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Ukrainan Crash

(87 Posts)
JessM Fri 18-Jul-14 08:29:56

Awful event yesterday in the skies over Ukraine. An area held by anti-government forces. The picture seems to be that rebels holding Ukrainian territory used a very powerful anti-aircraft missile against an airliner en route from Amsterdam to Malaysia. Ukrainian government are saying they could not have got this missile from their stocks - so likely the Russians gave it to the anti-government forces. The plane was flying very high at the time.
What an awful mess and personal tragedy for those who have lost friends and relatives. Apparently there were some eminent AIDSs scientists on board, on their way to a conference, so a loss to science as well.
Investigating this is not going to be easy, given the civil war that is going on.

JessM Sun 20-Jul-14 07:31:00

I am unfortunately less confident in American technical expertise this week than last. One would think that the centre for disease control in the US (thy do loads of nationally funded research into bacteria and viruses) would be top-notch on their health and safety...
www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/p0711-lab-safety.html

A friend made the point yesterday that those in charge of these missiles could be drunk. Good point I thought.

rosequartz Sat 19-Jul-14 22:42:09

Apologists can add something powerful if controversial to debate.
Spiteful remarks add nothing.

Just an observation.

Ana Sat 19-Jul-14 22:21:34

Thanks, Granny! grin

GrannyTwice Sat 19-Jul-14 22:17:00

Oh dear, clearly an inability to understand the difference between the words apologist and apologising- <shakes head sadly>.And wow Ana another powerful contribution to a serious thread .

Ana Sat 19-Jul-14 22:13:01

Surely it must be apparent by now that Granny's opinion must not be challenged? shock

HollyDaze Sat 19-Jul-14 22:07:31

Thank goodness for that rosequartz - I was beginning to think I'd somehow slipped into the twilight zone!

rosequartz Sat 19-Jul-14 21:51:39

No-one, Holly.

HollyDaze Sat 19-Jul-14 21:45:58

Who was apologising?

GrannyTwice Sat 19-Jul-14 21:24:15

I am truly truly confused by these apologists for mass murderers - we are now supposed to buy into cultural differences into the treatment of dead bodies - many of them children- being left in the open? In that case Holly why are decent ordinary locals now moving the bodies whilst the killers loot and pose amongst the debris and the belongings and prevent professional investigators from gaining access?

HollyDaze Sat 19-Jul-14 21:15:01

And of course it's absolutely perfectly normal for bodies to be left out in the open isn't it for 2 days?

In that country it may well be if they're not one of their own.

hildajenniJ Sat 19-Jul-14 20:28:29

You can find flight arrival and departures, flightpaths and altitudes of flights on several websites. I don't believe that the pro russian separatists did not have access to any computers smart phones etc. If they were trying to down troop transport planes, surely they could have found out what traffic was using their airspace. All commercial flights are easilly identified with binoculars. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING.

sparkygran Sat 19-Jul-14 19:20:09

Wars and rumours of wars in the Bible I`m not particularly religious but have been thinking of that text a lot recently. There are just so many going on at the moment.

I`m pro America because I think we need their expertise in many things

rosequartz Sat 19-Jul-14 19:16:00

Apparently a lot of airlines were using that route to save on fuel; I don't think it was a no-fly zone, rather it was advised not to use that airspace.

It has shocked so many people worldwide. The terrorists, backed by Russia, claimed they thought it was a military aircraft, but if so many airlines use that route, that seems like a convenient lie.

GrannyTwice Sat 19-Jul-14 19:00:58

And of course it's absolutely perfectly normal for bodies to be left out in the open isn't it for 2 days? I never watch any news other than C4, so I'll see what they have to say.

HollyDaze Sat 19-Jul-14 18:09:31

I felt disgusted by the method of the BBC news reporting - I know they do the whole sensationlist bit now as well but it sounded more like lines from a cheap novel.

Apparently, they have received training but there is some confusion over recognising the difference between the responders (which indicate if it is a commercial airline or military).

According to the news, they don't know yet what brought the plane down.

It isn't unusual for a country to refuse or limit immediate access to a crash site - they will be equally nervous about items being removed or evidence being faked and let's face it, they're not the most rational of people are they.

GrannyTwice Sat 19-Jul-14 14:43:08

Yes niggly absolutely! And also, the area was not a no fly zone ( although it should have been)- Virgin for example were flying over once a week. And I don't believe for one minute they were properly trained or else they would have recognised a civilian aircraft - and if they were properly trained and did recognise it... Well damned if they did and damned if they didn't .

Tegan Sat 19-Jul-14 14:00:19

Can only agree with that, niggly.

nigglynellie Sat 19-Jul-14 13:56:43

Well if, in the unlikely event, they weren't monsters then, they certainly are behaving like monsters now. Looting the site, standing holding a child's soft toy like a trophy, stealing money, and anything else they can lay their mucky paws on, (even taking peoples credit cards!) not allowing investigators to do their job, threatening them so that they are forced to back off!! bodies being spirited away, need I go on?! Don't exactly look like people who are horrified at what they've done! and If that's not monstrous then I don't know what is!!!

Tegan Sat 19-Jul-14 13:43:39

I don't think that this was the result of someone taking a pot shot at the sky; they had been trained and knew what they were doing. Most other airlines, or so I believe [including Russian ones] were no longer using that air space. I'm afraid that I'm being a bit 'head in the sand' about the whole event, though, because I find it unbelieveably upsetting [I know it's cowardly of me].

GrannyTwice Sat 19-Jul-14 13:37:53

I'll go with calling them monsters - a group of poorly trained but well equipped terrorists ( this is not a 'proper' war) who have sophisticated equipment they don't know how to use properly firing into the sky where they know full well civilian planes may be. Calling it a mistake is nonsense - negligent homicide at the very least - if a man with no license at the wheel of a powerful car ploughed into a group of schoolchildren, would you call that a mistake or demand he was charged with at least manslaughter ?

Brendawymms Sat 19-Jul-14 12:39:43

With satellite technology and the fact this is a (civil) war area there must be pictures of the event.

jinglbellsfrocks Sat 19-Jul-14 12:19:55

Perhaps a bit unfair to call the separatists "monsters" in this instance.This was most likely a terrible mistake.

penguinpaperback Sat 19-Jul-14 10:11:10

I also wonder how the rest of Europe can be so crazy as to rely on Russia for their gas. I heard on the radio last night Germany is the biggest exporter to Russia while it also gets all it's gas from them. It seems incredibly naive of their government if true.

nigglynellie Sat 19-Jul-14 09:44:08

No doubt the separatists (monsters!) are well aware that the investigators will be able to tell exactly who, what and how that plane was brought down. How do they know this? Well surprise surprise, courtesy of western journalist's, and the people they have been interviewing. Why oh Why can't they just for once keep quiet! These people watch TV in exactly the same way as we do satellite and all, so forewarned is forearmed! Why are we SO stupid!!

annodomini Fri 18-Jul-14 22:24:50

It seems that separatists are now preventing investigators from reaching the crash site. Would they be doing that if they weren't responsible? QED