the rollback of south africa's biological warfare program

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that the deaths were due to SADF testing of chemical gases. Other sources close to SADF claimed that the deaths were due to an “unexpected shift in the wind” that blew chemical gases onto the UNITA troops. The question of who used what type of agents in Rhodesia, Namibia, Angola, and Mozambique raises important issues. If South African forces were involved in offensive CBW in southern Africa in the 1970s, it would have violated international commitments. These included the 1925 Geneva Conventions, which South Africa acceded to in 1963, and the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction (BWC), which South Africa signed in 1972 and ratified in 1975. Also, it means that the regime might have already developed chemical and biological weapons and used them. Claims that Project Coast was developed in the 1980s as a “defensive” program, in reaction to the “Soviet and Cuban threat” in Angola and Mozambique would lose credibility. South Africa of the 1970s would be viewed even more as an “outlaw state,” willing to break conventions and subject black victims to inhuman deaths. It would also appear that the regime was prepared to continually violate commitments to international law, if threats to its survival continued to grow. Perceptions of a Soviet and Cuban “Threat” and Moves towards a Sophisticated CBW Program The collapse of Portuguese colonialism led, from 1974 to 1976, to the takeover of Angola and Mozambique by revolutionary communist regimes, backed by the Soviet Union and Cuba. Suddenly, South African leaders found themselves surrounded by communist forces, which were viewed as implacable and unscrupulous enemies. South African defense experts knew that the Soviet Union possessed nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) weapons. In regard to the Soviet BW program, indications of its scale and sophistication had been gained during and after negotiations surrounding the 1972 Biological Weapons 12
Convention (BWC). According to former South African leaders and generals, NBC programs were developed with the intention of “countering the communist onslaught.” General (retired) Georg Meiring, former SADF Chief of Staff, commented that SADF sought protection against BW in the 1970s, as biological weapons became known as the “poor man’s atomic bomb” and as the possibility of BW by Soviet-trained SWAPO and ANC/MK guerrillas increased. 33 According to Magnus Malan (SADF Chief of Staff, 1975-80 and Defense Minister, 1980- 91), the U.S. encouraged the SADF to enter Angola in October 1975, and then abandoned South Africa to face Cuban forces alone. 34 In addition, South Africa faced the Soviet and Cuban NBC threat alone. In response, P.W. Botha and Malan proceeded to approve a new and more sophisticated CBW program and acceleration of the nuclear weapons program. According to Gen. (ret) Bill Sass, former State Security Council member and SADF Chief of Operations, 35 he believed that the nuclear weapons program was developed to induce a Soviet nuclear threat that would attract the attention of the U.S. and the West. If South Africa faced a major communist onslaught, South Africa would target a major African city, like Luanda, in the hope of drawing in the U.S and the West. Similarly, Malan, Meiring and others claimed that the CBW program was intended to counter the Soviets and Cubans and ANC and SWAPO guerrilla groups, who might have used CBW in the 1970s and 1980s. 36 However, such contentions remain open to question, until documents from the 1970s prove these perceptions actually existed. “Total Onslaught” and Project Coast: Protests and Violence in South Africa Fuel Support for Expanded CBW Program In 1976, the Soweto uprisings began, bringing a wave of unrest to South Africa, after more than a decade of relative calm. The 1976 wave of rebellion continued into 1977, and unrest would persist until 1984, when an even greater uprising commenced and lasted for more than two years and reverberated until 13
Page 1: THE ROLLBACK OF SOUTH AFRICA’S BI
Page 5 and 6: TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword vii Exec
Page 7 and 8: FOREWORD We are pleased to publish
Page 9 and 10: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The profile of So
Page 11 and 12: The Rollback of the South African B
Page 13 and 14: During WWII, South African Prime Mi
Page 15 and 16: dollars) estimate to build a CBW pr
Page 17 and 18: learn first-hand how the Portuguese
Page 19 and 20: use of chemical and biological agen
Page 21: incidents underscored the variable
Page 25 and 26: Project Coast, which would countera
Page 27 and 28: internal suppression of political d
Page 29 and 30: Malan, and the Minister of Finance,
Page 31 and 32: The chain of command demonstrates t
Page 33 and 34: omb could be used to wipe out or in
Page 35 and 36: tear gas and to incapacitate withou
Page 37 and 38: In the aftermath of Cuito Cuanavale
Page 39 and 40: confirmed, there is evidence that s
Page 41 and 42: the SSC. At this time, the security
Page 43 and 44: Given the breadth and depth of coop
Page 45 and 46: instruct scientists working with a
Page 47 and 48: the South African President’s off
Page 49 and 50: Mandrax and Ecstasy that were produ
Page 51 and 52: overseas business deals. 114 In Aug
Page 53 and 54: South Africa negotiated the withdra
Page 55 and 56: political party or organization. Pr
Page 57 and 58: nuclear weapons program and Project
Page 59 and 60: TRC, the men who tried to kill Chik
Page 61 and 62: In 1991, Basson began to build Mert
Page 63 and 64: Military personnel from several cou
Page 65 and 66: Meyer, the Acting Defense Secretary
Page 67 and 68: leave the SADF at the end of March
Page 69 and 70: Knobel’s testimony to the TRC, SA
Page 71 and 72: objected to the South African CBM a
Page 73 and 74:
Basson and his trips to Libya were
Page 75 and 76:
experiences for the military leader
Page 77 and 78:
was submitted in 1994). This time U
Page 79 and 80:
as the U.S., Great Britain, and oth
Page 81 and 82:
investigation phase ended. Initiall
Page 83 and 84:
June 1998. However, several weeks b
Page 85 and 86:
penalties did finally force him to
Page 87 and 88:
public. The State was operating on
Page 89 and 90:
The limited news coverage of the Ba
Page 91 and 92:
South African court for crimes comm
Page 93 and 94:
ulings excluding evidence, his timi
Page 95 and 96:
had asked him to set up a facility
Page 97 and 98:
cover illegal personal gains from t
Page 99 and 100:
who had detailed knowledge of many
Page 101 and 102:
9. What specifically and when did t
Page 103 and 104:
e delivered through food and water,
Page 105 and 106:
Reconciliation Commission of South
Page 107 and 108:
41 Interview with Dr. G. Scharf, fo
Page 109 and 110:
56 Mangold, Plague Wars, 243. 57 In
Page 111 and 112:
weaponization took place. Donald Ma
Page 113 and 114:
home of Jerry Nilsson, who was ques
Page 115 and 116:
he still need to raise cash in Sout
Page 117 and 118:
military bases and was familiar to
Page 119 and 120:
162 According to Dr. Ian Phillips,
Page 121 and 122:
Basson’s arrest was the result of
Page 123 and 124:
200 By the seventh week of the tria
Page 125:
115
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