The propaganda campaign by the NATO war alliance against Russia has several components. The newest elements are the surreal allegations being made by the Obama regime, suffering a fit of apoplexy over the victory of Donald Trump in the American elections, that Russia interfered in the elections, that President-elect Trump is a Russian agent, and that Russia is conducting a war against American “democracy.” The other components are that Russia invaded Ukraine and Crimea, massacres civilians in Syria, threatens hybrid war operations in the Baltic, threatens the German elections, threatens European “democracy” in general and is about to invade Europe. Each component is as egregious and absurd as the rest but one of the most vicious of these absurdities is the campaign directed against Russia concerning the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over east Ukraine on 17 July, 2014.

The Americans were quick to blame the Donbass republic forces and Russia for the downing of the airliner, claiming, without any evidence, that the plane was shot down by a Buk anti-aircraft missile launcher from an area controlled by Donbass forces. Ignored was the fact that the Donbass had no such air defence system operational in that area and neither did Russia but the Kiev forces did. Also ignored was the eyewitness evidence of civilians on the ground who observed at least one Kiev Sukhoi 25 fighter jet ascend and approach the civilian airliner and that, immediately afterwards, the plane crashed. There were reports as well that a Spanish air traffic controller in Kiev, known as Carlos, sent out messages on Twitter contemporaneous with the shoot down, using the Twitter address @Spainbuca, that he observed this on his radar and overheard the pilot’s conversations with Kiev air traffic control confirming that the Ukraine jet shot down the plane. There are later reports that a Ukrainian pilot admitted he flew the plane that shot it down. Both these men have since disappeared from view. Remarkably, the investigating body has never followed up these important facts.

They have never followed up the data provided by the Russian government as well as other technical information establishing that neither Donbass nor Russian forces were involved either deliberately or accidentally. Since the plane was downed in the Donbass territory of Donetsk, it would seem logical that the Donetsk Republic would have charge of the investigation and The Convention On International Civil Aviation states that the country in which the incident occurs is responsible for the investigation. But the Donetsk Republic was denied that role by the Kiev regime which claimed it took place in Ukraine territory and so assumed the role of investigator and then, under NATO, and especially American pressure, delegated the investigation to NATO, in the guise of the Dutch Safety Board, on the justification that the majority of the passengers were Dutch.

Since then, what should have been an open, international and objective investigation has descended into a burlesque of deception, fraud, and cover up of mass murder by the NATO powers. For whoever brought down that plane is guilty of mass murder. Since there is persuasive and compelling evidence that it was the forces of the Kiev regime that brought it down, and since they had to have done it either with the real time connivance or later assistance of the United States and its allies, then the governments of all those countries are guilty of a crime against humanity, a war crime. The motive for this crime is unclear. It is thought by some that the Kiev regime hoped to assassinate President Putin who, it was reported, was flying through the area on a similar plane, though the Russians have not confirmed this. The only other explanation is that the Kiev regime murdered all those people in order to discredit the Russian government. Both motives would be to the benefit of NATO in its on going aggression against Russia. As to possible Russian or Donbass motives, I can think of none.

The Dutch Safety Board, who took on the role as investigative authority, issued its report on October 13, 2015. It is clear to anyone who reads that report that the data and the investigatory methods are selective and selected to arrive at a desired conclusion. All the evidence pointing to the responsibility of the Kiev regime and its allies has been omitted from consideration, including reports of Kiev jets in the area and the Russian air traffic control data. There was no mention made of the round holes in the fuselage that match the 30mm cannon shells used by the Kiev Sukhoi 25’s that were seen approaching the plane, which were noted by an observer of the OSCE, the Organisation For Security and Cooperation, Michael Bociurkiw. Any reasonable person has to conclude that the Dutch safety Board report is a sham document designed to cover up the role of Kiev and NATO and to cast suspicion on Russia.

That this is what is going on was further confirmed on January 9th 2017, when it was reported that two Dutch journalists returning from the Donbass were detained at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam and had all their equipment, cameras, cell phones, and all data and notes on the MH17 downing seized by the Dutch police. This data included street interviews. An attempt by the Dutch Journalists Union, a day later, to get back their possessions was refused by a Dutch court. Though the court did order the data and equipment be placed under seal so the police cannot look at it, the Dutch police already had it in their possession for many hours before that order took effect. The order also effectively prevents the journalists from sharing it with the public. But since the police had time to copy everything on the journalists’ hard drives, disks, phones and cameras, they have complete access. We have none.

It is reported that the two journalists, Michael Spekkers and Stefan Beck, spent nine days in Donbass with British videographer, Graham Phillips. They returned to The Netherlands January 7 when their detention and seizure of their property took place. The two reported that, in contradiction to the Dutch Safety Board’s statements, they found it safe to conduct their investigations in The Donbass and there is no excuse for the Dutch not go there and investigate properly.

The journalists are rightly angered by this attack on journalists’ freedom, and the right of the public to know the facts. It is a blatant attempt by the Dutch government to suppress the evidence these journalists gathered. It is only reasonable to conclude that the NATO authorities are worried in case these journalists found evidence confirming NATO culpability for the incident. After all, the journalists had written an article about it and announced that they were willing to share the information with the Dutch government. But apparently there is a fear in NATO that they might share too much with too many and so pounced on them and robbed them and us of the information they had before they could. The Dutch government has yet to offer a legal justification for this seizure.

This latest incident in the MH17 saga is relevant to the recent American elections. Donald Trump is being accused of outright treason by the Obama regime and the major US media; he is accused with a vehemence and intensity that surpasses that which poisoned the atmosphere surrounding President Kennedy just before he was assassinated and surpassing that which threatened a coup against Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1930’s when his New Deal programs caused open talk of military coups against him.

During the American elections Trump caused more consternation in Washington and New York wen he stated that he doubted the media version of events concerning MH17 and stated that their should be an independent investigation. Now that Trump has been elected, a group, including this writer, led by the German journalist Billy Six, has written an open letter to President-Elect trump calling on him to honour his statements. The letter, dated November 25, 2016 states as follows:

“Dear Mr. Trump,

Your election has raised hopes that easing of tensions, between U.S. and Russia, and peacemaking in Europe in general is achievable. Settlement of the ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine and lifting the sanctions against Russia, which is vital for the world community, has a realistic chance now. With this in mind, there is also hope for a higher quality investigation into the disputed downing of MH17, as you expressed your doubts in an October 2015 interview, regarding the proof of Russian guilt:

‘They say it wasn’t them. It may have been their weapon, but they didn’t use it, they didn’t fire it, they even said the other side fired it to blame them. I mean to be honest with you, you’ll probably never know for sure.’ (MSNBC)

Indeed, we agree with you, we will never be sure, with the kind of investigation we have seen over the past two years. The official investigation of the “Dutch Safety Board“ (DSB) and the “Joint Investigation Team“(JIT) was neither independent nor convincing. This kind of investigation forms a huge burden particularly to the families who lost their loved ones in the downing of MH17. They need to know the truth.

WE ARE ASKING YOU, TO PLEASE PUSH FOR A NEW INVESTIGATION. This could happen within an international framework like the U.N. comprising the following aspects:

A team of international, independent scientists who would be able to exclude veto power for any government. This exclusion of veto is especially important, due to the overwhelming role of one of the involved parties, Ukraine. The main source of information to the DSB and JIT used for their official investigations was SBU, the Ukrainian secret service. Keeping all scenarios on the table. Declassifying and releasing “available satellite images” claimed by Secretary of State, John Kerry, on 20th of July 2014; or (if not) disclaiming their existence. Conducting forensic examination of impact holes (for metal residues) in the MH17 wreckage and reproducing the same pattern of damage by shelling tests (as usually done in crime cases). Completing key information fields, such as body forensics, voice recorder, radar data etc. Prior construction of, a clear path to an international, objective trial in the U.N. framework with judges from countries which are not connected with the crash.

FURTHERMORE, WE ARE ASKING YOU TO PLEASE INITIATE PEACE TALKS WITH ALL PARTIES CONCERNED (including but not limited to Russia, Ukraine, and the EU) aiming at settling the dispute and establishing a reconstruction plan for Eastern Ukraine including the compensation of the MH17 families.

Thank you so much, in advance, for your attention to this matter.

Independent journalists & experts on MH17.”

Signed by,

MARK BARTALMAI, journalist & Ukraine documentaries producer, GERMANY

DR. THIERRY BAUDET, journalist, publicist & initiator of Dutch referendum on EU/Ukraine association agreement, NETHERLANDS

BERND BIEDERMANN, missile defense colonel ret., military attaché ret. & book author, GERMANY

CHRISTOPHER BLACK, international criminal lawyer, CANADA

NORBERT FLEISCHER, investigative journalist, GERMANY

PROF. DR. ELMAR GIEMULLA, lawyer of German MH17 victims, GERMANY

DR. HERMANN HAGENA, airforce general ret. & author of MH17 military study, GERMANY

PROF. DSC. OTTO-FRIEDRICH HAGENA, physicist, GERMANY

PETER HAISENKO, journalist, publisher & former “Lufthansa” pilot, GERMANY

JOHN HELMER, longest-serving foreign correspondent in Russia, UNITED STATES

FRANK HÖFER, journalist & film producer, GERMANY

DIETER KLEEMANN, airforce colonel / trainer ret. & book author, GERMANY

PATRICK LANCASTER, investigative journalist with 100s of hours on MH17 site from day one & U.S. Navy veteran, UNITED STATES

DR. JAMES O´NEILL, barrister on human rights & geopolitical analyst, AUSTRALIA

JOOST NIEMÖLLER, journalist & MH17 book author, NETHERLANDS

GRAHAM PHILLIPS, investigative journalist, UNITED KINGDOM

PROF. DR. KEES VAN DER PIJL, political scientist, peace activist & author, NETHERLANDS

HECTOR REBAN, political analyst & blogger on MH17, NETHERLANDS

NORBERT K. REISBERG, Lt.-Col. ret., airforce pilot ret. & military scientist, GERMANY

DAN SHEPPARD, private MH17 researcher, AUSTRALIA

JOACHIM SIEGERIST, journalist, publisher & author, GERMANY

BILLY SIX, investigative journalist & book author, GERMANY

MAX VAN DER WERFF, blogger & private MH17 investigator, NETHERLANDS

PROF. KAREL VAN WOLFEREN, journalist, political analyst & book author, NETHERLANDS

MOHD AZAHAR ZANUDIN, technician, supplier for army/police & blogger on MH17, MALAYSIA

To this date we have no reply from Mr. Trump but he should seriously think about a reply because this will be another litmus test for Mr. Trump and those hoping against hope that his regime will adopt a friendlier approach to Russia; that is, whether he is serious about resetting relations with Russia or, instead, his statements to that effect are just more of his opportunistic rhetoric. Assuming he is allowed to take office, of course. And what world is it in which we all wonder whether an elected US president will be allowed to take office by the opposing party? We can only watch in fearful fascination as the struggle for power within the United States develops. For if Trump is serious then one of the first things he can do is to act on his word and call for an international investigation into MH17. Just that one step would go a long way to showing his good faith towards Russia. But will that one step be just one step too far?

Christopher Black is an international criminal lawyer based in Toronto. He is known for a number of high-profile war crimes cases and recently published his novel “Beneath the Clouds. He writes essays on international law, politics and world events, especially for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook.”