The Kenyan government said on Wednesday it will partner with the United States in the fight against terrorism, saying the global war against the vice can only be combated through intelligence sharing.
Internal Security Minister George Saitoti said the east African country which has twice been hit by terror attacks will strengthen ties with its international partners to boost efforts in combating terrorism.
Saitoti said the Kenyan government will collaborate with Washington in fighting terror networks.
Speaking when he met a delegation of U.S. congressmen, Saitoti said the government was ready to commit resources and time to fight terror, with emphasis was on the exchange of security and intelligence data between the various anti-terror units.
The minister also dismissed claims that Kenya was acting under US command in the fight against terror, terming the remarks as "mere rumors."
"Who said Americans are leading the fight (against terror) on our soil? All we have to do with the Americans is what we call collaboration." He said Kenya having suffered from terrorist attacks the government cannot relent in anti-terror campaign.
The minister termed terrorism as a "big threat" to the security of the country, saying that although the country had returned to normalcy after the post-poll crisis, absolute security would mean pre-empting all terror attacks.
He said Kenyan security agencies will do anything possible to ensure terrorism does not take place within the boundary any more. Saitoti said the anti-terrorism unit will cooperate with their international counterparts in a bid to wipe out terrorism networks.
The U.S. delegation chairman Bennie Thomson said the U.S. government is committed to offer any necessary assistance to Kenya to drive security agenda.
Thompson who is leading the delegation proposed the merging of all security agencies since the focus is on "fighting a common enemy."
Borrowing from the U.S. experience after the 9/11 bombing in New York, Thompson said that such mergers have proved successful in the war against terror.
The development comes as Kenya has intensified al-Qaeda terror suspects Fazul Abdullah Mohamed who evaded the police dragnet early this month in the coastal city of Mombasa.
Source:Xinhua
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