10 Terrifying Government Plots That Nearly Succeeded

6. Project Iceworm

The Objective: Create a top secret nuclear missile launch site close enough to easily strike targets located in the Soviet Union. The Plan: During the Cold War in 1960, the United States Army comissionedn an expansive network of underground tunnels directly under the Greenland ice sheet. Though the ultimate aim was to use the network as a nuclear missile launch base, the project was covered up under the name Camp Century. Just under 2 miles of tunnels were created, powered by a mobile nuclear reactor and featuring a hospital, shop and church. The real intentions of the base were kept secret from the Danish government, causing controversy when the information was revealed in 1995. Why it failed: Mother Nature apparently wasn't too happy about the project. Geologists at the camp found that the glacier located at Camp Century was moving far quicker than they had anticipated, meaning that the entire facility would be destroyed within around two years. The facility was quickly evacuated, and Project Iceworm was cancelled.