TEXT -- Kenyan President Kenyatta addresses nation on Nairobi mall attack

[News_Editor]

NAIROBI, KENYA (BNO NEWS) -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta addressed the nation late on Saturday after a group of suspected al-Shabaab gunmen stormed an upscale shopping mall in the capital Nairobi, killing at least 39 people, injuring more than 150 others, and taking dozens hostage.

"Fellow Kenyans,

This morning, a group of armed terrorists forcefully entered the Westgate Mall in Nairobi's Parklands area and unleashed senseless violence upon customers and workers.

They have killed at least 39 innocent people and injured more than 150 others.

With the entire nation, I stand with the families of those who have lost their lives and extend every Kenyan's deepest condolences. (I know what you feel having personally lost very close family members)

I ask God to give all of you comfort as you confront this tragedy. My Government will provide the support you will need in the days to come.

To those who were injured, I wish you a quick recovery from the physical and other shocks you underwent today. The Government will be at hand to ensure that your lives return to normal as quickly as possible.

The people of Kenya have been wonderful, as always.

With your support we safely evacuated hundreds of people from the Mall. I salute your conscientious and selfless acts of solidarity in response to the terrorist attack.

Your courage and sympathy saved lives and reassured countless people.

I commend those who volunteered by giving first-aid, transporting the injured to hospital, donating blood, locating and contacting loved ones and making it easy for rescue, medical and security personnel to do their work.

I appreciate those who have used media to rally help of all kinds, condole with and comfort the affected and thank all those responsible citizens who have desisted from spreading panic and despondency. Please continue helping, and continue praying.

The despicable perpetrators of this cowardly act hoped to intimidate, divide and cause despondency among Kenyans. They would like us to retreat into a closed, fearful and fractured society where trust, unity and enterprise are difficult to muster. An open and united country is a threat to evil doers everywhere. With our values of solidarity and love for our homeland, we fought proudly and bravely to secure the freedom to lead our lives as we choose. Our choice is codified in our Constitution.

We have overcome terrorist attacks before. In fact, we have fought courageously and defeated them within and outside our borders. We will defeat them again. Terrorism in and of itself, is the philosophy of cowards.

The way we lead our lives; in freedom, openness, unity and consideration for each other represents our victory over all those who wish us ill. We are as brave and invincible as the lions on our Coat of Arms.

My Government stands ready to defend the nation from internal as well as external aggression. I urge all Kenyans to stand together and see this dark moment through. Donate blood.

Provide information to the authorities. Comfort and reassure the affected families. Let us ashame the Devil and his works by demonstrating our timeless values of love, compassion and solidarity.

Our security forces are conducting a multi-agency response to this attack as we speak and are in the process of neutralizing the attackers and securing the Mall.

It is a very delicate operation as our top priority remains to safe guard the lives of innocent people held up in this unfortunate incident.

But let me make it clear. We shall hunt down the perpetrators wherever they run to. We shall get them. We shall punish them for this heinous crime.

I have directed security agencies to be decisive in their response to this or any other threat. They must and will do this to demonstrate our constitution's categorical guarantee of Kenyans' indefeasible rights to life and property.

Across the country, we have tightened security but I urge all of you to remain calm and vigilant.

God bless you. God bless Kenya."

(Copyright 2013 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: [email protected].)

[Steely Dan]

Islam has bloody borders - Samuel Huntington. Same same but different in Nigeria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Libya. This all boils down to the 'wrong' man winning the recent election if you want to look for a local justification which hides the true motive of jihad.

[boomerangutang]

Yes, islamist craziness covers a wide swath. It takes 100 years to grow a forest. It just takes one lit match and 15 minutes to burn it down.

[sms747]

How long before somebody says that this has nothing to do with Islam and these guys are not real Muslims, unfortunately neither is true.

[simple1]

one other relevant point to note is that a so called international court has issues with the current kenyan president. not sure how that fits into the jigsaw though.

The Kenyan president is currently accused of crimes against humanity by his military in the killing of hundreds of Kenyan citizens, torture, rape etc. The same accusations are being made against the Kenyan military (approx 4,000) in Southern Somalia. The terrorists, al Shabaab, in Narobi are claiming justification as revenge for the actions of the Kenyan military. Twin evils...

[Steely Dan]

From what I read I understand the terrorists were separating Muslims from non-Muslims inside the mall and murdering the latter. But of course this has nothing to do with religion, even though those who carry out such acts are never short of actual quotations from their 'holy' book to justify their actions. P.S In response to this being a tit-for-tat response to Kenyan actions in Somalia I would observe the root cause is always the same and has been so since the end of the 7th century.

[sms747]

From what I read I understand the terrorists were separating Muslims from non-Muslims inside the mall and murdering the latter. But of course this has nothing to do with religion, even though those who carry out such acts are never short of actual quotations from their 'holy' book to justify their actions. P.S In response to this being a tit-for-tat response to Kenyan actions in Somalia I would observe the root cause is always the same and has been so since the end of the 7th century.

You are SO wrong it has everything to do with religion-a religion called Islam, wake up!

[Chicog]

Al Shabab have been making regular incursions into Kenya over the years, without provocation I might add. Kenya chased them back over the border and, when the attacks continued, went over the border to chase them even further, and kicked them out of their stronghold.

It's only natural they want to strike back.

Kenya's response will be interesting, this will have caused more than a few cancellations. More assaults in Somalia perhaps?

Just for a bit of background:

What is Kenya’s role in all of this?
Al-Shabaab fighters had launched a number of minor forays across Somalia’s porous southern border with Kenya, kidnapping tourists and aid workers. By 2011, after al-Shabaab impeded humanitarian aid into southern Somalia during a ghastly drought, the Kenyan government had had enough. It launched a sustained military campaign across the border, eventually dislodging al-Shabaab from its stronghold in the Somali port city of Kismayo in 2012, a defeat from which the group has yet to recover. The continued Kenyan military presence in Somalia rankles the militants, who have opportunistically tried to champion the cause of Muslims elsewhere in East Africa as well as ethnic Somalis living in Kenya. Such a deadly strike abroad is not without precedent for this terrorist group: in 2010, bombs planted by al-Shabaab killed dozens watching the soccer World Cup in the Ugandan capital Kampala—supposed punishment for Uganda’s contribution to the African Union peacekeeping forces stationed in Somalia.

[Steely Dan]

From what I read I understand the terrorists were separating Muslims from non-Muslims inside the mall and murdering the latter. But of course this has nothing to do with religion, even though those who carry out such acts are never short of actual quotations from their 'holy' book to justify their actions. P.S In response to this being a tit-for-tat response to Kenyan actions in Somalia I would observe the root cause is always the same and has been so since the end of the 7th century.

You are SO wrong it has everything to do with religion-a religion called Islam, wake up!

I've been awake to this for years, now where do you find an irony emoticon?

[Maestro]

YouTube video of first few minutes of the terrorist attack:

[Chicog]

Well it would seem from explosions and gunfire that they are attempting to finish this off. Probably for the best really, there's no hope for hostages with these cold-blooded killers anyway, better to save who you can. And deny them further news cycles, which is what they want.

Edited September 23, 2013 by Chicog

[ravip]

The names of nine people listed on a since-shuttered Twitter account are among the hostage-takers at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, sources within the terror group Al-Shabaab told CNN. Three of the alleged attackers are from the United States, two are from Somalia and there is one each from Canada, Finland, Kenya and the United Kingdom, according to the list.

http://on.aol.com/video/3-of-suspected-kenya-mall-gunmen-from-u-s--517943059

[JemJem]

I am no expert on operational issues, but this terror group went into the mall, and immediately started killing people, including children ; and the death count is around 70 as of now. And, it is apparent that they have gone in there to kill dozens, and then die. They won't be persuaded into any negotiation.

So, why has this operation started too late ?!

It has possibly reached the final stages, as of now, but I feel that the operation should have started many many hours earlier.

[Chicog]

I am no expert on operational issues, but this terror group went into the mall, and immediately started killing people, including children ; and the death count is around 70 as of now. And, it is apparent that they have gone in there to kill dozens, and then die. They won't be persuaded into any negotiation.

So, why has this operation started too late ?!

It has possibly reached the final stages, as of now, but I feel that the operation should have started many many hours earlier.

Probably waiting for experts to arrive from foreign countries, to minimise casualties and avoid criticism that they didn't know what they were doing.

[simple1]

I am no expert on operational issues, but this terror group went into the mall, and immediately started killing people, including children ; and the death count is around 70 as of now. And, it is apparent that they have gone in there to kill dozens, and then die. They won't be persuaded into any negotiation.

So, why has this operation started too late ?!

It has possibly reached the final stages, as of now, but I feel that the operation should have started many many hours earlier.

Probably waiting for experts to arrive from foreign countries, to minimise casualties and avoid criticism that they didn't know what they were doing.

CNN & BBC reports Israeli & US advisers on the ground, shopping complex owned by an Israeli businessman

[cdnvic]

Please stay on topic and save the immigration discussions for the proper place.

[7by7]

How long before somebody says that this has nothing to do with Islam and these guys are not real Muslims, unfortunately neither is true.

Unfortunately; there is no point in pointing out to people like you that millions of Muslims are just as appalled by this and other acts of terror as you and I.

Perhaps more appalled as the criminals carrying out these atrocities claim to be acting in their name; which they are not.

[foot long]

reports are saying that the mall attackers are being led by a white Caucasian British woman in muslim clothing, so what have you got to say about that? note here too that a substantial percentage of kenyans are muslim too. and also a substantial number of kenyan-narobi residents are of somali origin.

It is the latest retaliation since Kenya sent troops into southern Somalia in 2011 to battle al-Shabaab. The group and its allies stand accused of dozens of attacks on churches, mosques and minibuses in Eastleigh, a Somali-dominated district of Nairobi,. from http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/09/2013922171153378245.html

Edited September 23, 2013 by foot long

[Chicog]

reports are saying that the mall attackers are being led by a white Caucasian British woman in muslim clothing, so what have you got to say about that? note here too that a substantial percentage of kenyans are muslim too. and also a substantial number of kenyan-narobi residents are of somali origin.

It is the latest retaliation since Kenya sent troops into southern Somalia in 2011 to battle al-Shabaab. The group and its allies stand accused of dozens of attacks on churches, mosques and minibuses in Eastleigh, a Somali-dominated district of Nairobi,. from http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/09/2013922171153378245.html

I wouldn't get too excited about the white widow story. I think that's a red top special.

[Chicog]

Appears to be a hefty fire going on at the mall now.

[foot long]

reports are saying that the mall attackers are being led by a white Caucasian British woman in muslim clothing, so what have you got to say about that? note here too that a substantial percentage of kenyans are muslim too. and also a substantial number of kenyan-narobi residents are of somali origin.

It is the latest retaliation since Kenya sent troops into southern Somalia in 2011 to battle al-Shabaab. The group and its allies stand accused of dozens of attacks on churches, mosques and minibuses in Eastleigh, a Somali-dominated district of Nairobi,. from http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/09/2013922171153378245.html

I wouldn't get too excited about the white widow story. I think that's a red top special.

whatever but in light of these events one has to further consider recent newsworthy events in kenya too, for example the fire that recently destroyed nairobi international air port and seperately the murder of a retired senior very well connected british army person in rural kenya by an armed group invading his farm/ranch house.

Edited September 23, 2013 by foot long

[Mosha]

A widow of the 7/7 bombers may have being involved.

http://news.sky.com/story/1145286/kenya-terrorists-were-dressed-up-as-women

[sms747]

How long before somebody says that this has nothing to do with Islam and these guys are not real Muslims, unfortunately neither is true.

Unfortunately; there is no point in pointing out to people like you that millions of Muslims are just as appalled by this and other acts of terror as you and I.

Perhaps more appalled as the criminals carrying out these atrocities claim to be acting in their name; which they are not.

Really millions of muslims 'appalled' by this, who and where? or is it just the evil western media is not reporting this muslim outcry of horror. I clearly remember muslims celebrating 9/11 at the time in my home town, no outcry then and precious little since over the 1,000;s of other Islamic atrocities since on a weekly basis somewhere in the world.

Of course there are millions of well meaning, if pretty passive and harmless muslims. That does not alter the fact that Islam itself is a divisive and violent doctrine that calls for non believers to be killed. The religion of peace it has never been.

Edited September 24, 2013 by sms747

[webfact]

please continue:

Nairobi attack: Kenya forces 'control all floors' of Westgate mall

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/670048-nairobi-attack-kenya-forces-control-all-floors-of-westgate-mall/

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