I'm avoiding most of the current Cold War and nuclear weapon related subjects, the threads descend into belief and politics too quickly, however there was some significant news to be found this week:

The United States has withdrawn nuclear weapons from the RAF Lakenheath air base 70 miles northeast of London, marking the end to more than 50 years of U.S. nuclear weapons deployment to the United Kingdom since the first nuclear bombs first arrived in September 1954. The withdrawal, which has not been officially announced but confirmed by several sources, follows the withdrawal of nuclear weapons from Ramstein Air Base in Germany in 2005 and Greece in 2001.

As an example of the silliness I alluded to the in the opening sentence, instead of just treating this a relatively significant piece of news, others used the fact that this announcement was not plastered over the front of all the newspapers, and used as the opening story on TV news, as the basis of their tiresome "conspiracy, conspiracy" calls.

In fact, such moves are never publicised due to the danger from terrorists, and other "well-meaning" groups, and if I may quote Des Browne, the Secretary of State for Defence:

"It is both UK and NATO policy to neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at a given location."

Oh dear, what a shame, another conspiracy story burst by the simple application of a mundane and well known fact

And I used to like conspiracy theories too, now I just feel insulted by those that promote most of them.

Looking at the archives, there were over 7,000 nuclear deployed in Europe just prior to 1970. While the campaigners would have us believe the silos are still brimmed and overflowing with such weapons, the most recent inspection finds the total to be between 150 and 240 (figures released are estimates), with two thirds of that number being in Italy and Turkey.

I remember seeing one of the more inane CND slogans talking about "End US occupation of the UK, ban the bomb", or words to that effect.

Though I know what you mean about conspiracy theories, the program a few weeks ago about WTC building 7 was the prime example of the stubborness of such people.

The 7WTC conspiracy people are gems, and after listening to them for a while, you could be forgiven for believing that black was white. The guy at the forefront of the story was a classic - regardless of whatever factual evidence was presented to him, he just shrugged his shoulders, said the equivalent of "Whatever", dismissed it and carried on with his fairy tale.

The saddest thing about that particular story is the hate campaigns we learnt that believers are running against the owners of demolition businesses that use explosives to blow-down buildings.

Decidedly off-topic I know, but on the theme of conspiracy sources, how about this story of police officers dying on Mount Snowdon, published today?

PC Anthony Mulhall, of South Yorkshire, was found on Mount Snowdon on Thursday, but died in hospital on Friday.

In the same story, we learn of Michael Todd, the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, who was found dead on Mount Snowdon four months ago.

Clearly, a group of extremists is at work, and using Mount Snowdon to cover their tracks

I dread to think of this post being quoted in a few years, as the original source which revealed this "plot".