As a retired U.S. Army General officer who spent decades confronting terrorism and helping to build security partnerships around the world, I learned one simple lesson: you do not defeat terrorists by depriving your partners of the tools they need to fight them.
Accordingly, I am very surprised to see efforts in Congress to condition or effectively restrict assistance to Nigeria at the very moment the United States and Nigeria are achieving some of the most significant counterterrorism successes in recent memory.
U.S. National Security Council counterterrorism official Sebastian Gorka recently referenced an operation in Nigeria where 199 jihadi terrorists, many of whom were significant leaders within its loosely organized structure, were eliminated, calling it one of the most successful international counterterrorism missions since 9/11. Clearly, it’s time to maintain the momentum.
Some lawmakers on Capitol Hill, however, are proposing measures that would immediately pau the momentum, give terrorist time to regroup, and ultimately put Nigerian Christians in harm’s way.
The Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, for example, fails to instruct the Director of National Intelligence to conduct a thorough investigation into the funding and arming of terrorist groups in Nigeria. Congress should not have to tell the DNI to do their job. The DNI, by definition, should determine the root causes of Nigerian terrorist activities that inevitably are threatening to US interests. The DNI’s efforts would provide both U.S. and Nigerian governments with the reliable information they need to act decisively. Without that, both militaries are mostly dealing with rumors, hearsay, and ultimately chasing ghosts instead of apprehending terrorists.
Meanwhile, the FY27 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Bill, which passed out of the Appropriations Committee on April 30 of this year, would withhold 50% of funds available to Nigeria until the Secretary of State certifies to the committee that the Nigerian government is taking effective steps to address violence. Proposed amendments to the bill would go further and withhold all aid.
Imagine telling a country struggling with famine that it can only receive lifesaving food assistance once it gets its starvation problem under control. The logic is absurd, and yet that is essentially what our Congress is doing; it is demanding that Nigeria satisfy security conditions as a prerequisite for military assistance, without which those conditions cannot be satisfied.
Fortunately, President Donald Trump understands this reality. Under his administration, the United States has strengthened its strategic partnership with the government of President Tinubu to confront ISIS and other terrorist organizations operating across West Africa. The results speak for themselves.
Following successful operations eliminating ISIS leader Abu-Bilali al-Minuki, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has repeatedly highlighted the critical role played by the Nigerian military in recent counterterrorism victories.
These victories will continue to accumulate if Congress doesn’t get in the way. If Nigeria needs better intelligence capabilities, counterterrorism training, mobility, equipment, and operational capacity to protect vulnerable communities, including persecuted Christians, then withholding assistance until those outcomes are achieved is self-defeating.
Furthermore, while the U.S. and Nigeria signed a deal for AH-1Z Viper helicopters in 2022, the equipment isn’t expected to be delivered until 2028, and terrorist organizations aren’t waiting. Scaling back counterterrorism support now would leave a dangerous vacuum for adversaries like Russia, China, or non-state actors to fill. If the U.S. must reduce its presence in the region, it must at least ensure that a key security partner has the equipment needed to continue the fight independently.
An agreement for U.S. forces to use Nigerian military bases as a hub for counterterrorism operations coupled with an agreement for Nigeria to purchase weapons and ammunitions from the U.S. and our allies would be the logical next steps of this successful counterterrorism partnership.
Most importantly, Congress must not undermine Trump’s Nigeria strategy. The administration has chosen engagement over isolation and action over moralizing. This strategy is producing measurable results against ISIS and other extremist organizations that threaten both Nigerian civilians and American interests.
THE TOXIN NOBODY’S TALKING ABOUT IN NIGERIA’S CHRISTIAN MASSACRES
As someone who spent a career fighting terrorists and building international security coalitions, I urge every member of Congress to reject these misguided restrictions and oppose any provisions that would unnecessarily undermine one of America’s most important counterterrorism partnerships in Africa.
The stakes are too high for symbolic gestures and counterproductive policymaking. Nigeria’s terrorists would welcome a weakened U.S.-Nigeria partnership. Congress should not give them one.
James “Spider” Marks is the former Commanding General of the U.S. Army Intelligence Center.
Continue reading...
[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
