ATOMS FOR ARGIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85B01152R000100110033-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 13, 2007
• Sequence Number: 33
• Publication Date: September 18, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2007/12/13: CIA-RDP85BO1152R000100110033-1
ARTICLE At'PE ARED NEh' YORK TIMES
On PAGE=/9 18 September 1983
WASHINGTON - The Argentines -
may be busily building themselves an ESSAY
atomic bomb. With such a weapon, - ,
Argentina would be able to deal with
Great Britain on the Falkland Islands
as a nuclear equal, as well as menace*.
Chile in the dispute over islands at the
tip of South America.
? According to one U.S. Intelligence
analysis, a secret plan afoot in Buenos
Atoms for Argjes :_
By William Safire
one of Argentina's atomic energy , That question is slanted to elidi iJ:
. plants to make enough plutonium for a no. But the Reagan Administration, Argentina today is with the Soviet
bomb, with no international inspection. argues that our previous policy of i ? Union. If Professor Luder wins, the,
agency the wiser. This analysis, circus refusing to cooperate on anything nu-1. U.S. veill be holding out its nuclearcar.
lated widely in our Government since clear with non-signing countries did : rots to a neutralist nation.
May, evaluates the supposed plan with not stop their development, and left ,.. Fortunately, proliferation is -'one of
a curt "can be done. Plant has a 150-ton us with no connective tissue. That is i those rare cases in which superpower
parallel. The U.S.-should
annual capacity. One ton could be done why, in the dead of night, with a two. interests .are
by bookkeeping error." t paragraph announcement in the Fed- .- join . with the : U.S.S.R. in leaning !
State Department officials dispute eral Register; _ the U.S, recently against the pursuit of the bomb by the
this interpretation, and other intelli- slipped Buenos Aires 143 tons -of -new government In Buenos Aires. Al-
gence analysts argue that no credible heavy water; now the Argies will at-?though we will be competing with the
evidence has come our way to'suggest' feast talk to us about safeguards.`*: Russians for Influence in Argentina, on
that the Argentine nuclear program Isn't some progress, and contact that that subject Moscow and Washington
- by far the most extensive in Latin might lead to, more, better than a can agree to a superpower priority:
America - has been diverting nu- sterile all-or-nothing posture? Keep the nuclear club exclusive,
clear fuel to produce a bomb. That is the way the Reagan men The - `same overriding - concern
That brouhaha among spooks may. slant the question to elicit a yes, but should apply to our dealings with
be academic; as Philip Boffey of The - the answer is still no. Old datenteniks China, long a nuclear power, on mat- .
New York Times reports, Argentina still hope that trade and aid to foes ters atomic. Foggy Bottom has been
mines its own uranium and is build. and friends will somehow make them smacking Its lips at the prospect-of
lug a plant that could turn out bomb dependent or grateful; that naive ap. selling Westinghouse reactors to Pe-
material with nobody the wiser. proach does not work. The way to dis- king. But China is helping its ally,
Here comes the controversy: Since courage any nation not now a men- Pakistan, -build the Islamic bomb, --
AS-gentina refuses to sign the Nuclear 'ber of the nuclear club from building and we cannot count on Israel to non- =
"Non-Proliferation Treaty, should the a bomb is to bring our?diplomatic, in- proliferate the Pakis as they did the
United States help that nation develop telligence and economic pressure to Iraqis. Before we agree to deal with
its nuclear potential by selling it bear-to stop it. China, the U.S. should require it
beavy water and computers? The temptation to a proud col ' promise of - safeguards on all its
z
~
ecen ay humiliated in war to conver
f I atomic exports and bombmakig
,-n atomic facilities to bomb production is ; ' data to other nations, complete with
obvious. Argentines, with inflation ap- . international inspection of Chinese ?
proaching 500 percent, are flirting Oviiiannuclear-facilities.
,with bankruptcy. With abundant coal First`things first. The spread of nu-
and hydroelectric energy resources, clear weapons to additional nations is
billions spent on atomic development the.. likeliest road to world war. The
are misdirected. They need our eco- ' U.S. Government -should make dear
nomic help; we should link that help toy to Argentina and.other allies that our
their willingness 'to join the nations help in atomic energy development is
willing to submit to close inspectionof available only to countries willing to.
all atomic facilities. .. .,pledge to forgo the bomb.
Blackmail? You bet.?Is It unfair for
nations stay out:of their club? Yes.,
pioneered the "third position" in inter-{
-national affairs; over half the trade in,
mists are allowed to run, they win; they,
But the need to stop the spread of nu-
clear weapons into more hands over-
rides all equity... . _
Argentina _ i is . now preparing for !
-democratic elections next -month,
which will be the military- junta's Good ;
D. Although the middle-:lass c"& 'l
date is getting most of the international;
media buildup, keep your'?eye on Italo-
Ludes, the Pervnist candidate, who is
In the pocket of the unions. When Pero
Approved For Release 2007/12/13: CIA-RDP85BO1152R000100110033-1