U.S Social Media 'Forensic Evidence' On MH17 Flight Crash Questionable

US relied on social media for ‘forensic evidence’ against Russian backed rebels for the shooting down of the Malaysian Airlines Flight MH 17.

State Department Spokesperson Marie Harf disclosed that “evidence” was a You Tube video showing a conversation between a separatist leader and a Russian military commander where the former accepts responsibility for shooting down the airliner.

In response to a question by AP reporter Matt Lee, Marie Harf disclosed that the evidence is based on ‘communications’ posted on You Tube and social media by the Ukrainian government. The media exchange between Matt Lee and Marie Harf is available on RT’s Youtube channel published on July 22.

There was also a blog post, alleged by Strelkov, the rebel commander making a reference to the hit. However, the post was later found to be a fake, made by unknown “fans” of Strelkov.  In any case, the post makes reference to the shoot down of an Antonov AN-26 military transport plane and not a civilian airliner.

The video of a Buk missile launcher apparently crossing the border after the plane was shot down which was cited by Kiev and Washington as proof that the Buk missile was in the vicinity of Krasnoarmeisk. It has been debunked as the clip was reportedly shot in the Ukrainian town of Krasnoarmeisk controlled by Kiev since May.

The conversation between a separatist leader and a Russian military commander where the rebels accept responsibility for shooting down the airliner is a fabrication, according to audio experts who conducted a forensic analysis, claims Lee. The report also claims that Russia has presented actual radar and satellite evidence to back up its contention that Ukrainian fighter jets, were in the vicinity of the downed MH 17.

Kiev has also failed to release air traffic control recordings, which were seized immediately by Ukrainian security forces, which could offer a crucial insight into what was happening in the skies immediately prior to the aircraft being shot down.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that at the time of the crash, the Ukrainian military had at least 27 Buk missile systems. Kiev has failed to respond to the questions posed by the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian officials were quoted in Ria Novosti.

“I asked Ukraine a whole range of questions, but neither Ukraine nor any other representative from other countries has answered any of them,” Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said on Rossiya-24 television on Thursday.

"Why did Ukrainian security services start working with the records of the conversation between Ukrainian dispatchers and the Boeing crew, as well as with the Ukrainian radars data without international representatives?" he questioned.