91. Telegram 202260 From the Department of State to the Mission to the IAEA in Vienna and the Embassies in France, the United Kingdom, and South Africa, August 13, 1976, 2354Z.1 2
TELEGRAM
Department of State
202260
PR 132354Z AUG 76
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO USMISSION IAEA VIENNA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY PARIS
PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
PRIORITY
INFO AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
AMEMBASSY MADRID
AMEMBASSY ROME
AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
AMEMBASSY DAKAR
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
AMEMBASSY
THE HAGUE
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
STATE 202260
E.O. 11652:N/A
TAGS: IAEA, AORG, SF
SUBJECT: FUTURE OF SOUTH AFRICA IN IAEA
REF: (A) IAEA VIENNA 6457(NOTAL)
(B) IAEA VIENNA 4334(NOTAL)
1. DEPT. IS PLANNING EARLY STRONG DEMARCHE TO GOVERNMENTS OF IAEA MEMBER STATES EMPHASIZING IMPORTANCE IN NON-PROLIFERATION CONTEXT OF CONTINUED SOUTH AFRICAN PARTICIPATION IN IAEA.
2. PRIOR TO UNDERTAKING SUCH CAMPAIGN, DEPARTMENT REQUESTS EMBASSIES LONDON AND PARIS APPROACH SOONEST APPROPRIATE HIGH LEVEL HOST GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO EXPRESS DEEP USG CONCERN OVER POSSIBLE MOVE TO SUSPEND SOUTH AFRICAN MEMBERSHIP AT FORTHCOMING GENERAL CONFERENCE IN RIO. BRITISH AND FRENCH SHOULD BE TOLD THAT SUSPENSION OF SOUTH AFRICA FROM IAEA WOULD BE SERIOUS SETBACK TO CONTINUING EFFORTS OF U.S. AND OTHER COUNTRIES TO HALT FURTHER NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION GIVEN SOUTH AFRICA’S NUCLEAR WEAPONS POTENTIAL. PLEASE INFORM BRITISH AND FRENCH THAT U.S. IS PLANNING STRONG DEMARCHE TO IAEA AND THAT WE WOULD LOOK FOR PARALLEL ACTION ON THEIR PART IN EMPHASIZING TO IAEA NATIONS SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES OF SUSPENSION WHICH COULD RESULT IN REMOVAL OF SOUTH AFRICA FROM INTERNATIONAL SUPERVISION AND CONTROL IN NUCLEAR FIELD. IN VIEW OF PENDING FRENCH/SAG/IAEA AGREEMENT, WE EXPECT FRANCE WOULD EXERT EFFORTS ON SAG BEHALF. REQUEST REPORT SOONEST ON BRITISH AND FRENCH REACTIONS TO APPROACH.
3. IAEA MISSION SHOULD MAKE SIMILAR APPROACHES TO BRITISH AND FRENCH AS WELL AS OTHER KEY REPRESENTATIVES, INQUIRE AS TO THEIR POSITIONS AND EXAMINE POSSIBILITY OF JOINT ACTION IN SUPPORT OF CONTINUED SAG PARTICIPATION. DEPT. WOULD APPRECIATE REPORT THEIR REACTIONS AS WELL AS MISSION COMMENTS SOONEST.
4. MISSION ALSO REQUESTED TO INQUIRE OF SAG PERMREP HIS GOVERNMENT’S PLANS FOR HANDLING SITUATION AND TO SUGGEST, IN CONTEXT OF POSSIBLE EXPULSION OR SUSPENSION ATTEMPTS, THAT U.S. BELIEVES SAG POSITION WOULD BE STRENGTHENED (AS NOTED IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS - REF B) WERE IT TO TAKE STEPS TOWARDS RATIFYING NPT BEFORE IAEA MEETINGS IN SEPTEMBER. YOU MAY ADD THAT USG HAS NO SYMPATHY FOR MOVE TO SUSPEND SOUTH AFRICAN MEMBERSHIP AND WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO SEE THAT THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN.
5. FOR PRETORIA: IN VIEW OF POSSIBLE MOVE TO SUSPEND SOUTH AFRICA, DEPARTMENT WOULD LIKE TO HAVE EMBASSY’S VIEWS ON WHAT STEPS MAY BE UNDERTAKEN IN A BILATERAL CONTEXT TO DEAL WITH THIS CHALLENGE.
ROBINSON
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Cavanaugh and Eaton; cleared by Wisner and in EUR/NE, EUR/WE, IO/UNP, OES, ERDA (for information), NRC (for information), and ACDA (paragraph 4); and approved by Schaufele. Repeated to Stockholm, Madrid, Rome, Tripoli, Dakar, Kinshasa, Lusaka, Cape Town, USUN, the Hague, and Canberra. ↩
- The Department initiated a campaign to oppose expulsion of the Republic of South Africa from the International Atomic Energy Agency.↩