There’s little solace that comes in being proven correct when the implications are so terrible. My “conspiracy theory” from yesterday that Google and Facebook decided to suppress has been confirmed by Pentagon sources to Newsweek. Unless Big Tech believes reporters at the long-time mainstream media outlet are all wearing tinfoil hats, it’s time to stop pretending like the story needs to be hidden. Iran shot down the Ukrainian plane early Wednesday morning.
Newsweek is reporting that an Iranian missile took down the Ukraine flighthttps://t.co/QrgNE5sBlx
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) January 9, 2020
Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, a Boeing 737–800 en route from Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airpot to Kyiv’s Boryspil International Airport was delayed an hour at the gate. This, I believe, is why it was shot down. Iranian surface-to-air missile (SAM) operators were likely given a schedule and flight paths of inbound and outbound aircraft. Because this one was delayed, it didn’t match what the operators had on their lists, so they erred on the side of “caution” and assumed it was an American retaliation for the missile attack on Iraqi bases a couple of hours before.
Iran continues to report that an engine caught on fire, causing the plane to crash. But they came to this conclusion within an hour of the crash, which would make it the shortest plane crash investigation in history. They also noted that communication from the pilots ended before any troubles were reported. Then, after the two black boxes were recovered, they said they would not be handing them over to Boeing, the United States, Ukraine, or anyone else.
Ukraine initially echoed their storyline, but rescinded it quickly as President Zelensky announced he wanted a full criminal investigation into the incident. A few hours ago, they requested to have access to the crash area and all debris that had been collected so they could search for indications of Russian missiles, which Iran uses for their air defense systems.
This changes the dynamic of Iran’s negotiating power. They (likely) inadvertently killed 176 people, then tried to cover it up. Now, the denial and finger-pointing portion of the Middle East’s escapades begins, and it won’t be pretty.
