From October 15 to 19, 2007, a set of military and civil exercises will be held in Oregon, Arizona and Guam. The exercises, TOPOFF 4 and Vigilant Shield 08, are designed to test official responses to the detonation of radiological dispersal devices on U.S. territory. The exercises will be overseen by Vice President Dick Cheney who, according to unconfirmed reports, will travel to Portland to coordinate all Federal departments and agencies responses to the simulated attacks. This has led to a number of civilian groups expressing alarm that TOPOFF and Vigilant Shield might be used as a cover for False Flag operations that replicate what occurred during the 911 attacks . On September 11, 2001, Dick Cheney was overseeing a series of simulated terrorist attacks involving hijacked airplanes hitting buildings that was called “Vigilant Guardian”. Vigilant Guardian was run simultaneously with NORAD training exercises called Vigilant Warrior and Northern Vigilance that altogether involved as many as eleven hijacked airplanes. This created much confusion and led to stand down orders for the US Air Force that was unsure if the 911 attacks were part of the simulated exercises or real attacks. This confusion accounted for the long delays between initial reports of hijacked planes being used in ‘terrorist’ attacks, and Air Force intercept missions being launched using the few planes not involved in the Northern Vigilance exercise.
What makes TOPOFF 4 and Vigilant Shield especially concerning is that they follow upon an incident involving five (later revised up to six) nuclear cruise missiles found on a B-52 sitting on a tarmac at Barksdale Air Force Base on August 30. The Air Force has launched an official inquiry and so far has announced to the public that the B-52 incident was nothing more than an unusually high number of errors. A Washington Post article on September 23 summarized the main arguments for this explanation which has effectively put to an end any further investigations by mainstream media sources. In contrast, a number of researchers have argued that the B-52 incident could not have occurred without very senior officials giving orders, and others refusing to comply with such orders. According to Wayne Madsen a number of Air Force personnel refused to allow the nuclear armed B-52 to fly in a covert mission to Iran outside the normal chain of military command. Madsen describes the nature of the internal conflict over the B-52 incident: “Command and control breakdowns involving U.S. nuclear weapons are unprecedented, except for that fact that the U.S. military is now waging an internal war against neo-cons who are embedded in the U.S. government and military chain of command who are intent on using nuclear weapons in a pre-emptive war with Iran.”
Madsen is alluding here to the most plausible explanation for the source of orders leading to the B-52 incident. The orders emanated from the office of the Vice President, and in particular Dick Cheney himself. Cheney’s orders were opposed all the way up the Department of Defense hierarchy including Admiral William Fallon, Commander of Central Command, and Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. This is supported by a recent report in the Telegraph newspaper that Gates has become the chief opponent to Dick Cheney’s plans to commit the U.S. to another war against Iran and is encouraging military officers to be more candid in their assessments of a new conflict.
What makes the B-52 incident even more disturbing is that six nuclear cruise missiles left Minot Air Force Base, and the initial Military Times report on September 5 reported that five nuclear warheads were discovered at Barksdale Air Force Base. This was subsequently revised by the Military Times to six in an updated story five days later on September 10. How could the Air Force mix up how many nuclear weapons were initially involved in the incident? The most plausible explanation is that there had been a discrepancy in the number of nuclear weapons that had left Minot and what had been later discovered at Barksdale? The nuclear armed B-52 had been sitting on the tarmac in an unsecured military environment for up to 10 hours before its nuclear payload was discovered. This offered plenty of time for the removal of one of the nuclear weapons. Such an event had to be covered up for national security purposes which is why the Military Times revised its initial report. The possibility of a missing nuclear weapon is augmented by an unprecedented official standown by the Air Force on September 14 where all planes were grounded allegedly to review Standard Operating Procedures. Was the Air Force really conducting an emergency inventory to locate any missing nuclear weapons?
This raises the disturbing possibility that not only was the B-52 ordered to participate in a covert mission to attack Iran outside the regular chain of military command, but that one of its nuclear weapons was secretly siphoned off for another covert mission. If Dick Cheney did give the order for the nuclear weapons to be loaded on to the B-52, it is highly likely that he is aware of the location and potential use of the missing nuclear missile. A number of serious questions therefore need to be asked about the appropriateness of Cheney being in charge of TOPOFF 4 and Vigilant Shield. This is even more urgent if there is a missing nuclear warhead that was taken from the B-52 for a yet undisclosed mission. Could this mission be related to the TOPOFF and Vigilant Shield exercises?
In a Presidential Statement released on May 21, 2001, President Bush gave Vice President Cheney the power to coordinate national efforts in response to terrorist attacks: “I have asked Vice President Cheney to oversee the development of a coordinated national effort so that we may do the very best possible job of protecting our people from catastrophic harm.” An “Office of National Preparedness” was created to implement the “national effort overseen by Vice President Cheney” and would “coordinate all Federal programs dealing with weapons of mass destruction consequence management within the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Justice, and Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other federal agencies.” Effectively, this means that during TOPOFF 4 and Vigilant Shield, VP Cheney will be responsible for all efforts to respond to weapons of mass destruction. He will have the power of override any Department of Defense objections to activities concerning “consequence management” of nuclear weapons. If there was a missing nuclear weapon from the B-52 incident, then TOPOFF and Vigilant Shield could provide the cover for its use.
The possible use of the B-52 missing nuclear weapon could trigger the martial law scenario found in National Security Presidential Directive (NSPD) 51 after the declaration of a “Catastrophic Emergency.” NSPD 51 defines a “Catastrophic Emergency” as “any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions.” Once declaring such an emergency, President Bush or his successors according to Continuity of Government provisions, can take over all governmental functions at local, state and national levels, as well as private sector activities, to ensure the U.S. emerges from the emergency with an "enduring constitutional government."
So far, the Air Force inquiry is classified and information on a possible missing nuclear weapon has not been disclosed. It is unlikely that much information will be disclosed to the public for national security reasons. The only U.S. Congressman calling for an official public inquiry into the B-52 incident is Dennis Kucinich. As long as the role of Dick Cheney in the B-52 incident is not investigated and the missing nuclear weapon is not located, Cheney should be removed from any position of authority in coordinating civil and military responses to any simulated terrorist attack. Such exercises provide him the opportunity and authority to secretly approve the covert use of a nuclear device that can be used to trigger a declaration of a “Catastrophic Emergency.” U.S. National Security is not served by Dick Cheney having a prominent role in leading TOPOFF 4, Vigilant Shield and any future simulated terrorist attacks involving weapons of mass destruction.
www.exopolitics.org
Dr. Michael Salla is an internationally recognized scholar in international politics, conflict resolution, US foreign policy and the new field of 'exopolitics'. He is author/editor of five books; and held academic appointments in the School of International Service& the Center for Global Peace, American University, Washington DC (1996-2004); the Department of Political Science, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia (1994-96); and the Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University, Washington D.C., (2002). He has a Ph.D in Government from the University of Queensland, Australia, and an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Melbourne, Australia. He has conducted research and fieldwork in the ethnic conflicts in East Timor, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Sri Lanka, and organized peacemaking initiatives involving mid to high level participants from these conflicts.
Hi Dr. Salla- Thank you for confirming that cheney will be in Portland. We heard rumors, but they could not be confirmed. I live in Portland and have been working since before Nobel Resolve until now with TopOff4 and Vigilant Shield. It's most distressing, but in many ways we are prepared and educated thanks to Capt Eric May and all the radio interviews he's been on and articles he's written and our yahoo group Portland Nuclear Inquest where the membership is growing. We've been working with the OR Truth Alliance run by Ginny Ross. There have been many articles that help keep the eyes of the nation and world on the nuclear exercises- like yours tying 911 and this exercise together with the similarities and other facts. One of the links you had was to Melinda Pillsbury-Foster's article- Melinda just interviewed Capt May yesterday on her radio show. We're hoping with all the attention Oregon, Arizona and Guam are getting that nothing will happen. We sincerely hope it won't happen elsewhere with the focus on all of us either. Every citizen needs to be hypervigilant and aware of everything going on in their cities and states. Thank you, Dr. Salla, so much for your contributions in this extremely important time. Gratefully, Patti
by
pswoodard (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 8 comments)
on Saturday, October 13, 2007 at 2:31:37 PM
You are welcome Patti. I find the lack of public awareness of Dick Cheney's role in overseing the Vigilant Guardian exercize on 911 quite appalling. Mike Ruppert first exposed Cheney's role in coordinating civil and military exercizes that fateful day through the Secret Service. Now a nuke goes missing on Aug 30, 2007 and Cheney is the only person with the executive power to have overriden Air Force SOPs due to Bush's delegation of special powers to him when it comes to coordinating agency responses to possible terrorist attacks. Again, the mass media and Congress is largely silent. Now Cheney has another opportunity to 'permit' or 'conjure' a terrorist attack through the executive power he will weld during another set of exercizes, this time Vigilant Shield 2008 and TOPOFF 4. Our best defense is public scrutiny of his past activities and what he may be conjuring up this time.
Aloha
by
Michael Salla (12 articles, 3 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 22 comments)
on Saturday, October 13, 2007 at 4:51:43 PM
Hi Dr. Salla- Capt May called the Oregonian yesterday about cheney coming to Portland and they said they didn't know anything, but this mornings paper says chertoff will be here instead. The cheney rumor was never confirmed unfortunately and the person who stated it as fact named Warren was going on an uncomfirmed tip and should not have used it. We still know that cheney is in charge of all the exercises- I never figured he'd actually come because on 911 I think he was safe in some bunker overseeing the exercises. Actually he was at the White House with tons of secret service who have the authority to do what they did with the stand down and run all the exercises on one day that were set for many days- in a room called the President's Emergency Operations Center. cheney happened to be commander in chief that day. We definitely have to keep an eye on cheney. They are war criminals and must be brought to justice. Thanks again, Dr. Salla, for your attention to this- we pulled a media blitz for Noble Resolve and it wasn't hard to continue on thru TopOff4/VigiantShield8. You and some others have defintely helped us! Patti
by
pswoodard (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 8 comments)
on Sunday, October 14, 2007 at 5:46:41 PM
Great story. I have written countless articles on the Anthrax tie-in, Senator Wellstone's family "accident," and 9/11. Some can be found here in writers archives and elsewhere about the Cheney "terrorist" connection. On my blog I have one tying Osama, (a theme I have discussed many times), to the White House, written this week. The Blog is: click here the way, I had a Prof named Salvatore Salla, a painter-artist, taught life drawing and anatomy at The American Academy, any relation?
by
Professor Emeritus Peter Bagnolo (144 articles, 1 quicklinks, 94 diaries, 1190 comments)
on Saturday, October 13, 2007 at 8:08:08 PM
I like many others, am very concerned about what they are going to do next to make it possible to evoke martial law. I wonder.....is it possible to keep track of all pertinant family members of the administration during this period of time. I mean by that .........if something was going to happen in the US would they send their family out of the country or to some other safe place? I also keep wondering why Bush's daughter bought so much land in Paraguay? Also heaed that Cheney bought a house in Dubai. Do you have any info on any of this?
Thank you so much for your article. I am sorry that I voted for Bush.......it took me a while to become aware.
by
Angry Peasant (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 25 comments)
on Saturday, October 13, 2007 at 9:19:49 PM
Think they'd pull the same trick twice? Yes, and get away with it, because most of the country doesn't know about the suspicions swirling around 9/11. Then, of course, we're branded as traitors if we dare to question anything this administration does.
Making matters worse for us and easier for them is a lazy press and extremely loud voices on the right, plus an entire network to do Bush's bidding, crying louder than anyone else that Bush can do no wrong and the rest of us are raving, terrorist-loving, soldier-hating, America-hating loons.
If they try to pull this kind of a gambit, one can only hope a generals' revolt is in the making. Actually, hints of one have been dropping for several weeks now.
We definitely need saner heads to prevail during these very dangerous times.
by
Sandy Sand (129 articles, 0 quicklinks, 145 diaries, 1127 comments)
on Saturday, October 13, 2007 at 10:22:16 PM
There is no need for a tactical nuke to disappear and re-appear for another false flag operation. Suitcase nukes have been around for quite some time. Do we know how many there are or where they are ? No. We don't. I conclude that it is not necessary for a nuke to go missing in order for the perps to get their hands on a nuke.
Nukes on Phoenix ? Sounds silly to me. Drop one powerful, non-nuclear charge on the Hoover damn and you have four states in peril : a major incident. This is how fragile the southwest is.
by
Tony Forest (4 articles, 10 quicklinks, 116 diaries, 1005 comments)
on Sunday, October 14, 2007 at 4:57:43 AM
As scientists say, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof". This article is seriously out on a limb.
While I do consider TOPOFF4 to be reason enough for warning friends and relatives that there may be a somewhat elevated risk of government-sponsored terrorism next week in Portland (October 15-19, 2007), I don't put much credence in Dr. Salla's conjecture.
In assessing the merits of Dr. Salla's article, I find it interesting to note the contents of Dr. Salla'a website at exopolitics.org wherein it is argued that extraterrestrials have infiltrated Earth government(s).
I would consider Dr. Salla a good source on information about how to develop a high-traffic internet site coupled with book sales to provide one an income while living in Hawaii. Beyond that...not so much.
by
Marcus B (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 26 comments)
on Sunday, October 14, 2007 at 2:09:54 PM
Interesting that you totally evade the merits of the reseach and arguments found in my article. You are free to dismiss the relevance of extraterrestrial related research to international politics. You are not alone in that regard, and time will tell whose positiion has more merit. But that's all a distraction to the Vigilant Shield/TOPOFF 4 situation described in the article.
Dick Cheney's role in coordinating government responses to terrorist attacks, either real or simulated, is substantiated in a number of Presidential statements. His role in the B-52 bomber incident and the possible missing nuke is a pretty logical concusion to draw given what otherwise to be a highly impropable series of errors concerning the safekeeping of nuclear weapons. Cheney is the most likely person to have orchestrated such an event outside the regular Chain of Military Command. Cheney, through the Secret Service, has the communications capacity to directly give classified orders to base commanders and thus subvert the normal chain of military commad It would also be part of his MO to run two covert operations together. Plan A - covert nuclear attack on Iran. Plan B- terrorist nuclear attack on the US. Let's not forget this is the same man who was responsible for Vigilant Guardian and other military/civil drills on 911, and is therefore is culpable to a degree for what occurred on that day.
As for bringing up my exopolitics website and the remuneratiion from the sales of my book as the motivation for my article, it seems you specialize in conjuring up red herrings.
Aloha
by
Michael Salla (12 articles, 3 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 22 comments)
on Sunday, October 14, 2007 at 3:14:44 PM
Yes, Michael, it is out of character for me to dismiss something out of hand, however sometimes I do accept "conventional wisdom" because I simply don't have time to evaluate your "research" in which you catalog 57 different species of extraterrestrials visiting Earth (Salla/Freeman interview, Google video)
I was watching a CNN's program that comes on right after "Late Edition," and one segment was devoted to Turkey and Congress' foolhardy condemnation of Turkey and something that happened a hundred years ago.
First question, why now and what have Nancy and Harry been smoking or drinking?
As obtuse as this may be, I was wondering if there's some kind of thread here that weaves Topoff 4, Vigilant Shield 08, Turkey, Iraq and Iran all together.
All hitting the proverbial fan at the same time seems to be more than mere coincidence, not that coincidences don't happen.
Let's face it. Congress does not have to doing its Turkey resolution, binding or not, now.
As I said before, it's going to be a long five days.
by
Sandy Sand (129 articles, 0 quicklinks, 145 diaries, 1127 comments)
on Sunday, October 14, 2007 at 3:16:42 PM
Dick Cheney is a embarrassment to the United States
We Americans asked for this. were did america go wrong? we americans let this get away. we are completely at fault. These to baboons should never have been in this position. now what do you all expect? it is only a matter of time and america will be involved in WORLD WAR III. these two criminals will do any thing to start another world war. WHEN WILL ALL AMERICA WAKE UP? ITS TIME TO GET OFF YOUR REAR END. TIME IS RUNNING OUT. americans must organize at once. all military have to turn against these two idiots. if not we can only see world destruction.
by
vincent passiatore (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 135 comments)
on Sunday, October 14, 2007 at 6:53:24 PM
You can bet that the IAEA and various other agencies would be taking samples that would irrefutably trace the origin of the materials to the host country. Using a missing US Nuke is a very poor choice for a false flag operation.
by
Steven Leser (187 articles, 34 quicklinks, 31 diaries, 1251 comments)
on Sunday, October 14, 2007 at 6:55:49 PM
Thanks for the helpful link. Nuclear forensics appears focused towards identifing the origins of nuclear material that has been intercepted, or can be identified in an area where it has been dispersed. This might work with dirty bomb type radiological material spread through a conventional blast. I think it would be harder to apply such forensic methods in a nuclear detonation zone where a 5-150 kiloton weapons was used as would be the case with the missing B-52 nuke. If the nuclear material from the B-52 nuke was extracted for making dirty bombs, then in such a case it would be possible to trace its origins at the blast scene.
In any case, nuclear forensics might be moot in a false flag operation where the physical evidence is taken away for 'safety reasons' as occurred in the case of 911 where the steel beam fragments were immediately carted away.
by
Michael Salla (12 articles, 3 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 22 comments)
on Sunday, October 14, 2007 at 7:25:01 PM
Someone please educate me. (Excuse my ignorance. I just haven't had enough time to follow all of the shenanigans of all my governments in the face of zero support from the MSM.)
Is it really true that "On September 11, 2001, Dick Cheney was overseeing a series of simulated terrorist attacks involving hijacked airplanes...This created much confusion and led to stand down orders....This confusion accounted for the long delays between initial reports of hijaced planes being used in 'terrorist' attacks, and Air Force intercept missions being launched using the few planes not involved in the Northern Vigilance exercise." Would someone please point me to a source for this info?
Trying to be an informed citizen,
- Bob Fireovid
by
Bob Fireovid (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 18 comments)
on Sunday, October 14, 2007 at 7:23:09 PM
A while back I wrote a blog on the Kucinich Forum about this "exercise" that was to take place in October but the source links were broken so I felt it wasn't confirmed. Now, after reading this article, it is clear that this event is going to take place. What we have here is a country that is in grave danger at the hands of Sociopaths and Passive Serial Killers Bush/Cheney.
As far as I can see, our only hope of stopping this insanity is to support Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich with all of our heart and sole. The other so-called "democrats" in the field are Corporate Owned, lock, stock and barrel AND they are all members of the Council on Foreign Relations. If you take a moment to do some research on the web you find that the CFR's core mission is to merge the United States like Kinkos with FedEX into a One World Government. I just found the other day, online, a video of Mike Gravel, (dem candidate for President) happily and enthusiastically stating that we need a "One World Government".
I don't think it is a coincedence that all of the Democrats running for President refuse to impeach Dick Cheney. Afterall, DICK CHENEY is ALSO a member of the CFR.....so, in my view, Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Biden, Richardson, Gravel, and Dodd are PROTECTING Cheney. Dennis Kucinich is the ONLY candidate running who has come forward with 3 articles of impeachment against the Vice President for violating some of our countries highest principals. Cheney should and must be held accountable for those violations.
This is my oath and promise:
I will not be voting for anyone else in the upcoming elections except Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich.
As I watched on live TV the planes crashing into the towers, I asked everyone I knew why weren't fighter planes scrambled immediately. The answer to me, even back then was as easy as the nose on any face; some on in government did not want them scrambled. The excuses were, "there wasn't time" BS, the only person who could possible dream up that BS either never flew a fighter plane or knew there were only going to be a few planes crashing into buildings, otherwise how would they not assume there may have been many more? The excuse that they knew how many planes were hijacked doesn't cut it either, if they knew why didn't they respond immediately and how could they know more wouldn't be hijacked shortly or that people flying private planes would not attack.
The majority of Americans seem to have gone to the same school of logic as the German people in the 1930's, and apparently, few of them have ever played, let alone won regularly at Kreigschpiel or chess. There is, to any scientist with common sense, whose IQ is above 170, the known factor, "there is no such thing as coincidence..." and "Everything that ever happened on this planet has been a conspiracy. Only a Naive fool, a Dumbkoff, or a citizen who grew up supporting Adolph Hitler believes that "Conspiracies" are an inane theory-they are part of the Gestalt of Hitler's BIG LIE idea which Rovean have taken as their gospel. Things just do not just "happen" they are planned, Nothing has ever "just happened." Anyone who believes that could never be a success in any real world venture. Even Acts of God have a source plan in nature.
Our problem now is that the majority of Americans, who voted for the Bushites, are bigoted, racist, violence prone, undereducated, stubborn, hateful, and/or prone to believing what they want to believe, rather than researching for truth and some are simply just as dumb as a stone. Put it all together and you have the makings of the same percentage of those who supported Hitler and still do, here as over in Germany back in the 1930's. In fact,, there are far more here, now then there are in Germany now, because many of Hitler's supporters here did not face the realities the German people did in the aftermath and many, like many of the Bushites ancestors were American supporters of Hitler and that is fairly easy to research, at least, among those in high office.
by
Professor Emeritus Peter Bagnolo (144 articles, 1 quicklinks, 94 diaries, 1190 comments)
on Monday, October 15, 2007 at 9:07:03 AM
