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American legal firm to sue Sudan for 1998 Nairobi bomb attack

July 30, 2008 (NAIROBI) — A U.S. legal firm is set to file a suit against Sudan and Iran to compensate Kenyan victims of 1998 bomb attack against the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi.

US_Embassy_Kenya.jpgThe two countries are accused of having sponsored the attack on the US embassy on August 7, 1998 that left 206 Kenyans and 12 Americans dead. More than 5,000 people were injured. The attack was linked to local members of the al Qaeda terrorist network headed by Osama bin Laden.

According to Nairobi based The Nation, an American legal firm, Mann and Mairone Attorneys has gathered enough evidence in its two-year research, linking key officials in the governments of Sudan and Iran as the sponsors of the terrorist attack.

“We have significant evidence indicating that senior government officials of the Islamic Republic of Sudan and Iran provided such support and finance to al Qaeda and therefore were enablers of the terrorist attack that killed and maimed hundreds of residents of Kenya and they must be held legally liable for the death and destruction caused,” said Gavriel Mairone.

The counter-terrorism legal expert said the suit would be filed before August 7, and will only involve the Kenyans employees of the US embassy, adding they organized a meeting with them this week.

Washington rejected to compensate the Kenyan victims of the attack against its embassy in Nairobi saying it was itself a victim and that the al Qaeda group should be held responsible. In addition, it said that it had spent millions of dollars in helping victims seek medical aid.

Nairobi attack was planned simultaneously with another attack against the US embassy in Dar es Salam, Tanzania. These attacks brought bin Laden and al Qaeda to international attention for the first time, and resulted in the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation placing bin Laden on its Ten Most Wanted list.

In response to the bombings, U.S. President Bill Clinton ordered a series of cruise missile strikes on targets in Sudan and Afghanistan on August 20, 1998. In Sudan, the missiles destroyed the Al-Shifa pharmaceutical plant, where 50% of Sudan’s medications for both people and animals were manufactured.

The Clinton Administration claimed that there was ample evidence to prove that the plant produced chemical weapons, but a thorough investigation after the missile strikes revealed that the intelligence was unreliable.

(ST)

7 Comments

  • Maduk Lual
    Maduk Lual

    American legal firm to sue Sudan for 1998 Nairobi bomb attack
    I agree with that Khartoum government must be investigate by Kenyan government & the former U.S. president Bill Clinton to fine out the cause of ballast in August 1998.

    By Mr. Maduk Lual Makuei.

    Reply
  • Patriot
    Patriot

    American legal firm to sue Sudan for 1998 Nairobi bomb attack
    Seems justice is converging on NIF, what an unfortunate time for Mr. Beshir. Criminal always hope they don’t get caught but when it come to taking human lives, there is never a place to hid. Beshir seem to be the perfect example. He gassed Junubin with chemical weapons from Saddam during the war, murder their leader as an exchange for CPA and continue walking head up killing Darfurians. The ICC case is real and this Justice for Darfurians is waking up the forgotten justices of Kenyan victims of sponsored terrorism and Junubin are getting theirs indirectly. Where in the world now would Beshir and gangs of Khartoum hid….I suppose in The Hague, it is safer there. Good luck uncle time’s up.

    Reply
  • Malou Manyiel
    Malou Manyiel

    American legal firm to sue Sudan for 1998 Nairobi bomb attack
    More charges are coming up against the president whom some of his supporters termed as a camel. Bashir will never rest unless to face the charges filed against him and compensat the Kenyans killed in the U.S Embassy bombed in 1998 in Kenya. It is the time Bashir should understand that what goes around comes around. Terroris has no grave, the Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic arrived in the Hague to face his 11 charges, therefore, we expect president Bashir the way.

    Reply
  • Deng Akol Agut-tungdoun
    Deng Akol Agut-tungdoun

    American legal firm to sue Sudan for 1998 Nairobi bomb attack
    Is Bashir a curse to Africa at large?.

    Oh yes, in every dirty corner of Africa Bashir hands always appeared stained with blood!. Here again he participated in that mighty deadly attack,what a bad leader!. I wish ICC should sticks to the indictment and order his arrest warrant as soon as posible to end all these Africans mess created by Bashir.

    Be bless.

    Deng Akol Agut-tungduon , a man far away from tribalism.

    Reply
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