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| The nuclear briefcase travels everywhere the president of the United States goes. |
For almost six decades, during the inauguration of the new president on January 20, overshadowed by fanfare and ornaments, two soldiers in dress uniforms have been waiting behind some pillars for the moment of the swearing-in.
One of them, who has generally accompanied the outgoing president on most of his trips, carries with him a heavy black briefcase which, when the clock strikes noon, he will hand over to the other officer, who will be in charge of loading it for the new commander in chief.
It is the so-called " black box " or " nuclear briefcase ", a metal-reinforced suitcase that accompanies the US president everywhere in case he needs to launch an atomic attack while away from the White House.
Since it was first used during the John F. Kennedy administration, the carry-over of the suitcase has been a key, albeit discreet, part of US inauguration ceremonies.
According to the protocols, Trump was to have the nuclear briefcase on hand until noon. But at that time he was already 1,500 km away, in South Florida ... Very far from Biden, who should also receive him at that time.
But there is no single case of this type, experts say, and there are others ready in an emergency for exceptional situations.
Shortly before the inauguration ceremony began, a military man was seen entering the Congress headquarters with a nuclear briefcase in hand, as reported by journalist Mike DeBonis, a congressional correspondent for The Washington Post newspaper.
In case outgoing President Donald Trump still had his, his access to the nuclear codes was also disabled at noon on Wednesday, January 20.
Most of the time, the briefcase is no more than ten feet away from the President of the United States.
Concerned about how the handover of the nuclear codes would take place, the Pentagon recently responded that it had a plan for "Inauguration Day," but declined to provide details.
However, several experts and scholars explained the possible scenarios in which such an unusual situation in the history of the United States could be resolved.
During a Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation event, Stephen Schwartz, an expert on the nuclear briefcase for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, explained that, contrary to what many people think, there are actually at least three such suitcases. .
One is the one that accompanies the president, but there is another list to be given in an emergency to the vice president or the "designated survivor" (the cabinet member who is appointed to take office if for some reason all the leaders in the line die presidential succession).
Schwartz considered that the Pentagon could use one of these briefcases - or prepare a new one - to hand it over to Biden and activate it the moment he took possession.
At that time, Trump's nuclear command and control authority expires, so his card that gives way to the nuclear codes would be deactivated.
"If an aide with the briefcase accompanies Trump on Air Force One to Florida, that aide will leave Trump's presence at noon and return to Washington with the briefcase," Schwartz told CNN.
How is the actual process?And it is that while the issue of the nuclear briefcase and its uses have fascinated millions of people over the years, what many do not know is that the nuclear codes and the keys that allow the president to be identified as such to give the order of an attack are not in the suitcase.
The key to triggering a nuclear attack is on a small plastic card that the incumbent president keeps in his pocket.
It is known as "code of gold" or "cookie".
The president must tear it in half to verify his identity when he contacts the War Unit at the Pentagon, the headquarters of the Defense Ministry, to authorize an attack.
On the morning of the inauguration, the new president and vice president receive instructions on how to use the briefcase and the future president receives the car.
Kennedy was the first president to have a nuclear briefcase at his disposal.
Thus, at 12:01 PM on January 20, in the hypothetical case that Trump wanted to launch a nuclear attack, he could not do so, whether or not he had the briefcase, and neither could Biden at 11:59 AM.
Fears that Trump could launch a nuclear strike prior to his departure from government raised concerns following the uprising on Capitol Hill earlier this month.
Then, the leader of the House of Representatives Nacy Pelosy, contacted the headquarters of the Department of Defense to ask them not to follow Trump's orders in case he activated the codes before leaving the White House.
What does the briefcase actually contain?
As Bruce Blair, a retired member of the US nuclear launch team, previously explained to the BBC, contrary to popular belief, the nuclear briefcase does not contain a button or codes to automatically launch a nuclear weapon, but protocols For the attack and the team you need to communicate with the higher-ranking advisers.
"In the briefcase there is also a graphic war plan, in a single sheet the objectives, the number of dead and the weapons at disposal are specified. So it is easy to understand the dimension of the situation in a few seconds", said Blair.
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| Biden's inauguration will differ greatly from traditional ceremonies, including the handover of the nuclear briefcase. |
Inside the briefcase are not only the codes to launch an attack of mass destruction, there are also two books.
One contains a detailed explanation of the types of nuclear attack that can be carried out and another a list of " safe places " for the US president and his family to take refuge.
Many of the times that the briefcase was seen, an antenna was noticed coming out of it: it is the telecommunication system to establish a direct line with the Pentagon.
