Stars and Stripes quotes Africa Center Director J. Peter Pham on what can be done to counter the threat of Boko Haram:
“While one should not give up on those poor victims, one needs to take a realistic look at the strategic picture, acknowledge what is achievable given the resources at hand and the conditions in theater, and balance it all in light of the overall stakes,” said J. Peter Pham, director of the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center. “In truth, Boko Haram is a much larger problem than just the fate of the schoolgirls.”
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In the short-term, Pham said, the U.S. will need to work closely with Nigeria’s neighbors to help ensure security forces in the region are prepared to counter Boko Haram should the violence expand beyond Nigeria’s borders.
Boko Haram is “a growing regional security threat that has the potential, over time, to really hurt our interests and those of our allies in a very delicate part of the world,” Pham said.