French unhappy with Americans Yemeni journalist says there’s investigation rift [Archives:2002/42/Local News]

A Yemeni journalist says that French investigators into the explosion of the super-tanker Limburg have expressed disappointment over the interference of new American investigators who they say have come into the picture without their knowledge or approval.
“It is evident that the gap between Yemeni authorities and the French investigators have widened.” Journalist Saleh Al-Basha in Mokalla said.
Al-Basha says there are more American investigators at the scene than expected, and that has caused the friction at the investigation site.
This comes as the Yemeni side, unlike the French side, insists that there is still not evidence to confirm that the blast was a terrorist attack.
Yemeni officials say that it is far too early to give a decisive reason for the blast.
The journalist says that both French and Yemeni authorities have also expressed their shock and unease with the latest news reports saying that the blast’s was because of a terrorist attack.
The most recent inspections of the hole reveals that the metal sheets point inwards and not outwards as initially reported.
This adds to the possibility that the explosion came from outside the ship.
The Yemeni officials say that the metal of the ship may have turned inwards because of wind and water currents.

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