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May 19, 2016

U.S. intelligence still searching for clues (Los Angeles Times)

U.S. intelligence officials are combing through satellite imagery, communications intercepts and passenger records for clues that might explain the downing of an EgyptAir jetliner in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said analysts are checking a series of classified databases.

“We are going through our intelligence holdings to determine,   do we have any images of what happened to the plane, do we have any signals intelligence; we are looking at terrorism lists,” he said in a telephone interview.

“It does look like the aircraft broke apart in midair,” Schiff said. “At this point we don’t have the evidence to confirm this was terrorism or a structural problem with the aircraft."

If terrorists are to blame, Islamic State "is a leading candidate," Schiff said.

But intelligence officials can’t rule out Al Qaeda, he added. The terrorist network that launched the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks has repeatedly tried to bring down other passenger aircraft.


Source: Los Angeles Times