Nigeria finally accepts U.S. help to rescue girls kidnapped by Boko Haram, but is it too late?
cbsnews.com
Last Updated May 7, 2014 7:41 AM EDT
WASHINGTON -- President Obama said Tuesday that the U.S. would do everything possible to help Nigeria find nearly 300 teenage girls missing since they were kidnapped from school three weeks ago by an Islamic extremist group that has threatened to sell them.
Mr. Obama said the immediate priority was finding the girls, but that in the longer term, the Boko Haram group must also be dealt with.
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Speaking to CBS News Tuesday, Mr. Obama said the U.S. was "sending in a team of our military, law enforcement and other experts and we're really glad that Nigeria has accepted the help."
CBS News correspondent Margaret Brennan said Secretary of State John Kerry first told Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday that the U.S. would send in the team, which would include hostage negotiators and intelligence experts, to help in the search.
"We remain deeply concerned about the welfare of these young girls, and we want to provide whatever assistance is possible in order to help for their safe return to their families," said Kerry.
The technical experts heading to Nigeria will include U.S. military and law enforcement personnel skilled in intelligence, investigations, hostage negotiating, information sharing and victim assistance, as well as officials with expertise in other areas, White House spokesman Jay Carney said. |
