'Zero' protection from nuclear codes: Codes were 00000000

[rawstory]

As seen on the liberal alternative to Drudge, http://www.rawstory.com

Zero protection from nuclear code

Oliver Burkeman in Washington
Thursday June 17, 2004
The Guardian

In the darkest days of the cold war, as the world trembled on the brink of a nuclear war, one thing above all stood in the way of catastrophe: the secret eight-digit access number required to launch America's arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Without that vital obstacle, anybody - a crazed military commander, or a terrorist - might have been able to spark a conflict that would have killed millions.

For the sake of our sanity, then, perhaps it's best that we have had to wait until now to discover that for many years, according to an expert closely involved in the process, the eight digits in question were 00000000.

"The codes were the only real mechanical or technical impediment to the crews launching missiles," said Bruce Blair, who worked as a launch officer in an underground nuclear silo in Montana. "And they were all set to zero. The safeguard was non-functional."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1240576,00.html

[sniffa]

1. um, wow

that's just insane. couLdn't they at Least have picked 12345678

"that's the kind of combination an idiot wouLd have on his Luggage"

(space baLLs reference)

[gratuitous]

18. Commence Operation Suck!

And . . . change the combination on my luggage.

[PepSky]

2. Doesn't matter

I'd imagine you would have a max of 3 tries to get it right. Who would possibly guess it would be 00000000 within those 3 tries? If anything, that would probably be the LAST thing someone would try....

[PartyPooper]

4. It would be the FIRST thing

someone like Junior would try. Remember, he can't count!

:nuke:

:scared:

[freeforall]

10. LOL! Very true!

Scary nonetheless.

[drscm]

17. LOL! My first thought. eom

eom

[hightime]

3. 000 Destruct 0

[Gold Metal Flake]

5. 123 Continuity Abort Destruct Order

Bele, what a fool.

[rawstory]

6. huh?

[Occulus]

7. Star Trek reference n/t

[PeanutOne]

9. Let That Be Your Last Battlefield

...was the episode title. Seems appropriate.

[rawstory]

26. I see

[NewYorkerfromMass]

27. The ST script writers knew obviously

:)

[havocmom]

8. Looking at my telephone keypad

and I figure it should have been 52222666

[powergirl]

11. Sounds about as secure as the voicemail on my phone

idiots

[Sabriel]

12. I guess 8675309 was taken.

Georgie, Georgie, who can I turn to?
You give me something I can hold on to.

Sabriel

[gatlingforme]

25. HAHAHAHHA. LOL That was good.

[MikeG]

13. Damn! Now they tell me!

[Unperson 309]

14. "He's Punched In the Destruct Code!"

"South America goes down... you win. America goes down... *they* win.... The more things change, the more they stay the same."

*click* 6 *click* 6 *click* 6

"Mr. President! He's put in the World Code!"

"That'll put us back in the Dark Ages! For GOD'S SAKE, Snake! ... DON'T DO IT!"

"... The *name's* Plissken!"

*CLICK*!


309

"Welcome to the human race."

[Creamed Corn]

15. It gets worse...

the warheads were replaced with tiny flags that said "bang".

[Robb]

16. This sounds like the kind of thing flight crews would know

...sort of like when secret flight plans and such are kept in the briefing room safe (like old recce flights) with the combination written on the floor.

I wish that was the scariest thing I've ever read about cold war nuke handling, but it's sure up there.

[kurtyboy]

19. Shucks, I thought for sure they were set to

P O E

Purity Of Essence

<Snip>
General Jack D. Ripper: Do you realize that in addition to fluoridating water, why, there are studies underway to fluoridate salt, flour, fruit juices, soup, sugar, milk, ice cream? Ice cream, Mandrake? Children's ice cream!...You know when fluoridation began?...1946. 1946, Mandrake. How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh? It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual, and certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core Commie works.
<snip>
General Jack D. Ripper: I first became aware of it, Mandrake, during the physical act of love...Yes, a profound sense of fatigue, a feeling of emptiness followed. Luckily I-I was able to interpret these feelings correctly. Loss of essence. I can assure you it has not recurred, Mandrake. Women, er, women sense my power, and they seek the life essence. I do not avoid women, Mandrake...but I do deny them my essence.

<final snip for the current torture situation>

General Jack D. Ripper: Mandrake, were you ever a prisoner of war?
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Well, yes I was Jack as a matter of fact I was.
General Jack D. Ripper: Did they torture you?
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Yes Jack, I was tortured by the Japanese, if you must know, not a pretty story.
General Jack D. Ripper: Well, what happened?
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Oh Well, I don't know, Jack, difficult to think of under these conditions, but well, they got me on the old Ragoon-Ichinawa railway. I was laying train lines for the bloody Japanese puff-puff's.
General Jack D. Ripper: No, I mean when they tortured you did you talk?
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Ah, oh, no, I don't think they wanted me to talk really, I don't think they wanted me to say anything. It was just their way of having a bit of fun the swines. Strange thing is they make such bloody good cameras.

[Dogmudgeon]

20. That's not what I heard

I heard it was a lone technician, a sexy chap with bright red hair, and the secret combination was 1-800-CALL-ATT.

--bkl

[uncle ray]

21. the question is during what years?

whose administration? the article suggests, but doesn't say.

[wtmusic]

22. They stole the code from my suitcase

bastards! :D

[infidel2]

23. I don't belive it (no sarcasm)

look everyone,
not everything you read is true. Doesn't anyone read something like this and laugh it off as nonsense?

[wickerwoman]

24. Well, I check the source before I close my mind.

The Guardian is a pretty reliable British paper.

[JM]

28. Current code?

It would be awesome if the person programming the code chose 86438643

Dim Son wouldn't even get it. "Mr. President, you are 43. 86 is just double that number"

JM