-------------------------
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Nov. 21, 1996
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------

Did Navy shoot down Flight 800?

Only an independent investigation can reveal the truth

By Gary Wilson

When a Workers World reporter suggested that there should be an independent investigation into what caused the July 17 crash of TWA Flight 800, FBI Assistant Director James Kallstrom shouted, "Remove that man!"

The confrontation took place at a Nov. 8 news conference run by the FBI and the Navy. The purpose was to deny charges raised by former ABC News correspondent Pierre Salinger that the U.S. Navy shot down Flight 800.

The call for an independent investigation immediately stirred a response on the Internet. Ian Goddard, a frequent contributor to the Internet discussions on Flight 800, offered a transcript of the news conference.

Goddard reported: "Hillel Cohen, a reporter from Workers World, asked, `Why isn't the Navy a suspect ... we want an independent investigation.' Kallstrom, pointing to Cohen, said, `Remove that man.' Whereupon approximately 12 security agents swiftly escorted Cohen from the room. This looked pretty bad, as Cohen was not shouting or being overtly disruptive."

Goddard adds, "My conclusion, based upon the current knowledge, is expressed in the statements of reporter Hillel Cohen."

To be truly independent, such an investigation would have to be run by the airline workers' unions, representatives of the relatives of victims of the crash and representatives of the passengers who use the airlines.

Unlike its role investigating the crash of the ValuJet airliner in Florida last May 11, the National Transportation Safety Board has never been solely in charge of the investigation into TWA Flight 800. Right from the beginning both the FBI and the Navy have had high-ranking officers virtually running the investigation.

Dubious record on Agent Orange, Gulf War Syndrome

Consider the Pentagon's investigation into the dangers from Agent Orange and the Gulf War Syndrome. First the Pentagon found itself blameless and said the illnesses didn't exist. Officials hinted that those who insisted there was a problem were mentally ill.

Only the efforts of veterans of that war and independent organizations brought out the facts on Agent Orange and are beginning to open the window on the Gulf War Syndrome, though much is still hidden by Pentagon secrecy and cover-up.

So who is supposed to believe the Navy or FBI, or even the NTSB-which was almost prevented from speaking at the news conference by the FBI's Kallstrom-when they say they've looked into it and found nothing?

The FBI and the New York Times first pushed the theory that a "terrorist bomb" caused the crash, using it to agitate for a bombing strike against Iran and passage of a repressive "anti-terrorist" bill. No evidence supporting this theory emerged.

At this time, there are two main theories as to what caused the crash-mechanical failure or a missile. The Washington Post reported Nov. 8 that Bernard Loeb, director of aviation safety for the NTSB, said the board is about to declare that the tragedy was caused by mechanical malfunction.

That same day, however, another story dominated the news.

Pierre Salinger, press secretary for President John F. Kennedy, said that he had proof the U.S. Navy accidentally shot down Flight 800.

Although the FBI denounced Salinger and said that he had no proof, Salinger says he stands by his story. He says there is much more evidence available. And he has taken some personal risk in bringing out his findings.

Salinger said he was prompted to speak out because an investigative report by the magazine Paris Match was being ignored. The report is based on information provided by a TWA pilot as well as other sources. It says conclusively that the U.S. Navy shot down the plane.

Paris Match included a photograph taken that night at a dinner party on Long Island that shows a missile in the background sky.

Although the flight was bound for Paris and many passengers were French citizens, the U.S. government has refused all of France's requests to be a part of the investigation. Normally such joint investigations are routine. This has reinforced the widespread belief in France and all of Europe that a cover-up is under way.

The FBI claims Salinger's proof is only a document that was widely circulated on the Internet over the summer. That document by an unidentified pilot asserts that the Boeing 747 was shot down by the Navy. The FBI says it investigated the document and that there is nothing to it. The FBI even implies that the document may be a hoax.

Airline pilot identified

However, USA Today-a newspaper not normally quoted by Workers World because of its anti-union policies-identified the unnamed pilot on Oct 31.

The newspaper reported: "Richard Russell, a retired United Airline pilot and former crash investigator, shouldn't have been surprised when an authoritative sounding e-mail he sent to fewer than a dozen friends Aug. 22--claiming a government cover- up in the crash of TWA Flight 800--was copied across the 'Net."

The report adds, "[Russell] is convinced he's right."

The New York Post reported Nov. 9: "Witnesses who saw the crash and told officials about a `streak of light' they saw rushing toward the aircraft before it exploded off Long Island in July are sticking by their story. Maj. Fred Meyer and Capt. Cristian Baur of the 106^th Air Guard Rescue Unit in Westhampton, L.I.-who saw the crash from the air and whose testimony gave credence to the missile theory from the start-say they believe a missile brought down the plane."

Because Pierre Salinger came forward, several TWA pilots agreed to talk to the St. Louis Post Dispatch Nov. 9. These pilots are all sure that the U.S. Navy accidentally shot down Flight 800.

The pilots, who refused to reveal their names for fear of reprisal, said members of the crash investigation committee and sources in the Pentagon had told them that undisclosed recovered wreckage supports the Navy missile theory.

A TWA veteran of almost 20 years said a source on the committee had told him investigators had found a hole in the center of the aircraft they believed was caused by a missile.

Another TWA pilot said he had heard strong hints from "high-level sources in the Pentagon" that a missile was accidentally fired at the airplane.

The area in which Flight 800 exploded was a known military testing area, three pilots said.

"At least nine out of 10 pilots will tell you they believe this was a missile," said another TWA pilot. "We know of military practices where they will lock [missile systems] onto commercial aircraft for testing, but then do not detonate the missile."

There are obviously many questions that have been left unanswered. Although nothing has been proved, there is no reason to believe what the FBI and Navy are saying. The government, its police agencies and the military brass protect their own interests and the interests of the big corporations like TWA and Boeing.

There is nothing independent about their investigation.

For the hundreds of thousands of workers in the airline industry, for the millions of air passengers and for the victims of Flight 800 an independent investigation is necessary. But it must be completely independent and under the authority of the airline workers' unions-the ones with the greatest interest in safety and finding the real answer--as well as relatives of victims of the tragedy and the riding public.

(Copyright Workers World Service: Permission to reprint granted if source is cited. For more information contact Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: ww@wwpublish.com. For subscription info send message to: ww-info@wwpublish.com. Web: http://www.workers.org)

Copyright © 1996 workers.org