News

DATE=11/18/1999 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT TITLE=EGYPTAIR / MEDIA SPECULATION (L ONLY) NUMBER=256336 BYLINE=KYLE KING DATELINE=STATE DEPARTMENT CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: The U-S State Department is appealing for an end to premature speculation about the crash of Egypt Air flight 990. As VOA's Kyle King reports, officials are concerned about possible damage to U-S Egyptian relations. TEXT: U-S officials say it is still too early to make a judgement about the cause of last week's crash, which killed all 217 people on board the Boeing 767. Many Egyptians have responded with anger to U-S news reports suggesting the co-pilot of the plane may have deliberately sabotaged the flight. State Department spokesman James Rubin expressed concern about the speculation, which has been based on preliminary transcripts of the plane's cockpit voice recorder. /// Rubin Act /// We are concerned and troubled by speculative conclusions coming out of those in the United States involved in this general investigation and we are doubly troubled and concerned by wild conspiracy theories coming out in the Arab media. /// end act /// Some Egyptian media have suggested that the co-pilot of the plane is being blamed to cover up some other cause. Mr. Rubin said the Arab media reports are being fueled by what he termed the tremendous amount of speculation in the U-S media, and he appealed for calm on all sides. U-S officials stress cooperation between U-S and Egyptian authorities has been good. Assistant U-S Secretary of State Thomas Pickering was scheduled to meet late Thursday with Senior Egyptian security officials to discuss the probe. U-S officials, who are leading the air crash investigation, say they have not ruled out any possible cause. They say they are prepared to pursue all leads in the case, no matter where they go. (Signed) NEB/KBK/PT 18-Nov-1999 15:32 PM EDT (18-Nov-1999 2032 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .