By PAUL REDFERN, 
in London 

Nairobi is said to have given its consent for US and British special forces to use Kenya as a base for any military action in neighbouring Somalia, according to a report in the Times newspaper.

The story was carried under the heading "Kenya base agreed for next stage of terror war". 

The deal was agreed at talks last week in Nairobi between British Defence minister Geoff Hoon and President Moi, the paper said.

The report also said that President Moi was "exacting a high price for his cooperation. The deal is expected to open the way for the easing of aid to Nairobi."

Britain's Ministry of Defence in London was slightly more forthcoming on details relating to the meeting than it was last week when it merely confirmed that the meeting had taken place but would not give details on the discussions involved. 

A spokesman told the Nation that the discussions were "wide-ranging" and that they involved "matters of mutual concern". 

Asked about the issue of military bases, the spokesman would only say that the issue of military bases "was not necessarily the purpose of the visit," and that he was "not sure that the Times report was accurate". 

Last week the British High Commission denied that any military action in Somalia or Sudan was discussed between Mr Hoon and President Moi. Critics however doubted the claim and questioned why the British Defence minister should be sent by London to Nairobi if the matters discussed were purely of a foreign affairs nature.

The same week, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that Mr Hoon had assured President Moi that any intervention in Somalia would be likely to be restricted to special forces operations rather than heavy bombing of the type seen in Afghanistan.

The Daily Telegraph added that the United States had asked Britain's Foreign Office to use its influence to try and persuade Nairobi to allow the basing of US and possibly British special SAS forces inside Kenya.

"One of Britain's most important roles is to use its enormous diplomatic and economic influence in parts of the world where it once had an empire," a senior staff member of US General Tommy Franks told Britain's largest selling broadsheet newspaper.

The report added that "it seems probable that Kenya would be needed as a land base for commando units going after al-Qaeda members.

"Intensive studies of Somalia have shown the Pentagon that a broad military campaign as used in Afghanistan would not be necessary to destroy Osama bin Laden's limited network there," the Daily Telegraph said.

The US is said to be reluctant to use Somalia's other neighbour, Ethiopia, as a base for attacks because of fears that this would lead to further destabilisation of a volatile region.

But American intelligence experts are said to be convinced that al-Qaeda camps in Somalia are still active.

"America is relying on Britain to persuade Kenya to allow special forces to use bases there."

The Kenyan government is said to have indicated its concern that any large scale-attack could drive hundreds of thousands of refugees Kenya's northern border to an area which is already suffering severe security problems.

The Daily Telegraph said that American troops and CIA agents have already been inside Somalia conducting reconnaissance missions and have concluded that al-Qaeda has a presence there which "is relatively small and unsophisticated".

But US intelligence experts are said to be convinced that al-Qaeda camps in Somalia are still active.