NEWARK – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, released the below statement Sunday following an attack on the Manda Bay Airfield military base in Kenya. The airstrip attack, which killed a U.S. military member and injured two other U.S. contractors, comes on the heels of a car bombing in Mogadishu that claimed nearly 80 lives last week. Al Shabaab has claimed credit for both attacks.
“I condemn the attack in Kenya today that claimed the life of an American service member and two additional Americans, and convey my deepest condolences to the families of those who were killed.
“As we await further information on the specifics of this latest attack, it is clear that despite U. S. and international efforts to contain Al Shabaab, this terror organization remains a significant and active threat. It’s past time that the Senate engage in a serious examination of the Trump Administration’s policy towards Somalia and the Horn of Africa more broadly in order to help determine what we can do to protect our citizens from the threat of terrorism and prevent more of these ruthless attacks in the future. It is my sincere hope that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will use this moment to assert its oversight responsibilities and convene a hearing in the coming weeks to do just that.”
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