THE chairman of the United States Congress Committee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, Christopher Smith, has raised concerns over any attempts to swap abducted Chibok schoolgirls for the detained Boko Haram terrorists.
He told the Nigerian Tribune in an interview in Abuja at the weekend that even though it was necessary to do everything to free the girls kidnapped on April 14, nothing should be done to encourage the terrorists to commit more hostage taking.
The US lawmaker observed that the experience of America in previous terrorists release had not been palatable, as many of those released had gone back to the battle front to kill Americans and their allies.
Even though he was reluctant to comment on the speculated move by the Federal Government to emulate his government in exchanging detained Taliban terrorists in Guantanamo for a captured US soldier recently because he had not been briefed, Smith said such a “release of prisoners raises a lot of concern.”
Asked to comment, he said: “I’d rather not comment on that, because I have not been briefed on the Taliban release.
“As I mentioned, in 2012, 618 were released. 104 went back to the battlefield to kill Americans. So, it does raise a very serious concern and I don’t know if the exact situation fits here, but I am focused more on mine, our situation because we have not been briefed.
“One day, there will be a hearing in the Congress on this issue. We’ll all learn more about why the administration did it, but in the past, it’s been not to negotiate with terrorists because it might incentivize more hostage taking.”
Smith also said that in spite of his long-standing efforts in the US Congress to declare Boko Haram a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), the administration was reluctant to do so until it had become too late.
He added: “I was pushing for two years to have Boko Haram declared a foreign terrorist organisation. I am the chairman of the Africa Global Health, Global Human Rights Committee and was frustrated, that we could not get that designation.
“So, I introduced the bill that was so designated and hearing that I was gonna have in December before we’re gonna mark up the bill. The administration announced FTO designation of Boko Haram. So, we welcomed it, we were very glad but it was late. It should have been done earlier.
“So, I am here now to meet with large number of victims which I did and that includes one of the Chibok girls who escaped earlier on and she told a harrowing story when you listen to her speak.
“She’s 18, her eyes were like fixed straight ahead, barely moved, clearly traumatised and she kept talking about her friends. ‘What’s happening to my friends, my classmates?’ So, even those who are not still in captivity, especially the parents, are suffering.”
TRIBUNE
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