OJO ADEREMI cropped

The US [and the world] must return to Afghanistan but first, it must learn from Nigeria

Recently, Joe Biden was asked if the Taliban would overrun Kabul after the US withdraws its troops from Afghanistan. His answer was no. He was so sure he hardly wait for the question to be concluded. The President of the United States of America was utterly wrong, just like his predecessor from the Democratic Party. Barack Obama was interested in handling jihadi groups with care. In fact, despite the overwhelming presence of the US military in the Sahel, Obama was more complacent with tweeting about the 14-4-14 incidence; the kidnapping of over 270 girls from Chibok, North-Eastern Nigeria. Satellite surveillance and drone technology, readily, were available to AFRICOM laid down, useless. What the Democratic Party found appealing was tweeting against the Nigerian Government, not Boko Haram. And it would be stupid to cite diplomatic codes for the non-interventionist action of the Obama administration.

A few years before 14-4-14, the special forces had entered one of the strongest countries in the Islamic world to kill Osama bin Laden without permission or authorisation from the Pakistani government. It is apparent, now beyond doubt, that the Democratic Party of the United States of America is a curse to the world. Their presidents seem to want, always, to treat militant groups with care and affection. Hate him or like him, Netanyahu gave the most brilliant strategy to combat religious fundamentalism in the world. His strategy has worked in many places including Egypt, Iraq and Syria. The first thing is to fight and bomb the sh*t out of their stubborn lives. Then we can start to talk about detoxifying their polluted minds. But first, the bombing must continue and the military aggression must continue. Indeed, General Maxwell Kobe who commanded the Nigerian contingent in Sierra Leone in the 1990s was clear about what he thought was the solution to the Sierra Leonian question.

He said, left to him, that the militant rebels should be dealt with militarily. General Victor Malu was of the same opinion in his farewell speech as commander of the ECOMOG forces. The Taliban had imposed their religious views on Afghanistan including preventing the girl-child from going to school, forcing women to stay at home, maiming and amputating thieves, forced marriages, child marriage and other gruelling practices. Its local branch in Pakistan shot Malala. There were other unreported shootings of female school children and their teachers. The Taliban is a threat to all of us – Christians and Muslims alike. It is a threat to New Delhi, just as much as it is a threat to Lagos, Makkah or Jerusalem. It is a group of barbarians using the name of God to validate the atrocities of its members against defenceless people. But their menace will not stay in Afghanistan alone. If there was one noble thing the US military has done in the world, it would be invading Afghanistan.

Political correctness is not my thing. War on Terror is a necessity and the world must deal militarily with the Taliban first. It is not a day’s struggle. Afghanistan must be put, permanently in a war mode. The guns must never fall silent. Nigeria has laid precedence in this role. Indisputably, beyond imperial interests, Nigeria has had the most successful military interventions in the world [Boko Haram inclusive until Buhari became President]. Singlehandedly, Nigeria brought peace to Liberia and Sierra Leone. We did not leave until we achieved peace in those places. We spent decades and at the cost of many Nigerian lives achieving total victory over the enemies of freedom. We were there in Namibia, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire and The Gambia. We were there in the Niger Republic and Angola. We were there in Sudan and Somalia. We are there in Congo and Western Sahara.

We were there in South Africa and Lebanon. The story of Nigeria is not all about sadness. We have achieved, for Africa, what no world power has achieved for any continent. We are not the United States of America which refused to help find the girls but resigned to posting on social media, or which withdrew from Afghanistan after losing purpose. We did not fight imperialist wars, we fought neutrally and brought peace to more places than any country in this world. Please check. This is a fact. The US must return to Afghanistan. Even if strategies have to change, the enemies of freedom cannot be allowed to have a free ride over other people’s heads. We must prevent Boko Haram and other militant fundamentalist groups from having a nesting place to regroup or retrain.

Ojo, Aderemi Ibadan, Nigeria. ojderemi@gmail.com Photo credit: Brookings Institution

Author

Ojo, Aderemi is a Historian, teacher, public speaker, writer, politician, and community organiser. He was trained at the University of Ibadan and was President of the Students Union.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

OJO ADEREMI LOGO