News

USIS Washington 
File

04 August 1999

Fact Sheet: Steps Taken to Serve Justice in Embassy Bombings

(U.S. actions outlined against bin Laden and 16 associates) (480)

(This Fact Sheet was released by the State Department on August 4.)

(begin Fact Sheet)

U.S. Department of State
Office of the Spokesman

Fact Sheet

Steps Taken to Serve Justice in the Bombings of U.S. Embassies in
Kenya and Tanzania

August 4, 1999

Following the bombings of the two U.S. embassies in East Africa on
August 7, 1998, the U.S. Government obtained evidence implicating
Usama bin Laden's network in the attacks. To preempt additional
attacks, the United States launched military strikes against terrorist
targets in Afghanistan and Sudan on August 20, 1998. That same day,
President Clinton amended Executive Order 12947 to add Usama bin Laden
and his key associates to the list of terrorists, thus blocking their
U.S. assets -- including property and bank accounts -- and prohibiting
any transactions on dealings with them by United States persons or
within the United States, as set forth in the Executive Order.

As a result of an extensive criminal investigation, and working
closely with Kenya, Tanzania, and other nations, the U.S. Government
has indicted or filed criminal complaints against bin Laden and 16 of
his associates for their involvement in the two bombings and other
terrorist crimes.

Indictments have been issued for the following:

-- Usama bin Laden

-- Muhammad Atef

-- Ayman Al Zawahiri

-- Khaled Al Fawwaz

-- Wadih El Hage

-- Fazul Abdullah Mohammed

-- Mohammed Sadeek Odeh

-- Mohamed Rashed Daoud Al-Owhali

-- Mamdouh Mahmud Salim

-- Mustafa Mohammed Fadhil

-- Khalfan Khamis Mohamed

-- Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani

-- Fahid Mohommed Ally Msalam

-- Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan

-- Ali Mohammed

Five of these suspects are in U.S. custody; one is in custody in the
U.K. El Hage and Ali Mohammed were arrested in the United States. Two
other suspects, Odeh and Al-Owhali, were turned over to U.S.
authorities in Kenya and brought to the United States to stand trial.
A fifth suspect, Salim, was arrested in Germany in September and
extradited to the United States in December. Khalid Al-Fawwaz is in
custody in the United Kingdom pending extradition to the United
States. Nine others are fugitives.

In addition to these indictments, a criminal complaint was filed on
July 12, 1999, against suspected bin Laden associates Adel Mohammed
Abdul Almagid Bary and Ibrahim Hussein Abdelhadi Eidarous in
connection with the embassy bombings and other crimes. The two had
been arrested in the United Kingdom the previous day; the United
States is now seeking their extradition.

In June, Usama bin Laden was added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted
Fugitives list. The Department of State has announced a reward of up
to five million dollars for information leading to the arrest or
conviction of any of the suspects anywhere in the world.

(end Fact Sheet)