[b]US and UK surveillance discovered whereabouts of kidnapped schoolgirls
Spotted around 80 of the 276 Nigerian girls seized by Boko Haram in 2014
Didn't do anything about it as rescue attempt was considered too 'high risk'
Videos have emerged showing the girls are being brutally raped regularly

The US and British governments knew where at least 80 of the Nigerian girls kidnapped by Boko Haram were but failed to launch a rescue mission, it has been revealed.
Terrorists stormed a secondary boarding school in the remote town of Chibok in Borno state, northern Nigeria in April 2014, and seized 276 girls who were preparing for end-of-year exams.
Although 57 of the girls managed to escape the rest have remained missing and have not been heard from or seen since apart from in May that year, when 130 of them appeared in a Boko Haram video wearing hijabs and reciting the Koran.

Dr Andrew Pocock, the former British high commissioner to Nigeria, has now revealed that a large group of the missing girls were spotted by British and American surveillance officials shortly after their disappearance, but experts felt nothing could be done.
He told The Sunday Times that Western governments felt 'powerless' to help as any rescue attempt would have been too high risk - with Boko Haram terrorists using the girls as human shields.

Dr Pocock said: 'A couple of months after the kidnapping, fly-bys and an American eye in the sky spotted a group of up to 80 girls in a particular spot in the Sambisa forest, around a very large tree, called locally the Tree of Life, along with evidence of vehicular movement and a large encampment.'
He said the girls were there for at least four weeks but authorities were 'powerless' to intervene - and the Nigerian government did not ask for help anyway.
He said: 'A land-based attack would have been seen coming miles away and the girls killed, an air-based rescue, such as flying in helicopters or Hercules, would have required large numbers and meant a significant risk to the rescuers and even more so to the girls.'

He added: 'You might have rescued a few but many would have been killed. My personal fear was always about the girls not in that encampment — 80 were there, but 250 were taken, so the bulk were not there. What would have happened to them? You were damned if you do and damned if you don't.'
In an investigation by Christina Lamb for the Sunday Times Magazine, Dr Pocock said the information was passed to the Nigerians but they made no request for help.
The Magazine has also seen brutal rape videos which show schoolgirls are being used as sex slaves by the terrorists.
Ms Lamb reports: 'They film schoolgirls being raped over and over again until their scream become silent Os.'
Some of the girls who managed to escape told Ms Lamb they were kept in 'women's prisons' where they were taught about Islam. Boko Haram fighters would visit and pick their wives.
The girls were powerless to resist as even then the men would be heavily armed. They were shown videos of people being raped, tortured and killed as a threat of what would happen to them if they tried to run away.

Dr Stephen Davis, a former canon at Coventy Cathedral who has spent several years attempting to negotiate with the terror group said Boko Haram 'make Isis look like playtime' and said it is 'beyond belief' that the authorities both in Nigeria and the West do not know where the schoolgirls are.
He insists the locations of the camps where the girls are being kept are well known and can even be seen on Google maps. He added: 'How many girls have to be raped and abducted before the West will do anything?'
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau previously claimed that all the girls, some of whom were Christian, had converted to Islam and been 'married off'.

The mass abduction brought the brutality of the Islamist insurgency to worldwide attention and prompted the viral social media campaign #BringBackOurGirls which was supported by everyone from Michelle Obama to Malala Yousafzai.
Boko Haram violence has left at least 17,000 dead and forced more than 2.6 million from their homes since 2009. The Global Terrorism Index ranks the group as the word's deadliest terror organisation.
The group, now officially allied to the Islamic State fighters who control much of Iraq and Syria, has responded with suicide bombings and hit and run attacks against civilians.
In recent months the insurgents have turned away from direct confrontation with the military in favour of suicide attacks, increasingly carried out by women and girls - raising fears that they are kidnap victims,

Just last week two female suicide bombers killed at least 24 worshippers and wounded 18 in an attack during dawn prayers Wednesday on a mosque on the outskirts of the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, officials said from the birthplace of Boko Haram.
One bomber blew up inside the mosque and the second waited outside to detonate as survivors tried to escape, said coordinator Abba Aji of the civilian self-defense Vigilante Group.
The mosque is on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the city that is the military command center of the war against Boko Haram.
Several suicide bombers have exploded recently at roadblocks leading into the city, preventing attackers from reaching crowded areas.[/b]
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3501274/Western-Governments-KNEW-whereabouts-girls-kidnapped-Boko-Haram.html

[b]For a long period of time, African-American women desired to have the long, flowing straight hair that we weren’t born with. Our curls, coils, and kinks weren’t the ideal look to have and we used relaxers, flat irons, and blow dryers to get the super straight look that we thought we wanted. And even then, our hair still wasn’t straight enough, thin enough for someone to desire what we have. We were told that everything about us wasn’t what anyone desired to look like. Our hair, our skin, and our facial features were all things we desired to change. And for a long period of time, we did.

But now, African-American women are taking back control of their hair and body image, showing the world what it truly means to be natural. With support from celebrities like Solange Knowles, Viola Davis, Taraji P. Henson, and even Oprah, more women are embracing all of their curls. Despite the support from celebrities accepting their own cultural backgrounds, they still receive criticism and racist remarks that try to demean the African-American culture.

The Natural Hair Movement is not a new revolutionary look that has just started recently, but it has gained more momentum with young black girls being forced to change their hair in order to attend school because it does not fit “school policy”. Personally, I have been “natural” without any chemicals altering my curl pattern, but for the longest time I straightened my hair to keep the straight look. My Saturdays were spent indoors washing, conditioning and letting my hair air dry just so I could eliminate of the things that made me who I am. However, when I went to college I noticed that more and more African-American women were wearing their hair in their natural state and that inspired me to accept my own curls.

For those who are just now starting their natural hair journey there are several blogs that help you tame those wild curls such as BlackGirlLongHair, heyfranhey, and even YouTube tutorials to get those desired looks. And don’t be surprised when your intended hairstyle doesn’t turn out the way that you wanted it look, you’ll find something else that works with the way that you want your hair to look. If you’re not ready to have the world see your curls in its wildest form, there are other protective styles that you can do as well. Weaves, wigs, and braids are some of the best ways to protect your hair especially if you are prone to touching and tugging at your hair.

The Natural Hair Movement is more than big hair, big curls and t-shirts. It’s about the African-American women accepting who they are and who they will become, which helps shape the next generation to forget the European beauty standards that we will never meet and the ignorant people who insist that you have to look a certain way in order to be successful. Always know that the Natural Hair Movement wants you to embrace the curls, coils, and kinks that make you who you are.[/b]
http://www.hercampus.com/school/mmm/why-natural-hair-movement-progress-african-american-women

[img]http://www.blackhairpics.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/updo-hairstyles-for-black-women-natural-hair-5518ba816f88a.jpg[/img]

[b]President Barack Obama aims to use his historic trip to Cuba starting Sunday to further his bid to restore ties after a half-century of acrimony. Though his visit will be one of the most visible symbols of the new approach, Obama has been rolling back restrictions on Cuba, punching hole after hole in the U.S. trade embargo.

What the Obama administration has done to increase engagement with Cuba:

—Loosened travel restrictions to allow Americans to go independently on educational, "people-to-people" trips instead of in organized groups. A formal tourism ban remains.

—Eliminated a ban on Cuban financial transactions going through U.S. banks, which effectively had cut off Cuba from the global banking system.

—Allowed Cuban citizens to open U.S. bank accounts and use them to send remittances back home.

—Removed Cuba from the U.S. list of countries with inadequate port security, making it easier for ships to travel between the two countries.

—Approved "general licenses" for U.S. travel to Cuba, meaning Americans traveling for certain authorized reasons don't have to apply for permission in advance.

—Started restoring direct mail service. The first flight left the U.S. just before Obama's trip as part of a pilot project.

—Authorized some U.S. cruise lines to sail to Cuba. They're waiting for Cuban approval.

—Approved the first ferry service between the U.S. and Cuba

—Struck an agreement to restore commercial flights. The Transportation Department will soon award the first flight routes.

—Authorized exports of badly needed goods ranging from constructions materials to tractor parts, though no such trade has begun.

—Approved the first U.S. factory in Cuba since the 1959 revolution. The assembly plant will build small tractors.

—Allowed Cuban citizens to start earning salaries in the United States without having to start the immigration process, as long as they don't pay special taxes in Cuba.

—Reopened the U.S. Embassy in Havana. Cuba also reopened its embassy in Washington.

—Released three Cubans jailed in the U.S. Cuba released American Alan Gross at the same time.

—Sat down with Cuban President Raul Castro in Panama in the first face-to-face meeting between a U.S. and Cuban leader in decades.

—Started high-level exchanges and visits between U.S. and Cuban officials.

—Increased the amount people in the U.S. can send Cubans from $500 to $2,000 every three months. Earlier, Obama removed a $1,200 annual cap on remittances.

—Permitted American travelers to return with up to $400 of merchandise, including tobacco and alcohol products worth no more than $100 combined.

—Removed Cuba from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.

—Authorized the commercial export of some communications and Internet devices including software, hardware and services.

—Urged Congress repeatedly but unsuccessfully to lift the U.S. trade embargo.

—Allowed unlimited family visits by Cuban-Americans, before the U.S. and Cuba announced plans to normalize relations.[/b]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-obama-cuba-restrictions-loosened-20160320-story.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S__7mDyKLts

birdman:
Trump is only saying out loud what a small but significant portion of America is thinking. The bad news is, some believe much worse than what he is saying. The badder news is that most of those people have a gun culture - each family typically has enough arms to scare off Boko Haram platoon. What security folks will be worrying about right now is making sure the armed conflict some of these crazies have been dreaming of doesnt happen. Take the protests at the Trump rally in Chicago. Imagine that happens in some state that has open carry laws. That could have turned bloody quickly.

America is land of "wheat and tares". Conduct yourself accordingly lol

America is becoming a sanctuary for crazy people now

Appleyard:
I Agree with you. The awakening is becoming more and more pronounce. People are now coming out of their shells, and the sound of a revolution is brewing in the horizon. Whether Trump wins or not, the seed has been sown.

So true, America has changed and there is no way to turn those wheels around cause some of the change I see just makes me wonder what America will be as a nation a decade or two from now,

MrsPhyno:

Yeah very true. The Trayvon issue and every other murder that ensued after that reminded and enraged them fortunately/unfortunately.

Yes it should be interesting, though like the majority of the people in the sane world, I doubt Trump can actually win the whole shebang...... Interestingly enough, the rest of the AngloSaxon world (Britian, France etc) aren't supporting and don't like Trump. In as much as they have various levels of subliminal racism, I think Trump is a unique solely American creation. So if he actually does win, international relations could get interesting and not just with countries like Mexico and Nigeria the way some ignorant people think.

You are correct trayvon Martin murder case was the beginning of their anger because they got mad when Obama said it could have been his son. They hated him saying that, he was trying to make a point but some were to ignorant or stubborn to listen. They have used that against Obama since even though he never made a public opinion about trayvon or any other case again.
Like you said, I doubt Trump will win cause I don't see independents voting for him in high numbers. Cause he needs the independent vote for sure to beat Hillary.

Amen good job Cameroon

why did he go to north korea in the first place, why do these naive american college students go to these crazy third countries then get surprised when they get punished for dumb stuff

MrsPhyno:
It suggests that this is indeed not a "postracial" world. And that human beings are sheep. I don't blame White Americans tho. They voted in George W Bush twice but so essentially did Nigerians with Buhari.... And although Bush may have been the dullest human being to ever graduate from university, at least he went. To Harvard no less. Our lovely pillar of democracy at home didn't even write WAEC.......

It never was and the sad part is many American youth believed it was especially in America after President Obama got elected, and boy they were fooled. Donald Trumps supporters are just the beginning and even if he doesn't get elected, Donald changed the playing field for how certain americans express themselves now when it comes to race, religion and etc.

Well I am not a Trump supporter, I think he is a good business man but I find the man funny, scary, and ignorant at times. However I think he is gaining mass appeal in the republican party cause he is saying things that a large segment of republicans in America agree with and no other republican candidate in the past and now bothers to address or voices out. Donald is the first, to me what is shows of the USA though is there's a large segment of americans that have some non-politically correct views about how America should be run and now they have somebody who embodies that and they feel free to voice it out now. What makes me laugh is this doesn't surprise me and I am shocked people are surprised about this, it makes you wonder if some people were clueless about the fact that some Americans have these views in the first place, what fantasy land were they living in. These people supporting Trump didn't pop up out of thin air they have been around for decades even back in President Regans time but they just kept those opinions to themselves up till President Bush junior but once President Obama got elected it gave free reign for people like this to burst out their opinions and Donald Trump is the representation & embodiment of those certain segment of America that are no longer silent but are voicing what they really feel. Donald is saying things that some people say in their private time, behind close doors amongst close people or family but don't have the guts to say it outside. To me this is just the beginning.

birdman:


As someone who is just starting out a family, raising a kid here is one the issues I keep thinking about. The above is definitely helpful in that regard to me. If my kids feel cultured enough to post regularly on a Nigerian forum, I'll congratulate myself

You will be fine raising a child, I am sure about it. My advise to you is just make sure you take them to Nigerian events(weddings and etc), Nigerian churches and Nigeria a lot, going to Nigeria will let them see another reality besides America and make them be more appreciative in life.

PaulKillerman:
nothing pessimistic , that's the bitter truth..

ok if thats how you feel

birdman:


Here is the thing though. At some point as an African immigrant, you will probably succeed finally, and start raising a family. Well, that child you are now raising is more American than African, and he/she will be subject to whatever is going on in your city. If you are in a chicago burb for example, you now need prayer vigils so your child survives encounters with thugs and police.

And the problem is so many Africans have never taken the time to study AA history, so when their child start having "problems" in an all white school etc, they have no idea what to do. They are caught offguard, and the child eventually ends up underperforming and becoming a shadow of the parent.

There are many Africans that are able to raise their second generation well, but the number that fail is astounding. Nobody talks about it because it is a thing of shame, but it is happening a lot. And I think most of this could be avoided if Africans, including me would pay attention to lessons learned by people that got there before you.

You bring up some great points that are inevitable for immigrants from Africa but I think it also depends on the household the children of african immigrants come from. The reason I say this is because not all african households are the same. We can agree majority of african households when they get to the western world they struggle to make it regardless of the obstacles, which I respect however when children comes into the picture that's when it gets tricky because some Africans are clueless and don't understand the racial issues in America, while other Africans get the racial issues in America when they encounter it from white & black Americans but don't immerse themselves into the issue. Then lastly we have a small few of Africans who understand the racial issues and immerse themselves into the issue.

When it comes to me, well my parents are Nigerians immigrants who born and raised me & my siblings in America. They worked hard, raised us to know about Nigerian culture, Nigeria, and the racial issues in America because they encountered it from white Americans and black Americans but they also raised me & my siblings how to succeed in life but at the same time told us how we should address racism and overcome it. As a result my siblings and me are fine because we understand white priviledge, the racial hierarchy of America, african American history(from school) and so on. My mom always told me while growing up to speak correct English, don't dress like a thug, work hard in school but you may and will encounter racism but don't use that as a crutch to not do good in school, and to add to that we went to private and independent schools that were predominately white. My parents even screened who me and my siblings hanged out with as friends, and raised us in a multiracial/multicultural middle class neighborhood that wasn't ghetto(thug sanctuary) or in the suburbs(fantasy land). My family knows a Nigerian family that moved out of a rough neighborhood they were in cause of a thug their straight A honoral son encountered in the neighborhood after heading home from school, they now live in a better neighborhood. Even I was told that I will have to work double in my job/profession as a black female but don't use that as a crutch or a excuse not to succeed in life and live in a anti-white mentality. While growing up I never succumbed to some of the mentalities I see many AAs exhibit when it comes to race or think I live in lollipop land like some white americans believe is the reality of race but I have encountered racism to but never allowed that to deter me in my life when progressing.

What I have noticed with majority of Africans is that they are good at training their children when it comes to getting a education and shielding their children from many American youth that lack progressive thinking. Some Africans are more aggressive then other Africans when it comes to educational training to their children but only some raise their children in the culture their from(ex. Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia and etc) while others just lack in it. Then lastly only some let their children know the racial reality of America regardless where they stand with african Americans.

I have noticed that Nigerians in America and other western world countries, have the reputation of being aggressive, progressive, value education, hard work and making money but most tend to be racially neutral. Racially neutral meaning they are proud of being black, are aware of racism, but the pro-black Afrocentric or white this & white that stuff falls on deaf ears with them because they feel there are bigger issues they see as important.

I have heard that children from Black africans for the most part do good though in school
http://thegrio.com/2012/10/05/african-americans-vs-black-immigrants-do-institutions-of-higher-learning-give-preference-to-foreign-blacks/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/therootdc/post/rethinking-the-achievement-gap-lessons-from-the-african-diaspora/2012/09/04/eebc5214-f362-11e1-a612-3cfc842a6d89_blog.html
http://www.thewire.com/politics/2014/04/why-the-all-ivy-league-story-stirs-up-tensions-between-african-immigrants-and-black-americans/359978/

Dirkcoyt:
anonymous6 you're so engrossed about the black life that you're MLK-MalcomX in one package. Girl, you better sign up for some human rights courses. HMR101.

Lol thanks

PaulKillerman:
If they come back home, our bright minds will be killed here.... The land doesn't give room for progress and development... The black man is a curse to humanity , a proxy, mockery and a caricature of humanoid existence.... The blacks are pigs , animals that's do not deserve to be called humans....


God punish the black race

Lmao, I agree with the bold to a extent but the rest sounds to pessimistic and doomsday for me

bukiboy:
Donald Trump please send them home. We sent Ghanaians away (Ghana must go) and they developed there country. Trump please sent us home so we can develop Nigeria.

Hell no, until the day most Nigerians, especially in power respect swift progress and fresh new graduates with new ideas, Nigerians should not go any where. Although I will give president Buhari kudos for tackling corruption but For the most part some(not all) Nigerians respect corrupt behavior and make it hard for people to climb up the ladder. Ghana is not perfect but the way it's society dealt with corruption especially during Jerry Rawlings time made a difference. Any way I will give Nigeria credit for still standing as a top economy in Africa though despite its faults

boostdom:
I now understand fully what Lucky Dube meant when he said "Not every blackman is my brother". It used to fill me with grief when I go on Boxden or LipStickAlley and even educational sites and see the intentional ridicule and contempt for Africans, their culture, language and values by black americans (there is no longer anything african about them). Their deliberate attempt to segregate Africans to sub-human standards. Their will have been subordinated to external demands imposed upon themselves by imagination and anticipated reward for conformity from the subtle racial hierarchy. People who suffer from self alienation, whose human nature and thought do not exist independent of specific conditioned activities. They have mentally digested the conditioning that they embody it down to their very soul.

There was an "Implicit Bias" study released quite some time ago that an African faces about the same range of implicit bias from a black american as from a white american.

I am not surprised about that study and actually agree with it. It goes both ways as well, cause most Nigerians I have encountered and know see white and black Americans as the same and just see them as Americans first in general. I once read in some blog or something online years ago from a African American man about a true story of two American men who worked in the American embassy in Nigeria. One was African American(the African American man who told the story knew of him) and the other is white American. When arriving in Nigeria and in his new job, the African American man thought because he was black he would have a better edge in Nigeria then the white American man who also had a job in that embassy cause of his race but when he socialized with the Nigerians in Nigeria, he was in for a rude awakening cause the Nigerians could careless about his race, they were respectful to him & his colleague(white American man) and treated them the same with no preferential treatment but it hit him. Many years passed by while the men were in Nigeria & many Nigerians cared more for the fact that were American, the land of opportunity. I think both men have since left that job but To make the long story short the white American man ended up enjoying Nigeria more then the Black American man cause he couldn't connect with Nigerians racially like he assumed he would initially when he first arrived in Nigeria.

Dirkcoyt:


Well let say we're different in everything. The only connection is melanin.

exactly lol

Dirkcoyt:


Since they know they won't give props to africans in their award show, they should have erased their names on their award listings. Respect what africans stand for.

Africans try to relate with how AAs feel, you can see how AA movies have adulterated africans way of life? We show them love,associate with them cause we believe we're brothers, but on the flip side they think we talking to them is some form of favor or privilege. We don't need to get to america before seeing their handwrittings on the wall.

I don't think Africans should be demanding to much from AAs and vice versa. It seems a stretch to me, if each group accepts that were two different communities facing different issues, these issues you brought up won't be a problem. For the most part though most Africans don't demand or try to get some sort of connection with AAs, it's money they try to connect to in America. Only a small amount of Africans get themselves hurt when they expect or demand to much from a community that isn't there's. Nigerians should be happy they created nollywood for themselves cause its global now with Africans and foreign blacks in Netflix, YouTube, and etc

Dirkcoyt:


AA's should get a better book about africans! Africa is not a country but a continent comprising countries. AA's are ignorant about the continent like a white man also(no pun intended).

They think our continent is full of slum, you can see that every AA musician who visited nigeria tends to go to the ghetto for video shoot so as to buttress the point of africa is full of shacks.

And most AAs believe they are much better than africans, like they are the better version of what a dark-skin man is.

Is just pathetic.

To be honest all Americans are ignorant of Africa being a continent (the Ebola virus exposed that in 2014) but AAs do add to it by making jokes about it while other races don't care to make the effort. To me personally I could careless what AAs think of Africa because their Americans & most will never travel there to even know the difference between Kenya vs. Nigeria. That's why I get pissed when a some Nigerians for example get mad when AA entertainers don't give Nigerian entertainers acknowledgement in award shows like BET it's embarrassing especially when we have Nollywood and have our own award shows for black Africans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9ZKsS1fZNI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHkRjU1lWsQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqQ40Hogg4U

Muafrika2:


Well, I've not been to the place, probably do not understand the movement as much as you do. But I think Africans getting into politics will make them even more of a perceived threat. Just make your money and get back home.

I agree for some weird reason foreigners(except hispanics) stay away from American politics, especially asians, Africans and arabs they don't see it as a arena that is beneficial to them in the long scheme of things unless immigration is involved then you may hear them say things in the background, except for latinos though since a larger portion of illegals in America are actually of Latino decent. So I guess it makes sense, some first and second generation latinos from countries like Cuba and Mexico for example are in politics. In the end of the day its all about the money with foreigners.