One of the most destructive and powerful earthquakes in recorded history, more than a quarter of a million recorded deaths, local economies destroyed, the lives of entire communities shattered, and no serious investigation into the flaws of the global seismic warning system is contemplated.
According to Columbia University's Earth Institute the M-9.0 Sumatra - Andaman Island earthquake on December 26th released energy, equivalent roughly to 700 million Hiroshima bombs.
Seismic information regarding what scientists identify as a "rare great earthquake", was available in near real time (i.e. almost immediately) to seismic centers around the World.
Other types of data, including satellite imagery were also available in near real time.
The advanced global seismic information and communications systems were fully operational.
Why then, did the information not get out on the morning of December 26th?
Tens of thousands of lives could have been saved.
Comment: So the Powers That Be may have stood by while the Christmas 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami wiped out a quarter of a million people.
It's a scary thought, but it's worth considering, especially in light of how we know - as described in Naomi Klein's
The Shock Doctrine - Western and local oligarchs behaved in the aftermath of the disaster: they left the survivors to rot while they carved up valuable coastal real estate for the tourism industry.
Comment: See also: Dead sperm whale found off Odisha coast, India