CLASSIFICATIO N : SECRET

EFERENCE 9/74

TO T HE DEPUTY D I R E CTOR- E N E RA L : A FRI C A

MR D W AURET ( AADG) HS x 2603

THROUGH T HE AC T I N G C H I E F - D I R T OR : REST OF
A FRICA A N D M I D DL E E A S T
M R C J B W E S S E L S ( HDRA) HS x 250 0

T HE DIR E C TO R : REST OF AF R ICA AND M LE

EAST
MR J DE GOEDE ( DAFR) HS x 250 7

FROM T HE DEPU T Y - D I R E C TO R : M I D D L E E A S T
M R P L U V I L J O E N ( AA81 ) HS x 2 5 1 6

C OMPILED B Y A B GREENHAM ( AA81 ) HS x 25 15

DATE 8 J UN E 1 9 9 3

STATUS F OR YOUR B A C K G R O UN D INFORMATION

SUBJECT CONVERSATION WITH OFFICERS OF THE

D EPARTMENT OF MI L I T ARY I N T ELLIGENCE (DMI )
O N MIL ITAR Y C O N T R A CT S WITH ISRAEL

At DMI's r e q u e st , t w o
o f f i c ials f r o m the Department,
messrs Viljoen and Greenham, went to DM I to d i scuss the
f uture of e xi s t i n g m i l i t a r y c o n t r a c t s w ith Israel. T h e
s ubject o f t h e d i s c ussion, w h ich w a s o n l y r e v e aled o n
o ur a r r i va l at DM I , rev o l v e d aro u n d a b ilat e r a l
military cooperation meeting on 23 June 1993, where Gen
Pierre Steyn w i l l r e p resent th e S A D F . DM I ' s q u e s t i on
t o us was es s e n t ially t w o - fold : In ord e r to a l l ay
I srael i fears, t hey wa n t e d t o kn o w w h a t g u a r a n t e e s t h e
General m i ght gi v e to h is Isra e l i co u n t e rpart on
k eeping Israeli military secrets known to th e S AD F s a f e
after transition . Th e y a l s o w a nted our view on wh ether
military attaches could be openly accredited.

2. It w a s c o n f i rmed t ha t t h e secrecy of c u rrent c o ntracts

could not b e g u a ranteed after a new government came t o
 p ower i n S o ut h A f r ica an d t h e o fficers from DM I (Brig
C lark and C ol Neet h l i n g ) c on c l u d e d th at it w ou ld be
w ise t o i n f or m a p p r opriate l e aders i n the ANC of t he
n ature o f t h e s e p r o j ects an d a t t e mpt t o "get t hem o n
b oard" b e f or e t h e y m a d e t h i s d i s c o very o f t h eir own
a ccord, possibly a s m e m b ers o f t h e T E C . W e di s c u s s e d
the r e focusing o f b i l a t eral r e l a tions w ith I s r ae l on
civilian rather than m i litary cooperation a nd DM I se e ms
t o accept t h a t t h e i r s p e c ial r e l ationship w i t h I s r a e l
is nearing its end.

3. On the q ue sti o n of a ccredit in g m ilit a r y at tach e s

openly , t hey wer e t old that t h i s Dep a r t m e n t w o u l d n ot
r aise an o b j ection a s such a s tep would s e rve t o make
the relationship more translucent.

4. T he DM I o f f i c ers w e r e a lso i n formed o f t h e of f icial

c ontact that h a s b e e n e s t ablished with th e P L O . They
were given a n u m ber o f a r g uments which Gen S t eyn m i g ht
u se t o e x p l ai n t h i s p o s i t ion , i . a . t hat th e I s raeli
K nesset ha d a u t h orised c o ntact o n t h e p a r t o f p r i v at e
I sraeli c i t i zens with t h e P L O a n d that th e M i n i s ter
a ccor d i n g l y s aw no r eas on why w e c ou l d not ma k e s u c h
c ont a c t s ou r s e l v e s . T hey wer e also given a br iefing on
the g r o w in g im p o r t ance of H A MAS in the Oc cu p i e d
T erritories w i t h a view t o b r i n g ing h o m e to t h e m t he

fact t h a t th e PLO is th e m o r e m o d erate a nd r e asonable

alternative.

5. Thi s i s br o ugh t t o y ou r a t t e n t ion i n c ase y ou ar e

approached by General Steyn before the meeting.