The National Security Archive is always working on new electronic briefing books, and this recent release will fascinate anyone with an interest in international diplomacy, international relations, or the United States government. This particular briefing book was released in December 2011 and offers a look at the reaction of President Richard Nixon's administration to the testing of nuclear weapons by India. The test of the nuclear device on May 18, 1974 caught the United States by surprise even though two years before, the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research had predicted that India could make preparations for an underground test without being detected by United States intelligence. There are 21 documents on this website, including a secret memo entitled "A Concerted Effort by India to Conceal Preparations May Well Succeed" and several key State Department cables. Also, the site features a narrative essay that puts these events in context for a reader who may not already be intimately familiar with the series of events.
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