On August 26, 2011, a suicide bomber drove a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) into the United Nations (U.N.) headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, killing 23 people and injuring more than 80 others.1 Responsibility for the bombing, one of the deadliest in the United Nations' history, was claimed by Boko Haram, an Islamist religious sect turned insurgent group based in the predominantly Muslim northern Nigeria. While this attack occurred inside Nigerian borders, it was the first time Boko Haram had targeted an international, non-Nigerian entity.

Two years on from the bloody and destructive suicide attack on a United Nations (U.N.) facility in Abuja, Nigeria, the Nigerian terrorist organization Boko Haram continues to pose a threat to both the United States and our allies. Since that attack, Boko Haram has received increased international attention, has carried out near-daily attacks throughout much of Nigeria, and has taken part in operations in other parts of West Africa. They remain a lethal and growing threat to the people of Nigeria, the international community, Americans in the region, and potentially the United States Homeland. As on August 26, 2011, there is much we still do not know about Boko Haram or their splinter group Ansaru, which emerged in 2012. The exact details of their operations, size, and structure remain a mystery, and a solution to the defeating them remains elusive. Yet, despite these persistent gaps, this Committee has come to learn a great deal about Boko Haram, their goals, resources, and allies, and has identified steps the United States can take to address this threat. On November 30, 2011, the Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence released a report entitled, "Boko Haram - Emerging Threat to the U.S. Homeland," which detailed the history of, and danger posed by, Boko Haram. On the same day, the Subcommittee also held a hearing to examine the threat of Boko Haram and of terrorists across the Sahel region of West Africa. Members of this Committee, including then-Subcommittee Chairman Patrick Meehan and Full Committee Chairman Peter King, have written several times to the Department of State urging the Secretary to designate Boko Haram a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). On May 17, 2012, Congressman Meehan also introduced the "Boko Haram Terrorist Designation Act of 2012," a version of which became law as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. Each of these efforts has been designed to raise awareness of the threat Boko Haram poses to the United States, and provide solutions to the increasingly grave challenges we face in Nigeria and throughout western Africa. This report - a follow up to "Boko Haram - Emerging Threat to the U.S. Homeland," - provides even greater detail on the evolution of Boko Haram into an increasingly sophisticated ally of al Qaeda; elaborates courses of action open to the United States and our partners; and makes the case for Boko Haram to be listed as an FTO. In a diversified threat environment where multiple al Qaeda affiliates and allies (as well as other terror networks) are taking advantage of security deficiencies throughout the Middle East and Africa, it is vital that we anticipate and address all emerging terror threats, before they reach the United States. This includes lethal networks that fall outside of our historical notion of al Qaeda affiliates.

On August 26, 2011, a suicide bomber drove a vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) into the United Nations (U.N.) headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, killing 23 people and injuring more than 80 others Responsibility for the bombing, one of the deadliest in the United Nations' history, was claimed by Boko Haram, an Islamist religious sect turned insurgent group based in the predominantly Muslim northern Nigeria. While this attack occurred inside Nigerian borders, it was the first time Boko Haram had targeted an international, non-Nigerian entity. The attack marked a significant shift in the targeting and goals of the group, largely unknown to the U.S. Intelligence Community, and capped off an evolution in the capabilities of Boko Haram, beginning in the mid-2000s, from attacks with poisoned arrows and machetes to sophisticated car bombings. In a video that surfaced in Nigeria in the weeks following the U.N. bombing, the perpetrator of the attack described the U.N. as a forum for "all global evil" and stated the attacks were designed to "send a message to the U.S. President and 'other infidels.'" According to Ambassador Anthony Holmes, Deputy to the Commander for Civil- Military Activities (DCMA) of United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), members of Boko Haram are being trained by Al Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). They are also believed to have ties to the Somalian militant group al Shabaab. This cooperation, combined with the increased sophistication of attacks executed by Boko Haram, have led to concerns from the U.S. Intelligence Community over the sect's intent and capability to strike Western targets in Nigeria, throughout Africa, and most importantly, the U.S. Homeland. Historically, Boko Haram has been focused on Nigerian government targets. Until recently, Western intelligence services did not widely view Boko Haram as a potential threat. Even after the U.N. attack, Nigerian experts remain skeptical about Boko Haram's intent and capability to strike U.S. interests and the homeland.

Two years on from the bloody and destructive suicide attack on a United Nations (U.N.) facility in Abuja, Nigeria, the Nigerian terrorist organization Boko Haram continues to pose a threat to both the United States and our allies. Since that attack, Boko Haram has received increased international attention, has carried out near-daily attacks throughout much of Nigeria, and has taken part in operations in other parts of West Africa. They remain a lethal and growing threat to the people of Nigeria, the international community, Americans in the region, and potentially the United States Homeland. This book discusses Boko Haram's growing and emerging threat to the U.S. Homeland and provides statements from a hearing on "Boko Haram: emerging threat to the U.S. homeland. (Imprint: Nova)