PRINTER'S NO. 3769
No. 755 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY LENTZ, ADOLPH, BEAR, BRENNAN, CALTAGIRONE, CIVERA, CLYMER, COSTA, CREIGHTON, DONATUCCI, GALLOWAY, GEORGE, GIBBONS, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HARPER, HORNAMAN, JAMES, W. KELLER, KILLION, KORTZ, MANTZ, McCALL, MELIO, MILLARD, MUSTIO, O'NEILL, PALLONE, PASHINSKI, PAYNE, PAYTON, PETRONE, QUINN, RAMALEY, RAPP, READSHAW, REICHLEY, SABATINA, SAINATO, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SEIP, SIPTROTH, SWANGER, R. TAYLOR, TRUE, VEREB, VULAKOVICH, WALKO, J. WHITE, YUDICHAK, MANN, GODSHALL AND MOYER, MAY 14, 2008
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, MAY 14, 2008
A RESOLUTION 1 Recognizing Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent 2 Stephen Gaudin for his pivotal role in the international war 3 on terror. 4 WHEREAS, On the morning of August 7, 1998, the United States 5 embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, were 6 attacked by terrorists driving explosive-laden trucks; and 7 WHEREAS, The attack on the United States Embassy in Nairobi, 8 Kenya, resulted in 213 embassy employee and civilian deaths and 9 more than 4,000 injuries; and 10 WHEREAS, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent 11 Stephen Gaudin traveled with an FBI unit to Nairobi, Kenya, 12 hours after the August 7, 1998, suicide bombing; and 13 WHEREAS, Upon arrival, Special Agent Gaudin was selected by 14 his superior officer, Agent Pat D'Amuro, to travel to Eastleigh,
1 a Nairobi suburb, with members of the Kenyan Criminal 2 Investigation Division and two colleagues from the United 3 States, in order to investigate a suspicious male visiting the 4 town's hotel; and 5 WHEREAS, By traveling to Eastleigh, a town with a population 6 comprised primarily of Somali immigrants and violent anti- 7 American sentiment, Special Agent Gaudin continued to press the 8 investigation without regard to his personal safety and 9 security; and 10 WHEREAS, Once in Eastleigh, Special Agent Gaudin and his 11 colleagues apprehended the suspicious man; and 12 WHEREAS, The male was identified as Mohamed Rashed Daoud al- 13 'Owhali, a trusted member of Osama bin Laden's Third Martyr 14 Barracks, First Squad of the El Bara bin Malik Division of the 15 Army of Liberating the Islamic Holy Lands; and 16 WHEREAS, Special Agent Gaudin interrogated al-'Owhali for ten 17 days and succeeded in obtaining critical information; and 18 WHEREAS, Special Agent Gaudin succeeded in linking al-'Owhali 19 and Al-Qaeda to the attacks against the United States Embassy in 20 Nairobi, Kenya; and 21 WHEREAS, As a result of that information, al-'Owhali admitted 22 to Special Agent Gaudin that Osama bin Laden selected him to 23 perform a martyrdom operation at the United States Embassy in 24 Nairobi, and that it was to be a suicide mission; and 25 WHEREAS, Special Agent Gaudin obtained further information 26 from al-'Owhali that ultimately may have thwarted additional 27 terrorist attacks against the United States; therefore be it 28 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 29 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania recognize Federal Bureau of 30 Investigation Special Agent Stephen Gaudin for his pivotal role 20080H0755R3769 - 2 -
1 in the international war on terror; and be it further 2 RESOLVED, That Special Agent Gaudin's conduct during the 3 investigation led to the apprehension and conviction of Al-Qaeda 4 member Mohamed Rashed Daoud al-'Owhali regarding the 1998 5 suicide bombing of the United States Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, 6 which ultimately thwarted other terrorist attacks; and be it 7 further 8 RESOLVED, That the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 9 Pennsylvania recognize Special Agent Stephen Gaudin for his 10 courage and commitment to his nation and direct that a copy of 11 this resolution be presented to him. E13L82AJM/20080H0755R3769 - 3 -