WASHINGTON D.C.— U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement after the Obama Administration announced that the United States will be providing new intelligence support to Cameroon for operations against the terrorist organization, Boko Haram:
"As the threat posed by Boko Haram continues to intensify, the intelligence support announced by the Obama Administration will strengthen Cameroon's efforts against this terrorist group."
The United States Senate passed bipartisan legislation at the end of September introduced by Senator Collins that would require the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense to jointly develop and submit to Congress a comprehensive strategy to combat Boko Haram focused on building institutional capacity, humanitarian support, and rule of law programs. The bill also requires an assessment by the Director of National Intelligence.
"While the Administration's annoucement is an encouraging step, it must take place as just one component of an overall coherent U.S. strategy, in cooperation with our allies in the region, to halt the spread of Boko Haram." Senator Collins continued. "I urge my collegues in the House to pass my bipartisan legislation recently passed by the Senate to make sure the Administration develops this comprehensive strategy and to send a message to communities threatened by Boko Haram, including the women and girls its militants have targeted, that these appalling acts of violence will not be tolerated."
Last year, in response to Boko Haram’s kidnapping of the 276 school girls in Nigeria, Senator Collins, joined by Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), led all twenty women Senators in urging Secretary Kerry to seek Boko Haram’s addition to the United Nation’s al-Qaeda Sanctions List. Following this letter, the United Nations Security Council voted to subject Boko Haram to a complete asset freeze, travel ban, and arms embargo