The United States has offered to help Nigeria in the effort to rescue the kidnapped schoolgirls, but making clear it is up to the Federal Government must take the lead in the operation. CNN yesterday quoted US officials as saying that the Obama administration is sharing intelligence with Nigerian authorities and could provide other help, but there is no plan to send US troops. President Barack Obama is being briefed on the matter, according to report, and pressure is mounting worldwide for the Nigerian government to act. Last week, the State Department’s annual report on global terrorism described Boko Haram as a group that “espouses a violent Sunni extremist ideology” and has received funding from al Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb. Secretary of State John Kerry, who is on a trip to Africa, said the United States “will do everything possible to support the Nigerian government to return these young women to their homes and to hold the perpetrators to justice.” In Washington, officials said the Obama administration was helping, but they didn’t go into a lot of specific detail. “We are going to keep working with the Nigerians privately on that,” State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters. She added: “Obviously they have come out very publicly and said that they are, you know, making every effort to find these girls. I just don’t think we are going to outline how we are helping them. What we are focused on is making sure they can find them and bring them home to their families.” Asked if she anticipated US troops or other assets being sent to Nigeria, Harf replied: “I do not.” White House spokesman Jay Carney mentioned a series of U.S. programmes and steps in Nigeria, most predating the latest kidnappings, intended to strengthen its criminal justice system, improve its ability to combat improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and expand economic opportunity for women. “There are other things, I am sure … but this is an outrage and a tragedy and we are doing what we can to assist the Nigerian government to support its efforts to find and free the young women who were abducted,” Carney said. According to two senior U.S. officials, Nigerian authorities so far have not asked for specific help in any kind of possible joint rescue mission. One of the officials said the Nigerians privately indicated they want to handle the situation themselves, perhaps, because they don’t want visible American forces in their country. “We are sharing intelligence that may be relevant to this situation,” said another U.S. official with direct knowledge of the situation, speaking on condition of not being identified due to the sensitive nature of the information. “You are going to see a focus on this in all three channels of government: diplomatic, intelligence and military,” he stated. The United States could offer satellite imagery and electronic intelligence, such as communications intercepts in the effort to rescue the kidnapped girls. Another American official said the U.S. military is not planning to send troops, but could consider helping Nigerian forces with any planning for a rescue mission, under existing military cooperation agreements. Last week, Attorney General Eric Holder asked U.S. intelligence agencies to prepare a report for him on the latest schoolgirl kidnappings in Nigeria, an American law enforcement official told CNN. The attorney general also requested an assessment of Boko Haram that could help the Justice Department seek indictments or curtail funding sources for the group. U.S. Africa Command has long been helping Nigerian forces improve their training and operations to counter Boko Haram militants. The United States designated Boko Haram a terrorist organisation last November, said the report, which blamed the group for attacks in northern and north-eastern Nigeria that have killed thousands of people since 2009. Boko Haram “receives the bulk of its funding from bank robberies and related criminal activities, including extortion and kidnapping for ransoms,” as well as the al Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb funding, the report added. According to U.S. authorities, Boko Haram has got training in weapons and communications from AQIM as well as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
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