| Document/PDF |
Contents |
Articles of Incorporation
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
490 KB, 8 pages |
NUMEC is incorporated on December
31, 1956 in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by Zalman M.
Shapiro (Nautilus nuclear submarine
program chemist,
Zionist
Organization of America Pennsylvania chapter president), Leonard Pepkowtiz
(Manhattan Project weapons physicist)
and Frederick Foerscher. |
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Articles of Merger
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
219 KB, 25 pages |
Apollo Industries holding company created on
March 1, 1958 out of merger of three defunct companies: Apollo
Steel Company, American Nut and Bolt Fastener Company and San
Toy Mining Company. Apollo Industry
directors included Ivan J. Novick (future ZOA president) ,David
Lowenthal (refugee smuggler who also fought in Israel), Zalman
Shapiro (NUMEC president, ZOA chapter president), and Elliott W. Finkel
(former DOJ attorney dismissed over conflicts of interest). |
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NUMEC_1966
Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation
6.1 MB, 62 pages |
Company calendar listing
NUMEC's services. |
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11031966_AEC_FBI_NUMEC_Activity.pdf |
John Vinciguerra of the Atomic Energy Agency
provides a list of all NUMEC contracts with foreign governments
as part of a Foreign Agent Registration Act and congressional
review. |
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071967_Atantic_Richfield
Hanford
135 KB, 2 pages |
The Atomic Energy Commission gives Atlantic
Richfield at $30 million/year contract to manage Hanford
facilities if it buys and takes over NUMEC.
Pages extracted from cost-plus operating contract. |
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04021968_Helms_Clark |
Director of Central
Intelligence Agency memo to Attorney General Ramsey Clark.
"You are well aware of the great concern which exists at the
highest levels of this Government with regard to the
proliferation of nuclear weapons...It is critical for us to
establish whether or not the Israelis now have the capability of
fabricating nuclear weapons which might be employed in the Near
East...I urge that the Federal Bureau of Investigation be called
upon to initiate a discreet intelligence investigation of all
source nature of Dr. Shapiro in order to establish the nature
and extent of his relationship with the Government of Israel."
Release letter. |
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1091168-000-117-2564 Section 1
FBI
2.2 MB, 45 pages |
Section 1 -
Zalman Shapiro investigated by the FBI for potential Foreign Agents Registration
Act after 61 kilograms of U-235 are discovered missing from the
Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation. FBI
establishes surveillance of Shapiro in 1968. Nature of
David Lowenthal's relationship and financing of NUMEC
discovered. David Lowenthal observed in photos "shaking hands
with Ben-Gurion and Moshe Dayan" and "reportedly fought for
Israel as a freedom fighter in 1956 and travels to Israel on the
average of approximately once per month." NUMEC's founders,
security clearances, shipment of 320 grams of plutonium to
Israel in 1963, censored files. |
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1091168-000-117-2564 Section 2
FBI
728 KB, 11 pages |
On September 6, 1968, the US attorney general
requests investigation "whether the subject is acting as an
agent of the Israeli Government."
September 6, 1968 NUMEC request for visit of Avraham Hermoni
(Israeli nuclear weapons chief), Ephraim Biegun, Avraham Bendor,
and Rafael Eitan (founder of LAKAM economic espionage network).
The intelligence operatives enter under the cover of being
"thermo electric generator specialists." |
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1091168-000-117-2564
Section 3
FBI
35 KB, 1 page |
Censored content. |
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1091168-000-117-2564 Section 1 (830179)
FBI
3.2 MB, 56 pages |
FBI initiates physical and wiretap surveillance
of Zalman Shapiro on November 5, 1968. "We are
investigating Shapiro to determine extent of his relations with
Israeli government. As head of Nuclear Materials and
Equipment Corporation, Apollo, Pennsylvania, which processes
uranium-235 for nuclear reactors, Shapiro has access to atomic
energy material which could be most helpful to the
Israelis...subject has been in contact on two occasions with Dr.
Avraham Hermoni, Scientific Counselor, Israeli Embassy,
Washington D.C., and Israeli intelligence agent. Source
has also disclosed contacts with a senior official of Israeli
military intelligence, individuals associated with Israeli
Atomic Energy Commission and member of Israeli Internal Security
Service...he is considering settling permanently in that country
and, if necessary, would fight for Israel..."
"Investigation has further disclosed that subject and others
involved in instant case, in addition to holding top positions
in their respective fields, are very active and highly regarded
in various Jewish organizations which exert some influence in
this country...." "It is considered opinion of person familiar
with this case that an interview with subject and/or others
intimately involved in this case would develop very little
pertinent information..." "Attorney General under date of
3/28/1969 approved our request for continuation of Electronic
Surveillance for a period of three months effective 4/1/1969.
Wiretap summaries. Atomic Energy Commission interview of Shapiro
on August 14, 1969. Discussion of 1968 Hermoni meeting in
Shapiro's home, clandestine Shapiro meeting with Israeli
intelligence agent in Pittsburgh airport. "Only when we
confronted with the fact that we were aware of the meeting did
he admit to such a meeting had taken place and his explanation
that the purpose of the meeting had been to discuss payment of a
bill and other commercial matters did not appear to be
completely candid..." |
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Wiretap
FBI
362 KB, 11 pages |
May 5, 1969 FBI wiretap of a radioactive
spill at NUMEC caused by improper storage.
"9:18 p.m.:
CENSORED reported on a spillage at the plant. They have the
area roped off and it will take some pick and shovel work to
dig up the contaminated areas. CENSORED said they are
getting 100,000 counts. CENSORED said, �Oh, God.� They are
dampening it down to avoid dust and will cover it if it
looks like it may rain. CENSORED asked if there is anything
on AAI? �
9:20 p.m.: CENSORED said that he heard
that American Instrument Company [is] up for sale. He said
he heard this from the former sales manager."
A phone call placed just two minutes after the
first confirms that:
"it�s
not only a bad spill but �actually they are operating
outside compliance.� They had the drums all together. They
have about 200 drums and estimate that about six a day will
corrode through. The trouble lay with a fluoride which was
put in to help the decay, and this was not checked. CENSORED
said they are also about $230,000 over on their construction
costs for the scrap plant. Z [Zalman Shapiro] said if they
could get other people, there would be a lot of firing."
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1091168-000-117-2564 Section 4
FBI
6.3 MB, 95 pages |
January 20, 1969 FBI report on Shapiro meetings
with Hermoni to coordinate a plutonium purchase, Shapiro
requests to AEC about availability of plutonium (does not
mention Israel as destination). AEC Commission Glenn Seaborg
approves sales "Criticality is the only concern in terms of the
amount of plutonium 238 that can be used in any particular
device." Details of NUMEC trying to obtain US government
equipment for free by falsely claiming it is contaminated.
Zalman Shapiro discusses settling in Israel. NUMEC
discovered to be an agent of the Israeli Ministry of Defense,
and have a joint venture with the Israeli Atomic Energy
Commission, the cover organization for Israel's nuclear weapons
program. Shapiro concerned US will not
sell fighter jets to Israel. FBI source speculates that
U-235 could have been shipped to Israel within food irradiator
units with "no questions asked." NUMEC catalog of irradiators.
In February of 1969, FBI reviews NUMEC's classified contracts
with the US government. NUMEC attempts to hire AEC or
"other government agencies" employees. Secret Service
warned on February 18, 1969 that Shapiro "under active
investigation as member of other group or organization inimical
to the U.S." February 16, 1968 report of Shapiro hosting a
meeting in his home "with Avraham Hermoni, Scientific Counselor,
Israeli Embassy, and ten other men who have special skills and
knowledge in scientific and technical fields on 11/4/1968.
This meeting was held to assist Hermoni in gathering necessary
data in these areas for Israel." Shapiro discusses obtaining
plutonium 238 with Colonel Avraham Eylonie. Shapiro meets with
Israeli defense minister at the Israeli embassy on November 26,
1969 before leaving for Israel between November 28 and December
12, 1968. Profiles of NUMEC executives. Summary of 1965
Foreign Agents Registration Act investigation of Shapiro.
June 21, 1966 FBI interview of Shapiro. NUMEC employee
interviews |
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1091168-000-117-2564 Section 5
FBI
3.1 MB, 39 pages |
Zalman Shapiro listed in "Security Index" because
he "continues to solicit information of Israeli scientific
[censored] personnel." NUMEC selected in 1964 to run
"free world's only full-scale production boron isotope facility"
in Niagara [Lewiston], NY. Shapiro assisting in a
secret converter "British Project." Supermarket advertiser Frank
Noll writes "Dr. X" story about Shapiro working in Israeli
nuclear weapons program. |
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07191969
Nixon Presidential Library
973 KB, 18 pages |
July, 1969 Henry Kissinger strategy document
about what stance to take about the Israeli nuclear weapons
program. "There is circumstantial evidence that some
fissionable material available for Israel's weapons development
was illegally obtained from the United States by about 1965."
Justification for "ambiguity" stance. |
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1091168-000-117-2564 Section 6
FBI
1 MB, 26 pages |
Illegible files. September 3, 1969 FBI
director memo to AEC and DOJ about August 1969 AEC interview of
Zalman Shapiro. "The basis of the security risk posed by the
subject lies in his continuing access to sensitive information
and material and it is believed that the effective way to
counter this risk would be to preclude Shapiro from such access,
specifically by terminating his classified contracts and lifting
his security clearances. AEC security
statement that Shapiro has "knowingly established an association
with individuals reliably reported as suspected of espionage."
"It was reported in 1961 that Dr. Abraham Hermoni was a member
of the Israeli Intelligence Service; that in 1963 Dr. Hermoni
was known to be engaged in the establishment of a technical
intelligence network in the United States, and that prior to his
assignment as Scientific Counselor of the Israeli Embassy,
Washington, D.C. he was intimately connected with Israeli
efforts to develop nuclear weapons in his capacity as Technical
Director, Armament Development Authority, Ministry of Defense."
On November 4, 1970, the FBI notes that Shapiro has taken a job
at Kawecki Berylco Industries, and "holds a 'Secret' clearance
which was transferred to that facility by the Defense Supply
Agency..." Note "Shapiro has been alleged to have
furnished information to Israeli Government in the past
regarding nuclear developments via Israeli Embassy officials
interested in this field for the benefit of Israeli defense
efforts. He is carried on the Security Index by Pittsburgh
due to his activities. He has recently acquired a new and
sensitive position with a nuclear development company in
Pennsylvania...classified 'Secret' since it sets forth
information from [censored] Army communications similarly
classified." |
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09031969
Gerald
Ford Presidential Library
332 KB, 6 pages
09031969_FBI_v2, 2 pages, less
redaction Release letter |
September 3, 1969 FBI Director
memo to CIA Director. "The basis of the security risk
posed by the subject lies in his continuing access to sensitive
information and material and it is believed the only effective
way to counter this risk would be to preclude Shapiro from
access, specifically by terminating his classified contracts and
lifting his security clearances..." |
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1091168-000-117-2564 Section 7
FBI
5.9 MB, 136 pages |
FBI interviews Kanwecki Berylco Industry
executive on March 4, 1971 about Zalman Shapiro's attempts to
obtain classified information without proper security
clearance. Joint Committee on Atomic Energy attempts to obtain
FBI files "concerning Shapiro or any of his associates or
acquaintances who could be involved in intelligence or diversion
of nuclear material activities on behalf of a foreign
government." in May of 1976. FBI offers a summary, but
states that attorney general would have to approve file release.
April 22, 1976 summary of FBI investigations of NUMEC for
special nuclear materials loss. On May 14, 1976 US
attorney general orders an FBI investigation "be conducted to
determine whether or not a diversion of nuclear material had
occurred at the Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation
(NUMEC), Apollo, Pennsylvania, partially owned and operated by
the subject, and if this diversion had been to the benefit of
the Government of Israel" and "Obstruction of Justice."
Attorney General provides list of Atomic Energy Commission
executives to interview. Fully and partially censored FBI
interview records. 1976 investigation captioned "DIVERT."
List of NUMEC executives to interview. |
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03091972_FBI |
March 9, 1972 FBI memo titled
"Possible Diversion of Weapons Grade Nuclear Materials to Israel
by Officials of the Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation
(NUMEC). "On the basis of the foregoing it must be assumed
for the purpose of U.S. national security that diversion of
special nuclear meterials to Israel by Dr. Shapiro and his
associates is a distinct possibility.." "Lead coated or nickel
plated, it would present no radiation hazard and could have
easily gone by diplomatic pouch or Israel merchant ship or even
El Al Airlines. Transportation of diverted material to
Israel would have been a simple matter."
Release letter |
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FBI_Doc_672_Martin_Task_Force_12_7_78.pdf |
Departmental Attorney John L. Martin, Criminal Division tells
the FBI he is leading a "three man Task Force organized by the
Criminal Division pertaining to alegations of cover-ups by
Governmental Agencies in the NUMEC case." |
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03111976_DCI_Duckett |
Memo to the Director of
Central Intelligence from Carl E. Duckett, Deputy Director for
Science and Technology - Subject "Nuclear Materials and
Equipment Corporation (NUMEC)." "Since the Agency was
looking at this case from the point of view of obtaining
information on the nuclear intelligence capability of a foreign
government we did not make a concentrated effort to follow this
case from the standpoint of its domestic implications subsequent
to the time of the attached memorandum."
Release letter |
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01221976_Levi_memo_to_ford |
Memorandum to President Gerald Ford from Attorney General
Griffen Bell. "...the following criminal statutes may be
involved;
42 U.S.C. 2077 - Unauthorized dealings in special
nuclear material
42 U.S.C. 2273 - Violation of Atomic Energy
Act generally, or of agency regulations
42 U.S.C. 2276 -
Tampering with Restricted Data
42 U.S.C. 2275 Receipt of
Restricted Data
42 U.S.C. 2277 - Disclosure of Restricted
Data
18 U.S.C. 832-834 - Transportation of dangerous articles
18 U.S.C. 793-794 - Espionage: gathering or transmittal of
defense information
18 U.S.C. 3 - Accessory after the fact
18 U.S.C. 4 - Misprision of felony
18 U.S.C. 371 - Conspiracy
to commit offense |
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07281977_NSC_Shackley |
Israel and MUF [Materials
Unaccounted For] July 28, 1977, National Security Council
summary of a briefing by CIA's Associate Deputy Director for
Operations Theodore Shackley. "I also asked Shackley to get us a
rundown on the political aspects�e.g. when were the President
and Congressional officials briefed on the Israeli weapons
program, on the NUMEC connection, and what were their reactions.
In December, Carter was briefed on the NUMEC problem as
President-elect by Bush in Georgia...I do not think the
President has plausible deniability. The CIA case is
persuasive..."
Release letter |
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07291977_Brzezinski |
July 29, 1977 Action
memorandum for Zbigniew Brzezinski "Congressman John Dingell
(D., Mich) called to report in very indignant tones that he is
'troubled' about investigations of Materials Unaccounted For (MUF)..."
Release letter |
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08021977_MUF |
August 2, 1977
Memo to President
Carter from Zbigniew Brzezinski: "So far as we know however,
(and we have made serious effort to discover it) there is
nothing to indicate active CIA participation in the alleged
theft...There is a tremendous amount of interest in this issue
in Congress...We face tough sledding in the next few weeks in
trying to keep attention focused on ERDA's technical [overall
U.S. nuclear material loss] arguments...on
the FBI investigations, and away from the CIA's information."
Plus AEC Licenses summary .
Release letter |
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11031978_Duckett_Meeting
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November 3, 1978 Jessica
Tuchman Mathews letter to David Aaron. "So far as we know
(though there are still lingering suspicions) there is nothing
to indicate active CIA participation in the alleged theft."
Release letter |
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11201978_AG_Memo |
November 20, 1978 Request to
the attorney general for assistance to the National Security
Council in a briefing about "possible diversion of nuclear
material from the NUMEC plant in Apollo, Pennsylvania."
11/06/1978 request for permission letter.
Release letter |
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12071977
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library
146 KB, 2 pages |
December 7, 1977 Memo to Zbigniew Brezinski
about Congressional investigation of NUMEC. "Dingell's
pursuit of the question of whether the CIA withheld information
from other agencies strikes me as potentially dangerous..." |
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1091168-000-117-2564 Section 8
FBI
625 KB, 8 pages |
June 27, 1977 FBI interview of Zalman Shapiro.
"..Shapiro voiced certain reservations relative to its purpose
and was concerned that display of the form implied certain
unlawful acts on his part." "Shapiro emphasized that the
matter of significant diversion of special nuclear material at
NUMEC was out of the question and added that Atomic Energy
Commission (AEC) officials had, in fact, assured him personally
that NUMEC MUF compared favorably with MUF experienced
throughout the rest of the industry." |
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021978
Inquiry into the Testimony of the Executive Director for
Operations
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Page accidently released to NRDC
3.5 MB, 3 pages |
Classified summary of CIA Directorate of
Operations briefing to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission about
NUMEC diversion accidentally released to the Natural Resources
Defense Council. "Mr. Duckett raised the question of
whether the U.S. had intentiona1ly allowed material to go to
Israel. He said that if any such scheme was under consideration,
he would have known about it and he never heard so much as a
rumor about this. He, therefore, does not believe there is
any substance to this allegation. In support of this view, he
related that CIA had drafted a National Intelligence Estimate on
Israel's nuclear capability in 1968. It it was the
conclusion that the Israelis had nuclear weapons. He
showed it to Mr. Helms. Helms told him not to publish it
and he would take it up with President Johnson. Mr. Helms
later related that he had spoken to the president, that the
President was concerned, and that he had said, 'Don't tell
anyone else, even Dean Rusk and Robert McNamara." |
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06211978
Glenn T. Seaborg Papers
Library of Congress
482 KB, 1 page |
Glenn Seaborg office diary.
On June 21, 1978 Department of Energy
investigators Bill Knauf and Jim Anderson visit former Atomic
Energy Commissioner Glenn T. Seaborg. They tell Seaborg
that traces of Portsmouth U-235 (the government-owned
material primarily delivered to NUMEC for processing into fuel)
had been picked up in Israel. On March 3, 1979 Seaborg
refuses to be interviewed by FBI investigators. |
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Archive |
A
1978 General Accounting Office study
concludes that the US government never credibly investigated the
NUMEC diversion and documents FBI and
CIA refusal to cooperate.. |
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12121978
Morris K. Udall Papers at the University of Arizona
4.2 MB, 119 pages |
Transcript of December 21, 1978 Congressional
Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs interview of Zalman
Shapiro.
"We know now that as far back as 1966, at
least one staff member of the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy
questioned the propriety of then AEC Chairman Seaborg having
testified that he thought that " there has not been any material
diverted from peaceful to military uses." We know also that in
December 1971, William Riley, former director of AEC security,
wrote in a memorandum that Dr. Shapiro reported to Riley that he
(Dr. Shapiro) had been told by officials of the government of
Israel that an unnamed AEC Commissioner had suggested to
representatives of a foreign government that Dr. Shapiro had
been involved in diversion of materials to the Israelis..." |
08312015_cia_numec.pdf
3.4 MB, 131 pages |
1977-1978 CIA files obtained via a FOIA lawsuit
on August 31, 2015. The files detail a
CIA cover-up that began in 1968 when the agency withheld
overseas agent information from the FBI and other federal
agencies about the diversion. |
02281979
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library
145 KB, 3 pages |
Confidential letter from
Deputy Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti to President
Jimmy Carter about how after the GAO report
about NUMEC the US would "establish a plan for
coordinated interagency action to detect and investigate the
theft or diversion of nuclear material in the future." |
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08061979_Meyers_to_Udall.pdf
6 MB, 19 pages |
Status report on "NUMEC,
Shapiro, etc" from Science Advisor of the Interior Commission
Henry Meyers to congressman Morris K. Udall. "That they
picked up on the statement about the NUMEC design while failing
to complain about CIA conclusions about a diversion is
indicative of extreme sensitivity to any suggestion that NUMEC's
purpose from the beginning had been to provide Israel high
enriched uranium. |
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10081979_CIA_Stein.pdf
564 KB, 11 pages |
CIA Deputy Director for Operations John H.
Stein's secret decision in 1979 that releasing NUMEC files was
impossible "because of the need to have a coordinated Executive
Branch position and our desire to protect a sensitive and
valuable liaison equity." Stein
referred to with Science Advisor of the Interior Commission
Henry Meyer's blunt allegations (below) to Congressman Morris
Udall in 1979 that NUMEC was just another Israeli smuggling
front. |
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11271979
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library
107 KB, 2 pages |
Staffer Jerry Oplinger asks National Security
Advisor Zbigniew Brezinski for permission to show Senator John
Glenn a top secret memorandum about "missing material from the
NUMEC plant in Apollo, PA." Brezinski formally
disapproves, telling Oplinger to "Brief him
[Senator Glenn] orally." |
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1091168-000-117-2564 Section 10
FBI
3.9 MB, 54 pages |
March 28, 1980 interviews with NRC officials
reveal a former NUMEC employee eyewitness to diversion.
FBI NUMEC truck driver interview. FBI NUMEC shipping clerk
interview. March 24, 1980 FBI Ammonator interview. "he
then noticed the NUMEC owner, Dr. Zalman Shapiro, pacing around
the loading dock while [censored] (shipping and receiving
foreman) and [censored] (truck driver for NUMEC) were loading
'stove pipes' into the steel cabinet type equipment that he
observed on the truck...the 'stove pipes' are cylindrical
storage containers used to store canisters of high enriched
materials in the vaults located at the Apollo nuclear
facility...the 'stove pipes' contained three or four canisters
which were described as highly polished aluminum with standard
printed square yellow labels, approximately three inches in
diameter by six inches tall, that normally were used to store
high enriched uranium products...defined as 95 percent uranium."
January 15, 1981 former NUMEC employee interview. |
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01232013_Carter_Admin_DOJ_file.pdf
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The National Archives
releases 250 pages of Carter administration files about NUMEC on
January 23, 2013 including:
1. 4/25/1979 Attorney General memo that the Internal Security
Section "completed a detailed review of thousands of CIA
documents..." necessitating further FBI investigations. (p. 1)
2. 4/17/1979 Deputy AG memo that "the CIA had a substantial
number of documents of relevance to this case." (p. 3)
3. 6/28/1978 Howard Baker Jr. Letter notifying Attorney General
that the "CIA provided..recently discovered classified file
...extremely significant and previously unknown to me." (p. 7)
4. Withdrawal sheets of sensitive material made at the request
of the Justice Department in 2012, including a letter from
President Jimmy Carter.
5. Inclusion in the NUMEC case file of an argument from the
Commonwealth Edison Company of Illinois (CECO) that it should
not be criminally prosecuted for safeguards issues because of
harm to civilian industry. Benchmark reference. (pp 24-33)
6. Withdrawal sheet notice of a four-page FBI communication
titled "Zalman Mordecai Shapiro; Atomic Energy Act; Obstruction
of justice" (p.80)
7. GAO report titled "Review of Accountability Controls Over
Special Nuclear Materials, Nuclear Materials and Equipment
Corporation," Report to Joint Committee on Atomic Energy by the
Comptroller General of the United States, June 1967. The GAO
could not obtain this report for release after a request
was made in 2011. (p. 143)
8. Special Assistant to the AG letter indicating DOJ would not
cooperate with a 1977-1978 GAO investigation because "NUMEC
investigation is still active and thus we cannot provide
documentary material from our files." (p. 222) |
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09272019_CIA_FOIA_request_F_2019_01414.pdf |
CIA profile of Rafael Eitan released in 2019 that redacts NUMEC
from the chronology. |
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Archive |
Zalman Shapiro seeks
exoneration from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission assisted by
Arnold & Porter (Israel's longest registered
foreign agent law firm in Washington, DC) with assistance from
Senator Arlen Specter. The NRC refuses to clear Shapiro or
NUMEC over the U-235 losses. |
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