Australia echoes western leaders in alleging Iran accidentally downed Ukraine plane Ben Doherty 1 day ago
Slide 4 of 50: TEHRAN, IRAN - JANUARY 10: (----EDITORIAL USE ONLY MANDATORY CREDIT - "IRAN PRESS / HANDOUT" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS----) Head of Irans of Civil Aviation Organization Ali Abedzadeh holds a press conference on Iran plane crash in Tehran, Iran on January 10, 2020. (Photo by IRAN PRESS / HANDOUT/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
1/50 SLIDES © Iran Press/Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization Ali Abedzadeh holds a press conference on Iran plane crash in Tehran, Iran on Jan. 10.
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Australian prime minister Scott Morrison has backed other western leaders including Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau and Boris Johnson in alleging Iran accidentally shot down a passenger jet in Tehran shortly after a volley of missile fire aimed at US military bases in the region.
Intelligence sources told the Guardian their assessments suggest two surface-to-air missiles had targeted the Boeing 737-800 passenger jet that crashed in Iran on Wednesday morning, killing all 176 people onboard.
Morrison told radio 2GB: “I can confirm that we have had similar intelligence as our partners have.
“This is not a deliberate act as we can determine … it’s a terrible accident.” Related: A visual guide to the Iran plane crash
Morrison said a full and independent inquiry into the incident was needed, and the black boxes from the plane should be made available to investigators outside of Iran.
Morrison’s comments follow those of Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau who said his country “will not rest” until it got justice for the loss of Canadian lives.
Of the 176 people onboard, 79 were Iranian, 63 were Canadian and 11 were Ukrainian (including nine crew members), along with 10 Swedes, seven Afghans, three Britons and three German nationals.
“We have intelligence, including from our allies and own intelligence that the plane was shot down by Iranian surface-to-air missiles,” Trudeau said.
“Canadians want answers. That means transparency, accountability and justice.” Ukraine International Airlines flight 752 aircraft crashed in farmland on the outskirts of Tehran a few hours after Iran had fired more than a dozen missiles at US bases in Iraq. Commanders of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have said that in the hours after the missile strikes, they were on high alert, anticipating an imminent American response.
The Iranian missile strikes were retribution for the US assassination, by reaper drone, of Iran’s most powerful general Qassem Soleimani, in an attack at Baghdad airport last week.
Australia is part of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network – along with the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand – that cooperates on intelligence measures, and so will have seen the same intelligence material its allies have.
The black boxes from the flight have been found and secured by Iranian authorities who say they will not share them with US aviation authorities or with the aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, but will give Ukrainian investigators access to the investigation.
The UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, said there was now a “body of information” that the flight was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile.
“This may well have been unintentional. We are working closely with Canada and our international partners and there now needs to be a full, transparent investigation.”
The US president, Donald Trump, said he had “suspicions” the plane had been accidentally shot down.
“Someone could have made a mistake on the other side,” he said. “Some people say it was mechanical, I personally don’t think that’s even a question. I have a feeling that … something very terrible happened.”
Iran has fiercely rejected the uniform western intelligence assessments.
“Scientifically, it is impossible that a missile hit the Ukrainian plane, and such rumours are illogical,” Ali Abedzadeh, the head of Iran’s of Civil Aviation Organisation told state-run media.
Morrison confirmed earlier this week Australian troops would remain in Iraq. Operation Okra comprises a special operations task group, as well as task group Taji, which works to train Iraqi security forces.
Taji is based at the Taji military base, about 30km north of Baghdad. The base was not targeted this week, despite early reports it had been. The base did close operations during the week.
As Iraq’s security situation has deteriorated dramatically over the past few months, Iraqi interpreters working alongside Australian diggers have raised concerns that they will be targeted by Iranian-backed militias who have publicly threatened Iraqi nationals who support foreign forces.
Interpreters have told the Guardian they fear they will be abandoned if Australian troops are forced to leave Iraq, and say they are being practicably prevented from applying for visas.
Poster Comment:
There is a gizmo called Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) which has been around since the inception of radar during the time of WW II.
Identification friend or foe