Alleged Nuclear Theft By Israel in US Urged Declassified

[Perknose]

Last month the Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP), the nation’s highest classification authority, released a number of top-level government memoranda that shed additional light on the so-called NUMEC affair, "the story that won't go away—the possibility that in the 1960s, Israel stole bomb-grade uranium from a US nuclear fuel-processing plant.”

The evidence available for our 2010 Bulletin article persuaded us that Israel did steal uranium from the Apollo, Pennsylvania, plant of the Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation (NUMEC). We urged the US government to declassify CIA and FBI documents to settle the matter. In releasing the current batch—the release being largely due to the persistent appeals of researcher Grant Smith—the government has been careful to excise from all the released documents the CIA’s reasons for fingering Israel. Despite this, the documents are significantly revealing. For one thing, the excisions themselves are a backhanded admission of the persuasiveness of the CIA’s evidence. (Why these excisions are legally justified is not apparent—after nearly 50 years, the “sources and methods” issues have long ago dissipated.)

While we still don’t know exactly what the CIA told high government officials, we do know from the released memoranda that top officials thought the CIA’s case was a strong one. Also, as described in our earlier article, one of us was present at the CIA’s February 1976 briefing of a small group at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). At that session Carl Duckett, then-CIA deputy director for science and technology, told the NRC group the CIA believed the missing highly enriched uranium ended up in Israel.

The newly released documents also expose government efforts, notably during the Carter administration, to keep the NUMEC story under wraps, an ironic twist in view of Jimmy Carter’s identification with opposition to nuclear proliferation.

[...]

Nearly 50 years have passed since the events in question. It is time to level with the public. At this point it is up to the president himself to decide whether to declassify completely the NUMEC documents, all of which are over 30 years old. He should do so. We know that is asking a lot given the president’s sensitivity about anything involving Israel, and especially anything relating to Israeli nuclear weapons. But none of his political concerns outweigh his responsibility to tell the US public the historical truth it deserves to know.

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists article.

My comment? Yes, the documents should be released unredacted. But no, they probably won't. We have a . . . complicated . . . relationship with the State of Israel. Too often, the tail wags the dog.

 

[Newell Steamer]

Too often, the tail wags the dog.

You mean Israel pulls back the rusty iron choke chain around our necks, kicks us in the balls and tells us what to do?

 

[kage69]

Great idea. There's all kinds of light that should be shed on that era, a time where we allowed our little friend to bite the hand that feeds him.

Let's get those U2 recordings from that day in the Med declassified, I want to hear the Israeli apologists add Israeli pilots to their list of anti-Semites. You know, like they did to the Jews that served aboard the Liberty when it was repeatedly attacked and prevented from launching life boats.

 

[HOSED]

As they used to say on "Laugh In" Very interesting. I may be called a conspiracy theorist but could there be a link here as to the reason why Israel will not sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...0e486a-f389-11e1-a612-3cfc842a6d89_story.html
I was not aware that this conspiracy went back to the late 1960's.
After reading this where are the whistle blowers?
Just and aside I wonder who Netanyahu will be urging the US to vote for in the next election?

 

[Jaskalas]

Is 50 years enough time for matters of this import? I suggest that our government has chosen to keep Israel close in order to exert influence and power over them.

 

[rommelrommel]

As they used to say on "Laugh In" Very interesting. I may be called a conspiracy theorist but could there be a link here as to the reason why Israel will not sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...0e486a-f389-11e1-a612-3cfc842a6d89_story.html
I was not aware that this conspiracy went back to the late 1960's.
After reading this where are the whistle blowers?
Just and aside I wonder who Netanyahu will be urging the US to vote for in the next election?

It's not a conspiracy at all, I thought this was pretty much to the open secret stage... everyone knows that Israel got weapons grade uranium somehow in the mid-late 60's, and either someone gave it to them or they stole it from someone. The chances of Dimona being able to produce enough material that early is pretty remote.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Is 50 years enough time for matters of this import? I suggest that our government has chosen to keep Israel close in order to exert influence and power over them.

I could PM you, but then I'd have to kill you.

 

[ForumMaster]

As they used to say on "Laugh In" Very interesting. I may be called a conspiracy theorist but could there be a link here as to the reason why Israel will not sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...0e486a-f389-11e1-a612-3cfc842a6d89_story.html
I was not aware that this conspiracy went back to the late 1960's.
After reading this where are the whistle blowers?
Just and aside I wonder who Netanyahu will be urging the US to vote for in the next election?

redactedperknose. I read several books on the issue including the more famous one

Israel is hardly in the right here, but they didn't steal weapon's grade uranium.

The way the nuclear industry works, is that when processing uranium, the regulatory body wants you to reclaim as much as possible. You pay a hefty fine for every gram lost (in the cement of plant floor, gloves, clothing, whatever). If you reclaim it, great. Otherwise, you pay a fine, and all this material needs to be shipped to facilities.

What is far more likely, is that Israel simply set up a business for processing Uranium, and conveniently lost uranium and payed the fine. Then you ship it, and enrich it. It is far easier then stealing weapon's grade uranium.

And as to why Israel won't sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, maybe because it has nuclear weapons? Israel won't admit it, but everyone knows it.




This not P&N. The rules are different and posting is to be civil in this subforum.

There is no profanity allowed here.


esquared
Anandtech Forum Director

 

[rommelrommel]

redactedperknose. I read several books on the issue including the more famous one

Israel is hardly in the right here, but they didn't steal weapon's grade uranium.

The way the nuclear industry works, is that when processing uranium, the regulatory body wants you to reclaim as much as possible. You pay a hefty fine for every gram lost (in the cement of plant floor, gloves, clothing, whatever). If you reclaim it, great. Otherwise, you pay a fine, and all this material needs to be shipped to facilities.

What is far more likely, is that Israel simply set up a business for processing Uranium, and conveniently lost uranium and payed the fine. Then you ship it, and enrich it. It is far easier then stealing weapon's grade uranium.

And as to why Israel won't sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, maybe because it has nuclear weapons? Israel won't admit it, but everyone knows it.




This not P&N. The rules are different and posting is to be civil in this subforum.

There is no profanity allowed here.


esquared
Anandtech Forum Director

And enriched it where? At Dimona?

That's a pretty tight timeline from Dimona becoming active to producing enough weapons grade uranium for nuclear weapons.

 

[Anarchist420]

Is 50 years enough time for matters of this import? I suggest that our government has chosen to keep Israel close in order to exert influence and power over them.

+1. I mean, if it werent for the U.S.G. there would be no palestinian arabs alive today.

 

[nageov3t]

I'd only be surprised at the news that Israel had to steal it, rather than being given it by the US.

 

[Zorba]

I'd only be surprised at the news that Israel had to steal it, rather than being given it by the US.

My thoughts too.