1974 Kissinger admits to Weather Modification being Weaponised on the World Stage
During a press conference at the Intourist Hotel in Moscow on July 3 1974, a journalist asked Secretary Kissinger about weather modification, specifically why it was considered significant in arms control despite its failure during the Vietnam War. Secretary Kissinger responded by stating that the issue was significant because the problem of weather modification exists, and it is not fully understood. He noted that research on the topic is still in its early stages.
Q. ONE LAST POINT, ON THE WEATHER MODIFICATION, SIR, COULD YOU CLARIFY? YOU ONLY REFERRED TO IT VERY BRIEFLY. WEATHER MODIFICATION TECHNIQUES, AS I UNDERSTAND, PROVED A FAILURE IN THE VIETNAM WAR. COULD YOU EXPLAIN WHY THE ISSUE IS REGARDED AS SIGNIFICANT IN ARMS CONTROL?
SECRETARY KISSINGER: WELL, THE ISSUE IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IXISTS. AND IT IS NOT A PROBLEM, FRANKLY, THAT WE HAVE COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD. WE HAVE JUST STARTED OUR STUDIES ON THE SUBJECT. HOW SIGNIFICANT IT IS, FRANKLY, WILL BECOME APPARENT ONLY AS TIME GOES ON. IT IS SIGNIFICANT FOR THE DETERMINATION OF THE TWO SIDES TO TRY TO LIMIT NEW AREAS OF ARMS COMPETITION.
Operation Popeye
- Operation Popeye was a highly classified weather modification program conducted by the United States military during the Vietnam War, from 1967 to 1972. Here are the key details:
- Purpose: The operation aimed to extend the monsoon season over specific areas, particularly along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, to disrupt North Vietnamese military supply routes by causing landslides and making roads muddy and impassable.
- Technique: It involved cloud seeding, where silver iodide or lead iodide was dispersed into clouds to induce rainfall.
- Execution: The 54th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron carried out the operation, with aircraft flying sorties to seed clouds. The operation was known under various code names including Project Popeye, Motorpool, and Intermediary-Compatriot.
- Outcome: While there were claims of success in extending the monsoon season by an average of 30 to 45 days, the actual military impact is debated. Some sources suggest it had a significant effect on enemy logistics, while others question its overall effectiveness in altering the war's dynamics.
This operation is remembered both for its technical ingenuity in weather manipulation and the significant ethical questions it raised about the militarization of nature.
Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 30 JUN 2005 1974MOSCOW10476_b