Why Trump personally timed Christmas day Airstrikes to ISIS as a gift to them  

 

 

The United States launched airstrikes on Islamic State–linked militants in northwest Nigeria on Thursday — a sharp escalation in the fight against extremist groups that the country’s overstretched military has struggled to contain for years. President Donald Trump said the “powerful and deadly” strikes in Sokoto state hit IS gunmen who were “viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians,” though security analysts stressed the wider conflict affects both Christians and Muslims.

 

Trump told Politico he personally timed the strikes, saying the military wanted to act earlier but he chose Christmas Day: “Let’s give a Christmas present.” Nigeria said the operation reflected close intelligence sharing and strategic coordination between the two countries. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signaled further action, posting, “More to come...” on X. The Associated Press was unable to independently confirm the extent of the damage.

 

Analysts said the most likely target was Lakurawa, the local name for Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), which has expanded in border areas of Sokoto and Kebbi. The group, which emerged around 2017, initially entered some communities as protection against criminal bandits but soon imposed harsh Sharia enforcement and became feared for killings, kidnappings, rape and extortion.

 

ISSP has reportedly entrenched itself along the porous Niger–Nigeria border and is expanding operations toward Benin. Nigeria’s security crisis is compounded by poverty, weak governance and the near-absence of the state in remote areas — conditions that make recruitment easy and operations difficult to sustain. Officials admit military action alone cannot solve the problem.

 

The U.S. strikes are seen as crucial support for Nigeria’s military, which is fighting multiple insurgencies across vast territory. Militants often evade operations by moving quickly on motorcycles and using hostages — including schoolchildren — as shields, complicating future airstrikes.

 

Key Takeaways

• U.S. strikes hit suspected Islamic State militants in Sokoto, Nigeria.

• Likely target is ISSP/Lakurawa, now entrenched along the Niger border.

• Analysts warn governance failures and poverty fuel the widening insurgency.

 

Source: Associated Press

 

 

 

 

 

Well I suppose that bombing the bejasus out of emty barren grasslands makes a change from bombing empty ricefields or jungle!

 

What is the American fixation with dropping huge amounts of high explosive on probably empty landscapes in the hope that there may be some people around?

 

And Christmas, why not?

Some Nigerian feeds the cowboys in Washington the location of a personal rival.

 

Job’s a good-un.

Yep, the Nobel Peace Prize is waiting!