Consolidated Syria Conflict Thread

[LongBlade]

Whatever happened to that guy anyway?

That's the point - nobody cared.

[LongBlade]

Russian Airbus crashes in Sinai, no survivors, Islamic State claims responsibility, Russia denies.

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/31/in-central-sinai-with-224-on-board-egypt-pms-office.html

Too early to tell.

[LongBlade]

Well, may be too early to tell, but a news email from the WaPo indicates both KLM and Lufthansa have cancelled further flights pending further details behind the plane crash.

Not exactly a vote of confidence.

Correction (my error) - they aren't cancelling flights, they're cancelling flyovers over the Sinai.

Two of Europe's largest airlines have decided to avoid flying over the Sinai peninsula while they wait for clarity on what caused a Russian airliner carrying 224 passengers to crash in the area on Saturday.

German carrier Lufthansa and Air France-KLM have decided to avoid the area for safety reasons, spokeswomen for the carriers said on Saturday.

"We took the decision to avoid the area because the situation and the reasons for the crash were not clear," a Lufthansa spokeswoman said. "We will continue to avoid the area until it is clear what caused the crash."

source: https://news.yahoo.com/lufthansa-air-france-avoid-flying-over-sinai-crash-162052645--finance.html

[Bison]

So the whole democratization thing didn't work, eh?  Who would have guessed.

[Staggerwing]

Any guesses as to how long it will be before Russian media agitators start claiming that the Russian plane was shot down by the US in retaliation for a 'misguided' belief Russia was involved in the downing of MH17 over the Ukraine?

[LongBlade]

Any guesses as to how long it will be before Russian media agitators start claiming that the Russian plane was shot down by the US in retaliation for a 'misguided' belief Russia was involved in the downing of MH17 over the Ukraine?

Now we're thinking!

You're 100% correct.

[Gusington]

Either way that's karma messing with the Russians.

[Sir Slash]

Now Obama will ask the Russians if they want build an airbase in the Sinai to bomb Egypt. And can we help.

[LongBlade]

Either way that's karma messing with the Russians.

I dunno. There were a lot of innocent lives aboard that plane.

[Airborne Rifles]

I dunno. There were a lot of innocent lives aboard that plane.

+1

[JasonPratt]

The impression I'm getting is that Russia is just being cautious about whether ISIS really did do it, until further investigation.

What I haven't seen denials about yet per se (though I haven't kept track since yesterday morning), is the IS claiming responsibility.

From a capability perspective, I can understand wanting to be cautious about attributing success or abilities to the IS forces in that region.

From a culpability perspective, it doesn't matter if the Airbus hit a flying saucer or a goose or an angel, or if Egyptian maintenance was too eager to get back to the hooka. If ISIS takes advantage of the situation to claim they did it, then intentionally that's equivalent to doing it.

[LongBlade]

The impression I'm getting is that Russia is just being cautious about whether ISIS really did do it, until further investigation.

What I haven't seen denials about yet per se (though I haven't kept track since yesterday morning), is the IS claiming responsibility.

From a capability perspective, I can understand wanting to be cautious about attributing success or abilities to the IS forces in that region.

From a culpability perspective, it doesn't matter if the Airbus hit a flying saucer or a goose or an angel, or if Egyptian maintenance was too eager to get back to the hooka. If ISIS takes advantage of the situation to claim they did it, then intentionally that's equivalent to doing it.

It seems somewhat telling that LKM and LH are routing *around* the area. May or may not mean anything, but does suggest they know something.

Then again everybody rerouted over Ukraine after the Ruskies Little Green Men shot down that plane. Maybe it's an abundance of caution.

[Gusington]

Of course there were a lot of innocents on this Russian plane...just like there were a lot of innocents on the plane shot down last year. The day shooting down civilian airliners becomes 'normal' is going to be a very bad day. Hopefully that day hasn't already passed.

[LongBlade]

Of course there were a lot of innocents on this Russian plane...just like there were a lot of innocents on the plane shot down last year. The day shooting down civilian airliners becomes 'normal' is going to be a very bad day. Hopefully that day hasn't already passed.

I knew you didn't mean to over look that.

I guess the first article I read had lots of pics of those aboard and none looked like anything other than smiling people. Guess it stuck with me. Didn't mean to call you out.

[Gusington]

I know. Bad precedents being set with actions like this.

That said I am more than a little surprised at how bad the press coverage has been over this incident. I really have to dig around to find mention of it. It's barely a leading headline in the NY Times.