Not exactly secular. Constitutionally Muslim, but with protections for non-mulsims. They have a dual-track legal system...Sharia for the muslims, conventional for everybody else. If AQ was looking for some "bad muslims" to make an example of, there are much better options (ie Turkey).

On the off chance it was terror, Chinese dissidents (or somebody nobody expected) would be my guess.

For a group that is trained to analyze, follow SOPs, use checklists, etc, there have been a lot of conclusions jumped to! I think 80ktsClamp has just as likely a scenario as anyone here :D

Any 777 drivers what to explain some of the systems?

The numbers just seemed way too big. Good memory on the Nova show. It came out in 1976. You can buy it on Amazon for $0.75.

Regards,
Clutch

Crash: Malaysia B772 over Gulf of Thailand on Mar 8th 2014, aircraft missing

On Mar 11th 2014 Malaysia's Air Force reported their primary radar data suggest, the aircraft may have turned west over the Gulf of Thailand at about 1000 meters/3000 feet below the original flight level (editorial note: another possible interpretation could be: at 1000 meters of height compared to 10000 meters original level) and flown past the east coast near Khota Baru and the west coast of Malaysia near Kedah, the radar return was last seen at 02:40L near Pulau Perak in the Straits of Malacca, about 285nm westsouthwest of the last known (secondary) radar position. Local Police at Khota Bharu confirmed a number of locals reported lights and a low flying aircraft at Khota Bharu at an estimated height of 1000 meters/3000 feet

Another link with graphics.

Malaysia military says tracked missing jet to Strait of Malacca

Malaysian 777 missing
 

Well that would explain the lack of radio contact. Maybe they accidentally knocked the autopilot off and it just went off course until it ran out of fuel. Late night, got "distracted" like NW188...

If the facts in that article are to be believed, then there is definitely something sketchy going on here. That westerly course would not be on the flight path to return to origin and also not to Beijing. If the radar suggests the airplane changed altitude, maintained, and had transponder turned off, that would suggest someone was intentionally controlling the airplane in a non standard method.

What the hell :confused: I imagine this data may in fact be some other movement since they can't positively identify it as the 777.

CNN Reporting..
 

Of course this is news media so take with a grain of salt,
CNN Reporting that at 0130 local during scheduled flight hours the plane took a ~270 deg turn E-SE towards straits of Malacca
fmr NWA Capt. Dave Funk [14k hours on 7x7, dc9, USAF] theorizing the plane (crew) may have done dead reckoning nav due to an electrical systems total fail.
CNN saying the turnaround is "pretty much confirmed".

I have 0 hours of Boeing time, so I may not have any idea what I'm talking about. I would imagine the big Boeings would have a last resort emergency electric generation source like a RAT, ADG, HMG, etc.

Of course anything is possible. Just my $0.02.

Pilot left cockpit to visit restroom. Radicalized FO locks the door and says "my airplane, " pulls CBs, turns off switches and goes about his "thing" - whatever was planned.