Dec 11, 2006, 19:21 GMT
Washington - The United States on Monday denied reports in Britain that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was listening to Princess Diana's phone calls hours before she was killed in a 1997 automobile accident in Paris.
Britain's Prince Harry sits with young villagers of Phororong in the Northern Mountains, while on a return visit to Lesotho in Southern Africa, Thursday 27 April 2006. The Prince was in the country to launch his new charity called 'Sentebale', which means 'forget me not' in memory of his mother Diana Princess of Wales. EPA/JOHN STILLWELL UK AND IRELAND OUT - NO SALES
'This is an old story for us. It all started when she died in 1997,' a US official told Deutsche Presse-Agentur, dpa. 'In (19)97 we said were were not involved in any way, we're still standing by that statement.'
'What would American intelligence gain from tapping her phone?' the official added. 'It's all based on rumours.'
The first British report into the death of Diana will be made public this week in London. The long-awaited report by Sir John Stevens, formerly the head of Scotland Yard and Britain's top policeman, is expected to confirm that the car crash was an accident and refute conspiracy theorist allegations that she was intentionally targeted.
Since Diana's death, there had been rumours circulating that the CIA was tapping her phone at the hotel in Paris where she was staying with her friend Dodi Fayed, 42. The two were killed when their vehicle, under heavy pursuit from photographers, crashed in a Paris tunnel.
Among the rumours is an allegation from Fayed's son that the British Secret Service wanted her dead because she was pregnant.
The driver was also killed. According to the British media, the report will conclude the alcohol level in the driver's blood was well over France's legal limit. The Observer, citing the official report, said the CIA had bugged her phone at the Ritz Hotel.
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