Olympia Snowe: “Monday, August 7, was the eighth anniversary of the bombings of our Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam of August 7…”

“Monday, August 7, was the eighth anniversary of the bombings of our Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam of August 7, 1998. On that dreadful day, the lives of 12 Americans, 11 Tanzanians, and 212 Kenyans were tragically taken; more than 4,000 injured. The names of 56 killed U.S. Government employees-- Americans, Kenyans, and Tanzanians--are memorialized on a plaque on a wall in the State Department. I want to take this opportunity to extend my deepest sympathies and condolences to the families and friends of those who died and to those who were injured. We continue to mourn their loss. Their memories will remain eternal. And we pray for strength for those who are still suffering. At this time, I also want to express my heartfelt sympathy for another great loss in the Foreign Service family, the matriarch of America's diplomats, Ambassador Mary Ryan. I, as well as all those who knew her, was deeply saddened to hear of Mary's passing on April 25. During my days with the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mary and I worked closely together in response to the 1993 World Trade Center bombings by aggressively introducing technology data systems, such as the TIPOFF lookout system, and strengthening interagency information sharing to identify potential terrorists as they applied for visas to our great Nation.…”