News

DATE=8/27/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-237760 TITLE=KENYA BOMBING EXTRADITION (L-ONLY) BYLINE=CAROL PINEAU DATELINE=NAIROBI CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: IN KENYA, OFFICIALS SAY AT LEAST ONE AND POSSIBLY TWO SUSPECTS IN THIS MONTH'S NAIROBI EMBASSY BOMBING HAVE BEEN SENT TO THE UNITED STATES FROM KENYA. ONE OF THE SUSPECTS IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN NEW YORK ON THURSDAY. CAROL PINEAU REPORTS FROM NAIROBI. TEXT: THE SUSPECT, MOHAMMED KHALID SALIM, LEFT KENYA WEDNESDAY NIGHT ACCOMPANIED BY AGENTS FROM THE U-S FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. MR. SALIM IS SUSPECTED OF BEING IN THE TRUCK THAT CARRIED THE BOMB AND OF THROWING A HAND GRENADE AT U-S EMBASSY GUARDS JUST SECONDS BEFORE THE CAR BOMB EXPLODED. THE EMBASSY GUARDS HAD REFUSED TO ALLOW THE TRUCK TO ENTER THE EMBASSY'S UNDERGROUND PARKING LOT. //OPT// THE BOMB -- WHICH LEFT 253 DEAD AND MORE THAN FIVE-THOUSAND INJURED -- EXPLODED IN ANOTHER PARKING LOT NEXT TO THE EMBASSY. EXPERTS SAY IF THE BOMB HAD EXPLODED IN THE UNDERGROUND PARKING, THE DAMAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN FAR GREATER. // END OPT // THE LOCAL "EAST AFRICAN STANDARD" NEWSPAPER REPORTED MR. SALIM CONFESSED TO TAKING AN ACTIVE PART IN THE BOMBING. MR. SALIM, REPORTEDLY A YEMINI NATIONAL, WAS ARRESTED BY KENYAN POLICE SOON AFTER THE AUGUST SEVENTH EXPLOSION, THOUGH HE WAS NOT CHARGED WITH ANY CRIME. KENYAN POLITICIANS HAVE BEEN CALLING FOR SUSPECTS TO BE EXTRADITED TO THE UNITED STATES FOR TRIAL, AS THEY FEAR A TRIAL IN KENYA WOULD ENCOURAGE MORE TERRORIST ATTACKS. WHILE KENYA AND THE UNITED STATES HAVE AN EXTRADITION TREATY, OFFICIALS SAY MR. SALIM'S CASE IS NOT BEING CALLED AN EXTRADITION. THE TREATY ONLY COMES INTO EFFECT IF ONE OF THE COUNTRIES ASKS FOR A SUSPECT WHO HAS NOT BEEN OFFERED BY THE OTHER COUNTRY. KENYAN POLICE SAY THE ARE HOLDING AN UNSPECIFIED NUMBER OF SUSPECTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE BOMBING, BUT LOCAL MEDIA HAVE REPORTED INVESTIGATORS ARE CONCENTRATING ON THREE PERSONS. THE MEDIA SAY THE THREE SUSPECTS, INCLUDING MR. SALIM, USED A PHONY FISH-MONGERING BUSINESS AS A COVER FOR THEIR ACTIVITIES WHILE PREPARING FOR THE ATTACK. MOHAMMED SADDIQ ODEH (PRON: 'HWAY-DEH) IS ANOTHER PRIME SUSPECT. PAKISTANI AUTHORITIES ARRESTED HIM AT KARACHI AIRPORT AFTER HE ARRIVED ON A FLIGHT FROM NAIROBI THE DAY OF THE BOMBING. PAKISTANI AUTHORITIES SAY HE WAS TRAVELLING ON FALSE DOCUMENTS. ON AUGUST 14TH, MR. ODEH WAS FLOWN PROM PAKISTAN TO KENYA. HE TOO HAS NOT YET BEEN CHARGED BY KENYAN AUTHORITIES. KENYAN LAW SPECIFIES SUSPECTS MAY ONLY BE DETAINED 14 DAYS WITHOUT FORMAL CHARGES. //REST OPT// KENYAN AND AMERICAN AUTHORITIES HAVE SO FAR DECLINED TO COMMENT ON TRANSFER OF ANY SUSPECT TO THE UNITED STATES. (SIGNED) NEB/CP/PCF/KL 27-Aug-98 11:49 AM EDT (1549 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .