U.S. deploys 80 troops to aid in search for kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls
Will support “operation of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft for missions over northern Nigeria and the surrounding area.”
The White House said Wednesday that the United States has deployed approximately 80 Armed Forces personnel to Chad “as part of the U.S. efforts to locate and support the safe return of over 200 schoolgirls who are reported to have been kidnapped in Nigeria,” according to a letter sent to lawmakers.
From CNN:
The United States deployed 80 members of its armed forces to Chad to help in the search for the kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls, the White House said Wednesday.
“These personnel will support the operation of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft for missions over northern Nigeria and the surrounding area,” it said in a letter.
“The force will remain in Chad until its support in resolving the kidnapping situation is no longer required.”
President Barack Obama informed the House speaker and the president of the Senate of the move.
The forces will be involved in maintaining aircraft and analyzing data, but because they are armed, the President is required by law to inform the speaker of the House, Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said.
“These are not combat infantry troops that we put into Chad,” Kirby told CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper” on Wednesday. “These are folks that are there to support the reconnaissance mission.”
(View the letter from the White House to Congress here)
Some U.S. personnel have already been working with authorities in Nigeria to “advise and assist” in the search, as was reported early last week.
CNN additionally reports that a U.S. drone will now also assist with the search.
A U.S. Predator drone will now be aiding in the search for the girls, a Pentagon official told CNN. Half of the new group of U.S. troops will be operating the launch and recovery of the unarmed drone on its missions, and half of them will be providing security on the ground in Chad.
More than 200 girls were abducted from a secondary school in the town of Chibok in April.
[Featured image: AFP video]
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Comments
The Nobel Committee called. They want their Peace Prize back…
I resent even one penny of taxpayer money being used for this. I am very sorry for the victims, but this is a purely domestic problem for Nigeria, and the U.S. is not the police of the world.
And what about sex trafficking of the underage women everywhere in the world, including the United States?
Strategic operations to root out terrorism is one thing, but this is fighting the windmills.
Agreed – why should we be doing this? These are not American students a la Grenada.
There are very, very few things this president has done that I agree with, but I do not have a problem with this particular action. It’s a good humanitarian gesture to offer non-combat support and does a lot more good than the worthless #bringbackourgirls campaign.
I have a huge problem with it.
This is nothing more than a feel-good sound byte so Obama can claim to be doing something.
He realized how pathetically weak his twitter of #bringbackourgirls made him look.
He’s sending out people not because he cares, but to try and make himself look good. He doesn’t care if they’re effective or not.
If you’re going to do something, send in a SEAL team.
This just makes him look even more pathetic.
Yes I know Obama’s motivation is purely selfish. He is after all the Narcissist-in-chief. He’s been shamed into action for once. If you’re unwilling to give the man even an ounce of credit, I understand that. But I don’t think sending in a Seal team is the right thing to do when it has nothing to do with the defense of our country.
He hasn’t been shamed into action.
He’s been shamed into an ineffective PR move to try and pretend he cares.
Does this make him a Warmonger?
#ffsgottogotochad. Bet they are heppy heppy heppy .
What a mess! Obama is a despicable person and an utter failure as a president, and this action, too, is too little, too late. Clinton failed to designate BH as a terrorist group for several years; doing so might have enabled the government to reduce their infrastructure and finances. The Nigerian government has been revealed to be unbelievably inept – or, maybe, corrupt. Hows can they simply lose 300 hostages?? Nigeria is a wealthy country with a lot of oil based income.
But these children deserve every possible effort to save them!!
Obama should be challenged on his pro-Islamist policies endlessly and intensely!
“Advise and assist” – is that the closest they’ve strayed toward calling them “advisors”?
Some of us remember that word from the Kennedy era, concerning a plan for French Indochina; another fine product from the Department of What Could Go Wrong.
Of course, that was, like, more than two years ago, dude.
It’s more than he did for our own people in Benghazi.
He is beyond shameful.
This is all well and good, but what about Meriam Wani and her son Martin? Why should the State Department have to be begged to do what is right and humanitarian, especially for American citizens, which the boy is?
The boy as far as I know was born in the Sudan ? This makes hima Sudanese citizen by virtue of place of birth & also by his fathet being a native born Sudanese.
The American Embassy has required Wani to provide. DNA to back his claim of paternity . But even if he is , then The boy is still Sudanese first.Sudan does not do dual nationality.
Julst like the photoshopped wedding pics , there is much that is fishy here.
He has dual citizenship until he is 18, when he must choose one or the other.
You did not read – as of now there is no DNA. proof & therefore no American citizenship yet.
Why do we need to send troops?
Michelle Obama already sent a hashtag. Didn’t that “bring back our girls?”