Russia and NATO have agreed on the need for joint efforts to combat terrorism and build mutual trust. Wrapping up a one-day Russia-NATO Council meeting in Moscow, NATO Secretary General George Robertson said that al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden has prompted a new rapprochement between Russia and NATO. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that anti-terrorism efforts are the focus of Moscow’s strengthening cooperation with the West.
In other news in the International War on Terrorism, Kenyan police are looking for this man who allegedly bought the car used in last month’s suicide bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel in Mombasa. Police say he may have been one of the suicide bombers.
The bombing at the Paradise Hotel killed ten Kenyans and three Israelis. The al-Qaida terrorist network has claimed responsibility. Minutes before the blast, missiles were fired at an Israeli airliner leaving Mombasa, but the plane was not hit.
Kenyan police have also released composite pictures of two suspects in the missile attack. The men are described as “Arab looking”, but their identities and nationalities are unknown.
And, one more point, in the Netherlands, security officials say Islamic militants with ties to al-Qaida are recruiting Dutch youths to join the holy war against the West. A report issued to the country’s parliament says that several dozen young men, mostly of Moroccan origin, were successfully enlisted.