Thursday, August 07, 2008

Honoring Those Lost

Ten years ago today, terrorists bombed our embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. At least 213 people, including 12 Americans, died in Nairobi, and another 4000 or so people were injured. Forty four of the dead were American Embassy employees (12 Americans and 32 Foreign Service National employees). Eleven people died in the Dar es Salaam explosion, and at least a hundred were injured there. Neither embassy had a setback. Had it not been for the bravery of unarmed FSNs in Nairobi keeping the terrorists outside the embassy compound, many more would have died.

The Department is having a memorial ceremony this morning to honor their sacrifice. There will also be ceremonies honoring the victims at both of the embassies. You can read more about those ceremonies here.

You can read more about the attacks at Diplopundit and Dead Men Working. Diplopundit's post contains the names of each of the victims and links to more information about them. Great Diversions reminds us that 9/11 was not our wake-up call. It came three years earlier.

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