My colleagues and I went to the NIH the other day to meet with a doctor who is interested in trying an experimental treatment for a fatal genetic disorder. Our lab has been developing the treatment for several years. The meeting was to coordinate efforts to get rapid FDA approval for testing the treatment on one afflicted baby, who will die without treatment. What does this story have to do with nukes? Bear with me.
When we arrived at the entrance gate to the NIH we had to stop our car at a checkpoint populated with many armed guards and had to show our IDs, which indicated that we were from the military university across the street from the NIH. We were nonetheless ordered out of the car, and asked the deposit the contents of our pockets into trays before being herded through not one but two separate metal detector devices. The car was then searched as we waited. We were allowed to collect our belongings and given temporary NIH IDs, and then got back in the car and proceeded slowly down the road into the NIH campus.
We were stopped again a short while later and had to show the temporary NIH tags that we were just given. Preceding again into the NIH campus we got to the building where the meeting was to take place. We were stopped again and this time the steering wheel of the car was swabbed and the trunk of the car searched again. Finally, we were allowed to park the car and go to the meeting.
My point in bringing all of this up is that security at government and military facilities in the United States is at an absurdly high level. Far higher than necessary considering that the NIH is basically like a university campus, not a military nuclear storage facility.
And yet an article in the Washington Post today which details how six nuclear tipped cruise missiles were “accidentally” flown from Minot air base in North Dakota to Barksdale base in Louisiana chalks the whole incident up to lax security procedures… at a nuclear storage facility.
The official story so far goes like this. Minot air base stores nukes with non nukes in the same igloo bunkers. The type of cruise missiles that were being retrieved from the bunker were AGM-129s, which can only take two types of warhead; nuclear, or dummy nuclear. The nuke warheads are color coded red, and the dummies color coded silver. Silver good… red bad.
The munitions custodian officer who was in charge of retrieving the missile pods from the bunker reportedly “did not notice” that 6 of the missiles had red warheads, and proceeded to move them to the tarmac for loading onto the wings of an aging B52H bomber. After loading 6 nukes on one wing, and 6 dummies on the other wing, a flight officer reportedly only bothered to check the wing that contained the dummy warheads, and then without looking at the other group of missiles, cleared the plane for takeoff.
Separated from the rest of the world only by a chain link fence, the plane sat on the tarmac for 15 hours unguarded, with the unguarded missiles having the equivalent nuclear destructive power of 60 Hiroshima bombs. The next day, the nukes were flown to Louisiana in a plane that was not rated for transportation of nuclear weapons, creating what nuke experts call a “bent spear” incident, meaning an unauthorized movement of weapons outside the chain of nuclear command.
After landing at Barksdale air base, the plane and nukes sat unattended again for 9 hours before the nukes were “noticed” by one airman who was involved in removing them from the wings. All in all, the nukes were out of authorized command and control for over a day.
The official story of confusion and negligence is very disturbing. If true, it indicates that our nuclear weapons supply is very poorly guarded, at a time when military security is supposedly at an all time high due to be so-called “war on terror”. The other possibility, that munitions officers and flight crews were ordered to move the missiles secretly, listed as AGM 129 cruise missiles with dummy warheads, is even more disturbing. Either way, something is very wrong here.
So, what does this all have to do with our meeting at the NIH? Security at the NIH was extremely high, and even though we had ID cards from a neighboring military university, the guards went through all the motions. Considering that nuclear weapons were involved at Minot, it is hard to understand how security there could have been so much more lax. The question remaining in my mind is, was it simply lax nuke security, which is terrifying, or was it ordered from higher up, which is even more terrifying? I wonder if we will ever have an answer.
Oh, and by the way. The FDA refused our request to try to save the baby with the fatal genetic disease.
Dr. John Moffett is an active research neuroscientist in the Washington, DC area, who has published over 45 scientific articles on the nervous and immune systems. Dr. Moffett is also the author and webmaster of the political opinion website www.Factinista.org, and is a Managing Editor at OpEdNews.com.
strategically placed would almost certainly bring about the collapse of North American civilization (if civilization isn't too strong a word). People seem to have no clue of the destructive power of these weapons, or their relative availability--Pakistan told the world how to build them, Russia has hundreds (or more) available for any ambitious group of armed goons, and, well, mere humans are in charge of safeguarding them, even here.
And yet we stand in line in airports behaving like sheep, putting an ounce of eyedrop fluid in a plastic bags, removing nose hair clippers, and surrendering sun tan lotion to the garbage--even though I recently got off a plane and found a box cutter in my pocket when I got where I was going (I use them all the time for various projects).
Truly, we are insane.
by
Daniel Geery (26 articles, 58 quicklinks, 121 diaries, 690 comments)
on Sunday, September 23, 2007 at 9:54:17 AM
My point exactly. The level of security at places such as the NIH, airports, etc. is extremely high, while security at borders, ports and apparently nuclear weapons storage facilities seems somewhat lacking.
I think we are all being played for fools. They put average citizens through the ringer, while not scrutinizing cargo containers or trucks entering the country nearly as carefully. It is to make it seem like they are on the job, when in fact, they are on the wrong job, or not on the job of real security at all.
by
John R Moffett (80 articles, 14 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 610 comments)
on Sunday, September 23, 2007 at 10:59:52 AM
I wish that I could be surprised by the serious lapse in security related to this incident...sadly, I am not. What does surprise me, is how asleep at the wheel Americans are in demanding better security at nuclear facility, and specifically at commercial reactors regulated by the NRC.
After September 11, 2001 security was supposedly tightened at these facilities, the DBT (Design Basis Threat) greatly improved. In fact and deed, with the NEI's lobbying efforts inside the offices of NRC's commissioners, crucial weapons that a reactor site should be capable of defending against were REMOVED from the DBT. Why? Because inclusion of these easily attainable and commonly used weapons (by terrorists) would have made over 80 percent of nuclear reactor security infrastructure obsolete.
Guard towers, and partitions for Control Room security are made of bullet resistant glass. No match for armoring piercing munitions, no match for mortars, no match for shoulder launched rockets or a 50 Caliber Semi Automatic Rifle...all weaposn that the NEI and the nuclear industry did not want to have to defend against in the DBT.
Right now the NRC is attempting to relicense 104 aging brittled reactors for another 20 years of operation. To keep security concerns from being discussed, they have deemed security at reactor sites is OUT OF SCOPE in making the decision to relicense a nuclear reactor.
As unfortunate as the nuclear warhead story is, it pales in comparison to the story of 50 percent of America being put at risk because of lack security at commercial nuclear reactors.
Sherwood Martinelli
Vice President of FUSE USA
by
Royce Penstinger (21 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 21 comments)
on Sunday, September 23, 2007 at 9:54:22 AM
While we're on this topic, may I pose another question? What happened to all the missing biological, chemical & nuclear weapons in the former Soviet Union? It's been almost 16 years since the former USSR was dissolved. Shortly afterwards, reports started to surface, in the alternative press that these weapons were being sold by Russian scientists, military officers & former Kremlin era bureaucrats to both terrorist groups & perhaps Middle Eastern countries, plus some may have remained in the former Soviet Central Asian republics after they declared their independence in the early 1990's. There is even some speculation that Iran has some these of nukes given the fact that Russia supplies much of Iran with its aerospace defence & nuclear power technology. Let's just hope that our government doesn't attack Iran & we ultimately & tragically find out where some of them eventually found a home!
by
iman (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 89 comments)
on Sunday, September 23, 2007 at 1:27:01 PM
The Extraterrestrial Powers-ET- that apparently own planet Earth, know where all of the Nukes are at at anytime, day or night.
ET has a large capacity to monitor them and control their use or to block their use at any moment.
This is why the presence of the ET remain such a closely held secret. The government policy is Shhh...Don't ever mention this in public; it may awaken the ordinary folks to what the truth really is.
The truth really is, is that our nuclear war fighting elite have planned to kill us all, and made this plan at the beginning of the nuclear age.
The ET appear to have asserted their "Right of Power," over our nuclear war fighting elite.
ET has suggested to our nuclear war fighting elite to select a new strategy; one in which a nuclear war is not waged on planet earth, or anywhere else.
Our nuclear war fighting elite seem to have some behavior issues, and they want so badly to Assault humanity with nuclear weapons to prove once and for how wonderful they are and how great are their scientific achievements.
One can only speculate, yet, if the ET continue to grab our nuclear war fighting elite by their Electrons, then humanity may be spared from the pre planned all out assault upon us with the use of nuclear weapons.
We remain still, The Living dead. If ET should ever step aside, and our nuclear war fighting elite finally have their way with us, instead of the Living Dead, we will become the Dead Dead.
.
by
Patrick (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 401 comments)
on Sunday, September 23, 2007 at 9:07:25 PM
Can someone explain the logic that continues to build more nukes when both sides can destroy the world several times over already?
After they’ve destroyed the world the first time one wonders what are they going to do with the bombs left over? A garage sale to the aliens perhaps?
The military industry’s clout comes from the $s it makes and that it employs so many people in the US. Whole communities (votes) exist on its production. That extra production means more international trade (legitimate and black market) in weapons equals more Fear, tension, skirmishes, less trust more wars.
Conversely less weapons equals less tensions more diplomacy relative peace.
Just suppose half of the production and budget were turned to anti global warming technology for just five years.Global warming solution in sight, less pollution, less tensions, less wars.
True there are other issues too but at least it would give everyone time to deal with them without looking over the shoulder all the time.
Oh yes about the other war mongering countries? What do you think currently motivates their bellicosity? The same as Bush/ Cheney cabal are pushing in order maintain control…..Fear.
You never know the conservative right and others with no wars to fight might discover they’ve got no one to hate and for the first time America and the world are at relative peace.
Simplistic, naive? Possibly but its no less silly than current mindless weapons escalation and it has a potentially far less catastrophic outcome…note I did say half the military industry.
by
Andris (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 531 comments)
on Sunday, September 23, 2007 at 10:12:27 PM
You are relating the "spun" version of this story.
Michael Salla posted the story here, detailing how the leak was made.
Citizens for a legitimate government has posted some very very upsetting strange coincidences surrounding the actual experience. As you will see, if you access the link, some very strange stories about it all have been spun already .. more shall surely come.
I said it when I read it: this is a story with LEGS, and we haven't heard much of the REAL story as yet.
The one important thing that the WaPo left out is that Dick Cheney appointed himself in charge of the movement of nuclear materials some time back . . so we know where the buck stops.
There should be some real fall out over this story during the next few days, corrections made, more lies and coverup, more plants telling pork pies, the whole bit.
I see people are posting fast and furiously about it over on Keith Olbermann's news hole this morning; it's gonna be a big one!!
by
ladybroadoak (38 articles, 20 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 390 comments)
on Monday, September 24, 2007 at 5:38:54 AM
I definitely don’t believe the official account. The fact that this hasn’t happened accidentally in 40 years is telling.
What I haven’t heard anything about yet is where those 6 warheads are now?
I’d love to know.
The doctor in charge of the baby’s care has his hands tied now. He can’t legally give the child the treatment because the FDA did not approve it’s experimental use. We have all consumed the treatment compound to make sure that there were no adverse effects, and we are all fine. We have cured rats and mice with the same genetic defect. But the FDA is all about rules, not about humanitarian concerns. Unfortunately.
by
John R Moffett (80 articles, 14 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 610 comments)
on Monday, September 24, 2007 at 9:24:10 AM
Official "stories" like these are exactly that "stories". These kinds of stories are going to give them the excuse to use these "private armies" or security firms against ourselves!! In the near future instead of getting checked by police, you'll be getting molested by a bloodthirsty merc, fresh from the frontlines in the name of "security" or the lack there of.
by
Joe Rathbun (8 articles, 4 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 142 comments)
on Monday, September 24, 2007 at 3:12:14 PM
10 comments
How would you rate this?
You must be logged in (if signed up) to do ratings.
It's free to signup! And easy. And takes just a minute or two....
Must Read (
Well Said (
News (
Touching (
Funny (
Supported (
Interesting (
Inspiring (
Valuable (
