DECLASSIFIED Authority N J D 6 081 7 -7 FEB acz 06 34 Department of State CONFIDENTIAl N00192 I NtOMING TELEGRAM APE T 0 ACTION INFO S NOOS 0 OC1-01 $ COpy AuS-0 OF 15 COPIES 1001 w ------------------119537 041501Z FEd 8 FM AMCONSU CAPE TOWN To SECSTATE WASHOC 9227 R CON FlO E N 1 I A L p 070025Z 112 o TOwN 0239 _W''''f q NOOIS FROM EMBASSY CAPE TOWN E O 12065 RuS-2 02 04 90 EOMONDSON W 6 OR M TAGS PARM MNUC T CH US SF SUdJECT C GUIDANCE ON SUSPECTED NUC A EVENT REF STATE 29416 1 C - ENTIHE 0 - T XT 2 IF ONE TRIES TO t OQK AT THE IS UE AS SEEN THROUGH SAG EYES RtFTEt SIMPt Y IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO at Of ANY HELP TO XPLAIN WHY USG CANNOT PREVENT RECUHRENCE Of UNAUTHORIZED DISC OSURE WHICH LEAD to SELECTIVE Nu HIGH DISTORTED INTERPRETATION OF DATA WHICH WAS OI CLOSEO o 3 IT HAS 8 EN PAINFULLY CLEAH THAT IMPORTANT CABINET MINISTERS IKE P IME MINISTER p BOTHA ANU FOREIGN MINISTER PI BUTHA ANGRILY RESENT THE-ACCuSATIONS AND INSINUATION DIRECTED AGAINST SOUTH AfRICA IN CONNECTION WITH THE UNEXPLAINED VELA PHENOMENON OF SEPTEMBER 22 T EY ARE ST aNGLY INCLINED TO BE IEVE T E u s O E wAS PURPOSEFU HArHER THAN ACCIDENTAL IT MAY IN FACT 00 MORE HARM THAN GOOD TO TELL THEM THAT STORIES LIKE THE ONE IN THE WASHINGTON POST 00 NOT REFLECT EXECUTIVE CONFIDENTIAL NOT TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY DECLASSIFIED J Authority iliA D 6 ro8 I 7 INCOMING 'j Department of State o l __ T_EL_E_GR_AM_ 0 r I 1'1-- ' S SZ1rES 0'1 A E 02 CON F IDE NTI AL CAPE T 0 239 070622Z H N BRANCH POSITIONS OR JUDGMENTS IT APPEARS THAT SUCH STORIES FLOW FROM OFFICIAL INTEL IGENCE 8RIEFINGS OF SOME KIND WHICH ARE THEN MISUSED 4 THE SAG CAN L GITIMATELY ASK JUST WHAT WAS BEING SAIu ABOUT S A NAVAL MOVEMENTS THAT COULD HAva GIVEN IN o o 1 ' - 0 SQ 0 N 0 ' ' o THE IMPRESSION Or ANY CONNECTION WITH-THE SEPTEM8ER 22 PHENOMENON IF wE WERE TO MENTION THAT CERTAIN PO T EXERCIS S LED PEOPL TO S ECULATE THAT CERTAIN SHIPS COULD HAVE dE N A AY LONG ENOUGH TO HAVE ENGAGED IN'A NuCLEAR-RELATED EXERCISE PRETTY fLIMSY AT bEST THEY WOULD BE ALL THE MORE CONvINCED TriAT THE USG IS REACHING WAY OUT TO PUINT A fINGER AT S A ---- SPECIALLY WHEN wE ARE NOT EVEN CERTAI THERE wAS A NUCL AH EXERCISE 5 GIVEN THE PRObLEM OF PREVIOUS OISCLOSURES THE VAGUENESS OF UNSUbSTA TIATED THEORIES AbOuT AN UNVERIFIED EVENT AND TH OBVIOUS ULTRA-SENSITIV DIPLOMATIC CLIMATE ONE CAN ASK IF IT IS ReSPONSIBLE TO PROVIDe BRIEFINGS SPECIALLY BASED ON SUCH ThIN PICKINGS AS THE NAVAL EXERCISE WHICH CAN LEAD TO LEAKS THAT RUN THE RISH OF CREATING THE IMPRESSIUN THAT THE USG OR ELEMENTS THER OF S'OELI8ERATELY CARRYING OuT A PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE SAG ON THIS ISSUE AT LEAST THIS IS WHAT SOUTH AFRICANS OULO ASK Ir WE SOUGHT TO DUCK RESPONSIBILITY BY CITING UNAUTHORIZEO DISCLOSURES AND MANY WOULD REMAIN CONVINCEO THAT IT IS ALL PART Or PURPOSEFUL MALICE ON OUR PART LET US BE SURE THAT ANyJFU THER 8RIEFINGS OR-OTHER SPECULATION IS BASED ON DATA HICH BEARS IN A TRULY S RIOUS AND SIGNIFICANT WAY ON THE SEPTEMBER 22 SUSPECT D EVENT 6 THAT HAVIN EEN SAID IS SUSP CT THERE IS LITTLE CONFIDENTIAL - I So NOT TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY DECLASSIFIED Authority IIIIJ D 6 we 7 Department of State I INCOMING TELEGRAM CONFIDENTIAl PAGE 03 S CAPE T 00239 70622Z MORE WE CAN SAY THAN REPEAT THE OFFICIAl POSITION AT THE END OF EFTEI HOWEVER THE DEPARTMENT SHOUI D K EP IN MIND THE I IKEI Y MOOD AND ATTITUDE OF THE SAG IN THIS MATTER AS IT AFFECTS OUR EFFORTS TO RtACH A NUCI EARAGREEMENT ITH THE SAG AS WEI I AS-OUR OVERAI I REI ATIONS INCI UOING GREATtR SAG SUSPICION AND SURVEII I ANCE OF MISSION REPORTING ACTIVITIES EDMONOSON CONfIDENTIAl NOT TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY