2. Key Players
The Nairobi Attack
• USAMA BIN LADIN
• MUHAMMED ATEF
• FAZUL ABDULLAH MOHAMMED (aka
Harun)
• MOHAMMED SADIQ ODEH
• ABDUL RAHMAN
• MOHAMMED RASHED DAOUD AL –
OWHALI
• JIHAD MOHAMMED ALI
• ABDULLAH AHMED ABDULLAH
• FAHAD MOHAMMED ALLY
The Tanzania Attack
• USAMA BIN LADAN
• MUHAMMED ATEF
• AHMED KHALFAN GHAILANI
• AHMED SALIM SWEDAN
• HAMDEN KHALIF ALLAH AWAD
• KHALFAN KHAMIS MOHAMED
The Trail Of Evidence - Fbi Executive Summary | Hunting Bin Laden |
FRONTLINE | PBS. (n.d.).
3. The Nairobi Attack Background
• Nairobi, Kenya
• 224 people were killed.
• 12 were Americans.
• Approximately 4,650 others were wounded.
• The bomb was packed into a truck which detonated at the back
entrance of the embassy at 10:35am.
• Back of the 5 story embassy was damaged and the Ufundi
Cooperative building adjacent to the embassy building was
completely demolished.
Fast facts: The embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania | Africatime.
(n.d.).
6. The Dar Es Salaam Attack Background
• Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
• 10 people were killed, all of which were Tanzanian
employees.
• The bomb packed in a truck detonated at 10:40am
• The bomb severely damaged the southern corner of the
3 story embassy building.
Fast facts: The embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania |
Africatime. (n.d.).
7.
8.
9. Problem Statement
• A U.S. Embassy was
positioned in an unsecure
area in a crowed city which
led to a successful attack that
violated 5 of the 7 dimensions
of human Security.
10. The Violated Dimensions of Human
Security
• Economic Security
• Health Security
• Environmental Security
• Personal Security
• Community Security
12. What Motivated These Attacks?
• USAMA BIN LADIN came from one of the
wealthiest and prominent families in Saudi
Arabia.
• Inherited an estimated $30 million.
• 1979 - He aided Afghanistan in there resistance
to the Soviet Union.
• 1989 - The Soviet Union withdrew from
Afghanistan.
• Became Critical and spoke out against the ruling
Saudi family mainly for them welcoming many
U.S. soldiers into Saudi Arab which he compared
to the Soviet Union’s occupation of Afghanistan.
The Trail Of Evidence - Fbi Executive Summary | Hunting Bin Laden |
FRONTLINE | PBS. (n.d.).
13. What Motivated These Attacks?
• 1996 – USAMA BIN LADIN was expelled from the
Sudan after five Americans were killed in a U.S.
military installment attack which came after he
called for guerilla attack on U.S. forces in Saudi
Arabia
• He returned to Afghanistan along with his 200
followers and aided the Taliban.
• He later issued a religious decree which called for
war on the Americans in the Persian Gulf as well as
for the overthrow of the Saudi Government.
• February 1998 – He issued another religious degree
that called for Muslims to kill Americans, including
civilians, anywhere in the world.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl_pVXOFylM
The Trail Of Evidence - Fbi
Executive Summary |
Hunting Bin Laden |
FRONTLINE | PBS. (n.d.).
14. How Were the Attacks Prepared and
Carried Out?
• The Nairobi Attack
• Spring 1998 - Planning had begun
• May 1998 – Harun Rented an estate outside of Nairobi, Kenya at 43
Runda Estates.
• Ally is believed to have been the owner of he truck used to carry the
explosives.
• Al-Owhali and Azzam were the chosen to be the suicide bombers
• August 4, 1998 – Saleh (the mastermind of both attacks) and Al-
Owhali (passenger of suicide mission)conduced a final recon of the
U.S. embassy deciding to detonate the bomb as close as they can to
the back of the Embassy.
• August 5, 1998- Rahman ( the bomb technician) made final
connection between the bomb and its detonation device.
The Trail Of Evidence - Fbi Executive Summary | Hunting Bin Laden |
FRONTLINE | PBS. (n.d.).
15. How Were the Attacks Prepared and
Carried Out?
• The Nairobi Attack
• August 7, 1998 at 10:35am – 2 vehicles left Harun’s
Estate.
• Once in the Embassy parking lot, Al- Owhali (the suicide
passenger) was supposed to scare away anyone in the
vicinity of the Embassy building using a pistol and
homemade stun grenades which is believed to be an
attempt to reduce the number of Kenyan casualties. He
was also there to manually detonate the bomb if the
detonator malfunctioned.
• Azzam (the suicide driver) manually detonated the
bomb, killing hundreds and injuring thousands more.
The Trail Of Evidence - Fbi Executive Summary | Hunting Bin Laden |
FRONTLINE | PBS. (n.d.).
16.
17. The Nairobi Attack
“At the moment we have
20 confirmed dead, but
there are a lot of people
trapped in the building
(next to the U.S.
embassy) – maybe
another 60,” said a police
official in the Kenyan
capital.
18. How Were the Attacks Prepared and
Carried Out?
• The Dar ES Salaam Attack
• June 1998 one month after Harun rented an estate in
Nairobi, Khamis rented a house in the Ilala District of
Dar Es Salaam
• Ahmed Abdullah (also known as Ahmed the German)
was chosen to be the suicide bomber in this attack.
• April 7, 1998 at 10:40 am Ahmed detonated the bomb
damaging the U.S. Embassy and killing 10 innocent
Tanzanian Embassy employees.
The Trail Of Evidence - Fbi Executive Summary | Hunting Bin Laden | FRONTLINE |
PBS. (n.d.).
19. What caused the destruction
• Further investigation lead to finding the bombs
were comprised of TNT
• Specialists said between 7-13 tons were used
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb3y6m-buco
20. What casued the destruction
• 2 trucks identical to this one loaded with the TNT
carried the explosives to the destination
21. How Did the United States Respond to
the Attacks?
• Clinton Said the U.S. had convincing
information leading them to believe
that the network organized and
financed by bin Laden had carried
out the bombings in Kenya and
Tanzania. Also blaming Bin Ladin and
his followers for prior attacks and
plots.
• On August 20, 1998 – President Bill
Clinton ordered for the fire of some
75 Tomahawk cruise missiles at
facilities in Afghanistan and Sudan in
rush to terrorist activities.
The Trail Of Evidence - Fbi Executive Summary | Hunting Bin Laden |
FRONTLINE | PBS. (n.d.).
22. After the Destruction
• FBI mandated the responsibility of investigating
– Aided the CID or Kenyan Criminal Investigation
Division and the Tanzanian CID as well
• Within hours of the bombings the FBI was
dispatched
• Collected investigations, interviews, and forensic
examinations
23. After the destruction cont.
• The success of the investigation is due to the
willingness of Kenyan and Tanzanian governments
as well as foreign government assistance
• FBI recognizes
– that cooperation has been, and will continue to
be, very important to our ability in countering
threats against the US
– the very real threat posed by Usama Bin Ladin
24. Policy information: Kenya &Tanzania
• 1964 US established relations with Kenya
• US Foreign assistance revolves around four
objectives
– strengthen democratic institutions
– spur economic growth, trade and investment
– (3) advance peace and security
– (4) promote opportunity and development
25. Was the policy wrong?
• The security guard did what
he cold to prevent the
unknown truck from
entering
• Called for backup right
before the truck exploded
– Radioed to marine post
one
• The US embassy in Salaam
had a lesser death toll do to
the secluded area it was in
26. What was wrong with the Sec. policy?
• The four-story US Embassy in the Kenyan capital
faces a busy traffic circle in the downtown business
district
• American’s in embassy were not properly trained to
handle such an enormous terrorist attack
• The US did not take warning signs for attack as
seriously as they should have.
27. What was wrong??
• “According to intelligence sources, the CIA and FBI
kept U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Prudence Bushnell
and her staff fully informed about the warnings and
the possible threat. However, some embassy
officials dispute this, saying they were not kept in
the loop about the seriousness of the threat.
Throughout this period, Bushnell was pleading with
the State Department to provide a new building or
seriously upgrade security at the old building. But
the State Department did not consider Nairobi a
high-risk location and ignored Bushnell's pleas.”
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/
shows/binladen/bombings/warnings.html
28. What was right with the Sec. policy?
• The FBI was dispatched to collect data and conduct
interviews
http://www.fbi.gov/about-
us/history/famous-cases/east-african-
embassy-bombings-1998
29. How did the policy’s improve?
• United Nations Security council passed Resolution
1189
– Condemned terrorist attacks
– Called on countries to adopt measures to prevent
further incidents
• Rebuilt the Nairobi embassy across the road by the
United Nations Office at Nairobi for security
purposes
30. How did the policy’s improve?
• United States Department of
State Bureau of Diplomatic
Security added Kenya to
antiterrorism assistance program
(ATA)
• Sparked an antiterrorism
campaign in Kenya
• Reinsured America’s commitment
to fighting terrorism
• US increased monetary aid to
Kenya
– $42million dollar grant
towards Kenyan Victims
31. Recommendations
• Relocate the Embassies to secure, more efficient
locations away from busy city traffic and large open
spaces.
• Establish Physical Security (e.g. checkpoints, Marine
Security Guards, walls, fences.) to secure roadways
and foot traffic.
38. References
• CNN - Rescuers search for life in rubble of Nairobi bomb
attack - August 7, 1998. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/africa/9808/07/africa.exp
losions.04/
• Fast facts: The embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania
| Africatime. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://en.africatime.com/maroc/articles/fast-facts-
embassy-bombings-kenya-and-tanzania
• Osama bin Laden killed in Pakistan: US braces for fury of
Arab world | Daily Mail Online. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-
1382637/Osama-bin-Laden-killed-Pakistan-US-braces-
fury-Arab-world.html
• The Trail Of Evidence - Fbi Executive Summary | Hunting
Bin Laden | FRONTLINE | PBS. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binla
den/bombings/summary.html
• http://nairobi.usembassy.gov/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb3y6m-buco
