Weapon of Mass Destruction Here Plowshares

A brief account of the disarmament action at Launch Facility E-9 Minuteman III nuclear weapon of mass destruction site in McLean County, North Dakota

The Holy Spirit brought three men dressed as circus clowns to the site on the morning of June 20, 2006. We three—Father Carl Kabat, O.M.I., Greg Boertje-Obed, and Michael Walli—proceeded to do the works of peacemaking that God had called upon us to do. Banners were fastened to the outside of the fence that enclosed the launch facility. These banners read:

• Weapon of Mass Destruction Here Plowshares
• Swords into Plowshares, Spears into Pruning Hooks –Isaiah
• Nuclear Disarmament Begins at Home
• It's a sin to build a nuclear weapon

We laid one banner on the ground inside the launch facility which read, “Why do you do this evil thing? Your brother's blood cries out from the ground.”

We cut the chain on the gate with a pair of bolt cutters. We then entered and did various works: The entry hatch cover was found unlocked and we hammered the inside dial lock. The concrete silo lid was chipped in one spot by hammering. Blood was poured on the silo lid and the white upright motion detector, and it was visible from the road. Spray painting was done on the lid. Some of the spray-painted messages read:

• Stop nuclear terrorism here
• Disarm weapons of genocide
• Disarm our hearts
• Disarm now
• It is a sin to build a nuclear weapon
• God is not the author of confusion
• Peace is the fruit of justice
• The truth shall set you free
• Oppose the Culture of Death –Pope John Paul II
• If you want peace, work for justice –Pope Paul VI

In addition, various items were left as evidence near the silo lid and around the site:

• Two New Testaments
• Two rosaries
• One copy of the Declaration of Independence and one copy of the U.S. Constitution
• A folder of legal documents pointing to the criminality of U.S. government noncompliance with its own binding obligations under the U.S. constitution.

About 45 minutes after our arrival, a Huey-type helicopter was sighted. It cautiously approached and we could see a machine-gunner in the copter. While it continued to scour the surrounding farmland, a ground vehicle approached. At this time we put bread and wine (in a bottle) on the ground, knelt, joined hands, blew whistles, and sang “Vine and Fig Tree” and “Peace Is Flowing like a River.” About 20 heavily armed U.S. Air Force employees approached us—unarmed and nonviolent Christians—and we complied with a slow, tedious arrest procedure.

Initially, two Air Force people drove up to the scene and took us into custody. As more military arrived, the confusion multiplied. At one point we had been ordered to lie face down and two sets of handcuffs were placed on us with our hands behind our backs. When a higher-ranking person came, the order was given that the three of us be marched down the road and be placed 500 feet apart so that we could not communicate with each other. Soldiers began to push us ahead, saying “Faster, faster,” and then those in front were ordered to stop because we were supposed to keep together as we marched. The urgency led them to march Greg down the gravel road with only one sandal on. About 50 feet later, the county police drove up, adding to the confusion. They promptly placed Greg and Michael together in the back of a police car, where they were allowed unlimited communication.

One county officer went through the items that had been taken from us. He asked Michael and Greg what was in a small metal case. We said we thought it held Carl's glasses. We repeated ourselves, but the officer picked them up gingerly with two fingers and walked quickly about 100 feet toward the silo, put them in the tall grass by the side of the road, and ran back to the vehicles. He informed us later that the county police have different policies from the military, implying that the Air Force people were not sufficiently trained. Carl was not allowed to receive his glasses for at least another two days, as the police later said they were going to be mailed to the county jail.

A Native American law enforcement vehicle then transported the three of us through an impoverished Native American town called White Shield to a town called Garrison. At least four law enforcement jurisdictions were involved in the apprehension of three clowns. At Garrison, questions were asked by the FBI. In the afternoon we were transported to the McLean County Jail in Washburn , ND . Nine days later we were moved to the Burleigh County Detention Center , PO Box 1416 , Bismarck ND , 58502 . We made an appearance in federal court, and another court date is scheduled for July 5th.

Carl Kabat, OMI, Greg Boertje-Obed, Mike Walli