Oh yeah, this will work. A soft approach against Boko Haram — that’s got “success” written all over it from the get-go.
From the looks of this article, this new “soft approach” consists of throwing money at the areas where the jihadis come from, out of the mistaken assumption, to which Western analysts so tenaciously cling, that poverty causes terrorism. On the contrary, CNS News noted in September 2013 that “according to a Rand Corporation report on counterterrorism, prepared for the Office of the Secretary of Defense in 2009, ‘Terrorists are not particularly impoverished, uneducated, or afflicted by mental disease. Demographically, their most important characteristic is normalcy (within their environment). Terrorist leaders actually tend to come from relatively privileged backgrounds.’ One of the authors of the RAND report, Darcy Noricks, also found that according to a number of academic studies, ‘Terrorists turn out to be more rather than less educated than the general population.’”
Sambo Dasuki says that they’re going to address the root causes of terrorism and deradicalize the terrorists — but it is extremely doubtful that they’re going to address how the texts and teachings of Islam are used by jihadists to justify violence and supremacism.
“Nigeria Unveils New Approach To Tackle Terrorism,” from Channels Television, March 18:
The Nigerian government has unveiled a new strategy aimed at tackling insurgency in the north east.
Addressing a news conference in Abuja on Monday, the National Security Adviser, Rtd Colonel Sambo Dasuki, explained that the new approach is aimed at de-radicalising convicted terrorists as well as suspects awaiting trial for terrorism charges.
Colonel Dasuki explained that the approach would span over a period of two years and would address the economic development of the north eastern part of the country.
“The soft approach to countering terrorism will help to address the root cause of terrorism,” he said.
To effectively administer the approach, the office of the National Security Adviser is partnering with the international community for technical support.
The approach will complement other approaches to counter terrorism, including dialogue.
The approach will also engage state and local governments in the north east in the development of a regional redevelopment plan to serve as a foundation to revitalise the region.
Several attacks by the terrorists have hindered development in the region.
The US and other International community had advised the Nigerian government to consider another strategy in tackling the insurgency.