In 1998, Prudence Bushnell, then the U.S. Ambassador to Kenya, bore witness to the al-Qaeda bombings of the American embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. She saw how these events unfolded and faded into history’s background firsthand. In her compelling new memoir, Terrorism, Betrayal, and Resilience: My Story of the 1998 U.S. Embassy Bombings, Bushnell shares what transpired on that fateful day. She also probes why the bombings—which killed 224 people—were possible, considering contemporary U.S. surveillance of al-Qaeda. Looking ahead, Bushnell also explores how today’s leaders can sidestep their predecessors’ miscalculations and prevent similar tragedies.
The CSIS Africa Program and CSIS Transnational Threats (TNT) Program invite you to an in-depth discussion with Ambassador Prudence Bushnell on February 8, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. on her recent book, Terrorism, Betrayal and Resilience: My Story of the 1998 US Embassy Bombings. Judd Devermont (CSIS Africa Program) and Seth Jones (CSIS TNT Program) will join Ambassador Bushnell to discuss lessons learned from her experience and current extremism trends in the region, including the recent attack on the Riverside Drive complex in Nairobi, Kenya.
Ambassador (Ret.) Prudence Bushnell is the author of Terrorism, Betrayal and Resilience: My Story of the 1998 US Embassy Bombings. As Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Africa Bureau (1998-96) and Ambassador to the Republics of Kenya and Guatemala (1996-2002) she practiced the leadership she “preached” as a management and leadership trainer before joining government service. Her efforts as a Washington policy-maker to bring attention to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda were featured in the 2005 film, Sometimes in April, in which she is portrayed by actress Debra Winger. During her tenure as ambassador to Kenya, Pru led the community’s response to the 1998 Al Qaeda bombing of the US embassy in Nairobi, which was recognized with the Department’s Award for Heroism. Glamour magazine named her one of the Top Ten Women of the Year and Vanity Fair magazine featured her in its Hall of Fame in 1998. After leaving the Foreign Service, Pru founded the Levitt Leadership Institute at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. She received the Rising Voice of Women Award from International Women’s Associates of Chicago in 2010 and was cited as one of the “20 All Time Greatest Feds” by Government Executive Magazine in 2011.
This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.
