News

DATE=8/17/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-237209 TITLE=NAIROBI - SUSPECT (L-ONLY) BYLINE=CAROL PINEAU DATELINE=NAIROBI CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: IN EAST AFRICA, THE SEARCH CONTINUES FOR THOSE WHO PLACED BOMBS OUTSIDE U-S EMBASSY BUILDINGS IN NAIROBI AND DAR ES SALAAM. KENYAN AND AMERICAN INVESTIGATORS MEANWHILE CONFIRMED MONDAY THAT THEY ARE HOLDING A SUSPECT EXTRADITED TO NAIROBI FROM PAKISTAN. DETAILS FROM CAROL PINEAU IN NAIROBI. TEXT: KENYA'S CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE DIVISION, OR C-I-D, AND THE U-S FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION ARE QUESTIONING THE SUSPECT, THOUGH THEY SAY HE HAS DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY IN THE NEARLY SIMULTANEOUS EXPLOSIONS AUGUST SEVENTH IN KENYA AND TANZANIA. A JOINT C-I-D AND F-B-I STATEMENT SAYS THE SUSPECT, MOHAMMED SADIQ ODEH (HWAY-DAH) -- ALSO KNOWN AS ABDULL BAST AWADH -- ARRIVED IN KENYA LAST FRIDAY EVENING AFTER BEING EXTRADITED BY PAKISTAN. THE FOREIGN MINISTRY IN PAKISTAN SAID ON SUNDAY THE SUSPECT WAS ARRESTED SEVERAL HOURS AFTER THE BOMBING. AUTHORITIES STOPPED MR. ODEH AT KARACHI AIRPORT AFTER HE ARRIVED ON A FLIGHT FROM NAIROBI. THE PAKISTANI ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY "THE NEWS" REPORTED MR. ODEH WAS ON HIS WAY TO AFGHANISTAN. THE PAPER SAYS AUTHORITIES SUSPECTED HIM OF TRAVELLING ON FORGED DOCUMENTS. THE PAPER ADDED THAT SINCE BEING ARRESTED, MR. ODEH HAD IDENTIFIED OTHER SUSPECTS WHO HAD ARRIVED IN PAKISTAN BEFORE THE BOMBING AND WHO HAD ALREADY GONE ON TO AFGHANISTAN. BUT MONDAY'S JOINT C-I-D AND F-B-I STATEMENT SAID MR. ODEH HAD NOT IMPLICATED ANYONE ELSE IN THE BOMBINGS. THERE WAS NO MENTION OF ANY AFGHANISTAN CONNECTION. AFGHANISTAN IS REPORTED TO BE THE CURRENT HOME OF SAUDI MILITANT, OSAMA BIN LADEN -- A POSSIBLE SUSPECT IN THE BOMBINGS. THE SAUDI DISSIDENT WARNED EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT ALL AMERICANS -- BOTH MILITARY AND CIVILIAN -- WERE POTENTIAL TARGETS OF GUERRILLA ATTACKS. //REST OPT// MEANWHILE KENYANS CONTINUE TO MAKE FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR VICTIMS OF THE EXPLOSION WHICH LEFT 247 DEAD AND MORE THAN FIVE-THOUSAND INJURED. (SIGNED) NEB/CP/PCF/KL 17-Aug-98 12:58 PM EDT (1658 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .