Spain: The Nuke Fluke

Washington held off any announcement, waiting for Spain to make the first statement. Spain held off, nervously uncertain of what to say. Finally, last week—some 44 days after the event—the two countries officially announced what the whole world had been discussing for the past six weeks: that the U.S. had indeed misplaced one H-bomb.

The nuke was one of four that fell over southern Spain Jan. 17, when a U.S. Air Force B-52 collided with a refueling tanker. The first three bombs —and four crew members—were quickly recovered. The fourth bomb was still missing. Though the bombs were unarmed and protected...