Rep. Markey said, "Nuclear weapons are among the most sensitive and dangerous items that exist in the world. First the Air Force lost track of five nuclear warheads last August; now we learn that the Pentagon accidentally sent ballistic missile fuses to Taiwan. The Bush Administration needs to get a handle on our nuclear weapons program and revamp its control procedures. Otherwise, we run the risk that the next time our sensitive equipment ends up in the wrong hands, it won't simply be a matter of ‘return to sender'."

Earlier this week, news broke that the Pentagon accidentally sent four cone-shaped fuses for an intercontinental ballistic missile to Taiwan in the fall of 2006.

 In August, 2007, Americans learned that the Air Force mistakenly loaded five nuclear warheads on a B-52 bomber for a cross-country flight. The warheads should have been removed from the Advanced Cruise Missiles before they were transported to their decommissioning site. According to reports, no one in the Air Force, including the B52 pilots, knew the whereabouts of the warheads until the bomber landed over three hours later.

Last August Rep. Markey noted, "This frightening incident highlights that the Bush administration's plan to design and build a new arsenal of nuclear warheads is dangerous, especially when we can't keep track of the warheads we already have."