IRAN
West Keep’s Pressure On Iran’s Nuclear Program
Margaret Besheer, Voice of America — September 07, 2011
Western nations on Wednesday warned that they will not let up their pressure on Iran to comply with international demands that it suspend its nuclear enrichment activities and answer questions about its disputed atomic program.
In shift, Iran’s President Calls for End to Syrian Crackdown
Neil MacFarquhar, New York Times — September 8, 2011
For years, posters celebrating the decades-old alliance joining Syria and Iran festooned the streets and automobiles of the Syrian capital — the images of Presidents Bashar al-Assad and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad embroidered with roses and daffodils.
NORTH KOREA
North Korea leader Kim Jong-il appears with Kim Jong-un
BBC News — September 09, 2011
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-il has appeared at national celebrations with his son and heir apparent Kim Jong-un.
North Korea Problem “Very Tough,” Obama Nominee Says
Global Security Newswire — September 8, 2011
The Obama administration’s nominee to assume a top spot at the State Department on Wednesday said Washington has “no good choices” in resolving the long-running standoff over North Korea’s nuclear weapons work, Agence France-Presse reported.
UNITED STATES
GAO Seeks Closer Tracking of U.S. Atomic Assets in Other Nations
Global Security Newswire — September 09, 2011
The United States lacks terms in its atomic trade agreements or any other procedures to enable comprehensive tracking of sensitive materials delivered to other countries, and lawmakers should consider steps to address the matter, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said in a report published on Thursday.
Securing nuke materials was DOE’s top priority on 9/11
Frank Munger, The Knoxville News Sentinel — September 09, 2011
As it became obvious that the morning events of Sept. 11, 2001, were the work of terrorists, the U.S. Department of Energy moved urgently to protect the nation’s nuclear materials — some of which were aboard trucks crisscrossing American highways.
How Sept. 11 Changed the Nuclear Industry
Olga Belogolova, The National Journal — September 08, 2011
When the first plane hit the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, Jerry Davis was on his way to work at the Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant in Somervell County, Texas.
As events unfolded that morning, Davis and his colleagues at the nuclear facility huddled around computers monitoring news coverage. “It was like, ‘Oh my God, what’s happening out there.’”
IRAQ
Army Chief Warns of Keeping Too Many U.S. Troops in Iraq
Justin Fishel, Fox News — September 08, 2011
The new Army Chief of Staff, Gen Ray Odierno, said on his second day on the job that he doesn’t know what number of troops should remain in Iraq after 2011, but he warns there are risks to leaving too large a force.
