Jonathan lied on request to fight Boko Haram, says U.S.

United States’ military coordinating body, The Pentagon, has faulted the claim by President Goodluck Jonathan that Nigeria has applied since early 2014 for assistance to send troops to combat Boko Haram insurgents.
Rather, Pentagon said 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 U.S. to come and assist us.”
But the Pentagon Press Secretary, Rear Admiral John Kirby, told the Wall Street Journal that the U.S. 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 counter-terrorism 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 U.S. troops into Nigeria.”