KAL 007
Sir: I have found of much interest Murray Sayle's recent articles regarding the tensions in the Far East and the destruction of the Korean KAL 007.
It seems unlikely that the truth concern- ing the ill-fated aircraft will ever be known but is it not more than possible that it was hijacked? This would explain its extraor- dinary failure to conform to the standard flight route to Seoul and its wild peregrina- tions over the Kamchatka peninsula and Sakhalin island.
The hijacker must have been completely familiar with the reporting requirements, so upon taking over control in the cockpit he must have ordered all communciation equipment to be switched off, then instruc- ting the captain/navigator on the course to be followed.
Assuming this to be the explanation, with what motive was the hijacker inspired? As pure conjecture: (1) He was a Soviet agent, possibly one of the crew, bearing vital intelligence material. He was enlisted by Moscow to divert the aircraft on the premise that it would be forced by interceptor fighters to land on Soviet territory. The operation went awry and the plane was shot down.
(2) He was a highly-placed defector (Korean, American, or Japanese?) believing in promises received that the aircraft would make a forced landing (as for 1) (3) The hijacker was willing to sacrifice his life for political (or financial) reasons. Political — to liquidate one or more of the passengers. Financial — for a relative or friend to benefit from the eventual in- surance compensation.
If the hypothesis of hi-jacking is accep- table is it not conceivable that the Soviets, the Americans and the Japanese may have been searching in the Sea of Okhotsk not for the much publicised 'Black Box' but for something much more strategically impor- tant for the KGB or CIA?
Philip Johns Commander, Royal Navy (Rid)
1836 18th Avenue Vero Beach FL 32960
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