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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!umcp-cs!velu
From: velu@umcp-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.followup,net.politics
Subject: Re: Korean Jet
Message-ID: <2444@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 6-Sep-83 14:32:50 EDT
Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.2444
Posted: Tue Sep  6 14:32:50 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 7-Sep-83 06:04:40 EDT
References: <2765@rochester.UUCP> druny.682, <1875@utah-cs.UUCP>
Organization: Univ. of Maryland, Computer Science Dept.
Lines: 64


Ok. Ok. I think that at this point in this confrontation we should all take 
one step back and review the situation. 

First of all:
	What happened?
		A Korean Air Lines 747 Jumbo Jet, flight 
		007 [what do you expect with a number like 007, right!]
		was downed by a MiG fighter over Soviet airspace using a
		Heat Seaking missle. The plain was downed early in the
		morning Local Time (at the site of the incident it was 
		0430 hours when the plane fell.).

	Why was the plain there?
		The plain was about 250 miles too far inside Soviet
		territory. It flew inside The USSR's airsapce, over area
		which is clearly marked as being off limits to all.
		(on charts - go to your library and look for your self)

		It was inside the USSR's airspace for 2 hours - count them
		- that translates into more than 1000 miles... 

	Why didn't they ASK it to leave?

		They did. But it wouldn't respond. On the Tapes made by the
		Jap's intelligence crew, there is a CLEAR message stating
		"Friend or Foe". The KaL jet DID NOT rspond....


	Ok. So what do I think?
		I think that the Soviets should not be totally blamed -
		They were (at the nearest 3 km)  quite far from the
		747. The MiG pilot could not see the markings...
		Any way - what does 90 ft. (the differrence between the 747
		and the AMERICAN AF - RC135(?) - a 707) mean at 3 km?
		
		The soviets should have forced the plane down, maybe even 
		shot it, BUt NOT with a HEAT SEEKING missle.

		After being in ENEMY airspace for 2 hours, they deserved
		whatevr they got.Hey - why were both of the planes that
		infringed been KaL?

		Why? Why? Why?


			Flame off.

					- Velu

But I think that we should all chastise them 
very strongly. 260 some people are very valuable. No price can repay
their families. 


Remember however - US and Israel get along quite well. This is not as bad
as the Libyan plane getting shot down. At least the Libyan's were not
flying over territory that was explicitly marked off limits. Right now

its US 104 / USSR 270. Those figures should both be zero! Any number larger
is inexcusable.


-- 
Velu Sinha