US Defense Department official confirmed Wednesday that a B-52
bomber had been mistakenly loaded with nuclear weapons and flown
over American sky.
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Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell tried to appease the
country by saying "at no time was the public in danger."
President George W. Bush and Defense Secretary Robert Gates have
been already informed of the incident and ordered a probe into
it.
Earlier Wednesday, media reports, citing an unidentified
Pentagon source, said that a B-52 bomber was mistakenly armed with
six nuclear warheads and flown over three hours across several
states.
The plane, loaded with Advanced Cruise Missiles, took off on
Aug. 30 from North Dakota and headed to Louisiana.
The incident resulted in a comprehensive procedure review by Air
Force and the dismissal of a commander, the reports said.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Ike Skelton
described the weapon mishandling "deeply disturbing" and called for
more details to ensure that Defense Department would address it
appropriately.
"There is no more serious issue than the security and proper
handling of nuclear weapons," the Democratic said in a Wednesday's
statement.
(Xinhua News Agency September 6, 2007)
