The Washington Post Editorial Board wrote a column titled, "Why West Africa is worth worrying about," in support of President Trump's recent strikes on Nigeria, describing them as "righteous."
"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 board wrote. "It’s a welcome change in a part of the world that has always been little more than an afterthought for the president. The question is whether this is a one-off decision or the start of a more consistent and coherent policy."
Nigeria has received plenty of attention in recent months, from Republicans and singer Nicki Minaj, as terror groups within the country have targeted Christian communities.
On Christmas Day, President Trump wrote on Truth Social that the U.S. had conducted military strikes on Nigeria, specifically targeting those terrorist groups.
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! I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing. Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper. May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.
The Washington Post wrote that they understand "the desire to want to abandon the entire region," but went on to make the case why President Trump should continue to support the region.
"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 wrote. "If Mali falls, it would mark the first takeover of a country by an anti-Western Islamic terrorist group since the Taliban took Afghanistan."
As the threat of radical Islam has resurfaced in recent weeks, culminating in multiple antisemitic terror attacks and the killing of a National Guardsman just blocks from the White House, it would be a prudent use of U.S. taxpayer dollars to ensure that radical groups are unable to gain footholds elsewhere in the world. Those footholds almost inevitably lead to attacks on the West.
The Washington Post Editorial Board went on:
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. 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.
They concluded, "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.