[5 June 2014 original launch notes:] What really happened to the missing Malaysian airliner, Flight MH370? The author has written a delicious thriller that also works as a thought experiment. What if the plane did not fall into the sea? What if terrorists hijacked it, are now weaponizing it, and will soon unleash the most horrific attack since 9/11? Join us in thinking through the possibilities in hope of averting a catastrophe. The author is a military veteran and scholar—no crackpot ideas, just terrifying calculations you won't want to miss. Author says:

Hello, I'm John T. Cullen, the author of this novel and thought experiment based on the 8 March 2014 vanishing of Flight MH370. We follow the astonishing day-by-day development of this great aviation mystery in the headlines. On these web pages, I'll just highlight some surprising twists and turns that make the saga ever more fascinating—and terrifying. You can order my book at your local bookstore, or online (see links at bottom right).

All efforts continue to be aimed at locating the plane in the southern Indian Ocean. I agree—the accident scenario is possible. I'd give it 50%, with the other 50% going to a hijack. That's how we MBA types think—in terms of statistics. When no other numbers are available, all things being equal, one starts by assigning 50/50 to the toss of an evenly balanced coin.

This seems to be that type of scenario: Drink or Brink. Either the plane is in the drink, or we are on the brink of another 9/11. The reasons are compelling. We all wrote off the northern passage because the plane would have run into formidable radar coverage (India, Pakistan, former Soviet republics, etc.). Not a peep.

Now remember that the plane was only partially fueled for a Beijing run. My premise is that it may have been taken to Africa for weaponizing, based on the one plausible data point of a fisherman in the Maldives at just the right time, reporting what must unmistakeably have been our missing plane. The details are so vivid that it's unlikely he made his story up. To get to Africa, the plane would have to have been refueled—probably in the Sea of Andaman (in the Bay of Bengal, right next door to Malaysia, Thailand, and Burma).

For chuckles, I propose an island (Ramree, quite infamous) off the shore of Myanmar or Burma in my book. Before all the poo-poo noises start, read this story from the BBC and weep. One of the world's first hijacks occurred exactly 60 years ago, and the plane (a DC-3 Dakota with passengers and cash on board) was forced to land on a Burma beach by ethnic Karen rebels. The story has been suppressed by the Burmese tyrant regime, and only recently made public. Finding that article seemed to me like a nearly divine gesture, both in timing and substance, to support my hypothesis. Which is what it is—a hypothesis; nothing more or less; drink or brink. Let's be smart and keep our minds open to all the options. It's a wake up call. Why?

For one thing, the hijack occurred just before the third anniversary of the May 2011 killing of Osama bin Laden. Does anyone suppose these freaks are not going to be out for revenge? Let's give them credit for evil genius. 9/11 was a brilliant attack, and they are no doubt cooking up something bigger. Read the book, please, and let's be ready for the other shoe to drop. For another thing, the circumstances of the plane's vanishing are too mysterious to permit a casual 'drink' scenario. I give it at least 50/50 odds that we will soon see this plane being dropped or flown into a place that will make 9/11 look like a warm-up. Remember, these guys never quit. They have the wind of lunacy in their sails, and a lot of expert help on their next project. Let's try to not let Flight MH370 be the vehicle for that surprise. There is a third reason to be alert: every major attack has involved some sort of transportation, be it car bombs in Nairobi, Beirut, and Khobar; trains in Madrid and London; van bomb in the 1993 World Trade Center warmup attack; buses and cars in London; aircraft on 9/11; and sea vessels on the U.S.S. Cole. It's their M.O.

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