The money can come from the massive aid budget to Africa most of which is stolen. We should deduct at source and spend the money on soldiers and kit. The troops should be under European command and a part of the brief should be training local troops to European standards.

I liked Procol Harem as well, I just don’t see the relevance here.

I myself witnessed first hand the hostility of the Taliban in Zhari District Kandahar Province Afghanistan towards education during my deployment in 2011.

During one of my units missions we came across an abandoned school built by the Canadians in 07. The Taliban had burned the school out years ago, but the buildings and perimeter wall were made of concrete and were still standing.

We came under fire as our lead elements entered the schoolyard through a small breach of the back wall. But the worst part was when one of our soldiers stepped on an IED that the Taliban had planted in the southeast corner of the school yard.

Clearly the Taliban were very intent on not letting that school ever reopen. It was fortunate because he didn’t die or lose a leg because the Taliban had placed the bomb too deep. But I hate to think what could have happened if a child or aid worker had stepped on it instead of a soldier wearing body armor.

Boko Haram and the Taliban are cut from the same militant Islamist cloth, they are joined in their hatred of education especially of women and girls. The mass kidnapping of 234 Christian Girls from a secondary school is certainly dramatic but the Taliban has waged its own campaign of terror against educators and students including mysterious gas attacks against girls schools that to this day remain unsolved.

We do a disservice to the girls who suffer daily under Sharia and have never known a different life when we try to set Boko Haram as somehow seperate or distinct from other militant Islamist outfits like the Taliban who have been responcible for burning out girls schools, killing teachers and threatening students.

Perhaps my service and personal experience with the Taliban has jaded me but I think trying to stop the Taliban was the proudest moment of my life.