U.S. tells Italy it won't relinquish ski tragedy case
     ROME - March 13, 1998 5:18 p.m. EST -- The United States told
 Italy on Friday that it will not surrender jurisdiction over the
 investigation into the cable car accident involving an American
 fighter jet that killed 20 people.
     Rome had held out little hope the United States would grant the
 request. Under NATO agreement, allies have the right to probe and
 prosecute their own military personnel for possible misconduct
 during official operations.
     No NATO country has ever given up that right.
     Last month, the Italians asked for jurisdiction in the inves-
 tigation of the Feb. 3 disaster at an Alpine resort where the cable
 car packed with skiers crashed into the slopes after the Marine jet
 sliced its cable.
     On Thursday, a Marine investigation board placed the blame for
 the tragedy on the four crew members, saying they broke rules on how
 fast and how low they could fly.
     Their commanding officer said he would convene the military
 equivalent of a criminal grand jury.
     The decision on jurisdiction was made by Gen. Wesley Clark, who
 is in charge of the U.S. European Command, said Kenneth Bacon, the
 Pentagon spokesman in Washington.
     The U.S. Embassy said the decision came after "careful and sym-
 pathetic review of the Italian request."
     "While fully aware and respectful of the Italian concerns, this
 decision is in keeping with the provisions of the NATO Status of
 Forces agreement," the statement said, adding that it was also U.S.
 policy "to maximize criminal jurisdiction over its military
 personnel."
     The tragedy soured Italian-American relations and sparked pro-
 tests at Aviano, where the jet was based, as well as calls to close
 U.S. bases throughout Italy. But the anger has largely eased, and
 Italian officials expressed satisfaction at the Marine board's
 conclusions.
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                  But the Italians are still Trying
                  ---------------------------------
              Italian prosecutor widens cable car probe
 ROME - March 14, 1998 6:30 p.m. EST -- Italian prosecutors want
 to question two U.S. officials about a cable car accident that
 killed 20 people, despite America's refusal to surrender juris-
 diction over the Marine crew blamed in the deaths, news reports
 said Saturday.
     RAI state TV and the Italian news agency ANSA said prosecutors
 want to question next week the two high-ranking officials from
 Aviano, the U.S. air base where the crew was based.
     Prosecutor Francantonio Granero, already investigating the
 four-man crew and two base officials, did not confirm the reports.
     ANSA cited unidentified judicial sources, and the two officials
 were not named in the news reports.
     The United States on Friday formally informed Italy that it will
 not surrender jurisdiction.
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       Crew of ill-fated jet to return to North Carolina base
     CHERRY POINT, N.C. - March 14, 1998 6:12 p.m. EST -- The crew of
 a Marine jet that severed a gondola cable in Italy, returned home
 Saturday to face possible charges.
     The four crew members met with friends and family after arriving
 at Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station, said Capt. Robert Crum, a
 base spokesman.
     The men did not speak to reporters.
     On Thursday, a Marine investigation board placed the blame for
 the tragedy on the four crew members, saying they broke rules on how
 fast and how low they could fly.
     Their commanding officer said he would convene the military
 equivalent of a criminal grand jury, known as an Article 32 hear-
 ing, to determine if there is evidence to support criminal charges.
     Officials said the hearing would consider charges such as
 negligent homicide, involuntary manslaughter, dereliction of duty
 and property damage.
     The hearing has not been scheduled, and Crum said it likely
 would take place at nearby Camp Lejeune, a Marine base about 30
 miles southeast of Cherry Point. The men would not be detained in
 the meantime, Crum said.
     The crew was on temporary assignment at Aviano from Cherry
 Point. They are: Capt. Richard Ashby, 30, of Mission Viejo, Calif.,
 the pilot; Capt. Joseph Schweitzer, 30, of Westbury, N.Y.; Capt.
 William Raney II, 26, of Englewood, Colo.; and Capt. Chandler
 Seagraves, 28, of Nineveh, Ind.
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