U.S. officials: Egyptians 'privately accept' co-pilot role in crash

By David Ensor
National Security Correspondent

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. intelligence officials say they believe Egyptian investigators "privately accept" that co-pilot Gamil al-Batouti was "probably responsible" for the crash of Egypt Air Flight 990 on October 31, 1999.

MESSAGE BOARD Discuss air safety     INTERACTIVE Timeline of recent crashes    Background: EgyptAir Flight 990 took off early on October 31 from New York's Kennedy International Airport. The Boeing 767 climbed to 33,000 feet before plunging into the sea south of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, about 40 minutes after takeoff. All 217 people aboard were killed.

Egyptian officials publicly dispute the theory of National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators that al-Batouti may have committed suicide and mass murder. In Muslim culture, suicide is considered a highly shameful act.

Asked why U.S. intelligence officials believe Egyptian investigators privately accept the U.S. theory as to what happened, an official said he could not discuss the "sources and methods" used to collect intelligence information.

In its current edition, Newsweek magazine reports that the United States "secretly monitored communications between Cairo and an Egyptian investigating team in Washington."

Egyptian officials say the crash was most likely caused by a mechanical problem with the aircraft that has not yet been found. The NTSB is scheduled to release its report on the crash later this year.