Saturday, August 9, 2014

Mike Whitney asks questions about MH17

The Unanswered Questions of MH17…
To get a handle on what’s really going on, we have to understand that Ukraine is not just another bloody afterthought like Iraq, Afghanistan or Syria, none of which would dramatically impact the US’s role as the world’s only superpower. Ukraine is different. Ukraine is an essential part of Washington’s plan to pivot to Asia. If Washington is unable to achieve its objectives in Ukraine — create a chokepoint for vital resources flowing from Russia to the EU, establish NATO bases in the heart of Eurasia, and drive a wedge between Moscow and Brussels — then the plan to maintain US global hegemony for the next century will fail. And if the plan fails, then China will gradually become the world’s biggest and most powerful economy, economic ties between Moscow and Europe grow stronger, and the US will slide into irreversible decline. Get the picture? 
This is the scenario that Washington wants to avoid at all cost. That’s why the anti-Russia hysteria in the media has been so ferocious and unrelenting. That’s why the State Department assisted in the coup d’état that toppled the Ukrainian government and triggered the crisis. And that’s why ruling elites of all stripes have thrown their support behind a policy that recklessly pits one nuclear-armed adversary against another. It’s because the bigshot money-guys who run this country are bound and determined to be the Kingfish for the next hundred years even if it means plunging the world into the abyss of a third world war. That’s just a chance they’re willing to take.
Veracity Voice
Something Sinister Going On?
(August 3, 2014)
Here’s what Obama should do. 
First, he should demand that the Kiev government hand over the Air Traffic Control cockpit tapes that were recorded on the day the flight went down. That’s number one. That will clarify why the pilot veered “off course” 14 kilometers and why the plane suddenly lost altitude. (Once again, we ask: Was the Auto Pilot override system engaged or not?) The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) seized the recordings shortly after MH17 crashed and they haven’t been seen since. Why? Why hasn’t this critical piece of evidence been handed over to the proper authorities, the EU’s team of investigators? Does anyone really believe that Kiev’s US-backed lackey regime made this decision by themselves or that Washington ordered them to grab the tapes to prevent the public from knowing what really happened in the final minutes of the flight? 
Second, Obama should come clean and provide whatever radar and satellite data he has that will shed light on how the plane was downed. Most of what we know so far, has been provided by Moscow from a news conference that was moderated by Russian air force chief Lt. Gen. Igor Makushev. Naturally, the western media blacked out most of what Makushev had to say. Surprisingly, however, the right wing Wall Street Journal published an excellent article on the press conference which covered most of the important details. Here’s a brief excerpt from the article….
The Second Aircraft: Was Malaysia Flight 17 Shot Down?
(August 9, 2014)
Mike Whitney | Contributor

The evidence should already have been presented to the UN Security Council before rushing to judgment with a fixed policy. So far, this doesn't pass the smell test.

4 comments:

Ryan Harris said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Tom Hickey said...

Obviously, I see it differently. When facts are sparse, then perceptions take over, rumors abound, and conspiracy theories are born.

This fiasco in of interest on an economics blog because of the obvious social, political, and economic effects.

The US side is amply set forth in the US media, so it need not be repeated here. What is lacking here is other perspectives.

Clearly, there are questions that need to be answered, first, what evidence there is available, and why the other stories are incorrect. None of this has been forthcoming as Mike Whitney observes.

Where the US has made serious allegations without supporting facts, there is suspicion that the government is being less than up front and transparent.

Furthermore, public declaration of US policy that it will not brook any challenge to US global hegemony militarily, politically, or economically suggests that this is one of the factors involved. Add to that the public policy papers and writing of advisors on foreign policy and national security like ZB, and there is a strategic factor added to the declared policy.

Economically, there seem to be two rather important factors in the works. First, the sanctions threaten to tip an already teetering Europe into recession. Secondly, this is adding fuel to the alliance of the Global South against US hegemony and Western dominance.

What the facts may be in terms of evidence is opaque, and where this is leading is unclear. We'll be keeping abreast of developments.

Matt Franko said...

"Second, Obama should come clean and provide whatever radar and satellite data he has ..."

Uhhh.. no he should not...

Peter Pan said...

The Ukrainian Nazis can do no wrong in Washington's eyes, so there will be an effort to conceal the truth, if they are the ones responsible.

Events on the ground are making this tragedy moot. The question now is: Will Putin intervene by sending Russian forces into the disputed area?