Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXIV, Africa

594. Memorandum From William H. Brubeck of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)¹

Washington, August 17, 1964.

Under a long standing US-South African bilateral on peaceful uses of atomic energy, South Africa has imported an Allis-Chalmers experimental reactor which is due to go critical this winter. Under license already issued, a private US supplier will ship the fuel in the next several months. These events will be publicized in South Africa, which will unquestionably kick up a nice propaganda storm elsewhere about US nuclear cooperation with South Africa.

AEC apparently feels strongly enough about the integrity of its peaceful uses program that it would be very difficult to cancel the project at this late date. However, I propose to ask AEC to insure, quietly, that there is no fuel shipment or other cause for publicity until December.

B.

Approve²

See me

1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Africa, Union of South, Vol. I, Memos and Miscellaneous, 11/63–10/64. Confidential.
2. This option is checked.