Negotiate with 'illegal' groups with utmost care

Two American presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama, pursued Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden to the ends of the Earth, arrested and renditioned thousands, flattened mountains in Afghanistan, honoured many fallen rangers and marines, but eventually, President Obama to the famous 3 am phone call and personally listened in as US Navy Seals silenced Osama in a sleepy Pakistani neighbourhood.

Months later, the Al Qaeda-affiliate, Taliban militia in Afghanistan has expressed their desire to hold roundtable talks with the US. Eager to join them is the Afghan President Hamid Karzai, if only to put an end to the bombing runs that are laying his country to waste. And now, Kenya is embroiled in a costly war to eject another Al Qaeda affiliate — Al Shabaab —who now consider Kenya Enemy Number One for humiliating them in 100 short days and driving them out of business. Kenya is emphatic that Al Shabaab is a band of cutthroat criminals who have invaded a sovereign country and as such, are fair game.