Obama urges unimpeded investigation of downed plane in call with Dutch PM

NEW YORK (Reuters) - President Barack Obama called Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Thursday to offer condolences over the loss of lives in the downed Malaysian plane and said Washington would support a prompt, unimpeded investigation of the crash. "The president told the prime minister the United States was prepared to contribute immediate assistance to support a prompt, full, credible, and unimpeded international investigation," the White House said. "The president and prime minister agreed on the need to assure immediate access to the site of the incident to international investigators in order to facilitate the recovery of remains and to carry out a thorough investigation." Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, with more than 290 aboard, when it was brought down in eastern Ukraine. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Peter Cooney)