MH17 Shoot Down over Eastern Ukriane ( Archived) (6)

Flying at 33,000 a Malayasia Boeing 777 (FL # MH 17) was shoot down by a anti aircraft missile. At this point all sides are pointing fingers at the other.

The Ukraine government denied involvement and quickly showed a radar image of a empty sky taken shortly after the incident.

The Russian gov't denied giving the Russian Separatist any anti aircraft missile with that range. President Putin did call the incident a 'crime'. The Russian gov't says that this event is the cause of conflict in the area.

Russian Separatist said intially that they had shot down a Ukraine military aircraft on social network site. Then those posts were quickly pulled. Now the Russian Separatist have secure many of the black boxes. Rumor is that they are for sale to the highest bidder.

President Obama contacted President Putin immediately after learning of the shoot down. The phone conversation was made public by the American and Russian government. Yesterday, President Obama offered to provide American technical assistance in a investigation of the event.
American radar satellites have the traks of both the MH17 and a ground to air missile.....likely a Buk anti aircraft missile....making a intercept.

The head of the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) that heads the US aircraft accident investigation. Says that she will not send her investigation teams into a war zone. President Obama is asking for a cease fire for the investigation.

The gov't of Malayasia is asking for a complete and through indepedent investigation into the tragedy.

But what is the culpability of a government and its officials that gives advanced anti aircraft missiles to a group of separatist that have no legal or formal government in place? Can President Putin be held responsible in aiding and abetting the death (either murder or accidental)of 298 individuals that were on MH 17? Can and should charges be brought against the the Separatist in a international court?
This of course assumes that the separatist fired the missile. If the missile was fired by the Ukraine, should the same charges be made here?

Only the day prior, a high flying Ukraine military jet was shot down by the Russian separtists. So the Kremlin statement that they have not provided them with advanced anti missile doe snot hold much water. Nor are the separatist strongly denying thier involvement in the shoot downs.

The shoot down caused the international air community to reroute many of their flights away from conflict areas. This will likely lead to increase fuel use. What are your thoughts on the MH 17 shoot down and tragedy of lost of human life. 80 of the victims were children.

I have found it very strange that since the Malaysian 747 was shot down with the deaths of all passengers and the virtual 24/7 news coverage dredging up other passenger jets that were similarly shot down either by the Soviets or others, all these comparisons failed to even mention in passing the 2 Air Rhodesia Viscount passenger planes shot down by Soviet Stela 2 surface to air missiles on Sept.3, 1978 and February 1979 killing all aboard.
The first, Air Rhodesia Flight 825 was on route from Victoria Falls to Salisbury via Kariba when 2 missiles hit the plane. The jet tries to belly land in a field but cartwheeled, broke up and exploded. The terrorist group known as ZIPRA claimed responsibility for both downings. Flight 825 had 54 passengers with 4 crew. 38 died on impact. 10 survived but were bayoneted, chopped up by pangs and shot by machine-gun firkin a virtual bloodbath of a massacre. 3 had crawled away and hid in the bush to later testify to the events.
Air Rhodesia flight 827 was shot down in Feb. 1979, again by ZIPRA terrorists under the command of Joshua Nkomo. All were killed. England called it a tragedy and never referred to these again.The ever sanctomonious English later turned Rhodesia over to these new and enlightened rulers of the terrorists, Robert Mugabe and his then partner, Joshua Nkomo. No govt. around the world referred to this act of terrorism and savagery. Perhaps it was because of racial issues…. as everyone outside of Rhodesia and South Africa kept calling the war a racial war and to be white in southern Africa was regarded as 'a crime against humanity'…In the memory of all those passengers…RIP. I haven't forgotten.The hypocrisy is still very much alive.