United States. Embassy (Argentina)

The interim report from the US Embassy in Buenos Aires, filed just past the 1 September deadline, confirms the sale of 100 tons of yellow cake uranium to Israel over the course of a three-year period, beginning 1 January 1963. The uranium was to be used solely for the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Although AEC representative Lester Rogers reported that the Embassy had no new information, this airgram includes tables on Argentina's annual production of uranium from 1958-1965 and the production capacities of two uranium processing plants.

This airgram details a meeting with Admiral Quihillalt, director of the National Atomic Energy Commission of Argentinia, who notes that since the deal with Israel had been concluded before the IAEA established protocols for safeguard measures, the Argentine government did not feel the need to include reporting and inspection requirements. However, safeguards would be placed on future sales. Attached is a note from the Argentine Foreign Ministry, with an unofficial translation.

A request by an Argentine Congressman gave the yellow cake sale to Israel a public airing.

Meeting with embassy officials, the chief of the National Atomic Energy Commission Admiral Oscar A. Quihillalt informed them that Argentine uranium sales agreements had only general safeguard provisions stipulating that the uranium would be used peacefully, and did not require reports, inspections, or any other independent verification that were loosely equivalent to Article XIII of the IAEA statute.