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Raaberg, director of Air and Space Operations at Air Combat Command Headquarters, said Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Ed Thomas. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has requested daily briefings from Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley on the progress of the investigation. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., a member of the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee, requested a full-classified briefing, not just the preliminary information being provided to lawmakers, to explain how a mistake of this magnitude could have happened. Thomas said the transfer was conducted safely and the American public was never in any danger since the weapons were in Air Force custody and control at all times. "Nothing like this has ever been reported before and we have been assured for decades that it was impossible," said Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., co- chair of the House Bi-partisan Task Force. Non-proliferation treaty experts said the Air Force didn't violate any international nuclear treaties by transporting the nuclear warheads on the B- 52, but it was the first time since 1968 that it's been known publicly that nuclear warheads were transported on a U.S. bomber. "These reports are deeply disturbing," said Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. "The American people, our friends, and our potential adversaries must be confident that the highest The Defense Department uses a computerized tracking program to keep tabs on each one of its nuclear warheads, said Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists. For the six warheads to make it onto the B-52, each one would have had to be 133 But few critics were placated Wednesday by the Air Force's reassurances. The Defense Department does transport nuclear warheads by air, but instead of bombers it uses C-17 or C-130 cargo aircraft. standards are in place when it comes to our nuclear arsenal." signed out of its storage bunker and transported to the bomber. Diligent