That day's missile transport, the sixth of 12 scheduled ferry missions,
was to have consisted of 12 AGM-129s, installed with training warheads,
with six missiles per pylon
and one pylon mounted under each wing of a Barksdale-assigned, 2nd Bomb
Wing B-52 aircraft. When the airmen entered the bunker, the actual
warheads were still installed on their missiles (the six missiles each on
a separate pylon; with the pylons attached one to each wing of the B-52),
as opposed to having been replaced with the dummy training warheads. Six
of the missiles still carried their nuclear warheads. The missiles are
mounted three-up on four pylons under the wings of the bomber. More than
such 200 missiles have been delivered from Minot AFB to Barksdale AFB.
The
mistake wasn’t discovered for 36 hours, long after the plane had touched
down at Barksdale, said Maj. Gen. Richard “Dick” Newton, deputy chief
of staff for operations, plans and requirements, and a former 5th Bomb
Wing commander, who was tasked to brief the findings.
Since Aug. 30, some 65 airmen of varying ranks — lieutenant colonel
and below — have lost their certification in the personnel reliability
program, which the Air Force uses to oversee the character of airmen who
handle nuclear weapons, said Lt. Col. Ed Thomas, an Air Force spokesman.
The large-scale nature of the disciplinary actions points to the
widespread nature of the problem.
The Department of Defense investigation concluded that nuclear weapons
handling standards and procedures had not been followed by numerous USAF
personnel involved in the incident.
As a result, four USAF commanders were relieved of their commands,
numerous other USAF personnel were disciplined and/or decertified to
perform certain types of sensitive duties, and further cruise missile
transport missions from and nuclear weapons operations at Minot Air Force
Base were suspended.
In addition, the USAF issued new nuclear weapons handling instructions
and procedures. Separate investigations by the U.S. Defense Science Board
and a USAF "Blue Ribbon" panel reported that concerns existed on
the procedures and processes for handling nuclear weapons within the U.S.
DoD but did not find any failures with the security of U.S. nuclear
weapons.
On
the surface, it would appear that this was just a "paperwork
error" and that the missiles never left Air Force custody. Was it
just a "clerical" error that resulted in a report of five
nuclear missiles as opposed to six, as the DoD claims. Or does the mystery
go deeper? And if so, is it related to a growing rebellion in the military
forces against a nuclear attack on Iran?
One clue may be the deaths of five airmen closely tied to the incident,
deaths that occurred in different parts of the country in a very short
time period after they were decertified and fired.
At a Feb. 12, 2008 hearing, Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Sen.
Carl Levin, D-Mich., called last August’s nuclear accident a “wake up
call” saying that “no breach of nuclear procedures of this
magnitude has ever occurred.”
The story was first reported by the Military Times, after
military servicemen leaked the story.
Missing Nukes on August 29-30,
2007
Source: Global
Research, October 29, 2007
by Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya
According to a wide range of reports, several nuclear bombs were
"lost" for 36 hours after taking off August 29/30, 2007 on a
"cross-country journey" across the U.S., from U.S.A.F Base Minot
in North Dakota to U.S.A.F. Base Barksdale in Louisiana. [1]
Reportedly, in total there were six W80-1 nuclear warheads armed on
AGM-129 Advanced Cruise Missiles (ACMs) that were "lost." [2]
The story was first reported by the Military Times, after military
servicemen leaked the story.
It is also worth noting that on August 27, 2007, just days before the
"lost" nukes incident, three B-52 Bombers were performing
special missions under the direct authorization of General Moseley, the
Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force. [3]
The exercise was reported as being an aerial information and image
gathering mission. The base at Minot is also home of the 91st Space Wings,
a unit under the command of Air Force Space Command (AFSPC).
According to official reports, the U.S. Air Force pilots did not know
that they were carrying weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). Once in
Louisiana, they also left the nuclear weapons unsecured on the runway for
several hours. [4]
U.S. Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans, and
Requirements, Major-General Richard Y. Newton III commented on the
incident, saying there was an "unprecedented" series of
procedural errors, which revealed "an erosion of adherence to
weapons-handling standards". [5]
These statements are misleading. The lax security was not the result
of procedural negligence within the U.S. Air Force, but rather the
consequence of a deliberate tampering of these procedures.
If a soldier, marine, airman, or sailor were even to be issued a rifle
and rifle magazine - weaponry of a far lesser significance, danger, and
cost - there is a strict signing and accountability process that
involves a chain of command and paperwork. This is part of the set of
military checks and balances used by all the services within the U.S.
Armed Forces.
Military servicemen qualified to speak on the subject will confirm that
there is a stringent nuclear weapons handling procedure. There is a
rigorous, almost inflexible, chain of command in regards to the handling
of nuclear weapons and not just any soldier, sailor, airman, or marine
is allowed to handle nuclear weapons. Only servicemen specialized in
specific handling and loading procedures, are perm certified to handle,
access and load nuclear warheads.
Every service personnel that moves or even touches these weapons must
sign a tracking paper and has total accountability for their movement.
There is good reason for the paperwork behind moving these weapons. The
military officers that order the movement of nuclear weapons, including
base commanders, must also fill out paper forms.
In other words, unauthorized removal of nuclear weapons
would be virtually impossible to accomplish unless the chain of command
were bypassed, involving, in this case, the deliberate
tampering of the paperwork and tracking procedures.
The strategic bombers that carried the nuclear weapons also could not
fly with their loaded nuclear weaponry without the authorization of
senior military officials and the base commander. The go-ahead
authorization of senior military officials must be transmitted to the
servicemen that upload the nuclear weapons. Without this authorization
no flights can take place.
In the case of the missing nukes, orders were given and flight
permission was granted. Once again, any competent and eligible U.S. Air
Force member can certify that this is the standard procedure.
There are two important questions to be answered in relation to the
"lost" nukes incident:
1. Who gave the order to arm the W80-1 thermonuclear warheads on
the AGM-129 Advanced Cruise Missiles (ACMs)? At what level in the
military hierarchy did this order originate? How was the order
transmitted down the command chain?
2. If this was not a procedural error, what was the underlying
military-political objective sought by those who gave the orders?
The
Impossibility of "Losing" Nuclear Weapons
As Robert Stormer, a former U.S. lieutenant-commander
in the U.S. Navy, has commented: "Press reports initially cited the
Air Force mistake of flying nuclear weapons over the United States in
violation of Air Force standing orders and international treaties, while
completely missing the more important major issues, such as how six
nuclear cruise missiles got loose to begin with." [6]
Stormer also makes a key point, which is not exactly a secret:
"There is a strict chain of custody for all such weapons. Nuclear
weapons handling is spelled out in great detail in Air Force
regulations, to the credit of that service. Every person who orders the
movement of these weapons, handles them, breaks seals or moves any
nuclear weapon must sign off for tracking purposes." [7]
Stormer continues:
"Two armed munitions specialists are required to
work as a team with all nuclear weapons. All individuals working with
nuclear weapons must meet very strict security standards and be tested
for loyalty - this is known as a ‘[Nuclear Weapons] Personnel
Reliability Program [DoDD 5210 42].' They work in restricted areas
within eyeshot of one another and are reviewed constantly."[8]
Stormer unwraps the whole Pentagon cover-up by
pointing out some logical facts and military procedures. First he
reveals that: "All security forces assigned [to handle and protect
nuclear weapons] are authorized to use deadly force to protect the
weapons from any threat [including would-be thieves]." [9]
He then points out a physical reality that can not be
shrugged aside: "Nor does anyone quickly move a 1-ton cruise
missile - or forget about six of them, as reported by some news outlets,
especially cruise missiles loaded with high explosives."
He further explains another physical and procedural reality about
nuclear weapons assembly:
"The United States also does not transport nuclear weapons meant
for elimination attached to their launch vehicles under the wings of a
combat aircraft. The procedure is to separate the warhead from the
missile, encase the warhead and transport it by military cargo aircraft
to a repository - not an operational bomber base that just happens to be
the staging area for Middle Eastern operations." [10]
This last point raises the question of what were the
nuclear weapons meant for? In this context, Stomrer puts forth the
following list of important questions to which he demands an answer:
1. Why, and for what ostensible purpose, were these
nuclear weapons taken to Barksdale?
2. How long was it before the error was discovered?
3. How many mistakes and errors were made, and how many needed to be
made, for this to happen?
4. How many and which security protocols were overlooked?
5. How many and which safety procedures were bypassed or ignored?
6. How many other nuclear command and control non-observations of
procedure have there been?
7. What is Congress going to do to better oversee U.S. nuclear command
and control?
8. How does this incident relate to concern for reliability of control
over nuclear weapons and nuclear materials in Russia, Pakistan and
elsewhere?
9. Does the Bush administration, as some news reports suggest, have
plans to attack Iran with nuclear weapons?
It is a matter of perception, whether it is
"clear" or "unclear", as to why the nuclear warheads
had not been removed beforehand from the missiles.
For those who have been observing these series of "unclear"
events it is becoming "clear" that a criminal government is at
the helm of the United States. There was no way that the six nuclear
missiles could have been "mistakenly" loaded, especially when
their separate warheads had to be affixed to the missiles by individuals
specialized in such a momentous task.
It is also being claimed that military teams in both
U.S.A.F. Base Minot and U.S.A.F. Base Barksdale made major
"procedural errors". What are the probabilities of this
occurring simultaneously in two locations?
It is also worth noting that original reports from military sources
talked about only five of the six nuclear warheads from Minot being
accounted for in Barksdale.[11]
Nuclear warheads are also kept in specialized storage areas or bunkers.
Moreover, nuclear weapons are not being decommissioned at Barksdale.
The Role of the Nuclear Weapons Surety
Program: What happened to Electronic Monitoring?
The Nuclear Weapons Surety Program is a joint program
between the U.S. Department of Defence and the U.S. Department of
Energy. The National Security Agency (NSA) is also involved as well as
other U.S. federal government agencies. The Nuclear Weapons System
Safety Program is part of this program, which involves a monitoring and
safeguards regime for the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
The Nuclear Weapons Security Standard falls under the
Nuclear Weapons Surety Program and is in place to disallow any
"unauthorized access to nuclear weapons; prevent damage or sabotage
to nuclear weapons; prevent loss of custody; and prevent, to the maximum
extent possible, radiological contamination caused by unauthorized
acts."
Under this or these safeguards system there also
exists a rigorous control of use scheme, which is tied to the military
chain of command and the White House.
'Command and Control' (C2) and 'Use
Control'
'Use control' is a set of security measures
designed to prevent unauthorized access to nuclear weapons. These
measures involve weapons design features, operational procedures,
security, and system safety rules.
'Command and Control' or 'C2' involves the Office of the President of
the United States of America. C2 is an established line of command,
which is tied to the White House. Without it, nuclear weapons cannot be
deployed or armed as they were in U.S.A.F. Base Minot. It is these two
control elements that establish the basis of authorization through which
"absolute control of nuclear weapons" is maintained "at
all times."
In addition to the checks and balances in place in
regards to handling nuclear weapons, the Defence Threat Reduction Agency
(DTRA) and its partners manually and electronically inspect and monitor
all U.S. nuclear weapons through the Nuclear Weapon Status Information
Systems.
More Unanswered Questions: What
Happened to the Computerized Tracking System?
The Nuclear Management Information Systems
"interface with each other and provide [the U.S. Department of
Defence] with the ability to track the location of nuclear weapons and
components from cradle-to-grave [meaning from when they are made to when
they are decommissioned]." [12]
The Military Times also makes an omission that exposes the official
narrative as false and indicates that the event was not just a mistake:
"The Defense Department uses a computerized tracking program to
keep tabs on each one of its nuclear warheads, said Hans Kristensen,
director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of
American Scientists. For the six warheads to make it onto the B-52, each
one would have had to be signed out of its storage bunker and
transported to the bomber." [13]
This is where the chain of command in regards to military officers falls
into play. If any of the stocked inventories of nuclear weapons are
moved to an authorized location they will be noticed and tracked by the
DTRA and will require the relevant authorization. There is also a code
system involved that is tied to the chain of command.
The fact that the incident only apparently became known to the U.S. Air
Force when military personnel reported it, suggests that either the
nuclear weapons were ordered to be moved or that the electronic tracking
devices had been removed or tampered with. This scenario would need the
involvement of individuals with expertise in military electronics or for
those responsible for the monitoring of nuclear weapons to look the
other way or both.
Mysterious
Deaths in the United States Air Force: Whitewash and Cover-up
Several military personnel died under mysterious
circumstances shortly before and after the incident. There are now
questions regarding the fate of these individuals in the U.S. Air Force
who could have had relationships in one way or another to the incident
or possibly have been directly involved. It is also necessary to state
that there is no proof that these deaths are linked to the August flight
from Minot to Barksdale in question.
Citizens for Legitimate Government has pointed towards the involvement
of the U.S. Air Force in a cover-up and has linked several deaths of
U.S. servicemen to the incident. Lori Price has also stated for Citizens
for a Legitimate Government that "you need about fourteen
signatures to get an armed nuke on a B-52."
Based on several news sources, including the U.S. military, we provide
below a detailed review of these mysterious and untimely deaths of U.S.
servicemen.
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Todd
Blue
Airman 1st Class Todd Blue
went on leave days after the nuclear weapons were "lost." Blue
died under questionable timing while on leave, visiting his family in
Wytheville, Virginia at the age of 20 on September 10, 2007. He was a
response force member assigned to the 5th Security Forces Squadron. What
does this mean?
Airman Todd Blue occupied a key position in weapons systems
security at Minot. [14]
At Minot U.S.A.F. Base the 5th Security Forces Squadron to which he
belonged was responsible for base entry requirements and a particular
section, the Weapons System Security section, was responsible for
preventing the unauthorized removal of military property. The latter is
responsible for security of all priority resources, meaning the security
of nuclear weapons. In other words not only did the 5th Security Forces
Squadron keep eyes on what entered and left Minot, but they kept an eye
on and monitored the nuclear weapons.
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John
Frueh
|
John
Frueh
U.S. Air Force Captain John Frueh
is another serviceman who could have been indirectly connected to the
"lost" nuclear weapons. He was reported as being last seen
with a GPS device, camera, and camcorder being carried with him in a
backpack. Local police in Oregon and the F.B.I. seemed to be looking for
him for days. His family also felt that something bad had happened to
him.
On September 8, 2007 Captain Frueh was found dead in Washington State,
near his abandoned rental car, after the Portland Police Department
contacted the Skamania County Sheriff's Officer. [15]
The last time he spoke with his family was August 30, 2007. He had
arrived from Florida to attend a wedding that he never showed up at. The
Oregonian reported that "Authorities in Portland found no activity
on his credit or bank cards since [Frueh] was last seen (...) [and that]
the last call from his cell phone was made at 12:28 p.m. [August 30,
2007] from Mill Plain Boulevard and Interstate 205 in Vancouver
[Washington State]." [16]
His background was in meteorology and the study of the atmosphere and
weather. He was also reported to be a U.S. Air Force pararescue officer.
[17] He
was also a major-select candidate, which means he was selected for a
promotion as a U.S. Air Force major, but was not officially promoted.
Captain Frueh belonged to the U.S.A.F. Special
Operations Command. U.S.A.F. Special
Operations Command has its headquarters in Hurlburt Field, Florida and
is one of nine major Air Force commands. It is also the U.S. Air Force's
component of U.S. Special Operations Command, a unified command located
at MacDill Air Force Base, which is also in Florida. The force provides
special operations forces for worldwide deployment and assignment to
regional unified commands, such as CENTCOM. Its missions include conduct
of global special operations. These operations - and this is where
careful attention should be paid - range from "precision
application of firepower, such as nuclear weapons," to
infiltration, exfiltration (the removal of "devices,"
supplies, spies, special agents, or units from enemy territory),
re-supply and refuelling of special operational elements.
In Captain Frueh's case his death is questionable too.
The U.S. Air Force would not let a missing persons' investigation go
forward by the police without conducting its own investigation. Usually
the different service branches of the U.S. military would investigate
for missing servicemen, to see if these individuals are Absent Without
Authorized Leave (AWAL) or have deserted, before an individual's case is
handed over to the police.
Clint
Huff, Linda Huff, and Weston Kissel
Another military weatherman, along with his wife, also
died after August 30, 2007. Senior Airman Clint Huff,
belonging to the 26th Operational Weather Squadron and his wife Linda
Huff died in a motorcycle accident on September 15, 2007. [18]
The husband and wife fatality happened on Shreveport-Blanchard Highway,
near U.S.A.F. Base Barksdale, when according to the Caddo Parish
Sheriff's Officer a Pontiac Aztec, a medium-sized SUV, initiated a left
turn at the same time that the couple attempted to pass on a no passing
zone and collided. [19]
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First-Lieutenant Weston Kissel,
a B-52H Stratofortress Bomber pilot, also died in a reported Tennessee
motorcycle accident. This was while he was on leave in, less than two
months from the nuclear B-52 flights, on July 17, 2007. [20]
His death came after another single-vehicle accident by another Minot
serviceman, Senior Airman Adam Barrs. [21]
Adam Barrs and Stephen Garrett
Senior Airman Barrs
died as a passenger in a vehicle being driven by Airman 1st Class
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Stephen Garrett, also from Minot. Garrett, also
belongs to the 5th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.
The death of Barrs was reported as being part of a single-vehicle car
accident. Associated Press reports state that "[Minot] Base
officials say 20-year-old Barrs was a passenger in a vehicle that failed
to negotiate a curve, hit an approach, hit a tree and started on fire
late Tuesday [July 3, 2007] night." [22]
Barrs was pronounced dead on the scene of the accident, while Garrett
was taken the hospital with no updates released by the U.S. Air Force.
Adam Barrs also belonged to the 5th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, where
he was responsible for the maintenance and securing of the electronic
communicational and navigation mission systems aboard the B-52H
Stratofortresses on base. The 5th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron is also
one of the units that are responsible for loading and unloading weaponry
onto the B-52H Stratofortresses.
The deaths of Kissel and Barrs could be dismissed as irrelevant because
they occurred prior to the incident. However, Barrs and Kissel could
have been in one way or another connected to the advanced planning of
the special operation, prior to the incident (special operations are not
planned in a few days and may take months and even longer). There is, of
course, no proof and only an independent investigation will be able to
reveal whether these deaths are connected to the incident.
If there was an internal and secretive operation bypassing most military
personnel, a few men in key positions would have to have been involved
over a period of time prior to the August 29/30, 2007 flight. Senior
Airman Barrs, due to his expertise in communication and navigational
systems, could potentially have been involved in the preparations that
would have allowed the nuclear weapons to escape detection by military
surveillance and be ready for takeoff.
Reprimands,
Replacements and Reassignments in the U.S.A.F. Chain of Command
Senior officers, including three colonels and a
lieutenant-colonel, are among seventy personnel that will reportedly be
disciplined for negligence and for allowing a B-52H Stratofortress
Bomber to fly across the U.S. carrying six nuclear-armed cruise missiles
that should never have been loaded under its wings. [23]
According to the Military Times, George W. Bush Jr.
had been swiftly informed. This is a lockstep procedure. This
illustrates the importance tied to the authorization needed for handling
nuclear weapons. This is part of a two-way process in regards to
authorization from the White House.
The commander of the 5th Munitions Squadron and the commander of the 5th
Bomb Wing, Colonel Bruce Emig, have been replaced along with a series of
other senior officers. This implies that the U.S. Air Force chain of
command is directly involved in this event. None of these senior
officers have been authorized to speak or make statements, according to
U.S. military sources. Will any of these officers receive lucrative
departure packages? Have they been reassigned?
More generally, the nature of the reprimands directed against senior
officers involved has not been fully disclosed.
The "memory" of the incident is being erased
through a reorganization of the ranks and a purge at U.S.A.F. Base
Minot. The streamlining of the chain of command as well as the
mysterious deaths of personnel who could have been involved in the
incident, raise a series of far-reaching questions.
There are several important issues regarding the senior officers' chain
of command at Minot, which will be addressed in this article. Once
again, the most important questions in regards to the missing nukes are:
Who gave the orders and authorization for the operation
and what where the underlying objectives of loading
armed nuclear missiles?
Other
Mysterious Deaths: Was the Missing Nukes Incident connected to US War
Plans directed against Iran?
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Charles
Riechers
|
Charles
D. Riechers
A U.S. Air Force official, Charles D. Riechers, has
been found dead on October 14, 2007. [24]
Riechers was a retired Air Force officer and master navigator
specializing in electronic warfare. He was a member of the Senior
Executive Service of the U.S. Air Force, and was the Principal Deputy
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition and Management. A
description of his duties includes "providing sound expert advice
and guidance on acquisition and procurement policies, as well as
formulating, reviewing and, as assigned, execution of plans, programs
and policies relating to organization, function, operation and
improvement of the Air Force's acquisition system."
He apparently killed himself by running his car's
engine inside his suburban garage in Virginia. The death of Charles D.
Riechers has been casually linked by The Washington Post to his
involvement in fraudulent activities and embezzlement. [25]
The Washington Post reported that the Air Force had asked defense
contractor, Commonwealth Research Institute (C.R.I.), to give him a job
with no known duties while he waited for official clearance for his
promoted rank in the Pentagon. Riechers is quoted as saying: "I
really didn't do anything for C.R.I.," and "I [still] got a
paycheck from them." The question, of course, was whether the
contractor might expect favours in return upon his assignment to the
Pentagon last January. [26]
A mysterious suicide letter expressing shame was subsequently reported;
the letter was reportedly from a man who had already admitted without
shame that he was receiving money for doing nothing. This was known to
the U.S. Senate, which had approved his promotion.
In a report featured by Pravda, Russian Intelligence
analysts have said that the reported suicide of Charles D. Riechers was
a cover-up and that he was murdered because of his involvement in the
controversial flight of nuclear weapons over the continental United
States.
Pravda reports that "Russian Intelligence
Analysts are reporting today that American War Leaders have ‘suicided'
[sic] one of their Top US Air Force Officials Charles D. Riechers as the
rift growing between the U.S. War Leaders and their Top Military
Officers over a nuclear attack on Iran appears to be nearing open
warfare." [27]
According to the Pravda report, the incident was
linked to an operation to smuggle nuclear weapons away from the U.S.
military in connection to launching a war against Iran.
The Commonwealth Research Institute (CRI), a registered non-profit
organization is a subsidiary of Concurrent Technologies, which is
registered with the IRS as a tax-exempt charity, which is run by Daniel
Richard DeVos. Devos is also an associate of John P. Murtha, who was
investigated by the F.B.I. for his Saudi links.
Certainly the ties of the Commonwealth Research
Institute (CRI), a non-profit organization working for the Pentagon, are
questionable and the organization could be a front for internal
operations that bypass most military personnel. The case appears to be
part of an internal operation that was being kept a secret from most of
the U.S. military, but what for?
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Russell
Dougherty
|
Russell
E. Dougherty
More than a month before the death of Riechers, General
Russell Elliot Dougherty, a retired flag officer, was also
reported to have died on September 7, 2007 at his home in Falcon Landing
military retirement community in Potomac Falls located in Arlington,
Virginia. [28]
He once was one of the most senior individuals responsible for the
nuclear arsenal of the U.S. military and also the former commander of
Strategic Air Command (SAC) and director of the Joint Strategic Target
Planning Staff, which identified nuclear targets worldwide amongst its
responsibilities. At Minot next to his obituary was a military
information notice on suicide, telling servicepersons what the signs of
suicide are. [29]
Russell Dougherty in the course of his military career in the U.S. Air
Force had dealt with the issues pertaining to Mutual Assured Destruction
(MAD), full spectrum dominance, how to defeat the enemy and avoid a
nuclear war, other uses for nuclear weaponry, Nuclear Primacy for the
U.S., and tackling the effects of the wind and weather - due to their
unpredictable natures - on the use of nuclear weapons.
The fact that the nuclear warheads were attached to the nuclear cruise
missiles could mean that someone wanted to take the weapons in one step
or to use them right away.
Timely Appointments at U.S.A.F. Base
Minot
Several of the commanding officers at Minot were
freshly appointed in June, 2007. This may have been part of standard
procedures, but the timing should not be ignored.
Colonel Robert D. Critchlow was transferred, just
before the incident, from the Pentagon to Minot and appointed commanding
officer for the 91st Operations Group, a missileer unit and the
operational backbone of the 91st Space Wing. In Washington, D.C. he was
involved in research for the Congressional Research Services and later
posted into Air Force Nuclear Response and Homeland Defence.
Colonel Myron L. Freeman was transferred from Japan to
Minot in June, 2007. Colonel Freeman was appointed as the commander of
the 91st Security Forces Group, which is responsible for securing
Minot's nuclear arsenal.
Colonel Gregory S. Tims was also appointed as deputy
commander or vice-commander of the 91st Space Wing in June, 2007.
However, Colonel Tims was transfered to Minot from California almost a
year before.
One of the most senior non-commissioned officers (NCOs) or
non-commissioned members (NCMs), Chief Master Sergeant Mark R.
Clark, was also transferred to U.S.A.F. Base Minot from
Nebraska in July, 2007.
Colonel Roosevelt Allen was also transferred to Minot
from Washington, D.C. to become commander of the 5th Medical Group.
Colonel Bruce Emig, the now-former commander of the 5th
Bomb Wing, was also transferred to Minot from U.S.A.F. Base Ellsworth in
South Dakota in June, 2007. Colonel Emig was also the base commander of
Minot.
Colonel Cynthia M. Lundell, the now-former group
commander for the 5th Maintenance Group, the unit responsible for
loading and unloading weaponry onto the B-52H Stratofortresses was also
freshly transferred from a NATO post in Western Europe in June, 2007.
Were these appointments temporary? Were any of these appointments
related to the six "lost" nuclear missiles?
Prior to the Missing Nukes Incident,
Minot Airmen Meet with the President and the U.S. Air Force Chief of
Staff
On
June 15, 2007, George W. Bush Jr. met senior officers from U.S.A.F. Base
Minot at U.S.A.F. Base McConnell in Wichita, Kansas during a visit to
Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems facility. Amongst them was Major
Daniel Giacomazza of the 5th Operational Support Squadron.
Senator Patrick Roberts of Kansas was also present. "While he
chaired the Senate Intelligence Committe from 2002 to 2007, [Senator]
Roberts stonewalled attempts to investigate everything from the
manipulation of intelligence in the rush to war in Iraq, President
Bush's warrantless wiretaps, and even allegations of the use of torture
by the CIA," according to Associated Press (AP) reports. [30]
The same report also indicates that the U.S. President was in Wichita
for a political fundraiser, and stopped at a new Boys and Girls Club of
America to defray the costs of getting to Wichita via Air Force One for
Senator Roberts' campaign.
Military sources have reported that a B-52H Stratofortress was flown to
Wichita so that Boeing's engineers could take a look in order to make
adjustments to the war planes for a new military program. [31]
Nothing has been reported about any private meetings between President
Bush Jr. or any of his presidential staff and the personnel from Minot.
However, reports have been made of meetings between military families
and the U.S. President in his office on Air Force One.
General Moseley, the Air Force Chief of Staff, had previously visited
Minot on March 14-15, 2007, a month before Minot airmen
went to Wichita. [32]
If a secret mission was being prepared, these events could have played a
role in the recruiting phases for an important internal special
operation. Following their recruitment, Minot servicemen could have
symbolically met General Moseley or White House officials to understand
that the mission was being sanctioned by the highest ranks and offices
in the United States.
Orders had to Come from the Top:
Treason of the Highest Order
Orders had to come from higher up.
The operation would not have been possible without the involvement of
more than one individual in the highest ranks of the U.S. Air Force
command structure and the Pentagon.
The only way to bypass these separate chains of command is "to be
above them" (from higher up), as well as have the possibility of
directly overseeing their implementation.
These orders would then have been communicated to lower levels in the US
Air Force command chain in different locations, to allow for a so-called
"oversight" to proceed. The alternative to this is "an
alternative chain of command," although this also needs someone in
the highest ranks of office to organize and oversee.
The post given to Riechers was politically motivated,
given his track record in the U.S. Air Force. Riechers had been in a
position of responsibility in the U.S. Air Force special operational
support activities; something he had in common with Russell Dougherty,
the former SAC commander. He would have been one of the best suited
individuals for making arrangements in the case of an alternative
command structure for a secretive nuclear operation. Moreover, he
already had a record of corrupt behaviour through his involvement with
the Commonwealth Research Institute. The possible involvement of U.S.
Air Force weathermen and special operatives raises many questions as to
what exactly was the objective of making the nuclear weapons disappear.
[33]
The Investigation
The U.S. Air Force has publicly stated that it has
made a "mistake," which is very unusual and almost
unprecedented for a military organization that tries to continually
assure the American public of their safety.
The fact that seventy or more military personnel have been punished in
the case of the "lost" nuclear weapons does not mean, however,
that the senior commanding officers responsible for having carried out
the special operation will be identified and punished.
Quite the opposite. The investigation could indeed result in a
camouflage of the chain of command, where lower-ranking military
personnel are accused and court-martialed, with a view to ultimately
protecting those in high office who have committed an act of treason.
The series of deaths mentioned above, may have no ties whatsoever with
the the August flight in question from Minot to Barksdale, but the
issues of command, monitoring, and authorization cannot be overlooked or
ignored. The American people have before them a case of treason that
involves the highest offices of government and most probably the offices
of the President and the Vice-President.
Once again, the "C2" process involves the Office of the
President and Commander-in-Chief. It is an established line of command,
without which nuclear weapons could not have been deployed or armed as
they were in U.S.A.F. Base Minot. It is this command element that
establishes the basis of authorization through which "absolute
control of nuclear weapons" is maintained "at all times."
With time it is possible that military servicemen and servicewomen may
come forward with more information.
However, in the meantime, there has been a streamlining of military
personnel at U.S.A.F. Minot. Base personnel have become dispersed and
reassigned to other locations.
If they on the grounds of loyalty to their country, the United States of
America, come forward and reveal what has taken place, they are to be
saluted with full honour by all ranks. As George Orwell said, "In a
time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary
act," and indeed these are deceitful times.
The fact that U.S. Air Force officers came forward and
reported this incident is contrary to U.S. military procedures,
regulations, and laws. The U.S. military will never release any
information that will risk or damage its reputation. Any information in
regards to nuclear weapons can not be released without prior
consultations with and authorization by the White House.
The nuclear weapons were armed and moved deliberately. Orders had to
have come from the highest echelons of the U.S. government.
The question is what exactly were they meant for? Were they part of a
war agenda or something else?
Bush Threatens Iran with Nuclear
Weapons
What adds intrigue to an understanding of the
missing nukes, are the international events and war games taking place
just after the "lost" nuclear weapons incident, not to mention
the President's ongoing threats to attack Iran with nuclear weapons and
Vice President Cheney's repeated warnings that a second large scale
terrorist attack on America is under preparation, with the support of
Iran.
In the U.S., under the Vigilant Shield 2008 war games (initiated in
September, 2007) and the TOPOFF anti-terrorism exercises, some form of
nuclear terrorist attack on American soil had been envisaged. The roles
of Russia and China had also been contemplated. The latter would be
"a likely scenario" had the U.S. attacked Iran and as a result
Russia and China had decided to intervene. [34]
Under Vigilant Shield 2007, held in 2006, the possibility of a nuclear
war with Iran's allies, Russia and China, had been contemplated in the
war games scenario.
The Kremlin has responded by holding its own war games. [35]
An unveiled threat to trigger World War Three has been the response of
George W. Bush Jr. to Russia's statements warning that a U.S. sponsored
war with Iran, could result in an escalating World War III scenario.
The six nuclear warheads were not meant for use in theatre operations
against Iran. This is obvious because if they were then they would have
been deployed via the proper procedural routes without the need to hide
anything. Besides, there are already theatre-level nuclear weapons ready
and armed in Europe and the Middle East for any possible Middle Eastern
mission. There was something more to the incident.
It is also worth noting that the Israelis launched an attack on an
alleged Syrian nuclear facility that both Tel Aviv and the White House
claim was constructed with the assistance of North Korea. This event has
been used, through official statements and media disinformation, to draw
a Syria-Iran-North Korea nuclear proliferation axis. [36]
In regards to the case of the missing nuclear weapons, weathermen and
military personnel with an expertise in space and missile components
were involved. The incident took place during a time when the U.S.
missile shield projects in Eastern Europe and Eastern Asia, directed
against Russia and China, were raising international tensions and
alarms. On October 23, 2007, President Bush Jr. stated: "The need
for missile defence in Europe is real and I believe it's urgent." [37]
Nuclear warfare, the militarization of space, and "the missile
shield" are interrelated military processes. The overtones of
Nuclear Primacy are hanging in the air. One of the goals of the U.S.
military has been to effectively shield itself from a potential Russian
or potential Russian and Chinese nuclear response to a nuclear
"First Strike" from the U.S. military. [38]
The militarization of space is also deeply linked to this military
project. Like their advanced knowledge about the U.S. missile shield
project, Russian and Chinese officials have got wind of these ambitions
and are fully aware of what the U.S. intends to do.
Source: Global
Research, October 29, 2007
© Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya
Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya is an independent writer based in Ottawa
specializing in Middle Eastern affairs. He is a Research Associate of
the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG).
Notes
[1] Sarah
Baxter, US Hits Panic Button As Air Force ‘Loses' Nuclear Missiles,
The Times (U.K.), October
21, 2007.
[2] The
Nuclear Reactions Data Centres also estimated that the W80-1 stockpile
included a total of 1,400 warheads remain in stockpile associated with
the 900 ALCMs that are in storage with their warheads removed.
[3]
Baxter, US Hits Panic Button, Op. cit.
[4] John
Andrew Prime, Barksdale Bombers Expand B-52 Capabilities, The Sheveport
Times, August
27, 2007.
[5]
Baxter, US Hits Panic Button, Op. cit.; Major-General Newton is also
responsible for formulating policy supporting air, space, nuclear,
counter-proliferation, homeland, weather, and cyber operations. Because
of his role as one of the Air Forces' key flag officers in regards to
nuclear issues and counter-proliferation he has been involved in war
planning in regards to Iran, Israeli preparations for attacks on Syria,
and the 2006 Israeli war against Lebanon.
[6]
Robert Stormer, Nuke Transportation Story Has Explosive Implications,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Octobers 8, 2007.
[7]
Ibid.; To help ensure adequate shipboard security, TLAM-N is protected
by an intrusion detection alarm system that indicates an intrusion, both
visually and audibly, at a continuously manned station capable of
dispatching a security team.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Ibid.
[10]
Ibid.
[11]
Michael Hoffman, B-52 Mistakenly Flies With Nukes Aboard, Military
Times, September 10, 2007; Associated Press sources also made the same
report. Military Times simply changed their article and AP withdrew its
report on the basis of a factual error.
[12] Office of the Inspector General, U.S.
Department of Defence (DoD), Year 2000 Status of the Defense Threat
Reduction Agency Nuclear Weapon Information Tracking Systems, Report No.
99-235 (August 19, 1999).
[13]
Michael Hoffman, Commander Disciplined For Nuclear Mistake, Military
Times, September
7, 2007.
[14] Minot Airman Dies While On Leave, Minot
Air Force Base Public Affairs, September
12, 2007.
[15]
Body Of Missing Air Force Captain Found, Associated Press, September
10, 2007.
[16]
Kimberly Wilson, Portland Police Seek Air Force Weatherman Missing On
Trip, The Oregonian, September 5, 2007.
[17] U.S. Air Force operatives that are tasked
with recovery and medical treatment of personnel in war environments, as
well as handling astronauts returning from space. They are the only
members of the U.S. military that are specially trained and equipped to
conduct personnel recovery operations in hostile or denied areas as a
primary mission.
[18] Victims In Saturday Motorcycle Accident
Identified, The Sheveport Times, September
16, 2007; Notice of Active Duty Death, The Bombardier, September
21, 2007, p.1.
[19]
John Andrew Prime, Caddo Deputies Work Double Fatality Accident, The
Sheveport Times, September
15, 2007.
[20]
Minot Airman Dies in Motorcycle Accident, Minot Air Force Base Public
Affairs, July
18, 2007.
[21]
Minot Airman Identified, Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs, July
5, 2007.
[22]
Authorities Identify Minot Airman Killed In Crash, Associated Press,
July 5, 2007.
[23]
Baxter, US Hits Panic Button, Op. cit.
[24]
Air Force Official Found Dead, The Tribune-Democrat, October
16, 2007; Ginger Thompson and Eric Schmitt, Top Air Force Official
Dies In Apparent Suicide, The New York Times, October
16, 2007.
[25]
Robert O'Harrow Jr., Air Force Arranged No-Work Contract: Experts
Question Official's Deal With Nonprofit, The Washington Post, October
1, 2007, p.A01.
[26]
Ibid.
[27] Top US Air Force Official ‘Suicided'
[sic] As Iran War Nears, Pravda, October
16, 2007.
[28]
Yvonne Shinhoster Lamb, Obituaries: Russell E. Dougherty, The Washington
Post, October 13, 2007, p.B06.
[29]
General Dougherty, Former SAC Commander, Dies, The Bombardier, September
21, 2007, p.9.
[30]
Deb Reichmann, Bush Raises Money For Kansas Senator, Associated Press, June
15, 2007.
[31] Warbirds Meet Commander In Chief, Minot
Air Force Base Public Affairs, June
22, 2007.
[32] Staff Sergeant Trevor Tiernan, CSAF Visits
Minot, Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs, March
16, 2007.
[33] Infra. n.38.
[34] Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya, Vigilant Shield
2008: Terrorism, Air Defences, and the Domestic Deployment of the US
Military, Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG), October
6, 2007; Michel Chossoduvsky, Dangerous Crossroads: US Sponsored War
Games, Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG), October
6, 2007; The March to War: NATO Preparing for War with Serbia?
Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG), October
19, 2007.
[35]
Michel Chossudovsky, New Cold War: Simultaneously, Russia and America
Conduct Major War Games, Centre for Research on Globalization, October
16, 2007.
[36]
Both the U.S. and Israeli governments cite the arrival of a North Korean
ship with alleged nuclear-related cargo as proof, but one needs only
point out one fact to dislodge this claim. The U.S. government has setup
an internationally illegal program involved in policing the seas and
maritime traffic, the International Proliferation Initiative (IPI).
Under the IPI the U.S. has been illegally stopping North Korean vessels
and inspecting them, especially when they have suspected suspicious
materials. Hereto, North Korea has not been given any carte blanches
from vessel inspections. The U.S. Navy and NATO vessels have a virtual
cordon of the waterways around the Middle East from the Indian Ocean to
the Read Sea and Mediterranean Sea. If the North Korean vessel had
nuclear materials it would never have reached Syria.
[37] Missile Shield Is 'Urgent' - Bush, British
Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), October
23, 2007.
The U.S. is well in the process of implementing the recommendations of
the Project for the New American Century (PNAC); "[The United
States must] develop and deploy missile defences to defend the American
homeland and American allies, and to provide a secure basis for U.S.
power projection around the world," and "Control the new
‘international commons' of space and cyberspace and pave the way for
the creation of a new military service - U.S. Space Forces - with the
mission of space control."
Thomas Donnelly et al., Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategy, Forces,
and Resources For A New Century (The
Project for the New American Century: September 2000), p.v.
[38] It is here that two things should be noted
in regards to physics and magnetospheric physics; Firstly, nuclear
explosions from the air are different than ground-based nuclear
explosions in many ways (including contamination levels), but the
weather and wind direction are major unknowns or variables; Secondly, as
a fundamental natural law energy never disappears, it only changes or is
transferred. The energy from nuclear explosions can theoretically be
transferred into the Earth' magnetic radiation fields, called the Van
Allen Belt or the Van Allen Belts, and used to energize and excite
various particles, sub-atomic particles, and ions. Tentatively, if
manipulated this can have harmful results on surface areas, including
burning electronic and communication devices, and military applications
such as disrupting satellites in space. If this were possible Russian,
Chinese, Iranian, or Indian military defenses, communications, and
missile facilities could be effortlessly neutralized.
These
radiation belts also travel in loops and notionally an energized pulse
set off from an area in the U.S. could circumnavigate into an area
halfway around the globe.
In fact the U.S. military has been experimenting with
manipulating the radiation belts since the end of the Second World War.
The U.S. Navy's Project Argus, taking place from August to September
1958, is an example. A total of five nuclear weapons were used; three
atom bombs (weapons using nuclear fission) were detonated above the
Atlantic Ocean and two thermonuclear or hydrogen bombs (weapons using
nuclear fusion) in the Pacific Ocean in an effort to manipulate the Van
Allen Belts.
On
August 29, 2007, a B-52 bomber officially loaded with 12 external live
nuclear warheads (advanced 10-foot long AGM-129 Advanced Cruise
Missiles or ACMs), each loaded with a 
The nuclear warheads in the missiles were supposed to have been removed
before taking the missiles from their storage bunker. The missiles with
the nuclear warheads were not reported missing and remained mounted to the
aircraft at both Minot and Barksdale for a period of 36 hours. During
this period, the warheads were not protected by the various mandatory
security precautions required for nuclear weapons. The incident was
reported to the top levels of the United States (U.S.) military and
referred to by observers as a 
To date, that missile remains unaccounted for, but the bizarre incident
has left several dead soldiers in its wake and, according to these same
insider, triggered (or may be related to) the March-April 2008 shutdown of
several commercial airliners; the public was told the groundings had to do
with faulty, un-inspected wiring.
