h/t Mike Allen, Politico Playbook [email] FLASH: EITHER HIJACK OR SABOTAGE! HUGE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION BEGINS - APs Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur: The missing Malaysian jetliner was deliberately diverted and continued flying for more than six hours after losing contact with the ground, meaning it could have gone as far northwest as Kazakhstan or into the Indian Oceans southern reaches, Malaysias leader said Saturday. Prime Minister Najib Razaks statement confirmed days of mounting speculation that the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 to Beijing more than a week ago was not accidental. It refocused the investigation into the flights crew and passengers, and underlined the massive task for searchers who already have been scouring vast areas of ocean. ... Police on Saturday went to the Kuala Lumpur homes of both the pilot and co-pilot of the missing plane, according to a guard and several local reporters. ... Experts have previously said that whoever disabled the planes communication systems and then flew the jet must have had a high degree of technical knowledge and flying experience. One possibility they have raised was that one of the pilots wanted to commit suicide. ... The prime minister said the last confirmed signal between the plane and a satellite came at 8:11 a.m. - 7 hours and 31 minutes after takeoff. This was more than five hours later than the previous time given by Malaysian authorities as the possible last contact. Airline officials have said the plane had enough fuel to fly for up to about eight hours. ... In the Chinese capital, relatives of passengers who have anxiously awaited news at a hotel near Beijings airport said they felt deceived at not being told earlier about the planes last signal. ... Malaysian police ... are looking at the psychological state, family life and connections of pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53, and co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27. Both have been described as respectable, community-minded men. ... Fourteen countries are involved in the search, which is using 43 ships and 58 aircraft.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 15:23:59 +0000