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Experts Search For Clues in Kenya Terrorist Attacks
Aired November 29, 2002 - 14:08 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: While the investigation into yesterday's attacks in Kenya is just beginning, the experts may already have a good idea what to look for.
CNN law enforcement analyst Mike Brooks is here in Atlanta with his expertise.
Expertise, because, Mike, you were there in Nairobi in 1998 for the last bombing.
MIKE BROOKS, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYSIS: Yes, I was. I was the first group of Americans that were on the ground after the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi and also the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, but was directly involved with the forensic efforts on the ground there in Nairobi.
PHILLIPS: Well, what type of similarities do you see between 1998 and what happened yesterday?
BROOKS: Oh, a lot of similarities, Kyra. First of all, we see at the hotel that these three terrorists attempted to drive into the compound of the hotel, were stopped by a security guard, drove around in front of the hotel for about 10 minutes, and then burst through the gate and came and drove right up to the front of the lobby before they detonated their bomb.
Very similar to what we saw in August of 1998, when a car attempted to go into one of the front gates of the U.S. Embassy on a busy thoroughfare in Nairobi. It was turned -- the truck at that time was turned away by security guards, went around to the back of the embassy, where they attempted to go in, because the gate was open and just a large, steel arm was down. The security guard put the arm down, stopped them from going and driving down into the basement of the embassy, where they actually wanted to go. They wanted to drive into the garage and have the embassy implode on itself.
But the security -- and they did a fantastic job -- stopped the truck, one person got out, threw a concussion grenade over the fence of the embassy to draw everyone to the window, and then the other person inside initiated the bomb, killing over 200 people in Nairobi.
PHILLIPS: So, Mike, can it get as specific as what type of explosives equals what type of terrorists?
BROOKS: Well, right now -- in 1998, both in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and in Nairobi, Kenya, it was TNT, a very high explosive. Now, looking at this amateur video that we just saw -- which is the first time I had seen it -- it shows the devastating effect that this bomb had.
Early yesterday, one source said that it was believed to be a plastic explosive. We have not been able to confirm that. It is definitely, by the look of that in the thermal event, the fire that was caused by the explosion, it was definitely what looks to me a high explosive.
It was also reported by Catherine Bond, our reporter in Kenya, that there was a large crater, which would lend me to say that it was again probably a good -- a fair amount of high explosives weight-wise that was in the car with those three men.
Now, what they'll attempt to do is go in, find out if there is any similarity. They can take a swabbing and maybe they might find some unexploded ordnance, some unexploded explosive there, to compare it with other bombings around the world. The U.S., the Israelis, the British, they keep an excellent database on different types of explosives used in different bombings around the world.
They also can go through, sift through the remains of the hotel there, looking for pieces -- wires, pieces of metal that they believe could be or could have been involved in the explosive device itself and go back and compare that with what they have on their database and what other evidence they have collected over the years across the world in other terrorist bombings.
PHILLIPS: Well, Mike, how big is the terrorist infrastructure in Africa? I mean, you and I were talking earlier about how it's so easy to get lost within Africa.
BROOKS: It is. It's -- you know, usually we see more incidents, if you will, going on, on the west coast of Africa, than you do in the quiet west coast for most part. You know, this is the only other major terrorist event since 1998. And we know that Mombasa is a resort there and very quiet for people to get away from, you know, the strife in the country in Israel.
But it's pretty easy to get lost. There are a number of different cultures, a very diverse country in Africa. And there are a lot of different communities. The Kenyan CID do an excellent job, and they've been working with the U.S. authorities since 1998 on trying to identify any remaining cells. You know, whether -- again, this is all speculation of whether this, in fact, is al Qaeda, or if it's al Qaeda and another terrorist organization possibly working together.
I think we should find out something to see if this is true or not within the next week or so.
PHILLIPS: Law enforcement analyst, Mike Brooks -- thanks, Mike.
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 November 29, 2002 - 14:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: While the investigation into yesterday's attacks in Kenya is just beginning, the experts may already have a good idea what to look for.
CNN law enforcement analyst Mike Brooks is here in Atlanta with his expertise.
Expertise, because, Mike, you were there in Nairobi in 1998 for the last bombing.
MIKE BROOKS, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYSIS: Yes, I was. I was the first group of Americans that were on the ground after the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi and also the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, but was directly involved with the forensic efforts on the ground there in Nairobi.
PHILLIPS: Well, what type of similarities do you see between 1998 and what happened yesterday?
BROOKS: Oh, a lot of similarities, Kyra. First of all, we see at the hotel that these three terrorists attempted to drive into the compound of the hotel, were stopped by a security guard, drove around in front of the hotel for about 10 minutes, and then burst through the gate and came and drove right up to the front of the lobby before they detonated their bomb.
Very similar to what we saw in August of 1998, when a car attempted to go into one of the front gates of the U.S. Embassy on a busy thoroughfare in Nairobi. It was turned -- the truck at that time was turned away by security guards, went around to the back of the embassy, where they attempted to go in, because the gate was open and just a large, steel arm was down. The security guard put the arm down, stopped them from going and driving down into the basement of the embassy, where they actually wanted to go. They wanted to drive into the garage and have the embassy implode on itself.
But the security -- and they did a fantastic job -- stopped the truck, one person got out, threw a concussion grenade over the fence of the embassy to draw everyone to the window, and then the other person inside initiated the bomb, killing over 200 people in Nairobi.
PHILLIPS: So, Mike, can it get as specific as what type of explosives equals what type of terrorists?
BROOKS: Well, right now -- in 1998, both in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and in Nairobi, Kenya, it was TNT, a very high explosive. Now, looking at this amateur video that we just saw -- which is the first time I had seen it -- it shows the devastating effect that this bomb had.
Early yesterday, one source said that it was believed to be a plastic explosive. We have not been able to confirm that. It is definitely, by the look of that in the thermal event, the fire that was caused by the explosion, it was definitely what looks to me a high explosive.
It was also reported by Catherine Bond, our reporter in Kenya, that there was a large crater, which would lend me to say that it was again probably a good -- a fair amount of high explosives weight-wise that was in the car with those three men.
Now, what they'll attempt to do is go in, find out if there is any similarity. They can take a swabbing and maybe they might find some unexploded ordnance, some unexploded explosive there, to compare it with other bombings around the world. The U.S., the Israelis, the British, they keep an excellent database on different types of explosives used in different bombings around the world.
They also can go through, sift through the remains of the hotel there, looking for pieces -- wires, pieces of metal that they believe could be or could have been involved in the explosive device itself and go back and compare that with what they have on their database and what other evidence they have collected over the years across the world in other terrorist bombings.
PHILLIPS: Well, Mike, how big is the terrorist infrastructure in Africa? I mean, you and I were talking earlier about how it's so easy to get lost within Africa.
BROOKS: It is. It's -- you know, usually we see more incidents, if you will, going on, on the west coast of Africa, than you do in the quiet west coast for most part. You know, this is the only other major terrorist event since 1998. And we know that Mombasa is a resort there and very quiet for people to get away from, you know, the strife in the country in Israel.
But it's pretty easy to get lost. There are a number of different cultures, a very diverse country in Africa. And there are a lot of different communities. The Kenyan CID do an excellent job, and they've been working with the U.S. authorities since 1998 on trying to identify any remaining cells. You know, whether -- again, this is all speculation of whether this, in fact, is al Qaeda, or if it's al Qaeda and another terrorist organization possibly working together.
I think we should find out something to see if this is true or not within the next week or so.
PHILLIPS: Law enforcement analyst, Mike Brooks -- thanks, Mike.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
