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MH17
INVESTIGATORS:
Possible missile parts found
AUTHORITIES investigating last year’s downing of The Boeing 777 was heading from Amsterdam to sanctions against Russia last year to punish it for
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine are Malaysia when it was shot down on July 17, 2014, this and its annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of
examining what could be surface-to-air missile parts over Ukrainian territory controlled by pro-Russian Crimea.
that were found in the area, a Dutch-led prosecution separatists. All 298 people on board were killed. Last month, the JIT’s lead prosecutor, Fred
team said Tuesday. Disputes over who is responsible for the disaster Westerbeke of the Netherlands, said that evidence
The parts possibly come from a Russian-made Buk have helped to sour relations between Moscow and gathered so far indicated the plane was hit by a Buk
surface-to-air-missile system -- the type of system the West. Several Western nations and the Ukrainian missile fired from eastern Ukraine.
that the case’s lead prosecutor already has said is government have accused pro-Russian separatists Westerbeke did not comment on who might have
suspected to have downed the plane. operating in the region of shooting down the plane fired the missile or elaborate on the evidence.
But the prosecutors warned that no conclusion could with a missile. The Dutch transportation safety board, conducting a
yet be drawn that the discovered parts have a causal Rebel leaders and the Russian government have separate investigation, went further in a draft report,
connection to the MH17 crash. repeatedly disputed those allegations, and have which said that evidence indicated that pro-Russian
“The parts are of particular interest to the criminal suggested instead that Ukrainian forces shot the rebels shot down MH17 with a Russian-made Buk
investigation as they can possibly provide more plane down with either a surface-to-air missile or one missile, a source who saw the document said last
information about who was involved in the crash of their own fighter jets. month.
of MH17,” reads a statement released by the Joint Even before the MH17 disaster, Western nations The criminal probe is expected to produce a report by
Investigation Team, the international group of accused Russia of supplying the rebels in Ukraine. the end of the year, while the safety board’s report is
prosecutors leading the criminal investigation. The United States and the European Union imposed due in October.
16 INTERNATIONAL Wednesday, August 12 2015 - ARUBA TRAVELLER
