http://www.infowars.com/some-got-warning-to-avoid-westgate-before-bloody-siege/

( Who knew ahead of time , why wasn't a broader warning not given , when will the Kenyan government come clean ? )

Some Got Warning To Avoid Westgate Before Bloody Siege

NIS officials told family members not to visit shopping mall

Paul Joseph Watson
Infowars.com
September 27, 2013

Kenya’s National Intelligence Agency (NIS) warned some people not to visit the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi before the bloody siege, a warning that was not received by the 67 victims who lost their lives during the attack.

Image: Westgate Shopping Mall.

Buried at the end of a London Independent report about the incident is the revelation that NIS, “did warn the police and officials inside the President’s office before the Westgate siege, but its warnings went unheeded.”

Individual officials with NIS also told their family members to avoid the Westgate mall on Saturday because it would be the target of an attack. A pregnant policewoman was warned by her brother, an NIS officer, not to visit Westgate.

“She has told police that her brother who is a NIS officer warned her not to visit Westgate that Saturday because she would not be able to run,” a senior officer said.

Evidence of prior knowledge that went unheeded is just one of the many questions that are still circulating in the aftermath of the horrific attack, details about which are only becoming more gruesome.

Doctors who have had the chance to examine victims say that their injuries are consistent with rape and brutal torture, including eyeballs being gouged out and fingers and parts of noses ripped off using pliers.

Dozens of hostages are still unaccounted for, while the fate of the attackers is still being kept under wraps by authorities. An explanation as to why part of the mall collapsed after an explosion in the final stages of the siege has also not been forthcoming, causing mounting public anger.

As we highlighted earlier this week, the attack was carried out by Somalia’s Al Shabaab terror group, which is the African branch of Al-Qaeda, and is ideologically aligned with the same jihadists that the US and NATO backed in Libya and are currently supporting in Syria. The 2011 invasion of Libya expanded Al-Qaeda’s operational capacity in both Africa and the Middle East.

and...

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/27/kenya-military-westgate-mall

Kenya's military caused the collapse of three floors of Nairobi's Westgate mall during the terrorist siege in which at least 67 people died, a top-ranking government official has said.

The account comes before the release of findings from an ongoing forensic investigation into the attack and raises the possibility that the military may have killed hostages in their rescue attempt. An undisclosed number of people are reportedly buried in the rubble.

The official said autopsies will determine if any bodies found there were killed by falling debris or the attackers.

US ambassador Robert F Godec said the United States is concerned about the spectre of more violence from the Somali Islamic group, al-Shabaab, which claimed responsibility for the attack.

"Obviously they do pose a threat and it's critically important, I think, that we understand what the terrorists in that organisation are up to, how they carry out attacks and really seek to frankly end the threat that the organisation poses," Godec said. "We are working very hard with Kenya, and other countries, to do so."

FBI agents – along with investigators from Britain, Canada and Germany – have been dispatched to investigate the crime scene. Many of the dead were foreigners.

The Kenyan official also confirmed that Kenyan troops fired rocket-propelled grenades inside the mall, but would not say what was used to cause the collapse or whether it was intentional. The account at least partially backs up information from another official on Wednesday, who said rocket-propelled grenades fired by soldiers created a gaping hole in the mall's roof and caused the floors to collapse.

Inside the mall on Friday, a pushchair was overturned on the marble floor next to wilting fresh flowers at a florist shop. Slabs of concrete sat on top of flattened cars in the parking area while in other parts there are rows of scorched vehicles.

Four huge explosions rocked the mall on Monday. The government has not publicly explained what caused the floors to collapse. One official earlier suggested it was caused by a mattress fire inside the Nakumatt department store.

A destroyed section of the Westgate mall in Nairobi, Kenya. An undisclosed number of people are reportedly buried in the rubble. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Amid the possibility that some of the attackers escaped during the mass evacuation of civilians, Kenyan authorities have increased surveillance at border crossings and at Nairobi's airport, the senior official said.

A car has been discovered that is believed to have been used by the attackers who led the attack at the mall, the official added. Investigators are tracing the car's ownership after it was retrieved outside the mall.

Joseph Ole Lenku, Kenya's interior minister, said at least eight suspects are being held over the attack. Three others who had been detained were released.

Kenyan police have given little information since the attack, saying the investigation has only just begun.

It will take investigators at least seven days to comb through the rubble of the mall, where some bodies are believed to be buried, Lenku has said.

Al-Shabaab said it carried out the attack because Kenya sent its troops into Somalia to fight the militants.

The Kenyan Red Cross says 61 people remain missing and many worry their bodies may be buried in the destroyed part of the mall – though the government has insisted few victims are believed to still be inside.

***

http://standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000094303&story_title=mystery-of-71-missing-persons-as-siege-ends

Mystery of 71 missing persons as Nairobi’s Westgate Mall siege ends

Updated Wednesday, September 25th 2013 at 23:40 GMT +3

How the attack happened

By NYAMBEGA GISESA

ngisesa@standardmedia.co.ke

NAIROBI; KENYA: Forensic investigators sifted through the rubble at the Westgate Mall as questions lingered about the fate of dozens reported missing at the end of the deadly four-day siege.

Authorities had indicated the terrorists had hostages inside the upscale shopping complex during the standoff, but authorities, curiously, appeared to avoid the matter or give inconclusive responses after prodding.

President Kenyatta on Tuesday night said three floors of the building had collapsed and “there were several bodies still trapped in the rubble including some terrorists.”

On Wednesday, Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Ole Lenku said although some bodies could still be trapped in the rubble, the number of the dead “is not expected to increase significantly.”

Officially, 67 people — 61 civilians and six security agents — were killed during the attack after gunmen struck the shopping complex on Saturday morning firing indiscriminately at shoppers and staff.

But the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) reported a death toll of 69, and added 63 were recorded as missing. The Government has blamed the inconsistency on a possible “double count” by aid workers. However, the last update given by KRCS yesterday afternoon points out that “the number of persons reported to KRCS as missing has risen to 71.”

Other than being involved in forensics, according to the Times of Israel, the role of Israelis in the Westgate Mall situation has not been clear.

On Monday, Israeli defence officials confirmed a team was dispatched to Nairobi within hours of the hostage crisis, but said that armed fighting units were not part of the delegation.

On Wednesday morning, soldiers from Langata’s Maroon Commandos were among the last combat units to leave the mall after the final assault early Tuesday.

Other teams that took part in the operation were the Kenya Defence Forces’ 75 Artillery, 20 Para, 30 Special Forces and 40 Rangers Strike Force unit.

“We left behind a team of Israeli experts who came with small dogs with big ears to start carrying out forensic (investigation),” said a soldier involved in the final operation.

The terrorists are said to have stuffed most of the bodies in specific rooms that were close to the source of the fire and where part of the building caved in.

“It might take several days to retrieve some of the bodies that might have been trapped in the debris,” said another soldier.

On Tuesday after soldiers defeated the terrorists, one of the KDF soldiers described a “scene from a horror movie”.

“There was blood everywhere. Some bodies were burnt and others rotting,” he told The Standard. In some rooms, bodies were strewn on the floor, added the soldier, who declined to be named as he discussed the sensitive operation.

Yesterday, those who spoke to The Standard demanded a list of people killed or injured during the Westgate Mall siege. “Where can I go to find a complete list of Kenyans killed or injured at Westgate? I have a friend there that I have not heard from,” Ike Okafor enquired from The Standard last evening through e-mail.

Another mystery surrounds the terrorists – although officials estimated them at between 10 and 15, only five were reported killed after Special Forces stormed the building.

Explosion

There are questions as to the whereabouts of the rest, although authorities say 10 suspects are in custody.

By the time we went to press yesterday, a loud explosion was reported in Wajir town. However, The Standard could not immediately confirm what caused the explosion.

Earlier yesterday, forensic experts scoured the debris at Westgate Mall to identify bodies and secure vital evidence. Foreign teams from Israel, US, Canada, Germany and UK joined the operation.

Authorities said the priority was debris clearance to facilitate immediate recovery of bodies.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Ole Lenku said the process, which involves fingerprinting, DNA and ballistics examination, would go on for the next seven days.

Lenku gave an update of the situation flanked by the Chief of Defence Forces Gen Julius Karangi, Inspector-General David Kimaiyo, Defence Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo and her Foreign Affairs counterpart Amina Mohamed, among others.

Authorities said they were yet to establish the identities of the terrorists. “We have also been asked about the presence of a woman among the terrorists. We cannot conclusively confirm the identity of any of the suspects until the forensic investigations have been concluded,” he added.

On Wednesday, President Uhuru Kenyatta chaired an emergency Cabinet meeting and another by the National Security Council.

Secretary to the Cabinet Francis Kimemia said the special NSAC meeting was “to push for a revitalised national and regional counter terrorism strategy and disaster management.”

Officials also fought off claims of intelligence failure, saying the Government had foiled several terror plots in the recent past.

“The Government has received many terror alerts over the last two years, and prevented them without the knowledge of Kenyans. This was unfortunate,” Interior PS Mutea Iringo tweeted Wednesday.

Today, the Director General of the National Intelligence Service Michael Gichangi is expected to appear before the National Assembly Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations where the Westgate crisis could feature.

and....

http://standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000094308&story_title=kenyan-authorities-on-the-spot-over-slip-ups

Westgate attack: Kenyan authorities on the spot over slip-ups

Updated Wednesday, September 25th 2013 at 23:40 GMT +3

GLANCE FACTS

We are doing a clean-up of explosives that had been set up by the terrorists. — Tweet by Kenya Police

Armoured personnel carriers leave Westgate area after the end of operation against terrorists. [PHOTO: standard]

By JAMES MBAKA

KENYA: Apparent contradictions in official accounts of the four-day siege on the Westgate Mall have put authorities on the spot.

A classic example was who started the fire that caused plumes of thick black smoke that billowed from the building on Monday. Initially, authorities claimed security forces had done it as a tactic but they later blamed it on the attackers.

At some point, senior government officials and security operatives contradicted each other in the open and then made belated alterations under the guise of ‘official information’.

Convince Kenyans

As President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday evening addressed the nation and declared that “ Al-Shabaabare defeated”, his statement appeared to attempt to convince Kenyans and the world at large that the fierce battle to reclaim the mall was over.

The president’s message was that 67 people, including six soldiers, had been killed as a result of the attack on Westgate. He noted that five attackers had also been killed and 11 of them captured. According to the earlier figures, the number of those arrested was 16.

However, the Interior minister had earlier in the day stated that security agents had arrested 10 suspects for interrogation in connection to the Westgate attack.

It became difficult to verify the truth of the statements being released after the military drove away journalists covering the attack.

Claims that security forces had rescued people on Monday and Tuesday morning could not be verified after the government failed to release the figures. The media, which had camped only 300m from the gate, did not see any hostage being rescued as the number of those held by attackers remained unclear.

On Sunday, the government had estimated the number of hostages to be 30, including children, but the media was not given the actual figures as the rescue mission purportedly continued.

Only ambulances and military pick-ups could be seen driving up to the entrance doors before speeding off, raising anxiety that they were ferrying dead bodies.

The military said three floors caved in but the cause has not been established.

While addressing the press accompanied by Inspector-General of Police David Kimaiyo and Chief of Staff Major General Julius Karangi, Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku appeared to slip up on what appeared to be a rehearsed statement and suggested that the military was responsible for the fire before the two officers nudged him into recanting the statement, and blaming the fire on the terrorists.

President Kenyatta, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), announced on Tuesday evening that the siege was over, but added that the losses were “immense”.

But late on Monday, the Interior ministry on its Twitter handle had already declared the siege was over.

“We’re in control of Westgate,” read the tweet, about three-and-a-half days after Al-Shabaab militants stormed the mall.

State House spokesman Manoah Esipisu also said all hostages were believed to have been evacuated.

“Our special forces are inside the building checking the rooms. We think that everyone, the hostages, have been evacuated, but we do not want to take any chances,” he was quoted to have said.

“The hostages who were being held by the Mujahideen inside Westgate are still alive, looking quite disconcerted but, nevertheless, alive,” Al-Shabaab said in a message posted on its latest Twitter handle after an earlier one was pulled down.

Police tweet

Also on Tuesday morning, before the break of the stand-off, Kenyan police posted a message on Twitter saying they were diffusing explosives set up by the militants at the mall.

“We are doing a clean-up of explosives that had been set up by the terrorists,” Kenyan police said in a tweet.

“The Special Forces call this sanitising. At the moment, they have not met any resistance, but of course we are not ruling out the possibility that there are a couple of them hiding in a remote room or corner,” said Esipisu.

But fierce sporadic shooting erupted again on the same day – hours after officials had claimed the special forces were “in control” of the mall – and Al-Shabaab had also claimed to be still holding hostages.

As government authorities insisted it was in control, sporadic bursts could be heard again. Earlier on Tuesday, Al-Shabaab bragged in a Twitter message that their fighters were “still holding their ground”.

There were conflicting reports about the true identity of the attackers, six of whom are reported to have been killed by Kenyan special forces during the siege, and the number of those who were allegedly in custody.

No details have been given on the number of hostages freed, or those still being held, but 63 people were earlier recorded missing by the Kenya Red Cross. This figure was thought to include hostages as well as those possibly killed by their captors.

Another issue raised was the identity of the woman suspected to be the commander of the attackers. Witnesses said they saw a woman leading the militants, but the Interior minister said there was no woman even as the President acknowledged the presence of a woman.

On multiple occasions, Western security officials fear that several fighters slipped out of the mall during the mayhem of the attack, dropping their guns and disguising themselves as civilians, an account echoed by some witnesses.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2013/0925/Kenya-info-blackout-Extraordinary-lack-of-detail-about-Westgate-siege.-video

Even as President Uhuru Kenyatta was giving his televised address on Tuesday, telling the world that the siege of Nairobi’s Westgate mall was over, Kenya’s "netizens" were celebrating.

With the hashtag #WeAreOne, praise for President Kenyatta, the Kenya Defense Forces, the police and the Red Cross swamped Twitter and other social media, as did elegies for the 61 civilians and six security officers the president said to have died during the assault.

Soon, however, the tone had noticeably hardened: “SO. MANY. QUESTIONS” tweeted @kenyanpundit. In another, Kenyan authorities had “not provided a single mugshot of the attackers,” as @bonifacemwangi tweeted.

By Wednesday, a list of 85 questions drawn up by Kenyan citizens was doing the rounds online, demanding answers from their government that was either unable or unwilling to clarify fundamental aspects of the 80-hour ordeal.

During the Tuesday speech, Kenyatta did not clarify the final number of people who died. He said 61 civilians, six troops and five attackers were dead but did not spell out if that was in addition to a Kenya Red Cross toll of 62 already counted fatalities.

A further 71 people are registered missing, the charity said Wednesday.

More bodies, including those of the militants, were buried in rubble where a portion of the Westgate Shopping Mall collapsed in the last hours of the siege, Kenyatta said. But he was unable to say how many attackers there were, or how they ferried apparently large amounts of ammunition or conspicuously heavy weapons into the four-story mall.

Perhaps most disturbingly for those still waiting for news of missing loved ones, he did not mention the word “hostage” once in his 15-minute address.

Early reports from the mall siege gave the impression that there were perhaps dozens of people being held after the first waves of hundreds who managed to escape as the attackers took over the complex.

The Kenya Red Cross established an emergency field hospital in the basement car park of a Hindu community hall, to “be prepared for many injured”, according to Rashmi Shah, one of the center's managers.

In the event, fewer than 10 people were treated there, and most of those were soldiers. By Tuesday, the triage hospital unit was shut.

Now among the most urgent questions that has been raised: “Where are the hostages?”

Critics are raising allegations against national intelligence and security forces of how such a heavily armed band of foreigners was allowed to enter Kenya, and then to transfer their arsenal into the guarded mall.

"My position, and the police will investigate this, is that there was a very serious lapse in security, which may have gone on for six months,” said Laban Onditi Rao, vice-chairman of the Kenyan National Chamber of Commerce, who was communicating with the mall's owners and security staff during the siege.

"There is the idea that they hired a shop there, and that would give them accessibility all over the mall, and would allow some of them to pass security easily because they would be known," he said.

Responding to this, Manoah Esipisu, Kenya’s presidential spokesman, said late Tuesday that, “we’re leaving nothing to chance" in the investigation, including whether the militant gang had rented a shop at Westgate, or that they had an insider helping them.

As demands for answers to still unexplained aspects of the assault grew on Wednesday, Mr. Esipisu’s phone was switched off.

One Kenyatta administration official said that “there seems to be a shutdown of information” within the government, and no real details are getting out to its citizens. The official requested anonymity to speak candidly about internal government operations.

Meanwhile, US, Israeli and British forensics experts were preparing to enter the mall to help Kenyan authorities assess what is now a vast crime scene. It is expected that their inquiries will continue for at least a week.

“We will provide additional assistance in the coming days to investigate this attack and to bring its organizers and perpetrators to justice,” said Robert Godec, the US ambassador to Kenya. “We will continue to work together with Kenya to stop the scourge of terrorism.”

Kenyatta said that “we cannot confirm the details at present” of reports that two American citizens and a Briton were among the attackers.

By the end of Wednesday in Nairobi, a new hashtag had emerged, #WeAreOne_dering.