Have you seen this BS?Lost Nuclear Warheads from a B-52 Now in Iran?

[LibertyorDeath]

un-frickin real they are desperate to attack Iran.

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.

more shit here

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

[Syrinx]

1. no offense, but counterpunch isn't a good source

Cockburn gets up in the morning wondering how he can hate Jews today.

[LibertyorDeath]

2. None taken & thanks for the heads up

Well the story is pure disinfo so yeah it would qualify as

"isn't a good source"

[Syrinx]

3. was that your point all along?

I don't mean to be dense. But were you mocking the story as you posted it? Or did you change your mind about it after posting? I swear I'm not being disingenuous.

[LibertyorDeath]

5. Yes that was my point that's why the title of the article is prefaced with

"Have you seen this shit" maybe I should change it to BS

[drm604]

10. The interesting question...

I think that the interesting question here is not the veracity of this story. I think we can all agree that the scenario is extremely unlikely. The interesting question is: what is the real source of this story? Is it some kind of paranoid fantasy on the part of Alexander Cockburn or his supposed informant? Is it simply an attempt by Counterpunch to increase sales? Or is this a deliberate attempt at disinformation by someone in or connected to the Bush administration?

[LibertyorDeath]

13. Thanks yes exactly

"Or is this a deliberate attempt at disinformation by someone in or connected to the Bush administration?"

[ThoughtCriminal]

4. Weapons Grade Balonium

There was a B-52G lost on that date returning from Baghdad to Diego Garcia. The odds that it would be carrying nukes is extremely unlikely.

[TheWraith]

6. "Broken Arrow": A class 4 Strategic Theater Emergency

"Broken Arrow" is the US military code phrase for a nuclear weapons accident, which includes loss, fire, destruction, or radioactive contamination. A "Broken Arrow" covers incidents up to and including unauthorized nuclear detonation, though this has never happened. The US military admits to 32 "Broken Arrow" class incidents, as of 1980, when data was last disclosed. Some people contend that there are considerably more, as many as several hundred. Out of the official 32, there are approximately 11 US nuclear weapons which have been lost and never recovered. Some of these are on US territory: Tybee Inlet, GA; Puget Sound, WA; Goldsboro, NC; possibly more. Others are on or near foreign territory, such as the bomb allegedly buried under the ice sheet near Thule, Greenland, and still more are in deep ocean.

For what it's worth, I don't put much stock in this. I can't see any way that a B-52, going from Iraq to Diego Garcia, would end up near Somalia. Let alone that the US military could lose the bombs, yet some Somali arms trader manages to dredge them up. Furthermore, I can't see why a nuclear-armed B-52 would be hanging around Baghdad. And last but not least, the original SRAM missle program was retired in mid 1990, and the SRAM II replacement was canceled in 1991 just as they were delivering the first test missles.

[LibertyorDeath]

7. I know I don't believe a frickin word of it. It's disinfo, they want to

attack Iran so they are cranking up the media disinfo machine.

[ThoughtCriminal]

9. SRAM dates

I was just looking up the same info.

AGM-69A's were retired in 1990. AGM-69B and SRAM II were canelled. I can't think of any plausible reason a B-52 on a conventional bombing strike over hostile territory would be carrying obsolete nuclear weapons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-69_SRAM

[Freedomfried]

8. I just so happened to have talked to one of the crew members....

I was in Diego Garcia sitting at the e-club talking to one of the survivors of the B-52 that crashed in the water on their return to D.G. and was rescued.
They had been on a bombing run over Iraqi Republican Guard positions, had completed the mission and were making the long return trip when their aircraft experienced a power failure.
All non essential personal were ordered to bail out and the bomber continued on only to crash in the Indian ocean shortly after.
The cockpit crew perished in the crash.
My ship was providing the 750lb. general purpose bombs that their bird and the rest of the "Buffs" on the flight line were being loaded with.



Sorry, but I think this story is bullshit.

[SlowDownFast]

11. Wow.

Just wow.

There's a serious variety of sharp folks here at DU, that's all I can say...

[LibertyorDeath]

12. No don't be sorry It IS Bullshit

What it is " a deliberate attempt at disinformation by someone in or connected to the Bush administration" IMO