What happened in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania?

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Madrid train bombings of 2004 — terrorism Rescue workers evacuating the bodies of victims of a terrorist train bombing near Atocha Station, Madrid, March 11, 2004.

On August 7, 1998, al-Qaeda carried out synchronized terrorist attacks against the United States embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.1

In these attacks, bomb-laden trucks were driven to the embassy sites, resulting in explosions that occurred just minutes apart. The bombings caused a combined total of 224 deaths. These acts of violence were a grave violation of human rights and international peace, reflecting the destructive nature of terrorism on global society.1

Following the attacks, the United States identified Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaeda operatives as responsible. In retaliation, U.S. President Bill Clinton ordered cruise missile strikes against al-Qaeda training facilities in Afghanistan and a pharmaceutical plant in Sudan. Several individuals involved in the conspiracy were later prosecuted, with four men convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2001.1