Divine Strake was a simulation of a nuclear bomb, they lied again!

[originalpckelly]

They were full of fertilizer (or at least ANFO) after all! I pulled an Emily Litella and thought it was "Divine Strike" not Strake, so when I went to research it I didn't find the following article. This is why the test was postponed. Last week Hans Kristensen of nukestrat.com found out Congress and the Federation of American Scientists had been told Divine Strake was a simulation of a nuclear bomb using conventional explosives. Almost certainly a simulation of a modified B61-11 or 10 (the 10 can actually set its yield to equal the conventional bomb being tested.) What they have probably done is place the warhead from the B61-10 in the B61-11 and called it RNEP. It all fits together quite nicely with Sy Hersh's report this past weekend about some of the Joint Chiefs resigning if the nuclear option is not removed from the table of Iran plans.

Here is the text of Mr. Kristensen's story from nukestrat's homepage:

The Divine Strake explosion scheduled at the Nevada Test Site in June 2006 will simulate use of a low-yield nuclear weapon against a tunnel. The simulation is "an integral part" of STRATCOM's new Global Strike mission and follows a secret directive signed by President George W. Bush in 2004 that ordered STRATCOM to "extend Global Strike to counter all to include both tactical and strategic adversarial targets."

This explains why the Washington Post story was so absurd. They claimed that this bomb was part of research to built a new humongous bunker buster as an alternative to the "Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator" proposed by the Bush administration. This simply could not occur because no conventional explosive is powerful enough to produce a 593 ton of TNT explosion without being heavier than any aircraft in the US arsenal or the bomb load they can carry. Only a nuclear weapon would be small enough yet produce that size of explosion. This new revelation is just another clue that the Bush administration may actually be considering using a nuclear bunker buster against Iran.

[originalpckelly]

1. this is too important, I am kicking it until it is read

[killbotfactory]

2. Of course they are actually considering it

I've been hearing talk about Rummy considering "new uses for nuclear weapons" for a couple years now.

Also, Bush if fucking insane. Not eating the furniture and drooling insane, but "I am a messenger of God and it's my job to start the Rapture" insane.

[leeroysphitz]

54. For a man in his position that is the WORST kind of insane!

Let him drool all over the white house but please hide the nuclear "football" from him.

[magellan]

3. Argh

Please don't let it be true....

[mike_c]

4. K&R-- vote this up folks-- very important....

Thanks for posting this!

[Canuckistanian]

5. You're onto something here

K&R. That was my thought, too, that this was a simulation of the tonnage to prepare for a real nuclear strike.

[Kagemusha]

6. Yeah, looks like reporters misunderstood.

Not hard. Happens a lot.

The thing is, an alternative to the robust nuclear earth penetrator need not be conventional, right? They could just have a separate nuclear idea under a different name and program.

At any rate I've heard that bunker busting with nukes is not an easy thing at all, and produces much greater fallout than Hiroshima type attacks. Perhaps the military will benefit from having hard data confirming this.

[JuniperLea]

7. K&R!

Had enough?

It must be worse on those of us who know we've been lied to for a very long time, but the newcomers to the light surely must have had enough by now as well.

I sure hope Karma catches up with those bastards soon!

[Dunvegan]

8. K&R Of course, the Administration cannot comment on ongoing investigations

...into the feasibility of nuclear war.

[dipsydoodle]

9. Sound observation

Well done. Recommended.

[leftchick]

10. Excellent post and a MUST READ for Harry Reid!

who appoved of this insanity in his state! NV DUers get on the phone!

Welcome to DU originalpckelly!

Outstanding post!

[jimshoes]

11. I'll kick

and recomend because I fear this is exactly what Dr. Strangechimp is planning. No reason in the world to detonate that large an explosion that I can think of except to simulate a small nuclear weapon.

[Dunvegan]

13. Dr. StrangeChimp, indeed.

[me b zola]

41. That pic sums it up

Strangelove, indeed.

[DemInDistress]

64. that's good..great picture of dr. strangechimp and rummy.. nt ^5

[originalpckelly]

12. They cancelled the test because Hans found out...

This thread talked about it this morning:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x914036

[Jacobin]

14. Yep. The physics make it impossible

To have that kind of explosive power dropped from the air, it would have to be a nuke and that's what they're gonna do, the bastards

[sweetheart]

29. blast radius waves and force dissapation

I think we're being lied to about the design of this
weapon, and that the nuke cannot handle the G-force of
the kind of impact that would embed a projectile in the
ground... and that the nuke is being detonated behind
the projectile a microsecond at impact. And then the
blast wave is increasing spherically, and as with physics
of light, every distance further would disappate the wave
force by a certain amount. So whilst it might be a 30kt
explosion, the force directly hitting the back of the
projectile might be smaller, more like 750t... and they're
wondering what happens when you fire a 2000 kilogram bullet
at the ground with 700 tonne of powder.

But i'd wager that that is why the test can be an effective
proxy for the presence of a nuke.

[Fovea]

58. Exactly what I have been saying!

I used the analogy of shooting a rolex through a steel door and needing an accurate time on the other side.

THis weapon, if composed as we speculate, will be the dirty mofo to end all dirty mofos. Therefor I designate it the Mother Of All Clusterfu*ks (MOAC). Consider this weapon when you think about how much money we have spent on SDI weaponry.

It is like having a plague victim with a sledgehammer employed to drive a knitting needle through a dixie straw and thence through your front door, ideally hitting the fly on the wall. Even if it works you still have the plague on your doorstep.

I suspect it might also be testing a 'cluster nuke' scenario where shock interference patterns are used to focus destructive energy on deep targets, like the armor breaking harmonic effect of a cluster bomb. Doing that sort of test near any sort of geologic fault seems like a poor idea.

[acmejack]

15. KnR

[sweetheart]

16. all pecker.. no grey matter

With whatever lacking intelligence,
they bomb random patches of earth selectively,
hoping in their skewed deviance,
that the enemy will be scared of our words, threateningly.

And when no pentagon sabre can morally rattle,
at all nuclear, so illegitimately,
They get us to go wage their battle,
talk up our terror threat for the enemy to see.

And while wild-eyed imperialists hug their explosives,
bible mullahs ranting fear blindingly,
in their secret battle being subversive,
to get the liberal bloggers to fight their war for free.
Just hint at an unconscionable act,
then sit back, watch the blogosphere attack.

[Dunvegan]

17. Good prose regarding ghastly policy, Sweetheart.

[Tin Man]

18. Yep, Divine Strake is a field test of the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator

...allbeit using conventional explosives. They're looking at the potential amount and distribution of radioactive fallout (contaminated soil/dust) that might result from use of an RNEP weapon.

Another clue about the objective of Divine Strake test below:

Airblast from Underground Explosions
Philip Hookham, Titan Research

Abstract:
Two- and three-dimensional computational fluid and solid dynamics calculations were performed to predict the airblast and dust environment for the DIVINE STRAKE high explosive field test. The DIVINE STRAKE test is planned to be a large-yield, buried burst detonated at the Nevada Test Site. The early-time airblast, crater formation, and ejecta environment were calculated using the two-dimensional CRALE code. This solution was then overlayed onto two- and three-dimensional MAZe code computational meshes. The MAZe calculations simulated the airblast environment as well as the propagation of the dusty environment produced by the ejecta and subsequent dust sweep-up. The airblast environment will be compared to test measurements when they become available, while the predicted dust environment will be used to aid in planning of the test.

from http://www.saviac.org/76th_Symposium/Abstracts/L-35.htm

[slackmaster]

19. Who says a bunker-buster has to be air-dropped?

Bunkers cannot be moved easily. Wouldn't it be possible to assemble a large conventional bomb from pieces right over the intended target?

[Jacobin]

21. Okay, you just gave me a headache.

How would you 'assemble the parts of the bomb' above the bunker unless you were in an airplane.

there is no airplane anywhere on earth that could carry a bomb the size of the one they are testing.

[slackmaster]

25. Um, you could bring the parts in by truck

there is no airplane anywhere on earth that could carry a bomb the size of the one they are testing.

No, so obviously they're not planning to air drop a conventional bomb of that size.

Either the intended bomb will be unconventional, or it will not be dropped by air.

[NickB79]

61. With what army?

150,000 troops are not even holding Iraq together right now. Iran has three times the population and twice the land area, with a much better fighting force than Iraq had when we invaded.

Unless there's a draft, there is no way we are putting boots on the ground in Iran. If and when we do go, it will be air assaults and bombings.

[muriel_volestrangler]

24. If you have that much control of the ground

There's no need to assemble a huge bomb - you just find the ventilation shafts, the entrance and so on, and excavate it or throw down small amounts of explosive or something.

[slackmaster]

26. That's what military miners have always done

Sometimes with mulitple tons of explosives. We really don't have enough hard information to say what the test is really about.

[muriel_volestrangler]

27. It was previosuly described as a nuclear simulation

in a budget document - see post #23.

[originalpckelly]

28. Yeah, maybe Iran will let us build a rail line to carry it in.

:sarcasm: :rofl:

[bigtree]

20. .

[cali]

22. Thank you so much

for your research and for your excellent post. k&r.

[muriel_volestrangler]

23. The Washington Post did understand this

Their story a few days later showed how the budget had described it as a nuclear simulation:

Pentagon officials apologized to members of Congress yesterday for generating fears about an unusual military experiment to detonate 700 tons of explosives in the Nevada desert in June, and they said the test was not designed to simulate a low-yield nuclear explosion, even though government budget documents had described it that way.

Officials said the test, code-named Divine Strake, is part of research to "determine the potential for future non-nuclear concepts" -- such as high-energy weapons or the simultaneous use of multiple conventional bombs to destroy deeply buried and fortified military targets. They said the budget documents' references to simulating a nuclear explosion were in error.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/06/AR2006040601916.html

which is the least convincing denial ever made - "pay no attention to what we said before, that was a mistake".

[originalpckelly]

30. That was after Hans Kristensen found out on April 3rd

He was the first one to recognize how nuts all of this sounded. The Post story, however, is still complete and total bullshit. It would take forty-seven 9 ton MOABs to produce an explosion equivalent to the one Divine Strake will create. Those are MOABs, the bombs that can only be carried by a C-130 or a C-17. Those planes only have flares and chaff (I know for sure they have flares) to defend themselves. Unlike Iraq, in Iran there is a good airforce. So lumbering giants like those planes will not work. There is simply no way for this to be anything other than a test for the RNEP, to see what effects that Ton of TNT explosion will have on underground structures, whether they are using either the actual RNEP or a conventional bomb to simulate the RNEP. They have used multiple "regular" bunker busters and bombs before on such complexes, and they found it doesn't work that is the reason the Bush administration proposed the "Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator" in the first place.

I found it highly interesting that they had simulated the "dust" cloud. It might be dismissed, however, because this is the Nevada Nuclear Test Site that they are doing it at, but if you look the explosion will be miles away from the location of any A-Bomb detonations. So it is complete horse-hockey.

I have to think and research that fact for a while to make a conclusion on it.

I can now see why they would cancel the test. They could be in deep shit with Washington D.C. because no one likes nukes.

[muriel_volestrangler]

31. Well, we all realised it was nuts when the story first came out

see eg this thread from March 30th: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2197796#2198198

The interesting thing was the proof that Congress had been told it was a nuclear simulation anyway.

[originalpckelly]

34. The story correction in the Washington Post makes even less sense.

Before they were claiming that it was going to be one multi-hundred ton bomb, which was just simply undeliverable, but would have great impact. Now they claim this single bomb is going to model the blast waves of multiple bombs. If you understand physics, you'll understand why that is bullshit. There is a big difference between one 500 ton bomb and 500 1 ton bombs despite what you might think. The blast wave from a single large explosion will dissipate far far in the ground. However, if you if detonate 500 1 ton bombs they will not dissipate any further into the ground that if you only detonated one of them. (That is if they are not detonated at the same exact time. If they are detonated at the same exact time it would be the same sort of big blast wave as the 500 ton bomb.) If you drop bombs on a target from the air, you can't drop them simultaneously or you'd have to have 500 planes (and that's if they could drop guided bombs that would strike the other planes.) This is basically like detonating one 1 ton bomb. It has no where near the same effect. This actually convinces me that they are totally full of shit, even more than before. Even if they used 47 C-130s and MOABs they couldn't do this because they drop them on each other. It is just nuts you can't guarantee by any mean that the bombs would detonate at the same time. They need to practice their lying it just doesn't make any freakin' sense anymore.

[muriel_volestrangler]

42. Yes, as I said, it was the least convincing denial ever

I think someone in PR was told "say anything, as long as it denies it's something to do with 'nuclear'".

[vickitulsa]

59. "no one likes nukes"

<< I can now see why they would cancel the test. They could be in deep shit with Washington D.C. because no one likes nukes. >>

Absolutely! Every sane soul on this planet hates the very thought of nuclear bombs being used anywhere, against anyone. Ever since Chernobyl blew and it became generally understood that radiation carries aloft and circles the globe, all people have been aware of the danger of "unintended consequences" when it comes to nukes.

This is why I think the best thing we can do, not only to delay or end all attempts to test the "small" or "tactical" nukes' effects, but to demonstrate clearly to all Americans just how reckless and insane Bush&Co really are, is to shout "NUKES NUKES NUKES!" as loudly as we can right now.

As I've been thinking over this issue of the use of any nuclear bombs, I realized that the younger folks among us are just now beginning to get a taste of the dread and fear that we oldtimers grew up with. The Bush propaganda catapulting machine has done an excellent job of instilling fear in our people and then using that fear to manipulate us and flaunt their power. Well, now perhaps we who oppose them should for once adopt their tactics and awaken the people by stirring up fear of this administration?

While we still have time -- and there may not be much of it left, we might stand a chance of provoking the loudest public outcry yet against these madmen who would break every rule of law or common sense for the first time since World War II by using a nuclear weapon. We need to bring on an important and intense debate among citizens by pointing out for all to see -- and particularly for younger people to ponder -- just why there has never been a single use of nuclear weapons since 1945.

I wish citizens of every stripe would think about just why it is nations have "rules of engagement" in war, to put it in a broader context. It is in the interest only of those who profit from wars that international rules of engagement were ever developed, after all. If any country with nuclear bomb capabilities ever actually used one of those things, all bets are off as to what might result.

You'd think this administration would know that, and recognize they could be signing their own eviction papers if they risk ultimately damaging the bottom lines of war profiteers....

[alfredo]

32. K&R

[Mnemosyne]

33. ...

[originalpckelly]

35. Like I said earlier I plan on kicking this so people can read it...

...it is just to serious.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

36. Well, it probably is nuclear, however it could be a test of

Rods from God.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/03/12/INGS6HID5A1.DTL

Some say this is operational as soon as the shuttle puts it in orbit.

[sarahlee]

37. Native Americans Want 'Bunker Buster' Test Stopped

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0411-07.htm

[cynatnite]

38. Test site is on sacred land

It's frighteningly similar to the govt in the 19th century. 'Here's the money for your land. Now get the hell off.' That's basically what's happening here.

How many horrible chapters of history must we be forced to repeat?

[hlthe2b]

39. Damn..... K&R

[originalpckelly]

40. Kicking again, hopefully by tomorrow people will have read it

[stop the bleeding]

46. thank you for keeping this up - I have heard about DS on NPR but

not see this until now.

Thank you - it all makes sense, DS = Iran

[stop the bleeding]

47. kicking again this important n/t

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

43. Is anyone else bothered...

...by the use of the word "Divine" in the project's name?

As for the point being made here, I have no idea how the WP could have fucked this one up so badly without it being intentional.

[longdrive]

44. DIVINE STRAKE ?!?! WTFO?

Being my First Post in Here, I will Say HELLO, My user Name has many Meanings! I used to be able to Hit the GOLF BALL a long way Straight! Hence the Name, now I have a HELLUVA HOOK, Hence the name, because it's a longdrive to find the friggin ball.

Anyways, I digress.... I have MANY years of Military experience, and I AM "NOT" in here as a SPOOK to gather intel, I am in here for myself to gather INTEL, and LEARN !! BOTTOM LINE! I live in LAS VEGAS, NV, I seen the Casino Implosions, and have felt that IMPACT! My Military Experience has led me to MANY "EXERCISES" in bringing down buildings and testing stuff. The US AIRFORCE does have in it's Arsenal, Aircraft that ARE CAPABLE of Delivering such weapons! Trust Me when I tell you this. One hop from ISRAEL, escorted by the Israeli Air Force is ALL IT WILL TAKE. OUR JETS, their improvements, they never pay is back, hmmmm? JDF, ******, ever hear of these, JDF is always mentioned, but who is ******? Secret Squirel? Morroco Mole? bad Boys, very very BAD BOYS AND GIRLS!!! and every walks of Society!! Men, women, gays, Trannies, Grannies,Blacks, Mexicans, They are Bad mofo's, How do I know they exist? Because I trained with them! That's how! In Jordan! With BB Netanyahu! When he was the CDR of the Special Forces.

I pooped the BED when I first Saw the "DIVINE STRAKE" pop up on the LOOP here in NEVADA! Being that the Atomic Museum is Very Close to the Strip, and I have been there, it is very Spooky! I have many times driven HWY 50, and stopped at a "STOP AND ROB", just at the turn off to the ET HWY, and for fun there are cut outs of ALIENS, and I took pitures of my KIDS, well.... Just behind those is a WHORE HOUSE!!!!! THE CHERRY PATCH!!!! I didn't NOTICE, I was taking pictures of my Brood, well, when I devloped my pics, I had to explain to CPS why We were at a WHORE HOUSE!!!!! Not my FAULT SOME ONE PUT the cutouts there!! Thats how close the effing testing ground is from Las Vegas, and Area 51, less than 300 Miles! Because, that's what my TRUCK GETS ON A TANK!!!!! I have a JADED VIEW ON THE MILITARY! and what it does, and I get many emails from my brothers in combat! They are NOT HAPPY! My MIND AND BODY IS BROKEN.

[originalpckelly]

45. Welcome to DU!

:hi: Welcome to DU! I hope you enjoy it, I have. The people around here are incredibly nice.

[vickitulsa]

62. Glad you found DU, Longdrive!

I hope we get to benefit for a long time from your years of experience and expertise regarding military matters.

You said you have a "jaded view of the military." Did you manage to stay in until you retired or did your disillusionment with the military cause you to leave too soon for that?

So sorry to hear you say your body and mind are broken ... but it would appear from your post that your mind at least still works pretty damn well!

Again, WELCOME TO DU!

[Julius Civitatus]

48. Nice little name they chose...

Could they get any more MESSIANIC than this? Who the heck picks these names?

Divine Strake???

How about Mission God's Punishment?

Or... Mission Christ's Wrath?

[stop the bleeding]

49. a computer program

heard an interview on NPR the other day

the "D" is for the Defense sector - the program does this for all other sectors, departments, and operations.

[Julius Civitatus]

51. It doesn't make it right

The program doesn't pick the name by itself. A program only does what you program it to do. Someone has to oversee and approve these things. It would be nice if certain words are not use for military purposes in America, like "divine," or "crusade."

Just saying.

[stop the bleeding]

52. I agree

I just was trying to give you some insight at how this came about.

It would be even nicer if we didn't have these programs/operations so that we wouldn't need this stupid computer program.

Dark days indeed for the US and the world

[Roland99]

50. *ANYONE* in the military that carries out an order to drop a fvcking Nuke

needs to be sent to The Hague (along with the person that gave the orders) IMMEDIATELY!!!

[vickitulsa]

60. Hmmm ... important point you make.

Do ya think that as the time nears to give the "Go!" order on a nuclear strike, those all along the chain of command will be thinking about that? Picture themselves in a war crimes tribunal?

We've heard a lot of generals and others in the military are against the way it is being misused and the troops abused and wasted. I wonder if thinking instead about their own culpability in launching nukes might not move certain active duty personnel involved to refuse orders at last?

[Roland99]

63. People developing "conscientious objector" status mid-flight?

Works for me!

[ArmchairMeme]

53. Insanity - the fallout affects too too many

What about the countries which are downwind from such a planned attack?

If Iran is attacked what discussions are going on with Pakistan and India?

Will they be happy about the fallout?

[Rocknrule]

55. "Divine Strake?" Why don't they just call em "Nukes for Jesus?"

:puke:

[Greylyn58]

56. Kicked

This story needs to be aired. Has anyone sent it to Keith Olbermann. If not, think I will. See if it can get some air-play.

[Marr]

57. They want to set a precedent.

The Bush Administration wants to show the world that we have 'useable nukes' and are willing to use them. Generally that'd be called terrorism, but when you wear a $3000 suit they call it "aggressive foreign policy".