Three charged with trespassing at missile

Associated Press Grand Forks Herald

WASHBURN, N.D. - Three nuclear protesters have been charged with criminal trespass and criminal mischief for infiltrating a Minuteman III missile silo site in northwestern North Dakota.

Greg Boertje-Obed, 51, and Michael Walli, 57, both from Duluth, Minn.; and Carl Kabat, 72, a priest from St. Louis, were charged with the misdemeanors on Wednesday in South Central District Court.

Judge Bruce Romanick set their bail at $500 each.

McLean County prosecutor Ladd Erickson said the men had not posted bail and were still in the county jail on Thursday. He said federal charges were pending.

The men are members of the Wisconsin-based group Nukewatch. The group, in a statement, said the men were able to break a lock and enter the silo site Tuesday morning, paint the word "disarm" on the silo lid and pour some of their blood on the lid.

The men were dressed as clowns.

"We take clowns breaking into a nuclear facility serious in McLean County," Erickson said.

Minot Air Force Base officials said the men were immediately arrested by Air Force security and turned over to local law enforcement officers, who took them to the McLean County jail.

"At no time was the underground missile's safety, security or readiness affected in any way," said Col. Sandra Finan, commander of the 91st Space Wing.