Passenger jet in ukraine. At least 300 people from ten nations killed. President obama will be speaking about this at this hour. You can see this live at 11 30 eastern time. Who shot down malaysian flight 17 out of the sky, why did they do it and will they be held accountable . These are all questions we will address at this hour. These are the latest details cnn has learn from our sources all around the globe. U. S. Intelligence officials concluding that pro russian rebels likely fired the missile that brought this plane down. Just a short time ago, the u. S. Ambassador to the United NationsSamantha Powers delivered a fascinating speech to the entire floor saying the u. S. Cannot rule out these rebels received assistance from knowledgeable russian personnel. Ukrainian officials saying 181 of the 298 bodies have been recovered so far. Accusing russia of covering up evidence of its role in this case. The ntsb and the fbi say they plan to send investigators to ukraine to try to get some answers. An International Team of experts reportedly has arrived at the site. One piece of evidence could be key. A phone call purportedly between pro russian militants moments after the plane was shot down. It was interaccepted and released by ukraine secret service. We have so many questions, so many developments this morning, we are all over them. Our chris cuomo is in ukraine. Michelle kosinski text white house. Michelle, i want to start with you at the white house because in less than 30 minutes were expecting the president to deliver a statement on this situation in ukraine. Tensions so high between these two nations right now, the United States and russia, what do you expect the president to say . The white house specifically now isnt giving any guidance on what the specifics will be or even what the general gen ral its will be leading up to this speech which will happen very soon. There are three categories that we want to know about. The questions that have lingered are what about americans on board, what do we know about that. We know the question has been raised that there could have been people on that plane not traveling on an american passport but they could have held dual citizenship and that means they could even live within the United States. Were hoping the president will shed sml light on that. What will be the u. S. Involvement . We already know that the ukrainians have specifically asked for assistance. The u. S. Has offered that. Ukrainians would love to see the ntsb there, foreign minister said that specifically in an interview just this morning. So what will we send, what kind of teams of people, will it be the ntsb, fbi, what is the time frame of that . Were really looking for some guidance on what the u. S. Can do, especially in light of the fact that this area, and this site is not controlled by the Ukrainian Government, even though its within their territory. I mean, this incident has made it really clear how little control they have in certain of these areas, because apparently the separatists that controlled this site within donetsk are not even letting ukrainian officials in at this point. As you mentioned, those international monitors apparently are in the area but were waiting to see if they get any access. Also, you know, what is the relationship . We know basically that this is going to further deteriorate the u. S. And russian relationship and u. S. And russia do coordinate on a number of Important International issues right now, like iran and like syria. Well, what is this going to do . I mean, its clear that even if this was as it appears to be according to u. S. Officials a shoot down by separatists, the u. S. Has said repeatedly for months now that they believe that these separatists are significantly controlled by russia, so inestibleably, there seems to be going to be some russian responsibility here thats going to have to be acted upon by the international community. How far will the president go in accusing the russians of complicity here . Well hear the president s statement. It is a crucial statement in about 25 minutes. I want to bring in jim scuitto. Just a few minutes ago, we heard Samantha Powers lay out a prosecutorial case explaining why the u. S. Believes russia was responsible and why it is so crucial that investigators can get access to the site and russia not get in the way of that. No question. I spoke to a yawn kran ukrainian official who is accusing russia of a cover up. They have evidence that this buk surfacetoair Missile System was moved across the border from ukraine into russia overnight, in effect to take the evidence away, ukrainian officials say. They also say that the black boxes from the plane, they believe, were taken across the border from ukraine to russia by pro russian separatists. In addition, still ukrainian authorities are being denied access to the crash scene. So ukrainian officials accusing a cover up under way with russian involved. The big question now is what is the hard evidence that russia was involved . U. S. Officials have said for weeks now that russia is backing up, arming, providing intelligence support to the rebels. You now have the u. S. Ambassador to the u. N. Samantha power saying on the floor of the u. N. That there is a possibility that russian separatists wouldnt have the skill to operate this Missile System on their own. That they would need russian helped to do it. Thats an alarming charge because that takes it a step further. Its not just that russia is indirectly responsible for this by aiding and abetting the rebels and providing the circumstances for the rebels to control so much territory in Eastern Ukraine but the accusation of direct russian involvement in firing the missile that took down the plane, that is a dramatic accusation. Were not there yet but u. S. Officials saying they are looking into that that clearly with Samantha Powers comments. A bold statement to be sure. We just did get a piece of new information in. There have been a lot of questions about whether americans were on board this flight, mh17. This is what we now know. That no passengers checked in using u. S. Passports. No passengers checked in using u. S. Passports. The United States now looking further into that. That a very many just coming in at this moment. I want to bring in Richard Quest right now our aviation expert. We heard that this investigation may be hampered by the russians. The military evidence might be obscured, hidden, moved in fact to russia. What about the scene of the crash itself, the crime scene, the investigation scene that we now believe is under control of the pro russian rebels . This is a mess. In any crash situation, you secure the area, you get the experts in. They comb through the debris. They find the wreckage they need to look at to find out what happened. They recover the black boxes and you do it in an extremely meticulous way. Here you have wellmeaning volunteers and amateurs walking all over the site. You have a contamination of whats there. The crucial piece of fuselage may be moved. It may be inadvertent. We need to have a separatist agreement to have a cease fire so that people can get in there, the investigators can start doing their job. You bring up a great point. By all accounts, there are people who mean to do good, who are trying to help with the situation. However, there are impartial, International Investigators now on sight as well as perhaps ntsb officials headed there, these are the type of people who need to get in. Not only that. They need to get in, look at the evidence so they can look at it forensically in laboratories and the Ukrainian Government is the legitimate authority to host this investigation. Im not saying whether they should or shouldnt. They are the legitimate ones under the treaty. Obviously getting to that site and seeing it will be crucial not just for investigators, but also our reporters. Chris cuomo on the way to that site right now. Chris joins me on phone on the long drive to Eastern Ukraine. What have you seen so far . Ive got to tell you its a tale of two realities. In and around kiev, theres definitely tension. People are worried what comes next. This was emboldened to the separatists. Here in kiev, dont use the word separatists. Dont do that. These people are militants, terrorists. This is a dangerous mess. Youve spent a lot of time in war zones, thats what the eastern part of ukraine is right now. Weve ignored it because of other things that have taken up u. S. Media attention but its very hot right now and there is no collective agreement among the militants there. So the idea that they would let anyone, let alone ukraine authorities come in and republican an investigation run an investigation is a very poorbased conclusion. Were heading there right now. Put it this way, this morning, the foreign minister, you remember i was interviewing him when you were anchoring new day, he said, this is great to talk to you, you gave us great information. Maybe you want to come with our people when we send them out there. He later then said, you know what, that may not be the best idea. It is not safe for ukraine authorities or military there. They are not in control of the area. So were going to have to feel our way through as we get further east. Theres no question the crime scene is contaminated. There are horrible and morbid stories and rumors coming out of whats being done at that scene. Theres no question its not going to be a controlled site and that has to be kept in mind. This is an active violent environment. Not just about an accident or somebody shooting down an airplane. Its someone shooting down an airplane in the midst of real ongoing conflict. And finding the truth might not be safe. That is so key so what you are saying. Chris cuomo on the ground heading to this crash site in Eastern Ukraine. Keep us up dated on your progress and keep safe. Everything weve been talking about right now, the shooting down of mh17 flight is a Major International event with major consequences. It is not the only event taking place in the world right now. Were going to go now to israel. Israeli ground troops, tanks have invaded into gaza. There are boots on the ground now in gaza. The israeli operation is continuing and the Prime Minister himself, Benjamin Netanyahu says it will expand. The initial goal is to go after those tunnels, tunnels that have been built over the past several years by hamas, tunnels that go from gaza into israel. The slses israelis of have evidence of those tunnels. They shown pictures of those tunnels and they have video of 15 Hamas Terrorists emerging from them at a can i kibutz. They cant destroy those tunnels by air alone. Thats why thousands of troops have gone in with tanks and carriers. The other objectives, going after p hamass stockpiles of rockets and missiles. More than a thousand have been launched into israel over the past ten days or so, but Israeli Intelligence believes they have about 10,000 or so. They are going to try to find and destroy as many as they possibly can. And the thiferred objective is to go avenue military after other military targets. Some kind of cease fire will come into play. Their goal is not to stay in gaza, not to reoccupy gaza. They withdraw from gaza back in 2005. Its to destroy these military capabilities of hamas and then get out. All right. Wolf blitzer for us in jerusalem. This operation in gaza ongoing with the possibility very much of intensifying. Wolf will stay on it for us. Coming up next, president obama will deliver a statement on the situation in ukraine. We will bring that to you live the minute it happens. Plus with russia and ukraine now exchanging blame, the folk has shifted to Vladimir Putin. How much is he to blame . Well speak to a u. S. Senator calling for a much tougher u. S. Response to russia. Thats coming up. D Everybody Knows that. Well, did you know words really can hurt you . What. . Jesse dont go jesse. No im sorry daisy, but im a loner. And a loner gotta be alone. Heee yawww geico. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. Jesse . Hooking up the country whelping business run build were investing big to keep our country in the lead. Load we keep moving to deliver what you need. And that means growth, lots of cargo going all around the globe. Cars and parts, fuel and steel, peas and rice, hey thats nice Norfolk Southern whats your function . Helping this big country move ahead as one Norfolk Southern hows that function . Welcome back, were continuing our breaking News Coverage of the shooting down of mh17. You are looking at a live picture at the United Nations. The Russian Ambassador to the United Nations is delivering a statement, perhaps an explanation of the russian role involvement or noninvolvement in the shooting down of this plane. Lets try to listen to what he has to say. Translator we think it would be right to create an international commission. Mr. President , any normal person im sure first and foremost a question would arise. Why did the ukrainian aviation dispatcher send a passenger flight to an area of military clashes, an area which was being used for carrying out strikes against civilian parties amongst other and where there were anti Aircraft Systems working, in an airspace, its the responsibility of that state, in line with International Standards on the territory where the flight is being carried out, the state must provide aviation information necessary for ensuring the security of aviati aviation. International law plans for the possibility of the timely closure by the state of areas that are dangerous for flights. It would seem that there would need to be investigation but also to the extent the ukrainian authorities carried out their obligations and did everything necessary to ensure that the military campaign of kiev would prevent disasters from occurring. Today, kiev declared a full closure of the airspace in the conducting of the socalled Anti Terrorism by the region. Youve been listening to the Russian Ambassador to the United Nations regarding the shooting down of mh17. At least the part we heard right there, he wasnt talking about who may have shot the plane down or why. What he was talking about was the idea that Ukrainian AirTraffic Control should never have let that plane fly over that area because it was a conflict zone. Interesting that he chose to focus on that and not the culpability for actually shooting the plane down. I want to bring in republican senator mark kirk from illinois. He was one of first to call for a tough response over the crisis in ukraine. As you know, in a couple of minutes, president obama will be delivering a response from the white house on this situation in ukraine and the plane that was shot down. What do you want to hear from the president . I want to hear that the department of justice will bring one hell wrongful death suit against trussia with a weapons system that is operated by russian forces. Do you blame Vladimir Putin . It appears the system is so complicated that it would need a backup from Russian Armed forces. It would mean that russia is directly responsible for the death of 300 people. What you are suggesting is that this buk Missile System is so complicated that they cant rule out the possibility that russian advisers somehow assisted these pro russian rebels in firing this at this malaysian aircraft, this commercial aircraft. You say you want a wrongful death suit then against the perpetrators then, if you think Vladimir Putin is a lawsuit snuff . My guess is that luke oil has a number of assets in the United States. They should always realize tens of millions of dollars will be lost for their International Assets because of actions like this and get control of their armed forces, to make sure theres effective command and control. I would have another suggestion that there is a system called d dikrkum which would could be a heat seeking system. It called about 2 medical each million each to blind a guided system. Spoofing the system would be not possible for dirkum. Senator mark kirk calling for a stiffer position on sanctions as well as a wrongful death suit against the perpetrators. Thank you so much for being with us. I want to bring in michael ohandlin now. Its been a remarkable 24 hours in the world of international relations. We heard from Samantha Powers that we cant rule out russian responsibility. What does this do . How does this complicate this very tense relationship between the United States and russia . Well, its a moment where i think in this terrible tragedy, in this very sad loss of life, we need to try to find an opportunity to bring greater pressure on Vladimir Putin because as you know hes been able to sort of fool some people. Hes been able to make it appear that hes not being as aggressive as he was earlier this year in regard to crimea, and doing things just barely under the table. Our intelligence has gradually figured out what hes been up to, but he has played the game and dialed it to the point where he can create some havoc in