Ahmadinejad Says Iran Is Ready for Nuclear Talks: What We're Reading Now
Jan 26, 2012
IRAN
Ahmadinejad Says Iran Is Ready for Nuclear TalksJ. David Goodman, New York Times - January 26, 2012 Even as he became the latest and most senior member of the Iranian government to publicly declare his readiness for nuclear talks, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday lashed out at the West over its tough new economic sanctions that he said have hurt the Iranian people.
IAEA talks in Tehran to test Iran's nuclear defiance
Fredrik Dahl, Reuters - January 26, 2012
A rare visit by senior U.N. nuclear inspectors next week raises pressure on Iran to address suspicions it is trying to develop atomic weapons, though Western powers that are piling on sanctions expect no significant breakthrough.
Can Sanctions Alone Get Iran To Negotiate
Tom Gjelten, NPR - January 25, 2012
In an effort to bring Iran to the negotiating table over its nuclear program through economic pain, both the U.S. and the European Union have imposed sanctions that should make it harder for Iran to sell its oil. But the global oil business is unpredictable, and sanctions are no guarantee.
Iran won't move toward nuclear weapon in 2012 - ISIS report
Tabassum Zakaria and Mark Hosenball, Reuters - January 26, 2012
Iran is unlikely to move toward building a nuclear weapon this year because it does not yet have the capability to produce enough weapon-grade uranium, a draft report by the Institute for Science and International Security said on Wednesday.
Europe bans Iranian oil imports in push to curtail nuclear program: What We're Reading Now
Jan 23, 2012
IRAN
Europe bans Iranian oil imports in push to curtail nuclear program
Edward Cody, The Washington Post - January 23, 2012
Europe banned the import of Iranian oil Monday and froze Europe-based assets of the Central Bank of Iran, intensifying an international campaign to choke Iran’s economy and force the radical Islamic government to dispel fears that it is working to develop nuclear weapons.
U.S. aircraft carrier sails through strategic Strait of Hormuz
David S. Cloud, Los Angeles Times - January 22, 2012
A U.S. aircraft carrier sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, the first transit since Iran warned American ships this year against using the strategic waterway.
Iran gets the message from Washington
David Ignatius, The Washington Post - January 20, 2012
The Iran nuclear crisis is far from over, but Tehran appears to have made a subtle blink — backing away from its threat a few weeks ago to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to escalating U.S. sanctions.
"What we know suggests the development of nuclear weapons'
Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic - January 20, 2012
Yukiya Amano, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is not shrinking in the face of Iranian denials. Once again, he has asserted his suspicions that Iran's goal is a nuclear-weapons capability.
Nuclear Isotopes Caught Heading to Iran – Not Quite What it Seemed: What We're Reading Now
Dec 16, 2011
IRAN
Nuclear Isotopes Caught Heading to Iran – Not Quite What it Seemed
Jeffrey Kofman, ABC News -- December 16, 2011
Reports from Moscow appeared to provide more evidence of Iran’s ambition to build a nuclear bomb. Russian customs agents said Friday morning they found 18 pieces of radioactive metal in the luggage of a passenger bound for Tehran. A radiation detector at the airport identified the luggage, which had levels of radiation 20 times the limit.
Russian customs seize Iran-bound radioactive metal
Nataliya Vasilyeva, Associated Press -- December 16, 2011
Russia's customs agency said Friday that it seized radioactive metal from the luggage of an Iranian passenger bound for Tehran. Spokeswoman Kseniya Grebenkina told The Associated Press that the luggage had been seized some time ago, but could not specify when. The Iranian hasn't been detained, she said.
NORTH KOREA
U.S., North Korea resume talks on food aid
William Wan, Washington Post -- December 15, 2011
U.S. officials have resumed talking to North Korea about providing food aid to the impoverished country, proposing that it accept nutrition-rich items — such as Plumpy Nut peanut paste — that are considered less likely to be diverted to the North Korean elite.
Israel calls for "paralyzing" sanctions on Iran: What We're Reading Now
Dec 12, 2011
IRAN
Israel calls for "paralyzing" sanctions on Iran
Reuters -- December12, 2011
Iran's ruling clerics could use nuclear weapons to strengthen their grip on power and the world must urgently impose crippling sanctions to prevent them from building such arms, Israel's defense minister said on Sunday.
Iran’s Got Our Drone: Distraction or Disaster?
Mark Thomson, TIME -- December 11, 2011
Let’s say you’re outside walking around when you’re hit in the head by an iPhone that falls from the sky. Just how lucky are you? Pretty darn lucky, especially if you were trying to bring it down. But now that you’ve got it, how much can you learn from it? That’s the challenge facing Tehran following its claim last week that it had brought down one of America’s most-secret reconnaissance systems: the Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel drone.
NORTH KOREA
U.S. Diplomat Urges North Korea to "Change Behavior"
Global Security Newswire -- December 11, 2011
The U.S. special representative for North Korea on Monday said the Obama administration would not agree to another round of bilateral talks with the Stalinist state until officials there "change their behavior," Agence France-Presse reported.
INTERVIEW: North Korea's end heralds the real crisis
Victor Fic and Jennifer Lind, The Asia Times -- December 12, 2011
What is more dangerous than a strong dictatorship? A collapsed one, so Lind warns in her latest analysis. [1] In this interview with Asia Times Online contributor Victor Fic, Lind says that a North Korean implosion creates many perils, such as "loose nukes" entering the global black market. She also calls upon the US, South Korea and China to start planning together - now - for the staggering task of managing North Korea's collapse.
Pakistan to boycott meeting over deadly NATO raid: What We're Reading Now
Nov 29, 2011
IRAN
Iran Nuclear Sabotage Suspected After Reports of Blasts at Atomic Centers
Ladane Nasseri, Bloomberg - November 29, 2011
Reports of a blast in the province of Isfahan, home to one of Iran’s atomic facilities, adds to a series of unexplained incidents that have raised suspicions of sabotage against the country’s nuclear program.
Analysis: For Iran, the sanctions price may be worth paying
Fredrik Dahl, Reuters - November 29, 2011
Iran regards its nuclear programme as a source of power and prestige and tougher sanctions look unlikely to alter Tehran's cost-benefit analysis much despite the economic pain they cause.
The Real Lesson of Iraq
Malrid Braut-Hegghammer, NYT (Op-Ed) - November 28, 2011
Parallels between Iraq’s former nuclear weapons program and the Iranian nuclear program have shaped policy debates for nearly a decade. We are still paying the costs of failing in Iraq. Israel now seems determined to make similar mistakes in Iran.
NORTH & SOUTH KOREA
Blix: NK Not a Topic at Seoul Nuclear Summit
Evan Ramstad, WSJ - November 29, 2011
Hans Blix, the Swedish lawyer and nuclear specialist who led the International Atomic Energy Agency in the 1990s and the U.N. nuclear verification commission a decade ago, was in Seoul Tuesday to meet President Lee Myung-bak and help define the agenda for the 47-nation Nuclear Security Summit to be hosted in Seoul in March.
Russia Prepares to ‘Destroy’ U.S. Shield, Medvedev Says: What We're Reading Now
Nov 23, 2011
IRAN
Half of US voters say bomb Iran if sanctions fail
AFP - November 23, 2011
Fifty percent of Americans believe military action should be taken to stop Iran's nuclear program if sanctions do not work, a national poll released on Wednesday said.
Obama Aide Says Iran’s Leaders Are Feeling the Strain of Sanctions
Mark Landler, NYT - November 22, 2011
A day after the United States imposed fresh sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, President Obama’s national security adviser argued Tuesday that the administration’s pressure campaign had left Iran’s leaders economically strained, diplomatically isolated and rent by internal divisions.
Defiant Iran eyes retaliation for sanctions
Marc Burleigh, AFP - November 23, 2011
A defiant Iran said on Wednesday that it will not back down despite newly announced Western sanctions over its atomic drive, as it took the first steps to hit back at the measures. "The Iranian nation will not back down an iota, and will not allow the slightest move to encroach on the nation's rights" in terms of its nuclear programme, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a speech aired on state television.
AFGHANISTAN
World Bank says Afghanistan will need billions of dollars in aid for years to come
AP (Washington Post) - November 23, 2011
Afghanistan could face economic collapse if international assistance is abruptly cut as foreign combat forces are withdrawn, the World Bank warned, stressing that the war-ravaged nation will need billions of dollars in aid for a decade or more.
What's next after 'super committee' failure?: What We're Reading Now
Nov 22, 2011
IRAN
Iran misjudged West's resolve in nuclear standoff: analysts
Parisa Hafezi, Reuters -- November 22, 2011
Grudgingly admired in the past by the West for its negotiating skills and by the Iranian nation for its uncompromising stance, Iran's leadership may have misjudged recent confrontational tactics in its nuclear standoff with big powers, analysts say.
U.S., Russia and U.K. Back Israel at Mideast Meeting
Fox News -- November 22, 2011
In a boost to Israel, Russia joined the U.S. and Britain on Tuesday in backing the Jewish state's view that the Middle East cannot be turned into a nuclear arms-free zone without progress on regional peace.
Crude up on Iran nuclear program tensions
Reuters -- November 22, 2011
U.S. crude futures rose on Tuesday in choppy trading as concerns about rising geopolitical tensions over OPEC-member Iran's nuclear program bolstered oil prices.
NORTH KOREA
US restates N.Korea nuclear demands
Associated Foreign Press -- November 22, 2011
The United States will consider holding further talks with North Korea but Pyongyang must halt its uranium enrichment programme before full disarmament negotiations resume, a senior US official said Tuesday.
IAEA, South Korea to Boost Efforts Against North Korean Nukes
Global Security Newswire -- November 21, 2011
The International Atomic Energy Agency and South Korea have agreed to increase their collaboration on countering North Korea's nuclear warhead development, the Yonhap News Agency reported on Friday.
South Korea Seeking Trilateral Talks on North: What We're Reading Now
Nov 10, 2011
IRAN
Russian scientist who figures in IAEA report denies helping Iran build a nuclear weapon
Washington Post -- November 10, 2011
A Russian scientist accused of helping Iran develop technology necessary to build a nuclear weapon has denied assisting its nuclear program, a Russian newspaper reported Thursday.
Russian Scientist Denies Iranian Nuclear Role, Kommersant Says
Henry Meyer, Bloomberg -- November 10, 2011
A Russian scientist denied helping Iran to develop a nuclear bomb following a U.S. media report about his suspected role, the Kommersant newspaper reported, citing an interview with the expert.
NORTH KOREA
South Korea Seeking Trilateral Talks on North
Global Security Newswire -- November 9, 2011
South Korea is pushing to meet with Japan and the United States so that the three allies can align their respective postures for responding to the North Korean nuclear impasse, Kyodo News reported on Wednesday.
LIBYA
Desert chief says al-Qaida branch got Libyan arms
Ahmed Mohamed, Associated Press -- November 10, 2011
A desert chief with al-Qaida's North Africa branch has confirmed fears that his terror organization procured weapons from stockpiles left unguarded in Libya after the fall of Moammar Gadhafi.
Russia Does Not See Deal on NATO Missile Shield Before 2012 Summit: What We're Reading Now
Oct 31, 2011
IRAN
Michele Bachmann: Force an option against Iran after alleged US-based assassination plot
Shira Schoenberg, Boston Globe - October 30, 2011
Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann would not rule out the use of force in responding to an alleged Iranian attempt to assassinate the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States.
Plausible Culpability
Daniel Byman, Foreign Policy (Blog) - October 28, 2011
Incredulity has been the most common response to reports that Iran plotted with Mexican drug traffickers to kill the Saudi ambassador to the United States, Adel al-Jubeir, at a Washington, D.C. restaurant. Given past U.S. intelligence failures, the opacity of the Iranian regime, and the seemingly clumsy nature of the operation, it is easy to dismiss the Obama administration's allegations that Iran planned such a risky attack. But there are plenty of reasons to think that the Islamic Republic's senior leadership was responsible for the plot.
The Bloated Nuclear Weapons Budget
NYT Editorial - October 29, 2011
Twenty years after the end of the cold war, the United States still has about 2,500 nuclear weapons deployed and 2,600 more as backup. The Obama administration, in an attempt to mollify Congressional Republicans, has also committed to modernizing an already hugely expensive complex of nuclear labs and production facilities.
NORTH & SOUTH KOREA
Kim Jong-il to North Koreans in Libya: Don't bother coming home
John M. Gilona, LA Times - October 31, 2011
Worried they might return with provocative tales of a populist uprising that just toppled another Middle East dictator, strongman Kim Jong-il has issued a decree to North Koreans in Libya – don’t bother coming home.
Pakistan warns Afghanistan after pact with India: What We're Reading Now
Oct 06, 2011
IRAN
Pressure builds on Iran at nuclear watchdog
Barbara Slavin, Asia Times - October 6, 2011
As Iran continues a slow march toward potential nuclear weapons capability, diplomatic action to contain the program is likely to shift to the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), whose director general, Yukiya Amano, has taken a harder line than his predecessor about alleged military research by Iran's nuclear scientists.
Is Israel Again Weighing an Attack on Iran's Nuclear Facilities?
Tony Karon, TIME (blog) - October 5, 2011
Panetta's comments, coming barely a month after the U.S. reportedly agreed to deliver 55 bunker-busting GBU-28 bombs to Israel, were widely viewed as an "down, boy" message to any adventurist bomb-Iran impulses on the part of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
NORTH & SOUTH KOREA
South Korea’s new nuclear envoy heads to US for talks on North Korea’s atomic program
AFP - October 6, 2011
South Korea’s new chief nuclear envoy is heading to the United States for talks on North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry says Lim Sung-nam left on a three-day trip Thursday to meet with State Department and White House officials.
S. Korean Navy Says New Base Will Not Host US Military Vessels
Steve Herman, VoA - October 5, 2011
South Korean defense officials say a controversial proposed naval base, off the southern coast on Jeju island, will not allow permanent stationing of U.S. naval vessels. And, they say the facility, to be completed in 2015, is meant to deter North Korea, not China.
