The 1998 United States Embassy Bombings

Acts of terrorism around the globe have on the rise in the past few decades destroying lives and properties worth billions of dollars. Terrorist acts have been there in the past and as such, nations have been trying to protect their people against these attacks or to make peace with the attackers. Most of these people who venture into terrorism usually have something against the people they want to destroy for example some attacks are meant to send a message to the affected government to comply with orders given to them by these terrorists. The 1998 United States Embassy Bombings are an example of such an attack.

The Bombings

The attack took place on August 7, 1998, in the early hours of the morning around 3.30 am East African time. Perversity bombers in trucks weighed down with explosives were stationed at two separate US embassy buildings in Nairobi (Kenya) and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania). A few minutes later the bombs exploded killing 213 people in Nairobi and 11 in Dar es Salaam. The attack brought about the injury of thousands of people alongside the destruction of properties. Even though the bombing was meant primarily to target the Americans, the people who were affected mainly were from the two African countries.

The simultaneous bombings that took place in the capital city of Kenya and the capital of Tanzania was a planned attack made by a terrorist group called al-Qaeda. The group was part of a larger terrorist group called Egyptian Islamic Jihad under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. Osama bin Laden was born into a wealthy family in Saudi Arabia. After the death of his father, he used his inheritance to finance terrorist groups in his country.

Lead Up to the Bombings

The bombings of the United States embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam is believed to be an act of revenge against the United States for arresting four of the principal leaders of the al-Qaeda group. The four were arrested on accounts of a series of murders in Egypt and several other terrorist attacks.

The al-Qaeda group together with the Egyptian Islamic Jihad had issued a warning about two months earlier stating that the arrest of their friends and their torture in their hands will be repaid soon, but the government did not take their caution seriously. The four were arrested in Albania and later transferred to Egypt for questioning and torture.

Aftermath

It was after the attack that the leader of the al-Qaeda group was placed on the list of ten most wanted terrorists in the world by the American government and several others who aided the attack. Several of these people are currently dead while others are serving their sentences although some are still free.

Prevalence and Safety

Terrorist attacks are increasing in several of our countries and initiatives are being taken by nations to prevent them for example in Kenya several other attacks have been made in the state killing hundreds of civilians for several malicious reasons the groups are after. It is the responsibility of all nations especially those that are prone to these attacks to put up measures to protect themselves and their people.