Posted on 07/20/2014 12:59:30 AM PDT by elhombrelibre
There's a growing body of evidence that has emerged that links Russia to the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine, despite the best efforts of pro-Russian militants to scrub the record.
Just 25 miles from Donetsk in pro-Russian held territory, the flight carrying 298 passengers and crew was brought down on Thursday, killing everyone on board. The U.S. believes it was likely shot down by an SA-11 missile fired from a Buk surface-to-air missile system.
Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and pro-Russian militants have deflected, attempting to blame Ukraine for the crash. Later, the top rebel commander put forth a conspiracy theory that the passengers actually died days before, The Washington Times reports.
While a full investigation of the site could help vindicate Russia and confirm these theories, it's noteworthy that pro-Russian militants have continually blocked workers from going near the crash, according to The New York Times and others.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/malaysia-airline-evidence-russia-2014-7#ixzz37zfF0qhh
Putin is banking on Obama, Cameron in Britain, and Merkel in Germany, doing a whole lot of postering and lecturing, but taking few actual measures that will directly effect Russia or their oil sales. Of all three ‘leaders’, Angela Merkel is the most likely to come down hard on Putin, at least rhetorically. Obama will continue to obfuscate, dither, and distract the public as much as possible.
I agree. The weakness of the West’s leaders does encourage Putin to get away with mass murder. He’s used plausible denial and ambiguity to hide his role in these crimes in Ukraine. This crime is a lot harder to deny. His apologists will have to work very hard to get him some cover.
For me, the criminals’ behavior always gives it away.
Like we knew in our core that OJ was guilty, because he was running and suicidal.
Similarly, the VERY FIRST thing Putin does after the crash - even before the bodies are cold - is to blame Ukraine.
Classic behavior of someone who’s guilty. Maybe he didn’t specifically order it, but he provided the tools, and he knew his boys did it - he’s wearing this, and he knows that too.
I really think it was a mistake, but it was not an honest mistake. Putin’s been exacerbating tensions there from the very beginning of the crisis. He’s doing these things so he can reestablish the Russian Empire with himself as the grand new Czar. Other nations near his borders need to fear him and his use of proxies. He is ruthless and steadfastly pursuing his goals.
"For Allah's sake Vlad, not during my vacation..."
He did promise KGB Putin prior to the last election that he would be more "flexible" in his next term.
...flexible on such things as missile defense.
President Obama: On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be solved but its important for him [Putin] to give me space.
President Medvedev: Yeah, I understand. I understand your message about space. Space for you
Obama: This is my last election. After my election I [will] have more flexibility.
Medvedev: I understand. I will transmit this information to Vladimir.
More than likely. I have a problem with States funding and arming rebels to undermine governments and then washing their hands of any actions that may occur because of it. I have a problem when Russia does it, when the EU and when the USA and Britain does it. They bear some responsibility with how these weapons are used and who they are supplied to. At a minimum Putin needs to be scolded for this. I will wait and see if his soldiers were directly involved and if so he has to wear the blame politically and should resign or be ostracized by all decent countries!
The manuals, average intelligence, and a few days doing dry runs newer and retrofitted systems even have provisions for dry runs built in.
This guy is without out a doubt pretending that what's required to operate such a system as part of an integrated air defense setup is always required as if there is no standalone mode.
I know for a fact that US defense analysts wrote papers about how easy they were to use in standalone mode back in the mid eighties because I was working for DoD then. It just ain't Effin' Magic they are designed to be as simple to use as possible because the more simple to operate they are the more their average lethality improves. There are fewer screwups with simple to operate systems than with complex systems in a complicated environment and that sort of enviroment dictates the minimum requirements.
Now, if you want to assume I'm just full of crap, fine. There's still the question of why the thousands of veterans in Ukraine who served in the Ukraine or Soviet military would all be veterans who drove trucks, dug ditches, or were Infantry grunts and not in air defense. Air defense was HUGE under the Soviets. Tens of thousands of people have trained on these systems. Not a single guy who's a Separatist from Ukraine though, huh?
So in reality, the degree to which someone needs to be trained to use it is moot point. It doesn't prove anything either way. If it's easy it doesn't clear Russia and Ukraine Separatists are still responsible. If it's difficult it doesn't mean Russia was involved and the Ukraine Separatists are still responsible.
This is all just more of the sort of noise that passes for reporting and distracts attention from the fact that 95% of what they're calling News about this is just repeating press releases and looking for the usual sad, bloody, photos. Turn on the media machine, hit the right hot buttons, and all the people who claim to not trust the media will hop on the bandwagon.
If the US and EU media are all going nuts about something and they all agree, it's to sell something critical to their agenda or to keep something critical to their agenda off the front page, not to get the facts out. The more they quote experts the more likely it is they're quoting experts that are in their pocket the way they trot out "Climate Scientists"
This is another rabbit hole to divert people into.
The murder of 300 people isn’t a false lead or a rabbit hole. Sure the media does what you say but not in this case. A big part of the problem is there is so much corruption it’s overwhelming.
We all know that ZERO will do nothing but run that stupid mouth of his.
There will be lots of AAAAAAANNNNNNDDD's lots of UUUUUGGGGGHHHH's.
Dear loving GOD. Please let us survive for another 2 years. . .
"Bunk."
My understanding, also.
"Business Insider" isn't about business, isn't an insider, and is often completely wrong. Telling the difference between a military transport aircraft and a passenger airliner may take some training and effort, but Russian weapons systems are designed to be operated by drunken conscripts who don't even want to be there.
Um, no. The 300 people were murdered by Ukraine Separtists
Take a breath, dude. I know it’s not shaping up well for Putin. Now, how do you explain away the looting by his proxies of the victims? Just bad luck?
How come they shipped the other launchers back to Mother Russia, Boris?
Murdered by Russian troops under Russian commanders using Russian weapons with Russian trying and with Russian approval.
But they did take the Russian patches off their uniforms so I guess that makes it ok.
That’s right. Military gear is universally designed to be idiot proof.
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