COSTELLO: Right now a new British team is in Nigeria. And an American group hits the ground today to help in the search for nearly 300 kidnapped schoolgirls now missing for 3 1/2 weeks. Now this new seven-member American team will not include American combat troops and instead help with intelligence, investigation and hostage negotiations. Isha Sesay is live in Nigeria to tell us more. Good morning.</s>ISHA SESAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. Yes, this team has arrived from the United States and from the UK and is here to provide critical expertise in intelligence and surveillance, in hostage negotiations and reconnaissance, that kind of thing, which is believed to be absolutely essential and could be some of the gaps that exist in terms of Nigerian capability for search and rescue mission to bring these girls home. So much time has gone by, Carol. These girls have been missing for over three weeks now. And the hope is that now that there is this international assistance, that that could prove to be the turning point because this is very difficult terrain we're talking about that these teams will be guiding the Nigerians through. This is terrain in the northeastern part of the country it's remote, it is -- it's heavily forested. And Boko Haram has made this area their stronghold for many, many years now. So this is a big undertaking. But I have to tell you, the feeling in this country is one of growing pain, growing anxiety as people hope and pray that it will be international assistance that brings the result we all want, that these girls are brought back home -- Carol.</s>COSTELLO: Isha Sesay reporting live this morning. Thanks so much. If you would like to help girls worldwide try to overcome barriers to education, you can go to our Web site. That address is CNN.com/impact.
Increased Efforts to Search for Nigerian Kidnapped Girls