5 Bizarre Conspiracy Theories Of Flight MH17

There are several versions of the phrase: “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.” While the sentiment is not entirely applicable to the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines’ flight MH17 over Ukraine – it seems impossible that there was no malice involved in bringing down a passenger plane carrying close to 300 people who had nothing to do with anyone’s conflict – it’s still worth holding in our thoughts as we try to get to grips with exactly what happened. Was this a cock-up or a conspiracy?

First, the cock-up. Russian-backed Ukrainian separatists gained access to a sophisticated Buk ground-to-air missile system, most likely via Russian channels. They were keen to shoot down Ukrainian planes. Unfortunately, they did not have the equipment or expertise to differentiate between civilian and military aircraft, and the result was the horrific death of MH17’s 298 innocent passengers.

This is still a crime, no doubt. But for some this is not enough. For various reasons, ranging from fear, to vanity, to hatred, people need an overarching theory. There must always be more to matters than meets the eye.

Here are five of the “alternative” explanations for the downing of MH17, in order of diminishing plausibility (not to suggest that any one of them is really plausible – but some are weirder than others).

1. The Ukrainians did it

Straightforward argument: The Ukrainian army should be the best-equipped force in Ukraine. It definitely has Buks, which Russia says it deployed near the separatist militia areas in advance of the attack. It shot down MH17 because…? That’s where this theory falls down. There is no reason why Ukraine, which already has significant sympathy from the international community, would jeopardise its position by senselessly attacking a civilian flight and hoping the blame would stick to Russia. But this is what the Russian military is hinting at with its series of questions to Kiev and Washington released this week.

2. It was the Ukrainians, attempting to shoot down Vladimir Putin

Russia’s Interfax agency reported excitedly after the attack that MH17 and Vladimir Putin’s presidential jet had been flying roughly the same trajectory. What’s more, the planes bore strikingly similar markings, with red and blue horizontal stripes on a white fuselage. Could it be the missile was intended for the Russian president?

Seems unlikely. Putin’s plane, flying home from a conference in Rio, was not scheduled to fly over Ukraine. Though the paths of the planes did briefly cross, that was apparently near Warsaw. Also, see 1. Unless Ukraine was hellbent on all-out war with Russia, there would be no reason to do this.

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