News

DATE=8/12/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-236984 TITLE=BOMBINGS--IRAN ENVOYS (S ONLY) BYLINE=GIL BUTLER DATELINE=STATE DEPARTMENT CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: A U-S STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL HAS DENIED ALLEGATIONS IN A WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER THAT IRAN WITHDREW ITS AMBASSADORS TO KENYA AND TANZANIA LESS THAN TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE BOMB ATTACKS ON AMERICAN EMBASSIES. THE ALLEGATION, BY AN IRANIAN RESISTANCE GROUP, WAS PRINTED IN THE WASHINGTON TIMES' WEDNESDAY EDITION. V-O-A'S GIL BUTLER HAS A REPORT FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT. TEXT: STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMEN HAD BEEN ASKED ABOUT POSSIBLE IRANIAN INVOLVEMENT AT A NEWS BRIEFING ON TUESDAY, BUT REFUSED COMMENT ON THE ON-GOING BOMB ATTACK INVESTIGATION. BUT A STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL NOW SAYS THE ALLEGATIONS, OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF RESISTANCE OF IRAN, REPORTED BY THE NEWSPAPER ARE APPARENTLY UNTRUE. THE OFFICIAL SAID A TELEPHONE CALL TO THE TANZANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY REVEALED THAT, BY CHANCE, IRAN'S AMBASSADOR TO DAR ES SALAAM WAS IN THE MINISTRY AT THE VERY TIME OF THE CALL AND HAD BEEN IN THE COUNTRY FOR THE ENTIRE TIME. THE STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL SAID THE UNITED STATES WAS TOLD THE IRANIAN AMBASSADOR HAD DELIVERED A NOTE CONDEMNING THE BOMBINGS. THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE IRANIAN AMBASSADOR TO KENYA HAS NOT YET BEEN SIMILARLY VERIFIED, BUT THE U-S OFFICIAL SAID SHOOTING DOWN (REFUTING) ONE OF THE ALLEGATIONS LARGELY SHOOTS DOWN BOTH.(SIGNED) NEB/MGB/JO 12-Aug-98 4:41 PM EDT (2041 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .