(R) Approved For Release 2003/01/17 : CIA-RDP96-00789R003900280004-8 ' ‘se! ¥ 4 Authorities ‘ite threats yefore blast y Bruce Frankel SA TODAY NEW YORK — Investigators lesday said they are puzzled ‘er the disappearance of a vid- dape that may have recorded ‘hicles in the World Trade snter garage before it explod- | Friday. And authorities revealed the’ S. Embassy in Algeria re- ived two threats from the ypular Front for the Libera- wn of Palestine that it would ow up a building in New York late January. Police Commissioner Ray- ond Kelly said authorities be- ved the threat had passed 1en the second deadline — n. 26, requiring Israel to al- w 400 expelled Palestinians to turn —- 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 CENTER. . ANOTHER SCARE: A port authority employee tells workers at a reopened part of the World Trade RAS EES By Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY Center complex Tuesday to leave after a bomb threat. Workers later returmed 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- 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 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 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- F neath the center while fright-. ¢ tthe bombing. tape for the period from Thurs- employee, Fox said, “Let’s try Middle East peace talks. ened workers left the area. Af uthorities cautioned against day at 8a.m. to Friday at8a.m., to find it!... Now!” The investigation is spread- suspicious package later was too much of the missing of the B-2 garage level — the While acknowledging pieces _ ing as license plates are tracked found to contain bullding mate; Jeotape: “You could call it pe- “seat” of the massive explosion. of brown metal froma vehicle from Michigan, Illinois, New es ee pr-vaacaslaaennanaalil SS rate aac “SHA Ved FOr RASTSE 2 0880 1/1 Pn CtA- _RDPUS-OOTESRUDSSO0UZ6O00S”