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Russian Transport Plane Crash |
By
Stephen Lendman |
| In recent days, Russia suffered multiple tragedies. Ambassador Andrei
Karlov was assassinated in Ankara, a likely strategically timed false flag
incident. Russian Latin America diplomat Petr Polshikov was found dead in his home, shot in the head. It’s unknown if both incidents are related. Perhaps so, and now the tragic Christmas day Tupolev transport plane crash - 84 passengers and eight crew members lost, including the famed Russian Armed Forces Alexandrov Emsemble choir, along with conductor/composer Valery Khalilov. Radar lost contact with the plane shortly after departing from Sochi for Latakia, Syria Khmeimim military base - scheduled to be part of a Christmas performance for Russian personnel on the ground. A Russian Defense Ministry statement said “(h)ull fragments of the Tu-154 plane operated by the Defense Ministry have been found about 1.5 km off the Black Sea coast of Sochi at a depth of 50-70 meters.” Everyone on board is believed dead. Dozens of divers, vessels, drones and helicopters are involved in the search for passengers and crew member bodies. Weather conditions were reported favorable at the time of the crash. Putin “express(ed) (his) most sincere condolences to the families of our citizens who died in the plane crash in the Black Sea this morning.” “The government will do everything to provide support. Tomorrow will be a national day of mourning in Russia.” A thorough Transport Ministry criminal investigation will be conducted to determine precisely what happened. It’s too early to know if it was a tragic accident or foul play. At his yearend press conference, Obama threatened Russia with “serious consequences” for nonexistent US election hacking, suggesting Putin’s direct involvement. Were the assassinations of Karlov and Polshikov, along with Sunday’s Tupolev transport plane crash part of what he had in mind, perhaps with more to come before leaving office? Russian investigators will get to the bottom of who’s responsible for all three incidents. They won’t go unanswered if a foreign power was involved. Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. |