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THERE was never much doubt about what brought down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine on July 17th 2014, killing all 298 people on board: a Russian missile, fired from territory controlled by Russian-backed separatists. Still, it was important to see the facts confirmed. On September 28th the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) laid out its case, backed by an array of photo, video and forensic evidence, satellite and radar data, interviews with eyewitnesses and intercepted phone calls. The investigators called the findings “irrefutable”.

The JIT’s preliminary report is the beginning of what is sure to be a long and trying path to justice for the victims. Many had boarded the flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur with suitcases stuffed with bathing suits, bound for beach holidays in South-East Asia. They were cut short, the JIT found, by a Russian-made BUK 9M38 surface-to-air missile, which had left Russia that morning. The launcher, and three unused missiles, returned there the day after. The launch site was a field near the town of Pervomaiskiy, under the control of pro-Russian fighters. Investigators say they have some 100 potential suspects, but identifying the perpetrators will be “a matter for the long haul”.

Russia continues to dispute the findings. Vladimir Putin’s press secretary dismissed the JIT report as based on “speculation, unqualified and unprofessional information”. Earlier in the week, Russia’s defence ministry released radar data that it said proved the missile was launched from Ukrainian-held territory, the latest in a string of flimsy theories meant to muddy the waters. The Russians seem to have forgotten their earlier claim that a Ukrainian fighter-jet shot MH17 down. Russian media have suggested at various times that Ukrainian forces were trying to shoot down Mr Putin’s plane, or that the CIA, hoping to undermine Russia, had filled the plane with bodies and crashed it intentionally.

The JIT, which also includes representatives from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, and Ukraine, collected evidence of a standard intended for future use in court. It went beyond last year’s Dutch Safety Board report, which showed the plane was brought down by a BUK but did not assign blame. The JIT trail begins with photographs and video of the missile-launcher near the town of Snizhne in eastern Ukraine on the day of the crash. It also includes intercepted phone calls of separatist fighters asking for a BUK to defend their forces against intense Ukrainian air strikes. The fact that the missile-launcher came from Russia and returned there after the crash seems to imply official involvement.

Forensic clues also left little doubt about what happened. Satellite and radar data helped identify the launch site and determine that no other aircraft were flying in the vicinity of MH17. Inside the body of one of the pilots, investigators found butterfly-shaped shrapnel that comes from specific BUK warheads which the Russian army uses, but Ukraine’s does not. The shrapnel also carried traces of glass used for Boeing cockpit windows, making it highly difficult to fake.

Delivering justice may prove even tougher than gathering the evidence. Russia has vetoed attempts at the UN to set up an international tribunal. If a case is brought in national courts, it is unlikely to extradite its citizens for trial. Still, at a time when Mr Putin and other demagogues are practicing a politics of outrageous lies, it is salutary to watch a team of meticulous investigators establish the cold, hard truth. The question now becomes: what will the world do about it?

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Originally posted by kpo:
In case anyone missed it, last week Dutch investigators released their comprehensive and conclusive report about who was to blame for shooting down passenger jet MH17 over separatist-held eastern Ukraine in July 2014. It confirms what was obvious to most of us from the beginning - a Russian-supplied BUK, with separatist fingers on the trigger (or Russian military fighting alongside the separatists). See the "Russia Invades Ukraine" thread to see how the argument developed at the time, with the pro-Russia posters throwing up denialism and conspiracy theories. Or see the Predictions Thread (recently updated) for specific falsehoods.

A summary of the report and its findings:

The Economist - Brought to BUK: Dutch investigators strike a blow against Russia’s fact-free politics

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THERE was never much doubt about what brought down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine on July 17th 2014, killing all 298 people on board: a Russian missile, fired from territory controlled by Russian-backed separatists. Still, it was important to see the facts confirmed. On September 28th the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) laid out its case, backed by an array of photo, video and forensic evidence, satellite and radar data, interviews with eyewitnesses and intercepted phone calls. The investigators called the findings “irrefutable”.

The JIT’s preliminary report is the beginning of what is sure to be a long and trying path to justice for the victims. Many had boarded the flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur with suitcases stuffed with bathing suits, bound for beach holidays in South-East Asia. They were cut short, the JIT found, by a Russian-made BUK 9M38 surface-to-air missile, which had left Russia that morning. The launcher, and three unused missiles, returned there the day after. The launch site was a field near the town of Pervomaiskiy, under the control of pro-Russian fighters. Investigators say they have some 100 potential suspects, but identifying the perpetrators will be “a matter for the long haul”.

Russia continues to dispute the findings. Vladimir Putin’s press secretary dismissed the JIT report as based on “speculation, unqualified and unprofessional information”. Earlier in the week, Russia’s defence ministry released radar data that it said proved the missile was launched from Ukrainian-held territory, the latest in a string of flimsy theories meant to muddy the waters. The Russians seem to have forgotten their earlier claim that a Ukrainian fighter-jet shot MH17 down. Russian media have suggested at various times that Ukrainian forces were trying to shoot down Mr Putin’s plane, or that the CIA, hoping to undermine Russia, had filled the plane with bodies and crashed it intentionally.

The JIT, which also includes representatives from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, and Ukraine, collected evidence of a standard intended for future use in court. It went beyond last year’s Dutch Safety Board report, which showed the plane was brought down by a BUK but did not assign blame. The JIT trail begins with photographs and video of the missile-launcher near the town of Snizhne in eastern Ukraine on the day of the crash. It also includes intercepted phone calls of separatist fighters asking for a BUK to defend their forces against intense Ukrainian air strikes. The fact that the missile-launcher came from Russia and returned there after the crash seems to imply official involvement.

Forensic clues also left little doubt about what happened. Satellite and radar data helped identify the launch site and determine that no other aircraft were flying in the vicinity of MH17. Inside the body of one of the pilots, investigators found butterfly-shaped shrapnel that comes from specific BUK warheads which the Russian army uses, but Ukraine’s does not. The shrapnel also carried traces of glass used for Boeing cockpit windows, making it highly difficult to fake.

Delivering justice may prove even tougher than gathering the evidence. Russia has vetoed attempts at the UN to set up an international tribunal. If a case is brought in national courts, it is unlikely to extradite its citizens for trial. Still, at a time when Mr Putin and other demagogues are practicing a politics of outrageous lies, it is salutary to watch a team of meticulous investigators establish the cold, hard truth. The question now becomes: what will the world do about it?

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http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21707974-dutch-investigators-stri
ke-blow-against-russias-fact-free-politics-brought-buk?fsrc=scn/tw/te/pe/ed/broughttobuk

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