London Expels 3 S. Africans Over Weapons Deal

Britain ordered the expulsion of three South African diplomats Friday over their country’s alleged role in a deal with Northern Ireland extremists to swap guns for British missile technology.

Although the South African government denied involvement, the Foreign Office appeared to implicate Pretoria when it spoke of “the grave concern with which Her Majesty’s government viewed the involvement by South African officials in this affair.”

It gave the South Africans one week to withdraw First Secretary for Information Jan H.P. Castelyn, Counselor Jonathan Fourie and Staff Sgt. Mark Brunner, who works in the defense attache’s office.

While there was no suggestion they were implicated in the affair, their expulsion is a rebuff at a time when Pretoria’s relations with Britain seemed to be improving.

It came two weeks after French police raided a Paris address and arrested a South African diplomat, an American arms dealer and three militant Protestants from Northern Ireland.

Missile Parts

The Northern Irelanders, one a warrant officer in the province’s Territorial Army, allegedly were handing over parts of a Blowpipe, a shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile manufactured in Belfast.

British officials say they are gravely concerned by charges the South Africans were supplying weapons to the Protestants in exchange for the missile parts.

The arrested South African, identified by French sources as Daniel Storm, was released after claiming diplomatic immunity. A week later, the French government expelled three South African officials implicated in the affair.

The three Irishmen and American Douglas Bernhart are being held in France on gun-running and conspiracy charges.

The Foreign Office said Permanent Undersecretary Patrick Wright summoned South African Ambassador Rae Killen and informed him of the expulsions.

Wright warned that South Africans should be “under no illusions” about how gravely London views the affair.

South African President Pieter W. Botha called the Blowpipe affair a “transgression” he regretted.