U.S. bombs remain in Europe

The Washington Times ^ | 4/22/2010 | Charles J. Hanley

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Unseen beyond the grazing Holsteins and rolling pastures of eastern Belgium, the 12-foot-long tapered metal cylinders sit in their underground vaults, waiting for the doomsday call that never came. Each packs the power of many Hiroshimas.

America's oldest nuclear weapons -- unwanted, outdated, a legacy of the 20th century -- are now the focus of a political struggle that could shake the NATO alliance in the 21st.

The questions hanging over the B-61 bombs, an estimated 200 of them on six air bases across Europe, relate to not just why they're still here but how safe and secure they are.

For one thing, al Qaeda terrorists already have targeted this Belgian air base 52 miles northeast of Brussels. For another, U.S. Air Force inspectors found inadequate security at most of the six sites. And three months ago a "bombspotter" team, anti-nuclear activists, penetrated nearly a half-mile inside Kleine Brogel, reaching its innermost bunkers.

"It was a shock," Theo Kelchtermans, mayor of the neighboring town of Peer, said of the protesters' infiltration, which went unchallenged for an hour. His bottom line: "I hope these bombs will disappear."

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

this can be found:

http://www.willthomasonline.net/willthomasonline/WMD_Found!.html

[valkyry1]

//For one thing, al Qaeda terrorists already have targeted this Belgian air base 52 miles northeast of Brussels. For another, U.S. Air Force inspectors found inadequate security at most of the six sites. And three months ago a “bombspotter” team, anti-nuclear activists, penetrated nearly a half-mile inside Kleine Brogel, reaching its innermost bunkers.//

If true this is bad news, the bombs are not secure.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

The are located in a underground vault and they have a PAL lock.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

B-61 bomb

B-61 on a bomb rack

[null and void]

Are they immune to disassembly and having the pits "recycled"?

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

That is a very complicated job of assemble and disable.

[null and void]

Beyond the capability of a nation-state with abundant petro-dollars?

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

The only people who can do that would be the 498 Munitions Maintenance Group from Kirkland AFB.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

They are the ones who probably took that photograph.

[null and void]

Eh? Pantex can’t do it?

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Pantex can do it or probably Los Alamos since they are ones who designed it.

[null and void]

And of course the plans have never been compromised either...

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

All those plans are guarded in some mainframe in Los Alamos.

[null and void]

Isn’t that the place that had a missing harddrive that showed up behind a copier?

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I have faith and full confidence of all of our scientists(men and women) who make weapons for this country.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

The men and women of Los Alamos are part of the arsenal of freedom.

[null and void]

Me too. I’m just loathe to underestimate a determined enemy.

[null and void]

It only takes one traitor.

And it would be politically incorrect to sort by, well, you know...

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

At these bases(especially those involving nuclear weapons) they are carefully screened by the DOE. They have to pass a variety of checks. The DOE knows what will happen to them if they screw up.

[null and void]

Good thing the DOE is immune to the dry-rot infesting the rest of the government, isn’t it?