---
category: Other
summary: In 1983, Mark Thatcher introduced Gerald Bull to Van Der Westhuizen, who
  then connected Bull with ARMSCOR for his 'supergun' project.
tags:
- Person
---

[Pieter Van Der Westhuizen](/people/pieter-van-der-westhuizen/) was the chief of [South African Defense Force](/organizations/south-african-defense-force/). He played a significant role in the arms trade and intelligence cooperation between [South Africa](/places/south-africa/) and other nations, including [Israel](/places/israel/) and [Chile](/places/chile/).[^1]

In 1983, [Mark Thatcher](/people/mark-thatcher/) introduced [Gerald Bull](/people/gerald-bull/) to [Van Der Westhuizen](/people/pieter-van-der-westhuizen/), who then connected Bull with [ARMSCOR](/organizations/armscor/) for his "supergun" project. [Van Der Westhuizen](/people/pieter-van-der-westhuizen/) was also present at a meeting in [Santiago](/places/santiago/), [Chile](/places/chile/), in late 1986 with [Carlos Cardoen](/people/carlos-cardoen/), [Robert Gates](/people/robert-gates/), and Senator [John Tower](/people/john-tower/), where the [U.S.](/places/united-states/) reaffirmed its intention to maintain arms channels to [Iraq](/places/iraq/) through [South Africa](/places/south-africa/) and [Chile](/places/chile/).[^1]

In November 1988, [Ari Ben-Menashe](/people/ari-ben-menashe/) met with [Van Der Westhuizen](/people/pieter-van-der-westhuizen/) in [South Africa](/places/south-africa/). The General claimed that [South Africa](/places/south-africa/) had stopped the flow of technology to [Iraq](/places/iraq/) and was interested in resuming nuclear cooperation with [Israel](/places/israel/). He also confirmed [Thatcher's](/people/mark-thatcher/) long-standing business dealings with [South Africa](/places/south-africa/). However, [Israeli](/places/israel/) intelligence later confirmed that while [South Africa](/places/south-africa/) was not directly dealing with [Iraq](/places/iraq/), it was involved with [Chile](/places/chile/), which continued to supply [Iraq](/places/iraq/) through the [Cardoen](/people/carlos-cardoen/) network.[^1]

[Van Der Westhuizen](/people/pieter-van-der-westhuizen/) was threatened by an [Israeli](/places/israel/) counterpart for his continued involvement in supplying missile technology to [Iraq](/places/iraq/) through [ARMSCOR](/organizations/armscor/). The [South African](/places/south-africa/) government was reportedly considering dismissing him from all official positions.[^1]

[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992.