CIA-RDP96-00789R003900250004-9

Approved For Release 2003/01/17 : CIA-RDP96-00789R003900250004-9
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ON: WORLD TRADE CENTER
EXPLOSION
Garage videotape is missing
Authorities
ite threats
before blast
/ Bruce Frankel
SA TODAY
NEW YORK - Investigators
lesday said they are puzzled
er the disappearance of a vid-
tape that may have recorded
hicles in the World Trade
nter garage before it explod-
Friday.
And authorities revealed the
S. Embassy in Algeria re-
ived two threats from the
pular Front for the Libera-
n of Palestine that it would
›w up a building in New York
late January.
ond Kelly said authorities be-
ved the threat had passed
ien the second deadline -
n. 26, requiring Israel to al-
w 400 expelled Palestinians to
urn - passed uneventfully.
Meanwhile, New York City
d the Port Authority offered
$200,000 reward for informa-
n leading to the arrest and
aviction of those responsible
"the bombing.
Authorities cautioned against
aking too much of the missing
jeotape: "You could call it pe-
By Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY
Police Commissioner Ray- . ANOTHER SCARE: A port authority employee tells workers at a reopened part of the World Trade
Center complex Tuesday to leave after a bomb threat. Workers later returned to the complex.
culiar," said James Fox, head of
the FBI's bureau in New York.
"Incredible, isn't it?"
Videotapes were recovered
on Monday for the period from
Wednesday morning to Thurs-
day morning, and from Friday
morning to Saturday moring.
Missing: a sequence video-
tape for the period from Thurs-
day at 8 a.m. to Friday at 8 a.m.,
of the B-2 garage level - the
"seat" of the massive explosion.
A Port Authority employee
has told investigators he may
have misplaced it, Fox said. It
may still be buried.
Two garage videotapes al-
ready reviewed were of mar-
ginal quality, though subject to
enhancement, Fox said.
Asked what he would tell the
employee, Fox said, "Let's try
to find it! ... Now!"
While acknowledging pieces
of brown metal from a vehicle
had been recovered, authorities
said there is "no reason to raise
speculation" that a brown van
with a stripe may have held the
· bomb, as reported on CNN.
Investigators say they are
looking at several terrorist
groups, including the extremist
Hamas which is opposed to
Middle East peace talks.
The investigation is spread-
ing as license plates are tracked
from Michigan, Illinois, New
Hampshire and elsewhere.
Seeking to dampen expecta-
tions of a quick resolution, Fox:
said, "No new dramatic witness.
is going to solve this case for us ..
Also on Tuesday:
Investigators pulled about
10 cars from the garage and be-
gan vacuuming them inside and.
outside and scraping their un-
dercarriages. If nothing perti-'
nent is found, the cars will be:
returned to their owners.
Bomb experts said the ex-
plosion took place on the B-2
level below the Vista Hotel in:
the public parking area.
The New York City Comp-
troller's office estimated the'
bombing could cost about $700
million in lost business during
the first week after the blast.
For the second day in a:
row, a retaining wall collapsed
near the crater - described as
200 feet in diameter, extending
through seven stories. The col -.
umns previously were support-
ed by the horizontal flooring.
"It is in a dangerous position
now," said Walter Boser, head
of the police bomb squad.
A part of the complex that
had reopened was evacuated
because of a bomb threat. For
50 minutes, authorities
searched the train station be-
neath the center while fright-
ened workers left the area. A
suspicious package later was
found to contain building matey
rials
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