Nonproliferation News - September 17, 2009

EAST ASIA
1. Pacific Command Chief Says North Korean Proliferation Not “Under Control”
GSN by Martin Matishak

The proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology out of North Korea will remain possible unless independent inspections are conducted within that isolated nation, the U.S. military's top commander in the Pacific said here yesterday (see GSN, Sept. 15).

2. Chinese envoy holds talks in North Korea
Reuters

China's senior envoy to negotiations on North Korea's nuclear program is visiting Pyongyang for talks on regional and international issues, Chinese and North Korean state media said on Wednesday.

3. S Korean source says U.S.-DPRK bilateral talks to be held likely in late October
Xinhua
A South Korean senior diplomatic source on Wednesday told Yonhap News Agency that the bilateral talks between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is likely to be held as early as late October.

4. Old talks in a new package?
Korea Herald by Kim Ji-hyun

The six-party talks aimed at North Korea's denuclearization are expected to attempt a comeback later this year, but some new wrappings may be required to make them presentable for the North Koreans who have declared a permanent farewell to that particular format of dialogue.

5. Japan to Investigate Alleged U.S. Nuclear Agreement, AFP Says
Bloomberg by Kanoko Matsuyama

Japan’s new government will investigate allegations that a secret agreement exists allowing U.S. ships armed with nuclear weapons to visit Japan, Agence France-Presse reported, citing Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada.

MIDDLE EAST
6. Intelligence Agencies Say No New Nukes in Iran
Newsweek by Mark Hosenball

The U.S. intelligence community is reporting to the White House that Iran has not restarted its nuclear-weapons development program, two counterproliferation officials tell NEWSWEEK. U.S. agencies had previously said that Tehran halted the program in 2003.

7.Iran lashes out at Sarkozy's nuclear remarks
AFP

Iran's foreign ministry has lashed out at French President Nicolas Sarkozy for saying his intelligence services are certain Tehran is working on a nuclear weapons programme.

8. IAEA's poor nations split on Iran's attack ban bid
Reuters by Mark Heinrich

An Iranian attempt to ban attacks on nuclear sites suffered a setback on Wednesday when fellow developing nations declined as a bloc to endorse a draft resolution, diplomats said.

9. US lawmakers call for new Iran sanctions now
AFP

The United States must move now to impose tough new sanctions on Iran's energy sector, and not wait until the outcome of October 1 talks on Tehran's nuclear programs, US lawmakers warned Wednesday.
 
10. Why Europe wants stiffer sanctions on Iran
CSM by Rober Marquand

Europe's strong advocacy for more sanctions on Iran – led by France, Germany, and Britain – will now wait for the Oct. 1 talks between Washington and Tehran to play out, analysts here say.

11. To bomb, or to bunker? Israel's Iran choices narrow
Reuters by Dan Williams

Israel is close to a decision point on whether or not to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.

12. Q+A: Could Israel strike Iran over nuclear concerns?
Reuters

Israel will attack Iran's nuclear sites if crippling international sanctions are not imposed this year, an Israeli former defense official said on Wednesday [nLG58054], in a reminder of the risks of war next year in the Middle East.

13. Israel Defence Chief: Iran Not An Existential Threat
NYT by Reuters

Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak was quoted Thursday as saying he does not view Iran as a threat to the existence of the Jewish state, a view that would seem to depart from Israeli statements of the recent past.

14. Israel says Mideast not ready for nuclear arms ban
AP by Steve Weizman

Israel's defense minister said in remarks published Thursday that the Middle East is too unruly for a region-wide nuclear arms ban, arguing that the Muslim world must first "behave like Western Europe."

SOUTH ASIA
15. India studying UNSC’s draft NPT resolution
Economic Times

India is closely monitoring a draft Security Council resolution moved by the US, asking non-NPT countries to sign the treaty. Thedraft resolution, which has been circulated by the US, asks signatories to cooperate to rid the world of nuclear weapons and asks countries out of the loop to sign the treaty. Though the resolution is aimed at North Korea and Iran, India is likely to feel some heat.

16. Father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb tells just how easy it is
Haaretz by Yossi Melman

About five weeks ago, Dr. Abdul Khader Khan granted an extensive interview to a Pakistan television station. He expressed how easy it is to develop a nuclear weapon.

RUSSIA/FSU
17. Demise of U.S. shield may embolden Russia hawks
Reuters by Michael Stott

Washington hopes that by backing away from an anti-missile system in east Europe, it will get Russian cooperation on everything from nuclear weapons cuts to efforts to curb Iranian and North Korean nuclear ambitions.

18. Russia politicians, analysts welcome U.S. missile shield move
RIA Novosti

Russian analysts and politicians welcomed on Thursday reports that Washington intends to scrap missile defense plans for Europe, saying the move was driven mainly by U.S. internal debate.

19. Analysis: what will Obama get back from Russia after ditching missile defence?
Times Online by Tony Halpin

Vladimir Putin could be forgiven for having a celebratory shot of vodka with breakfast this morning at news that President Obama plans to abandon America’s missile defence shield in Eastern Europe.

20. Obama's missile rethink: the ball is now in Moscow's court
Guardian by Julian Borger

The Obama administration's decision to shelve its missile defence plans for eastern Europe represents an attempt to cut through some of the knots that have long held back progress on a range of critical global concerns.

21. Russian Ballistic-Missile Sub to Resume Sea Trials
GSN

A Russian Borei-class ballistic-missile submarine is set to enter a new phase of testing, Interfax reported yesterday (see GSN, Sept. 14).

EUROPE
22. U.S. to Shelve Nuclear-Missile Shield
WSJ by Peter Spiegel

The White House will shelve Bush administration plans to build a missile-defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, according to people familiar with the matter, a move likely to cheer Moscow and roil the security debate in Europe.

23. INSTANT VIEW: U.S. backs away from missile shield plan
Reuters

The following is reaction to word from east European states that U.S. President Barack Obama has told them he is backing away from plans for an anti-missile shield there.

24. Blow to region’s hopes of closer US security ties
Financial Times by Jan Cienski

The cancellation of the US missile defence shield in central Europe comes as a blow to the region’s hopes of building a tighter security relationship with the US.

25. U.S. Missile Shield Explodes Just In Time For Poland’s Presidential Election
WSJ by Marcin Sobczyk

If not for Poland’s never-ending presidential campaign, the U.S. missile shield in Poland would be a done deal long ago and Barack Obama would have nothing to shelve. Instead, one major 2010 presidential candidate, Poland’s President Lech Kaczynski, wanted the system at any price, so the other, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, had to stand out.

26. The View From Prague: Goodbye and Good Riddance
WSJ by Leos Rousek

The U.S. and Russians have been playing chess over the missile shield. Warsaw and Prague were just squares on the chessboard.

27. NATO chief hails missile defense "positive step"
AP

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says a U.S. decision to shelve plans for a missile shield in the Czech Republic and Poland "is a positive step."

28. NATO expects close work with U.S. on missiles
Reuters

NATO said on Thursday it expected closer cooperation with the United States on developing anti-missile systems, but did not comment on reports that Washington will shelve plans for a missile defence shield in eastern Europe.
 
29. NATO Seeks Russian Role in Fighting Nuclear Spread
Bloomberg by James G. Neuger

NATO’s chief sought closer cooperation with Russia in fighting nuclear proliferation, citing threats from Iran and North Korea as risks to world stability.

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

MISCELLANEOUS
30. Stopping WMD Proliferation Remains Key, U.S. Intel Plan Says
GSN

Preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery technology remains a key objective of the U.S. intelligence community, according to a strategy document issued yesterday (see GSN, Feb. 13).

OPINION
31. The ruin of O's 'engagement' gambit
New York Post by Benny Avni

FOR months now, we've heard that fall would be the time to re-evaluate the diplomacy on Iran and perhaps finally confront the mullahs over their nuclear program. Now that fall is here, it turns out that President Obama doesn't do confrontation in foreign policy.

32. Axis Of Opportunism
Forbes by Claudia Rosett

While Iran and North Korea might not be an Axis of Evil, they are an Axis of Opportunism.  Both are taking advantage of opportunities to acquire nuclear technology and missiles.

33. How to Talk to Iran
NYT by Roger Cohen

The five-page Iranian platform for talks with major powers — “Cooperation for Peace, Justice and Progress” — has been much mocked as evasive blather, but is in fact an instructive document that suggests the endeavor may not be hopeless. It bears close scrutiny.

34. Iran Ready to Talk Nukes?
Daily Beast by Michael Adler

After Obama agreed to sit down with Iran this weekend, one of Ahmadinejad’s top nuclear negotiators, in an exclusive interview with The Daily Beast, takes a step closer to the table.

35. What happened to the US deadline on Iran?
Jerusalem Post by Dore Gold

The US has backed off of its deadline on Iran, which will only serve to embolden Iran to expand their nuclear program.

36. Iran bullish ahead of nuclear talks
Asia Times by Kaveh L. Afrasiabi
September 18, 2009

The United States and its Western allies may be talking tough about new "crippling sanctions" on Iran, but the reality is that momentum toward zero sanctions is gaining the upper hand, giving Iranian negotiators set to meet representatives of the "Iran Six" nations in Istanbul in early October a renewed sense of confidence.

37. Shelved missile shield tests NATO unity
Reuters by Paul Taylor
September 17, 2009

After just six weeks as NATO secretary-general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen has his first crisis. The alliance may be slowly bleeding in an intractable war in Afghanistan, but the immediate cause is the U.S. administration’s decision to shelve a planned missile shield due to have been built in Poland and the Czech Republic.

38. Got Nukes?
Foreign Policy by Jonas Siegel

The United States and Russia began negotiating further modest reductions in their nuclear arsenals earlier this year, with the latest round of meetings expected next week. Despite their progress, the negotiations have failed to address a fundamental question: Does it make any sense to cut down weapons stocks when we don't even know just how many there are -- and where?