UK to aid in 'Nigerian rescue'

http://news.sky.com/story/1256609/hague-frustrated-by-speed-of-nigeria-rescue

Hague 'Frustrated' By Speed Of Nigeria Rescue
Nigeria is criticised for its response to the abduction of the schoolgirls as William Hague says the UK offered to help weeks ago.

Foreign Secretary William Hague has revealed the UK offered assistance to help find more than 200 abducted schoolgirls in Nigeria three weeks ago.

Militants from the Islamist group Boko Haram kidnapped at least 276 youngsters from a boarding school in the village of Chibok in Borno state, north Nigeria, on April 14.

President Goodluck Jonathan has been under fire over his handling of the armed attack and has faced accusations of being slow to respond by families of the kidnapped girls.

Mr Hague has told Sky News: "Nearly three weeks ago I offered assistance to the Nigerian government.

"I strongly encouraged the Nigerians to improve their capability to deal with these things in the future, Britain can really help with that.

"It is a desperate situation for the girls involved, it just shows the nature of this terrorist organisation Boko Haram.

"It's difficult of course because this is primarily a matter for Nigeria and Britain can't just walk in there... and do as we like.

"It's very frustrating when the world can't act to deal with these things promptly because the trail goes cold of course after several weeks."

US President Barack Obama has pledged to do "everything we can" to help rescue the youngsters, after 11 more girls aged 12 to 15 were taken from the northeastern village of Warabe on Tuesday by armed gunmen.

He described the situation as "heartbreaking" and said the kidnapping could be "the extent that helps to mobilise the entire international community to finally do something against this horrendous organisation".

"We're going to do everything we can to provide assistance to them," he said.

"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."

The US is sending military personnel and FBI officials with expertise in hostage negotiations.

Officials have raised fears the girls may have already been smuggled into neighbouring countries including Chad and Cameroon.

On Wednesday, Nigeria Police announced a 50m Nigerian naira (£182,000) reward for credible information leading to the location and rescue of the female students.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has appeared in a video threatening to sell the girls "on the market".


The US is sending military personnel and FBI officials with expertise in hostage negotiations.

Be afraid, be very afraid - some new international balls-up is doubtless in the making.

Has anyone considered simply ransoming the poor girls and dealing with the scums later?

Has anyone considered simply ransoming the poor girls and dealing with the scums later?

Not feasible, Boko Haram want strict Sharia Law in all of Nigeria as a starter, then the rest of the world to follow. If they were to get their way in even part of Nigeria then things could escalate into something very messy. They would never agree to monetary ransom, only the islamisation of the whole country. The south is Christian, the north mainly Muslim. LL

I confidently predict it's going to turn into yet another debacle, LL. Though the locals may stop fighting amongst themselves for a while and decide to bump off any US/UK troops unlucky enough to be sent in, as they will be regarded as the white man telling Africans what to do again.

And western troops will soon find out why it is historically known as the White Man's Grave.

None of which will help the unfortunate girls one bit.

From:

http://news.sky.com/story/1256609/boko-haram-kill-hundreds-in-nigeria-attack

Boko Haram 'Kill Hundreds' In Nigeria Attack
A new attack in Nigeria's north kills up to 300 as the UK sends a team of experts to help the hunt for 276 abducted schoolgirls.

Up to 300 people are reported to have been killed in the latest attack blamed on an Islamist group that abducted more than 200 schoolgirls and threatened to sell them at market.

Borno state senator Ahmed Khalifa Zanna told Sky News hundreds of people were reported to have been killed in the northeastern Nigerian town of Gamboru Ngala by armed men believed to be from Boko Haram.

He said the suspected militants opened fire on residents, before burning down numerous shops and businesses in the town near the Cameroon border.

Mr Zanna is also reported as saying the town was left unguarded after soldiers were moved to join the hunt for the 276 girls who went missing from a boarding school in the village of Chibok in Borno state, north Nigeria, on April 14.

A further 11 girls, aged 12 to 15, were taken from the northeastern village of Warabe on Tuesday.

"UK sends a team of experts to help the hunt for 276 abducted schoolgirls."
  

This reads like a Stephen King horror story. Hope they can help without being harmed.

Do we know who is bankrolling this particular group of scumbags? They aren't getting weapons, etc, from their Sky Pixie....

http://studies.aljazeera.net/en/reports/2013/09/201398104245877469.htm
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/4/23/boko-haram-s-rootsinnigerialongpredatethealqaedaera.html

Nigeria;s borders are very porous and other Islamic fundamentalist groups will be sending Boko Haram arms. LL

Thanks, LL, that's an interesting piece. Personally, I wouldn't be in the least surprised if the money trail leads back to KSA.

bb1 wrote:Thanks, LL, that's an interesting piece. Personally, I wouldn't be in the least surprised if the money trail leads back to KSA.

Sorry, what/who is KSA? LL

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, LL.

I would concur with that.

Well, someone is supplying them with money, arms, vehicles, etc. And about the only two countries that can be 100% ruled out are Russia and China. I will be amazed if KSA isn't involved somewhere along the line.

Funding sources for Boko Haram are not certain, but is believed to be partially funded by bank robberies and by other Islamist groups. In February 2012, recently arrested officials revealed that "while the organisation initially relied on donations from members, its links with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, AQIM, opened it up to more funding from groups in Saudi Arabia and the UK". They went on to say that other sources of funding included the Al Muntada Trust Fund and the Islamic World Society.

In the past, Nigerian officials have been criticised for being unable to trace much of the funding that Boko Haram has received.

The group also extorts local governments for so-called "protection money". A spokesman of Boko Haram claimed that Kano state governor Ibrahim Shekarau and Bauchi state governor Isa Yuguda had paid them monthly.

Since Boko Haram is designated by the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, it is banned from receiving funds from the U.S. or U.S. nationals.

In mid March 2014, allegations backed by a tapped phone conversation arose about the use of Turkish Airlines to lift weapons to Boko Haram, in an operation directed by the National Intelligence Organization of Turkey, and known by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's Chief of Staff, Mustafa Varank.

ETA This allegation has been refuted by the Turkish governbment. LL

Oh, I'm sure it has, LL. Unfortunately, I wouldn't believe the Turkish government if it announced water was wet.  

bb1 wrote:Oh, I'm sure it has, LL. Unfortunately, I wouldn't believe the Turkish government if it announced water was wet.  

I would trust Turkish govt over many others so-called pure ones. The Turks want to be part of ERuriope, I don't think they would jeopadise that desire. They are actually in a bit of a limbo, run by an Islamic PM and party, but most of the people believe in having a secular state as set up by Ataturk. My own opinion, maybe as I have Turkish friends I am biased to a degree. LL

This is worth a read:

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/08/world/africa/boko-haram-leader-plan/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

It's a bit more thoughtful than the Something must be done, stories.

Sigh.....

The only bright spot I can see in this is that French troops are involved, and they have a fairly good record of dealing with murderous scum in horrible places without killing civilians, killing each other in friendly fire incidents, blowing up wedding parties, etc.

Thank goodness for that.

Just think Foreign Legion...

Indeed.   

From:

http://news.sky.com/story/1258044/nigeria-kidnap-us-team-on-the-ground

A US team of military and intelligence experts has arrived in Nigeria to help with the search for 276 schoolgirls abducted by Islamist militants.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said: "Our inter-agency team is hitting the ground in Nigeria now and they are going to be working in concert with President Goodluck Jonathan's government to do everything we can to return these girls to their families and their communities.

"We are also going to do everything possible to counter the menace of Boko Haram."

God help them now Kerry's mouthing off - Obama is doubtless about to drone a Christian church in the middle of Mass or something.

And what's the point in attacking one lot of Islamic terrorists in Nigeria when the US is supplying other Islamic terrorists in Syria? I am afraid none of this is going to help those girls one bit, it's just an exercise in letting assorted zeleb tw@tters show how concerned they are.

French troops and similar professionals who know what they are doing are useful; noisy fools looking for photo-ops aren't.

Double sigh.