From Al Ahram Newspaper > Posted: 26 Zulhijjah 1420, 2 April 2000
> > The following article was published in Al Ahram newspaper (Egypt's main
paper).
> > Still after the tragedy hit the Egypt Air 767 Boeing a 112 kilometers off
the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Many questions come to mind about the
cause of the airplane's sudden "fall" after its explosion at 11,000 feet
elevation after 40 minutes of its take-off from Kennedy International Airport in
New York.
> >
> >
This tragedy, the worst in the aviation history of Egypt and the worst of the century, has been shrouded with a great mystery more than any other similar tragedies. What made it even more mysterious is the confusing and strange conclusions reached by the American authorities about the details of the incident, which puzzled the intellect of many in the investigation and police fields.
> > Many neutral investigators are almost definite that the tragedy happened as
a result of "sabotage". They ask: What has hit the plane (in the tail) without
leaving any trace or evidence of the cause?
> > They also ask about the nature of "the sabotage": was it something that was
done from outside the plane while flying or if it was actually something
"implanted" inside the plane. Whatever the cause, there has to be someone who
caused the incident.
> > Some investigators used the "know who would benefit from the act to know who
did it" in their research. Meanwhile, others searched closely in a series of
events that came before, during and after the bodies of all 217 victims ended up
in the bottom of the ocean or eaten by its sharks and whales. So those events
became givings that lead them to draw a sketch of the culprit, or, at least show
his fingerprints.
> > 16 Coincidences Worth Contemplating
> > Here is a "series" of events or "coincidences" as in the language of
investigators:
> > 1. There were 34 generals of different ranks from the Egyptian Armed Forces
on board the plane. Among them was a general who has a Doctorate in atomic
sciences, and more than 20 pilots who successfully completed training in
operating Apache helicopters that were sold recently to Egypt. Also on board
were other generals who successfully completed training in launching the famous
American Patriot missiles. The training of all those generals lasted 3 years and
has cost Egypt $3 billion, which Egypt paid in full.
> > 2. Israel vehemently denounced the training program of those generals upon
their arrival in the US 3 years ago, and Israel called the training program "a
threat to Israel's security".
> > 3. Cairo started a big campaign to rid the region of weapons of mass
destruction. The campaign has targeted mainly Israel since it is the only
country in the region that possesses such dangerous weapons.
> > 4. Israel started a campaign accusing Egypt of seeking to modernize its
armed forces, and of possessing missiles that threaten the security of Israel,
especially so because the army generals who came to train in the US will be
exposed to the secrets of the joint American-Israeli missiles and jet fighters
technology.
> > 5. Egyptian defense minister, Muhammd Hussein Tantawi, announced last
October that war with Israel is not ruled out. He also announced that Egypt
therefore is continuously building its armed forces to be in a state of
readiness.
> > 6. One day before the tragedy, the American authorities provided hotel
accommodation in a 3-star hotel for the airplane crew, which constitutes a
violation of the simplest norms of international aviation, where the crew is
usually accommodated in the airport hotel or in a 5-star hotel.
> > 7. On the same day, a crew of pilots and flight attendants of Israel's
airline (Al A'al) checked in the same hotel with a general form the Israeli
Intelligence (Mossad) who was in charge of the crew's luggage and personal
belongings.
> > 8. Just a few hours prior to the incident, one of the Egypt Air flight crew
complained to the hotel security that someone has sneaked into his room, because
he noticed signs of someone's attempt to open his suitcase by breaking the
locks. But the hotel security assured him of no foul play as long as nothing was
missing.
> > 9. The day of the incident, Edward Mcglauglen, an American Jew, who is a
vice president of an American civil agency was one of the passengers of Egypt
flight form Los Angeles to New York City in route to Cairo. But when the plane
landed in New York City, Mcglauglen refused to continue his journey to his final
destination (Cairo) for fear of possible "planting of a bomb" by "one of the
passengers" at its first stop (New York City).
> > 10. The same day of the incident, the American authorities opted to take the
flight crew's luggage from the hotel through the halls to the plane itself.
Meanwhile the Mossad general opted to take the luggage of the crew of Al A'al
flight to the Israeli plane himself. But the luggage of the crews of both Egypt
Air and Al A'al ended up being taken from the hotel to the airport in the same
car that took the Mossad general to the Israeli plane.
> > 11. Prior to the Egypt Air flight departure, the American authorities have
inspected the plane for 3 hours, which is a very unusually long time in aviation
norms. Also it has been reported that airport security have not given similar
attention to any other plane that day.
> > 12. After 40 minutes of the flight's departure, contact with the plane was
lost over the Edward American naval base, which is known to have anti-aircraft
missiles, some of which are ready to be launched automatically by the mere
sensing of an object passing over at a certain elevation.
> > 13. After the incident, 3 eye witnesses testified to the investigators that
they saw the plane on fire as it was falling down. Fox News also has confirmed
in its own investigation of the incident that the plane had exploded in mid air
before its fall according to what was seen on the radar screens.
> > 14. The American investigation team reported that the plane fell down from
33,000 feet to 19,000 feet in 40 seconds, "which, according to aviation experts,
is a speed equal to a free fall due to earth gravity, which makes it evident
that the plane has fallen down in pieces and not as one body. Because the body
of the plane is designed in a way that makes it impossible for the body of the
plane to descend at a speed in access of 7,000 feet per second". Aviation
experts also add that "even if the engines of the plane stopped working, it
would still be possible to land the plane at the nearest airport."
> > 15. After 10 hours of the incident, a member of the American investigation
team announced that they have found the "black box" that records the secrets of
the events in the "last moments" just before the plane's fall. However, the next
day, the American official spokesman denied finding the "box" and said that the
investigation team is still searching for it!
> > 16. There were 34 generals from the Egyptian army on board "the plane",
which is a violation of Egyptian army rules that "prohibit" more than 3 generals
to be on board the same flight, domestic or international, for security of the
generals. This decision was reached in 1978 after "the downing" in the Western
Sahara of the flight that had Ahmad Badawi on board (in which 12 generals have
died). At that time the fingers pointed to "the Israeli enemy" and the American
intelligence.