kharon
You may be closer than you think Mr kharon.
If, as you suggest, the whole thing is "spook driven", it would explain a few things.
Engage Imagination Mode - Max.
Hypothetically, if there are actually big national interests of powerful states at stake here, I am pretty sure that the last person who would be told anything "really sensitive", by a major player, would be Abbott.
It always struck me as a bit odd, that:-
1. The originally famous, but now forgotten, "two tracks" of 400 and 450 knots, should have been produced so early, and allegedly, attributed to the NTSB. The source data, clearly, was not from Inmarsat.
2. The White House itself, drove the search to the SIO, while the Malaysians were dithering with "possible" radar indications.
3. That AMSA, which, once the SIO had become the focus, and had been doing a professional job, was so suddenly, and so unserimoniously "dumped", and usurped, by a new, you could even consider it "novel" (did Sir Humphrey, or Jim Hacker, or "my good lady" emmigrate here ?) um, search co-ordination organisation, no, "agency", apparently very small, and indeed, very secretive, created, out of the blue, so suddenly, and without precedent. Amazing really. "Very Brave" - Prime Minister. Then again, perhaps not.
4. In any case, someone had to be found to head this new beast. He had to have some public "cred", but more importantly, he had to be "reliable", someone who can keep his mouth shut.
Only one candidate springs to mind ?
So, an only recently retired, ex Chief of Defence (but otherwise employed) with very close and long standing links to certain major players, was seemingly "drafted", and put in charge of said novel organisation.
Perhaps a very powerful state told Abbott to create the agency and get the man (well, suggested, or perhaps reccomended, or strongly recomended, or ....shirt-fronted, perhaps, behind closed doors ?) on the basis that, there are serious issues at stake here mate, never you mind about the details (Joe B from Brizzy would have understood !!), we will only talk to Angus. Perhaps Abbott had little choice but to comply ?
So, it's all set up pronto, and AH gets the job and the brief.
Then, only days later, those supposed fdr/cvr pings, are almost miraculously run_over/found/heard, by a PLA ship heading down the 7th arc.
Media goes wild.
Pictures of rubber duckie, sailors, and hand held Dukane detector.
Credible ?
Only to idiots.
But "the show" goes on.
The "race" is on in earnest.
The batteries will only last for thirty days.
The towed pinger locater is flown out from state-side, arrives on scene, and gets more media air time and bullshit than anthing ever before.
Meanwhile, Ocean Shield races to the west, embarkes the TPL-25, and deploys, with much more fun and fanfare for the media.
"Contact" ! Two contacts - three !!
Scan and rescan.
Then silence.
No more pings.
Return to port.
Embark the Bluefin-21 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle.
Redeploy.
Dive, search, dive again, repeat........
Days pass.
Nothing.
Return to port.
Analysis of what was heard continues ashore.
Weeks pass.
And finally, it is revealed.
Oh, um, not quite sure how to tell you this, but, um, well, you see, it's like this, um, sorry.
It turns out that, um, you know, those pings, were not the real deal, actually, they were the wrong frequency.
Um, we think they might have been scientific trackers, you know, scientist use them, to track, um, marine life, um, sorry.
Meanwhile, anything that may have been floating in the deep south, is long, long gone, to the bottom.
Now isn't that a shame.
Abbott-Hacker: What now ?
Humphry: We need a proven, proficient, obfuscator, to carry this forward, Prime Minister.
Hacker: Any takers ?
Humphry: None come to mind Prime Minister. Any suggestions Bernard ?
Bernard: Perhaps - Beaker - Sir Humphry
Humphry: Bernard - somtimes you do surprise me !! Excellent Man that Beaker Prime Minister !!
Hacker: Will he do it ?
Humphry: Of couse he will.
Bernard: I have him in the ante room Sir Humphry.
Humphry: Flabbergasted - Well wheel him in !!
Bernard: opens door ..........
Mimi, Mimi, Mimi, Mimi, Mimi, Mimi !!!!
And the show goes on ..................
Quote:Real speculation from here; maybe the 'spooks' whispered to Abbott that all was not as it should be, nor was it what it seemed, Houston would be privy to that briefing. From here we need to use a little imagination. But let's assume the Murky Machiavellian Merde team were not privy to the spooks gabfest; but coincidentally needed to regain some kudos for their powerful department image which looked very shabby after being knocked in to a cocked hat by the Senators. Credit, points and ego all, at low water. Hmm, how to grab a share of the limelight?
You may be closer than you think Mr kharon.
If, as you suggest, the whole thing is "spook driven", it would explain a few things.
Engage Imagination Mode - Max.
Hypothetically, if there are actually big national interests of powerful states at stake here, I am pretty sure that the last person who would be told anything "really sensitive", by a major player, would be Abbott.
It always struck me as a bit odd, that:-
1. The originally famous, but now forgotten, "two tracks" of 400 and 450 knots, should have been produced so early, and allegedly, attributed to the NTSB. The source data, clearly, was not from Inmarsat.
2. The White House itself, drove the search to the SIO, while the Malaysians were dithering with "possible" radar indications.
3. That AMSA, which, once the SIO had become the focus, and had been doing a professional job, was so suddenly, and so unserimoniously "dumped", and usurped, by a new, you could even consider it "novel" (did Sir Humphrey, or Jim Hacker, or "my good lady" emmigrate here ?) um, search co-ordination organisation, no, "agency", apparently very small, and indeed, very secretive, created, out of the blue, so suddenly, and without precedent. Amazing really. "Very Brave" - Prime Minister. Then again, perhaps not.
4. In any case, someone had to be found to head this new beast. He had to have some public "cred", but more importantly, he had to be "reliable", someone who can keep his mouth shut.
Only one candidate springs to mind ?
So, an only recently retired, ex Chief of Defence (but otherwise employed) with very close and long standing links to certain major players, was seemingly "drafted", and put in charge of said novel organisation.
Perhaps a very powerful state told Abbott to create the agency and get the man (well, suggested, or perhaps reccomended, or strongly recomended, or ....shirt-fronted, perhaps, behind closed doors ?) on the basis that, there are serious issues at stake here mate, never you mind about the details (Joe B from Brizzy would have understood !!), we will only talk to Angus. Perhaps Abbott had little choice but to comply ?
So, it's all set up pronto, and AH gets the job and the brief.
Then, only days later, those supposed fdr/cvr pings, are almost miraculously run_over/found/heard, by a PLA ship heading down the 7th arc.
Media goes wild.
Pictures of rubber duckie, sailors, and hand held Dukane detector.
Credible ?
Only to idiots.
But "the show" goes on.
The "race" is on in earnest.
The batteries will only last for thirty days.
The towed pinger locater is flown out from state-side, arrives on scene, and gets more media air time and bullshit than anthing ever before.
Meanwhile, Ocean Shield races to the west, embarkes the TPL-25, and deploys, with much more fun and fanfare for the media.
"Contact" ! Two contacts - three !!
Scan and rescan.
Then silence.
No more pings.
Return to port.
Embark the Bluefin-21 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle.
Redeploy.
Dive, search, dive again, repeat........
Days pass.
Nothing.
Return to port.
Analysis of what was heard continues ashore.
Weeks pass.
And finally, it is revealed.
Oh, um, not quite sure how to tell you this, but, um, well, you see, it's like this, um, sorry.
It turns out that, um, you know, those pings, were not the real deal, actually, they were the wrong frequency.
Um, we think they might have been scientific trackers, you know, scientist use them, to track, um, marine life, um, sorry.
Meanwhile, anything that may have been floating in the deep south, is long, long gone, to the bottom.
Now isn't that a shame.
Abbott-Hacker: What now ?
Humphry: We need a proven, proficient, obfuscator, to carry this forward, Prime Minister.
Hacker: Any takers ?
Humphry: None come to mind Prime Minister. Any suggestions Bernard ?
Bernard: Perhaps - Beaker - Sir Humphry
Humphry: Bernard - somtimes you do surprise me !! Excellent Man that Beaker Prime Minister !!
Hacker: Will he do it ?
Humphry: Of couse he will.
Bernard: I have him in the ante room Sir Humphry.
Humphry: Flabbergasted - Well wheel him in !!
Bernard: opens door ..........
Mimi, Mimi, Mimi, Mimi, Mimi, Mimi !!!!
And the show goes on ..................