DATE=2/19/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-227018
TITLE=NEW YORK THREAT (L)
BYLINE=ELAINE JOHANSON
DATELINE=NEW YORK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  AN ARREST IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES TODAY (THURSDAY) 
BY THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION -- OF TWO MEN SUSPECTED OF
POSSESSING HARMFUL BIOLOGICAL SUBSTANCES -- TRIGGERED RUMORS THAT
NEW YORK CITY'S SUBWAY SYSTEM MIGHT BE THE TARGET.  THE MAYOR OF 
NEW YORK, RUDOLPH GIULIANI, QUICKLY DISPELLED THOSE FEARS.  V-O-A
CORRESPONDENT ELAINE JOHANSON REPORTS FROM NEW YORK:

TEXT:  MAYOR GIULIANI CALLED A NEWS CONFERENCE TO QUASH THE FALSE
REPORT THAT THE SUSPECTS WERE PLOTTING AGAINST NEW YORK:

                       // GIULIANI ACT //

         THE DIRECTOR OF THE F-B-I AND THE F-B-I IN NEW YORK TELL
         US THERE IS NOTHING IN THE ARREST TO SUGGEST AN 
         IMMEDIATE THREAT TO NEW YORK CITY, THAT THE ARREST -- 
         WHATEVER THE EVENTUAL CHARGES THAT ARE FILED -- DOES NOT
         INVOLVE A PLOT ON THE CITY OF NEW YORK AS WAS 
         INCORRECTLY REPORTED IN A-P (ASSOCIATED PRESS) AND 
         ATTRIBUTED TO AN F-B-I SOURCE.

                          // END ACT //



WHILE IT APPEARS NEW YORK CITY IS OUT OF IMMEDIATE DANGER, MAYOR 
GIULIANI SAYS NEW YORK DID FIGURE AS A POTENTIAL TARGET IN 
STATEMENTS ATTRIBUTED TO ONE OF THE SUSPECTS IN THE PAST.  HE 
SAYS THE F-B-I WILL INVESTIGATE FURTHER:

                       // GIULIANI ACT //

         ONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED -- OVER A YEAR AGO -- 
         MADE COMMENTS ABOUT NEW YORK CITY AND ABOUT PLANS FOR 
         NEW YORK CITY, AS WELL AS MANY OTHER COMMENTS HE'S MADE 
         ABOUT OTHER PLACES AND OTHER THINGS, AND THOSE ARE NOW 
         PRESENTLY BEING EVALUATED.

                          // END ACT //

MAYOR GIULIANI SHRUGS OFF THE NEED FOR EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES.  
HE SAYS OPEN SOCIETIES, IN PARTICULAR, ARE VULNERABLE TO 
TERRORISM.  AND SHORT OF SHUTTING NEW YORK CITY DOWN, THE MAYOR 
SAYS THERE IS  NO  WAY TO MAKE IT COMPLETELY SAFE.

                         // REST OPT //

TERRORISM STRUCK NEW YORK IN 1993, WHEN ISLAMIC MILITANTS BOMBED 
THE WORLD TRADE CENTER.  OTHER CITY LANDMARKS WERE ALSO ON THEIR 
TARGET LIST.   (SIGNED)

NEB/NY/EJ/LSF/WTW

19-Feb-98 4:55 PM EST (2155 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.