Ibne Siraj :
The Malaysian aircraft disaster on July 17 in Eastern Ukraine was deeply condemned by all sensible quarters of the world. The most unfortunate as well as the cruelest incident is undoubtedly a clear threat to the global aviation safety. The mid-air crash caused by a missile attack, which came on the heels of the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 on March 8 on way to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, is one too many. Already, the worst human tragedy claimed 298 people on board eliciting global outrage and widespread condemnation from all corners. Hence, there have been accusations and counter-accusations on responsibility between Russian and Ukrainian authorities. As the blame game continues, what has not been controverted is the fact that the plane was actually shot down, probably in error by one of the feuding parties, or under instigation from any big power trying to establish own influence in the region. Russia is directly or indirectly being accused of shooting down the ill-fated plane, but how could the United States be excused as this self-proclaimed big brother has long been poking its nose in the region?
In April, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) issued a warning to governments on the risk to commercial passenger flights over Ukraine. In the same vein, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued restrictions on flights over Crimea, to the south of MH17’s route, and advised airlines flying over the remainder of Ukraine to “exercise extreme caution.” Regardless of all these, the global people strongly condemn the shooting down of a passenger plane, which is not involved in any way in the conflict in Ukraine. The downing of the plane, for whatever reason, is totally against international law on conduct of wars. The shooting down of the Malaysian airliner contravenes the code of conduct, which belligerents must adhere to in war situations. Some of these provisions include avoidance of civilian targets, and international civil flights. For instance, Article 3 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention, which is binding on UN member states, says that “every state must refrain from resorting to the use of weapons against civil aircraft in flight.”
The United Nations has called for an inquiry, as it is important that those who have crashed the plane are identified for condign punishment for their unconscionable crime. Since the West led by the United States with an ulterior motive is trying its best to prove Russia as responsible for such a brutal incident, would any sensible person believe that Moscow is that stupid to do this beastly job? As the West is always provocative in creating troubles in countries, where its interest is lying, there is no way that Putin’s government would sanction the rebels to shoot down an airliner. Some people may think it as a simple matter what happens when disaffected or vodka-swilling thugs get control of a standalone weapons system and start pointing it at things for fun.
It is too facile to blame the Russian rebels, but why hundreds of ex-Soviet soldiers now living in Ukraine are not being accused of using powerful missile in bringing down the MH17 plane? Besides, those seriously thinking about this disaster must question as to how the militia got the weapon? However, this can best be dubbed as a cock-up, not a complex conspiracy. Just treat this as a European problem to sort out and keep those Yankee blowhards like McCain and Clinton out of it as they are pure poison.
Russia, in its first detailed version of events during the final minutes of the Flight MH17, dismissed accusations that pro-Moscow rebels shot down the plane, instead suggesting a Ukrainian fighter plane or missile systems could have been involved. The elaborate, televised Defense Ministry presentation at odds with Western and Ukrainian accusations that Kremlin-backed insurgents shot down the plane came as the US and Russia clashed at the UN Security Council over the incident. Both the countries on the UN floor voted in favor of a unanimous resolution that condemned the downing of the jet and called for an independent international investigation into the incident.
Russia tried to use both forums to push back against growing global criticism while the US and Ukrainian assertions that Moscow could have provided the missile system to bring down the plane. Interesting information disclosed by Russian Air Force Chief Lt. Gen. Igor Makushev was that Russian radar had spotted a second aircraft in the ill-fated airliner’s vicinity just before the crash and that it was likely a Ukrainian fighter jet. A graphic that Gen. Makushev said was based on radar data depicted four commercial planes in the area shortly before the crash, as well as the alleged Ukrainian fighter jet.
His presentation also suggested an alternative theory, that satellite imagery showed Ukraine also had moved missile systems into the area before the incident. The air force chief presented several slides of satellite images he said showed the Ukrainian missile-system movements. The suggested version of events echoed much of what has been reported on Russian state television in recent days, which has suggested that Ukraine could have shot down the plane, possibly via one of its fighter planes. Some reasons are also coming up as Ukraine would have to answer to international investigators regarding the activities of its air-traffic controllers.
Why a Ukrainian antiaircraft missile battery in the area of the crash was “hastily removed,” and why Ukrainian radar was operating “at an all-time high” on the day of the incident? Ukraine can also be accused of “touching up” intercepted phone calls of rebel commanders with audio from before the date of the crash. Another top Russian Military Official, Lt. Gen. Andrei Kartapolov, said at the same news conference that the jet came as close as 1.8 miles to Flight 17, which is well within the range of the air-to-air missiles it is usually equipped with.
Gen. Makushev also showed satellite photos allegedly showing several Buk-M1 ground-to-air missile systems in the area close to where the plane crashed. The systems, he argued, could only belong to the Ukrainian military. The Buks were spotted in Luhansk and Donetsk by Russians, Gen. Kartapolov said. Similarly, Gen. Makushev said the Malaysia Airlines plane deviated from its course by close to 9 miles near Donetsk but then attempted to return to its course, crashing shortly after. Russian radars spotted the Flight 17 rapidly descending 32 miles away from the Russian border, Russian officials said. He said Russia is prepared to hand over all of the information it has to the European authorities, which included satellite imagery and data from its own radar. Russian defense ministry officials also claimed that a US satellite was spotted at the time of the Flight 17 crash and asked that the US release the satellite images from that time. Washington didn’t immediately comment on the claim. Meanwhile, the vast majority of Russians believe that the Ukrainian military shot down the MH17.
A poll conducted by the Levada Centre, an independent Russian research organization, said 82% of Russians blame Ukrainian forces for downing the plane. Of 1,501 persons surveyed in Russia’s six biggest cities, 46% said they believed a Ukrainian surface-to-air missile was responsible, and 36% said a Ukrainian warplane had shot it down.
The poll results came after EU governments agreed on sanctions against Russia’s finance, oil and defence industries, over what they said was Moscow’s failure to stop arming rebels in eastern Ukraine and cooperate fully in the MH17 probe. The US quickly followed with similar sanctions of its own. Levada Centre sociologist Denis Volkok said the state-owned TV news was largely forming public opinion on MH17, that 94% of Russians relied on this source for information on events in Crimea and Ukraine. Russian state-owned television presented a variety of explanations for the tragedy, while broadcasting rebel leaders’ denials. Unfounded theories, including one which argues that Ukrainian forces had been trying to shoot down Putin’s plane, have received wide coverage. Television and print media have also been revisiting the story of Siberia Airlines flight 1812, which the Ukrainian military admitted it shot down over the Black Sea in 2001.
(Ibne Seraj is a regular contributor to The New Nation)
