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2 J 1993
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32
021620
MDTTAN 5758
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FM MOSCOW
TO TELELETTER FCO
TELELETTER NFR
OF 30124OZ
JUNE 93
DESK C 1.X
REGISTRY Action Toker.
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AND TO TELELETTER UKDEL ICAO MONTREAL, HONG KONG, SEOUL, WASHINGTON
FROM W L EGERTON
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SUSAN SPELLER, EASTERN DEPT, FCO D EVANS ESQ, UKDEL ICAO, MONTREAL J MARSHALL ESQ, HONG KONG D, FCO S LOVETT ESQ, AMD, FCO
SEAN MORAN MS GATHERINE JAMES, CONSULAR DEPT, FCO
CHANCERIES SEOUL
HONG KONG
WASHINGTON
KAL 007: RUSSIAN PRESS COMMENT
SUMMARY
1.
IZVESTIA EXAMINES ICAO REPORT ON KAL 007. CLAIMS PARTIAL SUCCESS FOR RUSSIA, MAINTAINING THAT THE SHOOT DOWN WAS ACCIDENTAL. SPREADS THE BLAME LIBERALLY AMONG THE AIRLINE, JAPAN AND US. IS SCATHING ABOUT THE SOVIET AIR DEFENCE SYSTEMS, ON WHOM THE MAIN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCIDENT IS PLACED. ABSENCE OF BODIES STRAINS CREDIBILITY FURTHER. GLOOMY PROSPECTS FOR A QUICK OR SATISFACTORY COMPENSATION DEAL.
DETAIL
THE RUSSIAN NEWSPAPER IZVESTIA PUBLISHED ON 25 JUNE A LONG EXAMINATION OF THE ICAO REPORT INTO THE DOWNING OF KAL 007.
3. WHILE IZVESTIA MADE THE POINT THAT RUSSIA IS CLEARED OF BLAME FOR 'KNOWINGLY' SHOOTING DOWN A CIVILIAN AIRLINER, IT DID NOT SPARE THE LASH FOR THE INCOMPETENCE OF THE RUSSIAN AIR DEFENSE ESTABLISHMENT, WHOM IT ACCUSES OF PANIC, HASTE AND OVERREACTION. IT ADMITS THAT CONFUSION WAS POSSIBLE, AS THE SOVIETS HAD TRACKED AN AMERICAN RC 135 SPY PLANE WHICH WAS ONLY 75 MILES AWAY AT THE TIME. BUT THE FIGHTER PILOT ONLY IDENTIFIED KAL 007 AS A FOUR ENGINED SILHOUETTE. IZVESTIA CLAIMED THAT THE SEARCH FOR THE
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