WASHINGTON Navy crew members returning Thursday from 11 days ofdetention disputed China's account of the collision that brought downtheir surveillance plane, saying a Chinese pilot was at fault.President Bush said "tough questions" would be put to China at aninquiry next week.
His tone stern, Bush said at the White House, "The kind ofincident we have just been through does not advance a constructiverelationship between our countries.
"We disagree on important, basic issues," he said.
Through most of the protracted negotiations that freed the crewbut not their aircraft, Bush had approached Beijing with diplomaticcare, insisting the surveillance was legal but also approvingexpressions of sorrow that the Chinese pilot was lost and theAmerican plane did not seek approval for its emergency landing afterthe April 1 collision.
But after crew members told debriefers they were on a "fixedcourse" and had not swerved into the Chinese jet fighter, as Beijingcontended, Bush stood in the Rose Garden and let loose. He castigatednot only the crew's detention, but also China's record on humanrights and religious freedom.
The crew "did nothing to cause the accident," Bush said. They "didtheir duty with honor and great professionalism."
Details, Pages 6-7
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