Beltway Insider: President Addresses Malaysian Aircraft Accountability; Ukraine Russia; Border Kids

President Obama along with G7 partners and allies have condemned Russia over its involvement in the intentional and catastrophic downing of Malaysian Airline flight MH17 over the eastern Ukraine border resulting in the murder of all 298 on-board.

 

According to Gallup, President Obama's job approval, over the past week dropped one percentage points to 44% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness as President increased one percentage point to 52%. 

President Addresses Malaysian Aircraft Accountability

In the days since Malaysian Airliner MH17 was shot down over the Ukraine, allegedly by a surface-to-air-missile launched by Russian separatists, the world has condemned the egregious action and has demanded Russian President Vladimir Putin held responsible.

The White House has released read outs from the President and Vice President's phone calls to numerous G7 leaders including German Chancellor Merkel, Prime Minister Cameron as well as Australian Prime Minister Abbot and President Petro Poroshenko all of which "discussed the shoot-down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 and agreed that an independent, full, credible, and unimpeded international investigation must begin immediately."

"MH17 has become a geopolitical issue. But we must not forget that it is a human tragedy. Days after the plane went down, the remains of 298 people lie uncovered," Malaysian Air officials said.

Great Britain Prime Minister David Cameron took to Facebook to denounce Putin and the support of Russian rebels funded by the Soviet Union. He stated a three step program echoed by President Obama and a unified G7.

"First," the Prime Minister said, "there must be immediate access to the crash site and the crime scene must be preserved. The remains of the victims must be identified, treated with proper respect and dignity and returned to their families. There must be a ceasefire. And there must be a full investigation into what happened. Russia will have plenty of information about these events which it must make fully available — and straight away.

Second, Russia must immediately halt supplies and training for the rebels. They do not represent the people of Ukraine. Without Russian support they will wither.

Finally, we must establish proper long-term relationships between Ukraine and the European Union; between Ukraine and Russia; and, above all, between Russia and the European Union, NATO and the wider West."

MH17 has been flying in a heavily traffic route deemed safe by Eurocontrol, all evidence at this time indicates the plane flew at proper altitudes, and had never entered into restricted air space.  The doomed airliner did not engage in any aggressive action which could have been remotely interpreted by ground resistors, Russian or Ukraine authorities as an act of war or provocation.

The flight path for MH17 was well traveled by over 400 commercial airlines in the week prior to the tragic conclusion and by 75 flights in the 48 hours preceding the disaster.

"Malaysia is deeply concerned that the crash site has not been properly secured. The integrity of the site has been compromised, and there are indications that vital evidence has not been preserved in place. Interfering with the scene of the crash risks undermining the investigation itself; any actions that prevent us from learning the truth about what happened to MH17 cannot be tolerated. Failure to stop such interference would be a betrayal of the lives that were lost. Malaysia calls for all parties to protect the integrity of the crash site, and to allow the investigation to proceed," Malaysian Airlines officials said.

Russian Accountability

Wanting to continue to subvert, weaken and undermine growth of the new Ukraine as it moves away from the old Soviet guard and fight generational battles over boundary and territorial lines is one issue and provocation of this degree, where a passenger airliner is intentionally shot down for the sole purpose of destabilizing the efforts of the newly freed Ukraine is entirely another.

There comes a time when there must accountability and that is time is now. Russian President Vladimir Putin has allowed his country and the well being of the Russian people to face the full weight of sanctions and possibly even additional sanctions and retaliation from the United Nations as well as the possibility of facing a War Crimes tribunal and facing charges at The Hague.

Putin, who has continued to fuel the separatists through arms, heavy machinery, and name the other has now murdered almost 300 civilians, destroying collectively years of medical research, hope and promise, and has escalated his country isolation from the global community.

Putin is now faced with a double edged sword admitting Russian separatists engage in action that resulted in the catastrophic tragedy or face an inquiry that escalates to his office and the possibility of indictment by multiple global governing bodies.

According to the London Evening Standard, even the Wikipedia page on Malaysian Flight 17 was edited to blame Ukraine.

Widespread reports of an unsecured debris field and blatant, deliberate and premeditated violations of the dead including pillaging the bodies and baggage for valuables.

These reports undermine the need for international jurisdiction and authority in order to preserve the collection and chain of evidence.

"This outrage cannot go unpunished. Once again, Malaysia condemns this brutal act of aggression, and calls for those responsible to be found, and to face the full force of justice without delay," Malaysian Air officials said.

Ukraine Russia Tensions

When Russian troops rolled across the Crimean Peninsula, in February 2014, and without retaliation from the Ukrainian Military, forced succession from a people focused on the upcoming election, it is impossible to imagine this scenario was addressed in Russian War Rooms.

With the premeditated and calculated decision to shoot Malaysian Flight 17 from the Ukraine skies, the Russians have effectively moved the fight for a lasting Ukrainian presence to an international stage.

The sustained violations of Ukrainian territorial sovereignty and build up of fueled and funded Russian troops along the Eastern border have brought the announcement of crippling sanctions to the Russian people.

"Today I have approved a new set of sanctions on some of Russia's largest companies and financial institutions. Along with our allies, with whom I've been coordinating closely the last several days and weeks, I've repeatedly made it clear that Russia must halt the flow of weapons and fighters across the border into Ukraine; that Russia must urge separatists to release their hostages and support a cease-fire; that Russia needs to pursue internationally-mediated talks and agree to meaningful monitors on the border," the President said.

 Unfortunately as the Russian economy is integrated with many global economies the full effect of these sanctions imposed by and adhered to by the G7, the full and devastating effects will take more than six months.

Newly elected Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is clear the Eastern border of the Ukraine belongs to the Ukraine. The menacing build up of troops that provoked repeated pre-election provocations geared toward instilling fear and intimidation in the people to deter them from voting for new leadership, a new Ukraine and a new future, has a small pocket of pre-election resistors have continued to hold the ground inside the Ukraine border, has to go.

Russian President Vladimir had agreed to honor the results of the May 25 election and again did not honor his word. The beleaguered leader has faced expulsion from the annual global summits, faced sanction by the United Nations, and is facing increased sectorial sanctions, which like a ripple effect with grow with wider reach, as he maintains the present course of military action.

As the world now waits for international assistance, the option to have United Nation Peacekeeping forces assist in securing, certainly, the area surrounding the debris field is the only viable option.

This action would set up a scenario similar to the borders of Kosovo at the end of the Serbian War where K4 Peacekeepers, military from the United Nation Peacekeeping force remained in place guarding against hostile and aggressive resistors.

Israeli Gaza Bombings  

An Egyptian purposed cease fire in the Israeli-Hamas fighting that has left 200 hundred Palestinians and one Israeli citizen dead has been readily accepted by Israel and Hamas, is apparently holding on all sides, for the time being.

"We continue to support diplomatic efforts to end the violence between Israel and Hamas.  As I've said repeatedly, Israel has a right to defend itself from rocket attacks that terrorize the Israeli people.  There is no country on Earth that can be expected to live under a daily barrage of rockets.  And I'm proud that the Iron Dome system that Americans helped Israel develop and fund has saved many Israeli lives," said White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest.

The cease fire is delicately in place with Israel moving ahead and agreeing to the terms even while Hamm as and other groups are insistently targeting well populated areas within Israeli borders.

"We'd like to see Hamas accept the terms of the cease-fire agreement that were floated by the Egyptians.  That would be a way for us to quickly deescalate the situation and restore some measure of calm to the area, and allow for a broader discussion into the negotiations about trying to bring some enduring sense of calm to that region of the world," Earnest said.

Border Kids

President Obama has continued to address the issue of immigration as the face has changed to force the United State to soften its hard-line stance of repatriating the illegal's by sending the most vulnerable and innocent to gain a foothold.

Border Kids have become the new face of illegal immigration with the hopes of calling attention to the plight children through the Latin Americas face by sending them, alone, on the arduous journey.

The United States is well aware of the harsh conditions in which children through South American are faced with including poverty, hunger, and illiteracy, abduction, slavery, violence and even death. Sending them alone, with strangers, only increase the chances these children will die before they enter the United States.

President Obama's immigration reform policy is exhaustive and as this phase deals with post-entry and interception at the border his concerns especially as the surge is children the policy is facing editing to adapt to  "this surge of individuals that we've seen from Central America, and to ensure that their basic humanitarian needs are met.  That is a requirement that is in line with the law; it is in line with the values of this country, particularly when we're talking about children," Earnest said.

 

For more information on President Barack Obama: www.whitehouse.gov

Sources: Whitehouse.org, Wikipedia.com, Bureau of Labor Statistics

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