News

DATE=8/17/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-237214 TITLE=PAKISTAN EVACUATION (L-OVERNIGHT) BYLINE=DOUGLAS BAKSHIAN DATELINE=ISLAMABAD CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: IN PAKISTAN MOST U-S EMBASSY PERSONNEL ARE LEAVING AMID SECURITY CONCERNS, BUT MANY PRIVATE AMERICANS SAY THEY WILL STAY FOR THE TIME BEING. VOA CORRESPONDENT DOUGLAS BAKSHIAN REPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT FOLLOWS THE ARREST OF A SUSPECT IN THE U-S EMBASSY BOMBINGS IN EAST AFRICA. TEXT: THE U-S STATE DEPARTMENT HAS ORDERED THE PULL-OUT OF MANY AMERICAN STAFF CITING, WHAT IT CALLS, SERIOUS INDICATIONS OF A THREAT TO U-S FACILITIES AND CITIZENS. THERE ARE ALSO THOUSANDS OF PRIVATE AMERICANS WORKING AND LIVING IN PAKISTAN AND THE U-S EMBASSY HELD A BRIEFING FOR SOME OF THEM AT A U-S CENTER IN ISLAMABAD. PEOPLE ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PERCEIVED THREAT TO AMERICANS AND WAYS TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY ON SHORT NOTICE. BUT AFTER THE DISCUSSION MANY AMERICANS SAID THEY SAW NO NEED TO LEAVE PAKISTAN AT THIS TIME. BARBARA SALEEM, WHOSE HUSBAND WORKS WITH AN OIL COMPANY, SAYS SHE WILL NEED MORE INFORMATION BEFORE MAKING A MOVE. // SALEEM ACT // I HAVE NO FEELINGS YET. I MEAN IT'S TOO SOON. WE ARE NOT GETTING ALL THE INFORMATION YET. SO UNTIL WE GET MORE INFORMATION IS WHEN I WILL KNOW WHAT TO DO. AND AS FAR AS I KNOW WE'RE STAYING HERE. // END ACT // MRS. SALEEM SAYS SHE HAS BEEN IN AREAS OF TENSION BEFORE. SHE SAYS SHE WAS LIVING ABROAD DURING THE GULF WAR. SUSAN CARL, A PHOTOGRAPHER WITH A GROUP CALLED THE INDEPENDENT BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN ISSUES, IS ALSO STAYING IN PAKISTAN. HOWEVER, SHE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE COUNTRY COULD BECOME DANGEROUS IN TIMES OF TENSION. // CARL ACT // I THINK THAT SOMETHING VERY BAD COULD HAPPEN HERE. IT'S VERY POSSIBLE. I THINK THAT THERE COULD BE A BACKLASH IF ANYTHING HAPPENS WITH BIN LADEN. // END ACT // OSAMA BIN LADEN IS A SAUDI MILITANT CONSIDERED BY WESTERN EXPERTS TO BE ONE OF THE WORLD'S MAJOR SPONSORS OF TERRORISM. HE HAS DECLARED A HOLY WAR ON THE UNITED STATES AND IS BELIEVED TO BE STAYING IN AFGHANISTAN. MUCH ATTENTION HAS FOCUSED ON MR. BIN LADEN IN THE WAKE OF THE U-S EMBASSY BOMBINGS IN AFRICA. SECURITY OFFICIALS DESCRIBE PAKISTAN AS A HIGH-THREAT COUNTRY AND THERE HAS BEEN SELECTED VIOLENCE AGAINST AMERICANS HERE IN THE RECENT PAST. LAST NOVEMBER SEVERAL AMERICAN BUSINESSMEN IN KARACHI WERE SHOT TO DEATH IN A CAR AND IN 1995 TWO AMERICAN CONSULAR EMPLOYEES WERE GUNNED DOWN ON THEIR WAY TO WORK. (SIGNED) NEB/DB/LTD/KL 17-Aug-98 1:39 PM EDT (1739 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .