False News/MH370 Landed in Afghanistan
False News: MH370 Landed in Afghanistan
British tabloids are known for publishing sensational content, particularly if it can be attributed to another source. The article featured below claiming that flight MH370 was hijacked and flown to Afghanistan, is attributed to a 'Russian Intelligence source' (not named), quoted in a newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets, and then includes additional remarks from another UK tabloid, the Daily Star.
The news cycle can be cruel. In addition, this cycle is somewhat circular: When the Malaysia Government announced the northern and southern corridors, tabloids suggested that MH370 could be in Taliban territory but provided no details. Moskovsky Komsomolets fabricated some details which the tabloids then published. Families and friends of passengers on MH370 then requested the Malaysian Government to follow up these rumours. That provided more content for the tabloids to publish.
MH370 'hijacked and in Afghanistan': Russian intelligence source claims all passengers and crew are alive but held hostage
Unknown terrorists are said to have taken control of the missing plane and forced it to land near Kandahar
By Chris Richards
02:01, 13 Apr 2014 | Updated 02:25, 22 Apr 2014
A Russian newspaper has claimed that Flight MH370 was hijacked by "unknown terrorists" and flown to Afghanistan, where the crew and passengers are now being held hostage.
The extraordinary comments, attributed to a Russian intelligence source, appeared in the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper.
The source told the paper: "Flight MH370 Malaysia Airlines missing on March 8 with 239 passengers was hijacked.
"Pilots are not guilty; the plane was hijacked by unknown terrorists.
"We know that the name of the terrorist who gave instructions to pilots is "Hitch."
"The plane is in Afghanistan not far from Kandahar near the border with Pakistan."
...
According to The Daily Star, Moskovsky Komsomolets also claims the passengers have been divided into seven groups and are living in mud huts with almost no food.
Twenty Asian passengers were said to have been smuggled into a bunker in Pakistan.
It is also claimed that the terrorists are possibly seeking to bargain with either America or China .
The news, perhaps unsurprisingly, has not been confirmed by authorities either in Malaysia or China.
...
Source: MH370 'hijacked and in Afghanistan': Russian intelligence source claims all passengers and crew are alive but held hostage, The Mirror, 13 April 2014 MIRUK-037
As at October 2024 the Russian article was still on the Internet.
08.04.2014 в 16:27
Intelligence agencies: "Boeing-777-200ER Malaysia Airlines near Kandahar, the name of the terrorist is “Hitch".
This information has been provided by an anonymous source in the intelligence agencies to the correspondent of the Russian newspaper "Moskovsky Komsomolets"
"Flight MH 370 Malaysia Airlines missing on March 8th with 239 passengers was hijacked". Pilots are not guilty, the plane was hijacked by unknown terrorists. We know that the name of the terrorist who give instructions to pilots is “Hitch”. The plane is in Afghanistan not far from Kandahar near the border with Pakistan.
"Plane is on the road near the mountain range, he has a broken wing. Maybe he made a hard landing. All passengers survived, they live in shacks almost without food.
Twenty Asian specialists were captured. There is one japanese among them.
All experts were brought into the bunker in Pakistan. Perhaps the terrorists intend to bargain with the americans or the chineses".
This information has been provided by an anonymous source in the intelligence agencies to the correspondent of the russian newspaper "Moskovsky Komsomolets".
This information was not published in the world media.
Source: Intelligence agencies: "Boeing-777-200ER Malaysia Airlines near Kandahar, the name of the terrorist is “Hitch". MKRU 8 April 2014 MKRU-032
Notes
- Fake news is often attributed to an un-named or anonymous source. In this instance the source is alleged to be from within 'Russian Intelligence'.
- The nick-name of the terrorist Hitch is obviously fabricated.
- The 'twenty Asian specialists' is presumably a reference to the group of Freescale employees.
- There were no Japanese passengers on flight MH370.
- The word 'chineses' is a translation error.
- Kandahar is about 100 km from the Pakistan border. The Pakistan border-city of Chaman is closest to Kandahar at 106 km.
- If the aircraft had indeed landed on a road and if 'all passengers survived' then it would also have been visible by satellite. However, none of the 'facts' of this story are true.
- There are slight variations in the archived text of the Moskovsky Komsomolets article. For example, the phrase 'he has a broken wing' is not in all versions. Translation from Russian to English varies. One translation is "The airliner is standing on a small road with a broken wing - i.e. the airliner presumably made a very hard landing."
- The full text of the original Russian article is HERE.
Consequences
During 2014, and until 29 July 2015 when a flaperon was discovered on Réunion Island, family and friends of passengers on flight MH370 had to cope with no tangible evidence for the official conclusion that the flight ended in the southern Indian Ocean. Every 'news item' that included an alternative to that unbelievable reality gave some hope that their loved ones were still alive.
False news was cruel. Prior to publication, media agencies should have confirmed the 'facts', checked and named their sources, and filtered the content to ensure that it was valid and reliable.
The stories about MH370 landing in Pakistan or Afghanistan led to groups representing MH370 passenger's family and friends to challenge the official versions and urge the Malaysian government to investigate these alternative claims.
Moskovsky Komsomolets published an article which demonstrates the families' anxiety:-
23.04.2014 в 13:58
The missing Malaysian «Boeing» has stopped sending signals: relatives of passengers are asking to look for it in Afghanistan
The families of passengers on the missing airliner do not lose hope
Relatives of missing passengers on flight MH370 are writing open letters to the Malaysian government asking them to launch a search operation in Afghanistan. According to one of the main versions about the disappearance «of the Boeing», the aircraft was hijacked by unknown persons, and is currently in Kandahar, Afghanistan, along with all passengers and crew.
One such letter was received by the acting Minister of Transport of Malaysia, Hishammuddin Hussein. "We know that the Malaysian government has now concentrated all its efforts and resources to search for the aircraft in the Indian Ocean, however, for almost two months there have been no results, significant leads or evidence. Therefore, it is time for the government to think about globally expanding the boundaries of the search, as well as processing all possible versions of the disappearance of flight MH370", – the text of the letter says. Next, the relatives of the missing passengers ask to seek help from the Russian special services in order to assist in the search for the plane on Afghan territory. "We hope the Malaysian government will consider this request and help save the lives of 239 people", – another letter published on the social network Facebook says.
Source: Moskovsky Komsomolets, 23 April 2014 MKRU-047