QOTD: Did the CIA Kill Michael Hastings?

Jack Baruth
by Jack Baruth

Three and a half years ago, I expressed some suspicion regarding the death of investigative journalist Michael Hastings. I didn’t have any inside information or unique knowledge on the subject; I just didn’t like the way the aftermath of the crash looked when evaluated in light of the “official” story that was being handed out at the time.

A lot of people thought I might have a point. Another, perhaps larger, lot of people thought I was crazy. Well, there’s now some information available to all of us, thanks to WikiLeaks, that might shed some additional light on the topic.


Part of the “Vault 7” release suggests that the CIA explored methods of performing “undetectable” assassinations via hacking into a vehicle control computer. It’s very far from being impossible; every modern automobile in production can perform two of the three major control operations — braking and acceleration — via computer control, and many cars are also able to steer via a computer command. But even if you don’t have computer-controlled steering, it’s child’s play to “steer” a car through the brakes. That’s how stability control works, you know.

Of course, it’s a long way from saying that it’s possible to kill someone remotely in their car to proving the CIA killed Michael Hastings, even if the CIA was or is passionately interested in the subject of vehicle assassination. But I think it’s safe to say the three traditional components of a murder — motive, means, and opportunity — are all present to a greater or lesser degree in this case.

What do you think? Am I being paranoid? Am I not being paranoid enough? Should I stop driving my Accord on the street and return to my trusty cable-operated, ABS-removed Plymouth Neon? Or will the CIA try another method of killing me? Maybe they’ll send me a really fine-looking girl, the way the opposition did in the movie “Munich.” I could live with that. Or die with it!

[Image: By Lord Jim (flickr) [ CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons]

Jack Baruth
Jack Baruth

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