DATE=6/25/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-251104
TITLE=U-S EMBASSIES CLOSED (L)
BYLINE=NICK SIMEONE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON 
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  THE UNITED STATES HAS CLOSED SIX OF ITS EMBASSIES IN 
AFRICA IN RESPONSE TO NEW TERRORIST THREATS LINKED TO OSAMA BIN 
LADEN.  THE SAUDI EXILE WAS INDICTED FOR LAST YEAR'S TERRORIST 
BOMBINGS OF U-S EMBASSIES IN KENYA AND TANZANIA -- ATTACKS WHICH 
KILLED 224 PEOPLE.  CORRESPONDENT NICK SIMEONE HAS DETAILS.

TEXT:  STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS SAY THEY HAVE CONCRETE EVIDENCE
ABOUT WHAT THEY CALL CONTINUED PLANNING BY BIN LADEN FOLLOWERS.  
IN RESPONSE, U-S EMBASSIES IN GAMBIA, TOGO, MADAGASCAR, LIBERIA, 
NAMIBIA AND SENEGAL HAVE BEEN CLOSED, AT LEAST UNTIL MONDAY.  
STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JAMES RUBIN:

                        /// RUBIN ACT ///

         WE DID DEVELOP INFORMATION THAT SUSPICIOUS INDIVIDUALS 
         WERE ENGAGED IN SURVEILLANCE OF CERTAIN EMBASSIES.

                        /// END ACT /// 

TERRORISM EXPERT BRIAN JENKINS EXPLAINS WHAT THAT MEANS:

                       // JENKINS ACT // 

                 IT COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS A VAN PARKED ACROSS THE
                 STREET.  IT COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS PARTICULAR 
                 INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE  NO  BUSINESS BEING IN A 
                 PARTICULAR PLACE, REPEATEDLY BEING THERE DAY 
                 AFTER DAY.  THOSE ARE THE SIMPLE ONES, 
                 OBVIOUSLY.  THE COUNTER-SURVEILLANCE EFFORT IS 
                 MUCH MORE SOPHISTICATED THAN THAT.

                         /// END ACT ///

ALREADY, AMERICAN EMBASSIES AROUND THE WORLD ARE ON A GENERAL 
HEIGHTENED STATE OF ALERT BECAUSE OF INCREASED SECURITY CONCERNS.
THE SENATE HAS APPROVED THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S REQUEST FOR MORE 
THAN ONE-BILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDING TO UPGRADE SECURITY AT 
EMBASSIES AROUND THE WORLD -- A REQUEST MADE IN THE WAKE OF THE 
TWIN TERRORIST BOMBINGS AT THE U-S EMBASSIES IN KENYA AND 
TANZANIA.

THOSE BOMBINGS LAST AUGUST WERE BLAMED ON THE OSAMA BIN LADEN 
NETWORK, LANDING HIM ON THE F-B-I'S 10-MOST-WANTED LIST AND 
PROMPTING THE UNITED STATES TO RETALIATE BY BOMBING SUSPECTED 
TERRORIST SITES IN SUDAN AND AFGHANISTAN.   NEARLY A YEAR LATER, 
THE SAUDI EXILE STILL REMAINS AT LARGE AND, IT APPEARS,  MAY 
AGAIN BE PLOTTING MORE STRIKES AGAINST AMERICAN TARGETS.   
(SIGNED)

NEB/NJS/WTW

25-Jun-99 12:12 PM EDT (1612 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.