Nuclear Warheads Lost from a B-52 Now in Iran? (Counterpunch)

[Starfury]

Nuclear Warheads Lost 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.

(...)

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

Obvious Question #1: Is this true?
Obvious Question #2: If this story is true, WTF were nukes doing above Iraq in the first place???

[madeline_con]

1. "... a seemingly well-informed person ..."

Love those sources.

Why doesn't our DUHbya shrub just go on and tell us stuff like his, so we know where they got it? ;)

[wli]

3. well, why is counterpunch spewing it if it's WH propaganda?

Hmm. Something is afoot, either counterpunch getting corrupted or some other stupidity.

[Starfury]

5. Yeah, I'm not sure which

The author later proceeds to claim he doesn't understand the significance of Rove's outing of Ms. Wilson. I definitely want independent verification of this story, but I thought it would be an interesting read.

[madeline_con]

13. "author ... doesn't understand the significance ...

of Rove's outing of Ms. Wilson."

This is extremely curious just because of the fact that the significance has been discussed everywhere, at all intelligence, vocabulary and syntax levels. No one could NOT understand the significance unless:

A. they staunchly support Rove having done it, and can't bring themselves to say anything neutral or "liberal" about it.

B. Thay're a real dumbass.

That's my take on it, anyway. :rant:

[moodforaday]

6. Iran must have nukes

How are you going to justify nuking Iran unless everyone believes Iran has nukes and is ready to use them?

Iran wants to start enriching uranium, apparently to build nuclear power plants. There may be a nefarious angle there, but it's not sufficient, because it would take them at least several years before they have a usable weapon.

But you want to attack now, so you need "evidence" that Iran has nukes now. So here it is.

[wli]

7. the thing is, counterpunch is a rather unlikely source for this BS

Makes me wonder.

[moodforaday]

10. Looks like planted news to me

I trust CounterPunch, but this piece of news is just too convenient.

And anyway, assume they have the three warheads - this doesn't mean they have the technology to use them or control them.

[FloridaPat]

2. Why would an airplane with 3 nuclear bombs be circling Baghdad?

Were the bombs on the outside of the plane or on the inside? Then 5 of 8 engines were on fire. This sounds like crap to me. The US has radar in Saudi Arabia for decades. So loosing navigational equipment. Plus they could have followed the refueling plane. Then why were they circling Baghdad if they had to be 100 miles from the target?

[wli]

4. yes, something odd is going on with counterpunch

[formercia]

8. perhaps this will answer your question

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/bomber/agm-69.htm

[formercia]

9. and this shows the article to be suspect:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/systems/w69.htm

W69

In June of 1990, the SRAM missiles were removed from the inventory because of safety concerns regarding the integrity of their W69 nuclear warheads in the event of a fire. In 1991 DOE and DOD continued to give very high priority to modernizing the SRAM A (W-69) warhead which has the potential for burn and/or detonation during an aircraft accident or fire. The result is dispersal of plutonium over a wide area. The DOD addressed the primary safety concern by removing the SRAM A from active alert. Testimony at the 1990 hearing indicated a 1 year slip in the delivery of the missile system because of development problems, and concern over constraints in DOE's production complex (restart of Rocky Flats).

Retirements of warheads have occurred for several reasons including treaties and weapons modernization efforts that supplant the need for some older or less reliable warheads. For example, a 1991 report of the Committee on Armed Services, U.S. House of Representatives, identified concerns about the W69, a warhead for the Short Range Attack Missile carried on bomber aircraft. The warhead did not have such modern design features as fire-resistant plutonium. The concern was that an accident involving the warhead could scatter plutonium over a wide area or, in the very worst and far less likely case, result in a nuclear explosion.

[formercia]

11. I think this article is based on planted disinformation

to be used to justify an attack on Iran, just as the yellowcake disinformation was used as part of the justification to attack Iraq.

They have our nuclear weapons. We have to destroy them before they can be used against us!!!!! Panic, gnashing of teeth etc.

[madeline_con]

12. "... circling Baghdad?"

Saddam had to be kept from lobbing stuff at Israel. Anything but THAT! :sarcasm:

Circling with a plane full of nukes would be just the thing to keep him in line.