ACCESSION NUMBER:276652

FILE ID:POL301

DATE:04/07/93

TITLE:WHITE HOUSE REPORT, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7 (04/07/93)

TEXT:*93040701.POL

WHITE HOUSE REPORT, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7



(Russia/explosion, terrorism review)  (470)

NEWS BRIEFING -- Communications Director George Stephanopoulos discussed

the following topics:



STORAGE MISHAP DISCUSSED

Stephanopoulos told questioners that Moscow has made no specific request

for assistance in dealing with the venting of radioactive material at a

storage facility in Tomsk.  Moscow reported the explosion in a radioactive

waste tank with a rating of "three" on the international nuclear event

scale on which "seven" is the highest possible ranking; previously, the

nuclear disaster at the Chernobyl facility in Ukraine was designated a

"seven," and the incident at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania a "five."

In view of that, the explosion at Tomsk was a "serious incident,"

Stephanopoulos said, adding, "As far as we know, the problem is a local

problem."



He pointed out that the assistance package presented to Russian President

Yeltsin at the Vancouver summit includes funds for civilian nuclear safety

measures in Russia and other states of the former Soviet Union.



Stephanopoulos said the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy had informed

Washington that the "living area" around the storage facility "is out of

danger, (but) we don't have any information about plant personnel."



An advisory sent to governments by the International Atomic Energy Agency

said the Russians have not asked for any assistance, he said.



Earlier, Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers said the staff of the National

Security Council and other agencies are monitoring the situation.  She said

she had no "official statement" on the accident, and she would not offer an

evaluation of any possible danger it could cause beyond Russia's borders.

1

STATE TO COORDINATE TERROR REVIEW

Stephanopoulos told a questioner the State Department will coordinate the

review of intelligence data on terrorism ordered by President Clinton after

Egyptian President Mubarak asserted that Cairo had warned of a

fundamentalist terror network in the United States.  He said the review

will cover the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency

and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.



On a second matter involving Mubarak, Myers denied Clinton had "rebuffed"

the Egyptian president on the issue of Palestinians deported by Israel, as

The New York Times reported.



"The president communicated to President Mubarak," she said, "that the

United States had offered a package to the Palestinians -- when Secretary

(of State) Christopher met with them last week -- that was a comprehensive

package and one that was effective and that the president believes will

bring the Palestinians back to the table, and President Mubarak agreed."



Before learning the content of that package, Mubarak had told The Times he

intended to urge Clinton to press Israel to be more forthcoming on allowing

the return of the deportees now stranded in southern Lebanon.  After

meeting Clinton, Mubarak said he was satisfied that the United States had

made a "maximum" effort on the issue.



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