13 August 1998
MORE THAN 20 JOINT KENYAN-U.S. TEAMS INVESTIGATE NAIROBI BOMBING
(FBI-police teams working with counterparts in Tanzania) (700) By Jacquelyn S. Porth USIA Security Affairs Writer WASHINGTON -- More than 20 joint Kenyan-U.S.investigative teams have fanned out in Nairobi to interview witnesses and victims to develop leads in the effort to identify suspects in the August 7 terrorist bombing of the American Embassy. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Agent-in-Charge Sheila Horan told reporters in Nairobi August 13 that the joint investigation is organized into two distinct components: the investigation phase which involves interviews and interrogations, as well another stage driven by the collection of forensic evidence. Each team, composed of one Kenyan police officer and one FBI special agent, is involved in the investigation. They are interviewing "to extract the greatest amount of detail with regard to what people saw and heard at the time of the explosion," Horan said. They are also interviewing witnesses, those who were wounded, people who remain hospitalized, anyone who had business in the neighborhood surrounding the Cooperative Bank (Ufundi) House and the United States Embassy, as well as those who have come forward "contacting us...with information." The establishment of telephone hotlines by the Kenyan police authorities have prompted the public to come forward with information and statements which she said are assisting the investigation greatly. At the same time, Horan said the forensic teams have had "some success" already in the tedious task of "sifting through tremendous piles of debris in an effort to come up with that piece of evidence which we can use to complete this investigation." She noted that this involves "the exhaustive task of searching the building and literally sifting through piles of rubble for evidence" of the explosion -- some of it literally blocks away from the bombing site. She said, for example, investigators believe they have been able to identify "certain parts" of the vehicle that delivered the deadly terrorist bomb. Horan refused to speculate on the size of the bomb which destroyed parts of the Ufundi House and the American embassy. "We need to send evidence back to the FBI laboratory in Washington to assess the chemical residues on suspected pieces of evidence in order to extract what could tell us details about that," she said in reply to a reporter's question. The first FBI agents arrived on the scene in East Africa on August 8 where they were met with the full cooperation of the entire Kenyan government and police establishment, Horan said. "This aggressive spirit of cooperation continues to be visible in all aspects of our investigation," she said. Even though the investigation is still in its earliest phases, the official acknowledged that "very critical and important information" has been accumulated already. Asked if any clues have been found yet to link the terrorist blast in Kenya to the nearly simultaneous attack in Tanzania, Horan said there is a temptation to link the two bombings, but she refused to speculate further. "We are working very closely with our teams in Dar es Salaam," she said, "and sharing that information back and forth." Horan said FBI Director Louis Freeh has contacted Kenyan Police Commissioner Duncan Wachira to pledge "the full sharing of resources in forging an effective investigative partnership between our agencies." Horan said her agency is committed to pursuing this investigation with the Kenyan police until it reaches its conclusion. Peter Mbuvi, deputy commissioner of Kenya's Department of Criminal Investigation echoed her sentiment during the press conference by pointing out that all aspects of the investigation are being conducted jointly from beginning to end, including the interrogation of five individuals already in custody for "suspicious activities." Horan pledged "the commitment and resources of the FBI in identifying those who are responsible for this malicious act and to bring them to justice." Toward that end, she said the FBI is monitoring very closely all terrorist "targets of interest." Horan also expressed "the deepest sympathy and compassion on behalf of the members of the FBI family to each Kenyan citizen and each member of the U.S. diplomatic community who has experienced a personal loss or injury as the result of this tragedy."