B52 carried nukes over US by mistake

THE US military is investigating an alarming security lapse when a B-52 bomber flew the length of the country last week loaded with six nuclear-armed cruise missiles.
The blunder was reported to President George W. Bush after the nuclear warheads were discovered when the aircraft landed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, a military official said on condition of anonymity.
The air force official said the B-52, which originated at Minot Air Base in North Dakota, had six cruise missiles with nuclear warheads loaded on pylons under its wings.
The US Air Force had relieved the munition squadron commander at Minot Air Base in North Dakota of his duties and launched an investigation into the August 30 incident, a Pentagon spokesman said.
"At no time was there a threat to public safety,'' said Lieutenant Colonel Ed Thomas.
"It is important to note that munitions were safe, secure and under military control at all times.''
The Pentagon would not provide details, citing secrecy rules, but an expert said the incident was unprecedented, and pointed to a disturbing lapse in the air force's command and control system.
"It seems so fantastic that so many points, checks can dysfunction,'' said Hans Kristensen, an expert on US nuclear forces.
"We have so many points and checks specifically so we don't have these kinds of incidents,'' he said.
US politicians expressed outrage at the incident.
"It is absolutely inexcusable that the air force lost track of these five nuclear warheads, even for a short period of time,'' said Representative Edward Markey, a Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee.
"Nothing like this has ever been reported before and we have been assured for decades that it was impossible,'' he said.
Two Republican politicians on committees overseeing military affairs, Jim Saxton and Terry Everett, said they were "deeply concerned'' by the incident and said the United States must "ensure our nuclear assets are protected by the highest safeguards".
The breach was reported by the Military Times newspaper yesterday and confirmed by the Pentagon later in the day.
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates was told of the incident last Friday by air force chief of staff General Michael Moseley, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said.
"I can also tell you that it was important enough that President Bush was notified of it,'' Mr Morrell said.
The weapons were among 400 advanced cruise missiles that the Defense Department quietly decided to retire in March over the course of this year.
The advanced cruise missile is a stealthy, longer range version of the air launched cruise missile first deployed in the early 1980s.
It carries W-80 warheads of up to 150 kilotons, ten times the destructive force of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima at the end of World War lI.

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