Local newspapers report that intelligence indicating dates and locations at risk was given to high-ranking Nairobi officials
Kenya was reportedly given specific warnings by foreign countries, including Israel, that there was a high risk of a major terrorist attack in the country before last week’s violent takeover of Nairobi’s Westgate Mall. Israel told the Kenyan government specifically that Iran and Hezbollah would try to hit Israeli-owned targets during the September Jewish holidays, one report said.
Israel told the Kenyan government specifically that Iran and Hezbollah would try to hit Israeli-owned targets during the September Jewish holidays, one report said. The Westgate Mall, partly owned by Israelis, was reportedly cited in at least one warning.
Kenyan newspapers reported that, according to intelligence sources, Kenya’s chief of staff and four key cabinet ministers — treasury, interior, foreign affairs, and defense — received the various warnings but failed to take action. Kenyan government officials later confirmed the reports to the AFP news agency.
Warnings began in January and increased in September, with information about planned attacks in Nairobi or Mombasa between September 13 and 20, Kenya’s Daily Nation reported. Intelligence reports seen by the Daily Nation indicated that Israel told the Kenyan government that Iran and Hezbollah were looking to attack Israeli-owned targets this month.
“The Israeli Embassy in Nairobi has raised concern with the Foreign Affairs Ministry that Iran and Hezbollah from Lebanon have been collecting ‘operational intelligence and open interests in Israeli and Jewish targets around the world including Kenya,’” read one of the reports.
The reports even identified the Westgate as one of the targets, along with Nairobi’s Holy Family Basilica. It also named individual terrorists behind the attack. Sheikh Abdiwelli Mohammed,Sheikh Hussein Hassan and al-Shabab terror group leader Abdi Godane were identified as masterminds.
Godane is al-Shabab’s new emir.
Though Westgate, a Western-style luxury shopping center, was often named as a possible terrorist target, Kenyan government sources told AFP that the warnings were not given due attention.
“Israel had warned of attacks on their business interests,” said an official, “but apart from just being tossed from one office to another, nothing was taken out of the intelligence reports.”
“There is no way one can say there was no intelligence on this attack because those reports started trickling in from late last year,” said another. “And they were specific with targets, including Westgate.”
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