Saturday, July 19, 2014


Some points about the Malaysian aircraft disaster

July 3, 1988: US warship Vincennes shoots down an Iranian passenger plane over the Persian Gulf, mistaking it for a threatening warplane, during the war between Iraq and Iran. All 290 people aboard are killed.  The ship used the sophisticated Aegis air defense system.

So who is saying that the much more poorly equipped Ukrainian rebels could not have mistaken the airliner for a military transport?

But the most interesting question for me is what the plane was doing in a declared no-fly zone

In his latest offering, conservative Australian cartoonist ZEG offers some conspiracy  theories about why the jet was shot down -- focusing on the aircraft's big contingent of AIDS  experts

I deplore the attempt to blame Vladimir Putin.  The deed was clearly done by rebels under no-one's control

I am inclined to blame the international community for refusing to recognize the reasonable demands of the Russians of Eastern Ukraine.  They should not have had to resort to war to gain independence.  One might remember that a war was fought to gain American independence way back.  Has nothing been learned?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought much the same, but if I recall, the Iranian Airliner's Identify Friend or Foe Avionics system was turned off or not functional so the Vinncennes could not tell if it was a threat or not. Still a horrible, horrible mixup and tragedy. I remember seeing a video from the bridge or CIC and the emotions going from elation to dispair after they'd seen what they'd done.

Anonymous said...

Let me understand your logic, you are asking us to believe that a band of "rebel" were able to use a rader controlled weapons system and destroy an aircraft flying several miles above the earth and that these people have no conbnection or link to Putin?

Are you a member of Congress or a used car salesman?

JR said...

The BUK launcher could have been donated by Russia or it could have been seized from Ukraine but either way they were clearly acting on their own initiative. Owning a launcher was perfectly legitimate to defend themselves from Ukrainian air attack

JR said...

The IIF was on
Aegis was screaming that it was friendly throughout
The crew ignored that