Argentina may hasten bomb

Press, 13 April 1982, Page 8

Argentina may hasten bomb

. NZPA Washington Argentina's confrontation with Britain over the Falkland Islands may result in accelerated Argentinian efforts to produce South America's first atomic bomb. American specialists, on nuclear proliferation say. "This gives the Argentines something they’ve thus far lacked and that is a plausible excuse for needing nuclear weapons." said one source concerned about the potential long-term implications of the London-Buenos Aires showdown. The specialist, who declined to be identified, said the Falklands crisis “may satisfy some of the political requirements of going ahead to a nuclear weapons capability. But that doesn't necessarily mean they're going to do it." Britain's modest nuclear arsenal — four Polaris mis-, sile submarines targeted against the Soviet bloc— is not expected to play' any direct role in the confrontation.

But-American officials and experts outside the ..Government argued that the Falklands affair — particularly if Britain forces a withdraw! by Argentinianstroops fo. could- prompt Argentina tcP push imore rapidly; toward achieving itsi own nuclear capability, for the sake of ihternational. prestige as well as military deterrence, fo

Political fall-out from the South Atlantic crisis, they said, may boost nuclear, ambitions already fuelled by Argentina's long-standing rivalry with neighbouring Brazil.

Neither Argentina nor Brazil has signed the 1 lunation Nuclear Non-Prolif-

eration Treaty. Argentina has refused to ratify the 1967 Treaty of Tlatelolc'o banning nuclear weapons in Latin America.

Argentina’s nuclear programme. considered the most advanced in Latin America, drew attention last week with the signing in Buenos Aires of contracts with the Soviet Union for about 90kg of enriched uranium for Argentine reactors. as well as heavy water and radioisotopes. The Soviet shipment will supplement atomic fuel produced from Argentina's own sizeable uranium mines in the foothills of the Andes Mountains.. . ' Admiral Carlos Castro Madero. head of Argentina’s National Atomic Energy Commission, declared on March. 4; that his country did not rule out; building a nuclear explosive device “for' peaceful purposes." such asmining or the construction of waterways? India cited a similar pretext when it exploded its. first atomic bomb in 1974. But the’ United States has insisted that there is no basic difference between such a “peaceful" device and a ’nuclear w’eapon. . ;?■ Washington experts say it remains .unclear how soon Argentina may be capable of building a/hornb.

■ In December.- a British science weekly reported that Argentina would be able to set off its first atomic blast by the end of 1982. Citing unidentified American intelligence sources. "New Scientist" magazine also said the Argentinians were believed to be testing a rocket ; that could deliver nuclear weapons