THE MYSTERY surrounding the fate of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is rapidly turning into one of the most extensive search efforts ever undertaken.
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To date 26 countries, including Australia, have been called in to assist. Dozens of fixed-wing aircraft, ships and satellites have been deployed to try to figure out what happened to the plane a fortnight ago.
One thing is certain: it's an effort that will cost millions of dollars and, given the time since the disappearance, seems increasingly unlikely to deliver good news when the plane is eventually found.
As the world waits with bated breath to see if the blurry shapes seen off the West Australian coast are indeed parts of the aircraft, some may question the wisdom of putting so many resources into a mission that holds little hope of finding anyone alive.
But so long as we are not placing the safety of more people at risk by sending them to a remote and dangerous part of the ocean, there are enough compelling reasons to press on for as long as it takes to find what answers we can.
Firstly, and most importantly, we owe it to the hundreds of families, friends and workmates of the passengers and crew aboard the flight. Many will be unable to find peace until they know what happened to their loved ones.
Secondly, the dark shadow of potential terrorism, hijacking or other foul play cannot be allowed to rest. If it turns out that hijackers were able to board the aircraft, how did they avoid detection? Why were they not picked up by global intelligence efforts, and if the crew was in some way involved, how were they allowed to be placed in charge of the lives of so many people? Did they act alone and, if not, are there others like them still at large?
If mechanical malfunction was at fault, there are also compelling reasons to find that fault and ensure it does not exist in the many other Boeing 777s in service around the world. Prime Minister Tony Abbott has also been criticised for releasing information too early on the objects seen in the ocean. But this is the same man who has been criticised for keeping the Australian public in the dark on issues such as asylum seekers. The Prime Minister's statement was cautious and stressed that it may be a false lead, and those calling for greater accountability should welcome his update to Parliament.
As the search rolls towards its third week, we can only hope there will be a breakthrough soon, and that for the sake of all those desperate family members, we will be able to finally put this mystery to rest.