Embassy Bombing Victims Praise Senator Menendez on New Sudan Deal

US Citizens now treated equally & payment doubled for victims categorized as “foreign nationals” in original deal

Washington, DC—Victims of the 1998 embassy bombing are praising Senator Robert Menendez for his role in ensuring major improvements to the deal the State Department had negotiated to settle victims’ judgments against Sudan for its role in the US embassy bombings. Senator Menendez was able to remove the State Department’s unconstitutional distinction between native-born and naturalized US citizens and more than doubled the payment to US embassy bombing victims State Department had designated as “foreign nationals” in its original deal with Sudan. Language making these changes is included in the omnibus bill that is expected to be signed into law this week.

“From the start, Senator Menendez has fought for what is right when so many others were willing to take the easy path and just accept the bad deal the Trump Administration negotiated,” said Doreen Oport, an embassy employee injured in the attack. “He has been a champion for terror victims, and his leadership has now also created a path for the people of Sudan to take the next step toward democracy.”

The Trump Administration had originally insisted that naturalized American citizens not be counted as “Americans” in the settlement with Sudan. The settlement also set dramatically different compensation amounts for American and foreign national US embassy employees, despite both having final judgments against Sudan from the US Supreme Court. The new legislation ensures that US citizens born in Africa are treated the same as American-born victims. And it provides $150 million to ensure a more just overall distribution of settlement dollars, although Sudan is still negotiating with victims over the specific terms of the final distributions.

“For almost a year, Sudan said their unjust deal was the best and only solution, but Senator Menendez stood up for what was right—both for victims and America’s security—and he won,” said Anne Ramson, one of the victims who currently resides in New Jersey. “During a year with so many challenges, I’m grateful my Senator was willing to fight for victims and stand up for the basic American values threatened by the original deal.”

US Courts ruled that Sudan played a “critical” role in the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Over 700 victims and family of US embassy employees injured in the attack hold judgements against Sudan.

Contact: Eric Sapp, esapp@eleisongroup.com