US to Jonathan: You lied, we are yet to receive your request to fight Boko Haram

US to Jonathan: You lied, we are yet to receive your request to fight Boko Haram

The Pentagon, the United States of America’s military coordinating body, has faulted the claim by President Goodluck Jonathan that Nigeria has applied since early 2014 for assistance to send troops to combat the Boko Haram insurgents.

Rather, Pentagon said
over the weekend that discussions on troops to combat the Islamist body
was just beginning based on the formation of the Multi National Joint Task
Force.
Jonathan had in an interview with the Wall Street Journal said the United
States had ignored requests by Nigeria for troops to combat the Boko
Haram militants.
He said the country had in early 2014 reached out to the US for assistance,
adding: “Are they (America) not fighting ISIS?
“Why can’t they come to Nigeria?
“…they are our friends.
“If Nigeria has a problem, then I expect the US to come and assist us.”
But the Pentagon Press Secretary, Rear Admiral John Kirby, also told the
Wall Street Journal that the US was yet to receive an official request for
troops from Nigeria.
Kirby said what the US was doing now has been to enter into discussion
on how it could participate in the Multi National Joint Task Force with
other African nations to assist Nigeria.
Kirby said the task force will be designed to help build up Nigeria’s own
counterterrorism capabilities.
He said: “These discussions are really just now starting.
“I can tell you that there are no plans as I speak here… unilaterally to send
or to add US troops into Nigeria.”