
      P R E S S   C O N F E R E N C E   H I G H L I G H T S 

By Ian Williams Goddard

>From my notes taken. James Kallstrom, FBI Assistant Director 
and head spokesman in the FBI's investigation of the TWA 800 
case, at a Press Conference (11/08/96) said:

        "We're here to... protect national security."

        "We're not going to sweep anything under the rug."

        "Nothing is off the table."

        "The US military did not shoot the plane."

He swept away all claims of military culpability as 
"irresponsible... total unadulterated nonsense," and 
said that such claims are hurtful to the victims.

When asked if he had heard of the National Guard 
being involved, as opposed to the Navy, he instantly
swept this theory away saying:

        "I've never heard of this... it's total nonsense."

After the news feed suddenly went black, popping in and out 
a few times, it returned and Hillel Cohen, a reporter from the 
International Worker's World, was heard to ask, "Why isn't the 
Navy a suspect... we want an independent investigation." 
Kalstrom, pointing to Cohen, said:

        "Remove that man."

Whereupon approximately 12 security agents swiftly escorted 
Cohen for the room. The man did ask his question prior to the 
question period, however, this looked pretty bad, as Cohen was 
not shouting or being overtly disruptive and could have just 
been told, "I'll take your questions later."

Other highlight statments of Kallstrom:

        "If it's a criminal act by deranged people, 
        we want to bring these people to justice."

What if it was a military snafu by nonderanged military people ?
I guess then we don't want to bring those people to justice. ?

When asked if the FBI had tried to contact Former White House 
adviser Pierre Salinger, Kallstrom sheepishly replied:

        "We're working on this."

Then he very sheepishly smiled, AS IF to say "we've not really 
tried to contact him... sorry."

***

Navy Admiral Edward Kristensen, when asked if the area from which
witnesses saw a missile fly up from the ocean hitting the plane is 
ever used by the navy for missiles test firing, as Salinger's 
evidence suggests, Kristensen said that the area is:

	"Not typicality used for missile training."

When pressed further on this point later on in the conference he said:

	"Not to my knowledge have missiles been fired there."

Each answer is vague. Considering that he is the top Navy official
in charge of this issue, it's amazing that he cannot, after these 
allegations have been floating about for weeks, give a positive yes 
or no answer. This must lead one to speculate that he knows there is 
information available that the area has been used for test firings 
and that he cannot therefore say "no" without being shown to have lied.

***
An agent from the U.S. Secret Service, Brian Gimlet, called to 
speak because on media report said Salinger had procured the 
documents from an SS officer, spoke very briefly simply
stating that the Secret Service knows nothing.

***
Jim Hall, head of the NTSB investigation of the TWA 800 case came
in late and basically ripped into reports of military culpability 
saying:

        "Mr. Salinger's unfortunate statements are
        causing incredible pain and confusion for 
        those who lost loved ones."

Hall said that they "deplore" Mr. Salinger's "irresponsible 
statements." How is it that some suggesting that some people
or groups may be suspects is good and for those who lost loved 
ones as it would bring the guilty to justice, but suggesting
that other groups may be culpable is suddenly a cruel attack
upon the grieving families?? How odd indeed.

Mr. Hall was very irate about and visibly steamed with any 
suggested that the Navy could be involved. One can see that 
they are objectively investigating all possibilities.

That is all for now.

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 IAN GODDARD <igoddard@erols.com>   Q U E S T I O N   A U T H O R I T Y
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 VISIT Ian Goddard's Universe   ----->    http://www.erols.com/igoddard 
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