Photos from the Malaysia Airlines MH17 crash site, in Ukraine (warning: graphic images)

While we wait for more information about the Malaysian Airlines crash here is why It makes sense for Russia (in its internal weakness) to encourage separatists to pull off something like this stunt.

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What evidence? The things are so politically loaded between the parties that one has to exercise restraint in making too quick opinions. I consider this likely, however I want a bit more specific information.

What they’re saying is that U.S. spy satellites have been trained on the area for months now and detected both the missile launch and subsequent explosion. I agree about making quick opinions; I happened to be watching NBC Nightly News and thought I’d share the newest reports.

That sounds interesting. The IMINT is however quite fragile thing, even these days - the spy sats are low-ish orbit, don’t loiter above the target area for too long so there had to be fortunate timing for direct detection of missile launch, and the weather had to not be too cloudy. Of course the conditions could’ve been just right to see it, these things happen.

Igor Strelkov, the leader of the Donetsk People’s Republic militia, bragged about the strike in a Facebook post. He believed the plane was of Ukrainian military origin. Link: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bswc4vNIAAAm25j.jpg

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I suspect that there won’t be stonewalling for too long, as you say that’s just politically insupportable. Whether the ‘delicate security situation and presence of armed terrorists’ will be played long enough to do any tinkering with the site(and how much time you’d need, if it’s even possible, to scrub the evidence in a useful way) is something of which I am less certain.

May be genuine, may be a forgery. Wouldn’t be the first case of false-flag/PSYOPS, though it is also quite possible it is real; if real, it strongly indicates an unintentional screwup.

You are correct that we should withhold final judgment until more details are confirmed. However, your post is written in such a way to suggest that the following scenarios are equally likely:

  1. Forces opposed to pro-Russian militias deliberately shot down a commercial plane to frame the DPR or Russia;

  2. DPR militia accidentally shot down a commercial plane thinking that it was a Ukrainian military jet.

These scenarios are most definitely NOT equally likely. To suggest otherwise is disingenuous at best. FFS.

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I actually did NOT mention, in any significant detail, the option of the plane being shot deliberately by Kiev forces. Nor implied that, or certainly did not intend to. I consider it a rather weak option as false flags, while existing, are risky.

There is an article about an Ukraine ATC guy suggesting Kiev side is actually involved. It still may be an unintentional screwup, as something like this is not something to pull without risking all support for your side.

All the subsequent posturing can be explained by both sides trying to extract all they can out of an unintended unfortunate situation.

If I misidentified the implied actors responsible for the false flag/PSYOPS that you suggest is equally possible, I apologize.

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Happens. Not a problem.

Edit: To be accurate, the PSYOPS I meant was not the missile shot itself but the creation of the internet page. The shot itself would be illogical to not be an accident and either side could have done that one. THEN the blaming each other started. In many such cases, the first move is accidental.

…the more I think about it, the more my head feels like a beehive. Should sleep…!

Dude… whatever. Do you think the victims care now? The point is that these photos are swimming around the internet, so why pretend they aren’t there? Do we need to see mangled and tortured children’s bodies in Syria? In all cases I argue yes, because the proper way to make humanity face itself is by not hiding that which is uncomfortable. Bob forbid people actually start seeing the horrible reality of other humans’ existences… we may even start expecting more of our leaders.

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NTSB doesn’t investigate “accidents.” It investigates crashed, however they were caused. Remember Lockerbie?

It’s definitely not faked:
http://web.archive.org/web/20140717155906/http://vk.com/strelkov_info?w=wall-57424472_7256

Here are the two video he posted:


In the age of the GCHQ toolset revelations, nothing is exactly definitely not faked. (Note I do NOT insist it is a fake. I just don’t know what to believe anymore. And the stakes here are way too high.)

Many of the US spy and missile-detection satellites are in highly elliptical Molniya orbits, designed to spend as much time over Eastern Europe/Western Asia as possible. I wouldn’t be surprised if this area was under continuous satellite observation.

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Good point.

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There’s also the question of who might have been on the flight that certain parties might have wanted disposed of…?

A noble thing - but, as the history shows, somewhat… umm… inefficient.

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I would posit that showing a little respect towards others can go a long way towards making your own world a better place.

  1. The original plea was on behalf of the families. The parents, partners, children, co-workers, and pub-mates of these victims care, and we have no idea if any of them are BOingBOing readers…

  2. BOingBOing is a curated blog. The initial post questioned the judgement of that curation. Of course these pictures are on the internet. But that doesn’t mean these pictures need to be on BOingBOing. So I am glad the issues was raised.

  3. Your assertion I quote above strikes me as narrow-minded in that you dismiss beliefs that are not yours. People like me who do not believe in “eternal souls” might agree these victims are no longer suffering. But that is only a personal belief. There were probably Hindus and Buddhists aboard this Air Malaysia flight who, according to their beliefs, may be suffering greatly now.

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