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.

N.Korea rejects preconditions for nuclear talks: What We're Reading Now
Oct 04, 2011

IRAN
Weapons-Grade Confusion: The Danger of Misreading Our Nuclear Adversaries
Patrick Disney, The Atlantic - October 4, 2011.
Miscommunication and mutual mistrust almost led us into an unwanted war with the Soviet Union - are we making similar mistakes with Iran today?

Iran Uranium Proposal Faces U.S. Skepticism
Global Security Newswire - October 3, 2011
The United States on Friday questioned Iran's stated willingness to halt production of higher-enriched uranium if it received the material from Western powers, Agence France-Presse reported

NORTH KOREA
N.Korea rejects preconditions for nuclear talks
AFP - October 4, 2011
North Korea on Tuesday rejected US preconditions for a resumption of long-stalled six-nation nuclear disarmament talks, saying Washington is trying to shift the blame for the failure to restart dialogue.

S.Korea abandons bid to send flood aid to North
AFP - October 4, 2011
South Korea said Tuesday it had abandoned efforts to send flood relief to North Korea after Pyongyang failed to respond to Seoul's offer, amid disagreement over what kind of aid to send.

How Sept. 11 Changed the Nuclear Industry: What We're Reading Now
Sep 09, 2011

IRAN
West Keep's Pressure On Iran's Nuclear Program
Margaret Besheer, Voice of America -- September 07, 2011
Western nations on Wednesday warned that they will not let up their pressure on Iran to comply with international demands that it suspend its nuclear enrichment activities and answer questions about its disputed atomic program.

In shift, Iran's President Calls for End to Syrian Crackdown
Neil MacFarquhar, New York Times -- September 8, 2011
For years, posters celebrating the decades-old alliance joining Syria and Iran festooned the streets and automobiles of the Syrian capital — the images of Presidents Bashar al-Assad and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad embroidered with roses and daffodils.

NORTH KOREA
North Korea leader Kim Jong-il appears with Kim Jong-un
BBC News -- September 09, 2011
North Korea's leader Kim Jong-il has appeared at national celebrations with his son and heir apparent Kim Jong-un.

North Korea Problem "Very Tough," Obama Nominee Says
Global Security Newswire -- September 8, 2011
The Obama administration's nominee to assume a top spot at the State Department on Wednesday said Washington has "no good choices" in resolving the long-running standoff over North Korea's nuclear weapons work, Agence France-Presse reported.

Russia Says No Plans To Build Nuclear Power Stations in Iran After Bushehr: What We're Reading Now
Sep 07, 2011

IRAN
Russia Says No Plans To Build Nuclear Power Stations in Iran After Bushehr
Henry Meyer, Bloomberg -- September 7, 2011
Russia isn’t currently planning to build any new nuclear stations in Iran after operations start at the Persian Gulf state’s first atomic plant in Bushehr, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said.

Editorial: The undimmed danger of Iran's nuclear program
The Washington Post -- September 6, 2011
IRAN HAS TAKEN two more steps toward producing a nuclear weapon. According to a report released Friday by the International Atomic Energy Agency, it has begun to use a new, more advanced centrifuge to enrich uranium, which could allow it to produce bomb-grade material in a much shorter time period, should it choose to do so.

NORTH KOREA
Why Thailand has become a popular path to freedom for North Korean defectors
Jared Ferrie, Christian Science Monitor -- September 7, 2011
A growing number of North Korean defectors are crossing illegally into Thailand via a new 'underground railroad' because Thailand processes defectors and sends them to South Korea quickly.

North Korea Used Black Market to Acquire Nuke Technology, IAEA says
Global Security Newswire -- September 6, 2011
North Korea appears to have employed an illicit network to acquire material needed to establish a uranium enrichment facility at its Yongbyon nuclear complex, the International Atomic Energy Agency concluded in a report issued on Friday.

What We're Reading Now
Aug 31, 2011

IRAN
Iran says Bushehr nuclear power plant in final testing stages
Xinhua – August 28, 2011
Iran announced Saturday that its first nuclear power plant Bushehr is undergoing the final tests. Deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Mohammad Ahmadian, said Saturday the pre-launch tests for Bushehr nuclear power plant are in their final stages, the local satellite Press TV reported.

Press TV: Iran sending submarine, warship to Gulf of Aden, Red Sea
The Washington Post – August 30, 2011
An official Iranian news agency says Iran is sending a submarine and a warship to the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.  Press TV quotes the commander, Rear Adm. Habibollah Sayyari, as saying the deployment will serve the country’s interests and “convey the message of peace and friendship to all countries.”

Will Iran Nuke the Tea Party?
Jack Hunter, Charleston City Paper -- August 30, 2011
Why is it that during the last decade, when Republicans controlled all three branches of government, the national debt still exploded? Why is it that the last time a real conservative sat in the White House — Ronald Reagan — government grew astronomically?

NORTH KOREA
China, Russia rush to rebuild North Korea transport links
Jeremy Laurence, Reuters -- August 30, 2011
North Korea Aug 31 (Reuters) - Destitute North Korea's push to breathe new life into economic relationships with its neighbours China and Russia appears to be bearing fruit in its far north of the country where foreigners are busy helping rebuild a crumbling infrastructure.

Minister-nominee to seek flexibility on NK
Kim Young-jin, The Korea Times -- August 31, 2011
Newly appointed Unification Minister Yu Woo-ik said in his first public comments since being named to the post Wednesday he would take a steady, yet adjustable approach toward North Korea.

What We're Reading now
Aug 25, 2011

IRAN
Netanyahu warned of Iran's nukes capability in 2009
Ben Birnbaum, The Washington Times --August 25, 2011
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told U.S. lawmakers nearly two years ago that Iran already had the capability to make a nuclear weapon, according to a U.S. diplomatic cable recently released.

European Union imposes new sanctions on Iran, Syria
Ellen Knickmeyer and Ramin Mostaghim, Los Angeles Times -- August 24, 2011
It accuses the Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guard of providing support to Syrian forces seeking to quell the uprising against President Bashar Assad.

Computer firm faces scrutiny over Iran downloads
The Washington Times -- August 24, 2011
A Slovakia-based computer-security firm could face a U.S. investigation for sanctions violations after its anti-virus products were downloaded in Iran in an apparent attempt to secure the country’s networks against the cyberworm that attacked Tehran’s nuclear program.

NORTH KOREA
Nortk Korea owes $11 billion of debt to Russia, Storchak says
San Francisco Chronicle -- August 24, 2011
North Korea owes Russia $11 billion of debt that dates back to the Soviet period, Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Storchak told reporters at a military base near Ulan-Ude, a Siberian city close to the border with Mongolia.

U.S. and North Korea may discuss recovering remains of Americans
Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times -- August 9, 2011
The United States has proposed to meet with North Korea to discuss for the first time in six years bringing home the remains of any American soldiers buried there.

What We're Reading Now
Aug 24, 2011

IRAN
Iran shows UN advanced nuke equipment
George Jahn, Forbes -- August 24, 2011
Diplomats say Iran has allowed a top U.N. official access to a site where it is developing advanced centrifuges that can be used to make nuclear fuel or to arm warheads.

Iran shows U.N. official all nuclear sites: envoy
Fredrik Dahl, Reuters -- August 24, 2011
Iran allowed a senior U.N. nuclear inspector rare access to a facility for developing advanced uranium enrichment machines during a tour of all of the country's main atomic sites, an Iranian envoy said on Tuesday.

NORTH KOREA
North Korea Is Said to Consider Nuclear Weapons Test Moratorium
Seth Mydans and Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times -- August 24, 2011
The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, has agreed to consider a moratorium on nuclear weapons tests and production and to return to stalled six-party talks on the nation’s nuclear program, the Russian presidential press secretary told Russian news media on Wednesday.

North Korea supplied nuclear software to Iran: German report
Madeline Chambers, Reuters -- August 24, 2011
North Korea has intensified its cooperation with Iran this year and supplied it with a computer program that could help the Islamic Republic build nuclear weapons, a German newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing western intelligence sources.

What We're Reading Now
Aug 23, 2011

IRAN
Iran shows off new cruise missile
Nasser Karimi, San Francisco Chronicle -- August 23, 2011
Iran's president claimed on Tuesday the country's military can cripple enemies on their own ground as Tehran put a new Iranian-made cruise missile on display, the latest addition to the nation's growing arsenal.

Iranian pleads guilty to scientist assassination
Reuters Africa -- August 23, 2011
An Iranian man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to the murder of a scientist that prosecutors said was an assassination ordered by Israel to halt Tehran's race for nuclear technology.

NORTH KOREA
North Korea's Kim may get nuclear talks offer from Russia trip
Ilya Arkhipov and Lyubov Pronina, Bloomberg -- August 22, 2011
North Korean leader Kim Jong Il travelled through Siberia for a meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that may spur talks on the Asian state’s atomic weapons program and advance a natural-gas pipeline deal.

South Korean employees leave resort after North Korean threat
Paula Hancocks, CNN -- August 23, 2011
The last South Korean employees have left Mount Kumgang resort in North Korea resort Tuesday morning, as the struggle over the scenic mountain resort continues.

SYRIA
China criticizes foreign pressure on Syria
Reuters -- August 23m 2011
China's foreign ministry on Tuesday decried foreign pressure on Syria following calls from the United States and Europe for President Bashar al-Assad to step down, saying the country's future should be decided internally.

LIBYA
Fighting Erupts in Tripoli
The Wall Street Journal -- August 23, 2011
Fresh fighting has broken out in Tripoli hours after Col. Moammar Gadhafi's son resurfaced to thwart rebel claims he had been captured and rally supporters.

The Libya Lesson
Los Angeles Times -- August 23, 2011
Kadafi may fall, but that doesn't mean the U.S. should pursue the same strategy in, say, Syria.

TECHNOLOGY
Laser Advances in Nuclear Fuel Stir Terror Fear
William J. Broad, New York Times -- August 20, 2011
Scientists have long sought easier ways to make the costly material known as enriched uranium — the fuel of nuclear reactors and bombs, now produced only in giant industrial plants.

What We're Reading Now
Jul 05, 2011

IRAN
Iran showcases homegrown arms in war games
Ali Akbar Dareini and Brian Murphy, AP - July 5, 2011
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's latest war games have featured the predictable blaze of missile tests and an unexpected peek at underground launch silos. There's one bit of military showmanship, though, that ties it all together: Promoting the Made in Iran label.
Boasting about homegrown defense technology is growing louder as Iran claims U.N. sanctions cannot blunt efforts to keep pace with America's Gulf allies — led by Saudi Arabia — that are awash in Pentagon weaponry and taking an increasingly tough line against Tehran.

Sens. Graham, Lieberman say Iran engaged in far-reaching push against democratic forces
AP - July 3, 2011
WASHINGTON — Sens. Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman are expressing concern that Iran is aggressively extending its support for anti-democracy forces wherever they appear. In appearances on “Fox News Sunday,” Graham, a Republican, says it is important for the United States to push back against Iran’s assistance to the Taliban in Afghanistan, opponents of the government in Iraq and protesters battling the Syrian regime. Lieberman says Iran has the blood of hundreds of American soldiers on its hands and that legislation in Congress would impose additional economic sanctions on an Iranian government that has murdered its own people.

Sean Cleary: How to engage Iran without forsaking collective security in the Gulf
Sean Cleary, Al Arabiyana - July 5, 2011
Iran’s potential emergence, in its current guise, as a nuclear arms state, is viewed not only as an existential threat by Israel, and a serious geopolitical risk by Washington, Europe, Russia and China, but with far deeper concern than the political establishment in Tehran or the theocracy in Qom may appreciate, by leading Arab states. Henry Kissinger, the protagonist of realism in US statecraft, posed the pertinent question. He asked if he had understood Dr. Rice to say that, if Iran were to act like a “state,” and not simply pursue a “cause” she would treat Tehran differently.