$2m bounty to find bombers

THE UNITED States yesterday offered a $2m reward for information leading to the capture of the bombers who attacked embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.

Madeline Albright, the US Secretary of State, looked sombre as she addressed State Department officials in Washington. "Although terror can turn buildings to rubble and laughter to tears, it can never, will never, deter America from its purpose or presence around the globe," she said, repeating a theme that has run through the American reaction to the bombings.

The death toll in the Nairobi bombing reached 192 yesterday, including 12 Americans and 27 Kenyans who worked at the embassy. In Dar es Salaam, 10 Tanzanians died and 70 were wounded. As well as dozens who are still critically ill in Kenya, three people wounded in Nairobi are still in critical condition in hospital in Germany.

The coffins of 11 dead Americans killed in the blast began their long journey back to the US last night from Kenya. They were due to arrive at an American base in Germany last night. The 12th American was married to a Kenyan and will be buried in Kenya. Ms Albright said that she would fly to Germany to accompany the bodies. There will be a ceremony on Thursday to mark their return, and President Bill Clinton will return early from a campaign trip to California.

In possibly the first breakthrough in the investigations , the Tanzanian assistant police commissioner, Wilson Mwansasu, announced yesterday that "there were some suspects arrested ... in different parts of Dar es Salaam". Mr Mwansasu added that they were "connected to others," but refused to elaborate.

In Washington the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Susan Rice, said about a dozen people had been detained for questioning in "a routine roundup" and added: "Don't attach too much importance to it."

Mr Mwansasu refused to comment on Ms Rice's remarks or the nationalities of those arrested.

Another US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Sudanese and Iraqi citizens were among those detained. There was no immediate explanation of why the American officials referred to detentions when the Tanzanians spoke of arrests.

In Nairobi, as rescue efforts continued more than three days after the bombing, a faint tapping sound gave rescue workers hope that a woman was still alive inside the rubble. There was a call for silence and rescue workers downed tools and strained to listen.

They believed the tapping was coming from a woman, known only as Rose, who they were talking to until midday on Sunday. They heard it first yesterday morning, and again in the early afternoon, nearly 80 hours after the blast.

"I am full of hope she is alive and is hanging in there," said Meital Hallawi, of the Israeli rescue team

The Clinton administration will tomorrow ask Congress for extra cash to rebuild the embassies, tighten security at other embassies, and assist Kenya and Tanzania in recovering from the explosions.