News

DATE=1/13/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-244161 TITLE=U-S / BIN LADEN (L-ONLY) BYLINE=JIM RANDLE DATELINE=WASHINGTON CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: U-S OFFICIALS SAY THEY CAME CLOSE TO KILLING THE MAN THEY BLAME FOR BOMBING TWO U-S EMBASSIES IN AFRICA LAST AUGUST. THE U-S RETALIATED A SHORTTIME AFTER THE ATTACKS WITH A FLURRY OF CRUISE MISSILES. NEWLY REVEALED SATELLITE PHOTOS SHOW SOME OF THE WEAPONS NARROWLY MISSED THEIR TARGETS,INCLUDING ALLGED TERRORIST LEADER OSAMA BIN LADEN. V-O-A'S JIM RANDLE REPORTS. TEXT: THE SATELLITE PICTURES WERE SHOWN ON U-S TELEVISION NETWORKS (ABC AND CBS) AND U-S OFFICIALS SAY THEY SHOW THE IMPACT OF THE ATTACK ON FIVE VILLAS WHERE OSAMA BIN LADEN AND HIS TOP AIDES WERE STAYING. TWO OF THE BUILDINGS WERE DESTROYED, SOME OTHERS WERE DAMAGED BY NEARBY EXPLOSIONS. NEWS ACCOUNTS SAY A TOP BIN LADEN AID DIED IN THE ATTACK, ALONG WITH 33 OTHER PEOPLE. BUT BIN LADEN SURVIVED AND MAY HAVE LEFT THE CAMP A FEW HOURS BEFORE THE STRIKE. HE RECENTLY RENEWED HIS CALL FOR MUSLIMS TO ATTACK AMERICANS. OSAMA BIN LADEN IS FROM A WEALTHY SAUDI FAMILY AND IS SAID TO HAVE A FORTUNE MEASURED IN THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. HE FOUGHT WITH THE ANTI-SOVIET FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN IN THE 1980'S, BUT IS NOW MAKING WAR AGAINST AMERICANS. U-S OFFICIALS SAY HE SPONSORED A NUMBER OF TERRORIST ATTACKS ON U-S TARGETS BEFORE THE EMBASSY BOMBINGS. U-S OFFICIALS SAY THEY HAVE LAUNCHED AN UNPRECEDENTED GLOBAL EFFORT TO TRACKDOWN BIN LADEN, HIS FORTUNE AND HIS OPERATIVES. ONE NEWS REPORT SAYS THEY ARE ALSO DRAWING UP PLANS FOR NEW ATTACKS ON CAMPS AND OTHER FACILITIES IN AFGHANISTAN, SHOULD U-S INTERESTS BE HIT AGAIN BY BIN LADEN-SPONSORED TERRORISTS. (SIGNED) NEB/PT 13-Jan-99 9:00 PM EST (0200 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .