MH17 down near Donetsk
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: South East England
Posts: 304
It seems that no-one fired at MH17 - not the Kiev government, nor the pro-Russia rebels, nor Russia itself. It would therefore be in the interests of all three parties to start examining the wreckage for evidence of mechanical failure, bomb, etc. (After all, hasn't the world been on high alert recently for warnings about a plane being targeted?)
The fact that all three aren't co-operating to get investigators to the site as quickly as possible suggests to me that not one of them think it was mechanical failure or a bomb. Why are they all so sure?
The fact that all three aren't co-operating to get investigators to the site as quickly as possible suggests to me that not one of them think it was mechanical failure or a bomb. Why are they all so sure?
Also how come the USA IR satellite saw the missile plume. And the AWACS over Romania watched it happen?
And why were the Russian militia claiming to have shot it down on Twitter and in a phone call?

Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Albuquerque USA
Posts: 171
grazing high-speed impact damage
Originally Posted by OleOle
grazing with exposed honeycomb

Join Date: May 2012
Location: Moscow region
Age: 62
Posts: 547
SadPole
You wrote: "Russia says they have evidence that Ukraine did it...."
As far as I heard, there was no definite statement that the Ukrainian forces shot the plane. And this should be appreciated in contrast to many western officials who have immediately found (better say assigned) who were the bad guys.
Regarding the words that "and so does the US since US surveillance satellite was passing over Ukraine at that very time", it is not clear what was actually meant. The LEO sat, or the ones of these constellations:
Lockheed Martin-Built SBIRS GEO-2 Missile Defense Early Warning Satellite Certified for Operation · Lockheed Martin
GEO and HEO sats do not "pass over" any particular region. The first ones are hanging over the equator permanently, the HEO ones are over the intended region/hemisphere for some 18-20 hours a day.
xcris
I fully agree that it looks absolutely stupid to use Su-25 for any air-to-air strike if there are Su-27 and MiG-29 available (Su-24 is a bomber).
Perhaps it (Su-25) was used just to monitor how the situation was developing? In particular, to make sure the poor 777 indeed reached the ground....
You wrote: "Russia says they have evidence that Ukraine did it...."
As far as I heard, there was no definite statement that the Ukrainian forces shot the plane. And this should be appreciated in contrast to many western officials who have immediately found (better say assigned) who were the bad guys.
Regarding the words that "and so does the US since US surveillance satellite was passing over Ukraine at that very time", it is not clear what was actually meant. The LEO sat, or the ones of these constellations:
Lockheed Martin-Built SBIRS GEO-2 Missile Defense Early Warning Satellite Certified for Operation · Lockheed Martin
GEO and HEO sats do not "pass over" any particular region. The first ones are hanging over the equator permanently, the HEO ones are over the intended region/hemisphere for some 18-20 hours a day.
xcris
I fully agree that it looks absolutely stupid to use Su-25 for any air-to-air strike if there are Su-27 and MiG-29 available (Su-24 is a bomber).
Perhaps it (Su-25) was used just to monitor how the situation was developing? In particular, to make sure the poor 777 indeed reached the ground....

Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 91
If nobody shot at the T7 then how come the wreckage has shrapnel holes?
Also how come the USA IR satellite saw the missile plume. And the AWACS over Romania watched it happen?
And why were the Russian militia claiming to have shot it down on Twitter and in a phone call?
Also how come the USA IR satellite saw the missile plume. And the AWACS over Romania watched it happen?
And why were the Russian militia claiming to have shot it down on Twitter and in a phone call?
Yes, it seems a logical inference that the plane WAS shot down, or all parties concerned would be eager to get investigators involved.

Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: South East England
Posts: 304
@AirScotia
It was a Tweet.
But the assets are there: NATO to fly AWACS planes over Poland, Romania to monitor Ukraine crisis | global aviation report
Edit, found this: https://twitter.com/TafkanMeh/status/489906873005801473
It was a Tweet.
But the assets are there: NATO to fly AWACS planes over Poland, Romania to monitor Ukraine crisis | global aviation report
Edit, found this: https://twitter.com/TafkanMeh/status/489906873005801473

Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: East of Eden
Posts: 157
@AirScotia
This whole nonsense with not allowing access to the debris field appears to be complete propaganda by Obama and Kerry. OSCE clearly described what happened, and it Obama's and Kerry's interpretation is just scummy politics of Wag the Dog at its finest.
OSCE actually complained again and again that the site is open to everyone - which resulted, among other things, in hundreds of
of all sorts taking thousands of pictures and posting them on the internet, many of them showing dead bodies, until web operators started removing them.
The Crash of MH17: Where Are the Facts on the Ground? - Businessweek
I am really personally getting tired of cheap US propaganda for complete morons.
- If someone tries to guard the site - SCREAM - they are limiting access
- If they don't guard the site - SCREAM - they are allowing tampering with evidence
- If they leave the bodies laying in the fields in scorching heat - SCREAM - they are disrespecting the bodies
- If they start collecting them - SCREAM - they are disrupting evidence on the ground
etc.
It's getting very tiring. The only way to do this right would have been to send UN troops right away with all the proper equipment. And if any of the sides objected, then say who and why refused access. None of it was done. Everything else is BS for the dumb masses.
The fact that all three aren't co-operating to get investigators to the site as quickly as possible suggests to me that not one of them think it was mechanical failure or a bomb.
OSCE actually complained again and again that the site is open to everyone - which resulted, among other things, in hundreds of

In an interview on Friday evening with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Michael Bociurkiw, the OSCE spokesperson for the Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, said the site’s perimeters were “not secure whatsoever.” Said Bociurkiw: “It’s very easy for anyone, really, to walk in there and tamper with evidence or debris. So a lot of work needs to be done. A lot of professional work needs to be done very, very quickly.”
I am really personally getting tired of cheap US propaganda for complete morons.
- If someone tries to guard the site - SCREAM - they are limiting access
- If they don't guard the site - SCREAM - they are allowing tampering with evidence
- If they leave the bodies laying in the fields in scorching heat - SCREAM - they are disrespecting the bodies
- If they start collecting them - SCREAM - they are disrupting evidence on the ground
etc.
It's getting very tiring. The only way to do this right would have been to send UN troops right away with all the proper equipment. And if any of the sides objected, then say who and why refused access. None of it was done. Everything else is BS for the dumb masses.

Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: England
Posts: 8
Sky news are reporting that the trains containing the bodies are en-route to Kharkiv where they will be handed over to Dutch officials before being flown to the Netherlands in a Hercules.
That's good news, seems that things are moving in the right direction just wish it hadn't taken so long.
Other reports seem to be very contradictory about the possible fighter escort provided to MH17.
Was hoping to have more facts by now instead or more speculative reporting.
That's good news, seems that things are moving in the right direction just wish it hadn't taken so long.
Other reports seem to be very contradictory about the possible fighter escort provided to MH17.
Was hoping to have more facts by now instead or more speculative reporting.

Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: 40 North 75 West
Posts: 16
Regarding the words that "and so does the US since US surveillance satellite was passing over Ukraine at that very time", it is not clear what was actually meant. The LEO sat, or the ones of these constellations:
Lockheed Martin-Built SBIRS GEO-2 Missile Defense Early Warning Satellite Certified for Operation · Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin-Built SBIRS GEO-2 Missile Defense Early Warning Satellite Certified for Operation · Lockheed Martin


Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Finland
Age: 53
Posts: 66
Re Su-25 ceiling. In the official press conference the Russian general specifically said that the SU-25 can briefly reach 10km, and the default ordanance includes the R60 air-to-air missile.
Last edited by Caygill; 21st Jul 2014 at 18:37. Reason: Added missile info

Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: UK
Age: 50
Posts: 308
I can't see the Americans lying about the satellite evidence of a SAM launch, as they would know that too many people would have also had the equipment in place to call them on their fabrication.
As to the who's and whys the most probable is an cock up by the seperatists thinking they were firing on a military aircraft. nothing else makes sense. too many risks so so little gain for either the Russians or the Ukraine.
As to the who's and whys the most probable is an cock up by the seperatists thinking they were firing on a military aircraft. nothing else makes sense. too many risks so so little gain for either the Russians or the Ukraine.

Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Europe, RO
Age: 51
Posts: 25
NATO's AWACS activity over Romania and Poland
Also how come the USA IR satellite saw the missile plume. And the AWACS over Romania watched it happen?
NATO analizeaz? datele de zbor ale avioanelor AWACS din România ?i Polonia, în tragedia din Ucraina - Mediafax

Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Finland
Age: 53
Posts: 66
Further picks from the press confrence: "..the US had an experimental satellite capable of tracking missile launches flying ower the area at that exact time. Please show the world community this information...". 23m37 of the press conference
Tape ends with Russians telling that they will turn over all this material to the official investigation.
Tape ends with Russians telling that they will turn over all this material to the official investigation.
Last edited by Caygill; 21st Jul 2014 at 18:58. Reason: adding end of tape

Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: On the Beach
Posts: 3,298
con-pilot:
He gave his permission, express or implied, to allow sophisticated BUK launchers to be delivered into rebel territory. Also, he surely knew about the other shoot downs in the days preceding MH17.
I agree, nothing else makes sense. I refuse to believe that Putin had a thing to do with this, my guess is that he was just as surprised as everyone else that a civilian airliner was shot down by the Ukrainian rebels.

Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Swansea
Posts: 61
He gave his permission, express or implied, to allow sophisticated BUK launchers to be delivered into rebel territory.
Next thing, we'll have POTUS and The Prime Minister hauled off to The Hague to stand trial for "civilian collateral damage" in <insert name of chosen conflict theatre>... People in glass houses...
Also, he surely knew about the other shoot downs in the days preceding MH17.
(Neither of those comments are intended to imply support for one side or the other, by the way. But using the deaths of innocents to make geopolitical hay while the sun shines doesn't exactly present an edifying spectacle, IMHO.)

Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Germany
Posts: 152
from Justin Bronk on twitter:

Bigger version here: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BtFdZCdCIAAxSQ0.jpg:large
Was that really the vector of the missile ?

Bigger version here: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BtFdZCdCIAAxSQ0.jpg:large
Was that really the vector of the missile ?
Last edited by OleOle; 22nd Jul 2014 at 07:14.

Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: UK
Age: 50
Posts: 308
surely the nail in the coffin is the tweet by the rebels claiming to have shot down an aircraft..?
coming from the same account they have tweeted from for months, and then deleted soon after it became apparent they had messed up.
you can bet twitter has had a pretty close look at that account for any tampering and would be screaming to high heaven if they knew anything
in regards to the above "news article" alex jones could make a conspiracy out of me going to the grocery store. completely non credible
coming from the same account they have tweeted from for months, and then deleted soon after it became apparent they had messed up.
you can bet twitter has had a pretty close look at that account for any tampering and would be screaming to high heaven if they knew anything
in regards to the above "news article" alex jones could make a conspiracy out of me going to the grocery store. completely non credible
