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Report Implicates Russia in Shooting Down of Malaysia Airlines
Via the New York Times:
A Dutch-led investigation has concluded that the powerful surface-to-air missile system that was used to shoot down a Malaysia Airlines plane over Ukraine two years ago, killing all 298 on board, was trucked in from Russia at the request of Russian-backed separatists and returned to Russia the same night. The report largely confirmed the already widely documented Russian government role not only in the deployment of the missile system, called a Buk, or SA-11, but the subsequent cover up, which continues to this day. The report by a team of prosecutors from the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine was significant for applying standards of evidence admissible in court, while still building a case directly implicating Russia, and is likely to open a long diplomatic and legal struggle over the tragedy.
More:
The report of the Joint Investigation Team, led by the Netherlands’ chief public prosecutor, Fred Westerbeke, corroborated that finding. It concluded that the weapon used in the attack had been brought to Ukraine from Russia, though it drew no conclusions about who gave the orders to move the weapon and — most important — to shoot.
The investigators did, however, provide a timeline leading up to the destruction of the plane.
No Americans were among the 298 passengers, all of whom died, though the vast majority were from Allied nations.
Published in Foreign Policy
2017 is gonna be a hum-dinger
The rapid same-day seizure of the launcher by the
SovietsRussians is an indication that they knew right away that their idiot surrogates had just shot down a civilian aircraft using aSovietRussian missile.I don’t know enough about European law to know how this will play out. If there had been lots of Americans killed, the
SovietsRussians would have to fear the plaintiff’s bar as much or more than prosecutors. The former would bring about asset seizure to fund big awards from angry juries along with protracted adverse trial publicity that would complicate and hinder any diplomatic activity bythe USSRRussia and spur congressional sanctions or threats thereof.As it is, I suspect Putin’s reply will be the same as that of Paul Newman playing Judge Roy Bean (Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)). After Bean was criticized for shooting Bad Bob in the back from a hidden ambush point, he replied: “A chance? If he wanted a chance he wouldn’t be here.”
I expect Trump will jump at the opportunity to defend the Russians like he always does. How long before a reporter has him on tape questioning these conclusions with some RT agitprop?
The real question is whether the European Union will demand a reckoning. They posture a lot. Are they willing to demand reparations? Or will this be the last we hear of the matter?
The file moves from the plausible and probable box to the provable box. That is the only change.
I was convinced when I saw this video.
That vehicle should have 4 missiles on it but clearly the center 2 are not present.
Remember KAL 007 that was shot down in the Sea of Japan during a flight from NYC, via Anchorage, to Seoul? From the beginning, there was no doubt in many minds that it was the Ruskies, including a friend of mine who was appointed by Reagan to head up the investigation. It was his hard work and face-to-face discussions with them that led to them finally admitting culpability. Altho, they used the excuse that they thought the plane was on a spy mission. Much political intrigue surrounded the event that didn’t make the general news reporting.
As it happened, I was on a flight back from Seoul on business that same day, tho flew into LAX so wasn’t on the northern route. A friend who was picking me up in LA had seen a small notice in the paper that morning and was much relieved to see the plane land as the information merely indicated that a KAL flight had crashed in the Sea of Japan.
It seems that the Russians are still up to their old tricks – lies, obfuscation, the works. But what’s new?
Amazing! thanks for sharing
So, the Russians have shot down two civilian aircraft. Who was aboard those flights that they thought needed killing so much it was worth shooting down a plane with a couple of hundred other people on board?