MH17: UN backs resolution demanding access to crash site – as it happened
This article is more than 9 years old
The Security council has unanimously backed an Australian-drafted resolution condemning the "downing" of flight MH17 as separatists handover the black boxes to a Malaysian delegation
Train holding bodies leaves rebel-held station Obama: 'Burden on Russia' to ensure crash access Five killed as clashes break out in Donetsk UN adopts resolution to investigate crash site Rebels allow experts limited acces to site and bodies
Members of the security council vote on a resolution concerning access to the crash site of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 during a security council meeting at United Nations headquarters, Monday, July 21, 2014. The resolution was adopted by a unanimous vote. Photograph: Seth Wenig/AP Photograph: Seth Wenig/AP
Members of the security council vote on a resolution concerning access to the crash site of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 during a security council meeting at United Nations headquarters, Monday, July 21, 2014. The resolution was adopted by a unanimous vote. Photograph: Seth Wenig/AP Photograph: Seth Wenig/AP
US President Barack Obama said "the burden is on Russia"to use its influence and ensure full access to the crash site,as well as to allow a "immediate and transparent investigation". The US reiterated its assertion that a SA-11 missile system shot down MH17 from separatist-controlled territory, and its suspicion of Russian aid.
The EU is poised to increase sanctions on Russia at a meeting of foreign ministers Tuesday in Brussels. The UK and Germany have called to "raise the pressure" on Russia, but France will likely resist calls to cancel a €1.2bn contract to sell assault vehicles to Russia.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin delivered an address after speaking with several world leaders and called for a "humanitarian corridor" to all for recover and investigation. He stopped short of calling on rebels to disarm, saying the disaster should not be used for "narrow, political reasons".
AvLaw International Chairman Ron Bartsch, a former head of safety at Qantas, and former Manager Airline Operations at the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, has added to the still raging debate around whether Malaysia Airlines should have been flying over eastern Ukraine, given the conflict with Russia and closure of airspace below 32,000ft.
“I think one of the key lessons to learn from MH17 is that, whilst bodies like the International Air Transport Association (IATA) issue advisories and warnings to airlines around the world, it remains the responsibility of individual airlines to continually monitor and assess the risks on their routes,” Mr Bartsch said.
Mr Bartsch said there had been instances, such as when there was a volcano eruption in Chile, when Australian airlines had chosen not to fly even though authorities had declared the airspace safe.
“You can use the analogy of a police officer at a dangerous intersection. Police won’t tell you when to cross the road and when not to,” he said. “Individual airlines need to make an assessment of dangerous flight routes, but to do so effectively, they need the information.”
The Sky News reporter, Colin Brazier, who was criticised for handling the belongings of one of the passengers, has written to apologise and explain his actions. It's worth read his piece in its entirety. Here is an excerpt:
Good journalism takes many things and the empathy I hope [my children] have wrought in me is one of them. But so is understanding the boundaries of decency and taste. And from time to time, we screw up.
At the weekend I got things wrong. If there was someone to apologise to in person, I would. While presenting Sky's lunchtime coverage of the flight MH17 disaster, I stooped down to look at a piece of debris. It was a child's suitcase. I put my hand inside and lifted up a water bottle and a set of keys. As I did so my mental circuit-breaker finally engaged and I apologised instantly on-air for what I was doing.
Brazier, who has reported from aviation disasters before, also described the scene at the crash site.
There are roadblocks manned by sullen-looking teenagers cradling AK-47s, but no meaningful law and order. It is a warzone and the men in charge carry guns and grudges.
So I, and many others, were allowed to walk around the crash site at will.
The sights were shocking. I could not comprehend what we seeing. Bodies and body parts everywhere. I phoned my wife. "It's a butcher's yard", I said.
MH17: Sky News reporter Colin Brazier reports from the crash scene. Photograph: Sky News Photograph: Sky News
A forensic expert heading to the Netherlands to assist with victim identification for the investigation expects it to be similar to his experience working in the aftermath of Australia's Black Saturday bushfires in 2009.
Professor Ranson, the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM) deputy director, has identified victims of the Boxing Day tsunami, the Bali bombing and the Kosovo war.
"I think the process is very similar to the work we did in the Victorian bushfires," he told AAP.
"I imagine that there will be a number of bodies - some of those will be intact and some will be non-intact, and we will be using similar methods."
He said he had seen reports of evidence tampering and degradation of the crash site on the news.
"It's very important to ensure the proper collection of that material so that we do not lose items that are useful in the identification process, but I have no detailed information."
A mortuary technician, two odontologists and a fingerprint expert will join Prof Ranson and the remainder of the Australian contingent.
Australian treasurer Joe Hockey has commented on the issue of Vladimir Putin attending the G20 in Brisbane later this year.
He said nobody knows what the fallout will be from the downing of MH17, but he hopes Russia still attends the summit.
"The Russians have said they will co-operate with all this - let's find out if they are fair dinkum or not," Mr Hockey told Sky News while on an official visit to New Zealand.
"Rarely are great things achieved by excluding people from the conversation," he said.
Ultimately, the decision about Russia's attendance rested with G20 members.
A spokesman for Ukraine's military operation in the country's east said on Tuesday a suicide bomber driving a minibus packed with explosives had attacked a Ukrainian checkpoint during the night.
A spokesman for the "anti-terrorist operation" against separatists who have rebelled in eastern Ukraine told 112 television channel: "A checkpoint was attacked by a suicide bomber in a van packed with explosives."
He gave no further details.
The train carrying the remains of 280 people killed was finally allowed to leave eastern Ukraine as the militants declared a truce around the crash site.
"We will order a ceasefire in an area of 10 kilometres around" the site of the disaster, said Alexander Borodai at the black box handover press conference.
Then hours later, the rebels released the bodies, which had been sitting on a train in Donetsk.
It is expected to arrive in the government-controlled city of Kharkiv on Tuesday. Bodies will then be flown to the Netherlands, for forensic testing, and then repatriation to home countries.
"We will be erring on the side of generosity when it comes to their treatment," Abbott said when pressed about speculation over compensation payments to victims' families in Australia.
“After the crime comes the cover up,” the Australian prime minister has said a few moments ago.
"What we have seen is evidence tampering on an industrial scale, and obviously that has to stop.”
There has been some progress in the last 24 hours, said Abbott, citing the UN resolution passing in the security council, the negotiations between the rebels and the Malaysian delegation which resulted in the former handing over the black boxes.
He then detailed Operation Bring Them Home, which is headed by the country’s chief of Air Chief Marshal (retired) Angus Houston, and involves diplomatic and emergency services personnel across continents to repatriate the bodies and investigate the crash site.
An Australian c-17 plane will be involved in taking the bodies from Ukraine to the Netherlands when the train arrives in Kharkiv.
Still in Malaysia, the Dutch embassy has opened a book of condolences in memory of the country's 193 victims.
Ambassadors from Ukraine, Mexico, United States, Iran, Germany as well as the Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to Malaysia have already signed, according to the Star.
In Canberra, Australia, politicians and foreign ambassadors have also signed a book of condolence, during a ceremony at Parliament House.
Signatures on a condolence book at Parliament House in Canberra, Tuesday, July 22, 2014. Photograph: ALAN PORRITT/AAPIMAGE Photograph: ALAN PORRITT/AAPIMAGE
Ambassdors form affected countries during the signing of a condolence book at Parliament House in Canberra, Tuesday, July 22, 2014. Photograph: ALAN PORRITT/AAPIMAGE Photograph: ALAN PORRITT/AAPIMAGE
Russian ambassador to Malaysia Lyudmila Vorobyeva has told media in Kuala Lumpur she is "convinced" the separatist rebels were not behind the shooting down of the plane. The rebels do not have a weapon capable of it, she said, according to Malaysian news site, the Star.
“If you ask me, I am convinced that there is no way they could have done it. They don’t have the means to do it,” Vorobyeva said.
“I am not a military expert, but that BUK missile system is very sophisticated that you need special training to operate it.
“The rebels did not have the book or qualification to operate it, but the Ukrainian military have it,” she said.
Vorobyeva told the press conference the rebels only had small, shoulder-mounted firepower.
The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Malaysia, Lyudmila Vorobyeva, speaks during a media conference on the crashed Malaysia Airlines MH17 flight at the Embassy of the Russian Federation, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 22 July 2014. Photograph: AZHAR RAHIM/EPA Photograph: AZHAR RAHIM/EPA
For months, Russian President Vladimir Putin has waged maskirovka warfare in east Ukraine - an old, Soviet-perfected model of destabilizing foreign countries which is characterized by dissimulation, misdirection and plausible deniability, all done with the use of arms-length proxies.
Putin, a former KGB lieutenant colonel, continues to maintain that he has nothing to do with the separatists even as their political leadership has lately visited Moscow begging for more materiel and even opened a satellite office there to coordinate their activities more closely with their master and patron. It also pays to remember that Putin denied invading and annexing Crimea - until he didn't.
The New Yorker magazine has released a feature on the US vice-president Joe Biden. It includes a number of mentions of Ukraine and Russia, and the US's diplomatic dealings with both. Read it in full here.
Bearing in mind all these quotes were spoken and written before MH17 crashed, the article contains some interesting excerpts:
Ukrainian officials had appealed to the United States for military support, but Biden had advised them that it would be minimal, if at all. He told me, “We no longer think in Cold War terms, for several reasons. One, no one is our equal. No one is close. Other than being crazy enough to press a button, there is nothing that Putin can do militarily to fundamentally alter American interests.” The Ukrainians were not pleased. A senior Administration official said, “My read of the looks on their faces was ‘Holy God.’ ”
And this one:
To illustrate his emphasis on personality as a factor in foreign affairs, Biden recalled visiting Putin at the Kremlin in 2011: “I had an interpreter, and when he was showing me his office I said, ‘It’s amazing what capitalism will do, won’t it? A magnificent office!’ And he laughed. As I turned, I was this close to him.” Biden held his hand a few inches from his nose. “I said, ‘Mr. Prime Minister, I’m looking into your eyes, and I don’t think you have a soul.’ ”
“You said that?” I asked. It sounded like a movie line.
“Absolutely, positively,” Biden said, and continued, “And he looked back at me, and he smiled, and he said, ‘We understand one another.’ ” Biden sat back, and said, “This is who this guy is!”
VIDEO: The pro-Russian separatists governing the part of eastern Ukraine above which flight MH17 is thought to have been downed by a missile have handed the black box flight recorders to Malaysian authorities. At a ceremony in the city of Donetsk, Malaysia expressed its "sincere appreciation".
Malaysia Airlines has defended its decision to route a flight over Syria, to avoid Ukrainian airspace. They released this statement a few hours ago:
This statement is to clarify the misunderstanding caused by a tweet from Flightradar24 on Malaysia Airlines’ flight MH004 from Kuala Lumpur to London that flew over Syrian airspace on 20 July 2014 at 1:20pm local time.
MH004’s flight plan is in accordance to International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) approved routes. As per the notice to airmen (NOTAM) issued by the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority, the Syrian airspace was not subject to restrictions.
At all times, MH004 was in airspace approved by ICAO.
Malaysia Airlines maintains that safety of its passengers and crew is of utmost priority.
The airline's decision was met with incredulity, since the MH17 flight was also not flying in restricted airspace, rather 1000ft above the no fly zone.
VIDEO: Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop welcomed the acceptance of a UN resolution condemning the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 and demanding access to the crash site. Russia backed the resolution, but soon after accused Ukraine of exploiting the situation for political means.
The Dutch military plane that will transport the bodies of those who died has landed in Kharkiv, Ukraine, but the train carrying the bodies has been delayed.
From AAP:
Members of the Netherlands forensic investigation team LTFO arrived at the government-controlled city's airport around 3am (1000 AEST) local time.
They'll work with other experts in the difficult task of transferring the remains of almost 300 victims from a Soviet-era refrigerated train to the their C130 Hercules.
The Dutch team flew in on the C130 from Eindhoven on Tuesday morning.
They will repackage the bodies if necessary and take them as soon as possible to the Netherlands for identification.
The refrigerated train carrying those who perished aboard Malaysia Airlines flight 17 left the rebel town of Torez in eastern Ukraine at 7pm local time on Monday.
It was initially hoped the train could make it to Kharkiv in around six hours but it has reportedly been delayed in Donetsk which has experienced sporadic military conflict.
Rebel leader Alexander Borodai spoke with CNN. He maintained the rebels have never possessed a Buk missile system, and said all evidence presented that indicates the pro-Russia separatists shot it down is untrue.
"All of the information that comes through the internet, in my opinion, is practically all lies," said Borodai.
The White House has released a statement describing a phone call between Barack Obama and Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski.
The two leaders the need for increased defense spending in Europe and for transatlantic unity after the downing of a Malaysian jetliner in Ukraine, Reuters reports.
President Obama and President Komorowski agreed on the importance of raising defense spending among European members of NATO, as well as on the importance of alliance-wide and credible contributions to NATO's reassurance efforts in Central and Eastern Europe."
"The two leaders also stressed the need for Transatlantic solidarity in responding to the tragic shoot-down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 and Russia's efforts to destabilize Ukraine."
The full text of the address by Netherlands foreign affairs minister Frans Timmermans has been published online. You can read it here.
Below is a small excerpt. The Netherlands lost the largest number of people on the flight, and cosponsored the UN security council resolution.
Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans speaks during a meeting at United Nations headquarters in New York, July 21, 2014. Photograph: EDUARDO MUNOZ/REUTERS Photograph: EDUARDO MUNOZ/REUTERS
Since Thursday, I’ve been thinking how horrible the final moments of their lives must have been, when they knew the plane was going down. Did they lock hands with their loved ones? Did they hold their children close to their hearts? Did they look each other in the eyes, one final time, in a wordless goodbye? We will never know.
The demise of almost 200 of my compatriots has left a hole in the heart of the Dutch nation. It has has caused grief, anger and despair. Grief for the loss of loved ones, anger for the outrage of the downing of a civilian airplane and despair after witnessing the excruciatingly slow process of securing the crash site and recovering the remains of the victims.
...
The last couple of days we have received very disturbing reports of bodies being moved about and looted for their possessions. Just imagine for one minute, not as representatives of your countries, but as fathers and mothers, just imagine that one day you lose your loved one and then two or three days later see some thug steal their wedding ring from their remains.
To my dying day I will not understand that it took so much time for the rescue workers to be allowed to do their difficult jobs and that human remains should be used in a political game. I hope the world will not have to witness this again, any time in the future.
Before handing over the boxes, Borodai took the chance to insist again that the pro-Russia rebels in east Ukraine had nothing to do with the downing of MH17, and blamed the Kiev government, which he said had "both the technical ability and the motive" to bring down the plane.
Colonel Mohamed Sakri, part of the Malaysian delegation, thanked "his excellency Mr Borodai" for agreeing to the transfer, which came after Borodai spoke personally to the Malaysian prime minister by telephone earlier in the day.
Most western capitals have accused the pro-Russia rebels of bringing down the plane using a Buk missile, possibly brought to Ukraine from Russia. Sakri refused to take questions on who might be to blame for the tragedy, and said that after the mystery of MH370 it was important to recover the black boxes this time.
Reuters reports China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing welcomes the recently passed U.N. resolution
A statement on the foreign ministry's website said Wang made the comments in Caracas on Monday while accompanying Chinese president Xi Jinping on an ongoing Latin American tour.
Wang called for the International Civil Aviation Organization to be allowed to play a key role in the investigation and said international investigators should be given full access to the crash site.
"We urged all Ukrainian parties concerned to cease fire as soon as possible and conduct dialogue and consultation so as to seek a comprehensive, lasting and balanced political solution," the statement quoted Wang as saying.
The "Donetsk People's Republic" has tweeted pictures of the documents they signed when the black boxes were handed over to a Malaysian delegation after negotiations.
Не ждали? Мы восстановили контроль над аккаунтом.
Подписание протоколов о передаче "черных ящиков" Малайзии. pic.twitter.com/f7rCShgucO
The crash site is a mess, but is it a mess that has political benefits for Russia, asks Andrew Weiss at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.
Weiss told the AP that sheer incompetence, rather than criminal intent, could be an explanation for the way the rebels are handling the disaster.
"There's just a lot of chaos on the ground," Weiss said. "Everything being messed up is part of daily life. It's not a highly ordered society the way Switzerland is. It's one thing to say it is part of a big conspiracy ... but it's not clear."
Whether by accident or design, the lack of swift access to the crash site may make it harder to determine who and what doomed the jet. And persistent doubts could benefit Russian President Vladimir Putin and undermine the push in the West to impose further sanctions against Moscow.
"There must be a ceasefire in the immediate area around the site," Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop told the UN security council.
"The victims must be treated with dignity, brought back to their homes and laid to rest. All parties are required to fully co-operate with these efforts.
Russia must use its influence over the separatists to ensure this. Russia must also use its influence to bring the conflict in Ukraine to an end."
You can read a full report on Australia's resolution to the security council here.
US President Barack Obama said "the burden is on Russia" to use its influence and ensure full access to the crash site, as well as to allow a "immediate and transparent investigation". The US reiterated its assertion that a SA-11 missile system shot down MH17 from separatist-controlled territory, and its suspicion of Russian aid.
The EU is poised to increase sanctions on Russia at a meeting of foreign ministers Tuesday in Brussels. The UK and Germany have called to "raise the pressure" on Russia, but France will likely resist calls to cancel a €1.2bn contract to sell assault vehicles to Russia.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin delivered an address after speaking with several world leaders and called for a "humanitarian corridor" to all for recover and investigation. He stopped short of calling on rebels to disarm, saying the disaster should not be used for "narrow, political reasons".
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