Post by Scott Anthony on Jan 17, 2015 1:31:26 GMT
Q Josh, I wanted to ask you about Nigeria. There’s some horrific new satellite images suggesting that the massacre that we already knew about by Boko Haram was even worse. People are accusing Boko Haram of a crime against humanity. Since the President talked about preventing genocide, preventing a massacre in Iraq some months ago against the Yazidis as a justification for U.S. airstrikes against ISIS, why haven’t we seen U.S. intervention in Nigeria?
MR. EARNEST: Well, Ed, let me start by saying that the United States remains deeply concerned by ongoing reports of violence perpetrated by Boko Haram in the Baga area. We’re actively supporting the efforts of Nigeria and its neighbors to confront this group.
Our counterterrorism assistance to Nigeria includes information-sharing, improving Nigeria’s forensics and investigative capacity, and support for communities that are under direct threat from Boko Haram. Our assistance also stresses the importance of protecting civilians and ensuring that human rights are protected and respected in Nigeria. To counter the spread of violent extremist ideology and stem extremist recruitment efforts, the United States also supports programs and initiatives that provide positive alternatives to communities most at risk of radicalization and recruitment, including through vocational training.
So there are a whole host of ways in which the United States has been supportive of the Nigerians as they’ve confronted this threat.
Q But sadly, tragically, it didn’t stop at least 2,000 maybe more -- mostly kids, elderly -- who couldn’t outrun these Islamic militants. So despite all that, it hasn’t stopped. So what’s the -- why no U.S. military intervention? I understand the other counterterror -- what’s the difference from trying to save the Yazidis who were on a mountain -- and that was a laudable goal the President tried to rally the international community behind. Why no direct U.S. military intervention here? There was a massacre. It’s happening.
MR. EARNEST: Well, Ed, these are the kinds of moral dilemmas that American Presidents for generations have faced. And this decision about when and how to use American force, military force, is something that American Presidents have wrestled with for a long time. And the questions only become more difficult, as they have throughout history, as the capability of the American military has increased; that Presidents 100 years ago didn’t have to spend as much time struggling with a decision like this because they didn’t have the same kind of military capabilities at their disposal.
But now, because of the profound capability of the American military -- whether it’s UAVs or fighter jets -- that there is a tremendous capacity that our military has to protect our interests around the globe. And that ultimately is the question -- is how do you sort of balance America’s national security interests with the variety of capabilities that the U.S. military has.
And there is significant military capability from the United States that already has been committed to working on this effort. And one of the things that we have believed is most important is dedicating an effort to work closely with forces that are on the ground, local forces, to try to confront these challenges. And that is -- the strategy that we have employed in Iraq to try to support Iraq’s security forces on the ground to take the fight to these extremists is the same strategy that we’ve used in Nigeria on a different scale -- because each situation is different -- where you do have an American military presence that’s using our extensive capabilities to support the Nigerian government’s efforts to take the fight to these extremists.
MR. EARNEST: Well, Ed, let me start by saying that the United States remains deeply concerned by ongoing reports of violence perpetrated by Boko Haram in the Baga area. We’re actively supporting the efforts of Nigeria and its neighbors to confront this group.
Our counterterrorism assistance to Nigeria includes information-sharing, improving Nigeria’s forensics and investigative capacity, and support for communities that are under direct threat from Boko Haram. Our assistance also stresses the importance of protecting civilians and ensuring that human rights are protected and respected in Nigeria. To counter the spread of violent extremist ideology and stem extremist recruitment efforts, the United States also supports programs and initiatives that provide positive alternatives to communities most at risk of radicalization and recruitment, including through vocational training.
So there are a whole host of ways in which the United States has been supportive of the Nigerians as they’ve confronted this threat.
Q But sadly, tragically, it didn’t stop at least 2,000 maybe more -- mostly kids, elderly -- who couldn’t outrun these Islamic militants. So despite all that, it hasn’t stopped. So what’s the -- why no U.S. military intervention? I understand the other counterterror -- what’s the difference from trying to save the Yazidis who were on a mountain -- and that was a laudable goal the President tried to rally the international community behind. Why no direct U.S. military intervention here? There was a massacre. It’s happening.
MR. EARNEST: Well, Ed, these are the kinds of moral dilemmas that American Presidents for generations have faced. And this decision about when and how to use American force, military force, is something that American Presidents have wrestled with for a long time. And the questions only become more difficult, as they have throughout history, as the capability of the American military has increased; that Presidents 100 years ago didn’t have to spend as much time struggling with a decision like this because they didn’t have the same kind of military capabilities at their disposal.
But now, because of the profound capability of the American military -- whether it’s UAVs or fighter jets -- that there is a tremendous capacity that our military has to protect our interests around the globe. And that ultimately is the question -- is how do you sort of balance America’s national security interests with the variety of capabilities that the U.S. military has.
And there is significant military capability from the United States that already has been committed to working on this effort. And one of the things that we have believed is most important is dedicating an effort to work closely with forces that are on the ground, local forces, to try to confront these challenges. And that is -- the strategy that we have employed in Iraq to try to support Iraq’s security forces on the ground to take the fight to these extremists is the same strategy that we’ve used in Nigeria on a different scale -- because each situation is different -- where you do have an American military presence that’s using our extensive capabilities to support the Nigerian government’s efforts to take the fight to these extremists.