reflectivepundit

Accidental Downing of Civilian Airliners in War Zones: Last Week a Malaysia Airlines Jet; in 1988 an Iran Air Civilian Airbus

By Brigitte L. Nacos

Last week’s downing of a Malaysian civilian airliner over the Ukrainian region controlled by separatists with close ties to Russia was an unspeakable tragedy for the 298 persons aboard and their families and friends in a multitude of countries, most of all in Holland.

The U.S. and other Western governments as well as Ukrainian officials in Kiev charge that the plane was brought down by a Russian-made surface-to-air missile launched by Ukrainian separatists--with or without support by Russian troops. Separatists and Moscow claim that the missile was fired by the Ukrainian military and that there is no evidence of wrongdoing on their part.

There seems to be agreement though that whoever launched the ill-fated missile, most likely separatist fighters, did not intent to take down a civilian airliner but had mistaken it for a military plane.    

Criticism and outrage are justified concerning the despicable behavior of separatists who delayed foreign access to the crash site allowing looting and destruction of evidence; the same is true for President Putin who did not immediately use his influence over the Ukrainian insurgents.

But what brought down the Malaysian airliner and killed close to 300 lives was not murder and not terrorism as some critics of Vladimir Putin, especially in Kiev, continue to charge.

Just as it was not murder or terrorism, when on July 3, 1988 a guided missile launched by the U.S. Navy’s USS Vincennes took down an Iranian civilian airliner over the Strait of Hormuz killing all 290 persons on board. Investigators concluded later that crewmembers on the Vincennes had mistaken the Iran Air plane on its way from Tehran to Dubai for a hostile fighter jet, relayed the information to skipper William Rogers who ordered the missile strike.

At the time, the bloody war between Iran and Iraq was in its last phase. U.S. Navy ships protected and escorted oil tankers and other ships in the Persian Gulf and frequently were involved in hostilities with Iranian ships.

Shortly after the incident, President Ronald Reagan noted in a statement read by his press secretary, “I am saddened to report that it appears that in a proper defensive action by the U.S.S. Vincennes this morning in the Persian Gulf, an Iranian airliner was shot down over the Strait of Hormuz.”  

Proper defensive action? The Vincennes crew thought so.

It was a horrific accident, a terrible mistake. Just like the downing of the Malaysian airliner.  

Dick Cheney did Not Learn from Iraq Debacle, Wants Repeat

By Brigitte L. Nacos

It is difficult enough to listen to John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and others in the camp of perennial foreign policy hawks who have not seen a violent conflict or a perceived major threat abroad without demanding American military aid or military deployment. This was the case in the Libyan uprising against Gaddafi, the Syrian civil war, the conflict in the Ukraine, Iraq, again. And, of course, Iran!

It is more difficult to watch former Vice President Dick Cheney making the same case. He wants more of our military in Iraq, left more forces in Afghanistan, and, strangely, told ABC’s John Karl he “would definitely be helping the resistance up in Syria, in ISIS' backyard, with training and weapons and so forth, in order to be able to do a more effective job on that end of the party.”  Karl did not call him on that. ISIS is by far strongest force of the Syrian resistance against the Assad regime. How, then, would Cheney support the Syrian National Coalition and prevail?  

While out of the country I missed some of Cheney’s frequent media appearances. He has his lines remembered, repeats them at every stop. Especially when ask about the Iraq invasion. “I believed in it then. I look back on it now - it was absolutely the right thing to do.” That’s what he said the other day during a friendly “Playbook Lunch” hosted by Politico’s Mike Allen. That’s what he said when interviewed on ABC’s “This Week.” That’s what he had repeated elsewhere according to transcripts and reports I read today.

 “At this stage, you know I’m not spending a lot of time looking back 12 or 14 years at what was or wasn’t done then,” Cheney told the Daily Caller, “I’m concerned about the future. And about the threats were going to face and do face as a nation at this very moment.”

Sure, instead of pondering his starring role in past blunders, he rather criticizes President Obama for his measured foreign policy decisions, especially, as they relate to the Middle East and South Asia.

In the interview with Karl he said, “I don't intend any disrespect for the president, but I fundamentally disagree with him. I think he's dead wrong in terms of the course he's taken this nation and I think we're in for big trouble in the years ahead because of his refusal to recognize reality and because of his continual emphasis upon getting the U.S. basically to withdraw from that part of the world.”

Interestingly, just as Cheney has fundamental disagreements with the president, he has the same problem with fellow-Republican Rand Paul who actually agrees with Barack Obama on these foreign and security issues.