Terror suspect flown to US

Terror suspect flown to US

More than 200 Kenyans have died in terror attacks

A man suspected to have been involved in the 1998 terror attacks in East Africa has been identified and sent to the United States for trial.

Kenyan Security Minister Chris Murungaru named him as "al-Qaeda terrorist operative Suleiman Abdalla, alias Ngaka, alias Chuck Norris," the French news agency, AFP reports.

The suspect, who the minister said is already on his way to the US, is alleged to have taken part in the 1998 bombings of the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania which killed 224 people, mostly Kenyans.

He was arrested last week in Somalia and taken to Nairobi, reportedly by FBI agents.

In 2001, a court in New York found four people guilty of the attacks.

The minister said Mr Abdalla, who he said was in his early 30s, would be tried in the US like the others, for "planning and execution" of the bombings.

Mombasa leads

"He was one of the ones being sought by the American security agents and Kenyan security agents and I am sure his capture is a welcome development for the Americans," Mr Murungaru told journalists.

Kenya's tourist industry was hit by the Paradise hotel attack

He has also provided "useful leads on the 28 November attacks" near Mombasa, the security minister said.

In the car bomb attack on the Israeli-owned Paradise Hotel, 15 people, mainly Kenyans were killed.

An unsuccessful attempt was also made to down an Israeli airliner with a surface-to-air missile at the same time.

According to the minister the suspect told interrogators that "terrorists have not gone to sleep and want to carry out further terrorists activities".

The UK and US Governments recently issued fresh advice to their citizens warning them that the al-Qaeda network or its sympathisers could attack countries in East Africa.