Latest developments in the MH370 mystery

Let's be honest -- as Walt and the victims' families have been asking for weeks now -- about the search. Scores of planes and ships have been all over the southeastern part of the Indian Ocean, looking for "things" shown in several satellite images. So far they have found nothing -- rien, nada -- except garbage. Because it's our human nature to foul our own environment, the seas are full of trash, and that's what's going to turn up in the searchers' nets... especially if they're looking in the wrong place.

The lamestream media are reporting that dozens of Chinese relatives of passengers on Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 have descended on Kuala Lumpur early this morning. Why are they there? To demand proof from Malaysian authorities that the aircraft -- missing for more than three weeks -- crashed in the Indian Ocean. "Tell us the truth; show us the proof!" they cry, not unreasonably.

Walt believes the truth is out there. [Where did you get that line? Ed.] But not where the searchers are looking. The conspiracy theorists are coming out in full force now with explanations ranging from hijacking by Uighurs to abduction by aliens. Echoes of 9/11 and the Kennedy assassination are reverberating around the blogosphere.

Regular readers will know that Walt himself has thrown out some suggestions. See "MH370: Three guesses from Walt", "Where is MH370?" and "MH370: 1 + 3 = ??? Walt puts two possibilities together".

Lest you think I'm way out to lunch on the Diego Garcia connection -- "For the second time: Diego Garcia is a key piece of the MH370 puzzle" -- let me tell you that DG (as we'll call it) has been mentioned as a possibility in "Flight MH370 Found? Not Quite – Now the Real Whitewash Begins" and "Flight MH370 Is At Diego Garcia – Here’s The Proof". Google "Diego Garcia MH370" and you'll come up with at least half a dozen more pieces along the same lines. (I thought of it all by myself though!)

If the Chinese want the truth, they're asking the wrong people. The Malaysian authorities either don't know, or are saying what they're told to say by... wait for it... the US military. Information (or disinformation) has been coming from China, France, and Australia, as well as Malaysia, a staunch American ally.

But what have we heard from the country with the world's biggest network of satellites, military bases and other means to find out what really happened to MH370? Nothing -- rien, nada -- except garbage. I refer to the change of direction by the USS Kidd, which I queried on March 19th!

The Kidd had been searching to the north, more or less along the line between Malaysia and Diego Garcia, then suddenly did a 180 to the search area southwest of Perth. Was that done to throw others off the scent? Would the US Navy mislead us? Is the Pope Catholic? [There's some doubt about the last two questions. Ed.]

If the US military had nothing to do with the disappearance of MH370, why has nothing -- rien, nada -- been said by way of denial? Have the Prez and Mr. Skerry really been so preoccupied with the Ukraine that they haven't been able to comment? Walt has written to the White House requesting an explanation, but so far has received no reply.

MH370: 1 + 3 = ??? Walt puts two possibilities together

The afternoon is pretty well over. Walt has been watching the idiot's lantern all day, hoping to see some encouraging news -- anything at all -- about the situation in Ukraine and the Western response -- anything at all -- to Russia's annexation of the Crimea.

I thought I might see a statement from the Jaw That Walks Like A Man -- the Secretary of State -- or perhaps "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy," meaning the Prez. But noooo, I saw only the man who uttered those words*, Veep Joe Biden, who was apparently in Lithuania and not happy to be there. I've seen more animated fenceposts.

What all this has to do with the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 will now be explained.

In "MH370: Three guesses from Walt", I gave you three possible answers to the question of what happened to MH370.
1. It was hijacked -- by whom or for what reason unknown.
2. Nobody was flying the plane -- appears to be partly correct, in that it is now suspected that the big U-turn to the southwest was programmed into the plane's computer.
3. It was shot down -- by the Chinese or American military, by design or by accident.

I think now that the explanation may be a combination of Nos. 1 and 3. For the purposes of this theory, let's fold No. 2 into No. 1. Here's how it might have played out.

MH370 makes the big turn, as commanded by its computer, and flies across the Malay peninsula and the Strait of Malacca, where it is "seen" by Malaysian radar. Whether it's under the control of one or both pilots or someone else doesn't matter. The plane is headed WSW to a destination unknown. According to some experts, it may have been flying under the radar -- literally -- below 5000 feet to avoid detection.

Nevertheless, somewhere over the southern part of the Indian Ocean, MH370 is spotted by a ground or airborne radar system, perhaps the radar of a military aircraft on patrol over that fairly empty part of the sea. What nation keeps its eye on that part of the ocean? Well, the USA for one, from its base at Diego Garcia.

The American (just sayin') aircraft intercepts the unidentified aircraft -- its transponder and other communications systems were turned off, remember -- and fires a missile, either as a warning or intending to hit it. If the missile hits the airliner, there should be a big bang, with 1000s of pieces of debris plunging into or onto the sea. Yet no wreckage has been seen. Why?

I'll tell you. Consider this possibility... Whoever's flying MH370 sees the missile coming and tries to take evasive action. A B-777 isn't as easy to manoeuvre as, say, an F-18. If it were put into a too-tight turn or a too-steep dive, it could plummet into the water at such an angle that it wouldn't break up -- straight down, like the Titanic only nose-first.

Either way, whoever shot at MH370 would know what happened to it. And they would tell their commanders, wouldn't they? Probably even the Commander-in-Chief would be notified. But would the rest of the world be told? See Walt's scenario No. 3.

Not only would "mum" be the word, but the country whose air force did the deed might even deliberately put searchers off the scent. I note that the USS Kidd, which was searching to the west of Malaysia, was withdrawn from the operation yesterday, supposedly at the request of the Malaysian government. "Nothing to see here, folks!"

Walt's latest theory also gives a reason for the invisibility of Messrs Obama and Kerry. I wouldn't be surprised if they've been huddling all day trying to figure out how to put the best face on the truth, when it comes out, as it must.

* Quoted in The New York Observer on 31 January 2007, quoted in Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin (Harper Collins 2010).