Bombings trial opens, relatives seek justice
About the article
This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from January 2001.
Brought to you by
Shackled at the ankles, the defendants shuffled into the courtroom one by one on Wednesday and were introduced to 26 potential jurors as relatives of the victims watched closely. Two of the suspects could face the death penalty if convicted.
"I want to see what they look like. I want to look into their faces, into their eyes," Sue Bartley said of the accused. Bartley's husband and son were killed in the 7 August 1998, bombing at the embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Julian Leotis Bartley Sr., the embassy's US consul general, was the most senior US diplomat killed in the bombings. His son, Julian Jr., worked at the embassy. The twin bombings in Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, killed 224 people. Thousands more were injured.
The bombings were allegedly carried out to fulfill the commands of bin Laden, an exiled Saudi millionaire who is accused in an indictment of ordering Americans killed wherever they are found. Bin Laden, who is on the FBI's 10 most wanted list, is a fugitive. in the case. A $5 million reward has been offered for his capture.
In all, prosecutors have charged 22 men in the bombings. Bin Laden and 12 others remain at large.
