Moscow Says US Knows Who Killed Russian Pilot

Sputnik News reports Russia’s Defense Ministry says its “Su-24 pilot died because of an attack from the ground when he was landing,” adding that “during a rescue operation, (a) Russian marine was also killed.”

Foreign Affairs Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said “Moscow has all grounds to suggest that the US has obtained the exact data (about individuals on the ground involved in) firing…on the Russian pilot.”

A US Defense Ministry spokesman lied, claiming “(w)e don’t have anything on this issue.” Putin remains justifiably livid about what happened, compounded by Erdogan’s refusal to apologize. Fascist despots never say they’re sorry.

On Friday, Russian Security Council members “discussed the increased tensions around Syria amid the aggressive and unpredictable actions of the Republic of Turkey,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained.

Erdogan’s recklessness was the first time a NATO country downed a Russian aircraft since November 18, 1952 – during the Korean War, near the end of the Stalin era, months before his March 5, 1953 death.

Putin so far refuses to accept his counterpart’s phone calls. His punitive response with likely more measures to come shows his justifiable anger against what he calls an “accomplice of terrorists.”

“I cannot qualify what happened today in any other way,” he stressed. He’s delivering on his promised “significant consequences” in relations between both countries – allies, now adversaries overnight.

Expect little or nothing smoothing things over any time soon. Both leaders have polar opposite agendas – Putin committed against the scourge of terrorism, Erdogan supporting it complicit with Washington, Israel and other rogue partners.

Erdogan compounded his crime by lying about it, including outrageously claiming a clear premeditated act was unintentional.

Sergey Lavrov blasted him, saying he “crossed the line of what’s acceptable and risks putting Turkey in a difficult situation, both from the perspective of long-term national interests and from the perspective of its position in the region.”

Downing Russia’s aircraft was “a preplanned provocation,” he stressed – complicit with Washington, the likely orchestrator of what happened, Erdogan a convenient hitman.

Obama deplorably said Turkey “has a right to defend its territory and its airspace” – ignoring his likely involvement in a deliberate act of war against Russia.

Putin demands an apology for a criminal act not forthcoming. Rogue states never say they’re sorry. Erdogan threatened a repeat incident. His relationship with Russia will never be the same again.

So far it’s a war of words along with Russian sanctions, newly protected Syrian airspace with the world’s most sophisticated S-400 air defense system, and Putin’s vow to target any threat to Russian air or ground forces. He says nothing he doesn’t mean.

Anything related to Turkey is now anathema for many, perhaps most, Russians. Ulyanovsk city residents tore down a Turkish flag, replacing it with a Russian Airborne Troops one. Heightened tensions aren’t likely to ease any time soon.

Putin has no intention of going to war over what happened. Does Washington intend a greater provocation to push him to change his mind? Are things on a slippery slope toward WW III?

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at [email protected]. His new book is titled “How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War”. www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html Visit his blog site at www.sjlendman.blogspot.com.