---
born: 1928-03-28
category: Intelligence & Government
died: 2017-05-26
location: Warsaw, Poland
summary: Brzezinski dismissed suggestions from Prime Minister Begin that the U.S.
tags:
- Person
- CIA
- DIA
- Politician
- Israel
---

[Zbigniew Brzezinski](/people/zbigniew-brzezinski/) was the [U.S.](/places/united-states/) National Security Adviser during the [Carter](/people/jimmy-carter/) administration, playing a key role in foreign policy decisions during a period of significant Middle Eastern upheaval.

### Iran Policy

Brzezinski dismissed suggestions from [Prime Minister Begin](/people/menachem-begin/) that the [U.S.](/places/united-states/) should support [Mehdi Bazargan's](/people/mehdi-bazargan/) government in [Iran](/places/iran/) against the growing [Iraqi](/places/iraq/) threat. Instead, Brzezinski and the [Carter](/people/jimmy-carter/) administration believed [Iran](/places/iran/) should be allowed to disintegrate until a [U.S.](/places/united-states/)-supported leader emerged.[^1]

### VELA Satellite Nuclear Incident

On September 22, 1979, a [VELA Satellite](/concepts/vela-satellite/) recorded two distinctive bright flashes of light over the South Indian Ocean, probable evidence of a nuclear explosion. This event, suspected to be a joint Israeli-South African nuclear test, was reported to Brzezinski and President [Jimmy Carter](/people/jimmy-carter/). [Gerald G. Oplinger](/people/gerald-g-oplinger/), Brzezinski's aide for global issues, recalled that Brzezinski was present at an urgent meeting in the White House situation room where the [CIA](/organizations/central-intelligence-agency/) and [DIA](/organizations/defense-intelligence-agency/) stated that the odds were at least ninety percent that it had been a nuclear explosion. Brzezinski had little to say during this meeting.[^2]

[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. _Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network_. TrineDay, 1992.
[^2]: Hersh, Seymour M. _The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy_. Random House, 1991. Chapter 20.