Nuclear Policy News – February 26, 2010

FISSILE MATERIAL
Experts Pessimistic on North Korea’s Willingness to Give Up Nukes
GSN by Stephanie Palla

Despite Pressure, China Still Resists Iran Sanctions
NYT by Mark Landler

Russia fumes at US missile defense plan
AP by Aladimir Isachenkov

What to do about tactical nuclear weapons
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists by Pavel Podvig

EAST ASIA
1. US Willing to Discuss Peace Treaty With N. Korea'
Korea Times by Kim Sue-young
The United States is willing to hold discussions with North Korea on signing the peace treaty the secretive state has asked for once the deadlocked six-party denuclearization talks are resumed, a special U.S. envoy said Friday.

2. NK Denuclearization Top Priority of Revision
Korea Times by Kim Sue-young
The Ministry of Unification has revised its policy to take a tougher stance on North Korea's nuclear program, a ministry official said Thursday.

3. Experts Pessimistic on North Korea’s Willingness to Give Up Nukes
GSN by Stephanie Palla
Even if North Korea agrees to resume negotiations on its nuclear program, it is unlikely to ever prove willing to give up its strategic deterrent, experts on East Asia's role in international security argued last week (see GSN, Feb. 24).

MIDDLE EAST
4. Despite Pressure, China Still Resists Iran Sanctions
NYT by Mark Landler
Despite intense public and private pressure by the Obama administration, China has not yet shown any sign that it will support tougher sanctions against Iran, leaving a stubborn barrier before President Obama’s efforts to constrain Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
 
5. Israeli minister meets Chinese officials on Iran
AFP
A senior Israeli minister Friday met Chinese officials for talks expected to focus on winning Beijing's support for tougher sanctions against Iran over its controversial nuclear programme.

6. U.S. Demurs as Israel Pushes "Crippling" Iran Sanctions
Reuters
Israel lobbied the United States on Thursday to promote "crippling" sanctions against Iran to curb its nuclear programme, but the Obama administration said it did not want to hurt the Iranian people.

7. Merkel Calls on Russia and China to Support Tougher Sanctions
Der Spiegel
Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on China and Russia to support tough sanctions against Tehran in the UN Security Council. She also said that the European Union would take action by itself if UN sanctions did not get passed.

8. US puts Brazil under spotlight amid push for Iran sanctions
AFP by Lachlan Carmichael
The United States put Brazil under the spotlight as it tries to build support within the UN Security Council for tougher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear ambitions.

SOUTH ASIA
 
RUSSIA/FSU/EUROPE
9. Russia fumes at US missile defense plan
AP by Aladimir Isachenkov
Russia has serious concerns about U.S. plans to deploy missile interceptors in Romania, the Foreign Ministry said Friday.

MULTILATERAL ARMS CONTROL AND NONPROLIFERATION

U.S. NUCLEAR WEAPONS STRATEGY AND POLICY
10. Nuclear Posture Review delayed until mid to late March
The Cable by Josh Rogin
The release of the Obama administration's review of its nuclear strategy will be delayed even further as the government stakeholders continue to debate what options to ultimately present to President Obama, the Senate Armed Services Committee has confirmed.

OPINIONS
11. What to do about tactical nuclear weapons
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists by Pavel Podvig
Since the United States and Russia might soon sign a new treaty that limits their strategic nuclear weapons, it's natural to wonder about Washington and Moscow's tactical nuclear weapons, which the treaty won't cover. The hope is that the momentum for a nuclear-weapon-free world, the renewed U.S.-Russian negotiations, and the ongoing review of the U.S. nuclear posture and NATO strategic concept will help make progress on reducing nonstrategic nuclear arsenals--an issue that has been largely neglected for more than a decade.
 
12. Conflicting priorities on North Korea
Asia Times by Donald Kirk
Professor Wang Jisi of Beijing University may not speak for his government, the Communist Party or his country, but his view of efforts to get North Korea to give up its nuclear program provides a startling note of realism that seems to have escaped non-Chinese negotiators.

13. A weighty matter
The Economist
BETWEEN 1992 and 2007, according to Ian Hutcheon of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, in California, 17kg of highly enriched uranium was seized from smugglers around the world, along with 400 grams of plutonium. In neither case is that enough for a proper atom bomb, but it is still worrying.