Missing
Nukes: Treason Of
The Highest Order
By Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya
04 November, 2007
Global
Research
Missing Nukes on
August 29-30, 2007
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.
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.
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]
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 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 loadingarmed nuclear missiles?
Other Mysterious
Deaths: Was the Missing Nukes Incident connected to US War Plans directed
against Iran?
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?
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.
Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya
is an independent writer based in Ottawa specializing in Middle Eastern
affair. 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, Militarty
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
and 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 defences, 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.
© Copyright Mahdi Darius
Nazemroaya, Global Research, 2007
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