While Visiting Tanzania, Clinton Pledges Justice for Terror Victims

U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton visited Tanzania to honor the victims of the embassy bombings from 1998, a day after the alleged mastermind of those attacks was reportedly killed in Somalia.

Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, an al-Qaeda commander in East Africa, was reportedly shot to death (along with another man) by Somali security forces at a road checkpoint in Mogadishu. He was blamed for planning the suicide bombings of US embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya thirteen years ago, which killed more than 200 people and wounded thousands of others,

Clinton visited a memorial at the new US embassy in Tanzania, vowing justice for all victims of terrorist violence.

“We also have not forgotten our pledge to seek justice against those who would commit such atrocities,’’ Clinton said.

“Last month Al Qaeda suffered a major setback with the death of Osama bin Laden, and yesterday we received news of another significant blow. I know nothing can replace those who have been taken from us by such senseless violence, but I know that justice was served and I hope that can give you some measure of comfort.”

Meanwhile, the president of Somalia has said that his government is winning the war against al-Qaeda and another terrorist group, al-Shabaab, in his country.

We have overpowered al-Qaeda and al-Shabaab in Somalia, President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed said, according to BBC.

Fazul Mohammed was a top official in Shabaab, an Islamist militant group which is believed to control much of southern Somalia.

There were some conflicting accounts of what happened with Mohammed’s body. According to some reports, it was alleged that he was immediately buried after the killing. However, other reports said that his body was handed over to US officials for the purpose of identification.