DECLASSIFIED Authority iliA D 6 8' 7 DEPARTMENT OF STATE Washington D C SECRET 20520 September 25 1979 MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD SUBJECT RequestingAustralian Assistance in Verifying Possible South African Nuclear Test Gerry Oplinger called this evening to say that Brzezinski had approved our approaching the Australians on this subject This was based on the intelligence community's urgent recommendation and on the assumption that the Department of State supported this recommendation Brzezinski believed that not to level with the Australians at this point on the nature of our concern would be a mistake We should provide the GOA the minimum facts concerning our detection of a possible nuclear explosion Our disclosure should be limited to a very small group in the GOA Below senior levels U S Air Force activities conducted from Australian territory would be described on the basis of a cover story We should make clear to the Australians in giving them our facts that we have not verified whether a test occurred much less its origin We simply do not know at this point An appropriate back channel message was prepared and dispatched with the clearance of David Mark INR Richard Moose AF and Allen Locke S AS Ray Seitz with the Secretary's party in New York was informed of our action He undertook to inform Under Secretary Newsom that the United States was briefing the Australian Government on our intelligence AllerK- Locke SECRET