It was an odd offer coming from Iran’s jihadist regime in the first place. There are unanswered questions that still haunt Iran regarding what really happened in its attack on the Ukraine passenger jet. The Ukrainian International Airlines plane crashed only minutes after takeoff from Tehran’s main airport, after bursting into flames, killing all 176 people on board. It was shot down by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
Among the dead were 63 Canadians, and 138 of the 176 were connected to Canada. A great deal of mystery remains, which may well explain why the Iranian regime wants to pay money to the victims’ families: they’re hoping to end investigations. Iran’s offer should be an indication that there is much more to discover.
“Goodale rejects Iran’s offer to compensate Canadian victims of downed Ukraine plane,” by Mike Blanchfield, Canadian Press, January 7, 2021:
OTTAWA — Canada’s special adviser on the Iranian military’s downing of a passenger jet one year ago this week is rejecting Tehran’s offer to pay $150,000 to the families of those killed in the tragedy.
Ralph Goodale, the former Liberal public safety minister, says Iran doesn’t have the right to offer compensation to victims’ families unilaterally.
Goodale told The Canadian Press the final amount will be subject to negotiations between Iran and Canada and the four other countries whose citizens were killed on the plane.
Iranian state television announced on Dec. 30 that the Tehran government was setting aside $150,000 for each family that lost someone on the plane. The announcement caught Canada and the other countries off-guard and appeared intended to mitigate the growing criticism of Iran as the one-year anniversary of the killings approached.
“There is a negotiating process that has yet to take place,” said Goodale.
“But it hasn’t yet begun. So, it’s a bit premature for a number to be circulated in the public domain, because none of the other parties involved in this process have had any input whatsoever.”
Goodale was appointed last March to lead Canada’s response to the Jan. 8, 2020 shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard that killed all 176 people on board.
They included 55 Canadian citizens, 30 permanent residents and 53 more travellers bound for Canada, including many Iranian students, as well as citizens of Britain, Afghanistan, Sweden and Ukraine….
Under the Chicago Convention that governs international civil aviation law, Iran is the lead investigator of the incident because the plane was felled on its soil. The fact that the Iranian military shot it down and has every incentive to cover up the true cause is the reason why Goodale says Canada is pursuing changes to the global civil aviation legal framework to prevent that in the future….
mortimer says
Agree with Christine Douglass-Williams’s perceptive comment: “is much more to discover” here. It is possible the IRGC is in internal crisis or at odds with the mullahocracy.
The main purpose of IRGC is repress Iranians.
Mark Spahn (West Seneca,NY) says
There is no clear statement of what the offer is. The Iran government is “setting aside $150,000 for each family that lost someone on the plane.” In an interest-bearing account? In a non-Iranian bank? How many families is each dead passenger associated with? Only his/her immediate family? Or is $150,000 to be paid for each death, which limits the payout to 176 persons * $150,000 = $26.4 million (Canadian) = USD 21 million.
Westman says
I suspect what lurks unseen is gross incompetency. Islam creates the attitude of “Inshullah” which has a similar effect as the phrase, “Good enough for government work.”
At $150,000 per victim, the Iranian regime seems to place a low value on human life; about 1 supercarrier tanker of crude oil for 176 lives. It’s an insult and a mystery as to why the Iranian regime made an offer they knew would be refused outside of Iran.
Perhaps the idea was to settle at that rate for the Iranian residents(take it or else) and make it appear that those Westerners are just greedy.
gravenimage says
Canada rejects Iran’s offer to compensate victims of plane shot down by Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps
…………
Yes–this is very odd. My guess is not an honest offer.
john smith says
I also find this very odd, maybe it’s a way of trying to show the West that they do have some humanity. Nevertheless I don’t believe they should of turned it down, even though it’s no were near enough money, $150,000 is a lot to a family that has nothing.
gravenimage says
Who knows what they wanted in return?
Giacomo Latta says
What could Trudeau do to seek reparations from Iran for the 63 Canadians? Care would be a good first step but, of course, if he were to complain at all he would be judged a racist, by himself first and foremost. He used to say a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian. But I guess those who died were too fresh Canadians.
He has paid out 10.5 M $ to an inconvenienced ISIS fighter and war criminal. He should be demanding at least that much for each of these victims of Islam. The fact that he has dumped the dossier into the lap of one of the most right wing of Liberal ministers says all.