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US Dept. Of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Washington, D.C. 20535
November 18,1998.
Orcon/Law Enforcement Sensitive
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Note: At the end of this document is an early list of fifteen key
suspects. As of April 1999, twelve suspects have been indicted, but only four
have been arrested. Two men on this document list have not yet been indicted.
Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah (AKA Ali Saleh) is listed as a possible mastermind of
the Nairobi attack, but has not been indicted to date. FRONTLINE learned that
the government still knows very little about this man and his role in the
bombings.
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 The information contained herein is extremely sensitive and is being shared
with your government to help you detect and prevent acts of terrorism in your
country and to identify information your service might be in a position to
provide which could aid the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in its
investigation of the above matter. This information should be kept
confidential, and under no circumstances should it be further disseminated
without prior clearance from the government of the United States of America.
On August 7, 1998, at approximately 10:30 a.m. local time, two Embassies of the
United States of America, located in the East African cities of Nairobi, Kenya
and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, were attacked in coordinated truck bombings, later
determined to have occurred approximately four minutes apart. In Nairobi, 213
people were killed in the blast, while 11 individuals died in the bombing at
Dar es Salaam. The bombings were carried out by members and associates of Usama
Bin Ladin's organization, known by the Arabic word "al-Qaeda", literally, "the
base").
Under US. Federal law, the FBI is mandated with the responsibility of
investigating certain crimes committed against American persons and property
abroad. The attacks against the Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam fall
under this mandate. Within hours of the bombings, FBI personnel were dispatched
to East Africa to assist the Kenyan Criminal Investigative Division (CID) and
Tanzanian CID in conducting crime scene forensic examinations, as well as
investigative interviews, searches and arrests. The information detailed herein
was primarily developed as a result of these investigations, still ongoing, at
Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.
It should be noted however, that a significant reason for the success of these
investigations to date has been the willingness of the Kenyan, Tanzanian and
many other friendly foreign governments to assist and facilitate our
investigative efforts when possible. The FBI recognizes that this spirit of
cooperation has been, and will continue to be, very important to our ability in
countering the very real threat posed by Usama Bin Ladin and his affiliates to
the safety of ordinary people worldwide.
 
Sometime in 1993 to early 1994, individuals associated with al-Qaeda, a
terrorist organization founded by Usama Bin Ladin and Muhammed Atef, began to
locate to Kenya, primarily to the Nairobi and Mombasa areas. Some were
"mujahedin" or "holy warriors" who, like Usama Bin Ladin himself, had fought
against the former Soviet Union after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in
1979. Al-Qaeda opposed the involvement of the United States in the Gulf War in
1991, operation "Restore Hope" in Somalia in 1992-1993 and the US presence in
Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Al-Qaeda also opposed the United States because of the
arrest, conviction and imprisonment of persons belonging to Al-Qaeda and
associated groups such as Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman.
One of the first Usama Bin Ladin associates and former mujahidin to move to
Kenya was Wadih El-Hage, (Hereafter referred to as El-Hage), a Lebanese
Christian by birth, who later became a naturalized American citizen and
converted to Islam. Others included Fazul Abdullah Mohammed also known as (aka)
Harun Fazhl, (hereafter referred to as Harun), and Muhammed Sadiq Odeh, aka
Mohammed Sadiq Howaida (hereafter referred to as Odeh). At this time, Abu
Ubaida Al-Banshiri, aka Jalal, aka Aadil Habib, (hereafter referred to as Abu
Ubaida), a powerful member of Usama Bin Ladin's leadership, was also in
Tanzania. Abu Ubaida was both a landowner and a businessman in Mwanza,
Tanzania. Until his death in a ferry accident on Lake Victoria in May 1996, Abu
Ubaida was a known Harun associate and is believed to have been one of Usama
Bin Ladin's two most influential military commanders.
One commonality amongst the above individuals is the fact that at one time or
another, all were associated with Kenya based non-governmental organizations
(NGO's), organizations ostensibly created for the purposes of humanitarian
relief and aid work. A chapter of one NGO, Help Africa People, allegedly
founded in Germany, was established in Nairobi by El-Hage. At one time, Help
Africa employed Harun. Odeh was given an identity card for Help Africa People
to show his wife and her family as an indication of his employment. Aside from
their NGO work, many of these individuals, who the FBI believes may be part of
the original core group of the Usama Bin Ladin cell in East Africa, also set up
other businesses; commercial fishing and clothing companies were common to many
of them. To the casual observer, these individuals would have appeared to live
ordinary lives.
Initial planning of the attacks against the US embassy at Nairobi seems to have
begun in Spring 1998, with the movement of key personnel into East Africa. In
May 1998, Harun rented an estate home in an upscale residential neighborhood
outside the center of Nairobi at 43 Runda Estates. The home was isolated by
high walls that surrounded the property, making it nearly impossible for any
passerby to observe activity in and around the house. Moreover, the gated
driveway was large enough to accommodate trucks, as was the garage. It is
believed that the bomb used to destroy the US Embassy at Nairobi may have been
constructed and actually stored at this location.
The FBI believes that the following individuals were involved in the operation
to bomb the US Embassy in Nairobi: Harun, Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah(hereinafter
referred to as Saleh); Odeh; Fahad Mohammed Ally(hereinafter referred to as
Ally); Abdul Rahman (hereinafter referred to as Rahman); Mohammed Rashed Daoud
Al-Owhali, (hereinafter referred to as Al-Owhali); and Jihad Mohammed Ali
(hereinafter referred to as Azzam).
Saleh is described as the "mastermind" of both the Nairobi and Dar es Salaam
attacks. Odeh is an "explosives consultant" and trained architect. Ally was the
owner of a pick-up truck subsequently believed to be used by Harun to lead the
bomb delivery truck to the rear of the US Embassy in Nairobi. Rahman is
described to be a bomb technician. Al-Owhali was a passenger in the bomb
delivery truck driven by Azzam. Al-Owhali and Azzam had prepared for their
martyrdom in what was to be a suicide bombing. Al-Owhali, however, fled the
scene of the bombing when the attack diverged from the original plan. He was
subsequently arrested and rendered to the United States on August 27, 1998.
Odeh was arrested by the Kenyans on August 14th, 1998 and rendered to the
United States on August 28th, 1998.
On August 4, 1998, Saleh and Al-Owhali reportedly conducted a reconnaissance of
the US Embassy, in part to finalize the plan concerning the bomb-delivery
truck's placement : It was decided to locate the truck as close as possible to
the rear of the building, instead of attempting to drive it into the Embassy's
underground garage or place it in the front of the embassy building.
On or about August 5, 1998, Rahman is said to have made the final connection
between the bomb and the detonation device, which was located in the passenger
compartment of the bomb-delivery truck. At that time, the bomb-delivery truck
was located in the garage at 43 Runda estates.
On August 7, 1998, prior to the bombing, two light colored vehicles exited 43
Runda Estates. In the first, a pick-up truck, was Harun, who led the second
vehicle, a truck, containing the passenger Al-Owhali and the driver Azzam to
the US embassy. At that time, Al-Owhali was armed with a pistol and a number of
homemade stun grenades. Once in the Embassy parking lot, Al-Owhali's role was
to "scare away" people in the vicinity of the Embassy compound. The objective
was allegedly to reduce the number of potential Kenyan casualties. Al-Owhali
was also to manually detonate the bomb, in the event that the detonation device
malfunctioned. However, upon exiting the bomb delivery vehicle, Al-Owhali
forgot his pistol in the truck and was left only with the stun grenades.
Instead of returning to the bomb vehicle, Al-Owhali brandished a stun grenade
before throwing it in the direction of a security guard. Al-Owhali then fled
the scene. At about the same time, Azzam (the driver) manually detonated the
bomb. It is believed that Azzam was killed instantly.
In June 1998, about one month after Harun leased 43 Runda Estates in Nairobi,
Khalfan Khamis Mohammed (hereinafter known as Khamis) signed a lease to rent a
house in the Ilala District of Dar es Salaam. This house shared many of the
same characteristics as 43 Runda Estates. For instance, it was also located
away from the city center, and the whole of the property was surrounded by high
walls to block the view of passersby. It, too, had a garage large enough to
accommodate a truck. Preliminary analysis suggests it may have been where the
bomb used to destroy the US embassy in Dar es Salaam was constructed and
stored.
The following individuals have been identified as being possibly members of
the Dar es Salaam cell : Ally, Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani (hereinafter referred to
as Ghailani); Ahmed Salim Swedan (hereinafter referred to as Swedan); and
Khamis. Ghailani purchased the bomb delivery vehicle with the assistance of
Swedan. In addition both Ally and Khamis were associated with the bomb delivery
vehicle. As noted previously, Saleh has been described as the "mastermind" of
both the Dar es Salaam and the Nairobi attacks.
Investigations subsequent to the bombing revealed that Ally and Khamis had been
residing with Rashid Saleh Hamed. Hamed is currently in the custody of
Tanzanian officials and has been charged with the murder of eleven people as a
direct result of the bombing. Another individual currently in Tanzanian custody
and charged with this bombing is Mustafa Mahmud Said Ahmed (hereinafter
referred to as Mahmud). Mahmud was reportedly involved a past incident of
surveilling the US Embassy in Nairobi in 1997.
According to information received Saleh aka Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah said that
Hamden Khalif Allah Awad aka "Ahmed the German," was chosen to drive the bomb
vehicle in Dar es Salaam. The FBI believes that "Ahmed the German" was the
driver of the bomb delivery vehicle and that he was killed instantly as a
result of the bomb's detonation outside the US Embassy in Dar es Salaam.
The FBI is of the opinion that the bombs used in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam both
employed TNT as a principle explosive component. Certain statements made by the
subjects and/or witnesses in the case have mentioned the use of TNT and the FBI
Laboratory has confirmed its presence at both bomb sites. The FBI Laboratory is
continuing with it's forensic examination of the evidence from the two bombings
and, as those examinations are completed, further details of the two explosive
devices will become known.
The FBI will continue to investigate all aspects of the bombing, inside and
outside of East Africa; will continue to pursue all known and unknown subjects
who participated in the bombings; and will continue to pursue other Al-Qaeda
members suspected of otherwise being involved in criminal activity directed at
American targets. Upon apprehension the FBI will seek to have all subjects
tried at the federal level in United States District Court in the Southern
District of New York.
The United States Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York has
filed an indictment which names the following individuals : Usama Bin Ladin,
Muhammed Atef, Harun, Odeh and Al-Owhali, each charged as follows: one(1) count
of conspiracy to kill US nationals; two(2) counts of bombing US Embassies; and
two hundred twenty four counts of murder. Wadih El-Hage is charged with one(1)
count of conspiracy to kill US nationals, eight (8) counts of perjury before a
Federal Grand Jury and three(3) counts of lying to a Special Agent of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The indictment charges that the above-mentioned-individuals and other conspired
to conduct acts of terrorism against the US interests as members of the
terrorist organization, al-Qaeda. These acts of terrorism include the bombing
of US embassies in Nairobi and Tanzania; the killing of US military personnel
in Somalia; the recruitment of US citizens to commit acts of terrorism; the
shipment of weapons and explosives to Saudi Arabia; and efforts to obtain
weapons of mass destruction. This conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism
against US interests originated in 1989 and has continued to the present time.
The al-Qaeda conspiracy targeted the US Government because the United States is
an "infidel" power, governing in a manner inconsistent with al-Qaeda's
interpretation of Islam and because of US support for other "infidel"
governments, such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt. In addition, al-Qaeda opposed the
involvement of the United States in the Gulf War in 1991, operation "Restore
Hope" in Somalia in 1992-1993 and the presence of US military currently in
Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Finally, al-Qaeda opposed the United States because of
the arrest, conviction, and imprisonment of persons belonging to al-Qaeda and
associated groups, such as Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman.
The FBI and the Southern District of New York expect to charge others in the
bombing of the US Embassies at Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. The US Government
will also vigorously investigate members of the al-Qaeda organization in the
United States and around the world.
 | USAMA BIN LADIN
AKA: The Prince; The Emir; Abu Abdullah
DOB: Approximately 1957
POB: Saudi Arabia
HEIGHT: 6'4" - 6'6" (1.94 -1.98 m)
WEIGHT: 140 - 160 lbs. (62-7 1kg.)
EYES: Brown
HAIR: Brown, by Arab definition has "red" (ie., not truly black) hair.
OTHER: Full beard, mustache, walks with cane.
CITIZEN: Saudi Arabia
STATUS: Fugitive |
| MUHAMMED ATEF
AKA: Abu Hafs; Abu Hafs el-Masry el-Khabir; Taysir; Sheikh Taysir
Abdullah
DOB: Unknown
POB: Probably Egypt
HEIGHT: Approximately 6'4" - 6'6" (1.94 -1.98)
WEIGHT: Unknown
EYES: Unknown
HAIR: Dark Brown or Black
OTHER: Full beard, mustache,
CITIZEN: Egypt
STATUS: Fugitive |
| WADIH EL HAGE (Identified as El-Hage in this document)
AKA: Abdus Sabbur; Abd al Sabbur; Norman; Wa'da Norman
DOB: July 25,1960
POB: Sydon, Lebanon
HEIGHT: 5'7" (1.71 m)
WEIGHT: 150 lbs. (66 kg.)
EYES: Brown
HAIR: Brown, short and wavy
OTHER: Full beard, mustache
CITIZEN: United States
STATUS: In US Custody |
| FAZUL ABDULLAH MOHAMMED (Identified as Harun in this document)
AKA: Fazhl Abdullah; Harun Fazhl; Fazhl Khan
DOB: August 25, 1972; Decenber 25, 1974; February 25, 1974.
POB: Moroni, Comoros Islands
HEIGHT: 5'3" -5'5" (1.61 - 1.67 m)
WEIGHT: 140 lbs. (62 kg.)
EYES: Brown
HAIR: Brown, short and curly
OTHER: Fluent in French, Swahili, Arabic and English; good with computers
CITIZEN: Comoros
STATUS: Fugitive |
| MOHAMMED SADIQ ODEH (Identified as Odeh in this document)
AKA: Mohammed Sadiq Howaida; Abu Moath; Noureldine; Marwan; Hydar
DOB: March 1, 1965
POB: Skaka, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
HEIGHT: 5'7" (1.71 m)
WEIGHT: 150 lbs. (66 kgs.)
EYES: Brown
HAIR: Black
OTHER: Explosives expert; trained architect
CITIZEN: Jordan
STATUS: In US custody |
| ABU UBAIDA AL-BANSHIRI (Identified as Abu Ubaida in this document)
AKA: Jalal; Aadil Habib
DOB: May 1950
POB: Cairo, Egypt
HEIGHT: 6'0" - 6'2 " (1.84 - 1.89 m)
WEIGHT: 160 - 180 lbs. (71 - 80 kgs.)
EYES: Black
HAIR: Black
OTHER: Former military commander for Usama Bin Ladin
CITIZEN: Egypt, carried Dutch passport
STATUS: Deceased |
| ABDUL RAHMAN (Identified as Rahman in this document)
AKA: Abdul Rahman Al-Muhasar
DOB: Believed to be approximately 35 years of age
POB: Egypt
HEIGHT: 5'3" - 5'5" (1.61 - 1.67 m)
WEIGHT: Medium build
EYES: Unknown
HAIR: Unknown
OTHER: Explosives Expert
CITIZEN: Egypt
STATUS: At Large |
| MOHAMMED RASHED DAOUD AL - OWHALI (Identified as Al - Owhali in the
document)
AKA: Khalid Salim Saleh bin Rashid; Mohammed Akbar; Abdul Jabba Ali As..;
Latif; Abdel Jabbar al- Baloushi; M'aad; Mohammed al-Qatari; Moa..
DOB: January 18, 1977
POB: Liverpool, England
HEIGHT: 5'7" (1.71 m)
WEIGHT: 140 lbs. (62 kgs.)
EYES: Black
HAIR: Black
CITIZEN: Saudi Arabia
STATUS: In US Custody |
| JIHAD MOHAMMED ALI (Identified as Azzam in this document)
AKA: Jihad Mohammed Abdou Ali; Azzam; Abu Obaida
DOB: March 19, 1974
POB: Saudi Arabia
HEIGHT: Unknown
WEIGHT: Unknown
EYES: Black
HAIR: Black
OTHER: Light mustache
CITIZEN: Saudi Arabia
STATUS: Believed Deceased |
| ABDULLAH AHMED ABDULLAH (Identified as Saleh in this document)
AKA: Saleh; Abu Mohammed; Abu Marium
DOB: Approximately 35 years of age
POB: Unknown
HEIGHT: Approximately 5'8" (1.74 m)
WEIGHT: Medium build
EYES: Unknown
HAIR: Black; short and curly
OTHER: Possible "mastermind" of both Nairobi and Dar es Salaam bombings: may
have known some fame as a soccer player in Egypt
CITIZEN: Unknown
STATUS: At Large |
| FAHAD MOHAMMED ALLY (Identified as Ally in this document)
AKA: Fahad Mohammed Ally Msalam
DOB: Approximately 25 - 35 years of age
POB: Unknown
HEIGHT: 5'6" - 5'8" (1.69 - 1.74 m)
WEIGHT: Strong build
EYES: Brown or Black
HAIR: Black; short and curly
OTHER: Sometime light mustache and/or beard
CITZEN: Possibly Kenya, Yemeni, origin
STATUS: At Large |
| AHMED KHALFAN GHAILANI (Identified as Ghailani in the document)
AKA: Abu Khabar; Abu Bakr; K.Ahmed; possibly Ahmed the Tanzanian
DOB: Early to mid-20s in age
POB: Zanzibar, Tanzania
HEIGHT: Short
WEIGHT: Unknown
EYES: Brown or Black
HAIR: Black
OTHER: Clean shaven; possible light mustache
CITIZEN: Tanzania
STATUS: At Large |
| AHMED SALIM SWEDAN (Identified as Swedan in this document)
AKA: Ahmed Ally; Sheikh Bahamad
DOB: April 9, 1969
POB: Unknown
HEIGHT: 5'6" - 5'8" (1.69 - 1.74 m)
WEIGHT: Strong build, not heavy
EYES: Brown or Black
HAIR: Black; short and curly
OTHER: Light mustache, short beard
CITIZEN: Kenya; of Yemeni origin
STATUS: At Large |
| HAMDEN KHALIF ALLAH AWAD (Identified as Ahmed the German in this
document)
AKA: Ahmed the German
DOB: August 13, 1970
POB: Egypt
HEIGHT: Unknown
WEIGHT: Unknown
EYES: Blue
HAIR: Light Brown or Dark Blonde
OTHER: Full beard; mustache
CITIZEN: Egypt
STATUS: Believed deceased |
| KHALFAN KHAMIS MOHAMED (Identified as Khamis in this document)
AKA: Elfani Hamis Ahmed
DOB: Approximately 26 years old
POB: Unknown
HEIGHT: 5'5" - 5'6"
WEIGHT: Medium Build
EYES: Brown
HAIR: Dark, curly
OTHER: Sometimes has a beard
CITIZEN: Possibly Omani
STATUS: At Large |
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