Steps Taken After 1998 Bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam

•  Since 1999, OCA has provided assistance in connection with the deaths of nine US Government employees who died in terrorist attacks, most recently a State Department employee in Iraq in June, an AID employee in Khartoum in January, and a USDA employee in Afghanistan last October.

• All of the families of the American victims of the bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam (as well as all of those injured) have received the benefits for which they are eligible under existing law.  Where eligible, these benefits included compensation under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act, a death gratuity (up to $10,000), one year’s salary under section 413 of the Foreign Service Act, and a death gratuity under the Victims of Terrorism Compensation Act.  Also included were Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance, refund of retirement contributions, final salary and annual leave, and payment from the Thrift Savings Plan, where applicable.  The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime provided for many out-of-pocket expenses. A scholarship fund for tertiary education was established for those with children.

• All of the LE Staff victims have received all of the benefits to which they were entitled under the law, including compensation under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act, a death gratuity, and one year’s salary under section 413 of the Foreign Service Act.  In addition, many out-of-pocket expenses were covered by other sources, such as the Department’s Foreign Service National Fund, allocations from the Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, and an allotment from the U.S.Agency for International Development that was used for to offset the cost of mental health counseling.

• The families of the 173 Kenyan citizens killed or injured who were not affiliated with the US Government received a five-year package of assistance provided by the United States through USAID from 1998-2003, totaling approximately $42.3 million. (Note: The projects disbursing these funds were worked through contractors, NGOs, and the Kenyan Government to ensure that critical needs of Kenyans were met in six areas:  Search and Rescue Operations ($4,450,000); Medical Follow-up ($6,350,000); Socio-economic support for victims ($5,500,000); Rehabilitation and Reconstruction ($13,000,000); Assistance to Businesses ($7,000,000) and Disaster Preparedness ($6,000,000).

• Since the bombings of U.S. Embassies on August 7, 1998, the Department has moved over 18,000 U.S. and locally-employed staff overseas into safer, more secure, and well-maintained diplomatic facilities.  The Bureau of Overseas Building Operations (OBO) has completed 60 capital construction projects at a cost of $4.1 billion, including new embassies, consulates, and office annexes. Twenty of those completed projects were in Africa. In Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, new embassy compounds were completed on January 27, 2003.
  
• With strong Congressional support and by partnering with the American contractor community, the Department accelerated the capital construction program. Prior to 1998, OBO built about one new embassy a year; now, seven to eight are completed each year. OBO has 28 more projects under design or construction worldwide at a cost of $3.0 billion. Ten more projects are planned for contract award in FY 2008, at a cost of $1.1 billion. 
  
• OBO’s Compound Security Upgrade Program spent $1.007 billion since FY 1999 on walls, gates, access controls, and other security features designed to help protect our USG staff at missions that have not received new facilities.

Security Improvements:

• With the support of the administration, OMB, and Congress, funds were allocated for additional security personnel, equipment such as armored vehicles, and security enhancements for our facilities and residences. The Bureau of Diplomatic Security initiated new programs to upgrade guard services and counter surveillance capabilities, and reviewed and altered security standards to reflect additional types of threats.
  
• The Soft Targets Program, managed jointly by OBO and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, has provided $94.8 million to date to improve security at overseas schools attended by children of US Government employees and at US Government employee association facilities.