IRAN
Israel-US Spat: A Help to Iran
Tom A. Peter, Christian Science Monitor – September 12, 2012
A day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s unusually caustic criticism of the US, Israel’s most important ally, tensions between the two nations have risen as the feud spilled into the media. The Israeli leader chastised the US for not setting a “clear red line” for when it would take military action to strike Iran’s nuclear program. He added that the US had no “moral right” to stop Israel from attacking Iran’s nuclear program.
6 Powers Bridge Differences at Nuclear Meeting, Agree on Resolution Critical of Iran
Associated Press – September 11, 2012
The United States and its Western allies have persuaded Russia and China to support a resolution critical of Iran’s nuclear defiance in hope of showing Israel that diplomacy is an alternative to military force in pressuring Tehran, diplomats said Wednesday. The resolution, which demands that Iran stop activities that could be used to make nuclear arms, cannot be enforced by the 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency, even if approved by vote or consensus as expected Thursday.
White House: Obama, Netanyahu Agree on Blocking Iran Nuclear Program
Associated Press – September 11, 2012
The White House is denying reports of a U.S. rift with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he and President Barack Obama have reaffirmed the two countries’ commitment to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Obama and Netanyahu spoke for an hour Tuesday night. The White House said in a statement later that the two men agreed to continue “close consultations going forward” regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
NORTH KOREA
Is North Korea Experimenting with Change?
Tim Sullivan, Huffington Post – September 12, 2012
Deep in the North Korean countryside, in remote villages that outsiders seldom reach, farmers are now said to be given nearly one-third of their harvests to sell at market prices. Collective farms are reportedly being reorganized into something closer to family farms. State propagandists are expounding the glories of change under the country’s new young leader. In the rigidly planned economy of this Stalinist state, could this be the first flicker of reform?
Destitute North Korea Accepts, Then Rejects, Flood Aid from South
Reuters – September 12, 2012
Impoverished North Korea rejected South Korea’s offer of emergency food and medicines to help recover from devastating summer floods, two days after accepting what would have been the first shipment of government aid from Seoul in two years. Wealthy South Korea said last week in an unusually grim assessment of the North’s grain harvest that crop production for the year probably dropped more than 10 percent due to flooding and a drought.
NUCLEAR STOCKPILES
After ‘Fort Knox’ Break-in, US Nuclear Stockpile Security in Focus
Roberta Rampton, Reuters – September 12, 2012
A shocking security breach at what was supposed to be one of the most secure facilities in the United States has put new attention on a proposal to overhaul the way the government oversees its nuclear laboratories and weapons plants. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives approved a plan to give more flexibility to the contractor-run facilities that make up the U.S. nuclear weapons complex, part of its annual defense policy bill passed in May.
DEFENSE SPENDING
Understanding the Battle Over the Looming Defense Cuts
Glenn Kessler, Washington Post – September 11, 2012
The Sunday public affairs shows sometimes leave ordinary Americans lost in a blizzard of Washington gobbledygook, especially when it comes to the federal budget. A lengthy exchange between Norah O’Donnell and GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan on CBS’s “Face The Nation” on Sunday is a good example of that, in which two people are simply talking past each other.
MISSILE DEFENSE
Report Criticizes U.S. Missile-Defense System
Dan Vergano, USA Today – September 11, 2012
A congressionally-requested report on the current U.S. missile-defense system says the best way to meet future threats from Iran or North Korea is to place upgraded missiles and improved radars on both coasts of the U.S. The current U.S. system is “very expensive and has limited effectiveness,” said the report from the National Research Council, which offers advice to government agencies under a congressional charter.
LIBYA
U.S. Ambassador to Libya is Killed
Margaret Coker, Wall Street Journal – September 12, 2012
The U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, and three other American diplomats were killed when suspected Libyan religious extremists stormed the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi late Tuesday, according to Libyan Deputy Prime Minister Mustafa Abushagour. Libyan officials spent the night in a manhunt trying to find those responsible for the killings which occurred when an angry and armed mob attacked the diplomatic facility in an apparent protest against an anti-Islamic video created and produced by a group of American Jews.
