US nuclear bomb command forced to apologise for boastful tweet about bombing on New Year's Eve
'Times Square tradition rings in the New Year by dropping the big ball ... if ever needed, we are ready to drop something much, much bigger'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The US military unit that controls nuclear weapons has attracted widespread condemnation for a tweet boasting about its destructive capabilities sent as the country was celebrated New Year’s Eve.
As New Yorkers gathered beneath the giant ball that traditionally descends a flagpole in Times Square to mark the approach of midnight on December 31, Strategic Command sent a message saying it was prepared to drop something “much, much bigger”.
By way of illustration, it posted footage of a B-2 stealth bomber racing across the sky before firing two GPS-guided bombs that exploded into a giant ball of fire. Music pounded in the background as the words “Stealth,” “Ready” and “Lethal” flashed across the screen.
“#TimesSquare tradition rings in the #NewYear by dropping the big ball...if ever needed, we are #ready to drop something much, much bigger,” it said.
It added the hashtags: “#Deterrence #Assurance#CombatReadyForce #PeaceIsOurProfession.”
The tweet sparked disbelief on social media. Walter M Shaub Jr, who resigned in 2017 from his position as the head of the Office of Government Ethics, asked: “What kind of maniacs are running this country?”
Perhaps after the unit’s social media team saw some of the reaction it was generating, the message was swiftly deleted and an apology put out in its place.
A spokesperson said the post was “part of our recap of command priorities” and had been intended to reassure people in the US the military is always prepared – even on New Year’s Eve.
But the unit’s apology admitted the initial message had been “in poor taste” and insisted it was not reflective of their values.
The video in the initial tweet had shown the dropping of “a pair of conventional Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs) at a test range,” a spokesperson for the US Strategic Command unit explained to NBC News.
MOPs are 14,000kg bombs meant for hitting underground bunkers.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments