(CNN) -- The Westgate Mall siege in Kenya has claimed the lives of more than 60 people including the Kenyan president's nephew, at least one Canadian diplomat and American, British, French and Chinese nationals. Al Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia, Al-Shabaab, has claimed responsibility for the siege and it has been reported that a number of the militants involved in the attack may have been foreign jihadists from Western nations. Read more: Sources say gunmen still inside Kenyan mall If true, does the phenomenon of Westerners killing Westerners in Kenya represent a victory for al Qaeda and is this representative of the future of the group's transnational jihad? Does the radicalization of Muslims in the West pose a substantial threat to global security and what can be done to stop it?
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More than 60 people have died in a siege at a shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya
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Al Qaeda offshoot Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attack
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It has been reported that Western jihadists may have been among the attackers
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Jonathan Russell says the radicalization of Western Muslims needs addressing
Al Qaeda
al Qaeda
Al Qaeda
These recruits are considered perfect for @placeholder's future goals as, due to the fact that they are often not targeted for racial profiling and have greater access in their home countries, they can pass between borders relatively risk-free.
Kenya
Kenyan
Kenyan
Kenya
Kenya
With an estimated 40,000 Westerners currently living in @placeholder, many more visiting as tourists each year, and an area of limited policing on the Somalia-Kenya border, Western members of Al-Shabaab constitute a potentially large threat to the country's security.
Western
Western
With an estimated 40,000 Westerners currently living in Kenya, many more visiting as tourists each year, and an area of limited policing on the Somalia-Kenya border, @placeholder members of Al-Shabaab constitute a potentially large threat to the country's security.
Al Qaeda
al Qaeda
Al Qaeda
When assessed in terms of cohesion and integration, Al-Shabaab is one of the weakest @placeholder regional affiliates.
Al-Shabaab
Al-Shabaab
In reality, @placeholder are fighting a more nationalist struggle, clothing it in pseudo-religious garments and will continue to fail to engage significant numbers of Westerners.