Was Michael Hastings trying to get to a Foreign Consulate?

Originally posted by miner49r
reply to post by WanDash

 

...I agree in that if one is intent upon getting somewhere .... they would at least attempt to get there in one piece and not take anybody else out in the process.
...Adding the John Brennan factor really raises the stakes. Could the OB administration take another scandalous leak and hit? We don't know He may have been chased earlier but with His extreme speeds they decided to break off ...and at best He would finish the job for them.
...I still remain open to the idea that His vehicle was may have been tampered with or even being controlled remotely. If it was tampered with in the front section.... well....it may be difficult to prove at this point.
...We will have to wait for the official release of information.
...

If there was tampering (other than some James Bond quality virus), they would almost have had to have "eyes on him"...to be certain "the job" was finished. And - that job (I believe) would have to have included the fireball -- to wash away their sins.
There are multiple weak spots in this theory if he had control of the steering (but not control of the accelerator, brakes or emergency brake)...being - what if he recognized what was happening much earlier in the trip - and realized that if he let it run its course, he would be no more...and thus...elected to hit a "much earlier" tree or EMPTY building along the route...? Unless the "fire" was rigged...he should have survived (again - recognizing that he would have been travelling at a lesser speed).

True - the stakes appear to be a little steeper with the Director of the CIA in the kettle.

That's an extreme theory.

He's got family, friends, fans, supporters, employers, and enemies, but he's going to speed through LA at 4:30 am with zero known chase, all the while the FBI is allegedly investigating him so that includes his smart phone location and conversations and messages now.

If ever there was a clear immediate local emergency that requires speeding, the police station or the hospital are two first bets, while he's on the phone. It was obvious he whizzed by a police car. Not consulates that won't open for the next 5 hours. Actually, any open public place with a camera and a witness is a good public place for making a scene to get away from chasers/abductors, and distance is better. He's probably got a thousand press friends on instant email that would help him in a disaster moment.

Wouldn't it be weird if he was simply late for work, intoxicated, and lost control? Who works at 4:30 am but a news production company, but honestly, that's around newspaper production time. Also consider the airports, maybe he was speeding to pick someone up. Oh, and where did he live, are consumer readers allowed to think that way?

He could have been going to Lax or Santa Monica Airport. Your idea about the counsulates is interesting, but I don't see how those countries would do him much good. Unless he had a high up contact at one of them.

Interesting idea with the foreign consulates - hadn't seen this point mentioned anywhere else yet! The Brazilian one kinda intrigues me what with Glenn Greenwald (the journalist who broke the Snowden leaks) being based there...

I am trying to figure out another piece of the puzzle:

When did Michael Hastings make the following statement?

"The Obama administration has clearly declared war on the press. It has declared war on investigative journalists - our sources, I think the only recourse to this kind of behavior by the government is to say back to the government, 'we declare war on you,' and from this point forward, we should no longer - the media as a whole - cooperate in any manner with the government “We should withdraw all our cooperation and we should publish everything we know, because it's a free press, it's not a free-except-for-when-the-government-tells-me-to-do-it press, and we've been way too easygoing with these guys."

link

The earliest date I can find is Jun 19 The Young Turks With Cenk Uygur June 19, 2013 4:00pm-5:01pm

Obviously by that time Michael Hastings had already been assassinated died in a car accident. Was this (part of the) Interview ever published before?

Any hints would be appreciated - I made a thread earlier for this which promptly fell flat on its face: Michael Hastings to Government: 'We Declare War On You' - When Did He Say This?

reply to post by miner49r

I still remain open to the idea that His vehicle was may have been tampered with or even being controlled remotely. If it was tampered with in the front section.... well....it may be difficult to prove at this point.

I hope you also remain open to the possibility that this was merely an accident. Immediately people jumped on this, and before much of the info came out, I asked in threads here: If this wasn't Michael Hastings, would this even be a story? No. After some light reading about the car involved, it didn't seem that out there to think it was a crash, no tampering, no bomb, just bad driving at an early hour, possibly intoxicated. Nothing about the subsequent fire seemed that out of place to me either.

Now of course, as you learn more and more about the details leading up to the crash, it's completely plausible that he was taken out. But it's equally as plausible that this was merely someone losing control of their car while speeding.

I'm not 100% on the street layout, was it a straight shot from that redlight he was caught blasting through, to the accident scene? Were there no turns? Because from what I remember of that footage, there's enough time to say no one was following that car in such a way as to try to follow it. If he was being "tailed" he did a good job of losing them, he had enough distance between him and any vehicles to make 1 or 2 turns and lose anyone following.

Anyways, I'm on the middle of the fence here, could be suspicious, could be nothing. I just hope those of you doing the leg work to look at this, are being open and objective.

reply to post by Sandalphon


Taking into account His friends and family have said Hastings drove like a Grandma they are pointing to the fact that this was entirely out of character for Him.

Ironically, ..... it may well have been His ultra-cautious grandma like driving habits that led to losing control on that high-speed and fateful night

it was obvious he sped by a police car

I honestly don't mean to tear into your post here, are you referencing the red light video? If so that is actually the Live Labs reporters who caught that on tape minutes before the accident footage.

Wouldn't it be weird if he was simply late for work, intoxicated, and lost control? Who works at 4:30 am but a news production company, but honestly, that's around newspaper production time. Also consider the airports, maybe he was speeding to pick someone up. Oh, and where did he live, are consumer readers allowed to think that way?

Are consumer readers allowed to think that way?....I have said it before and I will say it again. I think everyone has a right to think and draw their own conclusions as we individually see the facts and circumstances...so Yes!

Personally pertaining to the accident, I believe the cause was absolute speed in a 35 mph zone and failure to control the vehicle. NOW.......Why was he traveling at such an insane rate is another question I am on the fence about. Was he running? Was his car under remote control? Either way it was entirely out of character for Him.

Originally posted by Magister
He could have been going to Lax or Santa Monica Airport. Your idea about the counsulates is interesting, but I don't see how those countries would do him much good. Unless he had a high up contact at one of them.

He was in contact with WikiLeaks lawyer Jennifer Robinson just hours before His demise. Given the relation between WiliLeaks and Latin America...it may have been just high enough.

reply to post by MindBodySpiritComplex


Oh wow... talk about poking the Eagle with a stick!!

"The Obama administration has clearly declared war on the press. It has declared war on investigative journalists - our sources, I think the only recourse to this kind of behavior by the government is to say back to the government, 'we declare war on you,' and from this point forward, we should no longer - the media as a whole - cooperate in any manner with the government “We should withdraw all our cooperation and we should publish everything we know, because it's a free press, it's not a free-except-for-when-the-government-tells-me-to-do-it press, and we've been way too easygoing with these guys."

Given Snowden was charged with espionage for releasing secrets, could this make Hastings a "loose cannon" and a person of "High Value Interest". His death could have possibly been a message to other reporters to "Zip It"

So if an individual declares war on the U.S. doe this make them an enemy combatant?

Where would an enemy combatant find safe haven.....a foreign consulate.

Brennan is interesting. Brennan was running the company that did the checks on all the presidential candidates in 2008 when they were not supposed to access them.

en.wikipedia.org...

Brennan then left government service for a few years, becoming Chairman of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) and the CEO of The Analysis Corporation(TAC) now renamed as Sotera Defense Solutions. He continued to lead TAC after its acquisition by Global Strategies Group in 2007 and its growth as the Global Intelligence Solutions division of Global's North American technology business GTEC, before returning to government service with the Obama administration

en.wikipedia.org...

In early 2008 TAC found itself in the midst of a scandal when a State Department spokesman revealed that a TAC contractor gained unauthorized access on March 14 to the passport records for Barack Obama and John McCain.[4] The TAC employee, who has not been named, is the only individual to have accessed both Obama's and McCain's passport information without proper authorization, a State Department spokesman said. The employee's actions triggered an electronic alarm system, according to sources familiar with the probe.[5] TAC strongly disavowed the employee's actions in a subsequent press release.[

TAC was the one that looked at multiple passports. Other companies and employees only looked at single passports not at every ones.

Video at this link.
disinfo.com...

On this episode of Breaking the Set, Abby Martin talks to Russell Tice, former intelligence analyst and original NSA whistleblower, about how the recent NSA scandal is only scratches the surface of a massive surveillance apparatus, citing specific targets the he saw spying orders for including former senators Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama.

So is Brennan blackmailing and spying on political leaders? Could explain why he is still in power.

Originally posted by JBA2848
Brennan is interesting. Brennan was running the company that did the checks on all the presidential candidates in 2008 when they were not supposed to access them.
...So is Brennan blackmailing and spying on political leaders? Could explain why he is still in power.

Without going into detail, I will say that "I knew a guy, once" who was a participant in the agency Brennan now runs...and...with all his smarts and charisma and genuine likeability - he was constantly - CONSTANTLY - looking over his shoulder. It seemed his greatest fear was not of foreign/national origin...but...from the group he was a part of.
One of their greatest weapons is simply finding a weakness, facilitating that weakness (encouraging it), and holding the hammer behind their back...until it's needed.
I guess "blackmail" is an appropriate word.

ETA: It would seem that vices are their favorite weaknesses to exploit.

reply to post by miner49r


I think there are a lot of questions surrounding the accident. Reporters can't get any additional information about the accident from firefighters or police that were on the scene. They've been told not to comment on the accident. Hmmm....

reply to post by MindBodySpiritComplex

I replied to your request in the other thread...but thought I'd bring the information into this discussion, as well...
Below is the response...

...When did Michael Hastings make the following statement?

"The Obama administration has clearly declared war on the press. It has declared war on investigative journalists - our sources, I think the only recourse to this kind of behavior by the government is to say back to the government, 'we declare war on you,'..."

...
Also the theory of miner49r that Hastings may have been trying to get to a Foreign Consulate is quite interesting and well presented...

Hey - MindBodySpiritComplex
I get stuck on details no-one-else seems to care about TOO...
I found this... Looks like he made these statements in an interview that was broadcast on "Current TV". The date on the web page, says May 20, 2013...
current.com...

Let me know if that doesn't get what you need.

reply to post by WanDash


Vices are great to exploit. They are also great for cover ups to. Which could call suspsion to the pending toxicology report as well. (Posting from my mobile....yuk!)

reply to post by WeRpeons


We are going to have to wait for the release. I don't mean to be entirely skeptical but I have the feeling that it will be a cautious report with lackluster findings.

reply to post by MindBodySpiritComplex


I care too! : )

Sorry MindBody.... I only had a few minutes before I had to go out the door this morning.

That was an awesome nugget of info. Seems like that alone would be enough to draw attention by its self. Especially with reporters drawing scrutiny for the content of their stories.

Originally posted by miner49r
reply to post by WanDash

 

...Vices are great to exploit. They are also great for cover ups to. Which could call suspsion to the pending toxicology report as well. (Posting from my mobile....yuk!)

Yeah - fortunately - I don't have any vices.
... ... ...they have me.

Originally posted by miner49r
reply to post by MindBodySpiritComplex

 

...I care too! : )
...Sorry MindBody.... I only had a few minutes before I had to go out the door this morning.
...That was an awesome nugget of info. Seems like that alone would be enough to draw attention by its self. Especially with reporters drawing scrutiny for the content of their stories.

You're right.
Makes one wonder at "how smart" it was to make so bold a claim.
I guess we'll see which journalists are really wearing big-boy/big-girl pants from now on...
(and - how long they get to continue wearing them)

ETA: You realize that - even if the government (or some government agency or offshoot enterprise) had NOTHING to do with the death of Michael Hastings...they might go out of their way to KEEP the suspicion that they did, alive. What better way to make investigators (of all ilks) think twice before asking the "wrong questions".

I thought I take a minute to post an updated map. Thanks to JBA2848 His research really opened up the possibilities.





ATS Big Picture

Wiki list of Consulates in LA

It would seem Hastings was head for a Consulate rich area. Most of the Latin American Consulates represented in LA are in the general middle of Wilshire Blvd....just a few miles away from where the incident occurred.

We can't know for certain, if he was heading to a consulate (or which one), but we do know now and can say that he was heading in a very big way for the area in the city which is Consulate central. What else may in that area is open to anyone's guess.

Magister made the suggestion that He may have been heading to LAX or Santa Monica airport. I didn't think of that, it had me thinking most of the day. Taking a look both LAX and Santa Monica airports are a fair distance away. Such a distance that it really wouldn't make sense to take residential streets to get there. I believe it may be fair to rule out Hastings was not trying to catch a red eye out of town.

Surface street laying beyond Wilshire Blvd. are mainly residential. Without knowing where he may have lived we don't know if he was heading in the direction of home or not.

I really hate to debunk or undermine my own thread but what IS important here are the FACTS.

It is also of interest and importance the Los Angeles branch of the Rolling Stone Magazine is also located at 5700 Wilshire Blvd. approx. 2 1/4 miles from the accident scene.

It is hard to imagine that He was "late for work" and driving like He was. Given we have testimony of his Grandma like driving habits if he was heading to the Rolling Stones, it must have been a huge press release. The other possibility that comes to mind is perhaps he was trying to get there before "Someone else did". Could it have been possible that there were sensitive files or or other media which could have been subject to "Warrant and seizure"?



ATS Big Picture

Either way the plot thickens.... your the jury....weigh in

Originally posted by miner49r
I thought I take a minute to post an updated map. Thanks to JBA2848 His research really opened up the possibilities.

...It is also of interest and importance the Los Angeles branch of the Rolling Stone Magazine is also located at 5700 Wilshire Blvd. approx. 2 1/4 miles from the accident scene.
...
It is hard to imagine that He was "late for work" and driving like He was. Given we have testimony of his Grandma like driving habits if he was heading to the Rolling Stones, it must have been a huge press release. The other possibility that comes to mind is perhaps he was trying to get there before "Someone else did". Could it have been possible that there were sensitive files or or other media which could have been subject to "Warrant and seizure"?
...

Thanks for the updated map of possibilities!
I just wanted to address "Rolling Stone"...as, I find this "odd'.
Could simply be that they "moved" after the February, 2011 photos displayed in Google Maps Street View...or, some other explanation (two locations?)...but -
The following photo is at "Johnny Grant Way" and "North Highland Ave."...coming off the 101...just before Hollywood Blvd.



(bigger picture - files.abovetopsecret.com...)

Again - I realize that they could have moved offices since this photo... So - it's here for assistance in working with "all facts".

ETA: Forgot to comment on the "materials subject to seizure or warrant" that you brought up... If he had any such materials in the vehicle - I'm pretty sure they've been seized/confiscated...and, as far as the Official story goes - "never existed".

reply to post by WanDash


Interesting...for certain!

I picked up on the Rolling Stones address from a Media contact list. It seems they may have offices both on Wilshire and N. Highland as well.

So another question could possibly be was coming from?....or going to? One is in the direct line of travel from...and he was heading towards the other.

If he was heading to work, or leaving it could lend it's self to the tampering/RC theory perhaps.

Side note here. My fear that the LAPD may not be exerting themselves in the crash investigation could be founded.

I think everyone should read this short writeup. If you haven't listened to the song he mentions in the article....do. It is still one of my favorites and still so true!!