Triggerhappy

Instapundit cites with approval the opinions of a friend from Facebook who opines on the crash of a Ukrainian International Airlines Boeing 737 at Tehran’s airport.

The Kyiv-bound aircraft crashed approximately three minutes after departure from Tehran yesterday, nearly concurrent with the conclusion of the Iranian ballistic-missile attacks on American forces in Iraq.

Iranian authorities, and apparently Ukrainian as well, are blaming mechanical issues. It’s a catch-all term in this case describing a series of events that are exceptionally unlikely, including most notably the aircraft transponder’s abrupt cessation of activity at about 8,000 feet following an entirely normal departure and ascent; and the aircraft’s recorded descent consumed in a fireball.

Neither of these outcomes are at all within range of ordinary possibility.

One more datum: UIA quickly terminated all service to and from Tehran, which is not done over mechanical issues.

What does it look like? Well. Juxtaposing events, it looks like an accidental shootdown by nervous Iranian anti-aircraft missileers watching for an American attack.

These things happen in a war zone, which Tehran has chosen to be.