In the Press...
Washington Examiner article on Smith's work to advance religious freedom in Nigeria'Trump sends troops to Nigeria after Christmas Day operation'By Emily Hallas The Pentagon revealed on Tuesday that a team of U.S. military forces is in Nigeria to combat terrorism in the African country. The development comes after President Donald Trump authorized strikes last December against ISIS terrorists in northwest Nigeria, amid concerns that the group, and other radicalized Islamist militias such as Boko Haram, are killing thousands of Christians. General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, head of the U.S. military’s Africa Command AFRICOM, said this week that a small team of soldiers was deployed after he met with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, and the countries agreed to enhance coordination to fight terrorist forces. “That has led to increased collaboration between our nations to include a small U.S. team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States,” Anderson told reporters. A former U.S. official said the U.S. team appeared to be heavily involved in intelligence gathering and enabling Nigerian forces to strike terrorist-affiliated groups, according to Reuters. It remains unclear when the team was deployed. The Washington Examiner reached out to the Pentagon for further details. Last December, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) said Trump was crafting a sanctions plan targeting Nigeria, which he described as “the focal point of the most brutal and murderous anti-Christian persecution in the world.” Smith, who chairs the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights, has been one of the loudest voices in the House speaking out against terrorism in Nigeria, urging the Trump administration to advance religious freedom in the country. The same month, Trump ordered strikes on Christmas Day against the Islamic State group’s terrorists in Nigeria. The military action came after Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, labeled the massacre of thousands of Christians in the country as a “genocide” in November. The president has also designated Nigeria a country of particular concern due to the egregious violations of religious freedom. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced earlier in December that the State Department will restrict visas for those who have orchestrated religious violence in the aftermath of harm against Christians in Nigeria. |