
"Obviously what's happening is awful, and as a father of two girls I can't
imagine what the parents are going through," Obama said in an interview
with CBS news. In another interview he spoke about providing all help to rescue
them."In the short term our goal is obviously is to help the international
community, and the Nigerian government, as a team to do everything we can to
recover these young ladies," Obama told the NBC's "Today".Obama's
comments came after the US Secretary of State John Kerry said that he has
accepted the offer of the Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan to "provide
expertise on intelligence, investigations and hostage negotiations" in the
search for the schoolgirls.
"I think now the complications that have arisen have convinced everybody
that there needs to be a greater effort, and it will begin immediately. I mean
literally immediately."We are in touch, our Embassy is in touch. We've
been talking with AFRICOM, we've been talking with the various entities, and I
think you're going to see a very, very rapid response," Kerry said at a
joint news conference with European Union High Representative Lady Catherine
Ashton.Kerry said the US Embassy in Abuja is prepared to form a coordination
cell to help facilitate information-sharing.
"President Goodluck Jonathan was very happy to receive this offer and
ready to move on it immediately, and we are immediately engaging in order to
implement this," he said.Meanwhile, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
called for the safe return of the girls.
"It is clear that what has happened in Nigeria is outside the circle of
civilised human behaviour. It is clear that kidnapping these girls challenges
the conscience of the world in a very specific and different way.
And maybe just that difference may be something that will make a
difference," Pelosi said.In a statement, Islamic Society of North America
(ISNA), the oldest and largest American Muslim umbrella organisation, condemned
the kidnapping of and threat to sell off the Nigerian schoolgirls by Boko
Haram.
Post a Comment