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Truck-Bomb Attack on U.S. Embassy in Cairo Thwarted

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United Press International

Security police thwarted a Libyan-directed plot to bomb the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, seizing a truck packed with explosives and a man offered a half-million dollars to detonate it, authorities said today.

The Egyptian Interior Ministry said a Libyan agent promised to pay the would-be bomber $500,000 if the attack succeeded. It said the attack was scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday “so that the explosion might hit as many people as possible.”

Officials at the U.S. Embassy referred all inquiries to the Egyptian ministry.

The ministry statement said a Libyan intelligence agent, in cooperation with a Syrian-based terrorist organization, hired a saboteur to carry out the truck-bomb attack on the embassy. The ministry said Egyptian security officials had known of the plot since November and kept the would-be bomber under surveillance.

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Suspect Arrested

The hired bomber--trained in Damascus--arrived at the Mediterranean port of Alexandria last month accompanied by a truck packed with 84 kilograms (about 185 pounds) of plastic explosives, the ministry said. The truck was intercepted and confiscated and the suspect taken into custody.

The ministry said it was keeping the U.S. Embassy under guard in case an alternative attack was planned.

On Wednesday, police cordoned off the embassy, located in the posh Garden City neighborhood of central Cairo not far from the Nile River.

Traffic was diverted to side streets, which caused huge traffic jams. Cars approaching the area were searched by police.

Embassy Searched

Officials at the Interior Ministry at first said police were staging a defense drill to test security precautions at the embassy. They said later that the embassy had received a bomb threat and that they were searching cars for hidden explosives.

The U.S. Embassy itself was searched but no explosives were found.

The cordon around the embassy continued into Wednesday evening. The roadblocks were removed today and traffic flowed normally, but the Middle East News Agency said precautionary security procedures were being taken.

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During the last few weeks, a belt of iron spikes was constructed around the embassy to prevent vehicles carrying assassins or explosives from speeding past security and entering the grounds.

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