PERISCOPE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000200980155-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 22, 2010
• Sequence Number: 155
• Publication Date: April 7, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/22 : CIA-RDP90-00806R000200980155-1
STAT
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0x P'+~ = _ nCrl 7 April 1980
A Nuclear Blast-or `Zoo Animals'?
U.S. scientists now lean toward concluding that last September's
mysterious flash in the atmosphere over the South Atlantic was a
natural phenomenon rather than a nuclear explosion triggered by
South Africa, as Washington first suspected. A U.S. Vela satellite
registered the flash, and astronomers and physicists investigating it
for the White House have since studied 500,000 Vela signals
recorded over the past decade. They discovered that so-called "zoo
animals"-signals of unknown natural origin-often display some
of the same characteristics as nuclear explosions. The scientists are
also impressed by data from the Pioneer 10 space probe indicating
that meteoroids in outer space are far more numerous than
previously surmised. With no evidence of a nuclear blast, what the
Vela saw might have been a zoo animal-perhaps sunlight glinting
offa passing meteoroid.
Changing Puppets in Afghanistan
After weeks of rumors, Western intelligence sources say they
expect the Kremlin to depose Babrak Karinal, the puppet leader it
installed as President of Afghanistan only three months ago. The
Soviets are shopping around for a more charismatic figure who
might improve morale in the dispirited country, while still toeing
the Moscow line. Several contenders have been handpicked from a
group of Afghan leftists recently released from prison, and one or
two top candidates have moved into the Soviet Embassy in Kabul
to await the final decision.
Finding a Flaw in the MX Defense
Defense Department analysts have only recently uncovered a
flaw in one of the most highly touted features of the proposed MX
mobile-missile program. As a result, the Pentagon is quietly
abandoning the MX's "dash capability"-once considered the
ultimate safeguard against an enemy attack-in favor of a different
defense system that happens to cost $2 billion less. Dash capability
would have enabled the missiles to "dash" from one shelter to
another in order to survive a Soviet missile attack. But the
Pentagon now realizes that the Soviets could launch a small initial
attack and then use spy satellites to spot the shelters to which the
MX's have dashed. A second wave of Soviet missiles could then be
targeted on those shelters. The substitute system, which would
keep some of the missiles constantly in motion, doesn't solve the 1
problem entirely-but at least it will be much cheaper.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/22 : CIA-RDP90-00806R000200980155-1