[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 126 (Thursday, July 26, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1098]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          20TH ANNIVERSARY OF U.S. EMBASSY BOMBINGS IN AFRICA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDWARD R. ROYCE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 26, 2018

  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, 20 years ago on August 7, 1998, 
Islamist terrorists affiliated with al-Qaida attacked American soil--
bombing the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Over 200 people 
were killed in these attacks, including 12 Americans, and more than 
4,000 were injured. I ask that we pause to remember those Americans who 
gave their lives in service to our country that day.
  At approximately 10:30 a.m. on that day, a non-descript delivery 
truck drove up to the back gate of our embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, and 
tried to enter the underground parking garage. When the embassy's 
security guards stopped them, the terrorists inside the truck began 
shooting before detonating a massive bomb that devastated the embassy 
and many of the surrounding buildings. Nine minutes later, in Tanzania, 
a second truck stopped just 35 feet from the wall of our embassy in Dar 
Es Salaam and detonated its deadly payload. Approximately 220 people 
died instantly, and thousands more were wounded in the two attacks.
  With great reverence, we recognize the courage of the Kenyan and 
Tanzanian security and emergency personnel who prevented even greater 
loss of life by their bold actions. We offer our sincere condolences to 
the nationals of both countries who suffered the greatest number of 
killed and injured in these senseless, horrific attacks.
  History should record that U.S. personnel in both embassies showed 
extraordinary leadership and personal courage in their response to the 
attacks, rapidly responding to locate and rescue victims. Their offices 
were on fire and their colleagues dead and injured--but these men and 
women responded immediately and quickly restored embassy operations. 
U.S. embassies throughout the region went on alert.
  Unfortunately, we in Washington did not respond as quickly to the 
strategic threats we witnessed that day. The precisely coordinated 
attacks on our embassies were a declaration of war and a warning of our 
enemies' intention to hit our homeland. But we failed to heed that 
warning and paid a price three years later when al-Qaida took us by 
surprise and struck again on September 11, 2001--this time killing 
nearly 3,000 in a series of similarly coordinated attacks in New York, 
Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
  Since the founding of our country, our diplomats have served America 
in some of the most difficult and dangerous places on earth. Our 
embassies and consulates are platforms of U.S. influence and vigilance 
and our diplomats are often the first to spot threats to our national 
security before they arrive on our shores. These intrepid professionals 
defend our national security, enforce our laws, and protect our fellow 
citizens overseas. And they are often the first Americans our enemies 
target.
  Many Americans remember 9/11 as the first time al-Qaida struck the 
United States, but the first battle in our struggle against terrorism 
took place on August 7, 1998 outside our embassies in Nairobi and Dar 
es Salaam. Our diplomats were on the front lines that day, and they 
continue to serve on the front lines around the world today serving at 
over 275 posts around the world.
  And the threats continue. In recent years, terrorists have killed 
American diplomats in Libya, Iraq, Sudan, and Afghanistan, while 
hostile intelligence services actively target our personnel in China, 
Russia, Cuba and elsewhere.
  Mr. Speaker, the history of the East Africa bombings 20 years ago 
shows us that we ignore threats to our diplomats at our own peril. Let 
us therefore resolve to remember those who gave their lives for our 
country, and dedicate ourselves to protecting America's national 
security by committing ourselves to a strong, secure, and effective 
Foreign Service.

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