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Malaysian Airliner Shot Down Over Ukraine

Gryffindorian

Gryffindorian

Vice Admiral
Admiral
This is another tragic incident involving the airline company.

Link

A Malaysian Airlines passenger plane went down today after the airline said it had "lost contact" with one of its flights over eastern Ukraine near the Russian border.

The Boeing 777 plane -- Flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lampur with 280 passengers and 15 crew members on board -- had its "last known position was over Ukraine airspace," the airline said.

The plane had left Amsterdam at 12:15 p.m. (local time) and was estimated to arrive in Kuala Lampur International Airport on Friday at 6:10 a.m. (local time), according to Malaysia Airlines.
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The Airliner was shot down by a Buk missile launcher like those in the photograph..please note that this is NOT a Ukrainian Army soldier in the photograph but a purported separatist.
correction-ukraine_zpsbd381551.jpg

The "rebels" have boasted about gaining this capability in recent weeks..please note that all such boasts have been taken down from their sites and feeds in the past 6 hours..however this ground to air capability has only been used by the "rebels" in recent days..
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/ukraine-military-plane-shot-rocket-article-1.1866038

Rebels in conflict-wracked eastern Ukraine immediately claimed responsibility for downing the Antonov-26 but Ukrainian Defense Minister Valeriy Heletey said the rocket may have been fired from Russia.
Heletey said the plane was flying at an altitude of 6,500 meters (21,300 feet), which he said was too high to be reached with the weapons used by the separatists fighting government troops.
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This is looking more and more like a case of mistaken identity on the part of the pro-Russian forces in Eastern Ukraine (perhaps caused by a lack of training as airliners do broadcast an IFF signal identifying them as a civil airliner)


However, the Malaysian government bears some responsibility as they didn't issue a restriction on airspace over the combat zone unlike many nations who have done so since April..

I do hope that this will be the catalyst that finally allows a peaceful solution to be found.
 
Sadden to read about the crash. So many deaths. My sympathy and prayers goes out to the victim's families . The Country Malaysia and Malaysian airlines have suffered another aircraft tragedy within months of MH370 incident.
 
What a tragic loss of lives. My heart goes out to the families of the victims of this senseless brutality. This was evidently no accident.

EDIT:

Here are some updates from ABC News:

At least one American was on board Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 carrying 298 people when it was shot down by a missile over Ukraine, President Obama said today. The State Department identified the victim as Quinn Lucas Schansman, a US-Dutch citizen.

Obama also called for an immediate ceasefire in the region among Ukraine, Russia and Russian-backed separatists in order to conduct an investigation into the crash site in eastern Ukraine.

...

Malaysia Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai, speaking at a news conference this morning, said initial indications show the plane was shot down, calling it "an outrage against human decency."

"Malaysia condemns any such action in the strongest possible terms, and calls for those responsible to be swiftly brought to justice," he added.

Malaysian officials are calling for an independent international investigation into the incident.

...

Malaysian officials have said that 189 passengers were Dutch. In addition, according to officials at a news conference this morning, 44 were Malaysian, 27 Australians, 12 Indonesians, nine British, four Belgians, four Germans, three Filipinos, one Canadian and one New Zealander. Nationalities of three other passengers remain unknown at this time.
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Every time I read news articles about this I get the sense that I am actually reading it in a history textbook 50 years from now, as an explanation of the incident that sparked the world war.

Maybe that's a bit hyperbolic, but I'm sure that's what people said about a certain Archduke's assassination as well...
 
More evidence pointing to Russian separatists ....

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Euro...to-pro-Russia-rebels-in-downing-of-MH17-video

http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine-separatist-leader-boasts-downing-plane/25460930.html

..Separatist leader Igor Girkin, aka Strelkov, wrote: "In the vicinity of Torez, we just downed a plane, an AN-26. It is lying somewhere in the Progress Mine. We have issued warnings not to fly in our airspace. We have video confirming. The bird fell on a waste heap. Residential areas were not hit. Civilians were not injured."
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A tragic waste of innocent human life..at least he could man-up and state that it was all a tragic mistake...
 
Spot's Meow said:
Every time I read news articles about this I get the sense that I am actually reading it in a history textbook 50 years from now, as an explanation of the incident that sparked the world war.

Maybe that's a bit hyperbolic, but I'm sure that's what people said about a certain Archduke's assassination as well...
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I doubt the Dutch will declare war on Russia just yet, but we could be in for some 'entertaining' international relations over the next few years.
 
The logistics of a Dutch war with Russia.... too hard with the Dutch navy a small shadow of it's former greatness in the 1600s.. from 300 warships (most "Ships of the Line") to the Dutch Navy's current combat fleet of 14 warships.. I just don't think much of the Netherlands chances in an all out war...
 
Very tragic

I had high hopes for the world when the wall came down in '89 but after Bush & Cheney's "Shock & Awe" in 2003 its been a slow slide to Armageddon.
 
Otto Harkaman said:
Very tragic

I had high hopes for the world when the wall came down in '89 but after Bush & Cheney's "Shock & Awe" in 2003 its been a slow slide to Armageddon.
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I don't feel that it's a slow slide to Armageddon. What it is, though, is a deplorable action taken by zealots who have no concern for innocent lives. We'll likely never know the whole truth, though, because the potential parties involved are pointing fingers and backing away from it as quickly as possible.
 
MANT! said:
The logistics of a Dutch war with Russia.... too hard with the Dutch navy a small shadow of it's former greatness in the 1600s.. from 300 warships (most "Ships of the Line") to the Dutch Navy's current combat fleet of 14 warships.. I just don't think much of the Netherlands chances in an all out war...
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I presume they wouldn't be going it alone.
 
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