DATE=        07/03/99
TYPE=        EDITORIAL
NUMBER=      0-08357
TITLE=       EDITORIAL: CRACKING DOWN ON BIN LADIN'S NETWORK

CONTENT=THIS IS THE ONLY EDITORIAL BEING RELEASED FOR BROADCAST 
07/03/99.

ANNCR:
THE VOICE OF AMERICA PRESENTS DIFFERING POINTS OF VIEW ON A WIDE 
VARIETY OF ISSUES.  NEXT, AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF
THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.

VOICE:

    A FEDERAL GRAND JURY IN NEW YORK RECENTLY INDICTED TWO 
LEADERS OF AL-QAIDA FOR THEIR PART IN THE BOMBING OF THE U.S. 
EMBASSIES IN KENYA AND TANZANIA LAST AUGUST.  AL-QAIDA IS THE 
ISLAMIC TERRORIST GROUP FINANCED BY SAUDI EXILE USAMA BIN LADIN. 
AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI AND KHALID AL-FAWWAZ ARE CLOSE ASSOCIATES OF 
BIN LADIN AND THERE IS MUCH EVIDENCE THAT THEY WERE DEEPLY 
INVOLVED IN PLANNING THE TERRORIST ATTACKS.

    OVER THREE HUNDRED MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN -- MOSTLY AFRICAN
-- WERE KILLED AND MORE THAN FIVE-THOUSAND WERE WOUNDED IN THE 
ATTACKS.  KHALID AL-FAWWAZ WAS INVOLVED IN THE RECRUITMENT OF 
TERRORIST-TRAINEES, COMMUNICATIONS, AND PROPAGANDA FOR AL-QAIDA. 
HE IS CURRENTLY IN THE CUSTODY OF BRITISH AUTHORITIES.  HIS 
EXTRADITION TO THE U.S. IS BEING SOUGHT.

    AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI IS A FORMER LEADER OF THE EGYPTIAN ISLAMIC 
EXTREMIST GROUP AL-JIHAD, AN ORGANIZATION BELIEVED TO BE 
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ASSASSINATION OF EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT ANWAR 
SADAT IN 1981.  FOLLOWING THE CONVICTION OF AL-JIHAD LEADER SHEIK
OMAR ABDEL RAHMAN FOR PLOTTING A TERRORIST CAMPAIGN IN NEW YORK 
CITY, AL-ZAWAHIRI AND OTHER AL-JIHAD TERRORISTS JOINED BIN 
LADIN'S AL-QAIDA.  AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI IS BELIEVED TO BE IN 
AFGHANISTAN.  THE U.S. WILL PAY A REWARD OF UP TO FIVE-MILLION 
DOLLARS FOR INFORMATION THAT LEADS TO THE ARREST AND EXTRADITION 
OF BIN LADIN AND OTHER FUGITIVES WANTED FOR THE EMBASSY BOMBINGS 
AND OTHER ACTS OF TERRORISM.

    OF THE FIFTEEN TERRORISTS INDICTED FOR THOSE BOMBINGS, FIVE 
ARE ALREADY IN U.S. CUSTODY.  THE U.S. WILL NOT REST UNTIL ALL OF
THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MURDER OF SO MANY HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO 
JUSTICE.

ANNCR:

    THAT WAS AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF THE U.S. 
GOVERNMENT.  IF YOU HAVE A COMMENT, PLEASE WRITE TO EDITORIALS, 
V-O-A, WASHINGTON, D-C, 20547, U-S-A.  YOU MAY ALSO COMMENT AT 
WWW-DOT-VOA-DOT-GOV-SLASH-EDITORIALS, OR  FAX US AT (202) 
619-1043.  

02-Jul-99 1:55 PM EDT (1755 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.