10th Anniversary of the August 7, 1998 attack on the U.S. Embassy
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
August 7, 2008
Remarks "as prepared" by Ambassador Mark Green
Distinguished Guests
Members of the American Embassy Community
Our Most Special Guests – The family members of the victims,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Karibuni. Welcome. It is good to see all of you. It is fitting that you're here because on this day in particular, this isn't the American Embassy – it's the people's embassy.
This is a place where all peace loving people can feel at home. It's a place that still remembers what suffering extremism can cause, but also symbolizes what friendship and shared values can bring forth from the ashes. A place that won't forget the past, but won't be held captive to it either.
As you all know, ten years ago, not far from here, a terrorist driving an explosive-filled truck detonated his vehicle outside the former U.S. Embassy building. The explosion killed 11 people and injured nearly 100 others. The French, Nigerian and Algerian Embassies were also damaged in the blast. But it wasn't just embassies: other buildings, including a children's day care center across the street, were damaged as well. The attack was evil and senseless, and the victims were innocent.
Apparently this murder and destruction wasn't enough to satisfy Al-Qaeda because almost simultaneous with the bombing here was an attack in Nairobi. There, 218 innocent people were killed and almost five thousand were injured.
The victims of the brutal attack here in Tanzania were fathers, brothers, sons, husbands; and a wife with a beautiful smile that everyone still remembers today. Those who were murdered here were Tanzanian, Kenyan, and Somalian, and they left behind devoted and heartbroken families. They lost their lives serving the U.S. mission, and of course, for that, we Americans owe a debt of gratitude that can never fully be repaid.
Earlier this week, one of our great Tanzanian employees, who was injured in the attack, was heard to say, "Every time I pass by that building, I think of our colleagues who died. They will always be a part of me. Not a day goes by that I don't think of them. But at the same time that we remember them, we have to continue on."
And so we have continued on, Tanzanians and Americans together.
Another Tanzanian colleague recently mentioned that after he was injured, his colleagues became his extended family, supporting him through recovery and even making up many of the guests at his wedding.
So if the terrorists' goal that day was to break the ties that bind together the American and Tanzanian peoples, they completely and utterly failed.
From moments after the blast, when our brave friends and neighbors arrived on the scene to assist the injured, to the solidarity and sense of family we feel sitting together today, our friendship is deeper and stronger, and more unshakeable with each passing day.
If the goal of those attacks was to scare us into retreat and surrender, they achieved just the opposite.
Security and investigation forces from the U.S. and Tanzania have worked side by side from the day of the attack through today . . . and tomorrow. We are continuing to hunt down and pursue all those responsible for these bombings. Our counter-terrorism capabilities are stronger than ever.
If the terrorists' goal that day was to force America and others to walk away from our commitment to Tanzania, away from our pledge to help Tanzanian leaders lift this great country up, then I cannot think of a greater failure.
In the last five years alone, American assistance to Tanzania has increased 1000%. From fighting HIV/AIDS and malaria to increasing educational opportunities to helping small businesses grow and develop, we are doing more together than ever before.
For example, earlier this year, President Bush made a historic four-day visit here, and among other things, he signed a Millennium Challenge Compact worth nearly $700 Million . . . the largest MCC compact in the world. Last week, President Bush signed into law a new bill extending and expanding PEPFAR, our famous HIV/AIDS initiative. The list goes on and on.
Today, I'd like to announce another modest plan to help Tanzania continue to rise up and move forward. We're calling it the August 7 Memorial Small Grants Program. Working with our community organizations, local education leaders and our Peace Corps Volunteers throughout the country, these small grants will target educational programs in deserving rural communities.
These young people represent the hope we all have in the future of Tanzanian youth. They represent the strength and friendship between the peoples of America and Tanzania. They represent what terrorists most fear: a new generation of leaders who are dedicated to freedom and peace.
Thank you for joining us today to reflect, remember, and rededicate ourselves. As we reflect on our children – yours and mine -- let us point to the possibilities and hope that they offer.
As we remember those we have lost, let us remember with joy who they were and what they believed in.