Jerusalem: The US was aware of Israel's possession of nuclear weapons back in 1974 and even suspected Jerusalem of providing nuclear technology to then-friendly countries like Iran and South Africa, a report said here today.

A secret report released by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) this week said that in August 1974, the agency determined that Israel had nuclear "weapons in being," a "small number" of which it "produced and stockpiled".

Israel was also suspected of providing nuclear materials, equipment or technology to Iran, South Africa and other then-friendly countries, daily Ha aretz reported. The top secret document, consigned to the CIA s vaults for almost 32 years, was suddenly released to the public this week during US President George W Bush's visit to Israel and on the eve of his trip to other friendly countries in the Middle East.

A part of the document was released in 2006 under a Freedom of Information Request placed by two scholars, but as an attachment to a 1975 State Department paper apparently concealing the portrayal of Israel s nuclear weapons as a fact, the daily said.

The 1974 Special National Intelligence Assessment dubbed "Prospects for further Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons" was depicted by the Department of State as a CIA project, though its own senior officials, including intelligence chief William Hyland, was a senior member of the board that agreed with the conclusions.

Source : PTI