09 April 1999
(Secretary stresses need for more security funding) (420) By Sarah Lapp USIA Staff Writer Washington -- Secretary of State Albright says she agrees with all of the recommendations made by the two boards tasked with investigating the bombings of two US Embassy bombings in East Africa, and urges that Congress provide enough funds to upgrade the security of diplomatic posts around the world. The Secretary's 48-page "Report to the US Congress on Actions Taken by the State Department in Response to the Program Recommendations of the Accountability Review Boards on the Embassy Bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam" was released on April 9, 1999. The two boards investigated the circumstances of the near-simultaneous terrorist bombings of the US Embassies Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on August 7, 1998. Over 220 people were killed in the two blasts and more than 4,000 were wounded. Twelve of the dead were American and 40 were Kenyan and Tanzanian employees or family members of the United States Embassy. Both Accountability Review Boards appointed by Albright were chaired by retired Admiral William J. Crowe, Jr. The Boards were created to assess the adequacy of US security systems and procedures, and to recommend improvements to them. A total of twenty-four recommendations were made with respect to improvements in security systems and procedures, crisis management and intelligence. Secretary Albright said she intends to implement the Boards' recommendations aggressively, with only slight changes. She noted that some of the recommendations have already been implemented. Other recommendations will require more time and money, she said. The two main concerns of the recommendations are improved protection of American diplomatic personnel and facilities and the need for greater financial resources. The Boards have estimated a cost of $14 billion over a period of ten years to implement their recommendations. According to Albright, "It takes a lot of money to rebuild and repair embassies, purchase security-related equipment, and hire and train needed security personnel." The Fiscal Year 1999 emergency security appropriation of $1.4 billion provided for such things as creating temporary embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, expanding local guard coverage, upgrading emergency radio communications to all posts and, among other things, providing assistance to Kenya and Tanzania. "In the end, our success will require the long-term commitments of this Administration and Congress, and of our successors," said the Secretary. "I am ready and eager to work with the Congress in this critical effort."