Jesse Jackson offers to help free US spy crew

The Rev Jesse Jackson has offered to go to China to work for the release of the captured spy plane crew.

Jackson, the leader of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, made the offer to National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.

Jackson has previously helped free Americans in Syria, Iraq and Yugoslavia.

"If a delegation appealing to the Chinese directly would help, we'd be willing to do that," Jackson said. "We've done it before, and each time we were successful."

"In each instance, we had to make a moral appeal," the civil rights leader said.

"You do it in a way that does honour to our country. Somehow, religious people can be a bridge."

Jackson says he will not interfere with US diplomatic efforts, but added that he thinks the United States should apologise for the collision of a US spy plane and a Chinese fighter that led to the present standoff between the two countries.

"I think our government should say 'if we have violated you in any way, it was not intentional and we apologise'," Jackson said. "Getting Americans home is worth expressing an apology."

Democrat Jackson's holier than thou image took a bashing recently when it was revealed he had a mistress whom he took to the White House when she was pregnant. His Coalition's finances have also been investigated by the media.