Russia Acusses The U.S. Of Bringing Down Their New “Superjet”

A soldier, who is part of a rescue team, searches for more victims at the the wreckage of a Russian Sukhoi aircraft which crashed on Wednesday on the slopes of Mount Salak in Indonesia’s West Java province on May 12, 2012. Russian intelligence thinks the Superjet liner that crashed during an exhibition in Indonesia may have been sabotaged by the United States, one of the country’s most widely read dailies said on Thursday. PHOTO: REUTERS

Undercover US Agents Brought Down Our New Superjet: Russia’s Extraordinary Claim About Crash Which Killed 45 — Daily Mail

* State’s GRU military intelligence source says Russians are investigating theory crash was ‘industrial sabotage
* Aircraft was on a demonstration flight aimed at securing lucrative orders when it slammed into a mountain killing all 45 passengers and crew
* Russian intelligence official claims US have ‘special technology’ capable of jamming signals from the ground or causing systems to malfunction

Spy sources in Moscow today made the astonishing claim that a US undercover operation may have sabotaged a new Russian Superjet plane that crashed in Indonesia two weeks ago.

The aircraft was on a demonstration flight aimed at securing lucrative orders when it slammed into a mountain killing all 45 passengers and crew.

‘We are investigating the theory that it was industrial sabotage,’ a GRU military intelligence source said.

Read more ….

Russian Intelligence Suspects US Involvement In Superjet Crash

Report: Russian intelligence suspects US hand in SuperJet crash — Christian Science Monitor
Russia probing US sabotage in Superjet crash: report — Asia One/AFP
Russia probing ‘US sabotage’ in Superjet crash — Straits Times
Tabloid: Superjet Downed by U.S. Industrial Sabotage — Moscow Times
Black Box Shows Superjet Had No Malfunctions — RIA Novosti
Was Sabotage behind Russia’s Sukhoi Superjet crash? — Ya Libnan

My Comment: This is a big story in Russia. What’s my take …. I’m just rolling my eyes. There is no proof or evidence …. but it will create an environment of mistrust and suspicion …. which is what some in Russia (unfortunately) apparently want to have right now.

U.S. – Russian Relations Going Into The ‘Deep Freeze’

Barack Obama & Vladimir Putin at Putin’s dacha 2009-07-07. Wikimedia

Putin’s Obama Snub Signals Harder Russian Policy As Reset Fades — Bloomberg

President Vladimir Putin’s decision to skip this month’s Group of Eight summit in America signals Russian foreign policy is hardening as a “reset” in relations with the U.S. fades, analysts from Moscow to Washington said.

Putin told President Barack Obama in a telephone call yesterday that Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will take his place at the May 18-19 gathering, the White House said in a statement. His first foreign visits after reclaiming the presidency for a third term will be to Mexico, China and Brazil.

Read more …

Update: Putin’s reason for skipping US summit puzzles — AP

My Comment: So …. the AP does not understand why Russian President Putin does not want to meet President Obama …. hmmmm …. clearly the AP does not read/see Russian newspapers, websites, blogs, and TV shows. Bottom line …. when President Bush was in the White House, there were differences between Bush and Putin, but Bush and Putin respected each other and were able to establish a working friendship. In today’s “relationship”, the Russians do not trust President Obama …. and more to the point …. they do not respect him. As to a working relationship …. forget it.

My prediction is that U.S. – Russian relations are going to be put into a deep freeze until after the U.S. Presidential election. There will be no additional agreements on short-medium nuclear force reductions, Iranian sanctions, North Korean nuclear proliferation, or on Syria’s civil war. Putin will (instead) focus on emerging economies (like Brazil and India), China, expanding and growing the Russian economy, the 2014 winter Olympics in Sochi, stopping European nations from implementing missile defense, and …. as Russian President …. dealing with the “joys” of Russian politics and Russian dissent.

As to the U.S. Presidential election …. they will not say it publicly …. but many in Russia’s political establishment are hoping for a change, and they will go out of their way to not be played politically by this White House …. starting with Putin declining this White House invitation …. but going to Rio for a “development conference”