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Saturday, 28 September 2013
Militants 'hired Kenyan mall shop'
The militants who led the attack on a Kenyan mall hired a shop there in the weeks leading up to the siege, senior security sources have told the BBC.
This gave them access to service lifts at Westgate enabling them to stockpile weapons and ammunition.
Having pre-positioned weapons they were able to re-arm quickly and repel the security forces.
Sixty-seven people are known to have died in the four-day siege. Kenya's Red Cross says 61 others are still missing.
Forensic experts are still combing the complex, looking for bodies and clues.
The Somali Islamist group al-Shabab, which is part of al-Qaeda, says it was behind the attack and the following siege at the upmarket mall in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
Kenya is in its third day of official mourning for both the civilian and military victims of the attack.
Fake IDs?
The BBC investigation has revealed how the Westgate gunmen were able to plan and carry out the siege, and how security breaches allegedly fuelled by corruption made it an attack waiting to happen.
To rent a shop, the militants would have needed fake IDs supplied by corrupt government officials.
The BBC has also confirmed more details about how they executed their attack.
Two vehicles dropped the Islamist extremists off outside before they forced their way into the mall, sources say.
They are also believed to have set up a base using a ventilation shaft as a hiding place, on the first floor.
Security sources have also confirmed a change of tack by the militants late on Saturday.
They rolled out heavy calibre machine guns, exploiting the moment when control of the security operation switched from the police to the military.
There are reports that this switchover was fraught with confusion.
New photos revealing some of the damage at the Westgate shopping centre have been released.
They show how parts of the rooftop car park have collapsed down onto what is believed to be the supermarket area.
The manager of a jewellery shop allowed back into Westgate showed the BBC photos she took, showing that the store had been looted.
President Uhuru Kenyatta declared three days of official mourning this week. The funeral of his nephew and his nephew's fiancee took place in Nairobi on Friday.
Amongst the funerals held on Thursday was that of Mitul Shah at the Hindu Crematorium. A marketing executive, his firm was reportedly sponsoring the children's cooking competition taking place in the car park.
The heads of the various security agencies have been summoned to appear before the parliamentary defence committee on Monday, amid rising concern over the authorities' preparedness for such an attack.
The committee's chairman, Ndung'u Gethenji, told the BBC that "people need to know the exact lapses in the security system that possibly allowed this event to take place".
He also said they needed to understand "the anatomy of the entire rescue operation" amid the allegations of confusion over who was in charge.
It is still not clear how many militants took place in the attack or their nationalities.
But senior sources within al-Shabab, which has repeatedly threatened attacks on Kenyan soil if Nairobi did not pull its troops out of Somalia, told the BBC by phone that they would not release the attackers' names.
'Jewellery looted'
A senior government official told the Associated Press news agency that the army had caused the collapse of a section of the mall on Monday.
The official, who did not want to be named, said autopsies would show whether this had killed the hostages or whether they had already been murdered.
Correspondents say there have been reports that the military had blown out a supporting column to bring the siege to an end - a controversial decision which, if confirmed, would raise the possibility that hostages' lives were seen as expendable.
Irene Anyango, manager of a Westgate jewellery shop, is one of the few people who has been allowed into the mall following the end of the siege.
"It was a nightmare… and the shop was a totally different place," she told the BBC.
Ms Anyango said 90% of the jewellery was missing from the shop, which is now flooded.
"As far as we know, for the last couple of days they were intact - we don't understand what's happening but they're not there," she said.
Many people not only face the trauma of losing family and colleagues but also the possibility of losing their jobs, she added.
On Friday morning, President Uhuru Kenyatta attended the funeral of his nephew and his nephew's fiancee at a church service Nairobi, where he addressed the congregation.
Mbugua Mwangi and Rosemary Wahito were among those killed in the mall on Saturday.
About 4,000 Kenyan troops have been sent to Somalia to help pro-government forces battle al-Shabab.
The group is banned as a terrorist group by both the US and the UK and is believed to have between 7,000 and 9,000 fighters.
Its members are fighting to create an Islamic state in Somalia.
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Friday, 27 September 2013
Nairobi attack: Foreign experts join Kenya forensic hunt
Kenya's investigation into a bloody siege by Islamist militants in Nairobi has been joined by experts from the US, UK, Germany, Canada and Interpol.
Forensic experts are combing the Westgate shopping complex for DNA, fingerprints and ballistic clues, said Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku.
He confirmed that five militants were dead and said the bodies of more were expected to be found.
Funerals are continuing to be held for the 67 civilian and military victims.
Relatives have been identifying the bodies of those killed in the attack
Alyaz Merali, wounded in the attack, took part in a funeral procession for his mother, who was killed
Traders were selling wreaths outside Nairobi's City Mortuary
Nuns prayed near the Westgate shopping centre on Wednesday morning
"We have moved to the next phase," Mr Lenku told a news briefing in Nairobi, saying that he expected the forensic audit to take at least seven days.
He said he did not expect the death toll to rise significantly.
Several bodies are thought to be trapped under rubble after three floors of the building collapsed. Mr Lenku said he only expected bodies of militants to be found.
Work is continuing to establish their identities, including whether one was a woman, but he added: "We want to again request you to allow the forensic experts to determine whether that is true."
Mr Lenku said he was unable to confirm whether there were any Britons or Americans involved, but said that 10 people were being held in connection with the attack.
Counter-claims
Flags flew at half-mast across Kenya on Wednesday, as three days of national mourning began.
Somali Islamist group al-Shabab said it had carried out the attack in retaliation for Kenyan army operations in Somalia.
The militants stormed the Westgate centre on Saturday, throwing grenades and firing indiscriminately at shoppers and staff.Continue reading the main story
Twitter posts on an al-Shabab account said the group's militants had held 137 people hostage, and claimed the hostages had died after security forces fired chemical agents to end the siege.
The posts could not be verified. A government spokesman denied any chemical agents were used, and authorities called on Kenyans to ignore militant propaganda.
Al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, has repeatedly threatened attacks on Kenyan soil if Nairobi did not pull its troops out of Somalia.
About 4,000 Kenyan troops have been serving in the south of Somalia since October 2011 as part of an African Union force supporting Somali government forces.
Scores of people have been killed in Kenya since the incursion in a string of bomb and grenade attacks blamed on - and some claimed by - al-Shabab.
Late on Wednesday, one person was killed and four injured after a grenade was detonated in a market in the northern Kenyan town of Wajir - an area home to many ethnic Somalis. The Kenyan interior ministry said that investigations into the attack were ongoing.
The group is banned as a terrorist group by both the US and the UK and is believed to have between 7,000 and 9,000 fighters.
Its members are fighting to create an Islamic state in Somalia.
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Zachary Yach, survivorI never realised how loud a gun was and how scary”
Analysis
It is likely to be a slow process, as forensic experts from Britain, America, Israel, Germany and Canada search for clues to reveal the identity and nationalities of the gunmen.
The Kenyan government says their work has begun inside the battered and bloodied walls of the Westgate mall. Following the collapse of part of the building it is believed that that there are still bodies under the rubble - possibly some of the militants.
The global policing body, Interpol, is also involved in piecing together how this devastating attack took place.
At other high profile institutions in Nairobi, also considered potential targets, security has been stepped up and searches are more thorough. But much more is needed to ensure another large-scale attack cannot happen. A radical overhaul of Kenya's security apparatus is needed.
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24271969]
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Deadly blasts hit Baghdad markets
Thousands of people have been killed in sectarian bombings every month in Iraq
At least 23 people have been killed in blasts targeting markets in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, officials say.
Bombs in the Shia Sabaa al-Bour area, north of Baghdad, killed up to 16 people. More than 40 others were reportedly injured as the area was packed with shoppers.
A blast in the Sunni Dora district, south of Baghdad, killed seven people.
Sectarian violence has surged across Iraq in recent months, reaching its highest level since 2008.
More than 5,000 people have died so far this year in Iraq, 800 of them in August alone, according to the United Nations.
The worsening violence is also seen a spill-over from the conflict in Syria, which has taken on increasingly sectarian overtones.
There are fears of a return to the all-out Sunni-Shia sectarian violence that peaked in 2006-2007 and killed tens of thousands of people.
In recent weeks, Iraqi security forces have reportedly arrested hundreds of alleged al-Qaeda members in and around Baghdad as part of a campaign which the Shia-led government is calling "Revenge for the martyrs".
But the operations, which have taken place mostly in Sunni districts, have angered the majority Sunni community and failed to halt the violence.
Diplomats say that the government's failure to address Sunni grievances - both their political exclusion and abuses against them by the security forces - are the main factors behind the rise in violence.
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24282758]
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Kenya seeks UK woman Samantha Lewthwaite's arrest
Frank Gardner explains that Samantha Lewthwaite's Kenyan charges relate not to this month's Westgate attack but to her "alleged possession of explosives in December 2011 and an alleged plot at that time to bomb a number of tourist resorts"
International police body Interpol has issued a wanted persons notice for Briton Samantha Lewthwaite, at Kenya's request.
Ms Lewthwaite, 29, is the widow of one of the four suicide bombers who attacked London on 7 July 2005.
Known colloquially as the "white widow", she has been linked with Somali militant Islamist group al-Shabab.
Interpol did not link the warrant to the Nairobi shopping complex attack that left at least 67 dead.
However, it comes after much speculation linking Ms Lewthwaite to events there.
Al-Shabab was behind the attack and subsequent four-day siege at the Westgate shopping complex in the Kenyan capital.
An Interpol statement said she was "wanted by Kenya on charges of being in possession of explosives and conspiracy to commit a felony dating back to December 2011".
The Interpol alert, known as a "Red Notice", requires member countries to detain the suspect pending extradition procedures.
Ms Lewthwaite - who is believed to use the alias "Natalie Webb" - had previously only been wanted for the alleged possession of a fraudulently obtained South African passport.
She is the widow of Germaine Lindsay, one of the four bombers involved in the 7 July terror attacks in London in 2005 in which 52 people were killed and hundreds more injured.
The BBC's Dominic Casciani says Interpol's red notice acts like a global wanted poster, but it's also a concession by the Kenyan security forces that she is an international danger, not just someone who should be regarded as a passport fraudster.
Kenya is continuing three days of official mourning for the civilian and military victims of the siege.
The funeral of pregnant television and radio star Ruhila Adatia-Sood was one of many being held on Thursday.
Flags are flying at half mast amid visibly tighter security around the Kenyan capital. Security guards were scanning passengers with metal detectors before they boarded buses.
Kenyan investigators have been joined by experts from the US, UK, Germany, Canada and Interpol to comb the sprawling shopping complex for DNA, fingerprints and ballistic clues.
On Thursday the UK Foreign Office said that the number of British nationals known to have been killed in the attack was lower than previously thought. It had reported that six Britons were among those killed, but it now says that one of the dead previously thought to be British is in fact a Kenyan national.
But at the same time the Foreign Office has warned that the number of British dead could rise before the search of the shopping centre is over.
Somali Islamist group al-Shabab has said it had carried out the attack in retaliation for Kenyan army operations in Somalia.
The militants stormed the Westgate centre on Saturday, throwing grenades and firing indiscriminately at shoppers and staff.
Twitter posts on an al-Shabab account said the group's militants had held 137 people hostage, and claimed the hostages had died after security forces fired chemical agents to end the siege.
A government spokesman denied any chemical agents were used, and authorities called on Kenyans to ignore militant propaganda.
Al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, has repeatedly threatened attacks on Kenyan soil if Nairobi did not pull its troops out of Somalia.
About 4,000 Kenyan troops have been serving in the south of Somalia since October 2011 as part of an African Union force supporting Somali government forces.
The group is banned as a terrorist group by both the US and the UK and is believed to have between 7,000 and 9,000 fighters.
Its members are fighting to create an Islamic state in Somalia.
Analysis
Kenya's request for Interpol to issue a "red flag" for the arrest of Samantha Lewthwaite comes nearly two years after the alleged plot she is accused of being involved in.
The Kenyan charges relate not to this month's Westgate attack but to her alleged possession of explosives in December 2011 and an alleged plot at that time to bomb a number of tourist resorts on Kenya's coast.
This was serious enough for the Foreign Office to upgrade its travel alert for Kenya, and for Scotland Yard detectives to fly out to Kenya to investigate.
Ms Lewthwaite has been on the run for months and was reported to have crossed into Somalia last year.
She is not wanted for any terrorism offences in Britain but now that Interpol have circulated the alert for her arrest to 190 member countries, it raises her case from the national to the international. There is still no evidence she had any involvement in the Nairobi attacks.
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24288236]
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24288236]
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Wednesday, 25 September 2013
Syria crisis: 'Deadly blast' hits capital Damascus
Activists said at least seven people were killed in the blast
Several people have been killed and wounded in an explosion in the Syrian capital, Damascus, Syrian state TV reports.
The state new agency Sana said a "terrorist bombing" attack had taken place in the Tadamon district in the south of the capital.
Tadamon has been a battleground between rebel forces and the army for months.
Later on Tuesday, the UN General Assembly is due to meet, with much of its focus on the Syria crisis.
The UK-based activist group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says a car bomb killed at least seven people and wounded 15, some of them critically.
More than 100,000 people have died in the conflict, according to the UN, and millions have fled the country or been made homeless.
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24227704]
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Nairobi attack: Lynsey Khatau tells of being shot at
A mother has told how she was shot at and almost killed as suspected al-Shabab militants stormed the Nairobi shopping centre.
Lynsey Khatau, 23, who lives in south Wales and Kenya, said her family was targeted at the Westgate mall in Saturday's attack.
Mrs Khatau, with her husband and four-year-old son Caiz, said the gunman missed her and killed a man behind her.
At least 65 people have been killed including six British nationals.
Mrs Khatau, whose moved to East Africa with her husband Max who was deported from the UK in 2009, told BBC Wales: "When they shot at me, my son saw a man get shot instead of me, so I was lucky not to get shot.
"My son is completely traumatised, he cannot sleep and even if he does sleep he wakes up crying 'they're shooting at my daddy' so it's very difficult at the moment."
Kenyan security forces say they have now regained control after the stand-off
The family were at the mall as a treat for Caiz when suspected Islamist al-Shabab militants attacked.
"On a Saturday my husband usually works but it just so happens that this Saturday he was given the day off so we just decided to take our son to go and play and spoil him a bit at the shopping centre," she said.
"They have a play area for the children and we had to pick up some groceries."
Mrs Khautau recalled how she walked into the centre, entering a local supermarket and within seconds, the electricity went down.
"Usually in Kenya the electricity always goes off but they have generators that come on a few seconds after the lights have gone off," she said.
They did not come back on.
"The first thing that happened was a grenade going off under a car or something outside," she said.
Sue Mathias, mother of survivor Lynsey: 'I kept thinking, it could have been her, it could have been the baby'
"That was the first thing that we heard. Then there was shooting, maybe 20 rounds, in less than a minute.
"We came out... I just ran, we just ran out.
"When we came out the supermarket they were already inside the mall and we just ran. They were already shooting inside."
Mrs Khautau then recalls how she was shot at but that the bullet missed her and hit a man who was standing behind her.
"It was really horrific. My son is really traumatised," she added.
"The only thing I was thinking is 'we're going to die'. There were people just falling everywhere."
Mrs Khatau said her neighbourhood - just five miles from the shopping centre - was "united and pretty sad".
She added that she was keen to return to Wales, where she splits her time between Pontllanfraith, near Blackwood in Caerphilly county, and Nairobi.
"It's been hard, really hard. I've not been able to sleep because we're not far from there and the helicopters were hovering constantly," she said.
"We can hear the gun fires and the explosions, so we're not really in the environment where we can recover properly."
In the UK Mrs Khatau's mother, Suzanne Mathias, who lives near Caerphilly, said: "I know they're safe but you still think about 'what if'.
"I'm just glad she was on the bottom floor of the mall where there was an exit to go to the car park because if she had been on any of the other floors she wouldn't have made it because there wasn't any exits on the other floors."
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-24225623]
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