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CNN: Crew of Downed U.S. Spy Plane Destroyed Sensitive
Information
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Washington (April 4) -- The crew of the U.S. spy
plane downed in China destroyed all sensitive information on board,
Cable News Network (CNN) television quoted Pentagon sources as saying
Wednesday.
U.S. sources said the 24-member crew
had indicated that they managed to destroy at least some of the equipment
and data on board the plane before it landed after Sunday's mid-air
collision between a U.S. Navy spy plane and a Chinese fighter jet off
southern China.
The US Navy EP-3E Aries II electronic surveillance
aircraft landed on Hainan Island after being damaged in the collision. The
Chinese fighter crashed into the sea and its pilot is missing.
The
White House is considering calling off a planned visit to Beijing by U.S.
President George Bush in connection with the incident, U.S. administration
sources said.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell meanwhile
rejected demands by Chinese head of state Jiang Zemin that Washington
apologise for the collision, saying the Chinese reaction was inadequate
and was not doing bilateral relations any good.
Bush reiterated
his demand that China release the U.S. crew, saying that the accident had
the potential to undermine Washington's hopes for a fruitful and
productive bilateral relationship.
He said U.S. officials who were
allowed to visit the crew had found them to be in good health. They were
unscathed and had not been mistreated, he said.
U.S. media reports have said Washington was concerned that highly sensitive
electronic intelligence-gathering equipment on board the plane is being
closely scrutinised by the Chinese. |
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