
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, August 17, 1993                   TAG: 9308170310
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK                                LENGTH: Short

REPORT: SUDAN OFFICIALS IN N.Y. PLOT

High officials of the Sudanese government were involved in the foiled plot to blow up the United Nations building and other New York sites several months ago, ABC News reported Monday.

The Islamic nation's alleged operatives in New York City were two men working for the Sudanese mission to the world body, ABC said, citing U.S. intelligence sources.

It identified the two diplomats as Siraj Yousif, the counselor to the Sudanese mission, and Ahmed Mohamed, the third secretary.

In a telephone interview from his New York home, Yousif said that "everything mentioned by ABC News is absolutely erroneous and untrue."

"Ahmed Mohamed and I are not intelligence officers," Yousif said, adding that he has never been questioned in the case by U.S. authorities.

In Washington, FBI spokesman John Collingwood had no comment on the report. The State Department also had no comment.

ABC said federal agents have been monitoring the Sudanese mission for two months.

U.N. security sources have said in the past that investigators were looking into the possible involvement of employees at the Sudanese mission. News reports have mentioned Sudanese diplomats but not given names.

ABC quoted the U.S. sources as saying they believe the two men, allegedly intelligence officers for the Sudanese government, helped five other Sudanese who have been indicted in the conspiracy to bomb four New York sites, including the Lincoln and Holland tunnels and a federal office building.

by CNB