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American Morning

Somber Anniversary

Aired August 07, 2003 - 09:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Joining us now to talk about this from our Washington bureau is Edith Bartley, who lost her father and her brother in the Nairobi embassy bombing, and joining us from Parkland, Florida is Frank Pressley, a State Department employee in Nairobi at the time of the bombing, and he was actually injured in the bombing.
And we thank both of you for coming in and talking with us.

And, Edith, let's start with you this anniversary, special thoughts for your family members?

EDITH BARTLEY, LOST FATHER AND BROTHER: Today is a day to remember their lives, and we also take this opportunity to put some -- shed some light on the arrogance of our State Department. The embassies in Nairobi were targeted for -- because there were Americans working there, and it was American soil. It was just half a world away, and it did not garner the same attention, but it was, as you stated, an Al Qaeda attack, and we want the world to remember our families and our stand, not only against terrorism, but the importance of bringing to light and bringing to the forefront the issues of terrorism and victim compensation.

The embassies in Nairobi were attacked, and our State Department intelligence community had information Al Qaeda cell activities taking place in Nairobi as early as 1996, and that information was withheld from family members and diplomats. We are more than disheartened by the State Department's stance toward our families. There's a lack of respect and acknowledgement on our State Department.

HARRIS: Frank, how about you this morning? Any thoughts about what happened? In fact, from what I've heard, you actually have joined those that said you'd be better off if you'd been a victim of 9/11 instead of the Nairobi bombing.

FRANK PRESSLEY, INJURED IN KENYA BOMBING: Well, in fact, it's difficult in this circumstance being a victim terrorism. It's -- initially, once the injuries occurred, your only thoughts are to survive and to get better, and it's been very difficult for most of the families that were injured to get past these dates. This anniversary is extremely hard for all of us.

And 9/11 is also a reminder of what happened. So we know very well what those families went through in 9/11, and we still feel it. The idea that this will ever be closed is probably not going to happen for us. There will never be closure, but we will find a point to move on. So I am happy that this is being focused on once again, because we have been sort of been left out and forgotten. HARRIS: Edith, you accuse the State Department of arrogance. I want to play for you right now a piece of tape that we got -- a comment that we got from a State Department spokesman, who explained exactly how all of this came together and the thinking behind the compensation package.

BARTLEY: OK. I'm interested, too.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHILIP REEKER, STATE DEPT. SPOKESMAN: We work very closely with Congress to develop legislation, and we support now the passage of that legislation, which is known as Senate bill 1275, which would establish a comprehensive benefits program for all U.S. victims of international terrorism. It provides benefits in line with those provided to families of public safety officers killed in the line of duty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And the compensation involved here is a quarter of a million dollars, $250,000, and that of course is, as he says here, that's in line with the families of public safety officers get if those officers are killed in...

BARTLEY: Right, but our members were not public safety officers. Our family members were diplomats, and on top of that, our intelligence community placed families unknowingly in harm's way. We have embassies around the world that are labeled as danger pay posts. When a diplomat sets an assignment in one of those embassies, they understand they are accepting that assignment. They receive a 20 percent per diem. And family members, dependents, are not permitted to live at those embassies.

Nairobi, though, information was available about Al Qaeda cel activity. The classification of the embassy was never changed. My father was not a police officer, he was a diplomat. My brother was a college student. The State Department has been arrogant. They would have never done anything at all. Our bill already ready passed, the U.S. House of Representatives in may of 2002 on a vote of 391 to 18, and essentially, we were asking that all Al Qaeda victims be treated the same, and have the opportunity to file a claim in the special master fund which is already set up.

The State Department has never once met with the families discuss our legislation. Will Task (ph) and the rest of his staff, the legal advisers and State Department have come on the Hill all of a sudden and come out with this $250,000 proposal, and you know, it just add to the disheartening stance of all of this, wanting us to go away and not taking responsibility or acknowledging their part in all of this.

HARRIS: We only have a couple of seconds and I would like to get Frank to give us his impression on that and his feelings on that as well -- Frank.

PRESSLEY: Well, ideally, I'm very satisfied there's something finally happened. How it came about, we all know. The fact that there is going to be some kind of compensation package is being talked about. There are civil lawsuits pending. There's 9/11-like funds. There's the Embassy Compensation Act. All of these are moving in the right direction.

We need move on. This should have been done years ago, but I am very happy that we are on the right path now. So hopefully, they will do something and soon. We need that help. My life is totally different now. And the life of my family.

HARRIS: Well, we are glad that you were able to come out and share that with us this morning, also glad to see that you are up and about.

Frank Pressley, thank you very much for your time. We'll continue to follow this issue and see how it plays out.

Edith Bartley, thank you as well.

BARTLEY: Thank you for having us.

HARRIS: And our thoughts go to your family here on this anniversary as well.

PRESSLEY: Thank you once again.

HARRIS: Take care.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired August 7, 2003 - 09:35   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Joining us now to talk about this from our Washington bureau is Edith Bartley, who lost her father and her brother in the Nairobi embassy bombing, and joining us from Parkland, Florida is Frank Pressley, a State Department employee in Nairobi at the time of the bombing, and he was actually injured in the bombing.
And we thank both of you for coming in and talking with us.

And, Edith, let's start with you this anniversary, special thoughts for your family members?

EDITH BARTLEY, LOST FATHER AND BROTHER: Today is a day to remember their lives, and we also take this opportunity to put some -- shed some light on the arrogance of our State Department. The embassies in Nairobi were targeted for -- because there were Americans working there, and it was American soil. It was just half a world away, and it did not garner the same attention, but it was, as you stated, an Al Qaeda attack, and we want the world to remember our families and our stand, not only against terrorism, but the importance of bringing to light and bringing to the forefront the issues of terrorism and victim compensation.

The embassies in Nairobi were attacked, and our State Department intelligence community had information Al Qaeda cell activities taking place in Nairobi as early as 1996, and that information was withheld from family members and diplomats. We are more than disheartened by the State Department's stance toward our families. There's a lack of respect and acknowledgement on our State Department.

HARRIS: Frank, how about you this morning? Any thoughts about what happened? In fact, from what I've heard, you actually have joined those that said you'd be better off if you'd been a victim of 9/11 instead of the Nairobi bombing.

FRANK PRESSLEY, INJURED IN KENYA BOMBING: Well, in fact, it's difficult in this circumstance being a victim terrorism. It's -- initially, once the injuries occurred, your only thoughts are to survive and to get better, and it's been very difficult for most of the families that were injured to get past these dates. This anniversary is extremely hard for all of us.

And 9/11 is also a reminder of what happened. So we know very well what those families went through in 9/11, and we still feel it. The idea that this will ever be closed is probably not going to happen for us. There will never be closure, but we will find a point to move on. So I am happy that this is being focused on once again, because we have been sort of been left out and forgotten. HARRIS: Edith, you accuse the State Department of arrogance. I want to play for you right now a piece of tape that we got -- a comment that we got from a State Department spokesman, who explained exactly how all of this came together and the thinking behind the compensation package.

BARTLEY: OK. I'm interested, too.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHILIP REEKER, STATE DEPT. SPOKESMAN: We work very closely with Congress to develop legislation, and we support now the passage of that legislation, which is known as Senate bill 1275, which would establish a comprehensive benefits program for all U.S. victims of international terrorism. It provides benefits in line with those provided to families of public safety officers killed in the line of duty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And the compensation involved here is a quarter of a million dollars, $250,000, and that of course is, as he says here, that's in line with the families of public safety officers get if those officers are killed in...

BARTLEY: Right, but our members were not public safety officers. Our family members were diplomats, and on top of that, our intelligence community placed families unknowingly in harm's way. We have embassies around the world that are labeled as danger pay posts. When a diplomat sets an assignment in one of those embassies, they understand they are accepting that assignment. They receive a 20 percent per diem. And family members, dependents, are not permitted to live at those embassies.

Nairobi, though, information was available about Al Qaeda cel activity. The classification of the embassy was never changed. My father was not a police officer, he was a diplomat. My brother was a college student. The State Department has been arrogant. They would have never done anything at all. Our bill already ready passed, the U.S. House of Representatives in may of 2002 on a vote of 391 to 18, and essentially, we were asking that all Al Qaeda victims be treated the same, and have the opportunity to file a claim in the special master fund which is already set up.

The State Department has never once met with the families discuss our legislation. Will Task (ph) and the rest of his staff, the legal advisers and State Department have come on the Hill all of a sudden and come out with this $250,000 proposal, and you know, it just add to the disheartening stance of all of this, wanting us to go away and not taking responsibility or acknowledging their part in all of this.

HARRIS: We only have a couple of seconds and I would like to get Frank to give us his impression on that and his feelings on that as well -- Frank.

PRESSLEY: Well, ideally, I'm very satisfied there's something finally happened. How it came about, we all know. The fact that there is going to be some kind of compensation package is being talked about. There are civil lawsuits pending. There's 9/11-like funds. There's the Embassy Compensation Act. All of these are moving in the right direction.

We need move on. This should have been done years ago, but I am very happy that we are on the right path now. So hopefully, they will do something and soon. We need that help. My life is totally different now. And the life of my family.

HARRIS: Well, we are glad that you were able to come out and share that with us this morning, also glad to see that you are up and about.

Frank Pressley, thank you very much for your time. We'll continue to follow this issue and see how it plays out.

Edith Bartley, thank you as well.

BARTLEY: Thank you for having us.

HARRIS: And our thoughts go to your family here on this anniversary as well.

PRESSLEY: Thank you once again.

HARRIS: Take care.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com