Justin Trudeau Says Canada Believes Iran Shot Down Ukraine Flight 752
Credit to Author: Mack Lamoureux| Date: Thu, 09 Jan 2020 19:59:21 +0000
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Canadian intelligence indicates an Iranian missile was responsible for shooting down an Ukrainian passenger plane, killing 176 people, including 63 Canadians.
At a press conference in Ottawa on Thursday Trudeau said that multiple sources point towards Iran being to blame for the crash of Ukrainian Flight 752.
“We have intelligence from multiple sources that indicate the plane was shot down from an Iranian surface-to-air missile,” Trudeau said. “It may have very well been inadvertent.”
“This new information reinforces the need for a thorough investigation into the matter.”
The plane went down only hours after Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes against the U.S. for the killing of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. Following the crash Iran refused to hand over recovered black box to Boeing, the American company who made the plane.
The New York Times has verified a video which appears to show a plane being hit with a missile. The video shows an initial explosion happening but the plane remaining intact before turning around and heading towards the airport. Before it can land however, a larger explosion is seen and the plane crashes. Reuters is reporting that the U.S. satellites detected the launches and the missiles were most likely Russian-made.
Witnesses say the plane went down only after two minutes after takeoff.
Both Canada and Ukraine have dispatched experts to the area—the Ukrainian experts include those who worked on the 2014 case of a Malaysian airliner shot down by pro-Russian forces in their territory. Trudeau also said that he has spoken with the Mark Rutte, the prime minister of the Netherlands, whose country led the investigation into the MH17.
“[Rutte] talked a lot about how important it is to keep families apprised of information, even in the preliminary stages,” said Trudeau. “He also talked about the need for direct and real relationships with all elements involved in the crash.”
Trudeau said Iran would work with Canada to investigate the crash.
“In this situation it is clear that we are coming together in the wake of a terrible tragedy that has befallen Canadians as well as many Iranian citizens as well,” said Trudeau. “We can’t forget that the majority of victims on that airline were Iranian citizens. This is something that binds us together in our grief.”
When asked if the United States deserves any blame for this tragedy Trudeau responded by saying it was “too soon to be drawing conclusions and assigning blame or responsibility.”
The press conference comes after several media outlets have published reports that multiple Western intelligence sources believed the plane was shot down by Iran. This includes the timing of radar and reports of missiles being fired at the approximate time the plane went down. The dead included 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, four Afghans, three Britons, and three Germans.The youngest victim was born in 2016 and the oldest in 1950.
Trudeau said Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne spoke with his Iranian counterparts who said they will work with Canadians to investigate the crash. Canadian officials have also been in close contact with counterparts from Ukraine as the two nations move forward in investigating the crash.
Earlier in the day, U.S. President Donald Trump made a veiled comment referring to the possibility of an Iranian missile strike being responsible.
"Well, I have my suspicions … It’s a tragic thing,” he said in a news conference. “Somebody could’ve made a mistake, on the other side. It was flying in a pretty rough neighborhood, and somebody could’ve made a mistake.”
At the press conference, Trudeau offered his condolences to the families of the victims and called the crash a “tragedy that shocked not only us but the entire world.” Trudeau said the government will not rest until they get answers for what happened.
“In light of this new information it is now more important than ever that we know exactly how such a tragedy could have happened. The family of the victims and all Canadians want answers. I want answers. “
Follow Mack Lamoureux on Twitter.