Malaysian and international police officials identified two Iranian men, Pouria Nour Mohammad Mehrdad and Delavar Seyed Mohammad Reza, who traveled aboard a missing Malaysian Airlines jet using stolen passports. Interpol chief Ronald Noble and Malaysia’s Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said the men did not appear to have terrorist links, downplaying the likelihood of terrorism. Mehrdad, 19, was reportedly seeking asylum in Germany, and his mother contacted authorities when he failed to arrive, helping to identify him. With terrorism considered less likely, investigators are now concentrating on hijacking, sabotage, or personal and psychological issues of the passengers and crew as possible causes for the plane’s disappearance.
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Originally published by Chico Harlan, William Wanand & Simon Denyer | Mar 11, 2014 | Washington Post
