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

DATE: TUESDAY, May 9, 1995                   TAG: 9505090126
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The Washington Post
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

PANEL SAYS CLOSE PENNSYLVANIA AVE.

An advisory committee examining security at the White House has recommended closing Pennsylvania Avenue after experts determined that a truck bomb outside the gates could do enough damage to injure people inside the residence, sources familiar with the overview said Monday.

The concern predated the April 19 Oklahoma City blast that obliterated a large section of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. But the bomb's power underscored the threat to the White House, sources said.

``The concern was for the increased capacity of a few individuals to do harm,'' said one source familiar with the report, which has not been released. ``The big problem was always Pennsylvania Avenue. If the truck gets there, it's too late.''

The recommendation to close Pennsylvania Avenue from 15th to 17th Streets N.W. is part of an overall review of security at the White House, including the performance of the Secret Service.

In September, a plane crashed on the White House lawn, nestling beside the mansion. In October, a man fired a semiautomatic rifle into the White House from the sidewalk before being wrestled to the ground by citizens. In December, police fatally shot a homeless man allegedly brandishing a knife on the sidewalk adjacent to Pennsylvania Avenue.

Under the advisory committee's proposal, the area in front of the White House would become a pedestrian mall, which committee officials recognized has the potential to significantly disrupt traffic in Washington's downtown core. In addition, politicians dislike the symbolism of restricting access to such a landmark.

Clinton said last month that he hoped officials would find a way to secure the mansion without closing the street.

``Millions of Americans go by Pennsylvania Avenue every year and see the White House, and the overwhelming number of them are law-abiding, good American citizens,'' he said in an interview on ``60 Minutes.''

House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., said Sunday that he would oppose closing the avenue. ``Keep it open,'' Gingrich said on ``Meet the Press.'' ``I mean there are limited risks in a free society.''

by CNB