Friday, February 19, 2010

FBI Urges Local Investigation of ‘97 Attack

By Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
18 February 2010

“We cannot allow Cambodian police to conduct the investigation ... Because if they do it properly, they will have to arrest a Cambodian leader who is holding a high position” - Sam Rainsy
With its own case closed, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation is encouraging Cambodian police to pick up the trail of at least three suspects who killed 16 people in a deadly grenade attack in 1997.

The FBI was called in to investigate the attack on an opposition rally in Phnom Penh after one American was injured. However, the FBI closed the case in 2005.

“The results of the FBI investigation were presented to the US Department of Justice, who felt that the evidence gathered did not support criminal charges in the United States,” Special Agent Tom Simon told VOA Khmer in a phone interview in January.

“While we take every assault on Americans overseas seriously, the facts of the case and the loss of Cambodian lives indicate that this investigation is best handled by Cambodian authorities, who hopefully have the resources and ground intelligence to determine what occurred that day and bring the perpetrators to justice,” Simon said.

In its own investigation, described in part in a recently declassified report, the FBI identified three suspects and produced nine sketches, though none was arrested.

In recent interviews with the Cambodia Daily, the case agent, Tom Nicoletti, who is now retired, cited difficulties in conducting the investigation, including threats to his security.

“To close that case knowing what the facts are, I think it is criminal,” said Ron Abney, the American wounded in the attack. “I think it is absolutely something that makes me very angry and very frustrated, and I think it’s awful and I think it’s not an honorable and honest thing to do and I really believe that they all should be ashamed of themselves.”

Despite his disappointment, Ron Abney praised Nicolleti as an “honorable” and “very good” detective.

The Cambodian government insists that the investigation remains open, despite having lost track of a suspect, stalling the case.

“We have not closed our investigation,” Ministry of Interior spokesman Khieu Sopheak said. “There are no instructions from the government or the ministry to close the case.”

The leader of the rally and likely target of the attack, Sam Rainsy, said he does not believe Cambodian authorities will ever solve the crime and hopes the FBI will reopen the case.

“We cannot allow Cambodian police to conduct the investigation,” the opposition leader said. “Because if they do it properly, they will have to arrest a Cambodian leader who is holding a high position.”

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

FBI ARE PATHETIC! THIS CASE IS TOO OBVIOUS FROM THE BEGINING....

Anonymous said...

Tthe Cambodian police commissioner said FBI did not know how to investigate the crime, now is time for Khmer stupid police commissioner do the job and we will see when will the criminals be arrested???
sick furthermore

Anonymous said...

4:48AM, Yes this case is obvious who did it since the beginning. This case never solve because the Cambodian invistigators unit will not dare to arrest Ah Kwak Kbot Cheat Hun Xen.

Anonymous said...

Cambodian Investigator Unit is Hun Xen pets.

Anonymous said...

Is it because everyone afraid of Mr. Hun Sen? or is it because Mr. Hun Sen is too important and too complecate to remove? None on earth is irreplacable. Why not him?

Anonymous said...

LEASE TELL ALL YOUR BROTHER, SISTER, RELATIVES, FRIENDS, AND ALL KHMERS TO STAND UP IF YOU WANT TO HAVE CAMBODIA MOVING TO THE RIGHT DIRECTION. LET HAVE MORE THAN MILLIONS KHMERS TO KICK HUN SEN'S REGIME OUT OF POWER SO WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENT. PEOPLES POWER THAT THE ONLY WAY TO PREVAIL. WAKE UP KHMERS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. DON'T LET Communist People Party ( CPP ) ruling the rest of your life.

Anonymous said...

PLEASE TELL ALL YOUR BROTHER, SISTER, RELATIVES, FRIENDS, AND ALL KHMERS TO STAND UP IF YOU WANT TO HAVE CAMBODIA MOVING TO THE RIGHT DIRECTION. LET HAVE MORE THAN MILLIONS KHMERS TO KICK HUN SEN'S REGIME OUT OF POWER SO WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENT. PEOPLES POWER THAT THE ONLY WAY TO PREVAIL. WAKE UP KHMERS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. DON'T LET Communist People Party ( CPP ) ruling the rest of your life.

KhmerKingdom said...

I believe if we can get rid of Hun Sen and replace him with Sam Rainsy since he's the only party that really fights for Cambodia's territorial integrity and stand up for the rights of Khmer people and only serves Khmer interest, Srok Khmer will be better off. Period. I vote for Sam Rainsy, the true voice for Cambodia, not Hun Sen and his Yuon puppet government. I think Khmer people have been stepped on too many years because of Hun Sen's monkey government business and he needs to be wiped out of the map and be replaced by SRP. If a president or prime minister does not serve the interest of his own people and his nation, what do you call that? With so many Yuon in our Khmer government, it's no wonder Khmer people are losing their land and nothing is done about anything. Disgrace!!

Anonymous said...

FRAME TO FAME

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry to hear about this Mr:Sam Rainsy.I hope Cambodia will be more safe and build more peace.

Anonymous said...

The FBI (SA, special agent) are bunch of fat white Men who are falling asleep in the job when they're needed most.

War is peace

Anonymous said...

1:24 PM,
What about Cambodian Police? What did they do beside corrupting to the bone. In lots of case those policemen sent the poor victims to jail while the rich and powerful perpetrators remain free. I bet you are Cambodian policeman who wrote negative comment out of jealousy of the FBI good reputation.

Anonymous said...

Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime

Members:
Pol Pot
Nuon Chea
Ieng Sary
Ta Mok
Khieu Samphan
Son Sen
Ieng Thearith
Kaing Kek Iev
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...

Committed:
Tortures
Brutality
Executions
Massacres
Mass Murder
Genocide
Atrocities
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Slavery
Force Labour
Overwork to Death
Human Abuses
Persecution
Unlawful Detention


Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime

Members:
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...

Committed:
Attempted Murders
Attempted Murder on Chea Vichea
Attempted Assassinations
Attempted Assassination on Sam Rainsy
Assassinations
Assassinated Journalists
Assassinated Political Opponents
Assassinated Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Assassinated over 80 members of Sam Rainsy Party.

"But as of today, over eighty members of my party have been assassinated. Countless others have been injured, arrested, jailed, or forced to go into hiding or into exile."
Sam Rainsy LIC 31 October 2009 - Cairo, Egypt
  
Executions
Executed over 100 members of FUNCINPEC Party
Murders
Murdered 3 Leaders of the Free Trade Union 
Murdered Chea Vichea
Murdered Ros Sovannareth
Murdered Hy Vuthy
Murdered Journalists
Murdered Khim Sambo
Murdered Khim Sambo's son 
Murdered members of Sam Rainsy Party.
Murdered activists of Sam Rainsy Party
Murdered Innocent Men
Murdered Innocent Women
Murdered Innocent Children
Killed Innocent Khmer Peoples.
Extrajudicial Execution
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Brutalities
Police Brutality Against Monks
Police Brutality Against Evictees
Tortures
Intimidations
Death Threats
Threatening
Human Abductions
Human Abuses
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Corruptions
Bribery
Embezzlement
Treason
Border Encroachment, allow Vietnam to encroaching into Cambodia.
Signed away our territories to Vietnam; Koh Tral, almost half of our ocean territory oil field and others.  
Illegal Arrest
Illegal Mass Evictions
Illegal Land Grabbing
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Illegal Deforestation
Illegally use of remote detonation on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and other military officials were on board.
Illegally Sold State Properties
Illegally Removed Parliamentary Immunity of Parliament Members
Plunder National Resources
Acid Attacks
Turn Cambodia into a Lawless Country.
Oppression
Injustice
Steal Votes
Bring Foreigners from Veitnam to vote in Cambodia for Cambodian People's Party.
Use Dead people's names to vote for Cambodian People's Party.
Disqualified potential Sam Rainsy Party's voters. 
Abuse the Court as a tools for CPP to send political opponents and journalists to jail.
Abuse of Power
Abuse the Laws
Abuse the National Election Committee
Abuse the National Assembly
Violate the Laws
Violate the Constitution
Violate the Paris Accords
Impunity
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Death in custody.

Under the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime, no criminals that has been committed crimes against journalists, political opponents, leaders of the Free Trade Union, innocent men, women and children have ever been brought to justice.