US offers expert team to help find kidnapped Nigerian girls

The United States today offered to send a team of experts to Nigeria to help find more than 200 kidnapped schoolgirls.
The offer was made during a phone call by US Secretary of State John Kerry to Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan.
"Jonathan welcomed Kerry's offer to send a team to Nigeria to discuss how the United States can best support Nigeria in its response," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters at his daily news conference.
In addition, the US Embassy in Abuja is prepared to form a coordination cell, an interdisciplinary team that could provide expertise on intelligence, investigations and hostage negotiations, help facilitate information sharing and provide victim assistance, he said.

It would include US military personnel, law enforcement officials with expertise in investigations and hostage negotiations, as well as officials with expertise in other areas that may be helpful to the Nigerian government in its response, he added.
The outlawed militant group Boko Haram claimed responsibility earlier for the April 14 abduction of some 276 teenage girls from their boarding school in northeastern Borno state.

US President Barack Obama, he said, has directed that Kerry and the Department of State do everything they can to help the Nigerian government find and free these young women.
Responding to question at a different briefing, State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said the nature of assistance is still being determined.

It could be a combination of personnel on the ground, and if others are needed to be sent in, Psaki said.
Psaki said before this offer that Kerry made this morning to Jonathan, the US had had already taken a number of steps, given that Boko Haram is a designated terrorist organisation and one that the US have had increasing concerns about.