The Washington Post editorial board said the Trump administration's military strikes on ISIS targets in Nigeria were a "welcome change" and that the president would "be wise to remain engaged" in the region.
In an editorial Saturday, the Post praised President Donald Trump's "righteous strikes" Thursday against the Islamic State’s Sahel Province branch in Nigeria, where Christians and Christian institutions have been under attack in recent months.
"A not insignificant cohort of President Donald Trump’s advisers want the United States to abandon widespread commitments abroad and instead become a regional power focused on the Western Hemisphere. The president’s righteous strike against Islamic State targets in Nigeria is a reminder that America is capable of much more," the editorial board contended.
On Thursday, Trump posted to Truth Social announcing that the U.S. military launched airstrikes in Northwest Nigeria on Christmas night targeting ISIS militants he accused of killing Christians, calling the operation decisive and warning further attacks would follow if the violence continues.
"Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!" Trump wrote Thursday.
Although the Post was supportive of the Trump administration's intervention in the region, the outlet argued that "the question is whether this is a one-off decision or the start of a more consistent and coherent policy."
The editorial board noted that it understands "the desire to want to abandon the entire region" but made its case for why Trump should continue his efforts in the region, a part of the world that the Post claimed "has always been little more than an afterthought for the president."
"The U.S. strikes in Nigeria targeted the Islamic State’s Sahel Province branch, which has clashed violently in recent years for territory with JNIM, an al-Qaeda affiliate that is currently trying to seize control of Mali by blocking fuel from entering the capital city of Bamako," the outlet reported. "If Mali falls, it would mark the first takeover of a country by an anti-Western Islamic terrorist group since the Taliban took Afghanistan."
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According to the Post, the Sahel region, which stretches from Mauritania through Chad, has become "the world’s biggest epicenter for global terrorism," where half of the world's deaths due to terrorism take place.
After decades of war pushed many terror groups out of the territories they once controlled in Iraq and Syria, those groups have "found fertile soil in West Africa," the outlet claimed.
"The Islamic State’s history shows that when the group establishes a stable presence, it’s only a matter of time before it looks to wreak havoc around the world," the Post noted. "It’s tempting to want to pretend that the chaos in West Africa isn’t an American problem, but the world isn’t that simple."
The editorial board warned that, without sustained support, the administration's efforts could prove futile.
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As reported by the Post, the U.S. once had a regional counterterrorism plan called the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership, but a recent audit revealed that the program was "underfunded, leaderless and mostly ineffective." The outlet added that the Pentagon is also considering merging African Command back into European Command, which was separated in 2008.
"This could mean fewer resources and less attention for the region. In addition to the security reasons for continued engagement, the U.S. would be foolish to cede the young and growing continent to China and Russia," the Post warned.
Wrapping up its thoughts, the editorial board reiterated the importance of Trump remaining committed to stopping the slaughter of innocents in the region.
"Nigeria, a relatively wealthy country in the region, is still battling insecurity on several fronts. The central government has been ineffective at restoring security. It’s good that Abuja is willing to work closely with Washington to stop the slaughter, and Trump would be wise to remain engaged," the Post concluded.
Fox News' Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
