Deadly act of terror in Kenya demands a response in kind

Given the number of countries whose citizens were brutally murdered in the East African nation of Kenya by terrorists from neighboring Somalia, there should be no difficulty in putting together a multinational force to go after the terror group, al-Shabab.

About a dozen suspected militants were arrested by Kenyan forces, while five were killed. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta should permit interrogators from the United States, Britain and other nations with experience in dealing with terrorists to spend some time with the suspects.

The reason: al-Shabab is affiliated with al-Qaida, which has been expanding its operations in Africa and continues to attack coalition forces in Afghanistan. Al-Qaida affiliates in Pakistan have targeted the democratically elected government in Islamabad, with the goal of turning the country into an Islamic republic governed by sharia law.

Despite the killing by American forces of Osama bin Laden, the founder of al-Qaida, and several members of his inner circle, terrorist attacks around the world continue. The targets are governments or individuals viewed as enemies of Islam or nations considered weak and, therefore, vulnerable to internal strife.

Al-Shabab has deep roots in Somalia. According to the BBC, the group rules vast areas of southern Somalia, where it controls parts of the border and can raise finances for operations, such as Saturday’s attack on the Westgate shopping mall on the outskirts of Nairobi.

The United Nations supports Somalia’s government in Mogadishu, and Kenya has sent troops to keep al-Shabab from exporting its brand of Islamic extremism. As a result, Kenya has been under constant threat of terrorist attacks. As the investigation of the massacre at the Westgate mall progresses, it is becoming increasingly clear that this was no knee-jerk operation. There are reports that Americans and Britons were involved in the planning and preparation of the operation and may have participated in the assault.

Rising death toll

The death toll could surpass 100. Because the mall is popular with expatriates and middle- class Kenyans, the victims included citizens of several countries — Britain, India (an 8-year-old son of an Indian bank manager), Canada, France, South Africa and Peru. Investigators were still sifting through the rubble.

But seeing as how the militants showed no mercy and didn’t think twice about shooting at children participating in a cooking contest, the need for a military response is clear.

If the United Nations isn’t willing to put together a multinational force to send to southern Somalia, then the U.S., Britain and other Western nations should step in with their highly trained counterinsurgency units that have experience fighting terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Indeed, the use of drones, which we have cautioned against because of the large number civilian casualties, is justified in this case.

The al-Shabab militants must be stopped before they use the Nairobi attack as a banner for raising funds for other such terrorist operations.

Also, a forceful response will send a message to individuals, such as Somalis, living in freedom in the West that their involvement in terrorist activities will not go unpunished.