TALKING POINTS MEMO – An anchor on the Russian-funded network RT America took to the airwaves on Friday to say that if a Russian-backed rebel militia brought down the Malaysian airliner in Ukraine, it shows why governments should not be providing weapons to insurgent forces.
“If an international independent investigation does indeed find that the missile was shot by rebel fighters, then the criminals responsible need to be held accountable,” said Abby Martin, host of “Breaking the Set.”
Russia has denied having anything to do with the attack.
“Russia has been logistically backing the rebels in this territory,” she noted, adding “if an investigation finds that this missile was indeed Russian, then it exemplifies exactly why state power should not be providing high-grade weaponry to militias.”
This was not the first time Martin had taken a critical line against the Russian government. In March she denounced Russia’s invasion of Crimea, stating that she would prefer to risk her job and “go down on the right side of history” than remain silent.
Martin’s comments come on the heels of international speculation over those responsible for a reported surface-to-air missile that shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.
While there have been no formal accusations from the U.S. or Malaysia that the Russian-backed separatists are responsible for shooting down the plane, President Obama has called for a ceasefire and urged an immediate international investigation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, after openly blaming the Ukrainian government for the circumstances of the attack, has echoed the calls for a ceasefire.
Watch the video of the segment of below:
Abby Martin’s Statement on Downed Malaysian Plane & State Sponsorship of Militias
**
More at Talking Points Memo.
At the onset of this conflict in Eastern Ukraine, several Ukrainian arsenals and bases were taken over by the Pro-Russian secessionists. In exchange for their safety, the Ukrainian military were given two options: join the secessionists or leave everything behind and go west.
This was trumpeted by both Western and Eastern-European media… Secessionists hailed it as a tremendous victory, Ukrainian forces were “shamed”, and the West watched on as secessionists did victory laps with their newly-captured armoured vehicles.
This should have been a clear enough sign that the secessionists were committed but not necessarily disciplined troops.
As the story now unfolds, with each side trading accusations (and wild theories like the auto-piloted plane that took off from Amsterdam full of corpses).
The press has been making a shitstorm of this, with politicians only making things worse. But while the western press like to polish political knobs and glamour things up – they are not prone to outright lying about the facts (in general, a few notable exceptions like Fox must be discarded) – something the Russian media has become an expert at.
We can only take everything we hear with a huge grain of salt. Expecting secessionists not to pour through the wreckage and the dead bodies is like telling a bunch of hungry children to “behave” at the table… good luck with that.
Whichever way this ends, the deaths – yes they happened – are unacceptable. No one asked if the ICAO had a risk assessment report in a drawer that should have diverted air traffic from the region, and no one asked how easy it would be to take a modern SAM battery and – without any formal training – target any aircraft at that altitude? There are several questions to be put forward that – when answered – will clear up this “fog of war”.
If Missile Was Ukranian, it is nevermind, that is ok?
What do the residents of the eastern part if they has daily bombing and a genocide against them?