[wvns] 6 Air Force Pilots Die Mysteriously After Reporting Nuclear Incident
Mystery surrounds deaths of Minot airmen
Sat, 22 Sep 2007
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=24190§ionid=3510203
Capt. John Frueh
Six members of the US Air Force who were involved in the Minot AFB
incident, have died mysteriously, an anti-Bush activist group says.
The incident happened when a B-52 bomber was "mistakenly" loaded with
six nuclear warheads and flown for more than three hours across
several states, prompting an Air Force investigation and the firing of
one commander.
The plane was carrying Advanced Cruise Missiles from Minot Air Force
Base, N.D, to Barksdale Air Force Base on August 30.
The Air Combat Command has ordered a command-wide stand down on
September 14 to review procedures, officials said.
The missiles, which are being decommissioned, were mounted onto pylons
on the bomber's wings and it is unclear why the warheads had not been
removed beforehand.
In addition to the munitions squadron commander who was relieved of
his duties, crews involved in the incident, including ground crew
workers had been temporarily decertified for handling munitions.
The activist group Citizens for Legitimate Government said the six
members of the US Air Force who were directly involved as loaders or
as pilots, were killed within 7 days in 'accidents'.
The victims include Airman First Class Todd Blue, 20, who died while
on leave in Virginia. A statement by the military confirmed his death
but did not say how he died.
In another accident, a married couple from Barksdale Air Force Base
were killed in the 5100 block of Shreveport-Blanchard Highway. The two
were riding a 2007 Harley-Davidson motorcycle, with the husband
driving and the wife the passenger, police said.
"They were traveling behind a northbound Pontiac Aztec driven by Erica
Jerry, 35, of Shreveport," the county sheriff said. "Jerry initiated a
left turn into a business parking lot at the same time the man driving
the motorcycle attempted to pass her van on the left in a no passing
zone. They collided."
Adam Barrs, a 20-year-old airman from Minot Air Force Base was killed
in a crash on the outskirts of the city.
First Lt. Weston Kissel, 28, a Minot Air Force Base bomber pilot, was
killed in a motorcycle crash in Tennessee, the military officials say.
Police found the body of a missing Air Force captain John Frueh near
Badger Peak in northeast Skamania County, Washington.
The Activist group says the mysterious deaths of the air force members
could indicate to a conspiracy to cover up the truth about the Minot
Air Base incident.
===
Nuclear bombs mistakenly flown over U.S.
By Pauline Jelinek
Associated Press Writer
September 6, 2007
Defense Secretary Robert Gates, left, listens as President Bush makes
a statement to reporters at Al-Asad Airbase in Anbar province, Iraq,
Monday, Sept. 3, 2007. The president made an unannounced visit to Iraq
to meet with Gen. David Petraeus, commanding general of the
multinational forces in Iraq, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker,
Iraqi leaders, and U.S. troops. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
WASHINGTON --A B-52 bomber was mistakenly armed with six nuclear
warheads and flown for more than three hours across several states
last week, prompting an Air Force investigation and the firing of one
commander, Pentagon officials said Wednesday.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/09/06/nuclear_bombs_mistakenly_flown_over_us/
Sign up for: Globe Headlines e-mail | Breaking News Alerts The mistake
was so serious that President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert Gates
were quickly informed and Gates has asked for daily briefings on the
Air Force inquiry, said Defense Department press secretary Geoff Morrell.
He said Gates was assured that "the munitions were part of a routine
transfer between the two bases and at all times they were in the
custody and control of Air Force personnel and at no time was the
public in danger."
Rep. Ike Skelton, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee,
called the mishandling of the weapons "deeply disturbing" and said the
committee would press the military for details. Rep. Edward J. Markey,
a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, said it was
"absolutely inexcusable."
"Nothing like this has ever been reported before and we have been
assured for decades that it was impossible," said Markey, D-Mass.,
co-chair of the House task force on nonproliferation.
The plane was carrying advanced cruise missiles from Minot Air Force
Base, N.D., to Barksdale Air Force Base, La., on Aug. 30, said the
officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of a Defense
Department policy not to confirm information on nuclear weapons.
The missiles, which are being decommissioned, were mounted onto pylons
on the bomber's wings and it is unclear why the warheads had not been
removed beforehand.
According to the officials, the weapons are designed with multiple
safety features that ensure the warheads don't accidentally detonate.
Arming the weapons requires a number of stringent protocols and
authentication codes that must be followed for detonation. And they
are designed to withstand a significant impact, including an aircraft
crash, without detonating.
The Air Combat Command has ordered a command-wide stand down on Sept.
14 to review procedures, officials said. They said there was minimal
risk to crews and the public because of safety features designed into
the munitions.
In addition to the munitions squadron commander who was relieved of
his duties, crews involved with the mistaken load -- including ground
crew workers -- have been temporarily decertified for handling
munitions, one official said.
The investigation is expected to take several weeks.
The incident was first reported by Military Times newspaper group.
"There is no more serious issue than the security and proper handling
of nuclear weapons," Skelton said in a statement Wednesday. "The
American people, our friends, and our potential adversaries must be
confident that the highest standards are in place when it comes to our
nuclear arsenal."
Skelton, D-Mo., said his committee will pursue answers on the
classified matter "to ensure that the Air Force and the Department of
Defense address this particular incident and strengthen controls more
generally."
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