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American Morning

Missionary Plane Downing: Report Concludes Peruvian Authorities Did Not Follow Procedures

Aired July 17, 2001 - 09:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now to an update on the shooting down of a missionary plane in Peru: You may remember this story back from back in April. A missionary and her infant daughter were killed when the Peruvian Air Force shot down their single engine Cessna in the Amazon. That strike was part of a joint Peru/U.S. drug interdiction program.

And our State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel has the latest on the investigation that followed that shooting. She joins us now live -- Andrea, good morning.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon.

Well, CNN has learned the results of a joint U.S./Peruvian investigation. A senior administration official tells CNN that the results, the conclusion of this report is that the Peruvian air force did not do enough, in fact, that they didn't follow certain procedures that had been put in place specifically to avoid this kind of an accident, the shoot-down of what was obviously a civilian plane.

That resulted, as you just mentioned, in the death of Cynthia Bowers and her infant child, who was on board this plane. Their husband and son did survive.

Now, there are a number of procedures that have been in place for the last seven years since this drug interdiction program began in 1994. They include trying to fly by a plane, trying to fly by a suspected drug plane, to check its serial number, check its flight plan and things of that nature. Now, according to the findings of this report, the Peruvian Air Force went through this list too quickly. It's also, they're also looking into whether or not the Americans -- there's a CIA joint program, the CIA plane was up in the air, suspected that this Cessna might have been a drug running plane, that they didn't do enough to stop the Peruvian Air Force from shooting down this plane.

But, Leon, this entire program, the drug interdiction program, has been on hold since April, since the shoot-down of that Cessna and right now officials tell CNN they have as yet to get results, whether or not they're going to continue with this program, which has been in place in Latin America since 1994 -- Leon.

HARRIS: Well, Andrea, now that they have these, or they've reached these conclusions, what does this mean for the families involved here?

KOPPEL: Well, there's certainly little comfort for the families, that certainly Cynthia Bowers' family, that this result has concluded that the Peruvian Air Force was to blame. And certainly the U.S. government and the Peruvian governments will say that they need to do a better job of identifying civilian aircraft and they also need to make sure that something of this nature doesn't happen again in the future.

HARRIS: Well, do we know whether or not this opens the door or the way for them to get any compensation for the families for the loss of the woman and her daughter?

KOPPEL: Certainly that is something that if the Bowers family decides to pursue, I'm sure the Peruvian government would be the place to ask for that. But as far as the U.S. government is concerned, at this point there doesn't appear to be any standing.

HARRIS: All right, understood. Andrea Koppel, thank you very much.

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