PM Rutte: MH17 report a "penetrating and confrontational story"

Prime Minister Mark Rutte called the Dutch Safety Board's report on the circumstances surrounding the disaster with flight MH17 a "penetrating and confrontational story" in his reaction to the presentation. He added that national and international lessons can be learned from the investigation, such as the necessity of safety of the airspace and the uniformity of passenger lists. Rutte also stated that, as the Netherlands is in charge of the criminal investigation into the culprits behind the disaster, it is necessary to be "extremely careful and cautious" with the case, according to the Volkskrant. The government will therefor not speculate on who may be responsible for the disaster. The Prime Minister was very careful never to call the disaster an "attack". Prime Minister Rutte reiterated that the priority now is to find and prosecute the perpetrators, adding that he is in contact with the other countries involved. "The first priority was the identification and repatriation of the victims. Priority number two was to clarify the cause. That has now happened." He added that the Safety Board's report is a substantial contribution to the identification of the perpetrators. The Prime Minister had contact with the representative of the victim's survivors on Tuesday morning. Some 600 relatives and friends of the victims were informed about the outcome of the investigation in The Hague this morning. "Today again they need our support. And I really hope that they will find it."