ALL
QUESTIONS, NO ANSWERS
WHAT GOOD IS
A TRANSPONDER IF IT CAN BE
SHUT OFF?
SHUT OFF?
MILITARY
OFFICIALS FROM MALAYSIA, VIETNAM, THAILAND,
AND CHINA
ARE TAKING HEAT FROM THE PRESS AND ARE BEING
ASKED TO
EXPLAIN HOW THEY “LOST” A 777 JETLINER
TAGS:
MALAYSIAN AIR LINES FLIGHT MH370, SEARCH EFFORTS CONTINUE,
NEW
DATA SUGGESTS THIS MAY BE MORE THAN JUST AN
AVIATION
ACCIDENT, BLACK BOXES, TRANSPONDERS, TELEMETRY
SIGNALS, SATELLITE TRACKING, SEARCH MOVES TOWARDS INDIAN OCEAN,
1970’S
HIJACKINGS, PAN AM FLIGHT 103 LOCKERBIE SCOTLAND
(Thursday, March 13, 2014
NYC) The infamous “Black Boxes” that are
actually orange in color are the Holy Grail in the aftermath of a plane crash. These boxes contain in flight data and flight
deck voice communications; two of the most important elements to recover after
any type of aviation accident. They are constructed
to be virtually impervious to all the stresses and strains a failing plane may
be subjected to as well as water and the ability to survive a fiery crash on
land.
Much is being made of the fact
that some involved in the search efforts have said that it appears that the
plane’s transponder may have been “shut off”.
What good is a transponder if it can be “shut off”? One would think that the transponder is as
important as the black boxes that are constructed to such rigorous
standards. That the control switches for
the transponder are on a panel on the flight deck accessible to anyone familiar
with the instrumentation is very difficult to comprehend. It seems to defeat the entire purpose of
having such a device at all. Transponder
“pings” are continuously sent telemetry signals regarding altitude, direction,
and airspeed. On this particular
aircraft even the massive Rolls Royce engines sent data about the engines
function to their headquarters.
As the search for the missing
Malaysia Air Flight MH370 continues with an increasing tone of recriminations
between the Airlines and the hundreds of family members of those missing,
civilian and military air traffic controllers, various governments from
Thailand to China, and independent aviation experts, the recovery operations
appear confused. The scant evidence that
is available including the last radar appearance of the flight and “pings” sent
to satellites from various components of the sophisticated engines and avionics
systems is emerging and actually generating more questions than answers.
There has been reporting in
the last 24 hours claiming that the plane flew for an additional four hours
after it was last detected. This has
raised a new theory that is as disturbing as proof of this being a terrorist
strike. Some are speculating that the
plane might have been hijacked; hijacked in the older definition of the term. If this is the case and the plane was
hijacked and “taken to another place for another use in the future” that means
that there are 236 people being held hostage somewhere. It would be a huge coup
if a terrorist cell has managed to hijack the Boeing 777 and enormously
embarrassing to the security services in Kuala Lumpur and other foreign
airports. High ranking officials at the international law enforcement agency,
Interpol, have already criticized failures in many airports around the world
when it comes to the new security protocols and practices initiated in the wake
of September 11, 2001.
There has been growing concern
from security professionals in various federal agencies that many overseas
airports have relaxed, a few basically ignoring, some of the boarding procedures
and that they pose a lack of security ready to be exploited by terrorists. Complacency is as great a force to be aware
of as are the terrorists themselves. They have clearly demonstrated their
ability to remain patient and focused; they simply do not count time as we in
the West do. As Steven Coll wrote in his
book titled “1000 Years For Revenge” the ancient cultures that have produced many
of the most virulent strains of terrorists, mujahedeen,
and the practice of terrorism include Egypt, Iran, Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan. In ways both societally and economically many
of the young educated men in these countries assign blame for the problems in
their native land as the result of some form of American “Imperialism” or “aggression” usually accusing America as
simply trying to seize total control over their natural resources, namely oil. There,
hostility is fed by radical clerics, while in important ways they seem torn and
disconnected from the modern world yet many covet what the West has to offer.
The 19 September 11, 2001 hijackers had no reluctance frequenting strip clubs
and drinking alcohol yet they somehow managed to live among us with a burning
hatred and evil resolve that they were actually able to carry out their suicide
missions.
EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN
One need to be of a certain age
to recall the days when hijacking airplanes was in vogue with terrorist of
every stripe. They would commandeer a
jet and make demands of final destination, the release of “political prisoners”,
cash or asylum. The 1970’s can be
considered the “hay day” of air plane hijackings the overwhelming majority of
which ended in a bloody mess for the hijackers.
They soon realized that no country will bargain with terrorists or make
deals such as swapping hostages for prisoners.
(Although we now know that that is precisely what Ronald Reagan did in
1980)
Then they changed tactics. There were several incidents where terrorists planted explosives on planes and, in probably the worst of all such callous deeds was the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over the small Scottish village of Lockerbie on December 21, 1988 that took the lives of all on board – 243 passengers and 16 crew) as well as 11 people on the ground. It took years for some reasonable amount of understanding all aspects of that case. Terrorist agents working under the direction of the Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi planted an explosive device in a piece of luggage that exploded over the sleeping Scottish town.
Then they changed tactics. There were several incidents where terrorists planted explosives on planes and, in probably the worst of all such callous deeds was the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over the small Scottish village of Lockerbie on December 21, 1988 that took the lives of all on board – 243 passengers and 16 crew) as well as 11 people on the ground. It took years for some reasonable amount of understanding all aspects of that case. Terrorist agents working under the direction of the Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi planted an explosive device in a piece of luggage that exploded over the sleeping Scottish town.
If, in fact it turns out that
Flight MH370 has been hijacked in the conventional sense of the word, it could
usher in a new generation of terrorists employing more sophisticated hijacking tactics
including circumventing airport security, forging documents and well planned
and financed support operations.
Hijacking planes with passengers becomes an international incident of
epic proportions as Embassies and Consulates representing the interests of the
hostages from their countries rapidly becomes a confusing snarl of protocol,
diplomacy, and national interest for all involved.
One also needs to realize that
if Flight MH370 was hijacked surely the hijackers were working in concert with
others on the ground; one cannot simply just land a 777 anywhere. It requires a long tarmac the kind only seen
at civilian and military air ports.
Speaking with a high ranking
analyst with broad experience in the Intelligence community earlier today, she
commented on the fact that due to the many hot spots around the world, “It is
not too far a stretch to consider that the missing Malaysian air plane was indeed
hijacked. And, we should not be too
narrow minded and automatically suspect terrorists from the Arab or Muslim
community. Russia’s president has
amassed a large number of troops, artillery and attack aircraft on the western
border of Ukraine. Crimea is becoming
more destabilized every day with ethnic Russians ready to fight to regain the
protection and, at least in their minds, privileges of once again being part of
Russia.”
For the time being the mystery
of this Flight and all aboard remains vexing.
All we can do for those passengers and crew is offer wishes and prayers
and for all involved with the recovery send them prayers of resolve. Theirs is a difficult task given the immense
dimensions of the search area. Until the
wreckage of the plane is discovered or the details of a hijacking revealed we
wait: just another reminder of the times in which we live. Security and vigilance are what we have at
our disposal daily and we are all this together. Who knows when, where or how terrorists will
strike us next. As virtually every
person working in the Intelligence field be they CIA, DOD, NSC or NYPD it is
not a matter of “if” they will try to attack us again, it is only a matter of “when”.
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Brooding Cynyx 2014 © All Rights Reserved
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