was organized with the purpose of driving the Soviet
Union out of Afghanistan during the Soviet occupa-
tion, which lasted from 1979 to 1989.
After the Soviets withdrew from the region, Bin
Laden began studying radical Islamic thought and
grew more disillusioned with what he considered to
be immoral and anti-Muslim practices of the United
States. Eventually, he came to run al-Qaeda. Bin
Laden would eventually declare war on the United
States and would orchestrate several attacks on U.S.
interests, including the bombings in East Africa.
President Clinton responded to the bombings by fir-
ing cruise missiles at alleged al-Qaeda sites in both
Afghanistan and Sudan and by declaring war on the
terrorist organization.
Impact Al-Qaeda meant for the bombings of the
U.S. embassies in Africa to send a message to the gov-
ernment of the United States, opposing both its do-
mestic and foreign policies. However, the bombings
ultimately resulted in more African civilian casual-
ties than American ones. The tragedies at Dar es Sa-
laam and Nairobi brought the al-Qaeda organiza-
tion fully into the global spotlight, making the
organization one of the most wanted terrorist
groups in the world.
Subsequent Events The tragedy of the embassy
bombings brought new attention to possible terror-
ist attacks on the United States and other parts of the
world that had previously not been seen as seriously
threatened. The FBI, Tanzanian, and Kenyan au-
thorities that had investigated the bombings would
subsequently charge a slew of individuals with vary-
ing levels of involvement in the bombings. Al-Qaeda
continued to grow in strength, however, and
launched an even larger attack on the United States
that resulted in the destruction of the World Trade
Center on September 11, 2001.Further Reading
Akhahenda, Elijah F.When Blood and Tears United a
Countr y: The Bombing of the American Embassy in
Kenya. Lanham, Md.: University Press of America,- Chronicles the experiences of the author,
who was present on the day that the U.S. embassy
in Nairobi was bombed, using interviews from
others present at the time.
Ferguson, Amanda.The Attack Against the U.S. Em-
bassies in Kenya and Tanzania. New York: Rosen, - Details the bombings in both Kenya and
Tanzania, as well as the recovery efforts. The au-
thor takes the time to define Islamic fundamen-
talism and the role Osama Bin Laden played in
the attacks.
Hirsch, Susan F.In the Moment of Greatest Calamity:
Terrorism, Grief, and a Victim’s Quest for Justice.
Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2006.
Hirsch, a victim in the U.S. embassy bombing in
Dar es Salaam, explores the effects that terrorist
acts have on victims and argues convincingly for a
justice based on peace and understanding, not vi-
olence.
Jennifer L. Titanski
See also Africa and the United States; Foreign pol-
icy of the United States; Israel and the United States;
Khobar Towers bombing; Middle East and North
America; Terrorism; United Nations; World Trade
Center bombing.The Nineties in America U.S. embassy bombings in Africa 889