New Documents Reveal How a 1980s Nuclear War Scare Became a Full-Blown Crisis

New Documents Reveal How a 1980s Nuclear War Scare Became a Full-Blown Crisis

www.wired.com

During 10 days in November 1983, the United States and the Soviet Union nearly started a nuclear war. Newly declassified documents from the CIA, NSA, KGB, and senior officials in both countries reveal just how close we came to mutually assured destruction — over a military exercise.

That exercise, Able Archer 83, simulated the transition by NATO from a conventional war to a nuclear war, culminating in the simulated release of warheads against the Soviet Union...

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Why is it that everything bad seems to happen in conjunction with military exercises?

I mean look at 9/11. What was going on when that happened? Military exercises. And those were just too targeted towards the exact same thing that actually happened, to BE coincidental imo.

The London bombing? More military exercises.

The situation in North Korea? Over military exercises.

Maybe it's time we BANNED military exercises. And then the world would be a whole lot safer.

And look at this story now. They almost killed millions, all over military exercises. That could have meant you or me, not to mention our families.

Is the world any safer today? You think that because technology has progressed that it offers more safety? Imo. no. The exponential increase of weapons systems only INCREASES the chances of a nuclear war starting by misunderstandings.

And with the Russians, the missile shield that has stirred so much vitriol, being so close to them, DECREASES the time anyone would have to recover if weapons DID get launched accidentally over a misunderstanding, or from an error.

This story also reminds of the other story about that one Russian who saved the day, refusing to take orders to fire nukes, and waiting a bit longer, when some computers when haywire and screwed up. Not sure if that scenario was part of this tale or not. But yeah, according to these docs, we came damn close. Over military exercises.



Big boys with big toys are gonna get us all killed.

www.wired.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Hate to sound like a pessimist but we have no control over this, the people with the money and the power do and we're all only semi-important at election time, which is playing our part in the grand illusion

Great article. I read this a few days ago. It makes you really wonder how close we really come and how often if this is what is released.

Everyday there is something else that is just waiting out there for us. This is still one of my favorite...

reply to post by esdad71


We launched our Alert EC-135 with a full battlestaff on board in....1983 I think it was. The codes matched perfectly, and it was a valid launch. The only problem was that a computer chip had failed. There were no missiles inbound, and no reason to launch, but the computers said there was, so we did.

It's not really news - I guess the new documents are....but the crisis itself has been known of publicly for years.

reply to post by Zaphod58


"shall we play a game???" WOPR says yes...

reply to post by esdad71


Pretty much. The crew was totally freaked out when they landed though. They said making that turn onto the runway was the hardest thing they ever did.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Must have been very tough to know that could be it. With the latest up of flights from Russia, the CIA chief outed and Obama's non existent foreign policy, it seems like the slumber of the cold war is almost over.

Also, what happened to the bombers that were activated during the NK stuff recently? A lot of talk of them leaving but did they return or are they on station somewhere else for now?

reply to post by esdad71


I haven't heard anything, but I imagine some of them are still staged out there, and a few might have come home by now. They tend to not leave them hanging when things settle down somewhat.

Originally posted by TrueAmerican

New Documents Reveal How a 1980s Nuclear War Scare Became a Full-Blown Crisis

www.wired.com

During 10 days in November 1983, the United States and the Soviet Union nearly started a nuclear war. Newly declassified documents from the CIA, NSA, KGB, and senior officials in both countries reveal just how close we came to mutually assured destruction — over a military exercise.

That exercise, Able Archer 83, simulated the transition by NATO from a conventional war to a nuclear war, culminating in the simulated release of warheads against the Soviet Union...

(visit the link for the full news article)

The Military Channel did a show on it last year, it was pretty wild. It's shown regularly in re-runs.

reply to post by TrueAmerican


About that time I was living in the Lancashire (England) town of skelmersdale, I was 13 years old and heard the sound of the air raid sirens blairing out from the police station and local government building's it was a sunday summer time and there was not a soul to see any were, the road's were still and no other people were about while I walked through the town centre, I was really scared and it has stayed with me to this day, I prayed and ran to be with my mom as If it was a attack I did not want to be on my own, right up to the point I got to the front door I never saw a soul and just as I got to it the sirens stopped it was about 1 pm I think but a lot of time has past.

Originally posted by esdad71
reply to post by Zaphod58

 

Must have been very tough to know that could be it. With the latest up of flights from Russia, the CIA chief outed and Obama's non existent foreign policy, it seems like the slumber of the cold war is almost over.

Also, what happened to the bombers that were activated during the NK stuff recently? A lot of talk of them leaving but did they return or are they on station somewhere else for now?

Why would the media make a fuss over aircraft returning from a non event?
When they release articles about upcoming military exercises, do they release articles about the end of those exercises, saying that all troops/equipment has returned to their bases? No.

Just because you haven't read an article about something so irrelevant as a return, doesn't mean it didn't happen.
And it also doesn't mean there is some conspiracy at play because you didn't read an article about it.