NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02994241
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: September 18, 2020
• Case Number: F-2017-01987
• Publication Date: May 17, 1978

Approved for Release: 2020/09/11 CO2994241
The
National Intelligence
all
Published by the Director of Central Intelligence for Named Principals Only
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WEDNESDAY 17 MAY 1978
VOLUME 5, NUMBER 115 TCS 615/78
NR Record
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2 WEDNESDAY 17 MAY 1978 TCS 615/78 THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE DAILY
NR Record
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THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE DAILY TCS 615/78
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WEDNESDAY 17 MAY 1978 3
BRAZIL
Nuclear Weapons Question
The Brazilians
have an ambitious nuclear energy
program and have certainly not
foreclosed the option of developing a
nuclear weapons capability in the
future
The Brazilians may ultimately decide to
develop a nuclear weapon, but there are
several reasons to doubt that they have
already done so.
At present, moreover, Nuclebras appears
to be absorbed totally with obtaining the
technology provided for in the Brazilian -
West German nuclear agreement.
There are also major technical
obstacles to the development of a nuclear
weapon at this time.
The plutonium produced by any of the
three power reactors Brazil is scheduled to
have operating by then will be subject to
very strict international safeguards and
will not be available for weapons use un-
less Brazil decides to violate these
agreements.
International safeguards will apply
even if the Brazilian Government intends
to use the nuclear technology it obtains
from West Germany to build its own
small, closed fuel cycle.
Even in the mid-1980s, a Brazilian deci-
sion to develop and to test a nuclear ex-
plosive would probably endanger its entire
nuclear power program. Adverse reaction
throughout the world would cut off
foreign supplies of enriched uranium at a
time when Brazil will have the domestic
capability to meet only a small fraction of
its need for enriched uranium.
It is highly unlikely that Brazil sees in
South America any potential
challenge�even from rival Argen-
tina�sufficient to justify a decision to go
ahead with an atomic weapons program.
NR Record
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TOP-SEC�RET
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WEDNESDAY 17 MAY 1978
TCS 615/78 THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE DAILY
NR Record
Warning Notice
,nsitive Intelligence Soutces and Methods In olved
NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION
Ukiatitherized Disclosure Subject to Criminal Sanctions
Tl Nrtionaf Intelligence Daily h Went:trod in the
C Oro Intelligence Agency in cooperation with the
0,.,er OS foreign intelligence organizations. Late items
pporcl by CIA alone are so marked. Analytical fea-
t, is a,ncles are attributed to their authors.
CG NID 78-115JX
Security and control abbreviations
used in this publication:
TSU�Top Secret UMBRA
SS�Secret SPOKE
S �Secret
C�Confidential
U�Unclassified
NOFORN�Net Releasable to
(NF) Foreign Nationals
ORCON�Dissemination and Ex-
(0C) traction of lot or motion
Controlled by One.
near
REL.. This Information has
been Authorized for
Release to ...
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