-Caveat Lector- Italy Generals Indicted Over Mystery Plane Crash ROME (Reuters) - An Italian magistrate Wednesday ordered nine people, including four generals, to stand trial on charges stemming from one of Italy's most enduring disaster mysteries -- a 1980 plane crash in which 81 people died. In his indictment, Magistrate Rosario Priore said the nine, eight of them serving or past members of the military or the military secret services, should stand trial on charges including high treason and giving false testimony. But Priore, according to excerpts of the 5,468-page indictment carried by Italian media, said those who actually may have caused the crash remained unknown, so he could not charge anyone with the crime of massacre. Priore concluded that the plane, a DC-9 airliner of the now-defunct Itavia airlines, went down over the southern island of Ustica, near Sicily, during military activity in the area and that those indicted had tried to mislead investigators. The generals Wednesday again rejected suggestions of a cover-up, saying they were not aware of any military activity. Mystery has surrounded the crash and for years there have been two conflicting theories -- that the plane went down because of a bomb on board or was hit by a missile intended for another plane. Italian media have long suspected a military cover-up of the tragedy. Media reports based on radar monitoring data released in 1997 showed that fighter aircraft from several NATO countries were in the area on the night the plane went down. Those reports said NATO planes may have been following one or two Libyan MiGs that had apparently entered Italian air space and had tried to evade detection by flying close to the airliner. The four air force generals ordered to stand trial were accused of abuse of office for allegedly making misleading and incomplete statements during several investigations into the disaster. One of the generals, Lamberto Bartolucci, told Italian television he was happy the case was finally going to trial because the truth would clear him. Also indicted, were four members of various branches of the military secret services and the former head of an air traffic control organization. The indictment accused the generals of failing to inform the government and judicial authorities of the possibility that there had been military activity in the area where the plane crashed into the sea, killing all on board. Daria Bonfietti, a leftist senator and head of an association of families of victims of the crash, said Priore's report made it clear that "with all probability, what had caused the plane to crash was an act of war." She accused Italy's NATO allies of failing to cooperate fully with past investigations and asked them to do so now. Copyright 1999 Reuters.All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ================================= Robert F. Tatman [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Remove "nospam" from the address to reply. NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml POSTING THIS MESSAGE TO THE INTERNET DOES NOT IMPLY PERMISSION TO SEND UNSOLICITED COMMERCIAL E-MAIL (SPAM) TO THIS OR ANY OTHER INTERNET ADDRESS. RECEIPT OF SPAM WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATION OF THE SENDER'S ISP. ____________________________________________________________________ Get your own FREE, personal Netscape WebMail account today at http://webmail.netscape.com. DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
