The White House announced Tuesday that it will assist the Nigerian government in rescuing nearly 300 girls who have been missing since they were kidnapped by an Islamic extremist group about three weeks ago.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said the technical experts heading to Nigeria include, U.S. military and law enforcement personnel skilled in hostage negotiation, intelligence, investigations, information sharing, and victim assistance. Carney noted that U.S. armed forces will not be sent.
Secretary of State John Kerry said that the U.S. has been in conversation with Nigeria “from day one” of the situation. He claims that repeated offers of U.S. assistance were denied by Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, until Kerry tried again Tuesday in light of growing international concern for the girls. The #BringBackOurGirls movement has gained a lot of steam in the past week, and civilians and politicians alike are calling for the girls’ safe return. “I think now the complications that have arisen have convinced everybody that there needs to be a greater effort,” Kerry said at a State Department news conference. “And it will begin immediately. I mean, literally, immediately.”
President Barack Obama said that although the priority will be finding the missing girls, the Boko Haram terrorist group also needs to be dealt with.
“Obviously, what’s happening is awful, and, as a father of two girls, I can’t imagine what their parents are going through,” he told CBS News in an interview. Obama said the U.S. has long sought to work with Nigeria to contain Boko Haram. “You’ve got one of the worst regional or local terrorist organizations in Boko Haram in Nigeria. They’ve been killing people ruthlessly for many years now and we’ve already been seeking greater cooperation with the Nigerians,” Obama said in another interview with ABC News.
Boko Haram means “Western education is sinful.” Abubakar Shekau, the extremist leader, has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping and is threatening to sell the girls. He has also warned that he will abduct more girls.
For the time being, the State Department has suggested that U.S. citizens do not travel to Nigeria.