IRAN
Iran could reach key point for nuclear bomb by mid-2014: U.S. experts
Tabassum Zakaria, Reuters – Jan 14, 2013
Iran could produce enough weapon-grade uranium for one or more nuclear bombs by mid-2014, and the United States and its allies should intensify sanctions on Tehran before that point is reached, a report by a group of U.S. nonproliferation experts said. President Barack Obama should also clearly state that the United States will take military action to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, the report said.
Little Hope Seen for Iran Nuclear Talks
Rick Gladstone, The New York Times – Jan 11, 2013
The top United Nations nuclear monitoring official expressed renewed pessimism on Friday about negotiations with Iran, set for next week. The talks are aimed at gaining access to a restricted military area, which his inspectors suspect may have been used for atomic bomb-trigger testing work.
In Transition, Hagel Gets Up to Speed on Iran
David Sanger and Thom Shanker, The New York Times – Jan 10, 2013
Chuck Hagel, President Obama’s nominee for secretary of defense, is perceived to have an Iran problem. And this week he has started to deal with it. Mr. Hagel is conferring with congressmen and other officials to clarify and develop his position on Iran and Israel pending his confirmation hearing.
NORTH KOREA
North Korea Vows To Strengthen Defenses Amid Speculations Of New Nuclear Test
Amrutha Gayathri, International Business Times – Jan 14, 2013
North Korea issued a memorandum Monday vowing to bolster its defenses as a measure to “actively contribute to peace and stability in the Korean peninsula and in the rest of Asia,” alleging that Washington’s “aggressive” Asia-Pacific strategy led to tensions in the region.
N.Korea ‘Encouraged’ by Park’s Overtures
The Chosun Ilbo – Jan 11, 2013
North Korea is “sincerely” interested in improving ties with Washington and “encouraged” by South Korean president-elect Park Geun-hye’s offer of a summit, former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson said Thursday. Richardson was speaking in Beijing after a visit to Pyongyang alongside Google chairman Eric Schmidt.
Will Park ease sanctions on NK?
Kim Young-jin, The Korea Times – Jan 9, 2013
Speculation grew Wednesday over whether President-elect Park Geun-hye is mulling whether to ease cross-border sanctions on North Korea in order to encourage dialogue with the isolated state. Reports said the sanctions implemented by the incumbent Lee Myung-bak administration after Pyongyang’s deadly 2010 sinking of the Cheonan warship, were under consideration by Park’s transition team.
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
The Myth of Nuclear Necessity
Ward Wilson, The New York Times – Jan 13, 2013
There is a small group of people who still believe fervently in nuclear weapons. President Obama had to buy passage of the New START treaty with Russia, in 2010, with a promise to spend $185 billion to modernize warheads and delivery systems over 10 years — revealing that while support for nuclear weapons may not be broad, it runs deep. That support endures because of five widely held myths.
