In August 1998, suicide bombers in a pickup truck loaded with explosives parked in front of the United States Embassy building in Nairobi. When the guards became suspicious, the attackers threw grenades and started shooting. The guards rushed for cover and left the drop arm locked. This incident forced the terrorists to trigger the bomb just outside the building (Cooke, 2018). However, the attack targeted the basement of the Embassy Building. In total, 213 individuals died, and the U.S government lost 44 American staff from the attack (Cooke, 2018). Several staffers died from the blast and impact of windows that exploded inward. The blast killed personnel from their work desks and the office corridors. Some of the senior embassy staff took cover in a secure room called "The Box." The explosion destroyed the U.S embassy building, and the adjacent Ufundi Building collapsed, killing many people.
The attack on the embassy building in Nairobi meant to take revenge on the U.S government for its involvement in the alleged torture and extradition of EIJ (Egyptian Islamic Jihad) members in Albania. The attack on United States Embassy in Nairobi was preventable. The U.S government commissioned a report with preventive measures for the attack and future preparation for such an attack (Cooke, 2018). The report recommended a redesign of the building. Improving security measures in the embassy building, such as blast resistance, setbacks, and diplomatic security services, could have prevented the attack.
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According to Cooke (2018), Al-Qaeda was the perpetrator group behind the attack in Nairobi in 1998. Investigating officers linked the bombing attack to members of the EIJ group, which brought Osama bin Laden to America's most wanted fugitives. The FBI officers linked the explosion to the Republic of Azerbaijan since Osama had placed 60 calls through a satellite phone. Abdullah Ahmed and Abdullah Mohammed were the masterminds and planned the bombing attack.
Reference
Cooke, C. (
2018, August 3). Remembering the 1998 Embassy Bombings . U.S Department of State. https://www.state.gov/remembering-the-1998-embassy-bombings-2/
