DATE=11/19/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=EGYPT AIR INVESTIGATION (L)
NUMBER=2-256377
BYLINE=NICK SIMEONE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The Chairman of the National Transportation
Safety Board is sharply criticizing the American and
the Egyptian media for speculating about the cause of
the crash of Egypt Air flight 990. Many Egyptians
can not believe investigators would suspect one of the
flight's seasoned crew members would deliberately take
the plane down. Still, Correspondent Nick Simeone
reports the FBI is eventually expected to take the
lead in looking into whether sabotage was to blame for
the deaths of all 217 people on board.
TEXT: This investigation has become a delicate
diplomatic issue between the United States and Egypt,
with Egyptian officials calling suspicions of sabotage
a rush to judgement.
U-S law enforcement sources have been telling the
media that prayer-like remarks heard in Arabic on the
cockpit voice recorder could mean a lone relief pilot
deliberately plunged the plane into the Atlantic
Ocean. Many in Egypt don't want to believe that and
with conspiracy theories increasing, National
Transportation Safety Board Chairman Jim Hall moved
Friday to put an end to what he called a virtual
cyclone of speculation.
// HALL ACT //
Any so-called verbatim information you have
heard about that recorder is unauthorized,
second, third or fourth-hand and as we have seen
in some of the newspapers, headlines with
information that is just flat wrong.
// END ACT //
But he says investigators at this point still believe
sabotage might have been the cause of the crash and
are moving toward handing the case over to the FBI to
lead a criminal probe.
Over the past several days, Washington has grown
increasingly concerned about Egyptian sensitivities
over a case that could lead to lawsuits, damage to the
reputation of the country's national airline, and
affect tourism - a top source of foreign income. But
N-T-S-B Chairman Hall says the course of the
investigation will not be guided by the wishes of
Egypt if the evidence points to sabotage.
// HALL ACT //
I would hope that that's a threshold that we
could reach together with the Egyptian
investigators as we walk through the steps in
the investigation that I just outlined. As I
have previously explained, the buck stops here.
// END ACT //
Nearly three weeks after the crash, air safety
investigators still have no evidence suggesting the
plane was brought down by mechanical failure, fueling
suspicion that the cause might be sabotage. (SIGNED)
NEB/NJS/PT
19-Nov-1999 17:21 PM EDT (19-Nov-1999 2221 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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