At 8:07 am Saturday morning Hawaiians received a terrifying alert on their phones: "Missile threat inbound to Hawaii. Seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill."
For 38 minutes, people across the state faced what they believed to be an imminent attack. Families raced to shelters, prayed for safety, sent messages to loved ones on the mainland, and waited.
At 8:43 am, they received another alert: "There is no missile threat or danger to the State of Hawaii. Repeat. False Alarm.”
A Hawaii emergency management employee had accidentally sent out the message. The emergency system is now being investigated by the FCC, and the employee has resigned.
“I think what happened in Hawaii is a reminder that [nuclear war] is a real possibility,” said Charlie Sennott, executive director of The GroundTruth Project, Monday on Boston Public Radio.
Sennott emphasized the precarious relationship the U.S. has with North Korea. “It really does create a situation where it is so volatile that any human error like this one we witnessed in Hawaii, can really lead to disastrous results," he said. "You really could have human error lead to misjudgment, misinterpretation of intentions, and that can lead to war.”
Sennott added that this mistake can help to reaffirm the necessary steps the U.S. should take to ensure a stable North Korea.
“Human error can take us to the brink of a nuclear war," he said.That’s why we need responsible diplomatic initiatives, cautious language, and measured responses to things, and wherever possible, a chance to deepen an alliance so that we don’t make just the kind of mistake that will be a historical fatal mistake.”
To hear the entire interview, click on the audio player above.
