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DATE=8/13/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-237018 TITLE=BOMB INVESTIGATION SIDEBAR (L) BYLINE=JIM RANDLE DATELINE=PENTAGON CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: AGENTS FROM THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION ARE LEADING THE SEARCH FOR CLUES AND SUSPECTS IN THE EAST AFRICAN EMBASSY BOMBINGS, AND THEY SAY THEY HAVE FOUND SOME KEY PIECES OF EVIDENCE. U-S AND KENYAN OFFICIALS ARE GIVING FEW DETAILS OF THE POLICE WORK, BUT CORRESPONDENT JIM RANDLE REPORTS, MOST BOMBING INVESTIGATIONS FOLLOW SIMILAR PATTERNS. TEXT: FORMER F-B-I SPECIAL AGENT LEN CROSS HELPED INVESTIGATE THE BOMBINGS AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IN NEW YORK, THE AIR FORCE BARRACKS BLAST IN SAUDI ARABIA, AND THE FEDERAL BUILDING BOMB IN OKLAHOMA CITY. THE RETIRED 26-YEAR F-B-I VETERAN WAS ONE OF THE AGENTS WHO HELPED START THE F-B-I'S FIRST 'EVIDENCE RESPONSE TEAM' OF SPECIALISTS WHO SIFT THE DEBRIS FOR CLUES IN MAJOR BOMBINGS. F-B-I AGENTS SAY THEY HAVE FOUND SOME BITS AND PIECES OF THE VEHICLE THAT CARRIED THE BOMB IN NAIROBI. MR. CROSS SAYS IF THIS PROVES TRUE, IT COULD HELP INVESTIGATORS. /// CROSS ACT 147 /// EVERY PART ON THERE HAS NUMBERS ON IT. AND THAT IS WHAT WE DID AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, THAT IS HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO TRACK IT. BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER ON THE VEHICLE, THEY WERE ABLE TO TRACK WHERE, WHO MADE THE VEHICLE, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO TRACK WHERE IT WAS. AND THAT IS HOW THEY WERE CAUGHT. /// END ACT /// MR. CROSS SAYS ANOTHER PART OF THE INVESTIGATION FOCUSES ON HOW LARGE AND POWERFUL THE EXPLOSION WAS. HE SAYS EXPERTS WILL FIND PIECES OF RUBBLE AND SEE HOW FAR THEY TRAVELED, AND HOW MUCH THEY WEIGH. THEY WILL ALSO EXAMINE THE CRATER IN THE GROUND AND SEE HOW LARGE IT IS, AND WHAT SORT OF SURFACE IT PENETRATED. WITH THIS AND OTHER INFORMATION, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR EXPERTS TO CALCULATE THE EXPLOSIVE POWER OF THE BOMB. A SMALL, COMPACT BOMB THAT IS VERY POWERFUL WOULD INDICATE A HIGH LEVEL OF SOPHISTICATION, AND NARROW THE FIELD OF POSSIBLE SUSPECTS. MR. CROSS ALSO SAYS TECHNICIANS AND CHEMISTS ARE SEEKING CLUES TO THE EXACT CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE EXPLOSIVE. AMONG OTHER THINGS, THEY USE SWABS TO WIPE CERTAIN SURFACES TO SEE IF THERE IS RESIDUE FROM THE BOMB. THESE SAMPLES CAN BE ANALYZED AT THE LABORATORY FOR POSSIBLE EVIDENCE. MR. CROSS SAYS EXPLOSIONS ARE -- VERY, VERY RAPID CHEMICAL REACTIONS -- AND DIFFERENT CHEMICAL REACTIONS LEAVE DISTINCTIVE KINDS OF RESIDUE. HE SAYS INVESTIGATORS ARE ALSO SEEKING PIECES OF THE BOMB. /// CROSS ACT 123 /// YOU ARE LOOKING AT TRYING TO PUT THIS DEVICE TOGETHER IS WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT. EVERYTHING YOU CAN POSSIBLY DO. BECAUSE WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS LOOKING FOR THAT SIGNATURE. EVERY BOMB HAS A SIGNATURE ON IT. USUALLY, IF YOU GOT A GROUP THAT IS OPERATING, THEY HAVE A CERTAIN WAY THEY MAKE DEVICES. /// END ACT /// MR. CROSS SAYS THE WORK OF SIFTING THROUGH TONS OF BLOODSTAINED RUBBLE IN TROPICAL HEAT IS HAZARDOUS, AND DRAINING PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY. BUT HE SAYS HIS FORMER COLLEAGUES WILL PERSIST UNTIL THEY GET THE EVIDENCE TO TELL WHAT HAPPENED. (SIGNED). NEB/RAE 13-Aug-98 9:57 AM EDT (1357 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .