Sgt Bowe Bergdahl
It will appear that the US-Taliban prisoner swap is a deal that has left most parties in a bad mood. Don’t take our word for it: Let’s look at the headlines from AP/Yahoo news:
“Afghans say Taliban prisoners freed by U.S. will rejoin battle”
So the average Afghans are scared. And another headline:
“Afghan president fumes at prisoner deal made behind his back: source”
The Afghanistan President is not happy.
“Republicans demand hearings in Congress over soldier’s release”
The Americans are suspicious.
To the average man on the street in Afghanistan,
‘ ‘This decision showed that the region, Afghanistan and its people aren?t worth anything to American government, otherwise, why would they swap a useless army soldier who broke the law with the five most dangerous Taliban fighters?” said Gul Mohammad, a high school teacher’
To the Afghanistan Army,
‘ “This act will boost the Taliban’s morale and encourage them to fight harder to capture foreign soldiers. Now they are confident that their efforts won’t be wasted,” said [Afghanistan] army colonel Asadullah Samadi’
And to the Taliban:
‘? “It [the release of the prisoners] won’t help the peace process in any way, because we don’t believe in the peace process,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Sunday’
At least, the Taliban is happy, even if uncharitable, and the families and friends of the released American soldier are happy.
The above scenario should be? instructive to Nigerians as we look for a way out of the Boko Haram probbem.? Nigerians should not be excessively hopeful on the capacity of the country to negotiate or ‘amnestice’ its way out of this insurrection. As Taliban spokesman said, they “don’t believe in the peace process”. They believe in their ideals, and negotiation with Boko Haram can only bring ‘peace’? if it accedes to those demands – the forceful Islamisation of Nigeria.
If you look? at the description of the devil in Isaiah Chapter 14, it gives an insight into the mindset of the murderers :
They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?? (Isa 14:16-17)
That fairly describes the nature of the enemy. He opens not the house of his prisoners, no, not willingly. The lesson for us as Christians is that we should not? to relent in prayers. We must continue to pray to God on behalf of Nigeria, that as written in Isaiah Chapter 14, the Lord will rise up against them and break ‘the Assyrian’ from the land? in Jesus Name.
We should continue to pray for the captives, all the captives, not only the Chibok 234. Many are they who are living? in virtual captivity even in their own homes now. The enemy has hedged them in.
Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. (Isa 49:24-26)
Let us also spare a thought in our prayers for the soldiers who have to confront this evil every day, the civilian JTF, for all who work for peace and for Government officials whose job it is to maintain peace and stability in the land.
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