the rollback of south africa's biological warfare program

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incurred in the Anglo-Boer War. 40 In Angola, the importance of immediate battlefield medical attention was the primary rationale used to justify elevating and re-organizing the SAMS, as a new and separate fourth branch of the military. The new medical corps branch was placed on an equal footing in terms of operational command and administrative matters with the three existing branches of the service (army, navy and air force). SAMS received a mandate to develop defensive capabilities and to train to protect the South African Defense Force (SADF) from all types of attacks, including biological and chemical warfare. This mandate was the principal reason why managerial oversight and responsibility for the new CBW program was given to the 7th Battalion of the South African Medical Service. SAMS’s mission changed and became more ambiguous, as SADF forces shifted from battlefield operations to policing functions at home. The fact that 7 th Battalion was accorded a large degree of autonomy from its inception and operated on a strict “need-to-know” basis meant that relatively few SADF officers, including the majority of senior SADF generals, had detailed knowledge of the activities of 7 th Battalion throughout its existence. 41 The 7th Battalion was a special support organization that was established to support special services operations. SAMS medical personal (e.g., doctors and orderlies) were also Special Forces officers who underwent special service training. During the period of South African involvement in Angola, many of these medical personal served as members of small (i.e., four-man) Special Forces covert action teams. While the military Surgeon General was responsible for the operations of seven medical battalions, the secret nature of 7th Battalion operations during incursions into Angola meant that this unit had a high degree of operational autonomy. This autonomy and latitude for independent action continued throughout the 1980s, even though new types of Special Forces operations at home increasingly replaced the combat-related functions of the unit. As the SADF increasingly undertook policing and 16
internal suppression of political dissidents at home, SAMS conducted new basic research projects and the development of new chemical and biological weapons that might assist. Maj. Gen. Nieuwoudt, the Surgeon General and head of SAMS, recruited Major (Dr.) Wouter Basson, the respected young cardiologist and personal physician of P.W. Botha, to head Project Coast. 42 Although Project Coast was run by the military, Basson proved to be a highly successful entrepreneur who played a key role in defining the research and development agenda. He capitalized on the secret nature of this unit to establish a number of new projects and as a rationale for acting alone. From the start, Basson was a highly charismatic and effective recruiter who was apt at identifying and enlisting some of the most promising and highly skilled medical researchers from the military and from the larger civilian scientific community. Basson also proved to be a master manager of people. He was able to inspire loyalty and respect from employees. Many of these researchers and scientists joined the program because they were intrigued by the intellectual challenges and opportunities to participate in path-breaking research in one of several related disciplines, e.g. chemistry, anatomy, and virology. Almost all were Afrikaner South Africans who shared a sense of patriotic duty, a nationalistic zeal for the importance of the work, and a sense that their research was critical for maintaining national security. 43 PROJECT COAST (1981-1993) From 1979 through 1981, the State Security Council, led by President Botha and Malan, and the SADF discussed the principles that might apply to the CBW program. It became clear that a program to defend against a Soviet CBW attack could only be built if the Soviet offensive program was emulated and then tested. 44 As it became clear that an offensive CBW program was to be developed, discussions began concerning the possible uses for such a program. Malan proposed that signs of a chemical warfare attack in Angola would force 17
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 and 22: incidents underscored the variable
Page 23 and 24: Convention (BWC). According to form
Page 25: Project Coast, which would countera
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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