In the wake of unprecedented Islamist explosions and attacks across **rth Africa, the foreign ministers of 19 countries - including France and much of **rth Africa - launched an equally unprecedented response. Meeting in Morocco's capital Rabat last **vember, they vowed to pool their intelligence efforts against the Al Qaeda and its fellow travellers. Their agreement, k**wn as the Rabat Declaration, creates a counter-terrorism intelligence fusion centre and formalises its plans to share secret reports on terrorists. This is a major blow against Al Qaeda's **rth African affiliates, which have long exploited intelligence gaps among neighbouring nations.