MH 777 missing - MH370 media statement

[legroom]

terrorism ... Too many people jump to that conclusion with no proof.

We still don't have any proof of the plane whereabouts [its fate], let alone the reasons for that event.

 

[drron]

Why not? Perfect way to start a new life in Europe. I doubt spies would seek the cheapest ticket... They would specify a certain known good route.

As for terrorism. Too many people jump to that conclusion with no proof.

Not exactly no proof-

In Taiwan, the head of national intelligence said a telephone call was received March 4 suggesting that an extremist Muslim group from China’s ethnic Uighur minority would mount a terrorist attack on Beijing International Airport. But he added that he did not believe the call was linked to the vanished airliner.

Similarly, a Chinese Internet activist and journalist based in New York said he received an e-mail claiming the plane had been attacked to protest Chinese “oppression and persecution” of its Uighur minority, as well as persecution by the Malaysian government, which has repatriated Uighur refugees to China in the past.

The Taiwan statement would appear solid but certainly not definitely about a plane hijacking but it does mention the airport in Beijing.
Fuel, debris determined not from missing Malaysia Airlines flight, as search expands - The Washington Post

 

[markis10]

A Flight International editor (https://twitter.com/FlightDKM) is publishing some good data:

1. Malaysian ATC Primary Radar Coverage (shaded area)




And the search areas (red boundaries), the yellow area being the search area for AF447.

 

[Mal]

Not exactly no proof-




The Taiwan statement would appear solid but certainly not definitely about a plane hijacking but it does mention the airport in Beijing.
Fuel, debris determined not from missing Malaysia Airlines flight, as search expands - The Washington Post

And the two who travelled on the passports did not really choose China as a stopover, they are not Asian, are apparently black skinned.

Photos to be released soon.

 

[markis10]

This sighting is being investigated this morning, it looks consistent with what could be expected. Its about 80 miles SE of the Vietnamese Coast

Picture from The Aviation Herald.

 

[SeatBackForward]

The passport issue may turn out to be a red herring. More importantly, where is the plane, or wreckage.

Another rumor doing the rounds is that families have rung mobiles of those on board and are not getting the "could not connect" messages. Which implies the phones are somehow connecting still.

 

[boomy]

As for terrorism. Too many people jump to that conclusion with no proof.

I agree there is no proof for anything yet. Just saying that considering the history that Iranians have with sponsoring terrorism, that's the first thing comes to mind when I read this.

 

[Mal]

This sighting is being investigated this morning, it looks consistent with what could be expected. Its about 80 miles SE of the Vietnamese Coast

Picture from The Aviation Herald.

Strangely enough, that photo looks like the one being bandied around yesterday and later proven to be not connected.

I'm sick of seeing the conclusions people are jumping to, the 'experts' appearing on the news and everything else to do with this story.

 

[SeatBackForward]

"The United States extensively reviewed imagery taken by American spy satellites for evidence of a mid-air explosion, but saw none, a U.S. government source said. The source described U.S. satellite coverage of the region as thorough."

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSBREA2701720140310?irpc=932

 

[markis10]

Strangely enough, that photo looks like the one being bandied around yesterday and later proven to be not connected.

I'm sick of seeing the conclusions people are jumping to, the 'experts' appearing on the news and everything else to do with this story.

Maybe they have recycled the picture, however the report is fresh having come off an aircraft on L642 reporting the large field at 0930Z which is close to twilight.

 

[medhead]

When I read about and an Iranian mystery man buying tickets using cash for people travelling on stolen passports, people smuggling is not the first thing comes to mind...

I agree. Drug smuggling is the first thing I assume in those circumstances.

 

[legroom]

How many days after a plane crash would one expect NOT to see an oil slick due to dispersion etc...?

It is now 3+ days.

Would it still be 'there' for us to search ?

From a genuine non-expert !

 

[Jack_OC]

Even if true, why would it rule out terrorism if he didn't care what route they travelled? If the objective is simply to strike fear into the western world and generate publicity for the cause, they might not have cared what the route was. In any case, given the amount of misinformation released so far - even from official sources - I would take with a pinch of salt the claim that the route was the travel agent's idea.

On balance, I'm also leaning towards the conclusion that the pax on stolen passports did not cause whatever happened, but I certainly wouldn't rule that out yet either. And regardless, we know they were up to something very dodgy and got away with boarding an international flight using stolen passports, so I think a big crackdown on passport screening is warranted.

 

[Mal]

Maybe they have recycled the picture, however the report is fresh having come off an aircraft on L642 reporting the large field at 0930Z which is close to twilight.

Good. Hopefully this is not another false alarm and we finally get some answers to help quell the rampant speculation.

 

[drron]

The fact that an Iranian man bought the tickets is irrelevant.He lived in Pattaya for a number of years and was well known to the travel agency.
Well known that you can buy false passports in Thailand so these fellows were doing something illegal but very unlikely to be hijackers.
What I find silly is the relevant Malaysian Minister originally said the 2 were of Asian appearance but now one is said to bear a resemblance to a black Italian footballer.

But back to hijackers the 2 links I provided this morning reporting terrorist attacks were linked to China and so any possible hijackers would probably be Chinese.And why would hijackers need a false passport.They know they wouldn't need it at their destination.

Until the plane is found these other theories are just going to multiply.

 

[maninblack]

Duplicate post - please delete

Even if true, why would it rule out terrorism if he didn't care what route they travelled? If the objective is simply to strike fear into the western world and generate publicity for the cause, they might not have cared what the route was. In any case, given the amount of misinformation released so far - even from official sources - I would take with a pinch of salt the claim that the route was the travel agent's idea.

What has it got to do with the 'Western' world. It is a Malaysian aircraft going to China carrying predominantly Chinese and Malaysian passengers.

 

[Warks]

I read an article on the Guardian website and there are comments aplenty. This one stood out from a certain Stephane Gregoire.

It's an interesting summary of the Malaysian reaction, if it's correct. I won't make any judgments on this.

What you got there is a typical malaysian cough-covering scheme:1. The first day after MH 370 disapeared, MY authortities stated that the plane was under their radar up to 2 hours after take off whereas FlightRadar24 noted the disapearance of the plane after 40 minutes (playback easy to check). On day 2 MY authorities finally acknowledged that there was a mistake and that indeed contact had been lost after less than one hour
2. A pilot which was piloting another plane ahead of MH 370 stated that he had made radio contact with with MH 370 about 50 minutes after MH 370 take off but that the communication was broken. This was first denied by by MH authorities before being acknowledged.
3. Malaysian military asserted that MH 370 could/may have turned back according to radar, hence justifying the broadening of the search area, whereas MY authorities state that this wasn't possible without triggering alarms all over the place. But if there was any radar ID their should know about it, but they acknowledged that indeed had lost contact with MH 370 after 40 min.
4. The profile of the men having boarded the plane was first asian, then non-asian possibly middle-eastern, then now black. All CCTV have been analysed by MY authorities for the past 48 hours and they to have a clear shot of the 2 men who boarded the plane with the false passports since more than 48 hours but refuse to release any any information about it.
5. It's the Financial Time that tracked the origin of the purchase of the ticket through a Thai travel agent and an iranien middleman. Not one word about this in the malaysian mainstream media...
6. But....the mainstream media have reported widely that "Raja Bomoh Sedunia Nujum VIP and 1Malaysia Corporate Bomoh said he suspects the missing aircraft was hijacked by elves (buniyan)".
"According to my vision,a large black figure believed to be an eagle was seen flying over the plane after which the plane plunged. I have been using my bubu (traditional fishing tool) and bamboo scopes to see the situation there, and I saw that the aircraft is currently suspended in mid air," he said.
7. To the question about the responsibility of Immigration Officers for letting 2 people boarding the plane with passport that had been reported stolen AND blacklisted by Interpol, the malaysian authorities responded that "we are talking about an international network here so the malaysian immigration officer cannot be blammed in full".
and much more to come...

Flight MH370: passengers on stolen passports 'not Asian looking' | World news | The Guardian

 

[Jack_OC]

But back to hijackers the 2 links I provided this morning reporting terrorist attacks were linked to China and so any possible hijackers would probably be Chinese.

Probably but not necessarily. There are many examples of Islamist terrorists taking the view that it's Islam vs the world, and that "nationality" is irrelevant. Eg the nutters who hacked the soldier to death in London while ranting about Iraq and Afghanistan were of Nigerian descent (and black). Seems to me that people like that are just as likely to act in "defence" of the Uyghers.

And why would hijackers need a false passport.They know they wouldn't need it at their destination
.

If you're a terrorist and you suspect intelligence agencies might be monitoring you, it would make a lot of sense to travel under a false name. Also, don't assume hijacking = a suicide mission. They may have planned to land the plane somewhere and ultimately get on with their life. If so, again they wouldn't want authorities knowing their real identities.

 

[Jack_OC]

What has it got to do with the 'Western' world. It is a Malaysian aircraft going to China carrying predominantly Chinese and Malaysian passengers.

So it hasn't struck fear into the Western world? Sorry, my mistake!

 

[dk4]

What has it got to do with the 'Western' world. It is a Malaysian aircraft going to China carrying predominantly Chinese and Malaysian passengers.

And why would a Uighur group (if they had the ability/inclination) target an aircraft, from what is likely to be the only country in the region with even the remote possibility of a sympathetic government ear to their cause (based on religious affiliation)? I rule the Pakistan & Indonesian governments out, as they have strong ties to Beijing, which they won't want to impact by bringing up "Uighur dissatisfaction" in dialogues.