Fbi Responds To Flight 800 Rumors

Assistant FBI Director James Kallstrom expressed frustration Friday with persistent rumors of a conspiracy to cover up the truth about TWA Flight 800 until after the election.

“This is certainly not true,” Kallstrom said. “But it saddens me to hear that some people believe this story.”

Kallstrom said he got a letter from a family member of one of the 230 victims of the July 17 airplane disaster saying she was disappointed that he knows what happened and is not telling the public.

He blames the long wait for a telltale sign of a cause for keeping the rumors alive. For more than three months, Kallstrom and other officials have said they don’t know whether the plane was brought down by a bomb, a missile or a mechanical malfunction.

Persistent as well are rumors that the plane was shot down by the U.S. military in a “friendly fire” accident. Authorities have said all military ordinance is accounted for and there were no maneuvers the night of July 17 that were close enough to have brought down the plane.