Labels

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Barrier Reef Bombed


A lot of 'tut-tuts' in the bar with the news that America has bombed the Great Barrier Reef.  Accidentally, I hasten to add.

Few realize that America likes to play war games with Aussies. We have a lot of wide open spaces and not many people compared to the US, and of course we are in an 'Interesting Region' in 'Interesting Times'.

They were not Nukes though, and more on that coming after this.

Military aviators are the modern equivalent of the Knights of my day. They go armed, often alone, to battle; and they get affected by more than just rust!

Their 'gadgets' get 'bent': this is the 'code' used by fighter pilots returning with some 'fault' on board that they do not want to specify over the radio, as other people hear.

Knights broke lances and blunted swords and sometimes has their bridles cut.

But it seems in this instance that the horses just needed hay.

TWO US Marine Corps jets have been forced to drop four unarmed bombs on the Great Barrier Reef.
 
The two AV-8B Harrier jets each dropped two 226kg bombs on the world heritage-listed reef in an emergency jettison during a training mission on Tuesday.

 
The incident came ahead of Exercise Talisman Saber, a biennial training operation between Australian and US forces based at Shoalwater Bay on the central Queensland coast.
 
The dropped bombs had not detonated and a US official has reportedly said the chance of any of them exploding is "extremely remote".
 
A Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority spokeswoman told News Corp Australia she had not heard about the incident, but would look into it.
 
The extent of any environmental damage was not clear.
 
http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/us-marine-harrier-jets-forced-to-drop-unarmed-bombs-on-heritagelisted-great-barrier-reef/story-fnhnv0wb-1226682400617
 
US Navy Commander William Marks, of the 7th Fleet Public Affairs, said the jets had planned to drop the bombs on a range on Townshend Island, but that was foiled when the range was not clear.
 
After several attempts, the jets were running low on fuel and could not land with the bombs they were carrying.
 
"Due to low fuel and inability to land with the amount of ordnance they were carrying, the on scene commander determined it was necessary to designate an emergency jettison area for the ordnance," Commander Marks said.
 
He said each bomb was jettisoned in a "safe, unarmed state and did not explode". 
"The US Navy and Marine Corps are working closely with Australian authorities to investigate the incident."
Not the Search Team !!

 
The Australian Defence Force said the bombs posed "minimal risk or threat to the public, the marine environment or civilian shipping transiting the reef area".
 
"The incident is being investigated by the US and findings will be provided to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority so that the way ahead can be mutually agreed," a spokesman said.
 
"Defence is working closely with the US military, the Australian Government and environmental organisations to ensure there is no danger to the public or the environment now or in the future."
 
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef. It is home to more than 3000 individual reef systems and hundreds of tropical islands.
 
The US Navy is considering how to recover the bombs, which were dropped in a "deep channel" about 16 nautical miles south of Bell Cay, off the Capricorn Coast between Mackay and Rockhampton.
 
"The safety of personnel and the environment are our top priorities," Commander Marks said.

America, no doubt like most nations and despite their technological expertise, mostly are unable to find bombs that they have lost.

Even Nuclear bombs.

I think the number is in the teens now. Lost Nukes, that is.

Anyone seen my nuke?


There is one in a busy river channel in Georgia for instance. Under the mud. Waiting. Rusting. There are others off Spain and scattered around the American coast.


You can read some more here:

http://www.alternet.org/story/140060/the_case_of_the_missing_h-bomb%3A_the_pentagon_has_lost_the_mother_of_all_weapons

Or here:







One day there just might be a laying waste of the east coast of America quite unexpectedly!!  But there will be a bigger roar if the Great Barrier Reef is scratched !




2 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fascinating article. Typical bloody booby Americans. And the Australians leave it up to them to investigate the best way to collect their refuse? They'll be the death of us all! Can you believe they are a superpower? What, did all the other countries pass?

    It's like when they go to war and kill more of their own army than who they are attempting to annihilate any given week and then say , " Oopsie, friendly fire!"

    Is that rude of me to say that?

    You want rude? Fuck off.


    hahahahahaha I am still orgasming over that little unexpected nugget!

    You're very prolific in your posts,do you write all of them yourself?

    Anyway good article[please don't psychoanalyze me]. :)

    * I need a modify button[clearly].

    ReplyDelete

Ne meias in stragulo aut pueros circummittam.

Our Bouncer is a gentleman of muscle and guile. His patience has limits. He will check you at the door.

The Tavern gets rowdy visitors from time to time. Some are brain dead and some soul dead. They attack customers and the bar staff and piss on the carpets. Those people will not be allowed in anymore. So... Be Nice..