Chido Nwangwu
Founder & Publisher
USAfrica Media Networks, Houston
https://usafricaonline.com
http://www.bbjonline.com
The August 7, 1998 mayhem in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam must be condemned for what it is: a crude, unacceptable way of expressing dissent, pursuing any civilized agenda and conveying disagreement(s) by anyone, organization, sect or group. The challenge is for the civilized world to hunt down the wretched, immoral architects of devilry and mayhem; killers of defenseless women, children and innocent men.
I agree, entirely, with U.S president Bill Clinton when he said on Friday August 7, 1998 that: “We will use all the means at our disposal to bring those responsible to justice no matter what or how long it takes.”
It is important to underline that presidential promise to bring the criminals to justice “no matter what or how long it takes.”
Why?
In the past, extremists, zealots and terrorists, local and transnational wreckers of havoc, hid under the usually short memory and ideological and religious partitions of the world to kill law abiding citizens, inflict their horrific wickedness and impose raw brigandage and mayhem against all others. They became the law, answerable to no one but their mercenary and maximalist interests. They were made into celluloid and legendary animations. Those extremists and harbingers of death and destruction were even elevated to Robin-Hoodesque images in film media as joyfully wicked fellows with political agenda needing urgent attention. Some of them paraded with such fanciful names as “The Jackal.”
The international community should not close or rule out any suspects. The world should not simply assume and succumb to pointing false fingers to the usual suspects such as “Islamic Fundamentalists,” unless there exists sufficient evidence to draw such conclusions. The errors of premature and prejudicial finger pointing and rush to judgement against Arabs are all well known. It has been reported, though, that the Islamic Jihad, a successor to the group that assassinated Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, vowed early this August to strike American interests as a protest for the arrest of its members Albania. The arrested ones were, reportedly, handed over to Egyptian security officials. Also, Kenyan police arrested a man, dressed in a traditional Arab garment, shortly after the Nairobi blast.
It must be stated that should there exist any connection with any religious, political, sectarian, or ethnic group, or any armies which kill “in the name of God”, the international community should deal entirely with their bombing of the two embassies for what the specific implication and meaning of their evil deed is: a declaration of war. In my view, therefore, under such circumstances, most, if not all methods to check their zealotry and brigandage will be considered fair! Consequently, the mayhem inflicted by the goons should be considered as totally unacceptable and needing punitive, lethal and blinding reprisal. I still believe that certain actions, such as the bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, make the ancient Biblical maxim of an �eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth� a useful, necessary recourse. At the time of this post, over 1500 injured had been identified and 78 dead, with the Nairobi target having the highest fatality counts.
Without a doubt, among other reasons, the wickedly-driven pair of powerful explosions were caused by car bombs aimed at the diplomatic and symbolic images of United States power and prestige in the two countries. With deliberate or coincidental power-play, the bombs rocked the capitals of Kenya and Tanzania within 10 minutes of each other early Friday, August 7. Tanzania, the largest East African nation with nearly 364,000 square miles (943,000 sq. km) has a population of 28 million citizens with an uneasy balance of Christians and Muslims.
Minimally, the impact and goal of the terrorists would have been to frighten pro-democracy forces, mock and even seek to shatter the diplomatic leverage, security, muscle power and prestige of the U.S. The U.S should also not rule out other regional forces (meaning, African power-players and leaders) in the region who wish to divert attention from their own agenda and misdeeds. The reasoning behind this conclusion may not too far-fetched for seasoned security and critical policy watchers of the region.
The fact is these events will drive down the interest of international tourists and investors in the region.
While he was in the area (but not any one of the two countries), President Clinton helped build a positive image for the entire African continent, especially the Eastern and Southern Africa regions.
It is heartening to note that there is a shared commitment, even if separate, by Africans and South Africans to find some solution to the immediate agonies of our people. South Africa dispatched the same Friday, a jet from Waterkloof air base near Pretoria to Nairobi to collect casualties. The Mandela-led democratic country has also opened the base to United States jets to ferry wounded persons into South Africa’s better-equipped hospitals. For those who supported and championed apartheid, such a gesture and effort would have been difficult, if not impossible to do by the archdeacons of racial bigotry. On its part, the US Air Force has landed a C-9 “Nightingale” aircraft designed for medical evacuation at Dar es Salaam and a C-141 military cargo plane carrying a surgical team, blood and medical supplies and a small security team in Nairobi.
Another significant problem that may follow this bombing is an accidental increase in AIDS through blood exchange and transfusion to revive some dying folks. Kenya especially has one of the highest cases of AIDS in the world — with over one-quarter of its 30 million citizens being infected by the virus. It achieved political independence from Great Britain in 1963. Kenya has been ruled, despotically for over 20 years by 78-old year old President Daniel Arap Moi.
Meanwhile, the US State Department’s crisis response task force has started investigating the wreckage and evidence at the sites of explosion and overall regional risks analyses.
The terrorists would have succeeded only IF the freedom-loving but traumatized people of Kenya, the politically-savvy Tanzanians, the globalist and supportive members of the American nation and other soldiers for peace, prosperity and freedom run with their tail tucked between their legs; only IF the civilized world and active moralists fold under the be sheer bravado and devilry of the dukes of disaster and mayhem. No!
The world must stand together to pound them into the dustbin of history with the chains of punitive sanctions around their necks. Remarkably, the U.S political partisans who have been saying different things and divided by the Monica Lewinsky-Bill Clinton shenanigan, have united to express in one, firm, clear voice that the U.S is united in this hour of pain and horror for Africans and Americans. Again, we demand that President Clinton bring into reality his promise that “We will do everything we can to see that you serve in safety…. We are determined to get answers and justice.”
Finally, it is my position that there is absolutely no rational reason, acceptable political agenda or religious piety/creed that can justify this dastardly act. In targeting the diplomatic mission of the United States, the thugs have drawn attention to their satanic devilry; in bombing innocent civilians and creating shocking images from the buildings and persons they mangled. They have defaced the landscape of the historic cities of Nairobi and Dar es Salaam (Abode of Peace) but they cannot, and did not, destroy the collective will of the world to live by higher standards of moral and ethical conduct. Even while our two continents and the world mourn the killings, I believe that in the final analysis, the forces of decent and responsible conduct will prevail over the confederacy of loonies and zealots who kill women and children.
Chido Nwangwu, recipient of the Journalism Excellence Award, HABJ, 1997, travelled with U.S president Bill Clinton to parts of the African continent March 23-April 2, 1998. He has recently been elected to the Board of the NAACP, Houston chapter.
© Copyright August 7, 1998. All rights reserved.
