Stealing the Atom Bomb: How Denial and Deception Armed Israel

by Roger Mattson

  474 DOE internal memorandum with attachments, “August 8, 1977 NUMEC-Related Congressional Hearing,” Deputy Inspector General to Under Secretary, April 27, 1979. Exhibit QQ, “Summary of May 4, 1978 Interview of General Edward B. Giller, former Deputy Assistant Administrator for National Security, ERDA.” Classification Cancelled by Authority of 4-26-79 Memo from Griffin to Williamson, April 27, 1979, University of Arizona, Special Collections Library, papers of Morris Udall, MS 325, Box 365, Folder 1.

  475 FBI Airtel, from SAC, WFO, to Director, FBI, [subject redacted], June 15, 1976, FBI FOIA File No. 117-2564, document 584, labeled SECRET before redaction and release.

  476 “The NUMEC Case,” Memorandum for Director of Central Intelligence from Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, July 26, 1976, labeled SECRET SENSITIVE and EYES ONLY before redaction and release.

  477 Charles H. Reichardt was Director of Intelligence for the AEC. He worked closely with CIA in interpreting Soviet nuclear capabilities. He participated in a 1969 inspection of Dimona that he and his fellow inspectors called a visit because of Israeli limitations on the scope of their activities. See “1969 Dimona Visit,” Department of State Memorandum of Conversation, Charles H. Reichardt, Charles A. Sommer, George B. Pleat and Robert H. Munn, August 13, 1969, labeled SECRET/NODIS before redaction and release.

  478 “The NUMEC Case,” CIA Memorandum for the Record, author’s name redacted, August 11, 1976, labeled SECRET SENSITIVE before redaction and release.

  479 FBI Airtel, SAC, WFO to Director, FBI, Subject [deleted], August 17, 1976, FBI FOIA File No. 117-2564, document 592, labeled TOP SECRET before redaction and release.

  480 FBI Memorandum, from Director, FBI, to Attorney General, “Atomic Energy Act, Obstruction of Justice,” September 3, 1976, FBI FOIA File No. 117-2564, document 593, labeled TOP SECRET before redaction and release.

  481 Justice Department Memorandum from John C. Keeney Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, to Director, FBI, “[Deleted] Atomic Energy Act,” October 22, 1976, FBI FOIA File No. 117-2564, document 596, labeled SECRET before redaction and release.

  482 Official Routing Slip, Form No. 237, From DD/S&T to DCI, January 21, 1977, Classified Secret before redaction and release.

  483 “The NUMEC Case and ERDA’s Paper,” Memorandum for Deputy Director for Central Intelligence from Theodore G. Shackley, Associate Deputy Director for Operations, April 14,1977.

  484 “Review of ERDA Documents on NUMEC,” author unknown, labeled SECRET SENSITIVE before redaction by DOE and CIA and release.

  485 DOE internal memorandum with attachments, “August 8, 1977 NUMEC-Related Congressional Hearing,” Deputy Inspector General to Under Secretary, April 27, 1979, University of Arizona, Special Collections Library, papers of Morris Udall, MS 325, Box 365 Folder 1, classified SECRET before redaction and release.

  486 “Report on Strategic Special Nuclear Material Inventory Differences,” Energy Research and Development Administration, ERDA-77-68, August 1977.

  487 “NUMEC,” CIA Memorandum for the Record, E. H. Knoche, April 27, 1977, labeled TOP SECRET SENSITIVE before redaction and release.

  488 Victor Gilinsky, personal communication, January 2016.

  489 Letter from Gene F. Wilson, CIA Information and Privacy Coordinator, to Raymond Brady, NRC Division of Security, stating no objection to release of Attachment 102 to Conran Task Force Report, December 22,1977.

  490 Letter from AEC Chairman Seaborg to Chairman Chet Holifield of the Joint Committee, February 14,1966.

  491 FBI Letter, FBI Director to The Attorney General, “Dr. Zalman Mordecai Shapiro: Atomic Energy Act,” concerning a request of FBI by the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy for information pertaining to the possible diversion of SNM from the U.S. to a foreign government, April 22, 1976, labeled SECRET before redaction and release.

  492 FBI Report, “Atomic Energy Act, Obstruction of Justice,” Special Agent (redacted), November 9, 1979, p. 60, FBI FOIA File No. 117-2564, document number obscured, labeled TOP SECRET before redaction and release.

  493 “Inquiry into the Testimony of the Executive Director for Operations,” Volume III Interviews, Interview of William A. Anders, NRC Offices of General Counsel and Inspector and Auditor, February 1978, p. 34.

  494 “Lost Uranium Mystery: No Evidence of Any Crime,” Thomas O’Toole, Washington Post, November 6,1977.

  495 C. W. Reamer Note for Task Force Files, “Task Force Meeting with Bryan Eagle and Peter Strauss,” April 27, 1977, Attachment 102 of “Report to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Task Force on Allegations of James H. Conran,” April 29, 1977.

  496 “Israel’s Bomb,” Victor Gilinsky, The New York Review of Books, Volume 51, No. 8, May 13, 2004.

  497 General Chapman had prior experience in dealing with whistleblowers like Conran. While in the Air Force, he provided Congressional testimony to explain multi-billion dollar cost overruns, technical flaws and coverup surrounding the C-5A cargo plane. A whistleblower named A. Ernest Fitzgerald, a civilian cost analyst for the Air Force, brought these C-5A matters to the attention of Congress.

  498 Roger J. Mattson Note for Task Force Files, “Telecom with Kenneth R. Chapman on April 15, 1977,” April 16, 1977, Attachment 56 of Conran Task Force Report.

  499 “Inquiry into the Testimony of the Executive Director for Operations,” Volume III Interviews, Interviews of Kenneth Chapman and Bryan Eagle, NRC Offices of General Counsel and Inspector and Auditor, February 1978, p. 41 and 51.

  500 “Report to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Task Force on Allegations by James H. Conran,” Roger J. Mattson, Frank J. Arsenault, Paul Baker, Jr., J. Mark Elliott, Norman M. Haller, Bernard J. Snyder, C. W. Reamer, April 29, 1977.

  501 “Briefing of the FBI on NUMEC Related Nuclear Diversion Information,” Memorandum for Deputy Director of Central Intelligence from Theodore G. Shackley, Associate Deputy Director for Operations, May 11, 1977, labeled SECRET SENSITIVE before redaction and release.

  502 Memorandum from Benjamin R. Civiletti, Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division Justice Department, to Director, FBI, Subject “[deleted] Atomic Energy Act,” May 13, 1977, FBI FOIA File No. 117-2564, document 615, May 13, 1977, unclassified before redaction and release.

  503 FBI Airtel, “Divert,” from Director, to SAC Washington Field Office, FBI FOIA File No. 117-2564, document 616, May 23, 1977, labeled CONFIDENTIAL before redaction and release.

  504 “Inquiry into the Testimony of the Executive Director for Operations,” Volume III Interviews, Interview of Marcus Rowden, NRC Offices of General Counsel and Inspector and Auditor, February 1978, p. 63.

  505 Henry Myers, personal communication, February 16, 2009.

  506 “Inquiry into the Testimony of the Executive Director for Operations,” Volume III Interviews, Interview of Richard Kennedy, NRC Offices of General Counsel and Inspector and Auditor, February 1978, p. 140.

  507 “National Security Study Memorandum [NSSM] No. 40, Memorandum from Henry Kissinger to Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, and Director of Central Intelligence, ‘Israeli Nuclear Weapons Program’,” May 11, 1969, History and Public Policy Program Digital Archive. Contributed by William Burr and Avner Cohen. Labeled TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE – NODIS, before release. http://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/121095.

  508 Victor Gilinsky, personal communication, 2013.

  509 “NUMEC,” CIA Note for DDCI from [redacted], June 6, 1977, labeled SECRET SENSITIVE before redaction and release.

  510 FBI Memorandum, Washington Field Office, “Zalman Mordecai Shapiro, Atomic Energy Act: Obstruction of Justice” [redacted], July 21, 1977, Bureau File #117-2564, labeled SECRET before redaction and release.

  511 “Nuclear Plant Got U.S. Contracts Despite Many Security Warnings,” David Burnham, New York Times, July 4, 1977.

  512 “Highly Enriched Uranium: Striking a Balance, A Historical Report on the United States Highly Enriched Uranium Production, Acquisition, and Utilization Activities from 1
945 through September 30, 1996,” U.S. Department of Energy, Revision 1 January 2001 (declassified January 2006). “Revisiting the NUMEC Affair,” Victor Gilinsky and Roger J. Mattson, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, March/April 2010.

  513 AEC Letter, General Manager to John T. Conway, Executive Director, JCAE, February 14, 1966.

  514 “U.S. Unravels Apollo’s Losses of Nuclear Material,” John Fialka, Washington Star, June 20, 1977.

  515 FBI Report, Washington Field Office, “Zalman Mordecai Shapiro: AEA, OOJ,” SA [redacted], July 21, 1977, labeled SECRET before redaction and release. FBI Memorandum from S. S. Mingosa to D. W. Moore, Jr., “Divert,” July 25, 1977, FBI FOIA File No. 117-2564, document number obscured, labeled TOP SECRET before redaction and release.

  516 Letter from Morris K. Udall, Chairman, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, to Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, July 19, 1977, University of Arizona, Special Collections Library, papers of Morris Udall, MS 325.

  517 FBI Internal Report, from [deleted] to [deleted], Subject “Atomic Energy Act; Obstruction of Justice,” May 22, 1979, FBI FOIA File No. 117-2564, document 674, labeled SECRET before redaction and release.

  518 “Israel and MUF,” National Security Council Memorandum from John Marcum to Jessica Tuchman, July 28,1977.

  519 C. W. Reamer Note for Task Force Files, “Task Force Meeting with Bryan Eagle and Peter Strauss,” April 27, 1977, Attachment 102 of “Report to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Task Force on Allegations of James H. Conran,” April 29, 1977, labeled as SECRET, National Security Information before release.

  520 Victor Gilinsky, personal communication, December 2014.

  521 DOE internal memorandum with attachments, “August 8, 1977 NUMEC-Related Congressional Hearing,” Deputy Inspector General to Under Secretary, April 27, 1979, University of Arizona, Special Collections Library, papers of Morris Udall, MS 325, Box 365 Folder 1, classified SECRET before redaction and release.

  522 ACTION Memorandum, Jerry Schecter to Zbigniew Brzezinski, July 29, 1977.

  523 “The NUMEC Case – Discussion with Staff Members of the House Energy Committee and Mr. Carl Duckett, Retired CIA Employee,” CIA Memorandum for the Record, Theodore G. Shackley, August 3, 1977, labeled SECRET SENSITIVE before redaction and release.

  524 “Nuclear MUF,” Memorandum for The President from Zbigniew Brzezinski, August 2, 1977.

  525 “Briefing of Senator John Glenn Democrat, Ohio, on the NUMEC Case,” CIA Memorandum for the Record, Theodore G. Shackley, Associate Deputy Director for Operations, August 6, 1977. “Briefing of Congressman Mike McCormack, Democrat, Washington, on the NUMEC Case,” CIA Memorandum for the Record, Theodore G. Shackley, Associate Deputy Director for Operations, August 6, 1977. Both memoranda were classified SECRET SENSITIVE before redaction and release.

  526 “House Aide Tells of Suspicion U.S. Uranium Was Stolen 10 Years Ago,” David Burnham, New York Times, August 9, 1977.

  527 “Briefing of Representative Morris K. Udall, Democrat, Arizona, on the NUMEC Case,” CIA Memorandum for the Record, Theodore G. Shackley, Associate Deputy Director for Operations, August 26, 1977, labeled as SECRET SENSITIVE before redaction and release.

  528 FBI Memorandum from Director to SAC, Washington Field Office, “Divert,” September 19, 1977, FBI FOIA File No. 117-2564, document 627, labeled SECRET before redaction and release.

  529 FBI internal note from Criminal Investigation Division, no subject, November 3, 1977, FBI FOIA File No. 117-2564, document 634, labeled CONFIDENTIAL before redaction and release. “U.S. Documents Support Belief Israel Got Missing Uranium for Arms,” David Burnham, New York Times, November 6, 1977. “Lost Uranium Mystery: No Evidence of Any Crime,” Thomas O’Toole, Washington Post, November 6, 1977.

  530 Letter, from Paul E. Tsongas and Morris K. Udall, (U.S. House of Representatives), to Joseph Hendrie (NRC Chairman) concerning July 29, 1977 hearing before Subcommittee of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, November 15, 1977.

  531 Memorandum from Henry Myers to James Fitzgerald of NRC, January 6, 1978 containing suggested questions for various NRC staff members, University of Arizona Library, Udall Papers, Box 272, Item 13. “Report by Barbara Newman on Possible Diversion of Nuclear Material,” All Things Considered, National Public Radio Transcript, August 15,1977.

  532 NRC Letter, Joseph M. Hendrie to Morris K. Udall, December 10, 1977, attaching letter from Lee V. Gossick to Chairman Hendrie, December 1, 1977.

  533 NRC Letter, Commissioner Victor Gilinsky to Honorable John D. Dingell, U.S. House of Representatives, December 12, 1977.

  534 “Report of Uranium Diversion Sparks a Hill-Agency Fight,” Thomas O’Toole, Washington Post, December 22, 1977.

  535 Memorandum for NRC Commissioners, “Declassification of Reference 102 of the Task Force Report on the Allegations of James Conran,” Roger J. Mattson, December 27, 1977.

  536 Letter, from John D. Dingell, Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy and Power, Congress of the United States, to Joseph M Hendrie, Chairman, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, January 9, 1978.

  537 CIA letter to Daniel K. Inouye, Chairman, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, from Stansfield Turner, DCI, December, 1977, labeled as SECRET before redaction and release.

  538 “Mystery of Israel’s Bomb,” Newsweek, January 9, 1978, FBI FOIA File No. 117-2564, document 651, not classified.

  539 Letters from Senator Daniel K. Inouye, Chairman, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to Attorney General Griffin Bell and Admiral Stanfield Turner, Director of Central Intelligence, December 7, 1977.

  540 “Meeting with the NRC,” CIA Memorandum for the Record, February 3, 1978, probably written by the ADDO, labeled SECRET before redaction and release.

  541 “NRC—Talking Paper for 2 February 1978,” labeled SECRET SENSITIVE before redaction and release.

  542 “NRC—Talking Paper Outline for 2 February 1978,” labeled SECRET SENSITIVE before redaction and release.

  543 “NUMEC: Meeting with the NRC,” CIA Spot Report, author not identified, sent to the DCI for recommendations for DDO action, February 3, 1978, labeled SECRET, SENSITIVE INTELLIGENCE SOURCES before redaction and release.

  544 “CIA Repeats Fears on Missing Uranium,” Thomas O’Toole, Washington Post, February 28, 1978.

  545 “Article by Thomas O’Toole ‘CIA Repeats Fears on Missing Uranium’ 28 February 1978 Washington Post,” from Lyle L. Miller, Acting Legislative Counsel, to Director of Central Intelligence, February 28, 1978, labeled SECRET before redaction and release.

  546 “NRC Misled Hill on Safeguards, Member Admit,” John J. Fialka, Washington Star, February 27, 1978.

  547 “2 Nuclear Officials Criticize Aide over Testimony on Lost Uranium,” New York Times, David Burnham, February 27, 1978.

  548 “Inquiry into the Testimony of the Executive Director for Operations,” Volume III Interviews, Interview of Benjamin Huberman, NRC Offices of General Counsel and Inspector and Auditor, February 1978, p. 78.

  549 Memorandum for Zbigniew Brzezinski from Global Issues, “Evening Report,” December 7, 1977, labeled SECRET before release.

  550 “CIA Found Israel Could Make a Bomb: Soil, Air Samples Disclosed Atomic Capability in 1968,” John J. Fialka, Washington Star, December 8, 1977.

  551 “CIA Document on Nuclear Proliferation,” All Things Considered, National Public Radio Network, WETA Radio, Washington, DC, January 26, 1978, Transcript prepared for Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

  552 “Atomic Energy Act; Obstruction of Justice,” Report by SA [redacted], Washington Field Office, FBI, pages 53-54, Interview of Dr. Roger J. Mattson, November 13, 1979, labeled TOP SECRET before redaction and release.

  553 “Inquiry into the Testimony of the Executive Director for Operations,” Volume III Interviews, Interview of Carl Duckett, NRC Offices of General Counsel and Inspector and Auditor, February 1978, p. 178.

  554 “Inquiry into the Testimony of the Executive
Director for Operations,” Volume III Interviews, Interview of Marcus Rowden, NRC Offices of General Counsel and Inspector and Auditor, February 1978, p. 62.

  555 NRC Letter from Commissioner Victor Gilinsky to Honorable John Dingell, U.S. Congress, January 16, 1978.

  556 “Inquiry into the Testimony of the Executive Director for Operations,” Volume III Interviews, Interview of Victor Gilinsky, NRC Offices of General Counsel and Inspector and Auditor, February 1978, p. 181-182.

  557 “Only CIA Believed Uranium Diverted,” O’Toole, Thomas, Washington Post, February 26, 1978.

  558 “Official Erred on Missing Uranium,” John J. Fialka, Washington Star, February 25, 1978.

  559 “Ex-CIA Man Says Johnson Heard in ‘68 Israel Had A-Bombs,” David Burnham, New York Times, March 2,1978.

  560 “LBJ Was Told in ‘68 That Israel Had Bomb: Told Helms to Keep It Quiet,” John J. Fialka, Washington Star, March 1, 1978; “Israel and the Bomb: Secret File Provoked a Storm,” John J. Fialka, Washington Star, March 2, 1978.

  561 “Helms Says he Can’t Recall LBJ Talk on Israeli A-Bomb,” John J. Fialka, Washington Star,” March 2, 1978; “CIA’s Top-Secret ‘Mistake’ on Israel and the Bomb,” John J. Fialka, Washington Star, January 28, 1978: “Apollo,” Memorandum from HM [Henry Myers] to MKU [Morris Udall], January 20, 1978, University of Arizona, Special Collections Library, papers of Morris Udall, MS 325.

  562 Untitled Memorandum from HM [Henry Myers] to MKU [Morris Udall], August 6, 1979, University of Arizona, Special Collections Library, papers of Morris Udall, MS 325.

  563 Cohen 1998, p. 421-422, n21 and n22.

  564 Letter from Lee V. Gossick, NRC Executive Director for Operations, to John C. Keeney, Acting Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice, June 14, 1978.

  565 Internal NRC Memorandum from T. A. Rehm, Assistant to the Executive Director for Operations, to Distribution, July 11, 1978.

  566 Letter from William Webster, Director, FBI, to Joseph M. Hendrie, Chairman, NRC, October 18, 1978.

  567 “Record of Interview with Bill Knauf and Jim Anderson, Department of Energy, Division of Inspection,” Glenn T. Seaborg, June 21, 1978, Glenn T. Seaborg Papers, Library of Congress.