That is so inappropriate - "undermines the good work of many dedicated professionals". Good work and dedication are no substitute for competence. These professionals did not find the aircraft because they were looking in the wrong place. Malaysia's and the ATSB's refusal to release data requested over and over again by well qualified independent analysts is the issue Higgins is addressing, and rightfully so.
The new area suggested recently by the ATSB came from the same group who defined the initial search area. Valid questions have been raised relative to the determination of the new area. The reality is that the ATSB has much more and better data now than it did when the a decision was made to start the original search. What has changed? The obvious answer is that people making funding decisions have lost confidence in the ability of the "dedicated professionals".
