If you had any doubt who was responsible for shooting down that plane full of people over Ukraine, this should clear things up:
“I would like to point out in this regard, that this tragedy would not have occurred if there was peace in that land, at least, if hostilities had not resumed in the South-East of Ukraine,” Putin said. “And without question, the state over whose territory this took place, bears responsibility for this awful tragedy.”
Yes, Vlad is bawling his eyes out over this "awful tragedy." Never would have happened if Ukraine hadn't decided to extricate itself from the threatening advances of the malevolent and corrupt old Russian Bear. Vlad wouldn't have to back "pro-Russian separatist" thugs (who apparently
can't break away from their Russian Facebook long enough to think very straight) to foment a war to further Russian economic interests against another sovereign nation.
But it's the fault of the new Ukrainian government. Not likely, at least according to one source:
[E]vidence continues to mount that local rebels tied to Moscow were responsible for the destruction of the MH17 plane, and that they used sophisticated weapons supplied directly by Russia.
Civilian aircraft at a regular cruising altitude of 10 kilometres - as the MH17 was at the time when it was brought down, almost two hours into its flight out of Amsterdam in the Netherlands - are not easy targets.
They cannot be hit by shoulder-held missiles or anti-aircraft artillery which are out of range, they are only vulnerable to precision weapons such as the BUK missile batteries which are in the Russian military service, but which were also supplied to all of Russia's neighbours.
What appears to have happened is that pro-Russian rebels mistakenly aimed at the MH17 flight, probably in the belief that it was a Ukrainian military transport jet of the kind they regularly attack. But it's impossible to believe that they could have successfully hit their target without radar and other logistical support from the Russian military which, again, was probably unaware of the plane's real identity. US intelligence agencies, which hold the largest quantity of electronic evidence available to piece together the final minutes of flight MH17, privately concede that this explanation is the most likely.
Audiotapes released by the
New York Times here.
This is the same guy who the corporate media turned a blind eye to during the Olympics, in the name of Coca-Cola. Three days before he invaded the Crimea.
This is not the tempered reaction of a reputable world leader, but the arrogant gamesmanship of someone who simply couldn't care less because he thinks he holds all the cards that matter.
We're seeing a lot of that this week.
Must be the season of the witch.
UPDATED: U.S. Intelligence now confirms that pro-Russian separatists shot the Plane down.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...