NORTH KOREA
US to Discuss NKorea With Japan, SKorea
Associated Press – November 1, 2013
The U.S., South Korea and Japan will hold talks this week aimed at the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Talks come just one week after US Envoy for North Korea Policy, Glyn Davies, met with Chinese officials to discuss the same issue. The parties will meet in Washington on Wednesday.

MISSILE DEFENSE
U.S. Offers Dialogue But No Legal Pledge to Russia on Missile Defense
Global Security Newswire Staff, National Journal – November 1, 2013
Following news that Russia was beginning to step away from discussions regarding proposed US missile defense systems in Europe, the US has called for discussions to resume. Russia has asked for legal guarantees regarding the usage of the interceptor technology; however, the US has responded that no guarantees will ever be given. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has stated last week that Russia wants to know what to expect from US missile defense plans.

SYRIA
Russia says better to remove most chemical weapons from Syria
Steve Gutterman, Reuters– November 1, 2013
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has said that he believes a large portion of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile should be destroyed outside of the country. He made these comments after meeting with the head of the joint United Nations-Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons mission to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons. Ryabkov did not elaborate on the reasons why he thinks portions of the stockpile should be destroyed elsewhere.

Syria Destroys Chemical Sites, Inspectors Say
Anne Barnard, New York Times – October 31, 2013
The Syrian government has reported that it disabled chemical weapons productions capabilities at its last two sites. These sites were the final two that OPCW inspectors were not able to reach due to them being located in rebel-held territory. The claim was initially questioned because it had been handled by the Syrian government; however, the OPCW confirmed that day that the sites had indeed been rendered inoperable.

IRAN
How Obama Can Bypass Congress and Ease Sanctions on Iran
Sara Sorcher, National Journal – November 4, 2013
In order for the administration to be able to offer any sanctions relief, in the event that a deal is struck with Iran, the President will most likely have to act unilaterally rather than deal with Congress. Fortunately, most sanctions passed by Congress allow the President to suspend the sanctions for a period of time. Furthermore, sanctions implemented by executive order can simply be rescinded. President Obama can also work with EU member states to reduce their own sanctions, and he could even order the halting of enforcement of sanctions that he can’t outright suspend.

Iran’s Top Leader and U.S. Counter Criticism of Talks
Thomas Erdbrink and Jodi Rudoren, New York Times – November 3, 2013
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke on Sunday about the negotiations process between Iran and the US. He stated that he is not optimistic that negotiations will succeed; however, he did express his support for the negotiation team and also struck back at hard-line critics who have suggested that the negotiation team is too willing to compromise. Meanwhile, Wendy Sherman appeared in an Israeli interview to argue that no deal is better than a bad deal.

Senators Seeking More Iran Sanctions Resist Bid for Delay
David Lerman, Bloomberg – November 1, 2013
Senators Robert Menendez and Mark Kirk met with Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry and Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew on Thursday to discuss the delaying of new economic sanctions. Menendez emerged from the meeting saying that he would not delay an effort to pass new economic sanctions on Iran. Kirk also echoed the sentiment and reiterated his belief that sanctions should remain in place until “the Iranians run out of money.”

OTHER NEWS
From Congress to contract: Heather Wilson says 10k per month Sandia Labs deal met ethics rules
James Monteleone, Albuquerque Journal– November 3, 2013
The pace of the revolving door between politics and consulting has quickened. In 2009, then-House Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM) finished her final day on Capitol Hill on January 3, and began work as a consultant at Sandia National Laboratories through her freshly-founded private company the very next day – reportedly receiving $10,000 per month. However, the timeline has called into question possible ethics violations.

NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Senate Panel Approves Gottemoeller for Top Arms-Control Post at State
Global Security Newswire – 31 October, 2013
Current acting undersecretary of State for arms control and international security Rose Gottemoeller was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to formally occupy the position yesterday. Nominated by President Obama in May, she awaits approval by the full Senate in the next few weeks.

Nuclear Labs Leader Concerned About Budget Cuts
Global Security Newswire – 31 October, 2013
Paul Hommert, president and director of Sandia National Laboratories, has raised concerns about the negative impact that current budget cuts could have on the laboratories’ work. Testifying before a House committee on Tuesday, he argued that “unless addressed, budgetary changes of this magnitude will have significant schedule impact.”

No More Nuclear-Tipped Cruise Missiles
Tom Z. Collina, Defense One – October 31, 2013
The Pentagon is set to make a $30 billion decision about whether it will replace its fleet of nuclear-armed cruise missiles. The US no longer needs this capability and the Pentagon should decide accordingly. Not only would this decision save money, but a number of security problems would be solved if the US converted to an all-conventional cruise missile force.

IRAN
Diplomacy is key to a deal with Iran
Paul R. Pillar, The Washington Post – October 31, 2013
The US should pursue a diplomatic route if they want to see progress on Iran’s nuclear program. Current efforts within Congress to pass harsher economic sanctions on the country would lead Tehran to doubt any Western intentions to lift existing sanctions and would, as a result, give them a greater incentive to develop a nuclear weapon.

Iran and big powers end expert talks without comment
Reuters – October 31, 2013
Experts from the P5+1 (Russia, China, France, the UK, the US and Germany) finished high-level meetings with Iran over its disputed nuclear program yesterday. It is unclear whether any significant progress towards a deal was made.

House to Senate: Get moving on Iran sanctions
Julian Pecquet, The Hill – October 30, 2013
The Senate has yet to vote on a new round of sanctions on Iran, despite three months having passed since the House of Representatives voted 400-20 in favor of such a measure. The House leadership is becoming impatient with their Senate colleagues. The spokesman for House leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) has said that “it’s time for the Senate to follow suit.”

RUSSIA
Putin Dissolves Task Force for Missile Defense Cooperation with NATO
Global Security Newswire – October 31, 2013
A Kremlin interagency working group on missile defense cooperation with NATO has been disbanded by President Putin. According to experts, the move indicates that Russia is moving further away from resolving its concerns with NATO over a proposed plan for a European ballistic missile defense system.

UK
Records Show Multiple Thefts From U.K. Atomic Submarines
Global Security Newswire – October 31, 2013
The security of British atomic-powered submarines has been put into question after revelations that a number of items have been stolen from them in the last half-decade. It is unclear at this point whether the thefts were committed by uniformed military personnel or civilian outsiders.

NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Pentagon think tank hires ‘Rumsfeld’s Dr. Strangelove’
Ray Locker, USA Today – 30 October, 2013
The Office of Net Assessment (ONA) within the Pentagon has hired the National Institute of Public Policy (NIPP) to conduct a review of the Obama administration’s plan to reduce the US nuclear weapons stockpile. The NIPP is run by former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Forces and Policy Keith Payne, who is known for advocating a large US nuclear weapons stockpile and the idea of a winnable limited nuclear war.

House Democrat Eyes More Powerful Alternative to B-61 Nuclear Bomb
Douglas P. Guarino, Global Security Newswire – 30 October, 2013
Representative John Garamendi (D-CA) asked top administration officials at a House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tuesday whether another US nuclear bomb, the B83, could be used instead of the controversial and expensive B-61 nuclear bomb. The officials responded that, despite savings in the short term, the B-83 was too powerful to be considered useful for current US strategic requirements.

Debating Nuclear Deterrence
Mark Thompson, TIME Magazine – October 31, 2013
Senior Pentagon officials are against the continued use of the B83 nuclear bomb as an alternative to another aging US nuclear bomb because it is too destructive. Questioned whether an expensive modernization program for the older B61 nuclear bomb could be scrapped in favor of using the B83, chief of US Strategic Command Robert Kehler said that he did not believe it could be. The B61, “because of its smaller yield”, is “more likely to be used” which, he claimed, “generates more deterrence.”

SYRIA
Syria Is Said to Destroy All Chemical Arms Production Sites
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has met its deadline for the verification and destruction of all of Syria’s declared chemical weapons production and mixing/filling facilities. The news comes after the organization announced that it could not inspect two sites due to their location within contested areas.

IRAN
White House faces tough sell in Congress on delay of Iran sanctions
Patricia Zengerle, Reuters – October 30, 2013
High ranking officials within the Obama administration have been lobbying key Congressional figures in an attempt to stave off any new sanctions against Iran. This effort has not yet led to the desired result. A number of lawmakers have expressed their skepticism that diplomatic efforts could succeed in convincing Iran to dial down its controversial nuclear program.

Iran says nuclear site ‘saboteurs’ were thieves
Agence France-Presse, Globalpost – October 30, 2013
Four people recently accused of sabotaging a sensitive nuclear site in Iran were merely thieves according to the Iranian Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi. They had broken in to “collect scrap iron and steel and sell it on the market.”

Why Do We Keep Insisting That Use of Force Be ‘On the Table’?
Stephen M. Walt, Foreign Policy – October 30, 2013
Many foreign policy officials believe that the US must make it clear to other states that military force is “on the table.” However, such a stance is unnecessary. Countries such as Iran already know that the military option is “on the table” regardless of what US officials say. These officials should instead focus making US assurances more credible.

White House updates Jewish, pro-Israel groups on Iran amid concerns about new sanctions pause
Associated Press – October 29, 2013
A number of concerned pro-Israel groups, fearful that Iran may develop a nuclear weapon, have been reassured by senior Obama administration officials that the US would not allow Tehran to develop such a capability. However, the officials did emphasize that they wanted to attempt diplomacy before any military options would be considered.

SYRIA
Wanted: a country to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons
Debora Mackenzie, New Scientist – October 30, 2013
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has been given the mission to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile. The destruction of these weapons will require equipment that is capable of destroying the chemicals within the weapons in a safe and secure manner. In many cases, these weapons will need to be exported to countries that currently possess such plants.

Chemical weapons inspectors in Syria miss deadline
Associated Press – 29 October, 2013
The OPCW has missed an early deadline in its mission to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile. The organization reported yesterday that it was only able to verify 21 of Syria’s 23 declared chemical weapons sites due to security risks at the remaining two sites. U.N. Secretary-General Ban-Ki-moon stated that the U.N. expects the overall destruction to be completed on time “with the possible exception” of the two remaining sites.

IRAN
Iran’s Nuclear Black Box
Eli Lake, The Daily Beast – October 30, 2013
Current and former US intelligence officers have claimed that it is becoming ever more difficult to track developments in Iran’s nuclear complex. Iran has improved its cyber warfare defense capabilities and overall security at its nuclear facilities. The fact that Iran stopped sharing vital information about its nuclear complex with the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2005 has only made the task of tracking these developments harder.

NORTH KOREA
North Korea: Work Seen at Missile Site
Rick Gladestone, New York Times – October 30, 2013
New satellite imagery posted in a report by the U.S.-Korea Institute at the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies shows that North Korea is upgrading  its main launch facility, the Sohae Satellite Launching Station. The upgrade suggests that the site will handle larger and more mobile missiles in the future.

China and North Korea: New Thinking, Old Policies
Richard Weitz, The Diplomat – October 30, 2013
China’s strategy towards resolving its North Korea problem remains largely unchanged; however its rhetoric and tactics have become sharper. China views North Korea’s nuclear weapons program as a threat to its regional interests in Asia, however it refuses to use harsh measures to pressure Pyongyang for fear of destabilizing the regime.

N. Korea says nuclear deterrent no bargaining chip
Yonhap News Agency, Globalpost – October 29, 2013
North Korea has claimed that its nuclear weapons program is not a bargaining chip for gaining leverage in negotiations with its adversaries. It is instead a tool that allows the country to defend itself from outside aggression.

NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Budget battles threaten U.S. nuclear modernization
Michael Coleman, Albuquerque Journal – 30 October, 2013
Leaders of America’s nuclear weapons complex told the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces yesterday that the B61 life extension program is critical to US national security. The program is facing budgetary pressure from the ongoing spending cuts of sequestration.

NON-PROLIFERATION
Is the nonproliferation agenda stuck in the Cold War?
Francesca Giovannini and Amy J. Nelson, The Washington Post – October 29, 2013
Today, we see an imbalance in the nuclear governance agenda that generally favors the nonproliferation goals of nuclear weapon states . This imbalance is not the result of collaboration between nongovernmental organizations and these states. It is instead rooted in complex bureaucratic, domestic and regional factors that hinder current decision-making processes.

SYRIA
Inspectors Visit All but 2 of Syria’s Declared Chemical Sites
Nick Cumming-Bruce and Michael R. Gordon, New York Times – October 29, 2013
The organization responsible for destroying Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile has completed verification of the country’s chemical weapons arsenal at 21 of the 23 sites identified by the Syrian government. Two sites remain unverified due to their location in government-rebel contested areas.

IRAN
Iran-UN Nuke Talks Advance, New Round Nov. 11
George Jahn, Associated Press – October 28, 2013
Iranian and U.N. negotiators are meeting in Iran to negotiate technical details regarding Iran’s nuclear program ahead of P5+1 talks next month. Although they have so far refused to give details of the meeting, negotiators from both sides have described the Iranian ideas presented as “constructive”.

Kerry Urges Pursuing Diplomacy on Iran’s Nuclear Program
Nicole Gaouette, Bloomberg – October 29, 2013
Speaking at the United States Institute of Peace last night, Secretary of State John Kerry stated that the Obama administration “will not succumb to fear tactics” against holding talks with Iran in Geneva next month. The comments are believed to be targeted at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has strongly criticized U.S. diplomatic efforts with Iran over the past few weeks.

Dick Cheney Skeptical U.S. Can Negotiate With Iran Over Nuclear Program
Benjamin Bell, ABC News – October 27, 2013
Former Vice President Dick Cheney has expressed doubt about the Obama administration’s ability to negotiate a nuclear settlement with Iran in the coming weeks. Asked whether military action against Iran was inevitable, Cheney responded “I have trouble seeing how we’re going to achieve our objective short of that.”

NORTH KOREA
Analysis: Preoccupied Obama criticized over NKorea policy as it advances nuclear program
Associated Press – October 29, 2013
Two former administration negotiators have argued that the US should reenter negotiations with North Korea on its controversial nuclear weapons program. This is unlikely to happen due to higher priority problems currently preoccupying the administration and the fact that North Korea has taken steps to restart its plutonium production.

NUCLEAR POWER
Rosatom Lands $10Bln Jordanian Nuke Plant Deal
RIA Novosti, The Moscow Times – 29 October, 2013
Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear corporation, has won a bid to build Jordan’s first nuclear power plant. The deal is worth $10 billion and the plant will supply 12 per cent of Jordan’s energy needs by 2020.

NON-PROLIFERATION
Corker: Inconsistency In Civilian Nuclear Deals Threatens U.S. Non-Proliferation Goals
The Chattanoogan – October 29, 2013
Senator Bob Corker (R-Tn.), the ranking Republican member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday outlining his concerns about recent civilian nuclear cooperation agreements with other countries. According to Senator Corker, a number of them, including a recent deal with Vietnam, potentially compromise current non-proliferation policy.

Toward a WMD-Free Zone in the Middle East
Hillel Schenker – October 28, 2013
Diplomacy has succeeded in destroying Syria’s chemical weapons and it appears as though it is making progress on the issue of Iran’s nuclear program. This atmosphere has created an opportunity for real progress to be made toward the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.