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Boeing May Use Missile Theory in TWA 800 Litigation Boeing Corp. is rumored to be considering the missile theory as a viable defense in pending litigation over the crash of TWA 800. Start Date: 1/25/99 In a bizarre new twist in the TWA 800 tragedy, the Boeing Corporation, maker of the 747 aircraft that exploded in mid-air off Long Island, New York on July 17, 1996, may be preparing to argue in court that a missile could have brought the plane down. According to a story in the February 8, 1999 issue of Insight Magazine (http://www.insightmag.com), journalist Kelly Patricia O'Meara says Boeing attorneys believe the missile theory can be employed to limit Boeing's liability in the incident. Civil litigation arising from the deaths of 230 persons on TWA 800 could cost the company tens of millions of dollars if the court rules that the plane exploded due to an internal malfunction, as concluded by the FBI and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) after their lengthy investigation. From the day of the accident, there have been numerous eyewitnesses who claim to have seen what appeared to be a missile, or projectile, streak toward the doomed plane just before the explosion. It is known that there were Naval exercises underway not too far from the scene of the accident, although munitions experts have said that no naval weapon used during those exercises could have reached the plane at altitude. The FBI and NTSB effectively ruled out the missile theory in their investigation report, but they did not manage to explain what had actually caused the explosion. According to Jim Walters, vice chairman of the Airline Pilots Association Accident Investigation Board, TWA 800 is one of only two airline crashes that has not been explained. Whether or not Boeing attorneys actually believe the missile theory is unclear. But a secret memo allegedly obtained by Insight Magazine says that Boeing will seek a "50 percent discount on each case" by raising the missile theory in court. If they do, this may open the way for damaging testimony previously ignored by the FBI and NTSB from dozens of witnesses who do believe they saw a missile strike the plane. [GSReport thanks Stig Agermose for bringing this story to our attention.] Excelsior, Michael Lindemann's new novel (written under the pen name Michael Paul), depicts a wholly plausible near future in which human cloning is both widespread and widely abused; terrorists have access to target-specific biological weapons; recreational space travel is commonplace; and mounting pressures of global climate change, environmental decline, population growth and civil unrest inspire radical new approaches to urban security. Built by Frontier on a Macintosh on 6/17/00; 11:56:14 AM. Web Comments - Produced by Larry Lowe Served 1995 times since 1/25/99.

Hopeful Parents Vie Mightily For a Millennium Baby April 9, 1999 was judged by reproduction experts to be the optimal day to conceive a child born on Jan 1, 2000 -- and all around the world, couples gave it their best shot. Iran: Human Rights Improve, But Problems Persist Iran is slowly becoming a more tolerant society, but reactionary clerics strongly oppose the policies of moderate President Mohammad Khatami. Cancer Rates Are Dropping, Mostly Among Men Most kinds of cancer are decreasing, but lung cancer among U.S. women actually increased in recent years, according to the American Cancer Society. Israel Orders 11 U.S. Doomsday Suspects Out Eleven members of a fanatical religious cult from the United States were ordered to leave Israel after authorities determined that the cultists might commit acts of violence at the end of 1999. Vatican: 'Devil Made Me Do It' Ain't Necessarily So Bowing to changing times, Vatican theologians are revamping their views on the Devil. Armed Conflict in Many Nations as New Year Begins 1998 saw armed conflict in some 60 nations, and many conflicts were in progress as 1999 began. Famine Threatens Much of Africa But Eases in N. Korea A new report from the FAO says that several nations of north and central Africa face imminent danger of famine, with millions of lives at risk. Green Party Gains Power, But Loses Respect In Germany, the environmental Green party has gained unprecedented power in the government, but now finds it is losing touch with the people, and with its own message. Millennium Fever Poses Challenges for Employers The coming millennium brings with it a host of unusual new stresses in the workplace, driven by varied visions of apocalypse. Global Aging Adds New Wrinkle to Population Problem There are more old people alive today than ever before, putting new strains on social security and raising questions about the value of longevity itself.