By Jane Smith
U-WIRE Washington Bureau
Posted 5:42 p.m. Sept. 17
NAIROBI, KENYA — Terrorist attacks of three years ago in Nairobi, Kenya, were rehashed last Tuesday afternoon as Kenyans listened to news of assaults on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
In August 1998, terrorists associated with Osama bin Laden bombed U.S.
embassies in Nairobi and Nigeria's capital Dar, killing 224 people and
injuring more than 4,000.
For many Kenyans, a sympathetic cry went out Tuesday for the innocent lives lost.
President Daniel Arap Moi issued a statement Tuesday evening condemning the terrorist attacks, calling them "cowardly and heinous acts." He said terrorism must remain outlawed as a way of resolving conflict.
In Nairobi, Kenyans tried to balance compassion with fermenting bitterness from three years ago. They feared being in the line of fire should the United States decide to attack nearby targets.
Fears of additional raids on Kenya were expressed as the implications of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks sunk in. Several citizens questioned the safety of poor nations if the world's superpower was penetrated.
Security efforts were heightened at the city airport and international
embassies. Flights to the United States were rerouted or cancelled and for a short while the airport was shut down.
Many embassy workers in Nairobi were concerned with car bombings similar to those in 1998. The American Embassy in Nairobi opened hotlines for Kenyans seeking information about relatives in the United States. It also provided special assistance to American citizens living in Kenya.
Sandy Eklof, a junior from the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying in Nairobi, shed tears as class adjourned Wednesday morning.
"I felt like it was a movie," said Eklof. "You saw the planes crash into the
buildings and you did not believe it was real. It was too far-fetched."
A number of American students studying in Nairobi learned of the news from concerned Kenyans and television reports late Tuesday.
U-WIRE Washington Bureau
Posted 5:42 p.m. Sept. 17
NAIROBI, KENYA — Terrorist attacks of three years ago in Nairobi, Kenya, were rehashed last Tuesday afternoon as Kenyans listened to news of assaults on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
In August 1998, terrorists associated with Osama bin Laden bombed U.S.
embassies in Nairobi and Nigeria's capital Dar, killing 224 people and
injuring more than 4,000.
For many Kenyans, a sympathetic cry went out Tuesday for the innocent lives lost.
President Daniel Arap Moi issued a statement Tuesday evening condemning the terrorist attacks, calling them "cowardly and heinous acts." He said terrorism must remain outlawed as a way of resolving conflict.
In Nairobi, Kenyans tried to balance compassion with fermenting bitterness from three years ago. They feared being in the line of fire should the United States decide to attack nearby targets.
Fears of additional raids on Kenya were expressed as the implications of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks sunk in. Several citizens questioned the safety of poor nations if the world's superpower was penetrated.
Security efforts were heightened at the city airport and international
embassies. Flights to the United States were rerouted or cancelled and for a short while the airport was shut down.
Many embassy workers in Nairobi were concerned with car bombings similar to those in 1998. The American Embassy in Nairobi opened hotlines for Kenyans seeking information about relatives in the United States. It also provided special assistance to American citizens living in Kenya.
Sandy Eklof, a junior from the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying in Nairobi, shed tears as class adjourned Wednesday morning.
"I felt like it was a movie," said Eklof. "You saw the planes crash into the
buildings and you did not believe it was real. It was too far-fetched."
A number of American students studying in Nairobi learned of the news from concerned Kenyans and television reports late Tuesday.
