08 August 2008

U.S. Ambassador to Kenya on Anniversary of Embassy Bombing

Ranneberger marks 10th anniversary of embassy attacks in Kenya, Tanzania

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[U.S. Department of State]
Ceremony to Mark the Tenth Anniversary
of the Bombing of the U.S. Embassy
Remarks by U.S. Ambassador Michael Ranneberger
Nairobi, Kenya

August 7, 2008

Ten years ago at this very hour, the blare of traffic at the corner of Moi and Haile Selassie Avenues was silenced by a bomb blast that shook the world to its foundations.

The blast destroyed the American Embassy and Ufundi House, and caused tremors felt for miles both physically and psychologically. 218 Kenyans and Americans both inside and outside the Embassy were killed, 5,000 or more were injured, and countless others were traumatized. Almost simultaneously, the American Embassy in Dar es Salaam was bombed and more innocent people were murdered.

Ceremonies here, in Washington, and in Dar es Salaam today mark the solemn tenth anniversary of the attacks that shocked the world and called us to action. These unprovoked attacks by a hitherto largely unknown terrorist group called al Qaeda galvanized the United States, Kenya, Tanzania, and countries throughout the world to undertake cooperative, coordinated efforts to fight terrorism.

Today we recommit ourselves to preserve the memory of all the victims, we reaffirm our determination to bring those responsible to justice, and we rededicate ourselves to advance democracy and prosperity for all people.

Every day, as we enter these Embassy grounds, the first thing we see is the plaque to remind us of our fallen comrades. As we raise our eyes, we see this monument that helps to preserve the memory of their lives. It reminds us of the Kenyans and Americans who worked side by side and who were removed from us by the blind hatred of extremists -terrorists who stand for no government, no religion, no ideology, no ethnic or social group.

We have gathered here today to honor those who were killed and injured. On behalf of the Government of the United States, I want to express my profound sympathy to all the victims and their families. We gather as a testament not to the destructive power of terrorists and their bombs, but to the indomitability of the human spirit. We gather as an extended family and community united by shared tragedy, but also by determination to build a brighter future.

Hapana marefu yasiyo na mwisho yaani kila kitu kina mwisho wake. Simply put, everything has its end. The past ten years have truly been filled with endings and new beginnings.

At this tenth anniversary of the bombings, it is important to reflect on how the United States and Kenya have responded and on how far we have come. The attacks in the United States in 2001 and the Kikambala attacks in Kenya in 2002 demonstrated the enormous and shared challenge we face in combating terrorism. As Americans and Kenyans, and as members of the democratic community of nations, we can, however, take satisfaction in the progress we have made. Many of those responsible for the 1998 bombings have been apprehended and sentenced and, as recent events in Kenya have shown, an intensive effort continues to apprehend the remaining suspects. The al Qaeda network in East Africa has been degraded, and cooperative Kenyan and American efforts have thwarted a number of planned attacks against Kenyan and American targets.

The United States will not rest, and I have every reason to believe that Kenya will not rest, until all of those associated with the murders of those Kenyans and Americans are brought to justice. Kenyan government efforts against terrorism have been increasingly effective. Our joint counter-terrorism programs have helped train security personnel to better safeguard Kenya's borders and coasts from potential enemies. In working together, we recognize the nature of the shared threat we face and we appreciate that while progress has been made - we must remain vigilant and pro-active against the continuing terrorist threat.

Following the 1998 bombing, our first duty was to assist those killed and injured, and their families. While no amount of money can ever erase the terrible trauma that Kenyans and Americans experienced, the United States has worked hard to provide substantial assistance. We have provided more than $42 million to Kenyan victims to assist children with school fees, to provide medical assistance, to facilitate the resumption of livelihoods, to support disaster preparedness, to support reconstruction, and to facilitate creation of the Memorial Park.

The Memorial Park that stands on the site of the former Embassy downtown and the memorial here at the Embassy call to mind not only the innocent lives lost, but also what we owe ourselves and our colleagues past and present. But the true memorial to our friends and families resides in our hearts and is represented by the manner in which we have gone forward. Our testament is to defeat the terrorists by never accepting their terms of reference and engagement, and ultimately to make this world a better place in which to live through our individual and communal energy and actions.

That hope and perseverance come, in part, from each of you who form vital parts of our Mission team, and others of you who live and work in Kenya. I can point to so many of you who have lost loved ones or have been injured, but who have continued to move forward with your lives to the benefit of your families and Kenya. I want to thank you especially for your continued commitment to the friendship and partnership between the United States and Kenya, which was strengthened, not weakened, by the terrorists.

Just as Americans and Kenyans labored side by side on that fateful day in 1998 to search for survivors, to aid the wounded, and to comfort the bereaved, we are working together to develop a vibrant partnership to promote democracy, development, and defense. In the ten years since the bombing we have increased our bilateral assistance to Kenya a hundredfold, understanding that democracy and stability in Kenya is vitally important for the entire African continent and, indeed, for the broader developing world.

We in turn benefit from the large Kenyan diaspora in the United States, from the many thousands of Kenyan students who study in the United States, from the unprecedented commitment of the Kenyan armed forces to participate in global peacekeeping operations, from wide-ranging exchange programs, and in myriad other ways. Our partnership is founded on shared values antithetical to terrorists.

I do not need to detail the extent of that partnership and what it has helped bring about in Kenya since the Embassy lay in ruins. But I want to touch on just a couple of key examples where our collaborative work has drawn us closer. In health, we have robust programs in malaria, TB and especially AIDS prevention and treatment. I am pleased to report that just this week we were able to make a donation of medical supplies to some of the hospitals that helped us all through the trauma of the bombing.

In the education sector, we are providing thousands of scholarships to boys and girls, and our programs are expanding education in historically marginalized areas. I am pleased to announce the establishment of new August 7 Memorial Scholarships that will be awarded to deserving students in the name of the Kenyans and Americans who were murdered by terrorists. The scholarships will reflect the spirit of renewal that has been so evident in the growing partnership between the United States and Kenya.

On this tenth anniversary, Kenyans and Americans honor the victims and their families by the commitment our governments and our people are demonstrating to the pursuit of democracy and well-being in both countries. A few months ago I met the teenage son of one of the senior Kenyan staff of our Embassy killed in the bombing. He told me that he thought the tenth anniversary should be both "a commemoration and a celebration”: a commemoration of all the lives lost and maimed, but also a celebration of the human spirit because Kenyans and Americans did not let the bombing and the ever-present terrorist threat deter them from moving forward.

The democratic spirit that the Kenyan people demonstrated in resolving the profound crisis that shook their country earlier this year is a further testament to that resolve, as is the fact that the partnership and friendship between the United States and Kenya has never been stronger than it is today. This was evident as we stood with the Kenyan people to insist on a political solution to the disputed election, and we are providing strong support for the coalition government so that it can deliver on promises to carry out fundamental institutional reforms.

As this moment, a similar commemorative event is being held at the Memorial Park. The park commemorates the tragedy, but it also hosts conferences, and it has become a haven in the busy downtown for Kenyans seeking a peaceful, quiet place in which to talk, to read, to picnic with their families. This could not be more fitting as we gather to demonstrate the resilience of our collective human spirit.

I thank you for joining us today not in sorrow but in faith, not in anger but in determination, that together we will continue to move forward toward a brighter future for ourselves, our families, our nations, and those who will follow in our footsteps.

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