cheapdate]

16. Little bit of help.

<<WASHINGTON — The United States has sent 80 troops to Chad in Central Africa to support a growing international effort in neighboring Nigeria to help find and rescue the schoolgirls who were abducted by an Islamist extremist group last month, the White House said on Wednesday.

The American military personnel are not ground troops. They are mostly Air Force crew members, maintenance specialists and security officers for unarmed Predator surveillance drones that will help search for the more than 260 Nigerian girls seized by the group, Boko Haram.

(...)

“These personnel will support the operation of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft for missions over northern Nigeria and the surrounding area,” the White House said in a statement formally notifying Congress about the deployment.


The deployment to Chad augments a team of about 30 specialists from the State Department, the F.B.I. and the Pentagon who have been sent to Nigeria to advise officials there. About half are military personnel with medical, intelligence, counterterrorism and communications skills.

On Monday, the Pentagon announced an agreement that would allow the United States to share some intelligence, including aerial imagery, with Nigerian officials, but not raw intelligence data. American officials are wary of sharing too much because they believe that Boko Haram has infiltrated the Nigerian security services.>>

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/22/world/africa/us-sends-troops-to-aid-hunt-for-nigerian-schoolgirls.html?_r=0

[BrotherIvan]

20. I am sure that the "fringe-leftists" would agree to that in Syraq as well

We just can't keep acting like we can occupy the ME forever without serious consequences.

[cheapdate]

23. Defining the proper role for U.S. foreign policy in the middle east is one thing,

providing assistance to locate kidnapped schoolgirls in central Africa is another.

[BrotherIvan]

25. Wait wut?

Platitudes?

[cheapdate]

30. Derp. I'll translate it into garble for you.

What the hell are we doing in Syraq? Was this a thread about kidnapped girls?

[SkyDaddy7]

32. NO, Not Really...The problem is...

The Nigerian military is almost as bad as Boko Haram in terms of human rights abuses...They are making Boko Haram bigger as they go.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/hunting-boko-haram/

[BrotherIvan]

34. Which parallels the US in the ME as well

Another main objection to our ongoing involvement.

[Tumbulu]

2. Hoping that the girls are found soon

and that no more are taken off.... thanks for posting the good news.

Praise and thanks to all who helped make this happen.

[Renew Deal]

3. They should be fed to sharks

[freshwest]

11. Well, the animal kingdom has already shown they don't like 'em:

Snakes and bees 'flush out' Boko Haram fighters (Warning: snake pic)

26 June 2014



The Nigerian Army is struggling to flush Boko Haram Islamist fighters out of their forest fastness, but it seems snakes may be doing the job for them.

Two suspected Boko Haram gunmen captured by local volunteers in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria, said they had fled the Sambisa Forest because of "incessant snake bites", the Vanguard newspaper reports.

One of the suspects, Kolo Mustapha, said bees have also been known to join in the attacks, often leaving their victims fatally injured. Some of his fellow-fighters think there is a supernatural aspect to the attacks, fearing that Boko Haram's victims are wreaking vengeance on their killers. Mustapha said he was caught because, like many others, he was trying to sneak back into town "as we have nowhere else to go". "Our leaders have fled to Cameroon," he added, saying they had forced local youths to join the group.

The other captive, Umar Abor, said "almost all our comrades are leaving the Sambisa because of constant attacks by snakes and bees". Many accuse Boko Haram leaders of having brought the plague upon themselves by kidnapping and killing civilians. The Civilian JTF volunteers agree that fighters have been fleeing the forest in growing numbers over the past two weeks, and were helping the security forces find weapons caches.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-28034240

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025165533

[Dont call me Shirley]

12. I wonder if the pigeons were nearby

[WinkyDink]

4. Execute them all.

[Scootaloo]

5. 'Cause that's what you do when people surrender

[WinkyDink]

6. You've heard of the Nuremburg Trials?

[Scootaloo]

18. Key word, "trials"

[Thinkingabout]

7. No, this is what you do to those who kidnap young girls, rape them, sell them, kill them.

[Ash_F]

10. US military kidnapped, raped and killed young girls.

US contractors sold them.Boys too.(see the leaked Manning cables).

Many of which have not yet been brought to justice. Should the whole military be executed? All PMCs too? That could include your neighbor, or family member. Or yourself.

This is a civil war. It is a war crime to execute the opposing side wholesale. Enough with the histrionics.

[marble falls]

13. That's an inconveniant truth to those who think there's a such thing as'acceptable losses' or ...

that 'collateral damage' isn't murder.

[Thinkingabout]

17. Rape is never acceptable, calling out others shortcomings does not excuse either, I don't understand

why some thinks they can justify one with saying someone else did something. This is not a criminal defense for any crime. I refuse to accept it is okay for rape because someone else did so and so.

[Ash_F]

24. The point is you don't know if these POWs were involved in the kidnappings...

in the same way you would not know if any random US soldier or PMC was involved in the kidnappings committed by US soldiers and PMCs. If you like guilt by association then everyone is guilty.

That said, some of them may have information on where the girls are. Torture/killing them might not help with that.

[Thinkingabout]

29. You are trying to show compassion, where is your compassion for these young girls,

When should we start having compassion for victims, who are either dead or still being abused, and even if they are still alive they have to endure forever their terror. We need to place compassion to victims who are innocent.

[Ash_F]

35. No, I am trying to show common sense.

By your logic, the entire US military should be summarily executed. If that is what you are trying to say, then go ahead.

If not, then you have not been intellectually consistent in this conversation.

[Thinkingabout]

36. Common sense but where is your compassion. BTW, our military is not

Trying to get everyone to return to seventh century where ISIS wants you.

Why would you even compare our military to ISIS, you may not love the USA but don't include our troops to this group.

[Ash_F]

37. Learn to read. /nt

[Scootaloo]

19. Two wrongs don't make a right

I'm amazed at the number of "progressives" clogging this site up that keep arguing otherwise.

Summary executions are wrong. hell, the death penalty is wrong. and just because the person getting killed was also a really bad person, doesn't make it right.

[Thinkingabout]

21. Are you saying they need a reward? We do not know if these girls are alive and they have been

kidnapped, raped and who knows what else and to be honest with you there are some cases which deserve the death penalty, no mercy for these thugs.

[Scootaloo]

22. I'm saying they should not be executed. How does that translate into "deserve a reward"?

Are these the only outcomes that exist in your world, killing and cake?

[Turborama]

28. I know it's a serious issue, but...

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

31. "Cake please!" "Very well then..." nt

[Uncle Joe]

9. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, muriel_volestrangler.

[ReRe]

14. Unbelievable. Snakes and bees flush them out.

K&R

No one could have predicted the end of this horrible event in Nigeria. Next on the agenda should be interrogating the SOBs about where those girls are and rescuing them. This isn't over till all those girls are accounted for and returned safely to their families. Thanks for the OP, muriel!

[Leith]

26. Hear Hear!

Getting the kidnapped girls back is the top priority.

Perhaps they could put the former members into a room with a couple snakes...? Make it easy for them to avoid the snakes, but keep them there until...?

Aw, heck! It's a bit barbaric, but it's not a bad idea..... Am I a bad person?

[ReRe]

27. No meaner than me.

... I've got an idea... send a bunch of our snake-handling fundamentalist preachers over there with their crates of snakes. Bet 'ya that would make the goons see the light and the error in their ways real quick. They would cough the location of those girls out lickety-split.

[Cha]

15. "Boko Haram has suffered heavy losses in recent weeks as the Nigerian military battled

the group close to its hometown of Maiduguri in the north east." Finally.. thanks to the Nigerian Military.

from your link.. mahalo, muriel

[CJCRANE]

33. Who knew Iron Man III was prophetic?

Re: the fake leader.