FBI clears military over attack: claim

[Tinoire]

FBI clears military over attack: claim

By Marianne Kearney
Jakarta
December 24, 2003

A joint Federal Bureau of Intelligence investigation into the killing of two Americans at the Freeport copper mine in Papua last year has cleared the Indonesian military of any involvement, the head of the military police claims.

The central commander for the military police said on Monday that results from the FBI investigation proved the military was not involved in the attack at Timika, Papua, last August.

"That was the conclusion from the FBI investigation in the field, along with the ballistic tests of spent bullet casings found at the site of the incident," Major-General Sulaiman told reporters during the Indonesian military celebrations marking the 1945 fight for independence.

Two American teachers and one Indonesian were killed, and several other Americans injured last August when a gunman opened fire on a convoy of Freeport employees returning from a picnic within the copper and gold mine.

<snip>

The latest FBI investigation comes after intense pressure from the US Government, which said it could not renew military ties with Indonesia until a full investigation was carried out.

<snip>

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/12/23/1071941725873.html

[TolstoyAndy]

1. That's a relief !

Now when will the US military be cleared of suspicion of incompetence and/or dereliction of duty (or worse) on 9-11?