JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER
MORE MH17 STORIES
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2014/07/another-boeing-777-mh17-goes-down-day-2.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2014/07/another-boeing-777-mh17-goes-down-this.html
MH370 STORIES
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2014/06/day-95-mh370-777-200er-missing-plane.html
MUSLIM NATIONS (SLAUGHTERED BY NUKES FOR COMING AGAINST ISRAEL)
EZEKIEL 36:4-5
5 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Surely in the fire (NUCLEAR BOMBS) of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea,(ARAB-MUSLIMS) which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.
6 Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury,(OF MY ANGER) because ye have borne the shame of the heathen:
7 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I have lifted up mine hand, Surely the heathen that are (Round) about you,(ARAB-MUSLIMS) they shall bear their shame.(AND BE NUKED)
EZEKIEL 35:9-11
9 I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy (ARABS) cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
10 Because thou (ARABS) hast said, These two nations (ISRAEL & JUDAH) and these two countries (ISRAEL & JUDAH) shall be mine, and we (ARABS) will possess it; whereas the LORD was there:
11 Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will even do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy (GELIOUSY) which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them;(ISRAELIS) and I will make myself known among them, when I have judged thee.(ARABS)
EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:TOBOLSK)
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages;(ISRAEL) I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil,(OIL IS IN SPOIL) and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
EZEKIEL 39:1-8,11-21
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I BELIEVE) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
Too early' to say how Ukraine crash will impact EU foreign policy-Today @ 12:47-JULY 18,14-By EUOBSERVER
An EU diplomat noted Friday it is "too early" to say if the Ukraine air crash, allegedly caused by a Russian-supplied missile, will result in tougher sanctions, e.g. an arms embargo, on Russia. "We are still at the stage of handling the consular aspects of the incident", the source said.
07/18/2014 - VATICAN INSIDER-Ukraine air crash: Pope calls for dialogue to prevent further deaths--The scene of the crash-Francis “raises prayers for the numerous victims of the incident and for their relatives” and “renews his heartfelt appeal to all parties in the conflict”-Iacopo Scaramuzzi
vatican city-Pope Francis “has learned with dismay of the tragedy of the Malaysian Airlines aircraft downed in east Ukraine, a region marked by high tensions. He raises prayers for the numerous victims of the incident and for their relatives, and renews his heartfelt appeal to all parties in the conflict to seek peace and solutions through dialogue, in order to avoid further loss of innocent human lives."The death toll of the disaster is tragic: 298 people have died, 80 of whom are children. Dozens of passengers had been heading for Melbourne to attend the international AIDS conference. There were 154 Dutch passengers on board. The Italian ministry of foreign affairs has confirmed the presence of one passenger with dual citizenship (Italian and Dutch) who was travelling with his son. The ministry added that: “we are checking with other partners to verify whether there were any other Italians on board the aircraft.” Malaysia Airlines stated that there were 283 passengers on board, plus 15 crew members, all of them Malaysians.A part from the Dutch passengers on board the flight, there were also 28 Malaysians, 27 Australians, 12 Indonesians, 9 Brits, 4 Germans, 3 Filipinos and 1 Canadian. There are 41 more passengers whose identity remains unknown.
Nato reacted quickly to Ukraine crisis-Today @ 09:21-JULY 18,14-EUOBSERVER-By Carmen Romero, acting Nato spokesperson
BRUSSELS - In in recent opinion piece, Nato puts brakes on enlargement, the author Matthew Turner's comment that “when Russia annexed Crimea, Nato failed to make itself heard, as heads of state chose either the European Union or their national platforms to express their views,” is simply wrong.Nato reacted quickly to the crisis and the North Atlantic Council and Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen made numerous public statements which were widely covered by international media. Nato held special consultations on the crisis in early March.Nato also moved quickly to bolster the defence of Allies, by deploying extra fighter jets to eastern Europe, ships to the Baltic, Black and Mediterranean seas, and troops on exercises to eastern Europe.At the Wales Summit, Nato will take further decisions to enhance the defence of Allies. These could include for example the pre-positioning of equipment or enhancing the readiness of troops.Mr Turner’s piece also misinterprets Nato’s Open Door policy saying the Alliance is suffering from enlargement fatigue. It is quite the opposite. In June, Nato Foreign Ministers agreed steps to move Georgia closer to Nato and Allies agreed to decided at the latest by the end of 2015 whether to invite Montenegro to join the Alliance. This clearly shows the progress made on this issue.Finally, the argument that Nato membership could be more of a cost than a benefit is unfair. Since the end of the Cold War, 12 countries have joined the Alliance, four are currently aspiring to join. Aspirants seek the same security and stability that Allies have enjoyed for over 60 years. So clearly membership remains an attractive option. The protection offered by Nato’s article 5 has helped member states enjoy the benefits of democratic choice, the rule of law, and substantial economic growth. These efforts have moved Europe closer to being whole, free, and at peace than at any other time in history.
Air disaster puts spotlight on French warship for Russia-Today @ 19:30-JULY 18,14-EUOBSERVER-By Andrew Rettman
BRUSSELS - France risks “international ridicule” if it delivers a warship to Russia despite the Malaysian Airlines disaster, but its intentions remain unchanged in the immediate aftermath.The ship, a “Mistral” assault vessel which forms part of a €1.2 billion contract, is to be sent to Russia in October, with the French navy currently training Russian sailors how to use it at the port of St. Nazaire in Normandy.The US and some EU states had already criticised the deal before the air crash because of the Ukraine crisis. But others, such as Germany, had defended France’s decision to go ahead.The fresh debate comes amid allegations that pro-Russia rebels in Ukraine shot down the Malaysian airliner using a Russian-supplied “Buk” missile by mistake.The US has not mentioned the Mistral since the disaster on Thursday. But German chancellor Angela Merkel hinted at a change of heart on Friday.When asked by press in Berlin whether France should still deliver the warship, she said Germany already in March suspended a contract to build a combat training facility in Russia “given the situation”.Merkel’s Russia arms embargo is not as tough as it sounds because the training facility had already been built.“Over 50 thousand troops already trained there. It was effectively just the formal signature of the act of transferal of the facility to the Russian side which was cancelled”, Igor Sutyagin, a Russia specialist at the Rusi think tank in London, told EUobserver.But the air crash has sharpened anti-Russia and anti-Mistral feeling among France’s EU allies.In an insight into British thinking, Sir Andrew Wood, the UK’s former ambassador to Moscow, said Britain thinks the Russian Buk allegations are true.“What he [Russian leader Vladimir Putin] did was supply weapons to people [the pro-Russia rebels] who are fundamentally irresponsible. This means he has a moral, if not a direct, responsibility for what happened”, Wood said.“It raises the question whether it is safe to send certain types of equipment to Russia and it becomes more difficult to argue that it [the French deal] is just a matter of fulfilling a contract”.A senior EU diplomat speaking off the record was more blunt.He said France risks “international ridicule” if it goes ahead and described the Mistral as “an increasing factor of irritation inside the EU”.“Putin has pursued a policy of dividing the US and the European Union, as well as the EU internally. This incident [the air disaster] is going to make it harder for him to do this”.For his part, French President Francois Hollande did not mention the Mistral in his remarks about the air crash on Friday.A French government source also indicated that France is keen to keep talk of the disaster separate from the arms deal.“The most important priority right now is to shed light on what happened in this catastrophe … We should not turn away from this subject in order to discuss some hypothetical consequences, or to talk about subjects which are not really connected”, the source told EUobserver.
Inside France itself, opinion is divided.
Tatiana Kastoueva-Jean, a Russia analyst at the Paris-based think tank Ifri, said some NGOs have held small protests at St Nazaire.But she added: “The French chambers of commerce have been doing what they can to make sure the contract is respected, saying that France needs to protect ist commercial reputation on the world stage”.She predicted the air crash will see public opinion swing against the deal.But she said the French government is likely to wait until the last minute in October before making its analysis of whether the political cost of the deal outweighs the financial benefits.
“For now, they will probably continue as before” she said.
UN to hold meeting on Ukraine crash, as Europe counts casualties-Today @ 09:22-JULY 18,14-EUOBSERVER-By Andrew Rettman
BRUSSELS - The UK has tabled a UN resolution calling for an international enquiry into the Malaysian Airlines crash, as European countries count their casualties.The British proposal is to be discussed at a special meeting of the UN Security Council in New York later on Friday (18 July).“We believe that there must be a UN-led international investigation of the facts … the United Nations civil aviation organisation is the right body to lead that investigation and we will provide it with all the support we can,” the UK foreign minister, Philip Hammond, said in a statement on Thursday.The White House, the UN secretary general, and the Nato secretary general backed the British call, with White House spokesman Josh Earnest saying: “It is vital that no evidence be tampered with in any way.”The OSCE, a European multilateral body, also held two video-conferences with pro-Russia rebels in an effort to get international personnel to the crash site as quickly as possible.It said the rebels “agreed to securing the site of the crash, to providing safe access to the site for rescue teams, national and international investigators, and SMM [OSCE] monitors, and to co- operating with competent Ukrainian authorities on further practical questions”.One hundred and fifty four Dutch people, nine British citizens, four Germans, and four Belgians were killed in the incident, according to Malaysian Airlines.Forty-three Malaysians, 27 Australians, 12 Indonesians, three Filipinos, and one Canadian also died. Another 41 casualties are still to be identified.The airline noted that its plane had a “clean maintenance record” and did not make a distress call before it crashed.It added that the route -10,000 metres over a conflict in east Ukraine, where rebels recently shot down two Ukrainian military planes - had been “declared safe” by ICAO, the international aviation authority.For his part, Ukrainian President Poroshenko said on Friday morning: “Today, war has gone beyond the territory of Ukraine … external aggression against Ukraine is not only our problem, but also a threat to European and global security. Overcoming it requires joint efforts.”He complained that rebels are trying to “cover things up”, citing reports the pro-Russia fighters are to send the plane’s black boxes to Moscow.Ukraine says it has “evidence” the separatists shot down the airliner using a Russian-supplied Buk surface-to-air missile.On Thursday, its security service, the SBU, posted on YouTube and sent to press excerpts of intercepted phone conversations between pro-Russia rebels and Russian military officers indicating the rebels fired on the plane because they mistook it for a Ukrainian military jet.Leading analysts, such as Mark Galeotti, a US scholar of Russia affairs based in Moscow, have predicted that if Ukraine's claims are borne out, the incident will mark a turning point in the four-month old conflict.He wrote on his blog that international pressure would likely see Russia halt support for the Ukraine insurgents.“I suspect that when the histories are written, this will be deemed the day the insurgency lost. Or, at least, began to lose,” he said.Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Thursday held a minute of silence for the victims before starting a government meeting.But he blamed Ukraine for the crash, saying: “This tragedy would not have occurred if there were peace in that country, or in any case, if hostilities had not resumed in southeast Ukraine. And certainly, the government over whose territory it occurred is responsible for this terrible tragedy”.
MORE MH17 STORIES
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2014/07/another-boeing-777-mh17-goes-down-day-2.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2014/07/another-boeing-777-mh17-goes-down-this.html
MH370 STORIES
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2014/06/day-95-mh370-777-200er-missing-plane.html
MUSLIM NATIONS (SLAUGHTERED BY NUKES FOR COMING AGAINST ISRAEL)
EZEKIEL 36:4-5
5 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Surely in the fire (NUCLEAR BOMBS) of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea,(ARAB-MUSLIMS) which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.
6 Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury,(OF MY ANGER) because ye have borne the shame of the heathen:
7 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I have lifted up mine hand, Surely the heathen that are (Round) about you,(ARAB-MUSLIMS) they shall bear their shame.(AND BE NUKED)
EZEKIEL 35:9-11
9 I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy (ARABS) cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
10 Because thou (ARABS) hast said, These two nations (ISRAEL & JUDAH) and these two countries (ISRAEL & JUDAH) shall be mine, and we (ARABS) will possess it; whereas the LORD was there:
11 Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will even do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy (GELIOUSY) which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them;(ISRAELIS) and I will make myself known among them, when I have judged thee.(ARABS)
EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:TOBOLSK)
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages;(ISRAEL) I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil,(OIL IS IN SPOIL) and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
EZEKIEL 39:1-8,11-21
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I BELIEVE) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
Too early' to say how Ukraine crash will impact EU foreign policy-Today @ 12:47-JULY 18,14-By EUOBSERVER
An EU diplomat noted Friday it is "too early" to say if the Ukraine air crash, allegedly caused by a Russian-supplied missile, will result in tougher sanctions, e.g. an arms embargo, on Russia. "We are still at the stage of handling the consular aspects of the incident", the source said.
07/18/2014 - VATICAN INSIDER-Ukraine air crash: Pope calls for dialogue to prevent further deaths--The scene of the crash-Francis “raises prayers for the numerous victims of the incident and for their relatives” and “renews his heartfelt appeal to all parties in the conflict”-Iacopo Scaramuzzi
vatican city-Pope Francis “has learned with dismay of the tragedy of the Malaysian Airlines aircraft downed in east Ukraine, a region marked by high tensions. He raises prayers for the numerous victims of the incident and for their relatives, and renews his heartfelt appeal to all parties in the conflict to seek peace and solutions through dialogue, in order to avoid further loss of innocent human lives."The death toll of the disaster is tragic: 298 people have died, 80 of whom are children. Dozens of passengers had been heading for Melbourne to attend the international AIDS conference. There were 154 Dutch passengers on board. The Italian ministry of foreign affairs has confirmed the presence of one passenger with dual citizenship (Italian and Dutch) who was travelling with his son. The ministry added that: “we are checking with other partners to verify whether there were any other Italians on board the aircraft.” Malaysia Airlines stated that there were 283 passengers on board, plus 15 crew members, all of them Malaysians.A part from the Dutch passengers on board the flight, there were also 28 Malaysians, 27 Australians, 12 Indonesians, 9 Brits, 4 Germans, 3 Filipinos and 1 Canadian. There are 41 more passengers whose identity remains unknown.
Nato reacted quickly to Ukraine crisis-Today @ 09:21-JULY 18,14-EUOBSERVER-By Carmen Romero, acting Nato spokesperson
BRUSSELS - In in recent opinion piece, Nato puts brakes on enlargement, the author Matthew Turner's comment that “when Russia annexed Crimea, Nato failed to make itself heard, as heads of state chose either the European Union or their national platforms to express their views,” is simply wrong.Nato reacted quickly to the crisis and the North Atlantic Council and Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen made numerous public statements which were widely covered by international media. Nato held special consultations on the crisis in early March.Nato also moved quickly to bolster the defence of Allies, by deploying extra fighter jets to eastern Europe, ships to the Baltic, Black and Mediterranean seas, and troops on exercises to eastern Europe.At the Wales Summit, Nato will take further decisions to enhance the defence of Allies. These could include for example the pre-positioning of equipment or enhancing the readiness of troops.Mr Turner’s piece also misinterprets Nato’s Open Door policy saying the Alliance is suffering from enlargement fatigue. It is quite the opposite. In June, Nato Foreign Ministers agreed steps to move Georgia closer to Nato and Allies agreed to decided at the latest by the end of 2015 whether to invite Montenegro to join the Alliance. This clearly shows the progress made on this issue.Finally, the argument that Nato membership could be more of a cost than a benefit is unfair. Since the end of the Cold War, 12 countries have joined the Alliance, four are currently aspiring to join. Aspirants seek the same security and stability that Allies have enjoyed for over 60 years. So clearly membership remains an attractive option. The protection offered by Nato’s article 5 has helped member states enjoy the benefits of democratic choice, the rule of law, and substantial economic growth. These efforts have moved Europe closer to being whole, free, and at peace than at any other time in history.
Air disaster puts spotlight on French warship for Russia-Today @ 19:30-JULY 18,14-EUOBSERVER-By Andrew Rettman
BRUSSELS - France risks “international ridicule” if it delivers a warship to Russia despite the Malaysian Airlines disaster, but its intentions remain unchanged in the immediate aftermath.The ship, a “Mistral” assault vessel which forms part of a €1.2 billion contract, is to be sent to Russia in October, with the French navy currently training Russian sailors how to use it at the port of St. Nazaire in Normandy.The US and some EU states had already criticised the deal before the air crash because of the Ukraine crisis. But others, such as Germany, had defended France’s decision to go ahead.The fresh debate comes amid allegations that pro-Russia rebels in Ukraine shot down the Malaysian airliner using a Russian-supplied “Buk” missile by mistake.The US has not mentioned the Mistral since the disaster on Thursday. But German chancellor Angela Merkel hinted at a change of heart on Friday.When asked by press in Berlin whether France should still deliver the warship, she said Germany already in March suspended a contract to build a combat training facility in Russia “given the situation”.Merkel’s Russia arms embargo is not as tough as it sounds because the training facility had already been built.“Over 50 thousand troops already trained there. It was effectively just the formal signature of the act of transferal of the facility to the Russian side which was cancelled”, Igor Sutyagin, a Russia specialist at the Rusi think tank in London, told EUobserver.But the air crash has sharpened anti-Russia and anti-Mistral feeling among France’s EU allies.In an insight into British thinking, Sir Andrew Wood, the UK’s former ambassador to Moscow, said Britain thinks the Russian Buk allegations are true.“What he [Russian leader Vladimir Putin] did was supply weapons to people [the pro-Russia rebels] who are fundamentally irresponsible. This means he has a moral, if not a direct, responsibility for what happened”, Wood said.“It raises the question whether it is safe to send certain types of equipment to Russia and it becomes more difficult to argue that it [the French deal] is just a matter of fulfilling a contract”.A senior EU diplomat speaking off the record was more blunt.He said France risks “international ridicule” if it goes ahead and described the Mistral as “an increasing factor of irritation inside the EU”.“Putin has pursued a policy of dividing the US and the European Union, as well as the EU internally. This incident [the air disaster] is going to make it harder for him to do this”.For his part, French President Francois Hollande did not mention the Mistral in his remarks about the air crash on Friday.A French government source also indicated that France is keen to keep talk of the disaster separate from the arms deal.“The most important priority right now is to shed light on what happened in this catastrophe … We should not turn away from this subject in order to discuss some hypothetical consequences, or to talk about subjects which are not really connected”, the source told EUobserver.
Inside France itself, opinion is divided.
Tatiana Kastoueva-Jean, a Russia analyst at the Paris-based think tank Ifri, said some NGOs have held small protests at St Nazaire.But she added: “The French chambers of commerce have been doing what they can to make sure the contract is respected, saying that France needs to protect ist commercial reputation on the world stage”.She predicted the air crash will see public opinion swing against the deal.But she said the French government is likely to wait until the last minute in October before making its analysis of whether the political cost of the deal outweighs the financial benefits.
“For now, they will probably continue as before” she said.
UN to hold meeting on Ukraine crash, as Europe counts casualties-Today @ 09:22-JULY 18,14-EUOBSERVER-By Andrew Rettman
BRUSSELS - The UK has tabled a UN resolution calling for an international enquiry into the Malaysian Airlines crash, as European countries count their casualties.The British proposal is to be discussed at a special meeting of the UN Security Council in New York later on Friday (18 July).“We believe that there must be a UN-led international investigation of the facts … the United Nations civil aviation organisation is the right body to lead that investigation and we will provide it with all the support we can,” the UK foreign minister, Philip Hammond, said in a statement on Thursday.The White House, the UN secretary general, and the Nato secretary general backed the British call, with White House spokesman Josh Earnest saying: “It is vital that no evidence be tampered with in any way.”The OSCE, a European multilateral body, also held two video-conferences with pro-Russia rebels in an effort to get international personnel to the crash site as quickly as possible.It said the rebels “agreed to securing the site of the crash, to providing safe access to the site for rescue teams, national and international investigators, and SMM [OSCE] monitors, and to co- operating with competent Ukrainian authorities on further practical questions”.One hundred and fifty four Dutch people, nine British citizens, four Germans, and four Belgians were killed in the incident, according to Malaysian Airlines.Forty-three Malaysians, 27 Australians, 12 Indonesians, three Filipinos, and one Canadian also died. Another 41 casualties are still to be identified.The airline noted that its plane had a “clean maintenance record” and did not make a distress call before it crashed.It added that the route -10,000 metres over a conflict in east Ukraine, where rebels recently shot down two Ukrainian military planes - had been “declared safe” by ICAO, the international aviation authority.For his part, Ukrainian President Poroshenko said on Friday morning: “Today, war has gone beyond the territory of Ukraine … external aggression against Ukraine is not only our problem, but also a threat to European and global security. Overcoming it requires joint efforts.”He complained that rebels are trying to “cover things up”, citing reports the pro-Russia fighters are to send the plane’s black boxes to Moscow.Ukraine says it has “evidence” the separatists shot down the airliner using a Russian-supplied Buk surface-to-air missile.On Thursday, its security service, the SBU, posted on YouTube and sent to press excerpts of intercepted phone conversations between pro-Russia rebels and Russian military officers indicating the rebels fired on the plane because they mistook it for a Ukrainian military jet.Leading analysts, such as Mark Galeotti, a US scholar of Russia affairs based in Moscow, have predicted that if Ukraine's claims are borne out, the incident will mark a turning point in the four-month old conflict.He wrote on his blog that international pressure would likely see Russia halt support for the Ukraine insurgents.“I suspect that when the histories are written, this will be deemed the day the insurgency lost. Or, at least, began to lose,” he said.Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Thursday held a minute of silence for the victims before starting a government meeting.But he blamed Ukraine for the crash, saying: “This tragedy would not have occurred if there were peace in that country, or in any case, if hostilities had not resumed in southeast Ukraine. And certainly, the government over whose territory it occurred is responsible for this terrible tragedy”.
