LETTERS

Sheer hypocrisy of president’s outrage

Posted 7/24/14

To the Editor:

President Obama called the downing of the Malaysian jet over the Ukraine an “outrage of unspeakable proportion,” while saber-rattling against the Russians with absolutely no …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in
LETTERS

Sheer hypocrisy of president’s outrage

Posted

To the Editor:

President Obama called the downing of the Malaysian jet over the Ukraine an “outrage of unspeakable proportion,” while saber-rattling against the Russians with absolutely no proof of what happened to the jet.

Some readers may have detected sheer hypocrisy when a president of the U.S. calls the downing of a civilian jet an “outrage of unspeakable proportion,” especially readers who recall the U.S. downing of the Iranian passenger jet with 294, mostly children and women on board, back in 1988. Flight 655 was destroyed by a guided missile launched from the USS Vincennes, which was inside Iranian waters and took the lives of all on board. The world was horrified watching news videos of recovery people plucking dead babies from the ocean. The U.S. cried “mistake” and said they confused the Airbus 300 with a jet fighter, which is akin to confusing an elephant with an ant. The Vincennes was inside Iranian waters and Flight 655 was within Iranian air space when it was destroyed. No U.S. president has ever been willing to apologize for the deaths of 294 civilians, and the captain of the Vincennes was later decorated and given the Legion of Merit award “for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service as commanding officer.”

If it truly was a “mistake” or an “accident,” why would you not apologize? This all adds new meaning to the phrase “outrage of unspeakable proportion.” Of course, no mainstream media outlet linked the 1988 U.S. attack with the destruction of the Malaysian jet. Sometimes the truth is very hard to swallow.

Joseph Clifford

Jamestown

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here