World Leaders Demand International Investigation Following Malaysia Airlines Plane Shot Down In Ukraine Killing All On Board
Following yesterday’s Malaysian Airways disaster, world leaders have demanded an international investigation into the shooting of the plane which occurred over eastern Ukraine. All 298 people on board were killed, in the tragedy that could possibly heighten tensions between Russia and the West. There were 283 passengers and 15 crew on board.
One U.S. official told Reuters, that Washington strongly suspects that Ukranian Separatists used a surface-to-air missile to down the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777, which departed from Amsterdam and was heading to Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.
There was no evidence Ukrainian government forces fired a missile, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, speaking in Detroit, said the passenger jet was apparently “blown out of the sky”.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott appeared to go further than other Western leaders in apportioning blame, demanding on Friday that Moscow answer questions about the “Russian-backed rebels” that he said were behind the disaster.
The Netherlands are the worst affected by the crash, with 154 Dutch citizens on the downed plane, 20 Australians and 9 Brits have been confirmed to have been on the doomed flight.
The plane crashed near the village of Hrabove about 40 km (25 miles) from the border with Russia near the regional capital of Donetsk, an area that is a stronghold of rebels who have been fighting Ukrainian government forces for several months.
Ukraine has accused pro-Moscow militants, aided by Russian military intelligence officers, of firing a long-range, Soviet-era SA-11 ground-to-air missile. Leaders of the rebel Donetsk People’s Republic denied any involvement and said a Ukrainian air force jet had brought down the intercontinental flight.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has pinned the blame on Kiev for renewing its offensive against rebels two weeks ago after a ceasefire failed to hold. The Kremlin leader called it a “tragedy” but did not say who brought the Boeing 777 down.
This is the second airline tragedy for Malaysian Airline this year, following the mysterious disappearance of Flight MH370 in March, which vanished with 239 passengers and crew on board on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
In Malaysia, there was a sense of disbelief that another airline disaster could strike so soon.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak told a pre-dawn news conference in Kuala Lumpur,
“If it transpires that the plane was indeed shot down, we insist that the perpetrators must swiftly be brought to justice. This is a tragic day, in what has already been a tragic year, for Malaysia.”
U.S. President Barack Obama, who spoke to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and other leaders, said evidence from the crash must remain in Ukraine so international investigators have a chance to look at all of it, officials said. Obama warned of further sanctions if Moscow did not change course in Ukraine, the White House said.
The Netherlands has declared a day of national mourning for its 154 dead citizens on the doomed flight.
Source: Reuters