Re: Journalists or Churnalists?
The report has failed to prove or disprove the use of one of the several (at least two if memory serves me right) Ukrainian Buks which were captured by the rebels at the beginning of the war.
If you are going to put all the dots on all Is and cross all the Ts you have to start with in order of likelihood:
1. The rebels, using equipment they have appropriated from the Ukrainian army with or without assistance from Russian "volunteers" (quotes intended and needed).
2. The Ukrainian army, continuing its excellent form in shooting down civilian jets and after that doing "Presidential Level Coverup" of the majestic clusterf*ck involving everyone up to the head of state inclusive. They have done it before, hence the possibility that they have done it again has to be fully refuted as well.
3. The rebels, using equipment provided by Russia "under the cover of darkness". Again, +/- "volunteers"
4. The Russians operating on rebels behalf. Considering the level of saturation with spy gear of the area I find this one very difficult to believe in. Though, you never know - at about the same time the Graunidad published some video footage of "Glorious Units of the Ukrainian Liberation Army" shooting Grads at Donetsk. The trucks had either Polish or Baltic number plates - definitely not Ukrainian ones (wrong color). The same video contained Russian militarized fire engine (with spanking new paint) with a uniformed Russian military personnel from MChS extinguishing the results of the handywork. Right when Russia claimed none of its personnel is there (I LOVE when a journo publishes pics without having a clue what's in them).
In addition to that:
1. The report still fails to answer why the plane was given instructions by Ukriainian air traffic control to pass 20 km north of the center of the official air corridor right through the area where somebody took out two Ukrainian Su-25s the previous week
2. If it was the same unit, how and who took out the Su-25s as the supposed time of "appearance on the scene" was after they were shot down. The tooth fairy? With a magic wand?
3. If it was not the same unit, what happened to the unit which took out the two Su-25s in the same area
4. All photos, etc which purport to show the Buk in question show it with one missile missing. Cute. What happened to the other two used on the Su25s? Also, I find it difficult to believe that if this was deployed by Russia it was not deployed without the reloader truck. Habeas corpus on that?
All in all, the report has yielded the expected result requested for political expediency reasons. That may in fact be the true result. We will not know - until someone answers questions 1-4 above.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
