AJC Hails U.S Labeling Boko Haram a Terrorist Organization

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Nov 13, 2013, 12:53 ET

NEW YORK, Nov. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC hailed the U.S. State Department designation of Boko Haram as a foreign terrorist organization.

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"Boko Haram's murderous attacks in Nigeria, targeting Christians in particular, have been a deep concern for a long time," said AJC Executive Director David Harris. "The U.S. designation both recognizes the reality of the threat Boko Haram presents, and gives a boost, we hope, to the Nigerian government's efforts to defeat this terrorist scourge."

Boko Haram means "Western education is sacrilege." In the name of its radical Islamic ideology, it has carried out dozens of deadly assaults in northeastern Nigeria, notably against Christian churches, worshipers and schools.

Ansaru, a faction of Boko Haram that has focused on attacking Nigerian military and Western targets, also was designated by the U.S. as a terror group. Boko Haram is linked to al-Qaeda in the Maghreb (AQIM), according to the State Department.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee