Trident whistleblower William McNeilly hands himself in
Source: BBC
A Royal Navy submariner who criticised Trident nuclear submarine safety procedures has handed himself in to police on his return to the UK.
William McNeilly, 25, went on the run after alleging the Trident missile programme, based on the Clyde, was a "disaster waiting to happen".
Able Seaman Mr McNeilly, from Belfast, has written a report, detailing "serious security and safety breaches".
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The MoD said Mr McNeilly was "apprehended" by Royal Navy Police at Edinburgh Airport on Monday night and was being held at a military establishment in Scotland.
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Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-32791755
bananas
(27,509 posts)Royal Navy whistleblower held in Scotland
Tuesday 19 May 2015
A submariner who published an online dossier of safety concerns about Britain's Trident nuclear programme has handed himself in to authorities in Scotland.
Royal Navy Able Seaman William McNeilly, 25, who is from Newtownabbey in Co Antrim, had claimed that it was easier to get into the sensitive nuclear installations than into "most nightclubs".
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It is understood he was detained at Edinburgh airport on Sunday night and is being held at a military base in Scotland.
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truthisfreedom
(23,141 posts)HassleCat
(6,409 posts)I did the same thing, blew the whistle on safety violations in the nuclear powered engine room of my ship. I was lucky because I had documentation of a serious violation which, if publicly revealed, would have created an international incident. I held back that particular piece of information as a sort of "ace in the hole" and it worked. My punishment didn't amount to much. I fear McNeilly is in for a rough ride, and I hope he gets legal help.
DetlefK
(16,423 posts)He served on a defective shithole of a ship where following procedures had become too burdensome and nobody bothered anymore. And this ship just happened to be a submarine with nuclear missiles.
He described how shockingly disinterested the guards were and how easily all kinds of personnel enters and leaves the submarine without having their IDs or their bags checked.
"The electronics produce false alarms all the time? No problem. Mute the alarm. Problem solved. Now I just have to keep an eye on the screens. But the chair is so uncomfortable! Eh, nobody will notice if I sit over there with the other guys."
He mentioned how easy it would be for terrorists to infiltrate the submarine and sink it (all the defects making it a death-trap waiting to happen). Or fire the nuclear missiles because you can't really expect somebody to take care of Top Secret files or nuclear command keys if he's having a bad day. (Yes, the whistleblower was left alone with Top Secret files. And Yes, the guy in charge misplaced the nuclear command key and somebody else found it lying around.)
But don't worry: The terrorists won't actually fire the nuclear missiles. The whistleblower took part in an exercise where the submarine practiced firing the missiles and none of the tries would have lead to a successful launch: 3 out 3 tries were a fail, because defects.
Sobax
(110 posts)Elmer S. E. Dump
(5,751 posts)He freeking gave himself up. Apprehended? Doesn't seem like the proper word to me.