U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Marks Anniversary of Nairobi Embassy Bombing

(FR -- Tells Nairobi memorial service "We shall never forget") (1190)





"We shall never forget the wrong that was done and the evil that was


perpetrated on August 7, 1998. On that terrible day, we lost 44 of our


closest colleagues, Kenyan and American, cousins and brothers,


husbands and wives."





U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Johnnie Carson made that point in remarks at


an August 7 ceremony in Nairobi marking the fourth anniversary of the


1998 bombing of the U.S. embassy there.





The event was a memorial wreath-laying ceremony in front of the


current embassy building, attended by embassy staff, a representative


from the Kenyan Foreign Ministry, and Mrs. Sue Bartley, whose husband,


Consul General Julian Bartley, and son were among those killed by the


blast.





The near simultaneous vehicular bombings of the U.S. Embassies in


Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on August 7, 1998, which


were perpetrated by the Al-Qaida terrorist group, cost the lives of


more than 220 persons and wounded more than 4,000 others.





Twelve American U.S. government employees and family members, and 32


Kenyan and eight Tanzanian employees of the U.S. government were among


those killed. Both chanceries withstood collapse from the bombings,


but were rendered unusable, and several adjacent buildings were


severely damaged or destroyed.





Following is the text of Ambassador Carson's remarks, as prepared for


delivery:





(begin text)





Friends, colleagues, and our special guest, Ms. Sue Bartley, who has


come from Washington, D.C., to join us.





This morning is a somber and sad occasion.





Today marks the 4th anniversary of the tragic bombing of the United


States Embassy here in Nairobi. As we gather this morning to mourn and


to pay tribute to our colleagues, we shall never forget the wrong that


was done and the evil that was perpetrated on August 7, 1998. On that


terrible day, we lost 44 of our closest colleagues, Kenyan and


American, cousins and brothers, husbands and wives.





As we gather this morning, we also pause to remember all of the 214


innocent people who were so senselessly killed on that Friday morning


in and around our embassy building. The carnage and death on that day


will always be a reminder of how a small group of men intent on


killing can destroy and disrupt so many lives.





As we mourn those who died, we also remember the five thousand people


who were hurt and injured, and the hundreds of children and families


who have suffered so much as a result of this terrible event. Many of


those who survived this outpouring of hatred, including many of those


who stand and work beside us today, will forever carry the painful


physical and psychological scars of August 7. We must applaud their


courage and determination to rebuild their lives and to overcome their


personal adversities. And we should never let them be far from our


thoughts and our prayers.





As we gather this morning, we should also pause to express our


gratitude to the government and people of Kenya for the solidarity and


assistance they showed following those terrible events. That


solidarity was demonstrated again last year in the aftermath of the


September 11 attacks in New York and Washington, which claimed


thousands of other innocent lives. Kenya's continuing support in the


war against terrorism is a reflection of the shared principles, the


deep friendship and strong ties that exist between our two countries.





The Kenyans and Americans who died August 7 worked together to help


Kenya build a better, more democratic and prosperous future. Our


colleagues -- Kenyan and American -- believed in democracy, religious


tolerance, individual liberties, human rights and the enormous


opportunities these freedoms provide to us all. They worked together


to build bridges of understanding between our two countries, bridges


which are more, not less important today in our fast-paced and rapidly


changing world.





They were murdered by terrorists who seek a very different world -- a


world of intolerance and hatred, a world where social and religious


differences are frequently a cause for war and where indiscriminate


violence and politically inspired terrorism are regarded as legitimate


means of demonstrating patriotism and resolving international


differences.





But terrorism and evil cannot and will not prevail. It will never


prevail over justice or democracy or where liberty and honesty are


valued more than treachery and deceit.





Thanks to the cooperation of Kenyan and United States law enforcement


officials and the heroic testimony of many Kenyan employees of the


embassy, four of the terrorists involved in the August 7 attacks have


been convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Others are awaiting


trial in the United States. And our determination to remember and to


track down all those who are responsible for August 7 should never be


underestimated.





Today, Kenya and the United States stand together as part of a strong


international coalition to fight the threat of international


terrorism. Already, terrorist bases in Afghanistan and the oppressive


regime that harbored them have been eliminated. I am confident that


those involved in the September 11 attacks will also be brought to


justice.





As we pursue those who are responsible for August 7 and September 11,


we will not allow the poison of the perpetrators to infect or deter


us. We will continue to work in the tradition of those we honor and


remember today. We will work as they worked, with humility and


kindness, with dedication and loyalty and with love for their


families, communities and countries. And we will continue to help to


build bridges of understanding and tolerance between Kenya and


America, and between different peoples and religious groups around the


world. In this way, we will never forget our colleagues and we honor


them in the best way possible.





Although this day brings us together in sadness and grief, I hope that


the memory of our lost colleagues, friends and loved ones will serve


as a constant reminder of the need for all of us to continue to work


together toward a more caring and compassionate world.





Thank you all for coming.





(end text)