A self-described investigator who wrote a report with journalist Pierre Salinger that blamed friendly fire for the explosion of TWA Flight 800 has backed away from his claim that a Navy missile downed the plane.
Ian Goddard, quoted Wednesday by CNN, said he just wanted "to give the government a black eye by any means that looked opportune. TWA 800 was just a vehicle for my larger agenda."Salinger, a former ABC correspondent and press secretary to President Kennedy, said Wednesday that Goddard did not mention his change of heart in a recent conversation. He said he still believes in the theory himself but is no longer actively investigating the crash.
Goddard, who identifies himself as a Libertarian and investigator of purported government plots, told CNN his TWA efforts were "reckless and a mistake."