01-02-16          0700    Morning routine.  …..

            I have been thinking over future endeavours for the file, including what to do about Dr. BROWN’s email regarding his report.  I have put together a rough draft of an email to send back to him, and on Tuesday, I will present the matter to Insp. LATHEM and Supt. Lee FRASER.  I cannot act on this matter myself.  In passing it up the ladder, I will add the proposal that we should respond to him with a show of support and include an option for him to provide the information to us if he thinks it suggests a criminal act.  This would allow the TSB to have their report free of such details and would allow Dr. BROWN to solve his problem by providing his findings to the correct investigative agency instead of having to succumb to the pressure of not reporting it at all.  It would also allow us to know what his findings and feelings are regarding the magnesium matter before learning about it from a civil litigation process several years hence, at which time the information will likely serve to embarrass us. 

            Also, depending on whether or not we ever receive the information and if we do, what it actually does contain, we then should undertake further testing.  We have analysed everything for possible magnesium except a magnesium device itself.  With a little imagination and some planning, and perhaps the help of the electrical lab at Boeing in Seattle or Pat CAHILL at the FAA, we can come up with a burning magnesium source sufficient to smoke up a controlled atmosphere in which wires can be short-circuited.  These can then be analysed to determine if they are similar to those found in this file.  It will be a long shot to get it passed, but I certainly have to make the attempt.  The opposition to this will of course be the costs involved, which will likely be considerable when compared to normal investigative costs.  In addition, there will be the argument that this is not a criminal investigation, so why are we undertaking such testing.  Compared to the money already spent by the TSB on this file, it will be a very small price indeed.  As for the reason for the testing, it is quite simply a serious loose end that the TSB seem not to be concerned with, but that will come back to haunt us should we not do something about it.  The analysis will allow us to compare results of a known source to determine similarities.  We don’t know if a device would actually leave such a signature, and this would serve to prove one way or another.  If it doesn’t, then we would be able to rule it out as a possible source.  If it does, and nothing else can parallel it, then we likely had a device on board.  For some, this will mean taking quite a chance.  But to do this certainly isn’t my call, and it will take some time for the decision to be made if it survives Tuesday’s meeting.  This being the Force, I am only a very small wheel amongst many, some of them being much larger.  There will even be opposition to my being involved in it.  However, I will indeed push to be involved.

            Finished up early at about 1530 hrs, and home.