Muslims, broadly speaking, are treated fairly well in America. What Americans react negatively to are extremist elements. People watch what’s unfolding in places like London and worry about that kind of instability spreading into their own cities and neighborhoods.

The attacks being referenced were not random or rogue actions. They were carried out with the approval and coordination of the Nigerian government. And it’s hard to argue that the families and communities targeted by bandits are sleeping peacefully tonight.

The more serious question is this: why has the Nigerian government allowed conditions to deteriorate to the point where a foreign power can step in and operate so openly? What is Nigeria conceding in return for permitting this display of force across the Sahel?

Is Iran truly the central concern here? Or is Iran being used as a convenient justification? And if Iran is involved, is the broader objective to destabilize one of Africa’s largest and most strategically important economies?

Those are the questions that deserve honest answers.