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Speculation Surrounds Cause of EgyptAir Flight 900"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," Hall said. Speculation has focused on a cockpit voice recorder tape on which a voice reportedly could be heard saying, in Arabic, "I made my decision now." Some officials, quoted anonymously, backed away from that interpretation Saturday: Egypt hopes its experts now in Washington to help translate the tapes can clarify any confusion. "There is an element of cultural misinterpretation here, and that is why it was important for Egyptian experts to be on the scene," said Nabil Osman, a spokesman for the Cairo government. Officials expect to work through the weekend trying to agree on a transcript of the cockpit voice tapes. But the intense speculation about sabotage or pilot suicide has only inflamed conspiracy theories in Egypt. For many Egyptians, the investigation has lost its credibility and the rumors of plots will probably live on for years to come. To most, the notion that el-Batouty could be responsible is simply beyond belief. El-Batouty was a devout Muslim, and Islam forbids suicide. Many in Cairo are ready to believe sinister forces might have blown up the plane. "If it succeeds, it would influence the Egyptian economy, because it would be a serious blow against tourism," said Adel Hussein, secretary-general of the Egyptian Labor Party. Impatient for answers, Egyptians have drawn their own conclusions. "The scientific community is saying, 'We have the black box.' You have the black box? Then reveal the truth now," Amin said. The lack of quick answers leaves some Egyptians thinking that "there's something wrong with the American scientific community ‹ or you are hiding something from us." The NTSB's own rules and an international aviation treaty signed by the United States and Egypt would call for the leadership of the probe to be turned over to the FBI if it is clear a criminal act is involved. He added that speculation about words captured on the cockpit voice recorder has "caused pain for the families" of the crash victims and "done a disservice to the long-standing friendship between the people of the United States of America and Egypt." |
Protesters Mar President Clinton's Visit To GreecePolice estimated that 5,500 protesters, mostly communists, gathered in front of the Parliament building in the gathering dusk of Friday to protest Clinton's visit, his policy in Kosovo and U.S. support for the military junta that ruled Greece until 1974. At least 41 people were arrested in the downtown clashes, police said. One man suffered severe head injuries, and 16 others were slightly injured. The Greek government condemned the violence, saying left-wing extremists taking cover behind communist protesters were to blame. Police used tear gas and pepper spray to push back the crowd after it advanced upon police, a scene carried live on local television. At a state dinner hosted by President Stephanopoulos, Clinton said he had come as a friend to Greece, a country he said had stood with the United States in every conflict this century. An unnamed U.S. official said of the demonstrators, the president "is certainly not taking this personally." Angry at the U.S. president's leadership of the NATO assault on Yugoslavia, protesters carried signs portraying him as a murderer and "Butcher of the Balkans." Walking slowly en masse down the street toward the U.S. Embassy, the protesters came literally face-to-face with the police ‹ and the tear gas. A group of anarchists, who had gathered at a nearby rally, joined the main demonstration and responded to the police use of tear gas by hurling firebombs, rocks and marine flares, smashing storefront windows and burning U.S. flags. |
Federal Judge Appoints Mediator In Microsoft CaseU.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson named Richard Posner, chief judge of the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago, to handle so-called "voluntary" negotiations between Microsoft (MSFT) and the government. Under the order issued late Friday, Posner will act as mediator in a private capacity, meaning it is separate from the U.S. District Court's involvement in the case. Posner will determine the schedule and duration of the negotiations. Jackson found Microsoft to be a monopoly in a preliminary ruling in the case earlier this month. Most antitrust experts expected Jackson's findings of fact to stimulate a new round of settlement discussions between the two sides. "We look forward to working with Judge Posner," said Jim Cullinan, a Microsoft spokesman. "We think this is potentially a very positive step toward resolving the case." A Justice Department spokeswoman said the government anticipates meeting with Posner "to discuss a way to address the serious competitive problems identified in the court's findings of fact." In light of the fact that Jackson sided with nearly all of the government's arguments in his preliminary findings, federal prosecutors have indicated they will seek harsh remedies against the firm in the likely event that Jackson rules Microsoft violated antitrust laws. "Microsoft needs a settlement more than the government," Harvey Saferstein, an antitrust lawyer at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson in Los Angeles, told CNN. While both sides have long maintained that they have been open to an out-of-court settlement, they have remained far apart on key issues. Bill Gates, Microsoft chairman and chief executive officer, has said any proposed settlement must leave Microsoft free to add whatever features it chooses to its Windows operating system. Jackson's ruling, however, provides the government with ammunition against that stance. A cornerstone of the government's case has been that Microsoft included the Internet Explorer Web browser for free within Windows to thwart a potential threat to its power monopoly. Unless a settlement is reached first, the government will file a brief in court on December 6 outlining how to apply antitrust laws to Jackson's findings of fact, with Microsoft due to file its responding brief on January 17. |
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