IRAN
The march toward nuclear Iran
Ray Takeyh, Washington Post- August 3, 2011
The thinking has been that time is on our side and that Iran’s weak scientific foundation can be further derailed through such pressure. Contrary to such presumptions, however, Iran’s scientific infrastructure has grown in sophistication and capability in the past two decades.
Iran claims progress speeding nuclear program
Jay Solomon, Wall Street Journal- August 3, 2011
Moves by Iran to deploy more-advanced centrifuge machines for the production of nuclear fuel are raising new concerns that Tehran could significantly shorten the time it would need to produce nuclear bombs.
DEFENSE SPENDING
Pentagon sounds alarm on threat of budget cuts
Elisabeth Bumiller, New York Times- August 3, 2011
The Pentagon pushed back aggressively on Wednesday against what senior officials warned was the prospect of $1 trillion in military budget cuts and thousands of layoffs, furloughs and reductions in military programs over the next decade.
Why defense spending should be cut
Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post- August 3, 2011
The scary aspect of the debt deal meant to force all of Washington to its senses is the threatened cut to defense spending.
NORTH KOREA
Using food aid to contain North Korea’s nuclear ambitions
Guy Taylor, World Politics Review- August 3, 2011
While the horrific famine in the Horn of Africa has captured international attention, a similar emergency on the other side of the world, in North Korea, has quietly moved past the point of crisis.
AFGHANISTAN
Taliban hint at interest in negotiated settlement
Alissa J. Rubin, New York Times- August 3, 2011
The Taliban have begun to send signals that they are interested in a negotiated settlement, potentially offering an opening for the West and the Afghan government, several Western officials said.
IRAQ
Iraq open to talks with U.S. on troop presence past 2011
Michael S. Schmidt, New York Times- August 3, 2011
American officials said Wednesday that an announcement by the Iraqi government that it was ready to open formal discussions with the United States about keeping some troops in Iraq after the end of the year was a positive first step toward resolving the question about the American military’s future presence here.
PAKISTAN
An urgent phone call highlights the diplomatic cost of U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan
AP- August 3, 2011
The American ambassador to Islamabad phoned Washington with an urgent plea: Stop an imminent CIA drone strike against militants on the Pakistani side of the Afghan border.
UNITED STATES
To fight radical Islam, U.S. wants Muslim allies
Scott Shane, New York Times- August 3, 2011
Rolling out a new strategy for combating radicalization, White House officials on Wednesday warned that casting broad suspicion on Muslim Americans is counterproductive and could backfire by alienating a religious minority and fueling extremism.
