DATE=8/22/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-237515
TITLE=NAIROBI BOMB INVESTIGATION (S&L)
BYLINE=CAROL PINEAU
DATELINE=NAIROBI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO: AUTHORITIES HAVE WIDENED THEIR SEARCH IN THE INVESTIGATION
OF THE TWIN DEADLY BOMBINGS OF U-S EMBASSIES IN KENYA AND 
TANZANIA EARLIER THIS MONTH.  CAROL PINEAU REPORTS FROM NAIROBI 
ON NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CASE IN KENYA.
 
TEXT:  F-B-I AGENTS AND KENYAN POLICE ON FRIDAY RAIDED A HOUSE IN
THE SLUMS OF MALINDI, A TOWN ON THE INDIAN OCEAN COAST.  
INVESTIGATORS SEARCHED THE HOUSE FOR MORE THAN THREE HOURS.  THE 
HOME OWNER, HASSAN OMAR HASSAN, A DRIVER FOR THE KENYAN LABOR 
MINISTRY, WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY.
 
ON THURSDAY, INVESTIGATORS SEARCHED THE NAIROBI OFFICES OF MERCY 
INTERNATIONAL RELIEF AGENCY, A SAUDI ARABIAN CHARITY.  ABDULLAH  
ABRAHAM, A COMPUTER SPECIALIST WITH THE ORGANIZATION, SAYS HE HAS
NO  IDEA WHY THE ORGANIZATION WAS RAIDED.  HE SAYS THE AGENTS 
CONFISCATED DOCUMENTS, COMPUTERS AND CASH.  THE CHARITY'S 
SECRETARY, ABDULLAH AHMED, REMAINS IN POLICE CUSTODY. 
 
ON SATURDAY, THE DAILY NAIROBI NEWSPAPER "THE NATION" RAN A FRONT
PAGE PHOTO OF THE MAN IT CLAIMS THREW A GRENADE AT U-S EMBASSY 
GUARDS JUST BEFORE THE BOMB EXPLOSION.  THE NEWSPAPER  SAYS THE 
SUSPECT, KHALID SALIM FROM YEMEN, WAS ARRESTED BY KENYAN POLICE 
ON THE DAY OF THE BOMBING.
 
//REST OPT//

"THE NATION" SAYS THAT MR. SALIM, ALONG WITH MOHAMMED SADDIQ ODEH
(PRONOUNCED HWAY-DUH) AND A THIRD SUSPECT, ABDALLAH NACHA FROM 
LEBANON, FILMED THE EMBASSY FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE BLAST. 
 
THE NEWSPAPER REPORTS THE THREE CONFESSED THEY WERE PAID BY OSAMA
BIN LADEN, THE SAUDI ARABIAN FINANCIER WHO IS THOUGHT TO BEHIND 
THE BOMB ATTACKS.  THE THREE MEN, ACCORDING TO THE PAPER, PLANNED
THE BOMBING WHILE POSING AS FISH MERCHANTS WORKING IN NAIROBI AND
MOMBASA ON THE INDIAN OCEAN COAST.
 
F-B-I DIRECTOR LOUIS FREEH TOLD REPORTERS IN NAIROBI FRIDAY THAT 
THE BOMBINGS COULD HAVE INVOLVED MANY PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT PLACES 
AT DIFFERENT TIMES. 
 
THE BOMB WHICH EXPLODED NEXT TO THE U-S EMBASSY IN NAIROBI ON 
AUGUST SEVENTH LEFT 253 DEAD AND MORE THAN FIVE-THOUSAND INJURED.
(SIGNED)

NEB/CP/DW/JO

22-Aug-98 10:14 AM EDT (1414 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.