Plans for Massive Blast in Nev. Draw Fire

[DoYouEverWonder]

March 31, 2006, 6:04 AM EST

LAS VEGAS -- Plans for a Pentagon-led experiment that involves detonating 700 tons of explosives in the desert drew criticism from state leaders and a disarmament activist.

The explosion scheduled for June 2 at the Nevada Test Site is part of an effort to design a weapon that can penetrate solid rock formations in which a country might store nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction.

"I am concerned that tests of this magnitude have been planned without providing Nevadans with any information about the possible impact on their health or safety," said Demcratic Sen. Minority Leader Harry Reid in a statement Thursday.

Nevada Test Site spokesman Darwin Morgan said the test will be conducted about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, near the center of the former nuclear testing site.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns...

[marmar]

1. What are they thinking?

Is there complete ignorance of history or a complete disregard for it among these fools? When they set off bombs near Las Vegas in the 50s, towns and Kansas, Oklhahoma and other states to the east had spiraling cancer and leukemia rates. Perhaps they just simply don't give a damn.

[Dogmudgeon]

2. This one isn't nuclear

However, you're spot-on when it comes to the "complete disregard" for history ... and propriety ... and people ... and the law ...

(Did I miss anything?)

--p!

[Divernan]

3. Mega test in area with mega nuclear contamination from earlier tests

"Given the level of contamination in areas where nuclear tests were conducted, I have real concerns about the dust and other pollutants that will be released into the air as a result of this explosion," said U.S. Representative Shelley Berkley.

People in Nevada as well as many other states can be affected by winds dispersing the radioactive dust created by exploding a mega non-radioactive device in the middle of an area where repeated nuclear tests have been conducted. Many Nevadans were unknowingly exposed to radioactive fallout over the years during the other tests, but of course the government always arrogantly proclaimed the safety of their tests. And this is the same federal government which told New Yorkers it was safe to move back into areas around Ground Zero, or return to work in areas around ground zero, when the EPA knew damn well that there were lethal levels of carcinogens in the air.

[HereSince1628]

4. Oh Save US!!! The project is named "Divine strike"

They apparently think they are directing the finger of God! How exactly is that appropriate?

This test is being conducted in order to determine the payload capacity needed for mini-nukes without actually testing a mini-nuke and thus violating the nuclear test ban. This is where God is pointing us? Really??

[salin]

5. clearly named by a "clever" fundy...

subtle stab at that unholy place Las Vegas ...

[A Simple Game]

9. If they are "directing the finger of God",

just which finger are they directing?

[HereSince1628]

11. All five fingers under the chin, just like Scalia. n/t

[Atman]

13. Actually, it is called Divine STRAKE

It's not a typo. A strake is a protruding ridge fitted to an aircraft or structure to improve it's aerodynamics.

[HereSince1628]

15. Yes, well actually there are three definitions of strake,

yours, plus its a reference to boards on the outside hull of a ship running parallel to the keel, and also a device used to level cement or plaster.

None of the 3 make particularly good sense relative to a .7 kilotons of explosive, although I suppose that could be a leveler or sorts.

I assumed, admittedly perhaps erroneously, it was a typo. I'm still not sure it isn't. It might be interesting to see if there is any Persian allusion to any of the three.

[Atman]

19. Here is a link one story I found.

http://smh.com.au/news/world/bunker-buster-ready-for-te...


It has been referred to as "STRAKE" in every published account I've read. That leads me to beleive it is not a typo. Besides, why would you think "Strake" is a strange thing to call a bomb, but DIVINE isn't? LOL! These christo-facists nut-jobs will name their final bomb JESUS, just so they call tell their followers that "Jesus is coming to take you away!" as they press the button.

[HereSince1628]

22. BUSHCO misspellings is sort of expected perhaps I'm partisan...

I think it very likely that STRIKE was the first choice and that some PR person intervened and picked another vowel because they didn't want someone to think they were attacking Nevada.

[Tesha]

32. No more ironic than the "Corpus Christi" being an Armageddon machine.

No more ironic than the "Corpus Christi" ("Body of Christ") being
part of our submarine-based Armageddon machine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_City_of_Corpus_Christi... (SSN-705)



Of course, that's probably the Red State Christ we're
talking about rather than the more-civilized-world
Christ.

Tesha

[jwirr]

35. Or a peacekeeper missile.

[wordpix]

14. no doubt named by *, who believes he is the divine messenger

[VegasWolf]

20. Yes, and God assured Bush that none of the radioactive dirt and dust

from all the earlier nuclear testing would be stirred up and sent soaring into the atmosphere. God said that for sure I'm right this time, that Iraq thing was just a fluke, a result of a bad hangover. Trust me Bush.

[Warren Stupidity]

6. About this bomb.

The total weight of the device is 700 TONS. The bomb has to be assembled in place as it cannot be transported anywhere. It is a good question to ask why such a device is being tested.

Some background: the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty prohibits any nuclear device from being detonated. The Bush administration is developing a new generation of 'tactical' (i.e. relatively small) nuclear weapons, with at least one goal of 'bunker busting'.

This test serves two purposes. 1) it is a simulation of a small 'bunker busting' nuclear weapon; 2) it is sabre rattling by the neofascists in the bush cabal. Both goals are ethically challenged. We cannot go out and restart nuclear weapons development, and clearly threaten Iran and others with nuclear attack and at the same time demand that Iran stop all nuclear development, without simply being a hypocritical international bully. Do we think that the Iranians are at this point simply going to bow down to our blustering? Even lowly Panama did not just submit. Nations do not behave that way. So we are marching towards military confrontation and we appear to be threatening a first use nuclear strike. We will have become our worst nightmare.

[HereSince1628]

8. I think you have this topic square in your sights.

But this didn't get planned and set for implementation over night. The threat of small nukes has been a repeating meme for this administration.

This is state terrorism, er, state intimidation no doubt, why else invoke the image of god.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

10. I don't think they've restarted a nuclear weapons development....

...program...I think they've had one going since the day after they took control of the government. It wouldn't take much to run a totally secret program along those lines.

[donkeyotay]

23. Remember the reports of mushroom clouds in Afghanistan?

They already tested their bunker busters there. And I do recall there was talk of wanting tactical nuclear weapons for a new, improved bunker buster. They want to create weapons that can burrow deep into the earth because they're not satisfied with destroying the surface. How divine.

[Warren Stupidity]

25. Those were actually much smaller than this device.

"The most likely candidate for the large explosions reported is the laser guided GBU-28 "Bunker Buster". This was developed in record time during the Gulf War. It consists of a 2000 kilogram warhead with a reinforced frame that enables it to penetrate seven metres in concrete or 30 metres into earth."
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn1420

700 tons = 1,400,000 lbs = 635,600 Kg

[donkeyotay]

27. Thanks.

I wonder what kind of "reinforcement" is used, if it uses depleted uranium: "the laser guided GBU-28 "Bunker Buster"...consists of a 2000 kilogram warhead with a reinforced frame that enables it to penetrate seven metres in concrete or 30 metres into earth."

...

The article also mentions that tactical nuclear bomb:

An unlikely, but available, option is the B61-11 tactical nuclear bomb. The 350 kg weapon is designed to be delivered by a B-2 stealth bomber and to direct its explosive force downwards.

A tail mounted rocket accelerates the B61-11 downwards, allowing its hardened nose to penetrate up to 20 m into the ground. The directed nuclear blast would cause extensive destruction to a depth of several hundred metres.

But I really didn't appreciate the difference in the sizes of these things. 635,600 kilograms? Um, that's really big, isn't it? I'm not up on my weaponry, but the tactical nuclear weapon mentioned above is only 350 kg... isn't the weapon being discussed even bigger than "regular" nuclear bombs?

[glitch]

30. Just creatures seeking their true home, hell. Very common in nature. nt

[Fovea]

29. MOASC the mother of all shaped charges

to collapse underground structures with relative precision.

Or, an attempt to ring the earth like a tuning fork, and thereby reveal deep man-made and natural subterranean structures through satellite based global interferometry? The moon is still vibrating from an ancient impact, IIRC.

Two off the top of my head.

Oh yeah, or maybe they want to unlock the ring of fire.
Now there's a wag the dog strategy if ever I saw one.

[glitch]

31. Jump start Armageddon. Apparently they don't trust their God's timing. nt

[NVMojo]

7. same story here ...outrageous stuff!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[Ian David]

12. No concern for the downwinders

ABOUT DOWNWINDERS


"There is no danger."
One of the Original Downwinders.
(From the AEC booklet," Atomic Tests in Nevada", 1957.)

Downwinders is a research and educational foundation started by former downwind resident of southwest Utah, and formally established in 1978 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Downwinders takes its name from the residents living in the prevailing wind pattern surrounding the Nevada Test Site, and who have been constantly exposed to radioactive fallout from America's nuclear testing activities conducted there. Downwinders was founded with two primary goals:

* To expose the plight of downwind residents whose fallout exposures have caused cancers, leukemia, and other illnesses, and to obtain justice for their injuries.

* To fight for an immediate end to all nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site and elsewhere.

Since its founding Downwinders has expanded its efforts to other nuclear, military, and environmental projects and issues where the health and safety of residents surrounding them have been placed at risk. Over the years these have included such problems as chemical and biological weapons research and testing at the Dugway Proving Ground. Other issues of concern are high and low-level nuclear waste, uranium mining, milling and tailings disposal, phosphate mining and wastes, groundwater issues, land and air space grabs by the military, and military toxics. Downwinders has also expanded its scope of operations from regional work confined to the Great Basin of Utah and Nevada to one of global outreach.
Contact Information
Preston Truman [e-mail]


PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT:

Since 1978 Downwinders has been at the very forefront of the battle to protect the rights of radiation victims.

Please help us do our job by donating to Downwinders!

Downwinders
254 West 500 North
Malad City, ID 83252

208-766-5649

More:
http://www.downwinders.org/Aboutus.html

[wordpix]

17. no concern for the environment or people in the area: 700 TONS!? F%%$$#@K

[juliana24]

38. Nevada's "Clear Skies" project. Nothing like Strontium 90 in the air.

[coffeenap]

16. If "we" actually succeeded in using one of these to get to the

underground stores of nuclear materials, wouldn't we then be "unofficially" nuking people? Is this how they can get around the nuke treaties while still getting the same effect?

[wordpix]

18. doing this near center of nuke test site will stir up radioactive pollutan

ts in ground.

snip: Nevada Test Site spokesman Darwin Morgan said the test will be conducted about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, near the center of the former nuclear testing site.

snip: "Given the level of contamination in areas where nuclear tests were conducted, I have real concerns about the dust and other pollutants that will be released into the air as a result of this explosion," said U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley.

[enlightenment]

21. Shelley should have read the pre-approval draft, so she could

make her argument based on what they actually plan on doing, rather than her 'Atomic Cafe' vision.

What they plan is just as bad, and I think her concern is valid, just poorly phrased and it makes her look foolish.

The draft indicates that the site is 65 miles from LV, not 'about 90' - and will take place in an area that was used as a camp location in the days of nuke testing. The language they use to indicate that there isn't ground contamination is bizarre; essentially, they say that it's clean because some other agency that tests the areas around the site says it's clean. Doesn't give me the warm fuzzies.

It's a little embarrassing that my representatives were apparently unaware that they gave the heads-up to this detonation LAST YEAR. I'm beginning to think that our politicians should be paid by the hour -- after they turn in detailed time-sheets of exactly what work they have been doing for their state and the country. They sure as hell dropped the ball on this one, and playing catch-up now is moot.

It is incredibly frustrating that the local media never bothered to mention this little project, despite the fact that the public comment period was open from November to January -- it's a little hard to comment on something you don't know is going to happen, and obviously our state representatives are no help.

[jpak]

24. I said this yesterday - this is a mini-nuke simulation

and they WILL use it on Iran.

PNAC's wettest of wet dreams.

This administration doesn't give a flying fuck about arms control treaties...

They pulled out of the ABM treaty...

They effectively destroyed the NPT with their mangoes-for-nukes deal with India...

and I would not be surprised if they used this test to circumvent the CNTB either....

[951-Riverside]

26. How the hell they going to transport 700 tons of explosives?

Are they going to fly it piece by piece into... say Iran?

Its much easier to just ask for the key to the damn bunker.

[Tesha]

34. This is what 0.25KT looks like...

> How the hell they going to transport 700 tons of explosives

This is what 0.25KT looks like; that was the maximum yield this
little bugger ever achieved (but not as a "Davy Crockett").

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_Crockett_%28nuclear_d...



Tesha

[Warren Stupidity]

36. In a nuclear warhead: effective yield not weight

They are not building a 700 ton fuel bomb weapon they are simulating a small nuclear device designed to blow up underground facilities. Mostly they are threatening Iran. Mostly they are acting like idiots. Vile criminal idiots.

[Southsideirish]

28. Are Nevadans actually going to allow this to happen in their state? nt

[JohnnyLib]

37. Nevada

Many will fight, have been fighting this battle for decades.

Some of us, as children in the 50s, were outside watching the sky light up from hundreds of miles away -- or the cloud, if nearby -- and have since lost relatives or friends to leukemia and cancer, etc. So much so that even the Agent Orange revelations seemed dreadfully familiar.

Again, mankind ignores the lessons of history.....

[Flaxbee]

33. Southern Methodist U got a $300,000...

no bid award to "monitor' the effects. I don't think SMU has a geo-acoustical or other geoscience department. If you do a little more research, you'll find it was no-bid, too.

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