AUSTRALIA – As the sun rises over the southern Indian Ocean the search resumes for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 with possible objects discovered in the water deemed the “best lead” yet.
Four aircraft were tasked by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to focus on a 23,000 square kilometre area about 2500 kilometres southwest of Perth.
The search planes set set off from Perth at 4am local time (7am AEDT) and it is expected they will take four hours to reach the search area.
They are investigating satellite data imagery which identified two objects possibly related to the missing Malaysia Airlines flight which disappeared on March 8 with 239 people on board. (more…)

Throughout history the number one justification used to begin a geographic campaign for territory is the claim to protect a minority within the land mass you seek.
(Via Reuters) Russia signaled concern on Wednesday at Estonia’s treatment of its large ethnic Russian minority, comparing language policy in the Baltic state with what it said was a call in Ukraine to prevent the use of Russian.
Russia has defended its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula by arguing it has the right to protect Russian-speakers outside its borders, so the reference to linguistic tensions in another former Soviet republic comes at a highly sensitive moment.
Russia fully supported the protection of the rights of linguistic minorities, a Moscow diplomat told the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, according to a summary of the session issued by the U.N.’s information department. (more…)

CNN is Reporting that Australian “authorities” are confirming that partial aircraft wreckage has been located.

All Global Media now confirm initial CNN report  – Australian Media
The Australian Prime-Minister, Tony Abbott, has given the media direct first-hand confirmation that they are reasonably sure they have located some of Malaysian Airlines 370 wreckage.
More air and sea assets are en-route to the vicinity for assistance, confirmation and recovery.

Here are the Satellite Images They are Working With:  (first image 24 meters – 79 feet)

Satellite imagery provided to AMSA …  of objects that may be possible debris of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in a revised area 185 km to the south east of the original search area.  (link)

Second object 5 meters – 17 feet:

@11:30 pm – Aerial Photographs of the wreckage have been taken by low flying reconnaissance aircraft and are currently en-route back to Australia.  Anticipated arrival back on mainland Australia 5hrs [Currently 00:00 (midnight EST) so photo’s should arrive approx. 05:00 am EST]  Here is Prime Minister announcement:

Update @1:00 am EST

Nothing empowers aggressive action like telling the bully you’ll do nothing to stop him.

WASHINGTON – The White House said Wednesday that President Obama is not actively considering military force as an option in the crisis in Ukraine.
White House press secretary Jay Carney said military action is “certainly not at the forefront of discussions” among the president and his top advisers, saying that Mr. Obama is looking instead at imposing further economic sanctions against Russian leaders for the takeover of Crimea.  “You can expect further costs to be imposed on Russia,” Mr. Carney said.  (link)

One hour later in Ukraine/Crimea: (more…)

Our working theory is essentially HERE.  While it represents a rough outline to explain the Malaysian Government reaction – it’s supported by more recent confirmations including: the passports of the two Iranian Nationals were used the year before to obtain Chinese entry visa’s in June of 2013.   In addition, a commercial flight fitting the profile of a Boeing 777  was potentially spotted flying through the Southern Maldives; just south of heavy shipping lanes which one would seek to avoid if flying dark.

Regardless of whether the Northern Route (through Western China/Himalayas) or Southern Route (around India – Maldives report) was taken, the destination becomes the real question.
Detection, or more aptly the ability to escape detection, is really a no-brainer.   No-one who actually has experience in intelligence or military disputes the ability to fly undetected into an autonomous region – “if you know what you are doing”.    The U.S. Military does it all the time with surveillance flights and drones.
If the theory of Islamists taking the flight is maintained – the supporting state/nation then becomes the larger issue.    Iran or Pakistan ? Both are within flight distance, and both have ideological elements within them which would support such an agenda.
So lets look at what Retired General McInerney has to say: (more…)

 Previously: “Watch The Maldives”   Now today:

HAVEERU NEWS – Residents of the remote Maldives island of Kuda Huvadhoo in Dhaal Atoll have reported seeing a “low flying jumbo jet” on the morning of the disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Whilst the disappearance of the Boeing 777 jet, carrying 239 passengers has left the whole world in bewilderment, several residents of Kuda Huvadhoo told Haveeru on Tuesday that they saw a “low flying jumbo jet” at around 6:15am on March 8.
They said that it was a white aircraft, with red stripes across it – which is what the Malaysia Airlines flights typically look like. (more…)

Putin plays “Risk”, Potus plays “Sorry”. 

Remember it was all the way back on February 19th when Obama promised to take action if Vladimir Putin “stepped over the line” and used military action in Crimea. Russia has not only used military action, it has annexed Crimea.  So today:
WASHINGTON DC – President Barack Obama today imposed sanctions on seven top Russian government officials and four others from Ukraine and warned Russia will face more penalties if it doesn’t pull back from Crimea.
“Continued Russian military intervention in Ukraine will only deepen Russia’s diplomatic isolation and exact a greater toll on the Russian economy,” Obama said at the White House. The U.S. can “calibrate our response” based on whether Russia chooses “to escalate or to de-escalate the situation.”
The U.S. actions, which mark the broadest use of sanctions on Russia since the end of the Cold War, were made in concert with the 28-member European Union, which imposed its own set of penalties. The U.S. also included a ban on travel visas.

Obama left the door open for diplomacy, saying Russia must pull its forces back to their bases in Crimea, accept international monitors and open discussions with the government in Kiev.  (read more)
 

(UK Independent) The Libyan former prime minister Ali Zeidan fled last week after parliament voted him out of office.
A North Korean-flagged oil tanker, the Morning Glory, illegally picked up a cargo of crude from rebels in the east of the country and sailed safely away, despite a government minister’s threat that the vessel would be “turned into a pile of metal” if it left port: the Libyan navy blamed rough weather for its failure to stop the ship. Militias based in Misrata, western Libya, notorious for their violence and independence, have launched an offensive against the eastern rebels in what could be the opening shots in a civil war between western and eastern Libya.
Without a central government with any real power, Libya is falling apart. And this is happening almost three years after 19 March 2011 when the French air force stopped Mu’ammer Gaddafi’s counter-offensive to crush the uprising in Benghazi. Months later, his burnt-out tanks still lay by the road to the city. (more…)

BBC reporting 95.5% in #Crimea voted to join Russia. Which means that North Korea will claim their dictator is 4.5% better.

— Darth Putin (@DarthPutinKGB) March 16, 2014

(Reuters Report) Russian state media said Crimeans voted overwhelmingly to break with Ukraine and join Russia on Sunday, as Kiev accused Moscow of pouring forces into the peninsula and warned separatist leaders “the ground will burn under their feet”.
RIA news agency said 93 percent backed annexation, citing an exit poll released as voting ended at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT). Another Russian agency said turnout was over 80 percent.
Caught in an East-West crisis reminiscent of the Cold War, Kiev said Russia’s build-up of forces in the Black Sea region was in “crude violation” of an international treaty, and announced plans to arm and train 20,000 members of a newly-created National Guard to defend the nation. (link)
(more…)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama’s national security team discussed the Ukraine crisis in a session at the White House on Saturday after a last-ditch bid to find a diplomatic solution to the Cold War-style standoff with Russia floundered.
Secretary of State John Kerry, who just returned from talks with his Russian counterpart in London, was at the White House meeting along with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.
Obama did not attend the meeting but was being briefed about it and other developments involving Ukraine, said Laura Lucas Magnuson, a spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council.  (read more)