News

DATE=8/7/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-236719 TITLE=BOMBINGS / U-S INVESTIGATION (L-ONLY) BYLINE=JIM RANDLE DATELINE=PENTAGON CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: THE UNITED STATES IS SENDING OFFICIALS TO INVESTIGATE THE EMBASSY BOMBINGS IN KENYA AND TANZANIA TO DETERMINE IF U-S INTELLIGENCE OR SECURITY FAILURES CONTRIBUTED TO THE ATTACKS. A U-S OFFICIAL SAYS THE ATTACKS WERE 'WELL PLANNED AND COORDINATED' AND 'NOT THE WORK OF AMATEURS.' TEXT: AGENTS AND FORENSIC EXPERTS FROM THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION ARE GOING TO NAIROBI AND DAR ES SALAM ALONG WITH MILITARY PERSONNEL. AN OFFICIAL WITH DECADES OF EXPERIENCE IN MILITARY SPECIAL OPERATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR FIGHTING TERRORISM SAYS INVESTIGATORS WANT TO KNOW WHAT, IF ANYTHING, SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE DIFFERENTLY AT THE EMBASSIES. PREVIOUS ATTACKS, LIKE THE ONE THAT WRECKED A U-S AIR FORCE BARRACKS IN SAUDI ARABIA IN 1996, PROMPTED NEW FOCUS ON PROTECTING AMERICANS SERVING ABROAD AND NEW RESOURCES FOR SECURITY GUARDS, BARRIERS AND EQUIPMENT. THE ANTI-TERRORISM OFFICIAL SAYS HE AND OTHERS WILL GO BACK THROUGH INTELLIGENCE REPORTS AND DATA TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY SORT OF WARNING OR CLUE BEFORE THESE NEW ATTACKS. THE EXPERT SAYS U-S INVESTIGATORS WILL CERTAINLY SEEK LINKAGES BETWEEN THIS ATTACK AND EARLIER ONES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. BUT HE CAUTIONS AGAINST ASSUMING THERE IS A MIDDLE EAST CONNECTION -- THAT THERE IS SIGNIFICANT UNREST IN PARTS OF AFRICA THAT COULD POSSIBLY, IN SOME WAY, BE LINKED TO THE ATTACKS. A DIFFERENT U-S OFFICIAL SAYS THERE HAS BEEN NO 'CREDIBLE CLAIM OF RESPONSIBILITY' FOR THE ATTACKS, AND SAID THEY SHOWED 'MONTHS OF PLANNING.' THE OFFICIAL SAYS THERE ARE 'ALWAYS THREATS AGAINST U-S INTERESTS AROUND THE WORLD' AND THERE HAS BEEN AN 'UPSURGE IN SUCH THREATS IN RECENT MONTHS.' THE ANTI-TERRORISM EXPERT SAYS INVESTIGATORS EXPECT TO LEARN A LOT ABOUT THE ATTACKERS BY CAREFUL STUDY OF THE BOMB SITES. HOW LARGE WERE THE BOMBS? WHAT SORT OF EXPLOSIVE WAS USED? HOW SOPHISTICATED WERE THE DEVICES AND WHERE DID THE MATERIALS COME FROM? AN OFFICIAL CALLS THESE ATTACKS 'TERRIBLE' BUT SAYS THEY WOULD BE EVEN WORSE IF U-S FORCES FAIL TO LEARN LESSONS FROM THEM. (SIGNED). NEB/JR/LTD/RRM 07-Aug-98 1:54 PM EDT (1754 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .