Nuclear proliferation

Saturday, September 22nd, 1979 was supposed to be an off day for John Dupre.

Dupre was the CIA National Intelligence Officer for Nuclear Proliferation.

His job was to know which countries were trying to build atomic bombs, how close they were, and who might be helping them.

It was the kind of job where the phone usually doesn't ring on weekends, unless something has gone very wrong.

The obligations to meet legitimate energy needs and in doing so to ensure that nothing that we export contributes directly or indirectly to the production of nuclear explosives.

That is why the supplier nations are seeking a common policy.

And that is why the United States and the Soviet Union, even as we struggle to find common ground in the SALT talks, have already moved closer toward agreement and cooperation in our efforts to limit nuclear proliferation.

I believe that the London Suppliers Group must conclude its work as it's presently constituted so that the world security will be safeguarded from the pressures of commercial competition.