Iran
Iran Threatens Delays in Nuclear Talks
Rick Gladstone and Artin Afkhami, New York Times – June 6, 2012
Iran raised the possibility on Wednesday of delaying or canceling the resumption of nuclear talks with the big powers, scheduled in less than two weeks, because of what it called dithering by the other side in holding preliminary meetings aimed at ensuring some success. The warning, made by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the office of Saeed Jalili, Iran’s chief negotiator in the talks, came as its ambassador to the United Nations nuclear monitoring agency accused some of its inspectors of espionage.
U.S. Aides in Israel Give Assurances About Iran
Mark Landler, New York Time – June 6, 2012
President Obama and his senior advisers have said little publicly about Iran since the resumption of negotiations over its nuclear program in April, preferring to let the diplomats hash out the issues in the hope that tensions with Tehran can be managed, at least until the election in November. In Israel, however, the United States is still saying plenty, with a stream of current and former officials traveling there to threaten additional sanctions on Iran and to reiterate Mr. Obama’s readiness to use military action against Iran if diplomacy fails.
Iran: Big powers’ delay clouds next nuclear talks
Isabel Coles, Reuters – June 6, 2012
Iran said on Wednesday reluctance by world powers to hold preparatory talks had thrown doubt on the next round of nuclear negotiations later this month.
Missile Defense
Op-Ed: You Say Defense, We See Threat
Nikolai Korchunov, New York Times – June 6, 2012
At its summit meeting in Chicago, NATO declared that its ballistic missile defense (BMD) system in Europe had achieved an “interim capability,” despite numerous unanswered questions about its command and control, technological maturity, the role of European industry, consequences of engagement, etc. How will the system that is supposed to strengthen the security of the alliance strengthen security in Europe in general? How does the system contribute to fostering security for all, rather than ensuring the security of one at the expense of others? Do the U.S./NATO missile-defense efforts and the concerns they are raising really correspond to the level of the threat?
Afghanistan
With Panetta in Afghanistan, Karzai condemns new airstrike
William Wan and Kevin Sieff, Washington Post – June 7, 2012
President Hamid Karzai publicly condemned a U.S. airstrike Wednesday that Afghan officials said killed 18 civilians — a bold reproach that coincided with U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta’s visit to the Afghan capital. “NATO operations that inflict human and material losses to civilians can in no way be justifiable, acceptable and tolerable,” Karzai said in a statement Thursday.
Defense Spending
Slack budgeting at Defense
Walter Pincus, Washington Post – June 6, 2012
For a reminder of how much money is sloshing around within the Defense Department, read the Senate Armed Services Committee’s 514-page report on the fiscal 2013 defense authorization bill, which was released Tuesday.
Secrecy
Intelligence committees vow to stop leaks of secrets
Greg Miller, Source – June 6, 2012
The House and Senate intelligence committees announced plans Wednesday to draft new laws against leaks of classified information, adding to an uproar on Capitol Hill over a series of recent stories that revealed details of terrorism threats and CIA programs.