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Secret South African documents reveal that Israel offered to sell nuclear warheads to the apartheid regime, providing the first official documentary evidence of the state's possession of nuclear weapons.
The "top secret" minutes of meetings between senior officials from the two countries in 1975 show that South Africa's defence minister, PW Botha, asked for the warheads and Shimon Peres, then Israel's defence minister and now its president, responded by offering them "in three sizes". The two men also signed a broad-ranging agreement governing military ties between the two countries that included a clause declaring that "the very existence of this agreement" was to remain secret.
The documents, uncovered by an American academic, Sasha Polakow-Suransky, in research for a book on the close relationship between the two countries, provide evidence that Israel has nuclear weapons despite its policy of "ambiguity" in neither confirming nor denying their existence.
The Israeli authorities tried to stop South Africa's post-apartheid government declassifying the documents at Polakow-Suransky's request and the revelations will be an embarrassment, particularly as this week's nuclear non-proliferation talks in New York focus on the Middle East.
They will also undermine Israel's attempts to suggest that, if it has nuclear weapons, it is a "responsible" power that would not misuse them, whereas countries such as Iran cannot be trusted.
South African documents show that the apartheid-era military wanted the missiles as a deterrent and for potential strikes against neighbouring states.
The "three sizes" are believed to refer to the conventional, chemical and nuclear weapons.
The use of a euphemism, the "correct payload", reflects Israeli sensitivity over the nuclear issue and would not have been used had it been referring to conventional weapons. It can also only have meant nuclear warheads as Armstrong's memorandum makes clear South Africa was interested in the Jericho missiles solely as a means of delivering nuclear weapons.
South Africa eventually built its own nuclear bombs, albeit possibly with Israeli assistance. But the collaboration on military technology only grew over the following years. South Africa also provided much of the yellowcake uranium that Israel required to develop its weapons.
The documents confirm accounts by a former South African naval commander, Dieter Gerhardt – jailed in 1983 for spying for the Soviet Union. After his release with the collapse of apartheid, Gerhardt said there was an agreement between Israel and South Africa called Chalet which involved an offer by the Jewish state to arm eight Jericho missiles with "special warheads". Gerhardt said these were atomic bombs. But until now there has been no documentary evidence of the offer.
I never have liked Peres . But he has kept on ticking for 40 years after I thought he should have been finished off.
I have thought repeatedly that he was a disaster waiting to happen
Well, it looks like it did.
Yawn.
The UK was a major trading partner of apartheid South Africa.
The Islamic Republic of Iran was apartheid South Africa's oil supplier.
Time to move on.
Yawn.
The UK was a major trading partner of apartheid South Africa.
The Islamic Republic of Iran was apartheid South Africa's oil supplier.
Time to move on.
I'm not saying that the U.S, UK, and Iran didn't have their roles in dealing with South Africa trade wise. However, none of them offered South Africa nuclear weapons.
How do you know, Sherlock?
How do you know, Sherlock?
Going off what information is available to us. If it is revealed that any of the three did, then they are just as wrong as Israel is here.
Tell me Marc, do you think Israel was right in doing this?
What I think is...you really need to get a life.
What I think is...you really need to get a life.
So says the person responding to my posts on the same message board. Now, care to give a real answer?
So says the person infinitely more concerned about a state sponsor of terror in Iran developing a nuclear bomb.
As I recommended to you, get a fucking life and get your priorities in order.
So says the person infinitely more concerned about a state sponsor of terror in Iran developing a nuclear bomb.
As I recommended to you, get a fucking life and get your priorities in order.
I'm also concerned about what Iran is going to do with a nuclear weapon as well. However, I'm also very concerned when a country is trying to sell nuclear weapons to a Apartheid Regime. Considering your indifference, I'm going to assume this is because it's due to the fact that Israel did this. If it were Iran, you'd be pointing with a "See, I told you so!"
So says the person infinitely more concerned about a state sponsor of terror in Iran developing a nuclear bomb.
As I recommended to you, get a fucking life and get your priorities in order.
I'm also concerned about what Iran is going to do with a nuclear weapon as well. However, I'm also very concerned when a country is trying to sell nuclear weapons to a Apartheid Regime. Considering your indifference, I'm going to assume this is because it's due to the fact that Israel did this. If it were Iran, you'd be pointing with a "See, I told you so!"
Maybe, psychotropic drugs can be of help to you.
which ones are you currently not taking as directed?
I'm also concerned about what Iran is going to do with a nuclear weapon as well. However, I'm also very concerned when a country is trying to sell nuclear weapons to a Apartheid Regime. Considering your indifference, I'm going to assume this is because it's due to the fact that Israel did this. If it were Iran, you'd be pointing with a "See, I told you so!"
Maybe, psychotropic drugs can be of help to you.
which ones are you currently not taking as directed?
The ones you take to relieve the depression over being a chat room monitor for no pay.
Maybe, psychotropic drugs can be of help to you.
which ones are you currently not taking as directed?
The ones you take to relieve the depression over being a chat room monitor for no pay.
Revealed: how Israel offered to sell South Africa nuclear weapons | World news | The Guardian
Secret South African documents reveal that Israel offered to sell nuclear warheads to the apartheid regime, providing the first official documentary evidence of the state's possession of nuclear weapons.
The "top secret" minutes of meetings between senior officials from the two countries in 1975 show that South Africa's defence minister, PW Botha, asked for the warheads and Shimon Peres, then Israel's defence minister and now its president, responded by offering them "in three sizes". The two men also signed a broad-ranging agreement governing military ties between the two countries that included a clause declaring that "the very existence of this agreement" was to remain secret.
The documents, uncovered by an American academic, Sasha Polakow-Suransky, in research for a book on the close relationship between the two countries, provide evidence that Israel has nuclear weapons despite its policy of "ambiguity" in neither confirming nor denying their existence.
The Israeli authorities tried to stop South Africa's post-apartheid government declassifying the documents at Polakow-Suransky's request and the revelations will be an embarrassment, particularly as this week's nuclear non-proliferation talks in New York focus on the Middle East.
The "three sizes" are believed to refer to the conventional, chemical and nuclear weapons.
The use of a euphemism, the "correct payload", reflects Israeli sensitivity over the nuclear issue and would not have been used had it been referring to conventional weapons. It can also only have meant nuclear warheads as Armstrong's memorandum makes clear South Africa was interested in the Jericho missiles solely as a means of delivering nuclear weapons.
South Africa eventually built its own nuclear bombs, albeit possibly with Israeli assistance. But the collaboration on military technology only grew over the following years. South Africa also provided much of the yellowcake uranium that Israel required to develop its weapons.
The documents confirm accounts by a former South African naval commander, Dieter Gerhardt jailed in 1983 for spying for the Soviet Union. After his release with the collapse of apartheid, Gerhardt said there was an agreement between Israel and South Africa called Chalet which involved an offer by the Jewish state to arm eight Jericho missiles with "special warheads". Gerhardt said these were atomic bombs. But until now there has been no documentary evidence of the offer.
I'll just leave this here. What are your thoughts USMB?
which ones are you currently not taking as directed?
The ones you take to relieve the depression over being a chat room monitor for no pay.
why would that depress me?
not even your pitiful ass depresses me, pool boi. have another benzo
The ones you take to relieve the depression over being a chat room monitor for no pay.
why would that depress me?
not even your pitiful ass depresses me, pool boi. have another benzo
You're sui generis when it comes to pitiful asses, chat room boy.
