{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361289", "Smith Welcomes Designation of Boko Haram as Terrorist Organization", "2013-11-13", "2013", "2013-11", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "At the Nov. 13 joint hearing by the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations and the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade, the Obama Administration announced its long-awaited decision to designate the Nigerian terrorist organization Boko Haram and its breakaway faction known as Ansaru as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. This designation was the subject of H.R. 3209, introduced by Chairman Chris Smith (NJ-04) of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations in September. He has been joined as co-sponsors by Reps. Patrick Meehan, Ted Poe and Randy Weber. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Chairman Smith led a Congressional delegation to Nigeria in September to examine the Boko Haram threat. \u201cI saw numerous victims of Boko Haram, who told my delegation of the horrific violence these terrorists have used on Christians and Muslims in pursuit of a perverted version of Islam,\u201d Smith said. \u201cWhat these murderers have brought to Nigeria and surrounding countries is misery and death.\u201d (click here to read Chairman's statement) \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 One of Boko Haram\u2019s victims, Habila Adamu of Yobe State, presented testimony at today\u2019s hearing on his chilling encounter with Islamist terrorist. Adamu said he was challenged to renounce his Christian faith, but when he refused to do so, he was shot in the head and left for dead.\u00a0 He was the only adult male Christian survivor of that attack. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cMr. Adamu\u2019s testimony on the one hand is a terrifying example of the ruthlessness of Boko Haram, but on the other hand, it is one of the most inspiring examples of faith I have ever heard,\u201d Smith said. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThen they asked me, \u2018Habila, are you ready to die as a Christian?\u2019\u201d Adamu told the panel. \u201cI told them \u2018I am ready to die as a Christian.\u2019 For the second time, they asked me, \u201cAre you ready to die as a Christian?\u201d and I told them, \u201cI am ready,\u201d but before I closed my mouth, they have fired me through my noise (the entering point) and the bullet came out through the back. I fell on the ground. The gunmen thought I was already dead because they stomped on me two times and discovered I was dead, and cried out \u2018Allah Akbar\u2019 (God is Great).\u201d Click here to read Mr. Adamu\u2019s powerful testimony about his story of survival.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In her testimony announcing the Administration\u2019s Foreign Terrorist Organization designation, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of African Affairs, said the action will provide U.S. law enforcement and the U.S. Treasury Department additional tools with which to investigate and prosecute those who provide financing and other assistance to Boko Haram and Ansaru. She added that the Administration intended to continue and expand its efforts to provide training and other assistance to the Nigerian military and security forces to combat the terrorist threat in that country. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Smith Congressional delegation was told that Boko Haram and Ansaru have numerous weapons, uniforms and explosives, and while much of their support is from foreign sources, there are domestic Nigerian supporters of their activities. This year alone, 53 Christian churches have been attacked, and 216 people were murdered by terrorists in them. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Also testifying at the Nov. 13 joint congressional hearing of both the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, and the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade were: Emmanuel Ogebe, Managing Partner, U.S.-Nigeria Law Group\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \n \n    Khalid Aliyu, Secretary General, Jama\u2019atu Nasril Islam (planned to be submitted for record)\n    Habila Adamu, survivor of violence by Boko Haram\n    Jacob Zenn, Research Analyst, The Jamestown Foundation\n    Dr. Guy Nkem Nzeribe, Ph.D, Partner, Guy Nzeribe Associates\n \nClick here to read or listen to the testimony.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361289"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.215948024764657, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}