US deploys planes in search for Nigerian girls

[Recursion]

Source: BBC

The US has revealed it is flying manned surveillance missions over Nigeria to try to find more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

The US is also sharing commercial satellite imagery with the Nigerian government, officials said.

...

"We have shared commercial satellite imagery with the Nigerians and are flying manned ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) assets over Nigeria with the government's permission," a senior administration official, who declined to be named, said.

A team of about 30 US experts - members of the FBI and defence and state departments - is in Nigeria to help with the search.

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27387370

[alcibiades_mystery]

1. Fascism!

Sorry. I had a Greenwald Spasm.

[BootinUp]

12. lol nt

[FSogol]

22. Aha. We'll have taken over Africa in no time now!

[William769]

2. Good!

I hope they find them quickly & get them home.

[The Magistrate]

3. I Expect Before Ten Posts, Sir, Someone Will Complain Of US Invasion And Neo-Con Plans....

And heaven only knows what else....

[Recursion]

5. I will not take that bet (nt)

[The Magistrate]

7. You Are A Sensible Fellow, Sir: I Would Not expect You To....

'On the day when I left home to make my way in the world, my daddy took me to one side.

“Son,” my daddy says to me, “I am sorry I am not able to bankroll you to a large start, but not having the necessary lettuce to get you rolling, instead I'm going to stake you to some very valuable advice.

One of these days in your travels, a guy is going to show you a brand-new deck of cards on which the seal is not yet broken.

Then this guy is going to offer to bet you that he can make the jack of spades jump out of this brand-new deck of cards and squirt cider in your ear.

But, son, do not accept this bet, because as sure as you stand there, you're going to wind up with an ear full of cider.”'

[Hekate]

6. And counting...

But seriously, Sir, I'm very glad to see these actions taken -- and doubtless more we don't know about.

[rpannier]

14. I am waiting for the...

he doesn't really exist
he's a creation of the US
the girls were kidnapped by US backed mercenaries or private contractors and they've probably been killed

[FSogol]

23. and of course, BENGHAZI!

[rpannier]

25. that goes without saying

Everything is about Benghazi

[24601]

30. Don't hold your breath. Boko Haram has been a well-known al Qaeda adherent for a number

of years.

[rpannier]

31. Yeah

But when has a fact ever stopped a conspiracy theorist
Facts are just proof of the fiction.
That something hasn't happened and there's no evidence it will, to them, is only proof that it is happening now or very soon
Once a narrative has been decided no matter what happens it's all just proof that the narrative is correct

[OilemFirchen]

19. Unbelievable prescience, yerhonor!

See post 10.

[geek tragedy]

29. On the other thread, Sir

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014803301#post3

[freshwest]

32. That was droning on about drones but it didn't use the full name:

The H-K (Hunter Killer) Drones, T-1 Aerials and the Hunter Killer Aerials began killing people wholesale when Skynet came online. That's why drones are the thing to talk about. Regular aerial and satellite surveillance just aren't sexy enough.

[sheshe2]

4. Bring our girls home!

Please, just bring them home safely.

[William769]

9. Exactly!

[sheshe2]

11. The tears they shed daily is unimaginable.

William~

[Cha]

8. Thank you, Recursion!

USA

[Ex Lurker]

10. This is just the open source stuff

I imagine the D-boys are on the ground in Nigeria as we speak.

[azurnoir]

13. hopefully they find these girls quickly nd find them safely

[duhneece]

15. Drones. THis is the perfect time to use drones. nt

[davidpdx]

16. Yeah, but if one gets shot out of the sky who's to blame

It would be the big bad US.

Granted the same thing could happen with an airplane (it would also be a bigger target and cause more damage), but a top pilot could probably steer the plane out of harms way.

I agree drones could have some very useful purposes. They could give them to search and rescue to help find people who are lost up on the mountains rather than put someone in danger of an avalanche. It would probably be a hell of a lot faster too.

[duhneece]

18. I know, there's a risk to ANY action...and any lack of action,,,

There's a risk to being alive ...hell. I may just want some action for these girls TOO much and may be naive.

[okaawhatever]

21. I read something shortly after the US got involved that AFRICOM had a drone they were using

in the area. They now have manned surveillance. A local has witnessed at least two helicopters and one airplane searching.

[24601]

33. You don't mean armed drones, right? You are only referring to the surveillance and reconnaissance?

When there are hostages, it's better to have a sniper with accuracy measured in inches rather than missiles with CEP is measured in meters and an effective casualty radius of 15 meters. Those metrics are really best case low-end for a Hellfire and it's important not to take a "have seen" and start thinking of it as a "can do".

If all you want it to kill terrorists, hellfire away. But other alternatives are necessary if you want to get the girls back alive.

http://metinmediamath.wordpress.com/2013/10/10/missile-accuracy-cep/

http://papers.ccpr.ucla.edu/papers/PWP-CCPR-2012-003/PWP-CCPR-2012-003.pdf

[davidpdx]

17. I hope we are able to provide some help finding them

Women who choose education should not be threatened.

[Sunlei]

20. "commercial satellite imagery" <<<<this is a very helpful tech. our commercial is very close detail

[Nye Bevan]

24. Oh noes! Invasion! Military industrial complex!

Sarcasm aside, I *love* to see our military being used in this kind of humanitarian operation.

[treestar]

27. +1

This is using it for good.

[warrprayer]

26. The Boko Bozos

have run out of friends. China wants their ass too. I am not optimistic. They said they would exchange some of the girls for prisoners, but those who "converted to Islam" (translate "selected as child brides, most likely) will not be released.
There are no good options.

[CTyankee]

28. We should demand that they ALL are released.

Otherwise, BIG problems... and back it up...I am hoping we can send some commandos to go after these thugs...and kill them quickly...

[Jesus Malverde]

34. Why "commercial satellite imagery"

Why not "military satellite imagery"?