Bill Provisions on U.S. Nuclear Policy Await House-Senate Conference By: Elaine Grossman Originally published in the National Journal The top four lawmakers on the House and Senate Armed Services committees met Thursday for a second day behind closed…

CZECH REPUBLIC
Vaclav Havel’s life in truth
Jiri Pehe, the Asutralian (Op-Ed) – December 20, 2011
Long before Czechoslovakia’s communist regime collapsed in 1989, Vaclav Havel was one of the most remarkable figures in Czech history, already a successful playwright when he became the unofficial leader of the opposition movement.

NORTH KOREA
Kim’s Death Inspires Worries and Anxiety
Alan Cowell, NYT – December 19, 2011
The death of Kim Jong-il provoked uncertainty, anxiety and calls for a peaceful succession on Monday as governments within the region and beyond awaited some signal from North Korea about its nuclear intentions and the prospects, if any, for a new relationship with the world beyond its borders.

Kim Jong Il’s Death May Trigger Nuclear Crisis for Obama
Indira A.R. Lakshmanan & Nicole Gaouette, Bloomberg – December 19, 2011
The death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il presents a potential crisis for President Barack Obama, complicating U.S. efforts to press the regime to abandon its nuclear arsenal and cease belligerent behavior.

North Korea’s Kim Jong Il dies; South goes on high alert
Greg Botelho & Holly Yan, CNN – December 19, 2011
Seoul put South Korean forces on high alert and Pyongyang urged an increase in its “military capability” as the death of North Korea’s enigmatic leader Kim Jong Il spurred fresh security concerns in the tense region.

Japan calls urgent security meeting after Kim death
Hiroshi Hiyama, AFP – December 19, 2011
Japan gathered senior ministers Monday to discuss security concerns following North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il’s death as the government offered rare “condolences” on the passing of a much-reviled man.

IRAN
U.S., Allies Step Up Iran Embargo Talks
Jay Solomon, WSJ – December 19, 2011
The Obama administration, its European allies and key Arab states are intensifying discussions on how to maintain stability in the global energy markets in a possible precursor to a formal embargo on Iran’s oil exports and its central bank.

Edgy Israel forms ‘Iran command’
Uzi Mahnaimi, the Australian – December 19, 2011
Israel has announced the formation of an “Iran command” to control special forces operations inside Iran amid growing speculation that a military attack on the Islamic republic is coming.

UNITED STATES
Republican candidates turn their fire on Ron Paul’s foreign policy
Jeremy Herb, The Hill (Blog) – December 18, 2011
The Republican presidential candidates turned their fire on Rep. Ron Paul at Thursday’s debate, showcasing what’s become the Texas Republican’s Achilles’ heel in the Republican primary: his foreign policy views.

IRAN
Nuclear Isotopes Caught Heading to Iran – Not Quite What it Seemed
Jeffrey Kofman, ABC News — December 16, 2011
Reports from Moscow appeared to provide more evidence of Iran’s ambition to build a nuclear bomb. Russian customs agents said Friday morning they found 18 pieces of radioactive metal in the luggage of a passenger bound for Tehran. A radiation detector at the airport identified the luggage, which had levels of radiation 20 times the limit.

Russian customs seize Iran-bound radioactive metal
Nataliya Vasilyeva, Associated Press — December 16, 2011
Russia’s customs agency said Friday that it seized radioactive metal from the luggage of an Iranian passenger bound for Tehran.  Spokeswoman Kseniya Grebenkina told The Associated Press that the luggage had been seized some time ago, but could not specify when. The Iranian hasn’t been detained, she said.

NORTH KOREA
U.S., North Korea resume talks on food aid
William Wan, Washington Post — December 15, 2011
U.S. officials have resumed talking to North Korea about providing food aid to the impoverished country, proposing that it accept nutrition-rich items — such as Plumpy Nut peanut paste — that are considered less likely to be diverted to the North Korean elite.

SYRIA
Syrian Army defector: We were given killing quotas by Assad regime
Arthur Bright, Christian Science Monitor — December 16, 2011
Two new human rights reports detail abuses by the Assad regime, but also show a growing use of violence by the opposition.

Syrian, Russian officials to hold talks
CNN — December 16, 2011
The Syrian vice president arrived in Moscow Friday to talk with Russia’s foreign minister about the unrest that has roiled Syria for months, a Russian state news agency reported.

CHINA
China May Approve Nuclear Projects After Revising Safety Rules
Bloomberg — December 14, 2011
China, the world’s biggest energy user, may resume approving new nuclear projects after the cabinet endorses draft safety rules prepared by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, an industry association official said.

Bill Gates Teams With China on New Nuclear Reactor
Voice of America — December 8, 2011
Microsoft founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has teamed with China to jointly develop a new type of nuclear reactor, which would be better for the environment and reduce the need for uranium enrichment and reprocessing.

Council Board member Matthew Hoh, who was a former Marine Corps captain and State Department official, was interviewed on “The Dylan Ratigan Show” on MSNBC about the end of the Iraq War and the final troops coming home at the end of the year. Click h…

January
Sunday, Jan. 1: New Year’s Day (federal holiday is Jan. 2)
Tuesday, Jan. 3: Iowa presidential caucuses
Monday, Jan. 9: BCS national college football championship between LSU and Alabama
Tuesday, Jan. 10: New Hampshire presidential primary
Monday, Jan. 16: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (federal holiday)
Tuesday, Jan. 17: House of Representatives convenes
Saturday, Jan. 21: South Carolina presidential primary
Monday, Jan. 23: Senate convenes
Tuesday, Jan. 24: President’s State of the Union address to Congress
Tuesday, Jan. 31: Florida presidential primary

February
Saturday, Feb. 4: Nevada presidential caucuses
Sunday, February 5: Pro-football Superbowl in Indianapolis, IN
Monday, Feb. 6: Likely date for submission of Fiscal Year 2013 budget to Congress
Tuesday, Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day
Friday, Feb. 17 – Monday, Feb. 27: Senate and House President’s Day recess
Monday, Feb. 20: Presidents Day (federal holiday)
Wednesday, Feb. 22: Ash Wednesday
Sunday, February 26, 2012: 84rd annual Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles
Wednesday, Feb. 29: Leap Day

March
Tuesday, March 6: Texas Senate Republican primary
Thursday, March 8 – Monday March 19: House recess
Sunday, March 11: Daylight Saving Time starts
Tuesday, March 13 – Monday, April 2: NCAA collegiate basketball championship (betting pools)
Saturday, March 17: St. Patrick’s Day
Monday – March 26 – Tuesday, March 27: Nuclear Security Summit. Seoul, South Korea
Wednesday, March 28: Major League baseball season begins – in Tokyo

April
Friday, April 6: Passover begins at sundown
Sunday, April 8: Easter
Thursday, March 29 – Monday, April 16: House Easter/Passover recess
Friday, March 30 – Monday, April 16: Senate Easter/Passover recess
Monday, April 16: Emancipation Day (Washington, DC holiday)

May
Friday, April 27 – Monday, May 7: Senate and House recess
Saturday, May 5: Kentucky Derby thoroughbred horse race
Tuesday, May 8: Indiana Senate primary (Lugar vs. Mourdock)
Sunday, May 13: Mothers Day
Tuesday, May 15: Nebraska Senate Republican primary (Bruning, Fisher, Stenberg)
Tuesday, May 15 – Saturday, May 19: President Obama hosts a G-8 summit. Chicago.
Friday, May 18 – Wednesday, May 30: House Memorial Day recess
Friday, May 25 – Monday, June 4: Senate Memorial Day recess
Monday, May 28: Memorial Day (federal holiday)

June
Tuesday, June 5: New Mexico Senate primaries for both parties
Wednesday, June 6: 50th anniversary of Council for a Livable World’s founding
Friday, June 8 – Monday, June 18: House recess
Sunday, June 17: Fathers Day

July
Wednesday, July 4: Independence Day (federal holiday)
Friday, June 29 – Monday, July 9: Senate and House 4th of July recess
Friday, July 20: Ramadan begins at sundown

August
Friday, August 3 – Monday, Sept. 10: Senate and House summer recess
Saturday, August 11: Hawaii Democratic primary: (Hirono vs. Case)
Tuesday, August 7: Missouri Senate Republican primary (Akin, Brunner, Steelman)
Tuesday, August 14: Connecticut Senate primaries for both parties
Tuesday, August 14: Florida Senate Republican primary
Monday, August 27 – Thursday, August 30: Republican National Convention in Tampa Bay, FL
Tuesday, August 28: Arizona Senate primaries for both parties

September
Monday, Sept. 3: Labor Day (federal holiday)
Monday, Sept. 3 – Thursday, Sept. 6: Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC
Sunday, Sept. 16: Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown
Friday, Sep. 21 – Monday, Oct. 1: House recess
Tuesday, Sept. 25: Yom Kuppur begins at sundown

October
Monday, Oct. 1: Fiscal Year 2013 begins
Wednesday, Oct. 3: Presidential debate in Denver, CO
Monday, Oct. 8: Columbus Day (federal holiday)
Thursday, Oct. 11: Vice Presidential debate in Danville, KY
Friday, Oct. 5 – Tuesday, Nov. 13: House election recess
Tuesday, Oct. 16: Presidential debate in Hempstead, NY
Monday, Oct. 22: Presidential debate in Boca Raton, FL
Monday, Oct. 31: Halloween

November
Sunday Nov. 4: Daylight Saving Time Ends
Tuesday, Nov. 6: Election Day
Sunday, Nov. 11: Veterans’ Day (federal holiday on Nov. 12)
Thursday, Nov. 22: Thanksgiving (federal holiday)

December
Saturday, Dec. 8: Hanukkah begins at Sunday
Tuesday Dec. 25: Christmas (federal holiday)
Wednesday, Dec. 26: Kwanzaa begins
Monday, Dec. 31: New Years Eve

Note: Deadlines, due dates and schedules, particularly for Congress and the Executive Branch, should be considered flexible.