ABC AUSTRALIA, 23/12/2003 18:40:03
FBI clears Indonesian army of role in Papua murders: report
A United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) probe has cleared the
Indonesian army of involvement in an ambush in Papua province in 2002, which killed
two Americans.
Indonesia's Koran Tempo newspaper quotes the military police chief, Major General
AB Sulaiman, as saying a visiting FBI team told him of its conclusions in a meeting
last week.
General Sulaiman says the conclusions were based on ballistic tests on bullet
casings found at the scene.
Unidentified gunmen opened fire in August 2002 on a convoy carrying employees of
the US-owned Freeport copper and gold mine in Timika district.
Two American teachers and an Indonesian colleague were killed and 12 other people,
most of them Americans, were wounded.
The US embassy has declined to comment on the result of investigations.
FBI agents made their first visit to Papua in January, but expressed concern they
were not given full access to witnesses or evidence.
23/12/2003 18:40:03 | ABC Radio Australia News
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