MH-17 Unanswered Questions
I was asked over the holidays as to what I thought happened to flight MH-17 or had my views changed with regard to who was responsible for this mass murder.
My views have not changed - the Reports by both sides are so far apart that, depending on whether you support Russia (The Russian Union of Engineers) or the Dutch Safety Board, you are likely to have a biased opinion.
But for the families of the victims, who just want someone to tell them the truth, the agony continues.
I want to recap for the reader what has been happening in the meanwhile - and draw what were disconnected threads together in the process.
My views have not changed - the Reports by both sides are so far apart that, depending on whether you support Russia (The Russian Union of Engineers) or the Dutch Safety Board, you are likely to have a biased opinion.
But for the families of the victims, who just want someone to tell them the truth, the agony continues.
I want to recap for the reader what has been happening in the meanwhile - and draw what were disconnected threads together in the process.
I watched both sides presentation of the 'facts' and was very disappointed with Moscow's team of experts - The Russian Union of Engineers.
I found their presentation too technical, too bureaucratic, almost lacking that 'common sense' approach to enable all but the most highly scientifically-minded to understand.
This was not a conference with the victims in mind but more a scripted presentation of data.
It was almost as if the technical professionals lacked all human feelings and understanding that they were dealing with what had been real people, their relatives and friends, whose lives had been cut short and shattered by this tragedy.
But there may have been another reason. It was almost as if the presenters of Russia's version were too frightened to speak their minds* and it appeared so highly scripted to the point of being so highly technical that (I suspect) the 'audience' (local and international reporters) were likewise afraid to ask any 'embarrassing' or 'awkward' questions which might vary from the official line the experts had been instructed (or so it appeared) to take or might show a lack of understanding of what were scientific assessments which demanded challenge at each conclusive statement. Nobody asked any awkward questions other than accept 'the official line'.
I found their presentation too technical, too bureaucratic, almost lacking that 'common sense' approach to enable all but the most highly scientifically-minded to understand.
This was not a conference with the victims in mind but more a scripted presentation of data.
It was almost as if the technical professionals lacked all human feelings and understanding that they were dealing with what had been real people, their relatives and friends, whose lives had been cut short and shattered by this tragedy.
But there may have been another reason. It was almost as if the presenters of Russia's version were too frightened to speak their minds* and it appeared so highly scripted to the point of being so highly technical that (I suspect) the 'audience' (local and international reporters) were likewise afraid to ask any 'embarrassing' or 'awkward' questions which might vary from the official line the experts had been instructed (or so it appeared) to take or might show a lack of understanding of what were scientific assessments which demanded challenge at each conclusive statement. Nobody asked any awkward questions other than accept 'the official line'.
So many issues were distorted. Olga Ivshina's BBC reportage was not just rubbished but was ordered to be removed from the BBC website because it was considered to be too 'pro-Moscow' when what she appeared to be trying to do was to establish the facts and separate fact from fiction.
I stood by her approach then as I do now.
Trying to establish the facts is the most challenging thing in today's world where most people (especially governments - and often their leaders) do not want you to find out the truth - even (especially) if it is a 'public interest' matter or issue.
Many years ago (about 10) I met at a gathering a senior diplomat from Malaysia who was delighted to tell me that his daughter had graduated as a journalist (or was studying journalism - I cannot quite fully recall.) I did not want to disappoint and tell him by saying that she had chosen one of the most hated and dangerous professions in many parts of the world today - especially if you are attempting to 'speak truth to power' . [Unless of course you are traveling as an 'embedded' journalist - so you are protected but obligated to self-censor your protectors deeds as and where the needs arise.]
To do your job properly you will always displease someone - and it's a thankless job - even in 'open' societies.
So Olga paid a price for trying to be objective - her report was removed from the official BBC website - as if it had never existed. I said at the time that this would profoundly affect the credibility of the BBC - and I stand by that statement to this day.
The BBC (or any other network for that matter) cannot give a reporter or researcher 'carte blanche', request and agree for him her or them to go seek the truth, and, when they bring back unpalatable answers, say that they are biased. Sadly this happens all to often today - and professional careers in Christendom are (more often than not) cut short as media networks find grounds to dismiss 'troublesome' (honest) reporting staff in favor of those more prepared to present 'fake' news.
[I have mentioned both Infowars and Jesse Ventura in the past. While I do take issue with how some 'facts' are sometimes presented - no worse than I do with mainstream media - nonetheless they have both been marginalized because mainstream media in the U.S. and Western Europe has become far too docile and deferential to corporate interests to the extent they no longer provide intelligent (independent thinking) people with alternative (and often controversial) viewpoints.
The traditional major mainstream media networks ratings (especially those involved with the provision of news - with a few exceptions) are, for the most part, in serious decline. They blame it on the likes of bloggers (!) and other internet websites which provide alternative versions of 'news' - rather than looking to their own failings in providing honest challenging reportage instead of the daily mirage - with the deliberate intent of 'dumbing down' the populace as a whole - and in the process avoiding anything remotely 'politically inconvenient' or not 'politically correct'.]
[I have mentioned both Infowars and Jesse Ventura in the past. While I do take issue with how some 'facts' are sometimes presented - no worse than I do with mainstream media - nonetheless they have both been marginalized because mainstream media in the U.S. and Western Europe has become far too docile and deferential to corporate interests to the extent they no longer provide intelligent (independent thinking) people with alternative (and often controversial) viewpoints.
The traditional major mainstream media networks ratings (especially those involved with the provision of news - with a few exceptions) are, for the most part, in serious decline. They blame it on the likes of bloggers (!) and other internet websites which provide alternative versions of 'news' - rather than looking to their own failings in providing honest challenging reportage instead of the daily mirage - with the deliberate intent of 'dumbing down' the populace as a whole - and in the process avoiding anything remotely 'politically inconvenient' or not 'politically correct'.]
The fate of MH-17 to this day has not been resolved to the satisfaction of the victims relatives.
Yes the issue has disappeared from the media because the 'funeral rites' have been performed - statements have been made, reports produced, contested, and nobody has been brought to account for this terrible crime.
It appears that the immediate investigation is closed but no investigative researcher, no journalist who really believes in what he or she is doing, should just give up on trying to bring justice to those whose lives were so cruelly shattered when their relatives and friends were murdered by person(s) unknown on that fateful day.
(Remember next time it could be your relatives and if it was, you and your family would want justice, to hold someone accountable, with the truth.)
©Patrick
Emek, January 2017
I include all my blogs below directly related to this issue.
There are other separate references for Malaysia MH-370.
I have included these references below in case you are looking at both
incidents.
http://www.dca.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Preliminary-Report-MH17.pdf
https://www.om.nl/onderwerpen/mh17-crash/
https://www.om.nl/onderwerpen/mh17-vliegramp/presentaties/presentation-joint/
http://www.serendipity.li/the_saker/MH17%20report/MH17_Report_Russian_Union_of_Engineers_EN_Oceania_Saker.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Union_of_Engineers
https://14wombat1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/mh17-informationincluded-here-is-not.html
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?
blogID=5474269484469470704#editor/target=post;postID=4293396743159869569;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=4;src=postname
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5474269484469470704#editor/target=post;postID=2617816492229312578;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=8;src=link
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5474269484469470704#editor/target=post;postID=1725934684862817869;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=9;src=link
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5474269484469470704#editor/target=post;postID=4052512927600524101;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=1;src=link
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5474269484469470704#editor/target=post;postID=6260002557894628161;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=3;src=link
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5474269484469470704#editor/target=post;postID=2062258936140742174;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=4;src=link
http://www.infowars.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexJonesChannel
https://www.youtube.com/user/VenturaOffGrid
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Ventura
http://www.tv.com/shows/conspiracy-theory-with-jesse-ventura/episodes/
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?
blogID=5474269484469470704#editor/target=post;postID=4293396743159869569;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=4;src=postname
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5474269484469470704#editor/target=post;postID=2617816492229312578;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=8;src=link
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5474269484469470704#editor/target=post;postID=1725934684862817869;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=9;src=link
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5474269484469470704#editor/target=post;postID=4052512927600524101;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=1;src=link
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5474269484469470704#editor/target=post;postID=6260002557894628161;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=3;src=link
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5474269484469470704#editor/target=post;postID=2062258936140742174;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=4;src=link
http://www.infowars.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexJonesChannel
https://www.youtube.com/user/VenturaOffGrid
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Ventura
http://www.tv.com/shows/conspiracy-theory-with-jesse-ventura/episodes/