Will the MH17 Investigation be Compromised?

“Australia and Ukraine are geographically distant but we have grown close in responding to the MH17 atrocity in which 37 Australians were murdered, were murdered by Russian-backed rebels,” Mr Abbott said.

I look at the factors that are potentially going to compromise this  investigation: The Mainstream Media (MSM) journalists have failed to report the facts; no government department wants to discuss the alleged secret non-disclosure agreement; and now closer ties with Ukraine.

 The Australian reported yesterday: Australia is stepping up action against Russia, banning uranium sales and supporting Ukrainian sovereignty by opening an embassy in Kiev, which is fighting Moscow-backed separatists. The interim embassy will assist nine AFP officers who remain in Ukraine to assist with the investigation of MH17, allegedly shot down by Russian-supported rebels. (Good to see “allegedly” in there). 

Obviously, the investigation outcome over MH17 is important? For one it is a murder investigation of 37 Australians, and secondly –  the incident resulted in inflaming conflict with a world power.

So what’s the problem with closer ties with the Ukrainian government? Well there is evidence that points to 30mm bullet holes on the fuselage – most likely from a Ukrainian jet fighter (as seen on Russian radar).  Well – whether it was a false flag or an accidental shoot down is now beside the point, as the public relation swords are drawn and clashing.

I had read and reported earlier about a possible secret non-disclosure agreement signed on the 8th August. The agreement apparently requires consensus between Ukraine, Australia, Netherlands and Belgium for the disclosure of the investigations. This could present a major problem for the transparency of the outcome – IF – if it is found that the Ukrainians played a part in the downing (accidental or otherwise).

DFAT (Dept. of Foreign Affairs and Trade) did not want to answer questions regarding this possible agreement – and then eventually passed my query onto the AFP (Australian Federal Police). The AFP informed me that a robust investigation was underway, but did not want answer my questions directly (re: Was there a secret non-disclosure agreement signed on the 8th August between the four countries, that required consensus before releasing the investigations outcomes?).

I called the Ukrainian Embassy on the 2nd September and spoke briefly to Mr Mykola Dzhydzhora — Chargé d’Affaires a.i.  I asked: Can you confirm that Ukraine, Australia, Netherlands and Belgium signed a non-diclosure agreement over MH17 (mentioning the 8th). He answered: Yes. On requesting more detailed, he said I should be able to find more information on their website. I could find none, so I called back on the 4th. He again confirmed that a ‘memorandum’ had been signed – but best to speak to the Australians. He could very well be confusing this to the memorandum signed (at the end of July) regarding ‘allowing investigators into Ukraine and cooperation towards an investigation’  – a very different proposition.

And why does it matter? It  seems now, that whether there is a “secret deal” on the table or not – the immediate rush to blame the Russians (by Tony Abbott) and the subsequent steps leading to much closer ties with Ukraine will probably compromise the investigation anyway. I describe, further down, the events that put pressure on the Abbott government.  I’m all for closer ties – but it will be a very brave politician to go against the tide now and demand for justice and resolution – IF – if Ukraine had a hand in MH17.

I don’t envy Foreign Minister Julie Bishops position. Through the downing of MH17, she was thrust into a Petrodollar war and a convoluted Kleptocracy grab by some wily operators. So–

First some BACKGROUND:

1. George Soros et al.

Is the move on the Ukraine just another master stroke of KLEPTOCRACY at work?

Well, the man who ““broke the Bank of England” and pocketed $1 billion on the deal in one day (in 1992), has had a long history in Ukraine and Eastern Europe. Once a frontman for the Rothchild’s, he helped fund, for example, the revolutions of 1989 in Poland. So what happened in Poland?  Soros apparently organized a secret meeting between the Communist regime and (then illegal) opposition union organization Solidarnosc. His alleged proposed plan (simplistically): The Communists should let Solidarnosc win government and thus the confidence of the people. Then the state should deliberately drive its own state industries to ruin (by hiking interest rates, withholding state loans and get companies in debt). Then he would facilitate the privatization of state companies. 

Asked by CNN’s Fareed Zakaria (May 14) “Are you doing similar things in Ukraine?”, Soros replies  “Well, I set up a foundation in Ukraine before Ukraine became independent of Russia. And the foundation has been functioning ever since and played an important part in events now”. But, Soros’s www.opensocietyfoundations.org  says (with violins playing) “…a group of unarmed citizens rose up. We are witnessing the birth of a new nation, a new Ukraine—with a limitless future made possible by people willing to sacrifice their lives for their country.”  

Soros assisted ‘them’ in transforming their country into a more “open” and “democratic” society. But as William Engdahl explains: What Soros means by “open,” is a society that allows him and his financial predator friends to loot the resources and buy precious assets at dirt-cheap prices.

More  Monster Reawakens , the American Ukrainian Coup and Soros’s footprint.

But Soros wins every which way: He recently invested hundreds of millions of dollars in a major coal and natural gas producer, CONSOL Energy Inc (NYSE:CNX).  CNX is a stock which has potential to take advantage of Russian Political Crisis. And don’t forget Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, has now been added to the board of Ukraine’s largest private gas producer, Burisma Holdings.

Ukraine is a great prize for any Kleptocrat.

But this is a complex situation for AUSTRALIA:

What makes it difficult for Canberra – regardless of any legal restraint from a ‘deal’ – is that the Abbott government has become strongly aligned to the Ukrainian government since MH17 (and this pushed along by John Kerry). So is this close UKR-OZ friendship going to compromise the murder investigation?

To recap:

19 March 2014 Australian Government announces that it would impose the sanctions regime. Anti-Russian sentiment has been building for some time. 

17 July  MH17 goes down. Russia is quickly blamed.

19 July  Australia is hosting a Trade Ministers meeting in Sydney for The Group of Twenty (G20). Russia must have been a discussion point, but the focus is growth strategies that aim to lift collective GDP. The pressure is on to conform

21 July  Security Council at its 7221st meeting, on Resolution 2166 (2014) re: MH17   The pressure increases for Bishop.

24 July  Media release Bishop travels with the Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans to meet with the Ukraine leadership in Kyiv to discuss the means of implementing the UN Security Council Resolution to secure the crash site of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. Australia’s Special Envoy Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston will provide briefings on Australia’s support operations and Operation Bring Them Home.

News reports of separatist trying to hamper investigation. Probably distorted.

No one requests for control tower tapes.

31 July  Verkhovna Rada ratifies agreements with Australia and the Netherlands on international mission to Ukraine – also an Agreement between Ukraine and Australia on sending personnel to Ukraine in connection with the Malaysia Airlines’ MH17  – which was signed on July 24, 2014 in Kyiv.

1 August   For the first time, the international task force comprising 101 experts get to the MH17 crash site.  (it is reported by Ukraine that) 38 experts from Australia are part of the group that investigate the crash site.

8 August  Non-disclosure agreement signed between Ukraine, Oz, Netherlands and Belgium. This leaks out later and here. NOT CONFIRMED

11 August Bishop flies back with John Kerry

12 August  AUSMIN 2014 Joint Communiqué  Minister Bishop, Minister for Defence Senator David Johnston, Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel met for the annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN). Talks reaffirmed the Alliance’s important contribution to the peace, security, and prosperity – and reaffirmed bilateral defence and security cooperation under the Alliance. Could Julie Bishop be under any more pressure on the geopolitical stage?  

14 August The Australian Government is ready to provide comprehensive assistance to Ukraine in this difficult time for the country – delegation headed by Allan Grant “Angus”  Houston (Commissioner of the PM of Australia on the investigation into circumstances of MH17 crash).  And, 

3 September Australia to  to open Embassy in Kiev.

3 September Australia steps up action against Russia – banning uranium sales.

3 September Australia is also considering short-term support to Ukraine through aid and “nonlethal military assistance”, the Prime Minister told parliament. It would consider a civil and military capacity build-up in Ukraine in the medium term, he said.

Conclusion:

I have to conclude that as DFAT and the AFP were so mum on the ‘secret agreement’, that – yes – some cooperative deal was signed. And that it might compromise the release of information.

But I think the deal has almost become irrelevant. The facts have been buried by the MSM. And the Abbott government keeps talks definitely – that Russia is to blame (before the outcome of the investigation).

John Kerry has probably also provided his ‘guidance’.

But it is the closer ties with the Ukraine – the creation of an embassy, the pledged support and the bans on Russia that have also created a potential problem for an open outcome to the investigation.

I am all for closer ties – but it must be without fear or favour.

So I doubt the Abbott government could do a 180.

The Investigation Outcome:

The AFP tell me ‘the process will take as long as it needs to ensure thorough and robust investigations’ and ‘aiming to deliver preliminary findings in October’. I’m sure the Australian investigators are doing their very best to get to the bottom of this – and would like to get the truth out there.

The investigation will have to address the bullet holes, but will the pressure of politics burden the outcome.

I predicted in an earlier post – that blame will quietly switch from Russia to a Ukrainian jet fighter flown by rogue pilot from another EU country who was on medication. He he got mixed up and thought he was shooting down a Russian (or Putin’s) plane. End of story.