Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Obama State Department: The Russians Did It Because That's What We Learned From YouTube And Social Media


AP reporter Matt Lee is apparently the only mainstream reporter inside the Washington Beltway who is challenging the Obama administration to produce what evidence it has to support its conclusion that the Russians and the rebels they back are responsible for firing a missile that allegedly blew Malaysia Airlines Flight #MH17 out of the sky at 33,000 feet, killing all 295 passengers and crew aboard the Boeing 777 aircraft. What Lee learns from State Department spokesperson Marie Harf after much poking and prodding of her is that the American assessment that the rebels and the Russians are likely responsible for bringing the airplane down is primarily based on a YouTube video and supposed social media posts in which the rebels claimed credit for downing the airplane.

There are reasons to doubt the authenticity of the social media posts that were quickly taken down. A YouTube video claiming that the Russian-made Buk missile launcher that was allegedly used in the attack was observed returning to Russia shortly after the attack has been completely debunked. As it turns out, the video was taken back in May at an entirely differently location in Ukraine. The evidence almost immediately produced by the Ukrananian government of audio of a supposed exchange between a Russian commander and a rebel leader discussing the plane being shot down also appears to be of dubious origin.

Russian officials presented satellite and radar evidence to make its case that neither they nor the rebels were responsible, while the Ukranian and American governments are withholding any forensic evidence they have to support their contentions. A second aircraft that was likely a Ukranian fighter jet was shown on radar very near MH17 before it crashed according to the Russians. Satellite imagery produced by the Russians also showed several Buk ground-to-air missile launchers in the area close to where the plane crashed. The Russians insist those missile systems could only belong to the Ukranian government. No explanation has been offered as to why the airplane veered off its planned route, traveling further east over an area of the Ukraine commercial pilots knew was unsafe for air travel. Even more troubling is a report by investigative reporter Robert Parry, who claims a source within the U.S. government has told him that U.S. satellite imagery actually shows that the likely missile battery used to shoot down MH17 was under the control of Ukranian government troops dressed in Ukranian military uniforms.

It is unclear to me why the American news media is so quick to accept the Obama administration's rapid conclusions about what happened to MH17 given its recent track record. The administration completely lied to the American public and Congress about the circumstances of the attack on the Benghazi consular outpost that claimed the life of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. It then falsely accused the Assad government of launching chemical weapons attacks in Syria as an excuse for escalating American military intervention in that country's civil war on the side of the rebels, whom have been trained, funded and armed by the U.S. government. We later learned that the rebels and not the Assad government was responsible for the chemical weapons attacks. Those same rebels, now calling themselves the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria ("ISIS"), have spread their war into Iraq, seizing large portions of that country while inflicting a large number of civilian casualties. One doesn't have to like the Russians to question our own government's motives in laying the blame for the loss of MH17 at their doorstep regardless of where the real evidence points.

UPDATE: Watch CNN's Chris Cuomo and a Russian Times correspondent Peter Lavelle quarrel over responsibility for the downing of MH17. Cuomo claims without substantiation that the U.S. government has been forthcoming with forensic evidence that supports its assessment. Contrast Cuomo's questioning of Lavelle with Lee's questioning of Hart. It's not hard to conclude which is a real journalist.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

A Real Leader once addressed the problem of Russia shooting a commercial airliner. Click on that link.

Obama cowers, bows down, and, according to Sen. Cruz, "At this point the Russians are openly laughing at the President."

Anonymous said...

Make no mistake about it. This attack was not just against ourselves or Malaysia. This was Russia against the world, and the moral precepts which guide human relations among people everywhere. It was an act of barbarism, borne of a society which wantonly disregards the value of human life and seeks constantly to expand and dominate other nations. They deny the deed...but we know better.

President Obama just rolls over and submits as a coward to their action and that, Americans, cannot stand.

The President may be impeached for High Crimes and Misdemeanors....violation of the War Powers Act. It's time for America to Stand Up!

Anonymous said...

Israel controls the Ukraine, hates Putin, wants to demonize Russia and wants to take the focus off their war crimes in Gaza.

Israel also wants to keep Russian frigates from sailing into the Port of Gaza, docking there and providing defensive protection and humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.

Did you hear about the oil that was found in Gaza waters? Look it up.

Israel is sailing all through Gaza's national waters without permission and in acts of war, while the so-called "Global Force for Good" is steaming nearby and is not doing a thing to protect this violation of maritime law.

Kuala Lumpur also recently found Israel guilty of war crimes.

It's all connected, and it all connects to one place.

Anonymous said...

Obama is The Worst President since WWII.

The Washington Times reports it, too.

Anonymous said...

Anon 11:51 p.m. needs to rephrase the statement:

"Figure it out, folks. Barak Hussein Obama is a blind and dumb obedient lap-dog puppet 'leader'."

Indy Rob said...

Look at the example of the USS Maine explosion. It blew up in Havana in 1898. Had a bunch of explosives below deck (while sailing into harbor to show US military might). Could have been from a mine, could have been just bad luck. The US war mongers (not all of US, BTW) wanted to say it was an enemy attack, I would not be surprised to know that some of the Spanish war mongers wanted to claim credit as well. There are always groups on both sides that are eager for conflict. It seems like the Obama administration is eager to engage in conflict with Russia without wanting to wait for facts and try to calm things down.

Anonymous said...

The Russians stand nothing to gain from shooting down a commercial airliner, and Russia was not in charge of Ukraine air traffic control.

It was Ukraine, not Russia, that ordered the plane onto the closed flight path and that dropped it to 33,000 feet.

Within minutes of the crash, America was releasing statements that separatists shot down the plane. No investigation, nothing. The supposed "proof" America has hasn't been released to the international press.

America should take a good look at Putin. He's not perfect, but he's White, devoutly Christian (and not in the made-up Protestant b.s. religion of American Bible-beaters), conservative, proud of his country, in favor of sound money, pro-life, strong and intelligent.

Vlad might be a villain, but he also might be a hero.

Flogger said...

I watched the entire Russian presentation you linked your article with. What a total contrast in presentation compared to our USA's sound bytes.

The story line from the Western Mega-Media for some time has been Russia is the villain. I have been on this earth long enough to see our "Free Press" swallow the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, the necessity to invade Grenada, Panama, and Iraq. Actually I came to the conclusion a long time ago the Western Mega-Media is not being duped. They are just one more piece of the Wall Street-Security-Military-Industrial Complex.

The Complex has been in a lather with Russia since Russia offered Snowden asylum.

Thankfully, we still have an Internet so we are not stuck with CNN, MSNBC, Fox and the other Networks. However, if Net Neutrality is scrapped, the fast lanes will be reserved for the Mega-Media since they will be the ones able to afford it.

Pete Boggs said...

CNN: Clearly Not News

Anonymous said...

In the end, all roads lead to IGOR KOLOMOISKY