Lost Nuclear Warheads from a B-52 Now in Iran? July 30 / 31, 2005

http://www.counterpunch.org/cockburn07302005.html

Lost Nuclear Warheads from a B-52 Now in Iran?
By ALEXANDER COCKBURN

Iran may have the weapons-grade uranium out of three nuclear warheads dumped out of a B-52 back in 1991. Or so at least the US government might have some reason to believe, according to a seemingly well-informed person talking to CounterPunch last week.

On February 3, 1991, this particular B-52G had been deployed to circle around Baghdad. It was armed with 3 SRAM missiles armed with nuclear warheads and fitted with rocket drives to push them 100 miles to the rear of the B-52 before detonating.

The B-52 was heading off to refuel when it developed very serious electrical problems, including the loss of navigational equipment.

Hoping to limp back to base on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, the crew were heading the plane south just off the coast of Somalia when fires in five of the engines threatened to detonate the heat sensitive fuse mechanisms of the SRAMS. Thinking they would plummet into deep water the crew dumped the nuclear bombs, and the B-52 crashed not long thereafter. Some members of the crew died, others survived and were picked up.

But, our informant tells us, the warheads in fact landed in shallow water, on Somalia's continental shelf. Three months later, in mid-May of 1991, they were allegedly retrieved and passed into the hands of an arms dealer involved in other covert transactions in Somalia at the time.

The dimension of each warhead was 30" x 18" x 18", weighing 560 pounds. Because of sea-water contamination only the weapons grade uranium would be usable, either in a "dirty" bomb, or as the warhead for a new missile.

As the three warheads entered international arms-smuggling loops, the Bush-One and subsequently Clinton administrations dispatched various covert units to recover them, with no success.

This is unsettling to say the least.

I saw all about it on that show "The Threat Matrix"

http://www.airamericaplace.com/boards/lofiversion/index.php/t15987.html

Cheney Violated International Law In Failing To Report The 1991 B-52 'Lost Nuke Incident' In Iran, According To Former Forensic Intelligence Officer
UK source, close to the oversea's arms scandal, says intelligence officer's report would be damaging to Cheney if revealed in the upcoming Scooter Libby trial.



Stephen P. Dresch, a former American forensic intelligence officer with CIA ties, is on the top of Vice President Dick Cheney's hit list and one man he'd like to silence for good, according to a confidential source in the United Kingdom.

The source, close to the massive arms dealing scandal brewing on both sides of the pond involving the Lewis 'Scooter' Libby trial, said Dresch verified in a confidential report that the loss of W-69 nuclear warheads from a B-52 in 1991 ended up in Iran.

According to the UK source, Cheney wants Dresch silenced because he was U.S. aSecretary of Defense in 1991 and, if proved true, he would have been in direct violation of international law for not reporting the lost nuclear weapons involving the B-52 incident.

"Stephen's report would have a devastating effect if produced at the Trial (now schedule for early 2007) of Lewis Scooter Libby," said the source, who needed to remain anonymous due to the UK's stringent Official Secret's Act.

"Stephen's full report would show that Dick Cheney in 2002 had a reason for wanting to see the Iraq Dossier sexed-up with the false report on Yellowcake from Niger. Humphry Crum Ewing was political adviser on military and intelligence matters to John Major at No.10 Downing Street at the time and he told me recently that even though he had never heard of the event with the B-52 losing the nukes, because of other things that he knew, to him it made complete sense."

be brought up in regards to Libby? I assume since his sentence was commuted it is a moot point.

American Judas 2nd Edition: INVESTIGATE CHENEY & UNRAVEL THE CABAL

http://americanjudas.blogspot.com/2007/03/american-judas-2nd-edition-investigate.html

They gave them the pieces. :eyes:

Why the hell was a B-52 tasked with circling Baghdad with nukes? :wtf:

At this time we were in the middle of bombing Iraq. Third week of blasting the country hard.

What target existed that could require a nuclear-armed bomber flying over a hostile country for hours on end?

The bombers typically sat at alert on a runway, like at, say, Diego Garcia. Much safer and cheaper than wandering around the unfriendly skies of Iraq.

Or a few F-111s out of Turkey with nukes on board. On the runway, ready to go, and only a few hundred miles from Baghdad, as opposed to thousands to Diego Garcia.

The Navy also had plenty of A-6E Intruders that could carry nukes if required that could launch right from inside the Gulf.

Not to mention a nuclear-tipped Tomahawk launched from a cruiser. A Ticonderoga-class cruiser with vertical launch capability could fill it's magazines with up to 122 of them. And the battleships we used to have at sea could carry 16 of them, I believe. Why not a battleship?

And we can't forget the boomers, can we? An Ohio-class ballistic-missile sub loitering out in the Indian ocean projects nuclear power 7,000 miles in either direction. Each sub carries 24 missiles, each missile carries 8 warheads of 475 kilotons each. 91 megatons total.

There were several viable options to keeping nuclear weapons in-theatre that didn't involve flying for hours over hostile country, during a war, in a 30-year-old plane.

all that armament just cruising around waiting to blow something up, folks, we've lost it entirely. one of those fucking "nukes" would level more than I'd ever want to think about but we can't give school kids health care on the taxpayers dime. We are totally fucking crazy.

It's in the OP

I'm sure that they've been trying to set up Iran for awhile now for a reason to attack them.

They point they are tying to make is that Iran has the materials now from the crash back then. Of course it is pure horseshit but they have no other way to claim that Iran has HEU because they certainly do not have the ability to reprocess spent fuel to extact the plutonium created by the operation of a reactor.

I don't think the story is bogus though

what the fuck did Israel dump over Syria around Midnight, what,
yesterday or a couple days ago or whatever?

Looks like a lot of sneaky evil shit going on.

bombs and the plane had a total electrical failure.

Most all the crew ejected but the pilot and a couple of others stayed to try to remedy the problem, and rode it into the drink. I was with the talking to the squadron people involved.

No nukes, bullshit story.