Danish politicians last week approved a new probe into the circumstances surrounding the 1968 crash of a B-52 bomber off the coast of northern Greenland near Thule Air Base. The aircraft was purportedly carrying four nuclear bombs, one of which was supposedly never recovered. Earthtimes.org reported Jan. 7 that the Danish Institute for International Studies will lead a comprehensive review and the Danish health ministry will look into whether the missing bomb posed a radiation risk, citing Danish news and government sources. Last year, a BBC documentary revealed previously classified documents that shed new light on the mishap, spawning new interest and concern. (For more on the crash, read the Nov. 11, 2008 report by Britain’s Daily Mail.)
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.