The United States embassy in Dublin is to increase security measures in the wake of the bomb attacks at US diplomatic buildings in Tanzania and Kenya yesterday.
"Given the circumstances we are taking natural precautions including heightened security," a spokeswoman at the embassy in Ballsbridge said.
President McAleese sent messages of sympathy to President Clinton and to President Daniel arap Moi of Kenya and President Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania.
In her message to the US President, Mrs McAleese said she was very shocked to hear of the explosions. "I offer you the deep sympathy of the Irish people and of myself at this inexplicable and appalling attack, which we all unreservedly condemn."
The Taoiseach also extended his sympathies and those of the Government to all who suffered in the explosions, "which have caused such appalling deaths and injuries among embassy officials and the local communities in Kenya and Tanzania". The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, sent condolences to the US Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright.
The windows of the residence of the Irish charge d'affaires in Tanzania, Ms Isolde Moylan, were broken in the Dar es Salaam blast but no one was injured. The building is 250 m from the US embassy.
Ms Sara Clancy, the acting charge d'affaires, said from Dar es Salaam that most of the embassies are based on one side of the city and virtually all were damaged in some way.
The Irish Embassy or chancery, which is about two km from its American counterpart outside the city centre, was not damaged. The homes of some Tanzanian employees of the Irish Embassy near the US embassy building were damaged.
Ireland has an honorary consulate in the Kenyan capital where the bigger bomb went off yesterday. A number of Irish aid agencies are based in Nairobi but according to the Department of Foreign Affairs, based on the latest available information, no Irish people were injured in the blast.
