KDF deserves plaudits for neutralising another terror plot

It is human nature to appreciate good work. The Standard appreciates good work.

On Saturday night, Al Shabaab militants attacked Bargoni Military Base at Baure in Lamu County. They had perhaps banked on the element of surprise which has seemed to favour them in the past to carry out the attack. But they got a rude awakening.

By the time the guns went silent, 11 of the attackers and two soldiers lay dead. Kenya Defence Forces had nipped in the bud a raid that seemed to have been planned to coincide with the first anniversary of the Mpeketoni attack in which 60 people were killed.

From the cache of weapons with them, had they carried out an attack, the casualty would have been unimaginably high.

For repulsing the attack, killing 11 of the militants, capturing one and confiscating the guns and bullets from the fleeing attackers, the army deserves plaudits. That level of military alertness, given the circumstances, deserves praise and approval.

The acts of the brave soldiers saved the country another round of horrid headlines.

Already, the US and the UK governments (our key allies in the war on terror and boasting two of the most sophisticated security intelligence services in the world) have expressed praises for the acts of KDF: "I would like to praise the decisive response of KDF, who displayed exemplary levels of expertise and courage," said Christian Turner, the UK High Commissioner;

"We offer our profound appreciation to the Kenya Defence Force and other security services that risk their lives daily to counter the scourge of terrorism," said Robert Godec, the US ambassador.

Compare this to past incidence where security forces were constantly caught on the wrong foot, reduced to counting casualties and carrying them to the morgues. After which a blame game would ensue about who knew what, when and did what with what they knew then.

Hopefully, that won't happen again for on Saturday, we witness our security services at its best.

It is hoped that the capture of one suspect will help shine the light on the dark world of Al Shabaab and probably neutralise the group.

Of those terrorists killed and already identified, one abandoned his family for Al Shabaab a few years ago. Perhaps a victim of radicalisation.

That demonstrates that the enemy operates within. Efforts in fighting youth radicalisation in the villages, schools and places of worship should be intensified. Families whose children have disappeared should volunteer such information to the police to aid them plan and ascertain possible targets.

The quintessential terrorist is no longer a youth struggling with adolescence and idealism, running away from poverty and want. Quite the reverse. These are educated young men and women who have fallen under the spell of recruiters roaming around our neighbourhoods.

And as the Government intensifies efforts to contain the rising cases of youngsters getting recruited into the ranks of militants, a psycho-analyis to establish the causes behind such behavioural changes in young people who have all along been upright members of society is necessary.

In the end, it is better dealing with the symptoms than having to confront a full blown malady.