USA: State Department says hostage negotiators heading to Nigeria to assist response to the kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls by Boko Haram

Record ID: 236828

  • Title: USA: State Department says hostage negotiators heading to Nigeria to assist response to the kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls by Boko Haram
  • Date: 6th May 2014
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (MAY 06, 2014) (STATE TV) WIDESHOT U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN JEN PSAKI AT NEWS BRIEFING (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN JEN PSAKI SAYING: "This morning, Secretary Kerry called Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan to reiterate our offer of assistance. President Jonathan welcomed Secretary Kerry's offer to send a team to Nigeria to discuss how the United States can best support Nigeria in its response. In addition, our embassy in Abuja is prepared to form a coordination cell, an interdisciplinary team, and this is what they discussed on the call, that could provide expertise on intelligence, investigations, and hostage negotiations, help facilitate information sharing, and provide victim assistance. It would include U.S. military personnel, law enforcement officials with expertise in investigations and hostage negotiations, as well as officials with expertise in other areas that can be -- that may be helpful to the Nigerian government in its response. The president has directed that we and the secretary and the State Department do everything we can to help the Nigerian government find and free these young women. The president and Secretary Kerry have their regular meeting this afternoon, and this will certainly be a prominent topic of discussion." WIDESHOT U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN JEN PSAKI AT NEWS BRIEFING
  • Embargoed: 21st May 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAUQ4VMWNKUCNMDDZT6LNW4VE
  • Story Text: Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has welcomed a U.S. offer to send an American team to Nigeria to support the government's response to the kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls by an Islamist militant group, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday (May 06).
    State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the American embassy in Nigeria is "prepared to form a coordination cell" that would include U.S. military personnel and law enforcement officials with expertise in investigations and hostage negotiations.
  • Copyright Holder: STATE DEPARTMENT TV
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