Nonproliferation News - November 2, 2009

FISSILE MATERIAL
N. Korea appears to have restored plutonium-generating plant: officials
Yonhap News by Sam Kim

Iran suggests it not ready to export uranium
Associated Press by George Jahn

Russia “simulates” nuclear attack on Poland
Daily Telegraph by Matthew Day

Mixed Signals from West About Trusting Russia
New York Times by John Vinocur

EAST ASIA
1. North Korea demands direct talks with US
Associated Press by Jae-Soon Chang
North Korea pressed the United States to accept its demand for direct talks on the communist regime's nuclear program, warning Monday that Pyongyang "will go our own way" unless Washington agrees.

2. Seoul, U.S. Compromise on N.Korea Contingency Plan
Chosun llbo
The South Korean and U.S. defense chiefs in October gave the green light to strategic guidelines known as Concept of Operations Plan 5029, which include outlines for a joint response to sudden changes in North Korea. This will allow the two armies to cooperate in giving concrete shape to the plan, devised during the Kim Dae-jung administration in 1999, and ensure they are ready to deal with North Korea's weapons of mass destruction.

3. N. Korea appears to have restored plutonium-generating plant: officials
Yonhap News by Sam Kim
North Korea has apparently restored its facility used to produce weapons-grade plutonium at its main nuclear complex that had been mothballed under a six-nation accord, officials here said Monday.

4. Seoul wants N. Korea’s denuclearization by 2012: presidential aide
Yonhap News by Tony Chang
Seoul aims to denuclearize North Korea no later than 2012, the year set by Pyongyang for the country to become a prosperous and powerful nation, a top-level presidential aide in Seoul said Monday.

MIDDLE EAST
5. Iran calls for panel to review nuclear deal
Associated Press by Eileen Ng
Iran said Monday it wants a technical panel to review a U.N.-backed plan that envisages sending most of its uranium stockpile to Russia for enrichment, limiting the country's ability to make a nuclear weapon.

6. Iran suggests it not ready to export uranium
Associated Press by George Jahn
Iran wants to buy ready-made fuel for its research reactor, a senior Iranian envoy said Monday — the latest indication that Tehran is rejecting a U.S-backed plan that would have the Islamic Republic ship most of its enriched uranium out of the country.

7. Turkey’s Erdogan slams nuclear sanctions on Iran
Reuters by Ayla Jean Yackley
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that countries opposed to Iran's atomic programme should give up their own nuclear weapons and attacked as 'arrogant' the sanctions imposed on Ankara's neighbour.

RUSSIA/FSU
8 . Russia “simulates” nuclear attack on Poland
Daily Telegraph by Matthew Day
The armed forces are said to have carried out "war games" in which nuclear missiles were fired and troops practised an amphibious landing on the country's coast.

9. Russia test-launches ballistic missile from under water
Xinhua News
A Russian submarine successfully test-launched a ballistic missile on Sunday, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

10. Russia, Ecuador sign cooperation agreement
UPI News
Russia and Ecuador will cooperate in the fields of energy production and nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, government officials say.

11. Britain, Russia want swift Iran reply on nuke deal
AFP
Britain and Russia both demand that Iran give a prompt response to a United Nations-drafted nuclear fuel deal, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said on a visit to Moscow on Monday.

12. Russian-U.S. nuclear talks to resume next week: Moscow
AFP
Negotiations on replacing a key Russian-US nuclear disarmament treaty that expires in a little over a month will resume on November 9, the Russian foreign ministry said on Monday

EUROPE
13. Marches oppose subs dismantling
BBC News
Devonport dockyard is one of a number of sites being considered for the work. The Ministry of Defence is talking to local MPs and councillors before launching a formal consultation exercise in 2010.

OPINION
14. ANALYSIS-N.Korea’s broken economy the key to nuclear talks
Reuters by Jon Herskovitz
A promise by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to improve the state's broken economy is forcing him to ask for massive aid and may even bring him back to nuclear talks that Pyongyang once declared dead.

15. Factbox: A look at North Korea’s nuclear arms ambitions
Reuters by Jon Herskovitz and Jonathan Thatcher
North Korea's Foreign Ministry called on Monday for direct talks with its long-time foe, the United States, and said it was ready to return to stalled six-way nuclear disarmament negotiations.

16 . Mixed Signals from West About Trusting Russia
New York Times by John Vinocur
How much trust do — or should — the Western allies accord Russia in attempting to get its cooperation to stop Iran’s drive for nuclear weapons?

17. Moscow says too soon to scrap nuclear weapons
RIA Novosti
Russia has no plans to completely abandon nuclear weapons, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday.

18. Analysis: Iran in no hurry to cut nuclear deal
Associated Press by Brian Murphy
If Western leaders were still puzzling over Iran's approach to nuclear talks, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad offered a timely tutorial.