Thread by @CherylRofer

On a very different subject -

(I haven't read this collection of articles yet, but I've been looking at this for a very long time. Definitely worth reading.) 1/

https://twitter.com/russianforces/status/1175873296480571392

40 years ago, my office was in the same building as the Vela satellite people. So I heard some of this as it was developing. 2/

When the report came out from the Ruina committee, that the signal was likely from a meteoroid near the satellite, people were literally running through the halls shouting with anger. They knew how to read the signals, and the signals said it was a nuclear test. 3/

It's good to see that this is being recognized now.

Scientists are often ignored in the service of political decisions. A single analyst who knew nothing about building centrifuges drove the decision that Saddam Hussein's aluminum tubes were for centrifuges.

They weren't. 4/

I'm not sure that recognizing that the South Atlantic flash was an Israeli nuclear test would have made as much difference as the aluminum tube decision. 5/

But relations with Israel would have been different. Perhaps the United States would have been less tolerant of Netanyahu's behavior. Things also would have been different in Israel. @avnercohen123 has written a couple of books about this. 6/

Science and scientists can be unyielding and undiplomatic. Reasons of state can justify hypocrisy and overlooking things. Iraq turned out very badly indeed.

Israel's nuclear weapons are part of the imbalance in the Middle East.

Something to think about. 7/7

I've read the collection now. It's very good and easy to read. I recommend it.

foreignpolicy.com/2019/09/22/bla…