'Disastrous mistake': Iran acknowledges shooting down Ukrainian airliner

[rooster59]

'Disastrous mistake': Iran acknowledges shooting down Ukrainian airliner

By Babak Dehghanpisheh and Alexander Cornwell

 

FILE PHOTO: Red Crescent workers check the debris from the Ukraine International Airlines plane, that crashed after take-off from Iran's Imam Khomeini airport, on the outskirts of Tehran, Iran January 8, 2020. Nazanin Tabatabaee/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/File Photo

 

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran said on Saturday its military had shot down a Ukrainian plane killing all 176 aboard in a "disastrous mistake", saying air defences were fired in error while on alert after Iranian missile strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq.

 

Iran had denied for days after Wednesday's crash that it had brought down the airliner, although a top Revolutionary Guards commander said on Saturday that he told authorities about the unintentional missile strike the day it happened.

 

Even as top Iranian officials and the military issued apologies, protests against authorities spread across Iran including in the capital Tehran, Shiraz, Esfahan, Hamedan and Orumiyeh. Foreign governments condemned Iran's shootdown, with Ukraine demanding compensation. Canada, Ukraine and Britain, however, called Tehran's admission an important first step.

 

"What Iran has admitted to is very serious. Shooting down a civilian aircraft is horrific. Iran must take full responsibility," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose country had 57 citizens on board, told reporters at a news conference in Ottawa. "Canada will not rest until we get the accountability, justice, and closure that the families deserve."

 

Trudeau said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani committed to collaborating with Canadian investigators, working to de-escalate tensions in the region and continuing a dialogue.

 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Iran's acknowledgement was a step in the right direction but added, "The perpetrators must be held accountable."

 

Writing on Twitter, Zelenskiy said Rouhani had apologised to him on behalf of his country. Zelenskiy demanded that the victims be identified and returned to Ukraine at once.

 

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, until now silent about the crash, said information about the incident should be made public.

 

Up to 1,000 protesters chanted slogans in Tehran against the authorities, the semi-official Fars news agency said in a rare report on anti-government unrest.

 

Demonstrators ripped up pictures of Qassem Soleimani, a prominent Iranian military commander who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq on Jan. 3. Iranian missile strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq on Wednesday in retaliation for the killing led to Iran being on a state of high alert for possible reprisals in the hours when the plane was downed.

 

A British envoy to Tehran was arrested for several hours in front of Amir Kabir University for inciting anti-government protesters, the Tehran-based Tasnim news agency said.

 

On Twitter, videos showed protesters demanding that Khamenei step down because of the disaster.

 

"Commander-in-chief resign, resign," hundreds chanted in front of Tehran's Amir Kabir university. Reuters could not verify the footage.

 

The crash heightened international pressure on Iran after months of friction with the United States and tit-for-tat attacks. Canada and the United States had both said early on that they believed an Iranian missile brought down the aircraft, probably in error.

 

"The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake," Rouhani wrote on Twitter, promising that those responsible would be prosecuted. "My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families."

 

U.S. REACTION

 

In the first official U.S. statement after Iran's admission, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo posted on Twitter a video of the protests in Tehran with the caption, "The voice of the Iranian people is clear. They are fed up with the regime's lies, corruption, ineptitude and brutality" of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a branch of the Iranian military, under what he called Khamenei's "kleptocracy."

 

Experts said mounting international scrutiny would have made it all but impossible to hide signs of a missile strike in any investigation and Iran may have felt a U-turn was better than battling rising criticism abroad and growing grief and anger at home, as many victims were Iranians with dual nationality.

 

In Twitter messages, angry Iranians asked why the plane was allowed to take off with tensions in Iran so high.

 

The plane, a Boeing 737-800 <BA.N> en route for Kiev, came down shortly after take-off from Tehran, when Iran was alert for U.S. reprisals after launching rockets at U.S. troops in Iraqi bases.

 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Iran's admission was "an important first step" and that it was "vital that all leaders now pursue a diplomatic way forward" to avoid conflict.

 

Iran's Revolutionary Guards, in a rare step, apologised to the nation and accepted full responsibility. Senior Guards commander Amirali Hajizadeh said he had informed Iran's authorities on Wednesday about the unintentional strike, a comment that raised questions about why officials had publicly denied it for so long.

 

Speaking on state television, Hajizadeh said he wished "I could die" when he heard about the incident.

 

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter that "human error at time of crisis caused by U.S. adventurism led to disaster", citing an initial armed forces investigation into the crash.

 

A military statement said the plane flew close to a sensitive Revolutionary Guards site at a time of high alert. Ukraine said the plane was in a normal flight corridor and Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation said the airliner had not veered off its normal course.

 

Ukraine International Airlines said Iran should have closed the airport. The carrier said it had received no indication it faced a threat and was cleared for take off.

 

Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk said his country will pay 200,000 hryvnia ($8,350) each to the families of those who died in the disaster. Honcharuk also said Ukrainian diplomats were working on how to receive compensation from the Iranian authorities.

 

European airlines should avoid Iranian airspace until further notice, the EU Aviation Safety Agency said, expanding on earlier advice that airlines should not overfly Iran below 25,000 feet (7.6 km).

 

The disaster was reminiscent of a 1988 incident in which the American guided-missile cruiser USS Vincennes shot down an Iranian airliner, killing 290 people. Washington said it was an accident. Tehran said it was intentional.

 

Iran's admission stands in contrast to Russia's denials of responsibility in the 2014 shootdown of a Malaysian airliner over eastern Ukrainian territory held by Russia-backed separatists. All 298 people aboard died. A Dutch-led investigation concluded that the missile that hit the aircraft came from a launcher transported from a Russian military base just across the border.

 

(Reporting by Babak Dehghanpisheh, Parisa Hafezi and Alexander Cornwell in Dubai, Steve Holland and Jonathan Landay in Washington, Allison Lampert in Montreal, and Natalia Zinets in Kiev; Writing by Edmund Blair, Giles Elgood and Will Dunham; Editing by Frances Kerry and Daniel Wallis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-01-12

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[4MyEgo]

The big question is, was it a "mistake" because they admitted to it or was it retaliatory, we will never know, I reckon Trump knows and doesn't care either way. 

Edited January 12, 2020 by 4MyEgo

[simple1]

After the acknowledgement by the Iranian government there have protests in the streets of Iran demanding the arrest of those responsible for the missile launch - very brave!

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/protests-erupt-iran-over-plane-s-downing-killed-176-n1114081

 

 

Edited January 12, 2020 by simple1

[Dumbastheycome]

Certainly disastrous and  grossly tragic.

Sadly those individuals ultimately found guilty of making this "mistake" will pay the penalty of execution.

Unfortunately that will never eliminate the other mistakes involved in the debacle of this ongoing conflict.

[RichardColeman]

Iranian Islamic extremist soldier 1 "But they're Canadian, Not Americans".

Iranian Islamic extremist soldier 2. ""Near enough!"

[tomauasia]

Bad country and very dumb people in control 

[rabas]

A disastrous mistake from the regime's point of view because it may bring them down. 

 

If they start killing these protesters, I believe it will be curtains for them.

 

Edited January 12, 2020 by rabas

[whimsicalmike]

 

"Speaking on state television, Hajizadeh said he wished "I could die" when he heard about the incident."

 

just give your coordinates to the yanks and they may grant your wish. ????

[thaibeachlovers]

According to Al Jazira the missile crew mistook the plane for a cruise missile.

The plane was TAKING OFF,  it took off from a CIVILIAN AIRPORT, it was on the flight plan at the correct time. The missile crew must either be the most incompetent crew in the world, or something is very wrong in the Iranian military.

[BestB]

For years Iran has been beatings its chest how superior they are and how ready they are to defend themselves against anyone .

 

i realise wrong topic but just goes to show how inferior they really are. Luckily was only 1 plane not all in their airspace.

 

Mind you they shot it down while firing a barrage of rockets not receiving a barrage of rockets .

 

yes. Good thing they admitted though unsure what other options they had. 

[chilli42]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

According to Al Jazira the missile crew mistook the plane for a cruise missile.

The plane was TAKING OFF,  it took off from a CIVILIAN AIRPORT, it was on the flight plan at the correct time. The missile crew must either be the most incompetent crew in the world, or something is very wrong in the Iranian military.

Well let’s not forget the US Navy cruiser that shot down the KLM flight killing 290 people.  The bombing attack by the USA on the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. Plenty of incompetence to go around. 

[White Christmas13]

5 minutes ago, chilli42 said:

Well let’s not forget the US Navy cruiser that shot down the KLM flight killing 290 people.  The bombing attack by the USA on the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. Plenty of incompetence to go around. 

I don't know about KLM flight but surely this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655

[observer90210]

Very very scary. As there are madmen and trouble makers ruling nations all over the world (and not just in Iran).

[grumpy 4680]

     Whilst Iran is finally talking the truth for once, maybe they would admit Radclife is not a spy and release her. and the others

[ChipButty]

Iran: Where Mass Murderers Rule: The 1988 Massacre of 30,000 Political Prisoners

[PETERTHEEATER]

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Speaking on state television, Hajizadeh said he wished "I could die" when he heard about the incident.

Donald, d'you here this request?

 

[Sujo]

4 hours ago, rabas said:

 

 

If they start killing these protesters, I believe it will be curtains for them.

 

Lucky we had the guy invent venetian blinds otherwise it would be curtains for all of us.

 

Very sad it was shot down. As the US always says, bad things happen in conflicts, then they wash their hands clean of it.

[transam]

Just imagine if Iran had a nuke in their back garden....You lot would have a lot to worry about cos they don't have a clue about stuff, as this incident shows......????

[metisdead]

Some troll posts have been removed. 

[Ireland32]

5 hours ago, chilli42 said:

Well let’s not forget the US Navy cruiser that shot down the KLM flight killing 290 people.  The bombing attack by the USA on the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. Plenty of incompetence to go around. 

Sounds like USA bashing to me, you cannot think of another country that’s made a mistake, Ridiculous this bashing in this forum

[Catoholic]

this is how the Iranian military uses conventional weapons? the very idea of Iran having a nuclear weapon should scare the Muhammad out of everyone in their country that isn't a madman. 

[Stargeezr]

Lets never forget that this Jet was outbound from Tehran.  How incompetent 

do you have to be to not have known that information. Who ever was responsible for the order to fire the missile and the people who actually did the firing, should be

exposed and put to death. I know the Liars, err Leaders of Iran will never face this kind of

justice, but the people on the jet deserve as much justice as they can get.

Geezer

[GroveHillWanderer]

16 hours ago, KhunFred said:

"Retaliating" against a Ukranian airplane is exactly the kind of "revenge" that I expect of Iranians and ANY

Islamic terrorists. If they have the slightest connection of Christianity, they are the enemy.

I would be amazed if this were retaliation - 147 of the 176 people who died had Iranian nationality (many had dual citizenship apparently). 

 

By all accounts it's just a tragic mistake.

[ivor bigun]

5 hours ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

I would be amazed if this were retaliation - 147 of the 176 people who died had Iranian nationality (many had dual citizenship apparently). 

 

By all accounts it's just a tragic mistake.

Or tragic incompetence.

[Rimmer]

A troll post generalizing about Iran has been removed, Also removed an off topic post.

[JCauto]

On 1/12/2020 at 9:55 PM, Ireland32 said:

Sounds like USA bashing to me, you cannot think of another country that’s made a mistake, Ridiculous this bashing in this forum

Well, it's kind of relevant since in both cases a civilian jetliner was shot down by the military in the same region with the loss of all civilians on board. Both no doubt were tragic mistakes, and the sorts of things that happen when you have increased military tensions with civilian aircraft flying around. A similar thing happened in the Ukraine, you may recall.

I guess the difference is that the Iranians admitted that they made the error, clearly feel badly about it and apologized. This still has not happened to my knowledge with the USA shooting down the Iranian civil airliner or Russia shooting down the Malaysian airliner. Interesting about who can acknowledge and accept blame, and who cannot.

[GroveHillWanderer]

On 1/15/2020 at 6:49 AM, JCauto said:

I guess the difference is that the Iranians admitted that they made the error, clearly feel badly about it and apologized. This still has not happened to my knowledge with the USA shooting down the Iranian civil airliner or Russia shooting down the Malaysian airliner. Interesting about who can acknowledge and accept blame, and who cannot.

Another difference - and one that I understand rankles particularly with the Iranians, is that while the Iranians have both acknowledged the error and arrested those believed to be responsible, the US not only did not apologize but also awarded medals to the captain of the USS Vincennes (who had disobeyed a direct order from the flotilla commander to withdraw from the area before the civilian airliner was shot down) and the officer in charge of the ship's weapons control systems, for their actions that day.

Edited January 16, 2020 by GroveHillWanderer