BREAKING NEWS - Malaysian airliner crashes on Russian-Ukrainian border

[garbon]

I think it unequivocally is a terrible tragedy. When 200 or so folks are killed on a commercial airliner it is a tragedy - unless it turns out that it was 200 or so terrorists.

Or Hobby Lobby owners

I mean I didn't know I needed to post an exhaustive list.

[derspiess]

I mean I didn't know I needed to post an exhaustive list.

Yeah, but we're all still reeling from that monumentally disastrous decision by the Five White Men*.  You should have mentioned them before terrorists.


*credit to Harry Reid

[alfred russel]

So what's the current state of knowledge about what civilian airliners were doing flying over this region/war zone?

I've seen that there were two existing advisory notices posted to airlines about what they should do about the airspace/region. To the layman the wording is opaque and has plenty of wriggle room.

Was it just left to airlines to 'balance' passenger safety vs 'shareholder value' re fuel/turnaround cost ?

I think Malaysia Airlines is majority owned by the government of Malaysia, if that would impact the "shareholder value" portion of the analysis at all.

[DGuller]

On the Russian forum, there seem to be two main theories developing:

1)  Ukrainians shot down the plane to create outrage against the rebels, and/or create pretext for US to intervene like it so desperately wants to.
2)  Ukrainians are responsible for the crash, because by international law they're responsible for everything that happens on their territory.  Since they don't recognize Donetsk Republic, the plane was shot down over Ukrainian territory, and Ukraine is responsible for everything that happens on Ukrainian territory.

Reading between the lines, it seems like it's clear even to zombified Russian brains that the pro-Russian rebels fired that missile.

[DGuller]

There is a recording of conversations between rebels by Ukrainian KGB, as they go up to the crash site.  It doesn't really leave much to interpretation.  Of course, Russians are screaming "FAKE!".

[Razgovory]

I'm curious how Europe will react to this.  After all, most of the dead of Western Europeans.

[derspiess]

I'm curious how Europe will react to this.  After all, most of the dead of Western Europeans.

I'm sure it will be as conciliatory as possible.

[Berkut]

I'm curious how Europe will react to this.  After all, most of the dead of Western Europeans.

I think normally there might be some outrage, but it will be largely muted by the lingering shock from learning that the US might spy on them.

[Syt]

Austrian news says that the "defense minister" of the rebels posted yesterday afternoon online that they just shot down an AN-26, with a photo of a smoke plume that looks similar to the one in first press reports.

It seems that this announcement has disappeared now.

[Hansmeister]

I'm sure our Dear Leader will eventually get around to doing something once he runs out of fund raisers to attend, late night celebrity parties at the White House, and holes at the golf course.  Eventually he will remember he has a day job, right?

[garbon]

So about a third of the passengers killed were on their way to an AIDS conference.

[Monoriu]

We lost at least one person on the plane too.   

[Eddie Teach]

I think it unequivocally is a terrible tragedy. When 200 or so folks are killed on a commercial airliner it is a tragedy - unless it turns out that it was 200 or so terrorists.

Or Hobby Lobby owners

I mean I didn't know I needed to post an exhaustive list.

200 people who watch reality tv and don't clean up after their dogs.

[Zanza]

I'm curious how Europe will react to this.  After all, most of the dead of Western Europeans.

What would be an appropriate response in your opinion?

[Josquius]

This really can't be good for Malaysian airlines business. I know I don't ever fancy getting in a cursed plane.