Althouse: "All I could hear were ceaseless gunshots, explosions, screams from people and chants of 'Allahu Akbar' from the Boko Haram gunmen."

January 14, 2015

"All I could hear were ceaseless gunshots, explosions, screams from people and chants of 'Allahu Akbar' from the Boko Haram gunmen."

"I remained in my hiding place until Tuesday evening. Every night when it was dark, I would furtively scale the fence into my house to quickly eat garri and drink water and go back to my hideout.... Some of the Boko Haram gunmen camped outside the Baga main market just 700 metres from my hideout... At night I could see lights from the power generator they ran. I could also hear their cheering and laughter.... "

The survivor Yanaye Grema tells his story.

(What is garri? "To make garri, cassava tubers are peeled, washed and grated or crushed to produce a mash. The mash is placed in a porous bag and allowed to ferment for one or two days, while weights are placed on the bag to press the water out. It is then sieved (or sifted) and roasted by heating in a bowl. The resulting dry granular garri can be stored for long periods.")

29 comments:

Tank said...: State Dept: “There are people out there who want to kill other people in the name of a variety of causes.”

It's the War against Variety.; 1/14/15, 8:11 AM
Anonymous said...: How is that Soft power HashTag diplomacy done in getting our grrls back? Is Michelle going to need to threaten to put our schools in hunger strike mode?; 1/14/15, 8:20 AM
Matt Sablan said...: Variety magazine should be concerned then.; 1/14/15, 8:21 AM
richlb said...: Two words: Delta Force. Chuck Norris and his rag-tag group of men could disembowel the whole Boko Haram lot in one afternoon.; 1/14/15, 8:22 AM
kcom said...: Garri sounds a bit like fufu, which they make in Liberia and I enjoyed on occasion.; 1/14/15, 8:23 AM
tim in vermont said...: It's called "nation building." This is how it is done. Apocalypse Now has it right. Colonel Kurtz was right. Those willing to wield the ultimate weapon of absolute horror will ultimately rule.; 1/14/15, 8:24 AM
kcom said...: Which colonialism is involved here? I can't keep track. And how does the Israeli/Palestinian question tie in to northern Nigeria? Inquiring minds want to know, Jimmy Carter.; 1/14/15, 8:26 AM
MadisonMan said...: I am blessed to live in America.; 1/14/15, 8:44 AM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: Gunshots and "Allahu Akbar". Like peanut butter and chocolate.; 1/14/15, 8:44 AM
Sebastian said...: "chants of 'Allahu Akbar'"

Not Islamic, though.; 1/14/15, 8:53 AM
Anonymous said...: There's nothing wrong with these Boko Haram guys that can't be addressed by giving them all immigrant visas to the United States. We know that diversity and pluralism are good in and of themselves, hell, we are diversity and pluralism, so what are we waiting for?

And don't tell me they're not suitable potential citizens because they tend to get up to things we don't approve of. Your ancestors were doing exactly the same sorts of things in the past. (Educate yourself about your own history, you ignorant bigot.) Once they get here we can sell them on our values by respecting theirs and ditching our own when they come into conflict.

Saying that the version of Islam practiced by Boko Haram is outside our culture is more outside our culture than the version of Islam practiced by Boko Haram.; 1/14/15, 8:55 AM
Marc in Eugene said...: I am still trying to pretend to myself that anyone at the UN-- apart from the mission of the Holy See-- has really cared about 'the responsibility to protect'.; 1/14/15, 8:57 AM
buwaya said...: British, though in northern Nigeria they just ruled through the traditional chiefs. Lightest footprint, probably, of any colonial system.
Most of the Islamic complaints are about developments post-independence.; 1/14/15, 8:58 AM
Anonymous said...: MadisonMan said...
I am blessed to live in America.

Reminds me of an un-PC scene from one of the later Clancy novels, "Executive Orders" I think...

The CIA heros are investigating the Ebola attack on the US and are talking with a black US Colonel Military Attache about local conditions in Sudan (IIRC). He says something like:

"Don't tell anybody, but I'm glad my ancestors were kidnapped out of Africa. South Alabama is heaven compared to this god-forsaken $hit-hole..."; 1/14/15, 9:10 AM
Michael said...: Anglelyne

i am just reading in awe. There is nothing quite like a pissed off thinker in writing mode. well done; 1/14/15, 9:37 AM
Anonymous said...: Anglelyne said...
There's nothing wrong with these Boko Haram guys that can't be addressed by giving them all immigrant visas to the United States.

I, on the other hand, would take a Roman approach and plant them on short stakes on the main road to Lagos. There are some a$$holes that just deserve to die badly.

It is hard to be a heroic martyr when you are moaning for your mother and leaking blood and $hit from various orifices...; 1/14/15, 9:43 AM
JAORE said...: The gotta find another thing to chant than Allahu Akbar. That will just piss off the real Muslims who will rise up and smite those pretenders...right?; 1/14/15, 9:52 AM
Yancey Ward said...: Scott Sumner wrote an essay a couple of months ago that described his befuddlement with today's murderous sects. He said that today's murderous tyrants, specifically Boko Haram and ISIS, seemed "more stupid" than those of yesteryear. There is in the minds of many, maybe most, "elite" thinkers an inability to wrap their minds around pure unadulterated barbarity as a means to an end. I think they literally are incapable of understanding either the method or the goal.; 1/14/15, 9:59 AM
traditionalguy said...: That battle cry means "to allah be the glory" for the killings of these infidels. Allah needs blood, lots and lots of blood. But he does let the jihadists steal and keep the property and the land of the dead infidels.

Another media hoax is that the Muslim "call to prayer" is just a sweet moment like the playing of taps. It is also a battle cry from dominant tower proclaiming that the area within the sounds of it belongs to bloodthirsty allah and allah only...or else we will kill you.; 1/14/15, 10:15 AM
Seeing Red said...: If only they had stricter gun laws....; 1/14/15, 10:28 AM
mikee said...: So our esteeemed author's interest in the survivor story was learning about indigenous foodstuffs?

I'd rather have seen an exploration of the mass murderer's backgrounds and rationales for their actions, but hey, free ice cream, so I guess complaints about the flavor are pointless and rude.; 1/14/15, 11:00 AM
jr565 said...: Allahu Akbar you say? I wonder if it has anything to do with Islam.; 1/14/15, 11:36 AM
TCR James said...: You people criticizing State's response just don't get the principles of proportional response in a social media age:

1) Tweet displeasure about a massacre.

If that fails,

2) Pin a negative article and some snarky comments about the massacre on Pinterest. Include some culturally appropriate recipes.

If that doesn't work,

3) Take a photo of an employee holding a hand-written sign saying "We disapprove in the strongest terms!!!!!!!" and post it on Instagram.

And if the need the equivalent of a WMD strike, a hashtag that expresses sympathy for the victims can be deployed.; 1/14/15, 11:49 AM
virgil xenophon said...: Nigeria is the story of two warring religions and warring tribes. Southern Nigeria is populated largely by Christians of the Yoruba tribe and historically populated the business and political classes--plus they had all the oil and wealth. Northern Nigeria is populated by the Islamic Hausa-Fulani tribes who tended to be mainly government bureaucrats and historically were/are the majority of the Army. On top of it all northern Nigeria is almost bereft of natural resources--ideal conditions for societal conflict.; 1/14/15, 12:17 PM
n.n said...: The Chinese are colonizing Africa, for the resources and to pair their excess men. They will not tolerate a disruptive environment or procedures (e.g. elective or premeditated abortion) that are not state-sanctioned.; 1/14/15, 12:31 PM
Drago said...: jr565: "Allahu Akbar you say? I wonder if it has anything to do with Islam"

Ha!

Another Israeli run false flag operation to discredit the Religion of Peace!!

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/13/jihad-fanboys-in-the-paris-burbs.html

They almost sound as insane as garage!; 1/14/15, 1:44 PM
Michael K said...: ""Don't tell anybody, but I'm glad my ancestors were kidnapped out of Africa. South Alabama is heaven compared to this god-forsaken $hit-hole..."

An American black IBM executive made a similar statement about 20 years ago after he had been transferred to Africa for his company. Just don't tell Al Sharpton.; 1/14/15, 2:27 PM
John Cunningham said...: why does the commie press always call them boko haram? their real name is more instrucive--
Boko Haram ("Western education is forbidden"), officially called Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'Awati Wal-Jihad ("People Committed to the Prophet's Teachings for Propagation and Jihad"), is a militant and Islamist movement based in northeast Nigeria with additional activities in Chad, Niger and Cameroon.[4]; 1/14/15, 9:29 PM
Known Unknown said...: I'm going to start a 'terrorist' faction full of geeks that terrorize people with toy Star Wars weapons.

We will shout "Admiral Ackbar!" whenever we exact our horrendous attacks.; 1/14/15, 9:35 PM