Nuclear Policy News – January 29, 2010

FISSILE MATERIAL
The President's Nuclear Vision
WSJ by Joe Biden

Cold Warriors say no nukes
The Hill by Ben Goddard

Dialogue on stalled Iran atom deal goes on: IAEA
Reuters by Dominic Evans

Senate OKs sanctions on Iran
CNN

EAST ASIA
1. North Korea fires more artillery towards South
Reuters by Jack Kim
North Korea fired artillery toward a disputed sea border with its southern neighbor for the third straight day on Friday in a move seen by the South's president as a ploy by Pyongyang to put pressure on regional powers.

MIDDLE EAST
2. Dialogue on stalled Iran atom deal goes on: IAEA
Reuters by Dominic Evans
The U.N. nuclear agency chief said on Friday dialogue was continuing on a draft deal on enriched uranium between Iran and world powers despite Tehran's rejection of terms meant to prevent the material being used for atomic bombs.

3. Senate OKs sanctions on Iran
CNN
The Senate passed a bill on Thursday that would allow President Obama to expand sanctions against Iran to pressure the Islamic republic to drop its nuclear weapons ambitions.

4. Iran sanctions bill benefits from Joe-mentum
The Cable by Josh Rogin
The Senate passed Chris Dodd's Iran sanctions package Thursday evening, following the narrow avoidance of a last-minute crisis over amendments that was solved by ... wait for it ... the mediation of Joseph Lieberman.
 
5. China still leery on U.S. sanctions push for Iran
Reuters
China called on Thursday for efforts to resume dialogue with Iran over its nuclear programme, stalling U.S. Secretary Hillary Clinton's efforts to win public commitment for a new round of U.N. sanctions.

6. Clinton: Iran Forcing Tougher Sanctions
AP
Iran leaves the world no recourse but to apply penalties aimed at curbing a fast-track nuclear program, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday.

7. Iran Accuses Obama of Double Standards on Nuclear Power
VOA News
Iran is accusing U.S. President Barack Obama of double standards for supporting the building of nuclear power plants in the United States while threatening Tehran for pursuing a similar goal.

SOUTH ASIA
8. Burma has Nuclear Ambitions, Says US Think Tank 
Irrawaddy by Lalit K. Jha
The Burmese regime has nuclear ambitions, according to a leading US “think tank,” which supports its claim with photographs of what it says is construction work on a possible nuclear reactor site near Mandalay.

RUSSIA/FSU/EUROPE

MULTILATERAL ARMS CONTROL AND NONPROLIFERATION
 
U.S. NUCLEAR WEAPONS STRATEGY AND POLICY
9. UPDATE 1-Biden: U.S. budget to seek nuclear funds increase
Reuters
Vice President Joe Biden said President Barack Obama's budget proposal will include $7 billion to maintain the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, which would be $600 million more than Congress approved last year.

OPINIONS
10. The President's Nuclear Vision
WSJ by Joe Biden
The United States faces no greater threat than the spread of nuclear weapons. That is why, last April in Prague, President Obama laid out a comprehensive agenda to reverse their spread, and to pursue the peace and security of a world without them.

11. Iran and Obama's State of the Union Address: Back to the Future?
Monthly Review by Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann Leverett
In a State of the Union address that devoted less time or attention to foreign policy than any recent counterpart, President Obama provided disturbing evidence as to the ongoing strategic regression of his administration's Iran policy.

12. Obama Stumbles on North Korea
Asia Sentinel by Lee Byong Chul
After his electoral triumph, Obama broke with the George W Bush years by deleting North Korea from the axis of evil. He also pledged that the US would sit down with adversaries, giving rise to the expectation that his policy shift would mark the starting point for establishing a good relationship between Washington and Pyongyang. As expected, Obama's approach has backfired.

13. Cold Warriors say no nukes
The Hill by Ben Goddard
In “Nuclear Tipping Point,” these four, who helped build and control the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, argue that we must eliminate all nuclear weapons from the face of the earth or face disaster on a scale that is difficult to imagine.

14. U.S. should ratify Test Ban Treaty
Deseret News by Jake Garn
Ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty will make our country safer, as we will be better able to work with the international community to prevent nuclear proliferation and to strengthen the security of existing weapons and weapons-usable materials.