Sept. 5, 2007, 6:10PM

By PAULINE JELINEK Associated Press Writer

The mistake was so serious that President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert Gates were quickly informed and Gates has asked for daily briefings on the Air Force inquiry, said Defense Department press secretary Geoff Morrell.

He said Gates was assured that "the munitions were part of a routine transfer between the two bases and at all times they were in the custody and control of Air Force personnel and at no time was the public in danger."

Rep. Ike Skelton, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, called the mishandling of the weapons "deeply disturbing" and said the committee would press the military for details. Rep. Edward J. Markey, a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, said it was "absolutely inexcusable."

"Nothing like this has ever been reported before and we have been assured for decades that it was impossible," said Markey, D-Mass., co-chair of the House task force on nonproliferation.

The plane was carrying advanced cruise missiles from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., to Barksdale Air Force Base, La., on Aug. 30, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of a Defense Department policy not to confirm information on nuclear weapons.

The missiles, which are being decommissioned, were mounted onto pylons on the bomber's wings and it is unclear why the warheads had not been removed beforehand.

According to the officials, the weapons are designed with multiple safety features that ensure the warheads don't accidentally detonate.

Arming the weapons requires a number of stringent protocols and authentication codes that must be followed for detonation. And they are designed to withstand a significant impact, including an aircraft crash, without detonating.

The Air Combat Command has ordered a command-wide stand down on Sept. 14 to review procedures, officials said. They said there was minimal risk to crews and the public because of safety features designed into the munitions.

In addition to the munitions squadron commander who was relieved of his duties, crews involved with the mistaken load — including ground crew workers — have been temporarily decertified for handling munitions, one official said.

The investigation is expected to take several weeks.

The incident was first reported by Military Times newspaper group.

"There is no more serious issue than the security and proper handling of nuclear weapons," Skelton said in a statement Wednesday. "The American people, our friends, and our potential adversaries must be confident that the highest standards are in place when it comes to our nuclear arsenal."

Skelton, D-Mo., said his committee will pursue answers on the classified matter "to ensure that the Air Force and the Department of Defense address this particular incident and strengthen controls more generally."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/5110971.html

Mistakenly? No, procedual safe guards makes that impossible.

More than likely it was someone tampering with computers, altering the numbers on nukes to numbers on conventional ordinance. Move unit so and so for deployment and so on.

Was someone showing off how they could use US nukes as a threat?

Many questions have been raised in many circles that you have never even heard of. And the one thing they all agree on, is that there was no mistake. it was clearly intentional.

At any momment, but mosly on moonless, cloudy nights, nuclear material, mostly waste, is transported on major Interstate Freeways in the USA.

I-5, I-10, I-15, I-215, I-405, SR-57, SR-91.......

thanks for announcing a nation wide stand down on Sept. 14th

Nothing but NOTHING involving a nuclear package moves with out
iron tight, redundant protocols with out heads rolling even if possible with the SAC training and over watch procedures.
What kind of shit is this psyops for anyway?

Do they think we're total idiots?
This stinks.

http://tpmcafe.com/blog/coffeehouse/2007/sep/05/staging_nuke_for_iran

Staging Nuke for Iran?

By Larry Johnson

Why the hubbub over a B-52 taking off from a B-52 base in Minot, North Dakota and subsequently landing at a B-52 base in Barksdale, Louisiana? That’s like getting excited if you see a postal worker in uniform walking out of a post office. And how does someone watching a B-52 land identify the cruise missiles as nukes? It just does not make sense.

So I called a old friend and retired B-52 pilot and asked him. What he told me offers one compelling case of circumstantial evidence. My buddy, let’s call him Jack D. Ripper, reminded me that the only times you put weapons on a plane is when they are on alert or if you are tasked to move the weapons to a specific site.

Then he told me something I had not heard before.

----------------

Barksdale Air Force Base is being used as a jumping off point for Middle East operations. Gee, why would we want cruise missile nukes at Barksdale Air Force Base. Can’t imagine we would need to use them in Iraq. Why would we want to preposition nuclear weapons at a base conducting Middle East operations?

His final point was to observe that someone on the inside obviously leaked the info that the planes were carrying nukes. A B-52 landing at Barksdale is a non-event. A B-52 landing with nukes. That is something else.

Now maybe there is an innocent explanation for this? I can’t think of one. What is certain is that the pilots of this plane did not just make a last minute decision to strap on some nukes and take them for a joy ride. We need some tough questions and clear answers. What the hell is going on? Did someone at Barksdale try to indirectly warn the American people that the Bush Administration is staging nukes for Iran? I don’t know, but it is a question worth asking.

We, as a people are the target of the current psyops being directed towards a very timid and cowering public.
I doubt any nukes are going to be used here on purpose because of the destruction of infrastructure/communication/transportation that would result from a nuclear EMP.
More likely a bio threat once the public's knees are in a constant mode of 'terrorism jitters'.

This is clear Federal Terrorism.
Particularly the stand down orders on Sept 14.

What kind of CRAP is this keystone cop flummery about ( remember these words ) incompetence?
Bullshit you assholes, any accident will be considered an attack upon the commons by the criminal government.
And most of us know it.

Six nukes leave, five show up. Then Steve Fossett goes missing and the the person in charge of finding him turns out to be the joint commander of norad and US northern command.

WOW! exciting times, to say the least

The only reason we know as much as we do is that 3 officers freeked out when they saw the jets had broken the 40 year old standard oporating procedure of NOT transporting nukes by air.

Is one section of the military trying to stop some other shadowy part of the military from getting away with a 150 kilo ton nuke???

A nuke destroying infrastructur couldn't proove an advantage to anyone other than those who already planned to profit from the US being broken up into pre ordained contons. And they are all ready to be kings of the new American order.

SAC carries nukes in a constant rotation in the bombers in order to have that leg of the triad operational in the event of a surprise strike.
Not sure where you get information about never being transported by air.

there is a hell of a differance between ordinance being deployed and ordinance being transported. especialy with nukes

Why don't you tell me what that is?

nuclear packages are moved all the time through the air.

Under strict protocol. And ultra security. This is a red herring.
The STAND DOWN is the critical issue.
In my opinion.

As was pointed out, deployed ordinance is in flight non stop, as standard oporating procedure. If some of those nukes were not where they were expected to be, that sends up flags. Removing some of those nukes would be noticed.

Wearhoused nukes would be harder to be noticed as being taken unless, as in this case, by a chance observance. Noone noticed or bothered to mention that 6 nukes were missing from N.Dakota. It wasn't until after 5 un expected nukes just showed up in Louisiana that it was determind where those nukes came from N. Dakota.

But things are moving too fast already as reports that Bush's authorisation was how the nukes were deployed (?, moved, stolen). And since he is out of the country, posibly to cover his involvment, it has ALSO come out that it is the secret service ( maybe even YOU and your buddies ) that would have the task and ability of authorizing the nuke's deployment (?, theft, whatever).

I am just amazed to find out how many people or shadowy organs within government COULD have gotten hold of these and other nukes. Sercret Service??? Who knew they could get thier hands on nukes??? Not me. Who else can??? Anybody know??? And how hard would it be for some even more shadowy gangs to target those organs for employment so that some day, years or even decades later, they could steal a nuke???

Encased, as I am in a magnetic inductor immersed in liquid helium, it is difficult to meet people and develop social linkages.
Prey the field never fails.
The ANNOUNCED stand down on Sept 14 of the ENTIRE USAF only makes sense to excuse some 'failure' due to the fact that we are not all chained and chipped yet.