Kidnap fear in MH17 probe
AUSTRALIA feared its deployed police might be taken as human shields by Russianbacked forces after the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17.
Speaking at length for the first time about the 2014 atrocity, newly installed Australian Border Force chief Michael Outram has given rare insight into the first few weeks of the MH17 probe, including how he deployed 100 heavily armed police to Europe.
Mr Outram, who was Australian Federal Police operations commander when MH17 was downed on July 17, 2014, has told of his tears for the 298 people killed including 38 Australians and his fears for those he deployed to the crash site.
He reveals Australia held a grave fear its war of words with Russia could have led to direct conflict as it attempted to investigate the case.
His words coincide with the imminent release of a multinational probe into the downing of the plane, a preliminary report of which has already named Russia as having played a pivotal role in the downing of MH17 with the accidental discharge of a Buk-Telar missile belonging to the Russian Federation’s Kursk-based 53rd antiaircraft brigade.
“I sent 100 AFP officers into Europe within the first 48 hours with guns because we just didn’t know what was going to happen; side arms and long arms, we had all, we had to be kitted up with everything because we didn’t know what to expect,” Mr Outram said.
“There was no book to say how you do a body retrieval and forensic examination in a crash site and in a battlefield with the former Soviet Union 30 miles away.
“We just had to risk management minute-by-minute to make sure none of our people got hurt.
“Our main focus was bringing home the bodies of the Australian passengers but at the same time we were very aware there was a criminal investigation as well and we were trying our best to get evidence from the scene and we were very much in cahoots with the Dutch because they the Black box.”
He described in detail the chaotic scene of moving the armed force via Singapore Airlines to the Netherlands and having to reroute to the UK where the guns could be warehoused until embattled east Ukraine could be assessed.
“Getting to the crash site for our officers was difficult. We made many attempts to get through and we couldn’t and we had to go back to the north and get there from there,” he said. “But we couldn’t get in from [rebel held] Donetsk because they wouldn’t stop bombing each other. Because they were bombing the airport. It was raining mortar fire, attacking the airport.
“I was worried our guys were going to be held captive in Donetsk as human shields, that didn’t happen and we got them out safely of course. In the end common sense prevailed and we got our officers into the crash site without firearms, which is appropriate for that environment because we didn’t want to cause any trigger happy people to get nervous.” collected