Ed Krayewski on U.S. Intervention in Nigeria
Earlier this week the Nigerian government accepted an offer from the United States that involved deploying a special security team to participate in the attempted rescue of nearly 300 girls kidnapped last month by the Islamist extremists Boko Haram. The U.S. government first offered help this month after the story of the kidnappings broke into mainstream media in the West. Nigeria's president, Goodluck Jonathan, was initially reluctant to accept international help. Arguably the U.S. would not have put as much pressure on Nigeria to accept its aid were it not for the popular outrage over the horrific crime. Yet, while the offer of limited U.S. help may alleviate the understandable outrage over the kidnapping even if it can't significantly improve the chances of rescuing the girls, writes Ed Krayewski, broader U.S. intervention in Nigeria, no matter how benevolent-minded in this particular instance, is a bad idea all around.