Цитата:
Западным журналистам удалось найти Джорджа Бильта, чье письмо используется российскими телеканалами как доказательство того, что Украина сбила малазийский «Боинг»
Мужчина подтвердил изданию «Buzzfeed», что является выпускником Массачусетского технологического института и экспертом по вопросам авиации с 26-летним стажем. Он утверждает, что нашел скандальный спутниковый снимок на одном из форумов в интернете. Он решил отправить эту фотографию Российскому союзу инженеров в надежде, что там смогут проверить ее на подлинность. Однако он был потрясен, когда узнал про сюжет, который вышел на российском телевидении, пишет интернет-сайт. Бильт сказал, что недоволен тем, как его неформальную попытку прояснить ситуацию использовали в информационной войне. Он попросил прощения за всех тех людей, кого косвенно и ненамеренно ввели в заблуждение.
Цитата:
George Bilt—who said he is an MIT graduate and aviation expert with 26 years experience, but would not provide further biographical details—said that he had come across an earlier report by the Russian Union of Engineers (RUE) blaming a Ukrainian fighter jet for the crash, and thought that it concurred with his own amateur findings. When he saw the picture online, Bilt wrote to Andreyevsky, the “expert” from the broadcast, with a link to the forum where the image was posted, clearly stating that he had found it there.
“I had no knowledge or means of proving and researching if this was an authentic satellite photo or not (it was clearly available online since mid October – not really such a new discovery too),” Bilt said. “RUE seemed to possess such research means and resources. I do not know if this was my mistake in evaluation.”
Bilt said that he was shocked to see his email, which he thought that he had written to Andreyevsky in confidence, used on Russian TV as proof of the Kremlin’s claims, citing him as a source. “I am quite unhappy that my bona fide informal attempt possibly became a source of yet another battle in a media war,” he said. “This was definitely not my intention. I am also not looking for a cheap fame. This tragedy is simply too awful to gain from it.
“I am sorry for all those people I might have indirectly and unintentionally misled or disappointed by this unexpected mess in anyway,” Bilt added. “Personally and professionally, I will not continue with this amateurish investigation effort due to the rather insane highly confrontational situation prone to escalation and with the elements of media war.