http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20000222/aponline091315_000.htm
Israel Gets U.S. Nuke Technology
By Sari Bashi,
Associated Press Writer,
Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2000; 9:13 a.m. EST
JERUSALEM -- Israel and the United States signed agreements today that
will give Israeli scientists access to some types of U.S. nuclear technology.
The access had previously been denied because Israel refuses to sign the
1968 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, putting it on a U.S. list of "sensitive"
countries. The treaty would have mandated international inspection of Israel's
desert reactor in Dimona, where it is believed to keep a sophisticated nuclear
arsenal.
"It is a signal that Israel is a friendly country," visiting U.S. Energy Secretary
Bill Richardson told a news conference. "It is not treated in a similar fashion as
others on our list of sensitive countries."
The agreements will increase cooperation between Israeli and U.S. scientists
in 25 nuclear and non-nuclear areas, from particle theory to applications
aimed at preventing proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons,
assistant Energy Secretary Rose Gottemoeller said.
She said there was no risk of Israeli scientists obtaining access to U.S. nuclear
weapons technology. The projects Israel would get access to will be "strictly
nonsensitive," she said.
The agreements will give Israeli scientists an exemption from the extensive
background checks and reviews that scientists from other "sensitive"
countries like Russia or India must undergo before working in U.S. Energy
Department labs.
Richardson said the cooperation, outlined in a joint letter with Israeli Atomic
Commission Director Gideon Frank, would help the United States use Israeli
technology to monitor nuclear programs by other countries.
Gottemoeller said Israel's experience working with immigrant scientists from
the former Soviet Union would help the United States work with the Russian
nuclear establishment.
Other fields of cooperation include seismology, solar energy, volcanology and
energy research.
The two countries also signed an agreement to expand energy cooperation,
particularly in the field of solar energy and electric and hybrid vehicles. The
United States pledged $1 million in funding for a pilot project using Israeli solar
technology to supply energy to Egypt.
Israel maintains a policy of ambiguity about its nuclear weapons program,
saying only that it will not be the first to introduce them in the Middle East.
(c) Copyright 2000 The Associated Press
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20000223/aponline110102_000.htm
AP Corrects Israel Nuclear Story
The Associated Press,
Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2000; 11:01 a.m. EST
JERUSALEM -- The Associated Press erroneously reported on Feb. 22 that
Israel and the United States signed agreements giving Israel access to some
types of U.S. nuclear technology.
The agreements give Israel access to monitoring technologies to be used for
verifying nuclear nonproliferation. There are longstanding legal and policy
prohibitions on the transfer of nuclear technology from the United States to
Israel.
(c) Copyright 2000 The Associated Press
