US says own experts examined bullet that killed Al Jazeera journalist
The United States said that experts on its own team investigated the bullet that killed journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, after Palestinians cried foul that Israel was not directly blamed.
The State Department said that the prominent Al Jazeera journalist was likely shot from an Israeli position as she covered an operation in the occupied West Bank on May 11 but that there was no evidence the killing was intentional and that the bullet was too damaged for a conclusive finding.
The Palestinian Authority had reluctantly handed over the bullet to the United States and said it was not giving it to Israel, fearing a whitewash. But on Monday, the Israeli army said in a statement that Israeli experts had done forensic analysis on the bullet in a laboratory in the Jewish state.
State Department spokesman Ned Price insisted that the examination was carried out by two members on the team of the US Security Coordinator (USSC), which liaises with the Palestinian Authority on security assistance.
"The USSC had full custody of the bullet from the moment it was provided by the PA (Palestinian Authority) to the USSC until the moment it was returned by the USSC to the PA," he said.
The Israeli Defence Forces say they are still probing the death.
Senior Palestinian officials accused the United States of covering up the truth and the family of Abu Akleh -- who held US citizenship -- said it was "incredulous" that the examination could not determine whose gun fired the bullet.
