The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy PDF
Preview The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy
TRE SAMSON OPTION THE SAMSON OPTION Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy Seymour M. Hersh Random House New York Copyright® 1991 by Seymour M. Hersh All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto. Library of Congress Card Catalogue Number: 91-52678 ISBN 0-394-57006-5 Manufactured in the United States of America 98765432 First Edition For Elizabeth, Matthew, Melissa, and joshua Autbo. .· s Note This is a book about how Israel became a nuclear power in secret. It also tells how that secret was shared, sanctioned, and, at times, willfully ignored by the top political and military offi cials of the United States since the Eisenhower years. In it, you will find many senior American officials being quoted-most of them for the first time-about what they knew and when they knew it. These officials spoke to me not because of animosity toward the Israeli government, but be cause they realized the hypocrisy of the American policy of publicly pretending that Israel's nuclear arsenal does not exist. That policy remains in effect as this is written. I chose not to go to Israel while doing research for this book. For one thing, those Israelis who were willing to talk to me were far more accessible and open when interviewed in Wash ington, New York, or, in some cases, Europe. Furthermore, Israel subjects all journalists, domestic and foreign, to censor ship. Under Israeli rules, all material produced by journalists in Israel must be submitted to military censors, who have the right to make changes and deletions if they perceive a threat to Israeli national security. I could not, for obvious reasons, sub mit to Israeli censorship. Those in the past who have broken the rules have been refused reentry to Israel. Those Israelis who talked were not critics of Israel's nuclear capability, nor would they feel secure without the bomb. They spoke because they believe that a full and open discussion of the Israeli nuclear arsenal-and of the consequences of its de ployment-is essential in a democratic society. SEYMOUR M. HERSH August l!J!Jl Washington, D. C. Contents Author's Note lX 1. A Secret Agreement 3 2. The Scientist 19 3. The French Connection 33 4. First Knowledge 47 5. Internal Wars 59 6. Going Public 71 7. Dual Loyalty 83 8. A Presidential Struggle 93 9. Years of Pressure 117 10. The Samson Option 129 11. Playing the Game 143 12. The Ambassador 159 13. An Israeli Decision 173 14. A Presidential Gift 183 15. The Tunnel 195 xii CONTENTS 16. Prelude to War 209 17. Nuclear Blackmail 225 18. Injustice 241 19. The Carter Malaise 259 20. An Israeli Test 271 21. Israel's Nuclear Spy 285 22. An Israeli Asset 307 Epilogue 317 Acknowledgments 321 Notes 323 Index 335
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