KENYA/FILE: Hundreds of Kenyans mark tenth anniversary of U.S. Embassy bombing

Record ID: 361184

  • Title: KENYA/FILE: Hundreds of Kenyans mark tenth anniversary of U.S. Embassy bombing
  • Date: 7th August 2008
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF FAMILY MEMBERS WEEPING NEAR MEMORIAL PLAQUE
  • Embargoed: 22nd August 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
  • Reuters ID: LVA5SLFLTXHKI7LR88Y60MDR9W3P
  • Story Text: Hundreds of survivors, relatives and friends gather at site of former U. S embassy in Nairobi, now a memorial park, to mark anniversary of 1998 terror blast that killed more that 220 people.
    Hundreds of survivors, relatives and friends on Thursday (August 7) gathered at the site of former US embassy, now a memorial park, to mark the 10th anniversary of the 1998 al-Qaeda terror blast that killed more that 220 people.

    "I believe that the Kenyan people, not only the victims but the Kenyan people more broadly, have moved forward. They have not let terrorism defeat them, they have not let terrorism cull them, they have not let terrorism destroy their futures. And I think that again it's the best testament that we could possibly give to those who lost their lives,"
    said Michael Ranneberger, American Ambassador to Kenya who was present at the event.
    A simultaneous attack on the U.S. embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania also killed several people and left scores injured.
    After a decade some of the survivors of the co-ordinated attacks are still bitter after not receiving compensation from neither the American nor the Kenyan governments.

    "We did not get anything. Like me for instance I don't have anybody to help me. I was taking care of orphans since they did not have parents. Then when I was injured after the blast I get no support just small handouts from churches," said Mary Wambui, a physically disabled survivor of the attack.
    The commemoration comes days after Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, who allegedly planned the bombings, evaded capture by minutes as Kenyan police raided a house in the coastal town of Malindi.
    After the embassy attacks, the U.S. government placed a five million U.S. dollar bounty on the Comoran born Fazul and labelled him al-Qaeda head operative in Africa.
    Kenya on Monday (August 4) charged three people in a Mombassa court with helping the al-Qaeda operative escape police over the weekend.
    Mohammed has been a fugitive ever since his indictment by the United States for the twin attacks.
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