Egyptian authorities say their preliminary investigation into the crash of a Russian passenger plane has found no indication yet of any “illegal or terrorist act.”
The statement released today by Egypt’s chief investigator Ayman el-Muqadam directly contradicts multiple other investigation conclusions, as well as claims of responsibility by terrorists themselves.
There has long been speculation that Egypt is eager to play down any connection between terrorism and the Oct. 21 downing of the Airbus A321-200, which killed all 224 people on board.
Tourism in Egypt, which accounts for over 11 percent of the nation’s annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP), has reportedly taken a hit since the incident. The crash led Russia to suspend all flights to and from Egypt, dealing a heavy blow to Egypt’s tourism industry.
The vaguely worded statement by el-Muqadam said the investigation committee so far has not found “any evidence” indicating foul play. But Russia has said an explosive device had been placed onboard the plane and the Sinai branch of the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility.
El-Muqadam said the investigating committee completed its preliminary report Sunday evening, which contained all available information that will be further investigated.
He said the search for wreckage extended more than 16 kilometers (10 miles) from the main crash site and that the committee provided all parties that are part of the investigation, including the insurance company and Russian working teams, the chance to examine the wreckage.
The investigators analyzed the plane’s 38 computers and two engine computers and is currently checking the technical details of the plane and repairs carried out since it was manufactured in May 1997.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment directly on the Egyptian statement, but told reporters in a conference call, “I can remind you of the conclusion of our experts from the special services, who came to the conclusion that it was a terrorist action.”
Aside from a joint technical investigation into the crash by experts from Egypt, Russia, France and Ireland, the Egyptian authorities also opened an investigation into a possible security breach or infiltration by militants of the Sharm el-Sheikh airport staff, security officials have said.
That investigation has focused on baggage handlers, their security supervisors and also personnel involved in aircraft catering, according to the officials.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
The Egyptians are right – it didn’t happen in the baggage handling. More likely a drone air-to-air strike,
something that no one wants to admit, least of all the “JV President.” If this were made public, there would be even more distrust of air travel in the region. However, even a slow drone – not the Predator type – could be made to go up 30,000 ft and wait in air corridors with a modification of a MANPAD-type system that have been all over the place since Hillary’s war in Libya.
Defense officials routinely deny such a possibility, at least publicly, or they won’t entertain such possibilities. This includes defense officials in Russia as well as the US and Egypt.
It is also possible that the President of Turkey ordered the strike in order to destabilize Egypt, and to bring about a return of the MB, which he also intends to set up in Syria. He has the most to gain from making Russia an enemy of NATO, and to create a war between the two. Unfortunately, military reports to the President of the US are being vetted by MB infiltrators, and even select committees cannot convince the President that his information up the line has been attenuated. Unless, of course, he intends to believe whatever he wants to believe, regardless of the material information supplied. Any way you look at it, the President of the US is doing whatever his comrade in Turkey wishes, including the facilitation of oil transfer through Turkey by ISIS.
The President of Turkey is known for his false flag events, and those may include the use of terror-grad sarin gas against
the local populations in Syria. The stuff Assad had (or has) is military grade, and requires HAZMAT suits for the treatment of victims. No such suits were necessary during these gassings, and ISIS/al Nusra were the ones using the gas to make an artificial red line for Obama. Obama, in one of his more lucid moments, didn’t get suckered into a war.
We need to avoid the same kind of false flag events in the future, as the President of Turkey is trying to initiate WWIII in order to see the US and Russia and Europe annihilate itself. Our military needs to communicate with the Russians, and vice versa, before we’re brought into a situation that none of us can escape.
The President of Turkey believes himself to be the Mahdi, and this only means that he does not only not care about the West, but he is willing to see the world in flames, with him as the head of the Caliphate. He fully intends to see Russia and NATO at war. This is the same man who – like our President – denies that there is any “Islamic terrorism,” and who denies Turkey’s genocide against Armenian Christians. It is clear that he is the most dangerous man on the planet, because Turkey has a very capable intelligence agency (as do the rulers in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.)
It is also likely that Turkey is behind the attack on the compound in Benghazi, as the Turkish Consulate General had just left immediately before the first attack. The reason the State Department didn’t support our Ambassador is because the attackers were sponsored by our “allies,” the Turks. While this is speculative, it is in line with the intent of the President of Turkey to reestablish a version of the Ottoman Empire under the Muslim Brotherhood, sponsored by Qatar (which opposes Syria’s gas pipleline from Russia.)
The US is in a hard place, because we can trust neither the Islamist Salafists, nor the death-seeking Iranian clerics, and our allies are few. There are ways out of this, but they include a reversal of our position on Assad, a re-fortification of Israel and a complete distrust of the present Turkish regime, which has initiated a wave of invaders/colonists to both Europe and the United States. Turkey is not our friend, and Article 5 should be cancelled as long as Ankara is playing games that may cause the destruction of the entire civilized world.
WOW, Your right on the money. couldnt agree with you more, as the guy in turkey always quotes the quaran and puts down womens rights, seems he is on the enemys side.
We need to withdraw our forces from the middle east, support our allies, but stay home, if it turns into a fiasco, at least we will be able to say its not our doing, and honestly I am tired of Obama putting our enemys in charge of america, like a muslim in charge of homeland security…..UM. WTF?????
Your right when you say it wasn’t in the baggage area. I have it on good authority that the bomb was on board the plane and underneath a seat near the fuel line.
It is in the MB’s interests (read: Doha, Ankara, Oval Office) that Egypt suffer economically. Therefore, ISIS was doing what its masters in those countries intended. Pay no attention to ISIS claims that it has put a fatwah on the President of Turkey – that’s misdirection. Once the Kurds are sufficiently armed and make moves toward independence, and once Syria is no longer threatened by Islamists, the President of Turkey should fold like a bamboo hut in a typhoon. Then we will see the Turks use sarin against Kurds, as did their buddy Saddam, which will further expose this pretender who hopes to see another World War.
There was a deal with Turkey back in the Gulf War: to leave an attenuated Saddam in power, because he had the ability to keep the Kurds tamped down. Of course, the Kurds have a shameful history of their own, with regard to the Armenians, but they’ve done a masterful job of dealing with ISIS. It is time to work with Kurdistan and to leave Turkey to the consequences of its own evil.
Hopefully the truth will eventually be known.
(H)
Orville
Everyone involved just stands in a circle ( including our own government ) and blames the one in front of them. If the truth were known they were all involved.
Particularly John McLame and Wimsy Gwaham. Tweedlede-dee and Tweedle-de-dum/0.
My guess is that the Russians are telling the truth on this one and that the Egyptians are lying in an attempt to save their tourism industry. Have friends who took a vacation to Egypt a few years back and found it enjoyable and inexpensive in the resort that they visited. They would not do it again under the present threat of extremist violence.
WE need to send all Muslims to the middle east and Call Islam just what it is A Terrorist Organization.. Take the time to read what they call their Holy book and the teachings of Islam and they clearly call for terrorist activity be each and everyone that professes to be a Muslim. Then deal with them all the way any terrorist should be dealt with.
While we are at it declare anyone in this country illegally to be be the criminal that they are and also spy’s with the full intent of destroying this nation. To be here illegally makes them a criminal and they are spy’s trying to find our nations weak spots All spy’s are by law required to be put to death and get no rights or protection under the law. Also anyone no matter who it is and what they do for a living if caught giving any illegal or terrorist any form of aide and comfort should be hanged for treason and aiding and abetting the enemy . That means if you rent them a place,sell them anything including food you are guilty of treason and should be taken out and hanged without a trail just simple proof that you helped them in some way be in and survive in the USA.
Right on Alanhastings You have it correct The Middle East has been trying to “hold the rest off the world hostage since the spice wars of the 14th Century. We need to return all illegal persons in the U.S.A. to their country of origin. The job of rounding them up, processing them and sending them to their original country to get in line and come into this country legaly, would gainfully employee many Red Blooded Americans, especaly recent service personnel and enhance the security of the U.S.A. The idea that we have to accepet all refugees from any country with out knowing who they are is miss guided and un-american. If you are in this country illegall you are a criminal PERIOD.by definition. We might start with the illeagal in the OVAL OFFICE. The hanging of any one without our normal judical process may be a little over the line. But aiding and abetting any criminal act has serve penalties, under present Law”. Politially correct” is and has caused to many lives, already The elected officals of this county need to revisit thier oath of office when they promised to “PROTECT THE CITIZENS OF THE U.S.A.” .