Nonproliferation News - September 25, 2009

FISSILE MATERIAL
U.S. to Accuse Iran of Having Secret Nuclear Fuel Facility
NYT by David E. Sanger

Iran Reveals Second Uranium Enrichment Plant
WSJ by Jonathan Weisman, David Crawford, and Siobhan Gorman

Two First Steps on Nuclear Weapons
NYT by Mikhail Gorbachev

Will Not Sign NPT, CTBT: India Tells U.S.
RTT News

EAST ASIA
1. Obama's Korean honeymoon sours
Asia Times by Donald Kirk
United States President Barack Obama could hardly be expected to endorse the pronouncement of his predecessor in the White House, George W Bush, that North Korea ranked in an "axis of evil" along with Iran and Iraq.

2. 'Grand Bargain' Meets With Skepticism
Korea Times by Kang Hyun-kyung
President Lee Myung-bak's proposal to give economic and security incentives to North Korea in return for it dismantling its nuclear programs has drawn skepticism both at home and abroad.

3. Japan says NKorean nukes threaten world
AP by Peter James Speilmann
Newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama warned the world community that North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles threaten not only North Asia but the whole international community, and "cannot be condoned under any circumstances."

4. Obama calls for full implementation of U.N. sanctions on N. Korea 
Yonhap News by Hwang Doo-hyong
U.S. President Barack Obama called Thursday for full implementation of U.N. Security Council resolutions sanctioning North Korea and Iran for their nuclear programs.

5. China supports early entry into force of CTBT, FM says
Xinhua
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said Thursday that China supports the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and will continue to work with the international society towards this end.

MIDDLE EAST
6. U.S. to Accuse Iran of Having Secret Nuclear Fuel Facility
NYT by David E. Sanger
President Obama and the leaders of Britain and France will accuse Iran Friday of building a secret underground plant to manufacture nuclear fuel, saying it has hidden the covert operation from international weapons inspectors for years, according to senior administration officials.

7. Iran Reveals Second Uranium Enrichment Plant
WSJ by Jonathan Weisman, David Crawford, and Siobhan Gorman
Iran informed the International Atomic Energy Agency about a new enrichment plant for commercial-grade nuclear fuel, as the U.S. readied accusations Tehran was hiding a facility.

8. US-Russian sanctions would put pressure on Iran
AP by Robert Burns
A unified U.S.-Russian stance on sanctions against Iran would put added pressure on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to yield some ground on his nation's nuclear program.

9. FACTBOX: Dim outlook for expanded sanctions against Iran
Reuters
Six world powers have told Iran to give a "serious response" at October 1 talks to U.N. demands that it suspend its nuclear program or face consequences, but they appear far from agreeing truly tough sanctions against Tehran.

10. Iran to ask for nuclear fuel at talks next week
AP by George Jahn
Iran's president says his country will ask the six world powers at nuclear talks next week for imports of highly enriched uranium — material that the U.S. fears Tehran wants to use to arm nuclear warheads.

11. US cool on Iran offer of nuclear experts talks
AFP
The United States Thursday reacted coolly to an offer from Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to set up talks with Tehran's nuclear experts.

12. The world picks sides ahead of Iran talks
Asia Times by Kaveh L. Afrasiabi
At this week's annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, as expected, the twin issues of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation received special attention.

SOUTH ASIA
13. India spurns Obama’s NPT call
Indian Express
Ahead of next year’s review conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), US President Barack Obama on Thursday successfully piloted a resolution in the UN Security Council, calling upon all countries outside the treaty, like India, to join as ‘non-nuclear weapons states’.

14. Will Not Sign NPT, CTBT: India Tells U.S.
RTT News
India ruled out Friday signing both the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in their present forms, virtually rejecting the U.N. Security Council resolution on the NPT adopted at the instance of U.S. President Barack Obama, reports say.

RUSSIA/FSU
15. At UN, few signs of Russia warming to Obama, but nuclear cooperation may improve
CSM by Fred Weir
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev may have just been handed major US concessions on top of international priorities, but there were few signs of reciprocity in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly or in his brief tête-à-tête with Barack Obama on Wednesday.

EUROPE

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
16. Security Council Adopts Nuclear Weapons Resolution
Washington Post by Glenn Kessler and Mary Beth Sheridan
The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a U.S-drafted resolution Thursday morning that affirms many of the steps President Obama plans to pursue as part of his vision for an eventual "world without nuclear weapons."

17. U.N. Passes Nuclear-Safeguards Plan
WSJ by Jonathan Weisman
The United Nations Security Council on Thursday unanimously approved a nuclear-safeguards resolution drafted by the Obama administration to lay the legal framework for military and diplomatic action against nations that use civilian nuclear technology for military purposes.

MISCELLANEOUS
18. Gates Hints at Call for New Warhead Designs in Nuclear Posture Review
GSN
A congressionally mandated review of U.S. nuclear strategy is likely to recommend developing "safer and more reliable" warhead designs as part of a broader effort to modernize and maintain the nation's nuclear deterrent, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in remarks published last week by the Defense Department (see GSN, Sept. 18).

OPINION
19. Two First Steps on Nuclear Weapons
NYT by Mikhail Gorbachev
There is only one way to move forward: Washington should agree to the Russian proposal for a joint assessment of missile threats. This would help to avoid misguided projects like the Polish-Czech missile shield, and could help move us from a state of mutual deterrence to a goal of minimum nuclear sufficiency for self-defense.

20. Toward a Nuclear-Free Future 
Yes! by Joe Cirincione
The test for Obama is whether he can translate approval into backing for his policy initiatives. Obama is right to focus early on nuclear weapons, for they pose the gravest threat to America. He must continue to push his ambitious agenda of disarmament and nonproliferation.

21. The Subject Was Nuclear Weapons
NYT
With President Obama chairing the session, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution to strengthen the fraying rules that are supposed to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. It was a good-news moment. But also a reminder of the past limits of the Security Council’s will and effectiveness. The resolution commits all United Nations members to enforcing current sanctions on Iran and North Korea. But those measures were seriously watered down — for political and economic reasons — by Russia and China

22. Analysis: Movement but no grand bargain with Iran
AP by Robert Burns
After a week of meetings aimed at thwarting Iranian nuclear ambitions, there are hopeful hints of movement between the U.S. and its partners and even signs of openness from Iran. But it's hard to see that yielding a grand bargain anytime soon.