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BY KEITH JENKINS—THE WASHINGTON PO!
Stanley Brezenoff, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, right, testifies at House
subcommittee hearing on World Trade Center bombing. At left is New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly.
_
_mb Suspects’ Ties to Inmate Probed
Salameh , Elgabrowny Remain Chief Focus ofN,Y. Investigation
By William Sposato
Reuter
K
NEW YORK, March 9—The investigation into the
bombing of the World Trade Center is focusing more
closely on the two men already charged in the case and
their ties to a prisoner who was jailed on charges stem-
ming from the 1990 killing of Rabbi Meir Kahane, in-
vestigators and news reports said today.
Mohammed A. Salameh is charged with taking part in
the Feb. 26 bombing that killed five people and injured
more than 1,000. He rented the van believed used to
deliver the bomb to the underground garage of the low-
er Manhattan landmark.
Ibrahim Elgabrowny, arrested for scuffling with au-
thorities as they searched his apartment, also has been
called a suspect in the case by prosecutors.
The two are known to have ties to Sayyid A. Nosair,
who is in prison on charges stemming from the killing of
Kahane in New York. Nosair was convicted of gun pos-
session and assault in the case, but cleared of murder
charges.
The New York Times reported today that Salameh
and Elgabrowny are now thought to be pivotal figures in
the case.
x
In Washington, FBI Director William S. Sessions said
V>day that the bombing should not be seen as an indi-
^ion of a coming wave of terrorist acts.
thm?e American public should always be vigilant, but
as tj^pecte(* act
terrorism should not be so viewed
Appuew
use hearinglooking into the blast.
®W. York Assemblyman TVw ir;o;.,a „„:j
hane case that those responsible would be involved
ir
other such acts.
Observers at Nosair's 1991
trial said that Salameh
was among those who regularly attended and New York
newspapers
today showed
pictures
of
Nosair
with
someone who appeared to be Salameh.
Prison authorities said today that Nosair
is part of
the
investigation, although his possible
role was not
disclosed.
According to news reports, Nosair’s
cell at Attica
prison in upstate New York has been searched for any
documents connected with the bombing.
Officials say Salameh and Elgabrowny have links to a
fundamentalist Muslim group whose
spiritual leader
is
Omar Abdul Rahman.
Abdul Rahman has said repeatedly that he had noth-
ing to do with the bombing. "I do not condone nor do I
incite such acts of violence,” he said in a statement is-
sued by his lawyer.
At the same time, investigators are also looking into
whether the bombing involved Middle
East terrorist
groups.
James Fox, New York head of the FBI, told Reuter
that he believed those responsible for the blast were
part of an organized operation.
“They may just be an ad hoc group, but my gut feel-
ing tells me it’s not the case,” Fox said in the interview.
‘‘We’re looking pretty closely at a possible link between
these guys and the old-line terrorist groups.”
.
Fox also said he expects more searches for evidence
O(I^89R0l93
l9^)023'&bU7o8e arrests.
it tne site of the blast, workers todav continued haul-