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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 19-Jul-2014
19-Jul-14 World View -- Russia blows off US accusation of complicity in shooting down airliner

Web Log - July, 2014

19-Jul-14 World View -- Russia blows off US accusation of complicity in shooting down airliner

Israel warns of 'significantly widening' the ground operation in Gaza

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

Israel warns of 'significantly widening' the ground operation in Gaza
Russia blows off US accusation of complicity in shooting down airliner

Israel warns of 'significantly widening' the ground operation in Gaza

The aftermath of a missile strike in Gaza on Friday (AP)

The aftermath of a missile strike in Gaza on Friday (AP)

On Friday, thousands of Israeli troops accompanied tanks rolling into Gaza. The military said that it hit at least 150 targets, including rocket launchers and tunnels used for raids, and for moving and storing weapons. Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that operation could expand:

"Since it is impossible to deal with the tunnels only by aerial means, our troops are also dealing with it on the ground. Here as well, there are no guarantees for total success, but we will do the utmost to achieve the best result. My instructions to the IDF are to prepare for the possibility of significantly widening the ground operation, and the chief of staff and the military are prepared accordingly."

Israel has called up more than 53,000 reservists over the past week.

Israeli actions are the targets of protests in many countries, including Bangladesh, Jordan, South Africa, Venezuela, and Turkey, because of the Palestinian casualties. International officials are demanding a cease-fire and a peace agreement. Jerusalem Post and PBS and ABC News

Russia blows off US accusation of complicity in shooting down airliner

On Friday, the United States all but accused Russia of pushing the button that launched the missile that shot down flight MH17. President Obama made this statement:

"Evidence indicates that the plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile that was launched from an area that is controlled by Russian-backed separatists inside of Ukraine. We also know that this is not the first time a plane has been shot down in eastern Ukraine. Over the last several weeks, Russian-backed separatists have shot down a Ukrainian transport plane and a Ukrainian helicopter, and they claimed responsibility for shooting down a Ukrainian fighter jet. Moreover, we know that these separatists have received a steady flow of support from Russia. This includes arms and training. It includes heavy weapons, and it includes anti-aircraft weapons."

At a meeting on the United Nations Security Council, US ambassador Samantha Power more explicitly accused Russia of complicity:

"We assess Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 carrying these 298 people from Amsterdam to Kuala-Lumpur was likely downed by a surface-to-air missile, a SA-11 operated from a separatist-held location in eastern Ukraine. ...
Only SA-11, SA-20 and SA-22 are capable of hitting an aircraft at this flight’s altitude of 33,000 ft.
Separatists were spotted hours before the incident with the SA-11 system at the location close to the sight where the plane came down. Because of the technical complexity of the SA-11 it is unlikely they could effectively operate the system without assistance from knowledgeable personnel. Thus we can’t rule out technical assistance from Russian personnel in operating the systems."

Interestingly, Russia's UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin didn't attempt to refute these charges, except for the perfunctory claim, "We didn't do it."

Instead, Churkin blamed Ukraine's government for allowing passenger airlines in that airspace. Russia's president Vladimir Putin made a similar statement. This is like a bank robber blaming the robbery on the institution that built the bank.

Furthermore, Russian separatists in Ukraine are preventing researchers from investigating the crash. The wreckage has already been substantially contaminated.

So the visceral message conveyed by Russia's attitude is: "We don't really give a s--t that you think we shot down an airliner. We annexed Crimea and got away with it, and now we'll get away with this, and you're not going to do a single thing about it."

However, there may still be blowback on Russia. Hundreds of passengers were killed from numerous countries, including dozens of passengers from Holland and Germany, and some countries may, at the least, demand compensation at the International Court of Justice.

There may also be blowback in another form. This atrocity may force the Ukraine government to escalate its military action against the pro-Russia separatists in east Ukraine. At the same time, reports indicate that Russia troops are massing on the Ukraine border, suggesting that there may be a larger battle to come. White House and Russia Today and The Conversation

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 19-Jul-14 World View -- Russia blows off US accusation of complicity in shooting down airliner thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (19-Jul-2014) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 19-Jul-2014 19-Jul-14 World View -- Russia blows off US accusation of complicity in shooting down airliner

Israel warns of 'significantly widening' the ground operation in Gaza

Russia blows off US accusation of complicity in shooting down airliner

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 19-Jul-2014
19-Jul-14 World View -- Russia blows off US accusation of complicity in shooting down airliner