Washington, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Defense
Department official confirmed Wednesday that a B-52 bomber had been mistakenly
loaded with nuclear weapons and flown over American sky.
Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell tried to
appease the country by saying "at no time was the public in danger."
A U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber. The U.S.
Defense Department official confirmed Wednesday that a B-52 bomber had
been mistakenly loaded with nuclear weapons and flown over American sky.
(AFP File Photo) Photo
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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.
