DATE=8/30/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-237885
TITLE=SUDAN/U-S (L ONLY)
BYLINE=SONYA LAURENCE GREEN
DATELINE=NAIROBI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: SUDAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS (SUNDAY) ALL LINKS BETWEEN
SUDAN AND SUSPECTED TERRORIST OSAMA BIN LADEN WERE SEVERED YEARS
AGO. HE SAID THE RECENT U-S MISSILE ATTACK ON A PHARMACEUTICAL
COMPANY IN SUDAN'S CAPITAL WAS UNCALLED FOR, SINCE MR. BIN LADEN
HAD NO CONNECTION TO THE FACILITY. SONYA LAURENCE GREEN REPORTS
FROM NAIROBI.
TEXT: FOREIGN MINISTER, MUSTAFA OSMAN ISMAIL, SAID SAUDI
MILLIONAIRE AND SUSPECTED TERRORIST OSAMA BIN LADEN HAD LIVED IN
SUDAN IN THE EARLY 1990'S, AND AT THE TIME OWNED SEVERAL
BUSINESSES -- CHIEFLY ROAD CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES. BUT ALL OF
MR. BIN LADEN'S INTERESTS WERE SOLD TO PRIVATE FIRMS OR TO THE
SUDANESE GOVERNMENT IN 1995 WHEN HE WAS ASKED TO LEAVE SUDAN.
MR. BIN LADEN HAD BEEN TOLD TO LEAVE SUDAN BECAUSE OF ALLEGATIONS
THAT HE MAY HAVE BEEN BEHIND TERRORIST BOMBINGS IN PARIS, FRANCE,
AND IN KHOBER, SAUDI ARABIA. HE IS ALSO BELIEVED TO BE BEHIND
THE AUGUST SEVENTH BOMBINGS OF U-S EMBASSIES IN KENYA AND
TANZANIA. SUDAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER SAID HIS COUNTRY NOW HAS NO
TIES TO MR. BIN LADEN WHATSOEVER. HE WAS SPEAKING TO JOURNALISTS
IN NAIROBI ON HIS WAY TO THE UPCOMING NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT SUMMIT
IN SOUTH AFRICA.
MR. ISMAIL SAID IT WAS UNFAIR FOR THE U-S TO BOMB A
PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY IN SUDAN'S CAPITAL KHARTOUM AUGUST 20TH.
HE SAID IT WAS NOT MAKING CHEMICAL WEAPONS, AND IT HAD NO
CONNECTION WITH MR. BIN LADEN, AS ALLEGED BY THE U-S
ADMINISTRATION.
MR. ISMAIL SUGGESTED THE U-S HAD BEEN MISLED OR MISINFORMED ABOUT
FACTORY'S WORK, AND THAT IT WAS TIME FOR AMERICANS TO KNOW THE
TRUTH ABOUT THE INCIDENT.
// BEGIN ISMAIL ACT //
I AM SAYING THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY. THE AMERICAN
ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN MISLED, MISINFORMED...WE ARE NOT
CONFRONTING THE UNITED STATES. WE ARE FOR DIALOGUE AND
MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN SUDAN AND THE UNITED
STATES.
// END ACT ///
MR. ISMAIL SAID THE PHARMACEUTICAL FACTORY MADE MEDICINE TO TREAT
MALARIA, TUBERCULOSIS, AND OTHER ILLNESSES, AND THE BOMBING
KILLED 12 PEOPLE AND PUT ANOTHER 300 OUT OF WORK.
MR. ISMAIL CALLED AGAIN FOR AN OFFICIAL INTERNATIONAL
INVESTIGATION INTO THE INCIDENT, SAYING SUCH AN INQUIRY WAS STILL
BEING CONSIDERED BY THE U-N SECURITY COUNCIL. BUT HE STRESSED HE
WANTED AMERICA TO JOIN SUCH AN INQUIRY, SAYING SUDAN WAS OPEN TO
ALL INVESTIGATORS. HE SAID SUDAN'S PRESIDENT, OMAR EL BASHIR,
HAD WRITTEN FIVE LETTERS TO U-S PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON CONCERNING
THE ATTACK, BUT HAS RECEIVED NO REPLY. (SIGNED)
NEB/SLG/DW/RAE
30-Aug-98 12:19 PM EDT (1619 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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