This is an interesting and disturbing report, but I second the comments of Ron Gray--if we can't verify it, then it's just one more rumor in a conspiracy-obsessed culture. All of us have been shocked by outrageous claims that were later proven--like the use of chemical weapons by the South African government against anti-apartheid forces. And we've burned by promoting claims that were false. So how do we confirm or refute this allegation? Can anyone investigate and publicize the findings? Chris Ney At 02:56 AM 8/19/1998 -0400, Ross Wilcock wrote: >Non-member submission from [LWirbel@aol.com] >Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1998 20:55:15 EDT >To: abolition-caucus@igc.apc.org, bsulzman@juno.com, jpike@fas.org >Mime-Version: 1.0 >Subject: Vortex with Pu RTG?? > >Here's an e-mail I just received from Karl Grossman. Obviously of profound >importance if true. >From: Karl Grossman >Subject: Titan 4 Launch Explosion > >The following message was left on the answering machine of the Durham, North >Carolina-based group Waste Awareness and Reduction Network on the afternoon >of August 17, 1998. >The transcript was made by Jim Warren, the executive director of the group, >who said that the "person sounds credible." I listened to the tape and, >indeed, he sure does. >There must be an effort to see if this information can be corroborated- but, >considering that a secret military project was involved, I think it will be >very, very difficult. >The E-mail of WARN is nc-warn@pobox.com and its telephone number is (919) >490-0747 if you would like more information from Warren. >Hi, >I'm calling in regards to the accident on Wednesday involving the Vortex >classified satellite being launched by the Titan. >I'll make this very brief. >I'm a project engineer and I think the public needs to know that was an RTG >power device. When the Air Force issued the destruct command after the >initial explosion, they did so to reduce the possibility of the public >determining that there was, indeed, a plutonium fuel cell. They reduced >everything to particulate matter when they issued the destruct sequence. >Which means the twenty pounds of plutonium went airborne at 20,000 feet off >the coast of Florida on Wednesday during a failed Titan launch of the >Vortex. >That plutonium has now passed over the majority of the East Coast. This is >the single largest nuclear accident in the history of the United States. >Its risks for public safety are unprecedented. >And major media sources are not reporting this. They are reporting the >accident but they are not including the critical piece of information that >the public needs to be aware of-And that is an RTG power device and the Air >Force chose to detonate it after the initial explosion, and thus ensuring >the plutonium went to particulate and was dispersed atmospherically across >the East Coast. >I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, like I say, I am a project >engineer. >We have all been affected by this. >And I hope that you or somebody in your organization can help get the word >out. >Please get on the Internet, contact foreign newspapers, contact everybody >you can because this has to get out. >There are three more Vortex launches scheduled. >Thank you very much. > > > ********** War Resisters League 339 Lafayette St. New York, NY 10012 212-228-0450 212-228-6193 (fax) 1-800-975-9688 (YouthPeace and A Day Without the Pentagon) wrl@igc.apc.org web address: http://www.nonviolence.org/wrl