I want to recap for our audience as to where we stand right now. The plane crashed in the ukrainian area near the russian border. 295 people on board, 280 passengers and 15 crew members. An altitude of 30,000 feet when it was reportedly hit by a missile, david, you are also a veteran of politics in washington, what will be the impact now on this on the political landscapes specifically as i asked the same question with regards to russia, ukraine, and the United States . You have a pentagon, going through their own tapes. Not so much the aircraft, but what they were looking at on the ground. The United States has spy satellited military shiites that are tracking literally every piece of equipment, they can see literally down to the size of a Bumper Sticker on this stuff. So the pentagon will be going through, saying where did this Missile System was a praise of it. Where did it come from, who did it belong to. Once with that information goings up the chain of command, and you have the chairman calling the white house, and saying this is the latest as far as our pentagon analysis. At that point, susanne rice, assuming and this is the big assumption, lets assume they can identify who had it. And who had this system. They have to figure out what will the communication be, given that this start haecking out, and gets on capitol hill, you can imagine that the political debate if it starts being reported as it may be, republican saying we know that x group was behind this, the Administration Must act. We with will looking at video of this night that came down. Do we with still have you what are you hearing and how busy is your cell phone . Well, i think it is more important to think about the reaction in europe, really. This sketchy reports about varying. That americans would have died in this crash. How many europeans how many of those vims who have been reluctant to get tough with Vladimir Putin as he continues his pad tern of aggression. This is something that president obama has struggled with. Repeatedly threatening to hold russia responsible through so called broad sek story sanctions. The president fell somewhere sort of that, many experts agree these will have significant bite. But theres no question that countries like germany, and france, have been very reluctant to come along with the president. And really, you hate to build a core place between the number of fatalities and the impact will be having. It is a tragedy either way you look at it, but certainly the impact lit be having on Public Opinion in many of these countries, will they be able to put these economic and trade considerations aside and finally come through with those broad sek story sanctions that would really compel Vladimir Putin to reverse course. I think that is the significant that is the significant upshot of many of this in terms of the politics. We used to say that politics ended at the waters edge thats obviously not true any more, in a situation like this, everybody is taking a step back and trying to absorb and process the extent of this. Have we heard anything from capitol hill yet. We have not. We are waiting to hear from capitol hit. Both the house and senate are in session today, so i am sure we will be hearing reaction from them. I want to take a look right now at tim imagines that are coming in, the footage of this plane. That has gone down. One thing that is striking about it, david chuter was pointing out, that is those streaks coming and then you see what appears to be pieces of the plane slowly falling out of the sky. Your thoughts. The frails and that black smoke cloud, would indicate again that this is something immediately catastrophic. Because the bring is falling straight down, but the other thing this indicates is this provides more to the evidence again, you dont usually see this kind of video with a regular sort of mane crash. To be able to have this video which has to have been taken within 30 seconds of when the fuse lodge hit the ground. And other debris that is lighter and creating these end trails. It is another thing that investigators will be able to look at and say this is what we can tell about what happened. Again, 295 people onboard that plane, 280 passengers the others being crew membered all right now presumed dead, no official count on the number of casualties that we may have. Way are going to rejoin our coverage right now, these are our colleagues at Al Jazeera English in doha. This developing story we have been covering the ever the last two hours or so. With almost 300 people onboard. Mh seven teen, mh 17, night with Dutch Airline left amster bam at midday local time, destined for kuala lumpur. Malaysian airline said it lost contact with the boeing triple seven while it is in Ukrainian Air space. I crashed about 50kilometers from ukraines border with russia. Now officials claim it was shot down by a missile. Earlier i spoke to an Aerospace Analyst is the director of airuation matters he says the key to who shot this down is the altitude it was flying and the missiles in the area available to reach that height. An airline is very vulnerable. It sits there sedately going along. The question has to be asked if this is a missile, forget this is not a fighter, that has gone in and shot it down. This is a missile thats been launched and only two people in the area have that sophisticated capability. The ukrainians, and the russians. The you drainians are hardly likely to shoot down anything over their own territory, especially one obviously coming out of amsterdam. So the question is why have the russianed sophisticated power they would be, decided to shoot down an airliner. We with dont know that yet, because the russians are denying any involve innocent in shooting this down. No no. But nobody else get up that high. So nobody else can get up that high, apart from the Ukrainian Military this isnt a toy thats given to sort of gones and terrorists, its far too sophisticated for them. Only a professional military force can operate this particular service to a missile. Theres only two in town that could have done it, the ukrainians and the russians. One with has to wonder why they would have done it. Obviously a lot of Unanswered Questions at this time. Have crashed officials in ukraine, saying that the plane was shot down by a sur is pass to aramis seal. This information, obviously not confirmed right now. But these are the pictures the latest pictures we are getting of the plane. As it was leaving amsterdam. Around midday earlier today, it was on rout to kuala lumpur, in malaysia, Malaysia Airline flight nh 17. The Malaysia Airline authority say the plane was down while it was in Ukrainian Air space. And they lost contact with the plane when it was in the Ukrainian Air space, they are not confirming at this time with the passengers onboard the mane, 295 people 270 passengers and 15 crew members have parished in this crash. But the report that we have been getting from witnesses on the ground near the village is that there are at least 100 bodies on the scene of the crash. And a lot of charred bodies reports say there are pictures that are circulating right now on social media. From that plane crash, pictures we choose not to show you here. Who is a military analyst, he says lit be extremely difficult to find out who was responsible for this. There have been planing taken down. Recently there was a mane taken down, from the 26th which is flying rather high, which may mean thiothece thats what the ukrainian said that the rebels have a part. On the shoulder launch, anticraft missiles with more serious missiles that can shot down planes flying on high flight six maybe even ten kilometers. Of course, we believe both sides all sides in the conflict will say that they have no responsibility. There may be nato planes flying over poland and roy mania, maybe they saw something. Such missiles they create a hail of shapal that kill as hot of people onboard. Before it hits the ground. So sur is vive veries would be impossible to find. This is a if it was a bok, right now i believe it is too early to jump to conclusions, but these missiles can hit at a plane flying at high altitude, and at low altitude, these are regular missiles radar guided, big maybe there was Ukrainian Military air activity at the time. And if there was a crew firing that missile, they could actually make a mistake. And the missile selfguiding system could take on a bigger target, if the military target disappeared and took on civilian targets. Such things basically happen sometimes. Thats why planes should not fly over war zones. Of course all sides will deny responsibility. Now ukrainian president has issued a statement following this crash, the president has initiated the establishment of the state commission within involvement of experts from i. C. A. O. , and other International Structures to investigate the tragedy. In moscow for us, whats the reaction from moscow. Talking about, in the clip that you played there, he was saying sort of why were planes flying over a war zone. It seems that there were with plenty of Civil Aviation flights over eastern ukraine. Nh seven teen was just one of them. All know there has been a no fly zone put in place by the Ukrainian Governments for a few weeks now. In eastern ukraine, it only extended up to a certain altitude. And nights like mh 17, boeing 777, that was with considered way above any kind of risk zone. And that was why the no fly zone didnt extend that far high. And thats why Civil Aviation has been going over year ukraine ininterrupted for weeks. The Civil Aviation has been flying over the top of it. Of course, now that might change. We are hearing from the government, are competely barring civilian aircraft, over the zone of military operation. Because of this crash, so i think we will see in the coming hours some sort of measure brought in along those hines. And in fact, we have already seen aviation voluntarily diverting from that air space, deciding that this is something that an area they just dont want to get into any more. Is avoiding and it so are other Russian Airline too. Both the Ukrainian Government and the separatist rebels have denying shooting down this plane, in the region close to russian border, just remind us of what has been happening in that area. Pro russian separatist, of course, believed to have shot down two military planes over this region in recent days. Yeah, it seems that pro russian separatist have been getting increasingly good at shooting ukrainian jets out of the sky. They have shot down at least 125. They have shot down transport planes as well, they have been boasting of such conquests on social media, on facebook, on twitter that sort of those sorts of forums. They have been proud of the fact that they have in the last few days maybe a bit longerren that that, going back a week or two as well. Started getting increasingly skilled at downing russian authorities. That has been a boone for them, because recently, Ukrainian Military air superiority has been coming to bear very hard on the separatists and been exerting quite serious casualties. This have been people within the government that have been looking at the successes that the separatists have been having against the aircraft recently, and saying look, a bunch of amateurs cant be doing this by themselves they have to have some member somewhere. And where is that help coming from . Of course, the Ukrainian Government says that help is coming from russia. The russian Ukrainian Border is long and its forrouse, and things can flow backward withs and forwards across it quite easily. Thats why its been of such important to the military, to get around behind the rebels and try and shoot down that border. I have been down to the border in the last week, and i have seen what it is like. I have seen how easy it is for things to get across. I saw a warehouse full of surprise. Things hike medicine, and food, and push chairs and things like that. Some of it was going towards civilian on the ukrainian side, but some of it was also and this is what i was being told by the people doing the smuggling some of it was going towards the fighters themselves, so it is feasible that other things are going to more deadly things like weaponry, maybe even Missile Systems. Cross over now to our diplomatic editor, james, theres been quite a lot of international react in the last hour or so about this plane crash. But of course, this looks like it is a plane that is being shot down. At a time of crisis already between russia and the west, so real geopolitical dimensions, to all of this. We expect that many World Leaders are taking stock of the situation, trying to find out information of exactly what happened and there probably only a few intelligence agencies and authorities that will be able to pinpoint exactly where the missile was fired from. The ukrainians may have radar that shows some details. And then you have the spy satellites, probably the u. S. And russia the only ones that would have the technology, i am told, by military experts potentially, to say who was responsible for this, but certainly, i know that leaders are planning their reaction. We have had some reaction from the state department, some from other parts of washington, d. C. We are hearing from our colleagues where i normally work there, theres talk now, early talk, of an emergency u. N. Security Council Meeting to happen in the coming hours. Expect if that happens also to look to brussells. See what the e. U. Decides to do whether they have any sort of emergency meeting and also in brussells to nato, the north atlantic council. Because of the annexation, and the on going tensions in that area. All right, you talk about a geopolitical dimensions to the tragedy. We have heard of a conversation between barack obama and the russian president Vladimir Putin, who sort of implications what sort of repercussions do you expect to see . There seem today have been a long call, most of the call was about the sanctions that were put in place. It was president putin we heard who initiated the call to president obama, who asked for this call. Just a few hours after the u. S. Imposed new sanctions. I think one interesting small point to mention, is among those new sanctions was sanctions on a military firm called almis anti. I may have pronounced that wrong, but that is a Russian Military manufacturer, they are i am told the current manufacturer of the bok Missile System, which many believe may have fired the missile down the plane. Lets now check in with Al Jazeera Stephanie who is the a the International Airport in kuala lumpur, where that plane was destined to. Stephanie when we with spoke a while back, it is still very quiet, i imagine it is coming up to 2 00 a. M. , just remind us of what malaysian authorities and airport authorities have said is so far . Welt, they have only really confirmed that they lost contact with the plane, but it is confirmed that the plane has been lost. The moo lay sean Prime Minister says he is very shocked and is launching an immediate investigation. We with have been told that the c. E. O. Of malaysian airplanes, is coming to the airport to give a press conference in the next hour or so. We respect sure what he will say, Malaysian Airline i think is very conscious of the fact that this is the second disaster in a matter of months. Especially in the light of as you were with talking about the diplomatic reprecautions that have been going on. For more on that lets cross over to Julie Mcdonald in our news center, julie. Thank you. Well, as you said, people all over the world are desperate to find out what has happened and share a lot of information and speculation on twitter and facebook and so on. Bearing in mind, how many people get their news from twitter, how this has been spreading. A lot are not putting their information on twitter but putting their statements elsewhere. The twitter accounts that has no mention of this, yet they have released an official statement, in which they say up til now, there has been no closure of Ukrainian Air space, however they have decided to fly a wide detour around east Ukrainian Air space. The safety of our passengers is top priority. Kiev. Klm although not officially confirmed by Malaysian Airline, it is with great regret that it has learned about the possible flight. We are in contact with with Malaysian Airline to obtain further information. Klm has published the available emergency number, what else, we have the department for transport here in the u. K. Flights already air born have been around the area in the region, pilots around the world have been advised to plan routs. We dont know what has happened here, but we have had a statement from david cameron. They appear to have said we dont know what is going on, but theres no mention on this. The kremlin, or Vladimir Putin has release add statement, translated it reads Vladimir Putin has expressed his deepest condolences. In the Malaysian Airline passenger aircraft resulting in numerous casualties. His sincerest words of sympathy and support. The crash, we are launching an immediate investigation, of course, this plane was traveling from the netherlands theres been a statement from the Prime Minister. He says i am deeply shock bedty tragic news. From amsterdam over ukrainian territory. Still very much is unclear about the facts circumstances and the occupants i have spoke within the president , i am on my way back from the hague to monitor the situation and to continue to act. Their family and their friends. I think when people try to understand what has happened here, your thoughts turn to the victims. Just reflect, if you can, on what sort of thing correspondents and recorders have made it to the crash site are seeing. One of the things one of twitters strengths, and weaknesses is its immediacy. People sometimes will put things there that you dont want to see. We are seeing pictures of what appears to be the crash site, a lot of smoke rises, some of the pictures on twitter appear to show dead bodies, obviously we arent showing those. Seats that have fallen from the plane, parts of bodies,ing looing now at one with passport, earlier today, there were with pictures of passports but they are being taken down quite quickly, this show as dutchwoman, and it is juan of many that are now appearing on twitter, more pictures of passports. We havent received the passenger list. I think twitser also useful for reflecting on the Big Questions that people are asking and one of those is why was the plane flying there, and what an earth was used to bring it down and by whom. There is a lot of speculation. The actual we understand that this is the root that that plane took whenever it made that journey. We understand that it was flying at 43,000 miles which would have been its optimum height. We will also hook at twitter here, we have more recent pictures coming in here, i think our correspondent is very close to the crash site. Some speculation about what they will tell us. To see what is happening with this flight, theres been a lot of speculation, was it shot down, an accident. The way things spread on twitter is so immediate. Fifth 8,000 retweets gives you an idea of how much misinformation there is, so you have to really filter through what you are seeing there. A lot of pictures and theories. A lot of accusations as well. Anyone who has any agenda will be making accusations. So you have tock careful what you look at. What we are looking at is accusations it was brought down by a bok missile. It is safe to say that the world is watching this developing story, we will hand you back to doha, who will pick up. You are watching al jazeera, it is 18 gmt, that is 9 00 p. M. In the earning in the ukraine. Where a passenger jet carrying 292 people has appeared to have been shot down. Where there are reports of debris and bodies having been discovered. The International Repercussions of the downing of a Malaysian Airline jet over a war zone could be enormous