AuthoritprD cu 5 SECRET DEPARTMENT OF STATE ASSISTANT SECRETARY wont consists oi I 51 aw- Mn- n h a -529 mm we 5 The Secretary s s 0 G Lewis Jones APR i i 1961 Your Appointment with I Aael Ambassador Harman 3 wednesday April 12 Supplemental DISCUSSIQN - Ambassador Harman is coming in at his request to propose a United States visit by Prime Minister Beannrion Following your discussion of this subject y' wish to comment on his emerge moot scientist to visit Site - a staterooms In discussing the invitation with Er Farley of and me on April 10 Ambassador Harman stressed his Government s fear of publicity and speculation of the sort that surrounded the original revelation that Israel was developing the reactor He asked that the visit be kept a secret both before and after In View of the continued Congressional interest as well as the interest in both political and intelligence circles of the Executive a Branch it seems unrealistic to count on the visit being kept secret f xo' It seems to us to defeat the objective of establishing that the reac 5 - tor is a normal civilian atomic project if extreme measures of secrecy are taken in connection with the visit If the efforts at secrecy fail the attempt will itself heighten suspicion and speculation wkx much simpler approach with much less risk is that suggested in the recommendations below It is our View that a visit to determine the nature and scope of the Israel development is of the utmost importance both from the standpoint of our own political requirements and our relatione_sith other states who have looked to us for an assessment of its signifi- cance we agree with the Israelis that until we have the report of our scientists the visit can be closely held but sooner or later we must have sufficient latitude to meet the above objectives REG has selected Dr U1ysses_Staehler Sr Assistant Director 33 of Reactor Development and Chief of the Civilian Power Reactors Branch cm and Jesse Qgpaph Jr a heavy water reactor expert from DuPont principal contractor for heavy'water reactor work to make the They'will be prepared to go during the week of May 15 if necess though they scald prefer the following week gas memoirs SECRET so DECLASSIFIED Authority IUD 5 You may wish to make the following points 1 Express appreciation for the invitatiOh 2 Assure the Ambassador that the United States also wishes the visit to be a quiet one and would do all it could to avoid a new round of publicity However a number of people will have to be informed sooner or later that a visit has been made To surround the visit with seesaw awash Wald give the appearams ref seasiiarewand might stir tha igsewaedm The we both desire is to remove any basis for lingering doubt We suggest that the visit should be closely held and certainly not publicized but every effort should be made to avoid a bleak and dagger aspect 3 We favor a visit by two 11 3 heavy water smarts for quiet technical discussions with their Israel counterparts The visit to the Dimona site could be a natural incidental feature conducted without either ostentation or fortiveness h This Goverment will begin consideration of suitable v 3 experts but in the meantime would hope that our views on the oiromnstanoes of the visit can be conveyed to the Israel Grover-meant for its comments NOTE In View of the President's keen interest in the reactor you may 111811 to seek an early opportunity to inform him of the import of your conversation with Ambassador Harman ATTACHIENT Memorandum of Conversation dated April 10 1961 iey NEA GLJone 3 Wm ebb SWEET