Us Accidentally Flew With Nukes - Public Was Never In Any Danger?

[rainman]

I just read this article here on CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/05/loose.nukes/index.html) that the US accidentally flew from North Dakota all the way down to Louisiana with six missiles that by accident still had their nuclear warheads on. Now while I understand that it probably was due to some idiot that either loaded the wrong missiles into the plane or that someone forgot to take the nuclear warheads off, what amazes me is the following statement by the US Air Force:

"The public was never in any danger," he said.

What would have happened if the airplane had crashed? My guess as a lay person in nuclear weapons would be that those six nukes would have exploded during impact. So let's analyze that statement above again ...six nuclear weapons going off at the same time somewhere over the United States ...sure, not any danger at all. But terrorists that could get hold of a 'dirty bomb' that can wipe out a few blocks of a city, sure ...big threat!

I wonder how much flak the official that made that statement will take over the next few days.

[londonthai]

this 'accident' might be in response to a russian nuclear bombers flying over russian borders first time since the cold war ended.

now, it's to thai army to show some muscle power and shoot some civilians in the south.

the vicious circle of competition, violence and war is endemic to capitalism

[britmaveric]

If the plane crashed nought would happen. Warheads have to be active before any nuke activity to occur. Normally nukes travel by truck or train.

[GuestHouse]

My guess as a lay person in nuclear weapons would be that those six nukes would have exploded during impact

Your lay person's guess is wrong.

During the 1960s a US Airforce B52 crashed over Southern Spain with its cargo of 4(?) fully armed Nuclear Bombs, they did not explode - indeed they had been designed to withstand air crashes (including crashes with air fuel fires).

That Crash in Spain did give rise to localized nuclear polution where one of the bomb casings split - But No Explosion.

So let's analyze that statement above again ...six nuclear weapons going off at the same time somewhere over the United States ...sure, not any danger at all. But terrorists that could get hold of a 'dirty bomb' that can wipe out a few blocks of a city, sure ...big threat!

Your analysis of the consequences of an aircrash is wrong.

Your criticism of the assumed threat of terrorists making a dirty bomb is way off the mark.

A dirty bomb would indeed be a big threat.

Given the terrorist attacks that the UK, Spain, Turkey, Iraq and a few other places have seen it is probably a more realistic threat than many want to admit to themselves.

[britmaveric]

BTW not thai related, so not sure why we are reading this.

[endure]

As you say it's not Thai related.