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Nov. 9th "Scuffle" Over the "Nuclear Football" in China

posted by janrinok on Tuesday February 20 2018, @06:29AM   Printer-friendly
from the its-my-ball-and-I'm-taking-it-home dept.

takyon writes:

Axios: Kelly, Secret Service agent scuffled with Chinese officials over nuclear 'football'

White House chief of staff John Kelly and a Secret Service agent scuffled with Chinese security officials over the U.S. nuclear "football" during a trip to China in November, Axios reported Sunday.

[...] The interaction reportedly took place during President Trump's trip to Beijing's Great Hall of the People. The aide carrying the briefcase was blocked from entering the hall, and another official quickly told Kelly, five sources told Axios.

Kelly then came over and told the officials to continue walking in, after which a Chinese security official grabbed at Kelly, and the chief of staff pushed him off, according to Axios. A Secret Service agent then tackled the Chinese security official, the publication reported.

U.S. officials were asked to not discuss the interaction, according to Axios. Chinese officials were never in possession of the bag containing the launch codes, and a top Chinese security official apologized to the Trump team afterward.

The nuclear football (also known as the atomic football, the President's emergency satchel, the Presidential Emergency Satchel, the button, the black box, or just the football) is a briefcase, the contents of which are to be used by the President of the United States to authorize a nuclear attack while away from fixed command centers, such as the White House Situation Room. It functions as a mobile hub in the strategic defense system of the United States. It is held by an aide-de-camp.

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  • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 20 2018, @11:11AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 20 2018, @11:11AM (#640586)

    That is, without regular attention from the president, the US military will assume that a nuclear strike is required. The assumption will be that the president has been taken hostage or even killed. ICBMs and SLBMs will soon hit over a thousand locations in China.

    Bonus points: actually set it up like this, ensuring they can't just call your bluff and win

    What a brilliant idea. Especially convenient for those who want the USA to start a nuclear war with China.

    So if someone kills Trump for whatever reason, China gets nuked and maybe a few retaliatory nukes from China will succeed in hitting the USA.

    But hey nobody in the USA would want to kill Trump right? He's such a wonderful guy that only the evil Chinese would want to kill him.

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  • (Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Tuesday February 20 2018, @03:29PM

    by tangomargarine (667) on Tuesday February 20 2018, @03:29PM (#640666)

    I was really hoping that somebody would manage to assassinate both candidates during the election. No such luck.

    --
    "Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"