Kenyan security forces were warned four times in the last eight months of possible terror attacks in that country, and had information on the Iraqi terrorists responsible for the deadly attack in which 15 people were killed, among them three Israelis, according to a Kenyan newspaper.
In its Tuesday edition, the Daily Nation said that Kenyan security forces knew that terrorists were planning to carry out the attack in a coastal area and that a bomb had been smuggled into the country. The security forces even knew the name of the organization affiliated with Osama bin Laden and received names and photos of two Iraqi terrorists who were planning to enter Kenya via Somalia to carry out the attack.
The warnings were sent in March 2002 to high-level military officials, the police and intelligence organizations, the report said.
The paper further quoted sources as saying that the first warning was received on March 11 and referred to the Al-Ittihad al-Islami organization, affiliated with Al Qaeda, that was planning to attack western targets in Kenya.
The second warning was received the following day, and said that six explosives experts had left Somalia on their way to Kenya, in order to attack US, British and German targets on the Kenyan coast.
On March 27, the third warning was received and said that two terrorists were on their way to Kenya through Somalia. The fourth and last warning was received the following day and said that the two terrorists were on their way to Kenya. Authorities had details and photographs of the two, believed to have been responsible for the deadly terror attack, which took place last week. (Albawaba.com)
