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EgyptAir Crash Co-Pilot's Nephew Angry at Reports
Moe
08/12/00 at 18:27:12
CAIRO (Reuters) - A nephew of the co-pilot of EgyptAir Flight 990, which crashed off the U.S. coast last October, reacted angrily to U.S. reports of alleged sexual misconduct involving his uncle. An assessment by the U.S. National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) appeared to dismiss Egyptian theories of technical problems but cited alleged lewd behavior by the co-pilot, who has previously been linked in leaks from the investigation to a U.S. theory that a crew member deliberately crashed the plane. ``Don't you think it's a bit odd that the report on his behavior came only hours before the official report was released?'' co-pilot Gamil al-Batouti's nephew Walid al-Batouti told Reuters late on Friday. ``They said my uncle recited Islamic verses from the Koran on the plane. So on the plane he was a Muslim fundamentalist and in the hotel he was a man going after women?'' The NTSB report ruled out a public hearing into the October 31, 1999 crash that killed all 217 people aboard. It issued 1,665 pages of material without analysis or any conclusion on the cause of the tragedy off the coast of Massachusetts. But the release included Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reports saying Batouti had been investigated by a New York hotel for complaints of lewd behavior. The FBI documents made public on Friday said a New York hotel had considered banning Batouti because of an alleged pattern of sexual misconduct toward staff and guests and had discussed its concerns with his employer. They alleged he had exposed himself and made unwanted sexual advances to hotel staff and guests. ``It's an unfair investigation...You know that they are just trying to find something (to blame Batouti),'' his nephew said. Egyptian Investigators Focus On Aircraft Relatives of crew members killed in the incident have sued Boeing Co and other companies, alleging that flaws in the aircraft, rather than a suicidal pilot, downed the plane. The investigation has been handled carefully to avoid offending Egypt, a key U.S. ally in Middle East peace efforts. Egyptian efforts to show various scenarios for losing control of the plane were painstakingly reviewed in Boeing simulators. At a news conference on Friday, safety board chairman Jim Hall was asked why his agency was not holding a public hearing to discuss the material. Such hearings are often held in the United States during investigations of major air accidents. ``Staff recommended to the board that a hearing not be held on this crash because they believe there are no unresolved safety issues that require such a forum,'' Hall said. Hall said no determination on the cause of the crash had been made but added that investigative work had ended for now. Chief Egyptian investigator Captain Mohser el-Missiry told the news conference that more needed to be done, ``particularly in assessing the design of the Boeing 767 elevator control system and gaining additional radar information, before the cause of this tragic accident can be finally determined.'' Egypt's Al Ahram and Akhbar Al Youm newspapers made no mention on Saturday of the allegations of sexual misconduct. (end)

Re: EgyptAir Crash Co-Pilot's Nephew Angry at Reports
Saleema
08/13/00 at 20:12:13
assalamoalykum, I don't get it. So what does the crash have anthing to do with sexual misconduct? Wassalam

Re: EgyptAir Crash Co-Pilot's Nephew Angry at Reports
bhaloo
08/13/00 at 20:51:58
Asalaam alaikum wrt wb, The US government is trying to make this Egypt Air co-pilot look like some pervert and look like he had some mental problems and that he killed all these people in a suicide attempt.

Re: EgyptAir Crash Co-Pilot's Nephew Angry at Reports
jannah
08/13/00 at 22:26:35
Walaikum salaam wrt, Also the fascinating thing is that there is a whole group of people who claim to have seen a missile hit the plane. These are ordinary American eyewitnesses that were there that day  and experts in the field. It's amazing the lengths the US government are going through to guide national opinion...and for the msot part john q public just believes everything they see on TV.

Re: EgyptAir Crash Co-Pilot's Nephew Angry at Reports
bhaloo
08/13/00 at 23:38:55
Asalaam alaikum wrt wb, Really?  I didn't know about the eyewitnesses, dang.  Is there some story online about this?

Re: EgyptAir Crash Co-Pilot's Nephew Angry at Reports
jannah
08/14/00 at 00:37:08
It made big news a few weeks ago when that group released some report on it all. Actually I was pretty shocked that the witness was right there along with some other people doing a press conference. I forget which channel.

Re: EgyptAir Crash Co-Pilot's Nephew Angry at Reports
Saleema
08/14/00 at 19:21:07
Assalamoalykum, Speaking of government conspiracies, there is a good book that talks about how the powers of the world have made Islam their biggest enemy after communism. The author's name is Murad Hoffman and the title of the book is "Islam 2000." It's a short book, but it snaps you out of lethargy and gets you thinking. He is also the author of "Islam:The Alternative." He served with NATO during the cold war years. He has also held several other key posts in government. Did you know that NATO was designed only to abolish communism but then they noticed Islam as a potential enemy and stayed. Trust me, you'll like the book. I don't think a suicidal person will declare the shahada right before he's about to die in a manner that the pilot did. I heard his voice on TV. Plus, if he cared so much for not getting caught, I doubt he would be crazy enough to kill himself in a plane along with others. And anyway, if he was so sensitive about his reputation, he wouldn't do such a thing in the first place. A person with bad morals wouldn't care *that* much about his reputation. And another thing. It's not like he was another Clinton of Egypt or anything that the whole world could find out about him and his bad character. He was just a small fish in a big pond. If he was a big fish, the possibility of a suicide can be kept as a theory. If anyone would kill himself over something like that, I think Clinton would be the first one to commit suicide, he has been embarrassed in front of the whole world. Wassalam

Re: EgyptAir Crash Co-Pilot's Nephew Angry at Reports
jannah
08/14/00 at 21:20:23
By the way he never said the shahadah, what he said is "i rely on God"...a few times so maybe he said tawaqaltullah and then he yelled pull with me pull with me.. and that's it. you can read the whole transcript at [url]http://more.abcnews.go.com/sections/world/dailynews/egyptair_transcript000811.html[/url] Now if you were scared to death and thought you were about to die, wouldn't you sure as hell be sending up some prayers... Even not being the pilot when we have some turbulence I'm sure saying every dua I know. Now how they take from that that he was suicidal and decided to kill himself and everyone on board I can't imagine. It's pretty ludicrous, illogical and just plain stupid. Yet in every media article I've read so far in the Western press they keep speculating on that theory despite the lack of any evidence. It's enough to make even non conspiracy buffs more than suspicious.

Re: EgyptAir Crash Co-Pilot's Nephew Angry at Reports
Saleema
08/15/00 at 18:20:06
Assalamoalykum, Really, it wasn't the shahada? I read in the houston chronicle it was the shahada? but i do remember also hearing something in arabic on tv and it sure didn't sound like he was depressed. He sounded alarmed you don't get alarmed when u know that you are going to kill yourself in the next few seconds. thanx for the site. Wassalam, Saleema
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