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            Approved
            Approved
            )r_9dT=d2=Ia3=X                  W4Xr48MXOMOO770001-3
            a44)P_                  
                                   

            .U.S.                  
            Wm*es                  
            Detect*                  
            A-Blast                  
                                   

            By                     said yesterday that
            Thomas                  one night last De-
            0'roole                  
                                   

            WaAilnfton                  cember a secret infrared
            PustStaff                  satellite de-
            Writer                  
                                   

            U,S.                   tected something in
            government                  the skies south of
            sources                  
            yesterday                  
                                   

            deniedpublished reports South Mrica. The site
                 that the          is near where
                                   

            Unitedtates had detectedon Sept. 22, 1979,
            S    a nuclear         a Vela satefliq~ de-
                                   

            explosion                  tected what most experts
            last                   think was a
            December                  
            in                     
            the                    
            atm.)-                  
                                   

            sphere                  clandestine nuclear
            over                   explosion. Sources
            the                    
            remote                  
            regions                  
            of                     
            the                    
                                   

            South                  iaid no one believes
            Atlantic                  the December
            below                  
            South                  
            Africa,                  
                                   

            "There                  sighting was the hseAt
            is                     signature of a
            no                     
            diWeenient                  
            about                  
                                   

            this                   nuclear explosion,
            in                     becau3e it was too
            what                   
            you                    
            might                  
            call                   
            expert                  
            cir-                   
                                   

            cles,"                  weak and too brief.
            one                    
            authoritative                  
            source                  
            said,                  
                                   

            "Th,.Te's                  Sources said they are
            no                     convinced the
            question                  
            a                      
            surveillance                  
                                   

            satellite                  infrared wellite had
            saw                    seen the heat
            something,                  
            but                    
            it                     
            was                    
            not                    
            ,                      
            "                      
                                   

            -                      trail of a meteorite
            -                      burning up in the
            ft                     
            lyftleju                  
            eXI'llcosion.                  
                                   

            ,Vhe_To-TOfn-es`Krg                  atmosphere. The heat
            Star                   signal seen by
            reported                  
                                   

            yesterday                  the satellite, one
            that                   source said, may
            U.S.                   
            intelligence                  
            ex-                    
                                   

            perts                  even have been a violent
            said                   lightlih-ig
            a                      
            satellite                  
            had                    
            ieen                   
            the                    
            light                  
                                   

            flash                  storm in the South
            of                     Atlantic below
            a                      
            nuclear                  
            explosion                  
            in                     
            the                    
            sky                    
                                   

            over                   South Africa.
            the                    
            Sotith                  
            Atlantic                  
            in                     
            the                    
            eirly                  
                                   

            hours                  [)Pipite general agreement
            of                     that last
            Dec.                   
            16,                    
            1980.                  
            Coluninisti                  
                                   

            Rowland                  December's sighting
            E                      was not a nuclear
            vans                   
            and                    
            Robert                  
            Novak                  
                                   

            yesterday                  explosion, sources
            reported                  say there AW is
            that                   
            monitoring                  
                                   

            devices                  strong digagre6ment,
            had                    about the Sep-
            detected                  
            a                      
            similar                  
            flwh                   
            on                     
                                   

            Dec.                   tember 1979 sighting.
            15,                    Most experts
                                   

            Both                   insist a double flash
            reports                  of light that ex-
            said                   
            the                    
            flash                  
            was                    
            seen                   
                                   

            in                     adly matched the signature
            the                    of an
            same                   
            remote                  
            region                  
            of                     
            the                    
                                   

            South                  atomic explosion is
            Atlantic                  what Vela wit-
            where                  
            the                    
            light                  
            of                     
                                   

            what                   
            most                   
            e                      
            ert                    
            s                      
            )~                     
            g*%                    
            UP                     
                                   

                                   secret,
            v                      nuclear wcaponi testing
            Se                     in the remote-
            t                      
            22                     
            1,979.                  
            l                      
            -                      
            l                      
            ;                      
                                   

            x                      regions of the South
            rt                     Atlantic.
            nuclear                  
            weapons                  
            sources                  
            pe