UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2014-04164 Doc No C06020028 Date 07 26 2018 S ET PAGE 01 STATE 192561 ORIGIN NODS-00 INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 ISO R DRAFTED BY S AS PFARLEY ET AL MS APPROVED BY THE SECRETARY S S PTARNOFF - - - - 133260 1500022 61 0 1422262 AUG 77 ZFF6 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE INFO AMEMBASSY PRETORIA IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE WHITE HOUSE IMMEDIATE RELEASE IN PART 25X11 SE ET STATE 192561 NODIS FOR THE AMB FM THE SECRETARY W HOUSE FOR DR BRZEZINSKI ONLY E O 11652 XGDS-1 TAGS PARM MNUC FR SA SUBJECT SOUTH AFRICAN NUCLEAR TEST ISSUE 1 PLEASE DELIVER THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE FROM ME TO GUIRINGAUD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE 2 QUOTE DEAR MR MINISTER US TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION CONFIRMS THE EXISTENCE IN THE KALAHARI DESERT AS RECENTLY CLAIMED BY THE USSR OF A FACILITY WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE MANY OF THE ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AN UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR TEST 25X1 I ' ' I S T PAGE02 STATE 192561 BUT ON THE BASIS OF OUR PRESENT INFORMATION WE BELIEVE THAT THE SOVIET ALLEGATIONS MUST BE TAKEN WITH THE UTMOST SERIOUSNESS c _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ AS THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT SUPPLIERS OF NUCLEAR EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS TO SOUTH AFRICA I BELIEVE THE UNITED STATES AND FRANCE HAVE AN URGENT AND GRAVE RESPONSIBILITY TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO ESTABLISH CONCLUSIVELY WHETHER THE SUSPECTED FACILITY IS A NUCLEAR TEST SITE AND TO PREVENT A NUCLEAR EXPLOSION FROM TAKING PLACE WE HAVE APPROACHED UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2014-04164 Doc No C06020028 Date 07 26 2018 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2014-04164 Doc No C06020028 Date 07 26 2018 THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT TO EXPRESS OUR SERIOUS CONCERN OVER THE SOVIET ALLEGATIONS AND TO REQUEST CLARIFICATION OF SOUTH AFRICAN INTENTIONS THEIR INITIAL RESPONSE ASSERTED SIMPLY THAT SOUTH AFRICA'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM WAS DEVOTED SOLELY TO 'PEACEFUL PURPOSES' -- A POSITION REMINISCENT OF INDIA'S POSITION IN CONNECTION WITH ITS 1974 NUCLEAR TEST AS A NEXT STEP WE ARE INFORMING THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO US INDEPENDENTLY LEADS US TO BELIEVE THAT THE SOVIET ALLEGATION OF A NUCLEAR TEST SITE IN THE KALAHARI HAS A SUBSTANTIAL BASIS THAT THIS IS A MATTER OF DEEP CONCERN TO THE UNITED STATES AND THAT ANY NUCLEAR EXPLOSION WOULD OF COURSE HAVE THE GRAVEST CONSEQUENCES WE WOULD ASK FOR UNEQUIVOCAL CONFIRMATION OR DENIAL OF THE EXISTENCE OF SUCH A FACILITY WITHOUT REGARD TO WHETHER ITS PURPOSE IS CHARACTERIZED AS PEACEFUL OR OTHERWISE UNLESS SOUTH AFRICA QUICKLY AND PERSUASIVELY DEMONSTRATES THAT THERE ARE NO GROUNDS FOR CONCERN WE INTEND BY MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK TO REQUEST SOUTH AFRICAN S'- ET S ET PAGE03 STATE 192561 PERMISSION FOR AN ON-SITE INSPECTION AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE TIME WE BELIEVE THAT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS ACTION WOULD BE GREATLY ENHANCED IF FRANCE WERE TO JOIN WITH US IN THE REQUEST AND PARTICIPATE IN ANY INSPECTION WHICH MAY RESULT I THEREFORE ASK YOU TO CONSIDER WHETHER YOU CAN JOIN US IN AN APPROACH WHICH WE REGARD AS OF FUNDAMENTAL IMPORTANCE TO OUR MUTUAL NON-PROLIFERATION INTERESTS AND TO INTERNATIONAL PEACE IN ORDER TO GIVE MAXIMUM CREDIBILITY TO ANY INSPECTION WHICH MIGHT RESULT WE SEE SOME MERIT IN ASSOCIATING IN THIS APPROACH SOME THIRD COUNTRY SUCH AS CANADA OR ENTITY SUCH AS THE IAEA WHICH HAS NO COMMERCIAL OR OTHER INTEREST THAT WOULD MAKE THE FINDINGS OF THE INSPECTION TEAM SUSPECT WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY VIEWS YOU MAY HAVE ON THIS QUESTION WE WISH TO MAKE THIS FURTHER APPROACH TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT ON OR ABOUT AUGUST 17 IN ORDER TO AVOID A SITUATION WHERE AN EXPLOSION-MIGHT TAKE PLACE OR THE MATTER MIGHT BE BROUGHT BEFORE THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL AND PRECIPITATE ACTIONS TAKEN BEFORE WE ARE ABLE TO TAKE EFFECTIVE STEPS TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM WE ARE PROVIDING AN INTERIM RESPONSE TO THE USSR INDICATING THAT WE TAKE THEIR STATEMENT MOST SERIOUSLY AND ASKING THAT THEY AVOID ANY IMMEDIATE ACTION IN THE NEXT WEEK WHICH UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2014-04164 Doc No C06020028 Date 07 26 2018 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2014-04164 Doc No C06020028 Date 07 26 2018 WOULD PREJUDICE PRACTICAL STEPS TO AVOID AN EXPLOSION I BELIEVE THAT AS MAJOR SUPPLIERS TO SOUTH AFRICA THE US AND FRANCE WILL BE SEEN AS BEARING AN IMPORTANT MEASURE OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENTS IN THAT COUNTRY HOW WE RESPOND TO THIS SITUATION WILL ALSO BE SEEN AS A TEST OF EFFECTIVENESS OF SUPPLIER COOPERATION IN INHIBITING NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION GIVEN THE URGENCY OF THIS PROBLEM I FEEL IMPELLED TO ASK FOR YOUR URGENT CONSIDERATIQ _N OF OUR PROPOSAL SIGNED CYRUS VANCE UNQUOTE S RET S ET PAGE04 STATE 192561 3 WE ARE PROVIDING DETAILS OF SENSITIVE INFORMATION INDEPENDENTLY AVAILABLE TO US BY SEPARATE CHANNEL FOR YOUR USE WITH FRENCH AS APPROPRIATE 4 LONDON FOR AMBASSADOR BREWSTER PLEASE SHOW A COPY OF THIS TO DAVID OWEN WHOM I TOLD ON THE PHONE THAT WE WOULD BE SENDING THIS MESSAGE TO THE FRENCH VANCE S T NNN UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2014-04164 Doc No C06020028 Date 07 26 2018