IRAN
Clinton slams Iran nuclear move, urges serious talks
Reuters – January 11, 2012
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday Iran’s decision to enrich uranium near the city of Qom was “especially troubling” and urged Tehran to return to serious talks with Western powers over its atomic program.
Another Iranian nuclear scientist killed: part of ‘covert war’?
Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor – January 11,2012
Iranian officials decried the assassination of a scientist involved in Iran’s nuclear program in Tehran today, claiming that Israel was behind the latest strike as part of a broader covert war waged by the US, Israel, and the West to slow Iran’s nuclear efforts.
Another Iranian Nuclear Scientist Assassinated, and What it Means
Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic – January 11, 2012
It’s groundhog day in Tehran. Another nuclear scientist, this one identified as Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, who worked at the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, was killed when an explosive was attached to his car. Several questions arise:
Beijing and Tehran’s Coming Divorce
Ilan Berman, WSJ – January 11, 2012
Is China finally coming around on Iran? For years, Beijing’s steady backing has helped the Iranian regime frustrate international efforts to isolate and penalize it for its nuclear ambitions. This month, however, there are heartening signs that China is reassessing its longstanding strategic partnership with the Islamic Republic.
KOREAN PENINSULA
NKorea keeps door open for food-nuke deal with US
Foster Klug, AP – January 11, 2012
North Korea signaled Wednesday it remains open to suspending uranium enrichment in exchange for U.S. food aid, a deal that appeared imminent before leader Kim Jong Il died last month.
China, S. Korea vow to start trade talks
AFP – January 11, 2012
Beijing and Seoul have agreed to start formal talks for a free-trade agreement, after a visit by South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak, according to a communique published in state media.
UNITED STATES
Mitt Romney celebrates New Hampshire primary victory
Mark Z. Barabak & Paul West, LA Times – January 11, 2012
Mitt Romney’s victory in New Hampshire’s Republican presidential primary strengthens his standing before the South Carolina and Florida votes. More conservative candidates falter as libertarian Ron Paul and moderate Jon Huntsman Jr. place second and third.
Obama’s power grab at the Pentagon
Michael Hastings, Reuters (Blog) – January 10, 2012
That President Obama wasn’t really in charge of the Defense Department might come as something of a shock. He is, after all, the commander in chief. But considering the size of the nation’s defense apparatus, it shouldn’t. The Pentagon has become the 51st state—America’s largest bureaucracy, employing three times more people than the population of Vermont and Wyoming combined.
OTHER
‘Doomsday Clock’ moves 1 minute closer to midnight
AFP – January 10, 2012
A group of scientists that tracks the likelihood of a global cataclysm says the world is moving closer to doomsday. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced Tuesday that it has moved its “Doomsday Clock” to five minutes to midnight.
