U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said Friday that investigators could not rule out the possibility of Russian assistance in the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.
“We assess Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 … was likely downed by a surface-to-air missile, an SA-11, operated from a separatist-held location in Eastern Ukraine,” Power said at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.
Power added that investigators “cannot rule out technical assistance from Russian personnel” since it was unlikely pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine could have operated the SA-11 missile system on their own.
She concluded with an appeal to Russia to de-escalate tensions between Ukraine and the separatists.
“This appalling attack occurred in the context of a crisis that has been fueled by Russian support for separatists and by the Russian failure to follow through on its commitments,” Power said.
“Russia can end this war,” she added. “Russia must end this war.”
About time someone in a position of authority said it.
Both the right thing to say and a powerful twist of the screw upon Comrade Putin. “Hey Vladi–how you digging that toe-to-toe with OUR POTUS now? How’s that workin’ out for you?”
Russia will of course deny it. But will start taking steps to ease tensions (read: start calling their special ops boys back home) all the same.
Russia overplayed its hand. For her to make this statement, we must have pretty strong intel of their involvement, so you can bet everyone else has seen that intel, too. Look for Putin to fold on eastern Ukraine and settle for just Crimea.
And who did the 'Rebel’s call first, after the mass murder?
Russian intelligence.
Now–why would they do that?
Eh…I wouldn’t be surprised if it went even beyond ‘involvement’. Usually in situations like this the instructor or observer is the one with the triggers. If they got the thing from Russia as is widely suspected…the instructors came with it.