I have said it here and will say it again. Terrorism is not criminal. It cannot be fought using conventional policing tactics, only a very hard and firm extra judicial means will break such fanatics. Elimination of their command and control leadership,cutting their financial bases,isolating their sympathisers,and spiritual accomplices will get towards stemming the tide. The politicians in Mombasa seem to have realised the folly of sympathising with these louts.

True,the only way to fight terrorism is through engaging the community otherwise, the govt might end up radicalizing the whole coastal region who might feel that they are being targeted

according to 'moderate' muslims all these is danganya toto jinga.

I know they could have been keeping those things safely there intending to hand them over to the police at 8 am in the morning.

Police just had to fall over themselves to ruin the intended good gesture of goodwill. Whats so hard in waiting and watching for just 5 more hours? Like draculas they only see and are seen at night?

You must not rush to blanket intimated condemnation over one grenade or else there will be repercussions.

Renegade.

Problem is muslims might feel targeted, not the entire coast populace, and funnily the waswahili muslims are the ones catching the most, maybe, just maybe a UMA vs IPK might again be the solution

No wonder these young boys have been chasing older Imams from the mosques.

I'm serious.

.

@Swenani, please provide practical and actionable ways of this engagement. By practical I mean when faced with an immediate and real threat to property, limb and life, do you suggest the said youths be coyed and be coddled to give up the weapons?

From a tactical level, you must appreciate that the only approach is elimination of the threat by countering it with the same or more force than they can muster. Unless they are fearful of the legitimate state violence, there can be no deal it would be either their way (they have it with the mosques) or the civilised way. Why didn't the "entire" communities in Murang'a and Kirinyaga become radicalized after Mungiki were neutralized the hard way? Are all Pokots radicalized by the KDF operation? SLDF?

No X-mas windfall for local businesses this year at the coast.

@Alphdoti, how is intelligence to be used/acted upon? At some point action is bound to be taken. When this happens ohhh "Muslims are targeted". I have noticed the silence of the political leadership in Mombasa on this one, going forward if they desist from sympathizing with the radicals then we'll rid the region of this threatening menace.

I do not want to sound like Alma - I have my own individuality 'alien' from his, but surely I cannot reconcile this route they have taken with the SOP you have just described.

Midnight raids with platoons of armed police to recover a hand grenade and some DVDs ought to hardly create confidence in you, Rahatupu. Yet it does help a great deal to create anger. There will be repercussions.