even with the loans. >> lincoln mitchell, ambassador william courtney, great to have you on the show. let's hope things improve there. >>> later in the show we'll look at the negative consequences that sanctions could have on n.a.s.a. >>> turning to nigeria, the leader of boko haram claimed responsibility for the abduction of hundreds of school girls. in a chilling video released, abubakar shekau said he kidnapped the girls because they were getting a western education and announced plans for them. . >> translation: i abducted your girls. i will sell them in the market by allah. there's a market for selling humans. allah says i should sell and commands me to sell. i will sell woman. >>> the united states is offering technical and satellite assistance, but made it clear it's up to the nigerian government to take the lead. international outrage is going, as are calls for a rescue mission for the girls kidnapped in a predawn raid. we are joined by rona peligal, deputy director of human rights watch. good of you to join us. >> thank you. >> we have been on the story for a few days and it'

with us is lincoln mitchell, adviser at human rights at columbia university. sunday? >> i think this referendum among other things is a bad precedent. they decide to have a referendum. if that happens in ukraine, it can happen everywhere. it's a bad residence. secondly, it's difficult to put an election together on short notice. will there be attempts to election fraud, the answer is yes. just the logistics of putting an election together, it's going to be an attempt to wave enough barn that says they want to separate from ukraine. >> what do you make of vladimir putin's actions earlier this week to suggest that the referendum be postponed. does he want these elections? or does it put them in a box? >> he could be playing it either way. there is very good reason why he wouldn't want this election which is if this election happens, we can know with great certainty. we don't know how the votes will be cast but we can know it won't be reported out. we know that's going to happen. whether or not the people vote that way, that's a different question. if that happen

. >> joining me is lincoln mitchell, an advisor to the human rights institfractured at columbia universitywe appreciate his time. mr. mitchell, this woman we just heard in the story, she basically said she doesn't think this is legitimate, this refer endsum. what would you say? >> i agree with her. i think you have some kind of thuggish actors who want to be separatists who have formal and informal support from russia who are calling for a refer endsum. there is there is no legal foundation. we have no sense the process is going to be a real one. it's hard to put an election together, with 72 or 96 hours' notice. in this environment, if i were living in donetsk and did not want to separate from russia, i might keep my head down and not go and vote because it's a climate of fear. this is not, in my view, a listen it mat exercise. >> once it happens, then what? is that the point of people forcing this to happen? >> that is very much the point. once this happens, then the separatists will say, we have the support regardless of how the people vote. if 14 people in the whole oblesk come out, th