Should We Step in to Help Nigeria Find Kidnapped Girls?
It's been two weeks since 234 students were abducted by the terrorist group Boko Haram, and Nigerian lawmakers say the country needs help.
—By Erika Eichelberger | Thu May. 1, 2014 9:18 AM PDT


Update, Tuesday, May 6, 2014: On Tuesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry offered to send a team to Nigeria to help search for the kidnapped girls, MSNBC reports. Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan accepted.

Two weeks ago, 234 Nigerian girls were kidnapped from a boarding school in the country's northernmost state of Borno by the al Qaeda-linked group Boko Haram. Today, most of them are still missing, and Nigerian lawmakers are calling on the international community to step in to help the rescue effort.

"Nigeria should seek international help," says Rep. Eziuche Ubani, who sits on the country's house of representatives' committee on defense. "The Nigerian armed forces are not in a position to defeat the insurgency in the northeast."

The schoolgirls were captured during a predawn raid on April 15 in the town of Chibok by members of Boko Haram, which the Obama administration recently designated as a terrorist organization. The group, whose name means "Western education is sinful," believes the Nigerian government has been corrupted by Western ways. In an effort to return the country to the pre-colonial days of Muslim rule, the group has terrorized the country over the past four-plus years, targeting schools in many of its killing sprees, and attacking churches, military checkpoints, highways, the UN building, and, recently, a bus station in the capital city of Abuja.

Though the abduction happened weeks ago, international press coverage of the missing girls has shot up in recent days after Nigerians criticized the foreign media's initial silence on the issue and launched the Twitter hashtag #BringBackOurGirls.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has vowed to rescue the girls, but two weeks after the kidnapping, many of the victim's parents are losing faith in the government's efforts, especially as reports have emerged that many of them have since been married off to the Boko Haram militants.

"Nigeria has one of the best armed forces" on the continent, says Kyari Mohammed, a professor of security studies at Modibbo Adama University of Technology in northern Nigeria, "but they are not trained for asymmetric warfare." The militants disguise themselves easily amongst their fellow Nigerians in Borno, and often escape to bordering countries or hideouts in the dense northern forests.

So elected officials in the country are calling for outside aid. The government must do "whatever it takes, even seeking external support to make sure these girls are released," Nigerian Sen. Ali Ndume told the Associated Press Wednesday. His colleague, Sen. Bukola Saraki, tells Mother Jones the international community should lend a hand to Nigeria in the same way it did to families of the victims of missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370.

The US gives about $1 million a year in aid to the Nigerian military and soon plans to start training Nigerian special forces to fight the insurgency in the north, but American forces would not be able to enter the country to help search for the kidnapped girls unless Nigeria officially requests that the US do so. A spokeswoman for the US State Department says that the department is "in discussions with the Nigerian government on what we might do to help support their efforts to find and free these young women."

Not everyone buys into the argument that Nigeria needs outside help. "What has happened to the girls is not what is beyond the capability of the Nigerian security forces to handle," says Mausi Segun, a Human Rights Watch researcher based in Borno state. "The reports we're getting out of the North is that nothing much is being done on the part of the security forces. They are not using information provided to them by residents and locals in that region." Parents have been searching the forests near Boko Haram camps in the north on their own for over a week, but they can only do so much, as they are in danger themselves of being killed by militants. Segun says the Nigerian military should make a good faith effort to find the girls before asking for international help.

The Nigerian military doesn't have a great track record when it comes to stemming attacks by the Islamist militants. Jonathan has promised to defeat Boko Haram, but the insurgency has become bloodier than ever over the past few months. One reason for that, Ubani says, is that the military does not coordinate with security forces in the countries that border Borno state—including Chad, Cameroon, and Niger—where Boko Haram members have been known to hide out. And the Nigerian military's expenditures are not tracked, Mohammed explains, so even though the country spends about $6 billion a year on its military, it is hard to determine how much of that money goes toward fighting Boko Haram and how it's used.

Human rights advocates contend the military is not only ineffectual, but that Nigerian security forces' response to the insurgency, including the indiscriminate killing of northern Muslim men, is worsening Boko Haram violence. The terrorist group has killed some 5,000 Nigerian men, women, and children since it emerged in 2009. In the the first few months of 2014, it has already killed 1,500 people. Boko Haram has abducted school children before, but this time the scale is unprecedented.

 whembly wrote:
No problem with that at all.

Just curious what exactly our "help" will consist of...

 whembly wrote:
No problem with that at all.

Just curious what exactly our "help" will consist of...

The group, whose name means "Western education is sinful," believes the Nigerian government has been corrupted by Western ways. In an effort to return the country to the pre-colonial days of Muslim rule

 djones520 wrote:

 whembly wrote:
No problem with that at all.

Just curious what exactly our "help" will consist of...

Probably the kind that will make the kidnappers "regret" their actions...

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:
As much fun as it would be to kill those Nigerian scumbags, I have to wonder if it's "worth it," when putting those same lives on the line in Benghazi wasn't considered "worth it."

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:
As much fun as it would be to kill those Nigerian scumbags, I have to wonder if it's "worth it," when putting those same lives on the line in Benghazi wasn't considered "worth it."

 djones520 wrote:

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:
As much fun as it would be to kill those Nigerian scumbags, I have to wonder if it's "worth it," when putting those same lives on the line in Benghazi wasn't considered "worth it."

250ish girls, who are probably being repeatedly raped, and you don't think it's "worth it"?

Man, your moral compass needs some fine tuning.

the group has terrorized the country over the past four-plus years, targeting schools in many of its killing sprees, and attacking churches, military checkpoints, highways, the UN building, and, recently, a bus station in the capital city of Abuja.

 Grey Templar wrote:
The sad thing is that Africa is probably a few centuries away from anything approaching civilized except for a few exceptions along the coasts and certain countries.

Socially, it might as well be a thousand years ago with inter-tribal warfare and general brigandage. Except instead of spears they have AKs.


The only way things will change is either veeeeeery slowly over time with very small shifts in attitude OR if things get totally shaken up by an outside power forcing change and then holding it for a generation or so to allow things to change rapidly. Either way, its a seriously messed up situation.

 Grey Templar wrote:
Yeah, I would say its because they weren't colonies long enough.

It would have been best for them to either not have been colonized at all(and thus not have all this technology they aren't ready for) OR for them to still be colonies, and thus have access to the infrastructure and specifically education that the Mother Country would have built. And influx of colonists would also have helped speed the development.


I know this kinda sounds like "The White Man's Burden" BS, but there is a grain of truth to it.

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:


It's obviously wrong, but maybe the Europeans should step up for once. They fethed up Africa up in the first place...let them deal with it.

The United States and Britain have offered military and technical support to Nigeria to hunt down the Islamist group which has abducted a new batch of schoolgirls, piling pressure on the Nigerian authorities to find and free the victims.

President Barack Obama led a mounting international outcry on Tuesday and said Nigeria's government had accepted help from US military and law enforcement officials to pursue Boko Haram militants.

Gunmen believed to be from the group kidnapped eight more girls, aged between eight and 15, in an overnight raid on a village in the sect's stronghold in north-eastern Borno state on Monday. It was already holding 257 girls from a raid on a school on 15 April.

Obama said the US was doing its utmost to help resolve the "heartbreaking" and "outrageous" situation but stopped short of offering to send troops – in contrast to Britain, which is prepared to send special forces and intelligence gathering aircraft.

"In the short term our goal is obviously to help the international community, and the Nigerian government, as a team to do everything we can to recover these young ladies," Obama told NBC. "But we're also going to have to deal with the broader problem of organisations like this that ... can cause such havoc in people's day-to-day lives."

The president said Boko Haram was one of the world's worst terrorist organisations. "I can only imagine what the parents are going through," added Obama, a father of two daughters aged 15 and 12.

The offers from Washington and London follow widespread criticism of the Nigerian government's perceived sluggish response to the crisis. Relatives of the girls have protested in the capital, Abuja.

Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau, has threatened to sell the captives into slavery and said militants would attack more schools and abduct more girls. The group's name means "Western education is sinful". In a separate atrocity this week militants reportedly shot at least 52 people in a remote village.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the US embassy in Abuja would help assemble a team of technical experts, including military and law enforcement personnel skilled in intelligence, investigations, hostage negotiating, information sharing and victim assistance. The US was not considering sending armed forces, Carney said.

John Kerry, the secretary of state, said Washington had been in touch with Abuja since "day one". It rebuffed US offers of help until Tuesday when Kerry spoke with Nigeria's president, Goodluck Jonathan.

"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."

In London Whitehall officials said Britain was prepared to send intelligence-gathering aircraft and members of the Special Air Service (SAS), or its naval equivalent, the Special Boat Service (SBS), if asked by Abuja.

Officials at a meeting of the government's emergency committee, Cobra, discussed options. The Nigerians are expected to make an official request on Wednesday following unofficial talks between London and Abuja.

Urgency grew after Boko Haram released a video threatening to sell their captives as "slaves" and gunmen slaughtered people in the village of Waraba. It straddles the Gwoza mountain range, a network of caves which stretches into neighbouring Cameroon and shelters the militants.

"They were many, and all of them carried guns," Lazarus Musa, a resident, told Reuters. "They came in two vehicles painted in army colour. They started shooting in our village. The Boko Haram men were entering houses, ordering people out of their houses."

The village was now deserted, said Marcus James, a Waraba resident who moved to the capital, Abuja, last year to escape cross-border raids. "The last I heard from my relatives is that around two dozen gunmen had been shooting for about three hours. At that time, my family called to say they were hiding in the bush, and I haven't heard from them since."

On Monday, Cameroonian officials said two soldiers were killed in a shootout with militants, in the latest sign of insurgents using porous borders to their advantage.

Nigeria's army has struggled against a fleet-footed enemy which launches lightning raids before disappearing into rugged mountain and desert terrain.

The five-year insurgency in the country's north-east has claimed more than 4,000 lives and forced almost half a million people to flee their homes, according to International Crisis Group.

The latest assaults come as Nigeria prepares to hold the World Economic Forum in Abuja, where two bombs in the last three weeks have killed at least 95. Roadblocks and security checkpoints have choked traffic as the government seeks to reassure heads of states and dignitaries of their security.

Ordinary citizens have been less convinced. Early on Tuesday, jittery parents in the suburb of Nyanya rushed to pull their children out of school after armed men hijacked an empty private school bus.

The scale and audacity of the 15 April mass abductions in remote Chibok – several truckloads of militants were able to run rampant for almost five hours – has shocked Nigerians.

"We want to know what happens to all the money being spent on security every year. What is it for?" said one protestor in Abuja, referring to the government's $6bn annual security budget.

Officials have scrambled to provide explanations. On Sunday Patience Jonathan, the president's wife, accused local officials of being partially responsible for the attacks by opening Chibok school, even though others in the area had shut down.

African leaders have rallied around Nigeria. "All of us are fathers, and I could just imagine that my daughter could be one of them," said Ghana's president, John Dramani Mahama, who added he had written a letter on behalf of 14 other west African nations offering assistance.

The United Nations warned that any parties participating in the buying or selling of the schoolgirls could face prosecution under international law. "We warn the perpetrators that there is an absolute prohibition against slavery and sexual slavery in international law," said UN rights spokesperson Rupert Colville. "So just because they think they are safe now, they won't necessarily be in two years, five years or 10 years' time," he told a news briefing in Geneva.

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:
As much fun as it would be to kill those Nigerian scumbags, I have to wonder if it's "worth it," when putting those same lives on the line in Benghazi wasn't considered "worth it."

America does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own.

 Ouze wrote:
I have mixed feelings. I've generally been a champion of isolationist policies in the past. I didn't want us to get involved militarily in Syria, or Libya, or the Ukraine. I'm a pretty ardent supporter of John Quincy Adam's advice on this:

America does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own.

So, there's that on the one hand. We're not the world police.

 kronk wrote:
If Nigeria is asking for international help to recover 200+ kidnapped school girls, plus however many others that they may be holding, I say let's help them.

This is an example of what we should be doing.

 Ouze wrote:
I have mixed feelings. I've generally been a champion of isolationist policies in the past. I didn't want us to get involved militarily in Syria, or Libya, or the Ukraine. I'm a pretty ardent supporter of John Quincy Adam's advice on this:

America does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own.

So, there's that on the one hand. We're not the world police.

"Nigeria has one of the best armed forces" on the continent, says Kyari Mohammed, a professor of security studies at Modibbo Adama University of Technology in northern Nigeria, "but they are not trained for asymmetric warfare." The militants disguise themselves easily amongst their fellow Nigerians in Borno, and often escape to bordering countries or hideouts in the dense northern forests.

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:

 kronk wrote:
If Nigeria is asking for international help to recover 200+ kidnapped school girls, plus however many others that they may be holding, I say let's help them.

This is an example of what we should be doing.

Who is this "we" you speak of? Will you be going to help with their scavenger hunt?

 Medium of Death wrote:

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:

 kronk wrote:
If Nigeria is asking for international help to recover 200+ kidnapped school girls, plus however many others that they may be holding, I say let's help them.

This is an example of what we should be doing.

Who is this "we" you speak of? Will you be going to help with their scavenger hunt?

Are you trying to say that the actions of a nations armed forces don't reflect on its people and that they shouldn't have a say?

 Ouze wrote:
This is an opinion I've seen expressed often; that civilians who don't wear a uniform somehow don't have a right to an opinion on military matters. I guess we're just relegated to paying for every article of clothing a soldier wears, the rifle in his hands, the ammunition he shoots, the food he eats, and his healthcare for life. Remember - shut up and pay your taxes!

The meta-level irony here is that Kronk was told to shut up on a forum that, as a DCM, he freely helps financially support by someone who does not.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Making it both hrd to ignore and hard to justify when things like this come up. Im quite frankly against Isolationism.

 Medium of Death wrote:
Isn't that the point of the armed forces? Doing what people who are out of harms way tell you to do?

American or British (as Britain has said they'll send troops) are probably more likely to fair better in this particular situation given the type of conflicts that they've been fighting recently. I don't think people are disregarding the possibility of soldiers dying, they are more likely thinking that either of these two nations are more likely to get the job done.

.

The United States Army serves as the land-based branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. §3062 of Title 10 US Code defines the purpose of the army as:[8][9]
Preserving the peace and security and providing for the defense of the United States, the Commonwealths and possessions and any areas occupied by the United States
Supporting the national policies
Implementing the national objectives
Overcoming any nations responsible for aggressive acts that imperil the peace and security of the United States

 SlaveToDorkness wrote:
If our objective is to rescue these poor girls I say no. At this point it's going to be like sending the fire department to watch your house finish burning. After 3 weeks these girls are gone.

 Ouze wrote:
I have mixed feelings. I've generally been a champion of isolationist policies in the past. I didn't want us to get involved militarily in Syria, or Libya, or the Ukraine. I'm a pretty ardent supporter of John Quincy Adam's advice on this:

America does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own.

So, there's that on the one hand. We're not the world police.

On the other hand, feth these guys. If there were ever dudes that need to get got, it's these guys. There are plenty of ways I can rationalize how this is different: Libya was (and is) unclear as to where our best interest lies, same with Syria, you could sort of call the Nigerian situation piracy, which has long been a universal crime that any interested jurisdiction can prosecute - and so on. But at the end of the days that's a lot of self serving crap. These guys kidnapped a large number of children who's only crime was going to school, and we can probably help to get them back home. I think we should, consistency be damned.

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:

 Medium of Death wrote:

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:

 kronk wrote:
If Nigeria is asking for international help to recover 200+ kidnapped school girls, plus however many others that they may be holding, I say let's help them.

This is an example of what we should be doing.

Who is this "we" you speak of? Will you be going to help with their scavenger hunt?

Are you trying to say that the actions of a nations armed forces don't reflect on its people and that they shouldn't have a say?

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but unless you actually have a dog in the fight (i.e., you are going, or you know people who are), it's kind of weak to say offhand, "Let's risk someone else's life to do what I find to be morally correct."

 CptJake wrote:
Personally, I think providing intel and a couple of advisors to either Nigerian SOF or some African Union unit is about as far as I would like to see this go.

Inevitably, any rescue mission is going to end up with dead hostages. If the Nigerians or AU do it, they'll pat themselves on the back for the ones saved and brush off the international media condemnation.

If it was a US unit that did the takedown, we'll be hammered in the press and for a variety of reasons, that ends up being a very bad thing.

 kronk wrote:

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:

 Medium of Death wrote:

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:

 kronk wrote:
If Nigeria is asking for international help to recover 200+ kidnapped school girls, plus however many others that they may be holding, I say let's help them.

This is an example of what we should be doing.

Who is this "we" you speak of? Will you be going to help with their scavenger hunt?

Are you trying to say that the actions of a nations armed forces don't reflect on its people and that they shouldn't have a say?

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but unless you actually have a dog in the fight (i.e., you are going, or you know people who are), it's kind of weak to say offhand, "Let's risk someone else's life to do what I find to be morally correct."

Edit: You're not worth it.

 Frazzled wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Making it both hrd to ignore and hard to justify when things like this come up. Im quite frankly against Isolationism.

But you're in college with no skin in the game when your "against isolation."
As a Dad I'm hyper pro isolation.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Making it both hrd to ignore and hard to justify when things like this come up. Im quite frankly against Isolationism.

But you're in college with no skin in the game when your "against isolation."
As a Dad I'm hyper pro isolation.

But in aa world where more and more things are global, can we afford to be Isolationist?
And Im sure I have skin, I mean, I would be bleeding to death if I had no skin.

 SlaveToDorkness wrote:
I'm going to have to say a firm "no".

Horrible gak happens throughout the world we can't fix it all. Maybe if Nigeria has to actually deal with it's own heinous issues it might help it grow up.

 ironicsilence wrote:
Has there been any mention of what resources the US is sending? I've been rather out of the loop on this issue

 ironicsilence wrote:
Everyone seems to be talking like we are sending in the Marines to burn them out....which is just not the case. The US Armed forces are not being sent it to deal with this
"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.

U.S. armed forces were not being sent, Carney noted."


More likely its prolly a team from the state department and a team from the FBI

Not saying that there isnt a chance in the future for a seal team 6 raid on a compound...but for right now the boots on the ground are law enforcement and not armed forces

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:

 kronk wrote:
If Nigeria is asking for international help to recover 200+ kidnapped school girls, plus however many others that they may be holding, I say let's help them.

This is an example of what we should be doing.

Who is this "we" you speak of? Will you be going to help with their scavenger hunt?

Spoiler:

 Jihadin wrote:
I love the C17
Look at all that leg room

 Jihadin wrote:
I love the C17
Look at all that leg room

 Jihadin wrote:
What is "US Interest" in Nigeria to justify a US Military/US Armed Forces response?

 Jihadin wrote:
What is "US Interest" in Nigeria to justify a US Military/US Armed Forces response?

 Jihadin wrote:
What is "US Interest" in Nigeria to justify a US Military/US Armed Forces response?

 Frazzled wrote:
I hate children.

 Jihadin wrote:


The JOTC was closed late 80's early 90's in Panama.

We've no experience in Jungle Operations.

 Jihadin wrote:
Its cheaper detailing Drones with Hellfire there.

They're hiding in a national Jungle Park that's way bigger then Yellowstone.

The JOTC was closed late 80's early 90's in Panama.

We've no experience in Jungle Operations.

Do we actually want to deploy military Task Force in country? We're out of Iraq and soon to be, real SOON, in Afghanistan. I do not believe that Obama is quite that willing to begin Combat Operations in another country with "Boots on Ground"

Edit

To similar how we got involve in Somalia

 CptJake wrote:
An AC130 is not a good tool for rescuing hostages. It may be decent overwatch for a rescue force, but even though they have very good fire control, when dealing with kids who will run anywhere, it would be hard to get fires cleared.

 CptJake wrote:
Which is why I am very much in favor of those being Nigerian boots. Way too risky of a mission for me to want to see us take the blame for dead hostages. If they were US hostages (even some) I would be for US door kickers.

I participated in a very limited support role during hostage situation in Peru when Tupac Amaru took over the Japanese Ambassador's residence and know a bit about the sensitivities of host nation and US interests and the potential for gak to go sideways.

 EmilCrane wrote:
One pitfall people are falling into when discussing Nigeria is that they are acting like its some unstable dictator of the week African country. While it does have a degree of instability like all such countries, Nigeria also has the largest economy in Africa, it's one of the most populous nations in Africa and is the major regional power in sub Saharan Africa. I would classify it as a nation on the edge of westernising.

 EmilCrane wrote:
One pitfall people are falling into when discussing Nigeria is that they are acting like its some unstable dictator of the week African country. While it does have a degree of instability like all such countries, Nigeria also has the largest economy in Africa, it's one of the most populous nations in Africa and is the major regional power in sub Saharan Africa. I would classify it as a nation on the edge of westernising.

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

 EmilCrane wrote:
One pitfall people are falling into when discussing Nigeria is that they are acting like its some unstable dictator of the week African country. While it does have a degree of instability like all such countries, Nigeria also has the largest economy in Africa, it's one of the most populous nations in Africa and is the major regional power in sub Saharan Africa. I would classify it as a nation on the edge of westernising.

Their economy is even larger than South Africa?? I mean, I would assume that, outside of the formerly stable Egypt, RSA would be your next "best" country on the Continent, since they have probably the most external influence (especially from Australia, and NZ around this time of year, and then in August)

 daedalus wrote:

 Jihadin wrote:
What is "US Interest" in Nigeria to justify a US Military/US Armed Forces response?

Human interest. Why do you hate children?

(I do not actually think you hate children.)

 Jehan-reznor wrote:
America always claims to be the (LA)PD of the world, so they should offer their help,

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

 EmilCrane wrote:
One pitfall people are falling into when discussing Nigeria is that they are acting like its some unstable dictator of the week African country. While it does have a degree of instability like all such countries, Nigeria also has the largest economy in Africa, it's one of the most populous nations in Africa and is the major regional power in sub Saharan Africa. I would classify it as a nation on the edge of westernising.

Their economy is even larger than South Africa?? I mean, I would assume that, outside of the formerly stable Egypt, RSA would be your next "best" country on the Continent, since they have probably the most external influence (especially from Australia, and NZ around this time of year, and then in August)

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

 EmilCrane wrote:
One pitfall people are falling into when discussing Nigeria is that they are acting like its some unstable dictator of the week African country. While it does have a degree of instability like all such countries, Nigeria also has the largest economy in Africa, it's one of the most populous nations in Africa and is the major regional power in sub Saharan Africa. I would classify it as a nation on the edge of westernising.

Their economy is even larger than South Africa?? I mean, I would assume that, outside of the formerly stable Egypt, RSA would be your next "best" country on the Continent, since they have probably the most external influence (especially from Australia, and NZ around this time of year, and then in August)

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon on Wednesday unveiled its plans to help rescue more than 200 girls who were kidnapped by Islamic militants in Nigeria.

At the direction of the White House, the U.S. military will send a small team of experts to the embassy in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, to form an interagency “coordination and assessment cell” that will work the Nigerian government to locate and free the teenagers who were abducted from their school by Boko Haram last month, Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren told reporters.

The U.S. military team will consist of fewer than 10 uniformed military personnel, who will advise and assist the Nigerians with communications, logistics, and intelligence, according to Warren.

Warren would not say whether the U.S. will send surveillance drones to Nigeria to search for the girls, but did say that the “we are discussing with the Nigerian government any type of information sharing arrangements that we can — that we can agree to.”

The Defense Department does not have any intention of using American special operations forces against Boko Haram to liberate their captives, according to Warren.

“[The team’s] mission there is to simply assess and advise … At this time we are not considering a U.S. operation to help rescue the girls,” he said.

The advisory team will augment the existing U.S. military presence in Nigeria. There are currently about 50 American troops stationed at the embassy in Abuja, including embassy security, Office of Military Cooperation and defense attache staff. There are also 20 U.S. Marines temporarily in country participating in training exercises, according to Warren.

The Marines won’t be part of the efforts to help the Nigerians find the abducted girls, but the other U.S. servicemembers will.

“Everyone is working towards trying to find these girls. This is a horrible event and it’s a tragedy,” Warren said. “All U.S. military personnel [at the embassy] in Nigeria will help contribute to the efforts to find these girls.”

Warren said AFRICOM stood up a crisis response planning cell after the kidnappings occurred, and U.S. troops in Nigeria have been “doing what they were capable of doing” up to this point.

Boko Haram was designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department last year. The group has links to al-Qaida and is responsible for thousands of deaths in Nigeria over the past several years, according to the State Department. The militants have previously targeted civilians in their attacks, including women and children.

Abubakar Shekau, the leader of the group, has reportedly threatened to sell the girls to human traffickers.

“These girls were captured and kidnapped 22 days ago and time is of the essence,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters Tuesday. “Appropriate action must be taken to locate and to free these young women before they are trafficked or killed.”

Some lawmakers are pushing the Obama administration to take a stronger approach. Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced that he will hold a hearing to examine the administration’s response to the kidnappings and to the threat posed by Boko Haram.

In a letter sent to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday, Royce criticized the administration’s approach as shortsighted.

“While I welcome the Administration’s efforts in response to the kidnapping, including offering a team of military and law enforcement officials to the Nigerian government, I believe this temporary response will not sufficiently combat Boko Haram’s long-term threat to the region and U.S. interests,” he wrote.

Royce argued that the U.S. government needs to develop a “strategic, multifaceted approach” to help Nigeria combat the militants, including more robust security assistance and intelligence sharing with Nigeria, and better coordination with other countries in the region to thwart the group’s cross-border activities.

“It is clear that a piecemeal approach to Boko Haram, with limited U.S. military involvement, has been ineffective to date,’ Royce said in the letter. “A more aggressive U.S. commitment against al-Qaeda affiliated Boko Haram is overdue.”

 ironicsilence wrote:
Heres an interesting article in response to the lately Selfie Rage sweeping the net
http://monsterhunternation.com/2014/05/08/operation-pouty-face/

On the Real Men Don’t Buy Girls campaign… Holy gak… Seriously? That is so blindingly obvious that it takes a campaign on Twitter? “OMG! I was totally buying some child brides for my harem and then I saw that Ashton Kutcher said slavery was bad! LOL. I would have been soooo embarrassed!” said no Saudi prince ever.

 whembly wrote:
Here's more info on what this "help" will be...

Pentagon outlines plans to help rescue kidnapped girls in Nigeria

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon on Wednesday unveiled its plans to help rescue more than 200 girls who were kidnapped by Islamic militants in Nigeria.

At the direction of the White House, the U.S. military will send a small team of experts to the embassy in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, to form an interagency “coordination and assessment cell” that will work the Nigerian government to locate and free the teenagers who were abducted from their school by Boko Haram last month, Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren told reporters.

The U.S. military team will consist of fewer than 10 uniformed military personnel, who will advise and assist the Nigerians with communications, logistics, and intelligence, according to Warren.

Warren would not say whether the U.S. will send surveillance drones to Nigeria to search for the girls, but did say that the “we are discussing with the Nigerian government any type of information sharing arrangements that we can — that we can agree to.”

The Defense Department does not have any intention of using American special operations forces against Boko Haram to liberate their captives, according to Warren.

“[The team’s] mission there is to simply assess and advise … At this time we are not considering a U.S. operation to help rescue the girls,” he said.

The advisory team will augment the existing U.S. military presence in Nigeria. There are currently about 50 American troops stationed at the embassy in Abuja, including embassy security, Office of Military Cooperation and defense attache staff. There are also 20 U.S. Marines temporarily in country participating in training exercises, according to Warren.

The Marines won’t be part of the efforts to help the Nigerians find the abducted girls, but the other U.S. servicemembers will.

“Everyone is working towards trying to find these girls. This is a horrible event and it’s a tragedy,” Warren said. “All U.S. military personnel [at the embassy] in Nigeria will help contribute to the efforts to find these girls.”

Warren said AFRICOM stood up a crisis response planning cell after the kidnappings occurred, and U.S. troops in Nigeria have been “doing what they were capable of doing” up to this point.

Boko Haram was designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department last year. The group has links to al-Qaida and is responsible for thousands of deaths in Nigeria over the past several years, according to the State Department. The militants have previously targeted civilians in their attacks, including women and children.

Abubakar Shekau, the leader of the group, has reportedly threatened to sell the girls to human traffickers.

“These girls were captured and kidnapped 22 days ago and time is of the essence,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters Tuesday. “Appropriate action must be taken to locate and to free these young women before they are trafficked or killed.”

Some lawmakers are pushing the Obama administration to take a stronger approach. Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced that he will hold a hearing to examine the administration’s response to the kidnappings and to the threat posed by Boko Haram.

In a letter sent to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday, Royce criticized the administration’s approach as shortsighted.

“While I welcome the Administration’s efforts in response to the kidnapping, including offering a team of military and law enforcement officials to the Nigerian government, I believe this temporary response will not sufficiently combat Boko Haram’s long-term threat to the region and U.S. interests,” he wrote.

Royce argued that the U.S. government needs to develop a “strategic, multifaceted approach” to help Nigeria combat the militants, including more robust security assistance and intelligence sharing with Nigeria, and better coordination with other countries in the region to thwart the group’s cross-border activities.

“It is clear that a piecemeal approach to Boko Haram, with limited U.S. military involvement, has been ineffective to date,’ Royce said in the letter. “A more aggressive U.S. commitment against al-Qaeda affiliated Boko Haram is overdue.”

 kronk wrote:

 ironicsilence wrote:
Heres an interesting article in response to the lately Selfie Rage sweeping the net
http://monsterhunternation.com/2014/05/08/operation-pouty-face/

Holy crap funny!

On the Real Men Don’t Buy Girls campaign… Holy gak… Seriously? That is so blindingly obvious that it takes a campaign on Twitter? “OMG! I was totally buying some child brides for my harem and then I saw that Ashton Kutcher said slavery was bad! LOL. I would have been soooo embarrassed!” said no Saudi prince ever.

The situation, however, is very sad. I hope the girls are found and returned home soon.

 Ouze wrote:
I too found this stupid hashtag campaign to be inane. I remember when the Syria thing first started blowing up, people kept using some hashtag about a student who had gotten lit up, and was wondering how many retweets it took to get an ambulance for him. These sorts of campaigns are the lamest forms of slacktivism.

 d-usa wrote:
Come on guys, we totally solved a problem with #Kony2012.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:

This happened and I made the comment it is unlikely that we find them all.
I could feel the rage of facebook on me that moment

 hotsauceman1 wrote:

 Ouze wrote:
I too found this stupid hashtag campaign to be inane. I remember when the Syria thing first started blowing up, people kept using some hashtag about a student who had gotten lit up, and was wondering how many retweets it took to get an ambulance for him. These sorts of campaigns are the lamest forms of slacktivism.

This happened and I made the comment it is unlikely that we find them all.
I could feel the rage of facebook on me that moment


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 d-usa wrote:
Come on guys, we totally solved a problem with #Kony2012.

It gave us this

Real men don’t punch out their wives either.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Why is it "Real me dont buy girls" This isnt human traficking, it is a kidnapping.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Why is it "Real me dont buy girls" This isnt human traficking, it is a kidnapping.

 DarkTraveler777 wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Why is it "Real me dont buy girls" This isnt human traficking, it is a kidnapping.

The leader of Boko Haram threatened to sell the girls. So this is about human trafficking.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27283383

I am not defending the lame hastag gak, but your statement genuinely confused me.