US President Barack Obama last night demanded immediate action from Vladimir Putin as three Russians were blamed for shooting down Flight MH17. Experts from the UK were scheduled to reach Kiev yesterday to assist a Ukrainian-led investigation into the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17.
U.S. intelligence indicates that Moscow is likely to have provided pro-Russian separatists with the SA-11 missile systems, also known as the Buk-M1, bolstering charges that Russia was the source of the weapon that shot down the plane, killing 283 passengers and 15 crew members. U.S. officials also believe the systems were moved back across the border into Russia after the plane was shot down.
MH17 was flying at about 33,000 feet when it was shot down. Developed by the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation, But missiles can strike targets above 70,000 feet and fly at three times the speed of sound.
The White House pressed Moscow on Friday to persuade pro-Russian separatists to take part in a ceasefire and give investigators access to the wreckage of Flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine. Malaysia’s transport minister, Liow Tiong Lai, said on Friday that the pilots of Flight MH17 were given “no last minute instructions” to change route immediately before the crash.
A Polish blogger had warned on Tuesday that international commercial airlines were “blithely oblivious” to the risks of being shot down over Ukraine.
It is true that some largest airlines have been criss-crossing the route over Ukraine being blithely ignoring the risk. Now after shot down of Malaysian plane, others have changed route.
But why would commercial airlines continue to fly over an airspace under which severe fighting was going on? Changing of routes most likely to increase fuel cost. It may be that changing settled routes is also not easy requiring international cooperation. But the human risks for flying over war stricken zones should receive serious consideration. Aviation authority of Malaysia could have been careful to avoid a dangerously chaotic war situation in Ukraine. It could have sought cooperation from other airlines. We do not know what they did and did not.
The Malaysian Air Lines have to answer many questions for the loss of 298 lives. The incident is heart breaking. We feel both sad and angry. So many lives were lost for reasons of madness of infighting in Ukraine.
We cannot believe that international cooperation among airlines should not have been considered for a matter of common decision when lives of so many are at risk. International politics cannot be devoid of human considerations of loss of innocent lives.
