IRAN
Israeli Army Chief Says Nation Needs to Build Up Military to Strike Iran
Jonathan Ferziger and David Lerman, Bloomberg – February 1, 2012
Israeli Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Benny Gantz said his country must build up its military capabilities and be prepared to strike if economic sanctions fail to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
US Navy comes to rescue of Iranian fishing dhow
Associated Foreign Press – February 1, 2012
The US Navy has announced that it assisted an Iranian fishing vessel in distress in the Gulf, the fourth such incident this year in an area marked by tension between Washington and Tehran.
U.N. Nuclear Monitor Agency Announces Second Visit to Iran
Rick Gladstone, New York Times – February 1, 2012
The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Wednesday that its inspectors, who had just completed a three-day visit to Iran, would return there in three weeks.
A Third Option for Iran
Richard Haass and Bernard Gwertzman, Council on Foreign Relations – February 1, 2012
Living with a nuclear-armed Iran or launching a preventive military attack both carry great costs and risks, making it essential to pursue a combination of enhanced sanctions and renewed diplomacy, says CFR President Richard N. Haass.
KOREAN PENINSULA
North Korea Renews Demands for Improved Relations With South
Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times – February 2, 2012
North Korea on Thursday issued a long list of strident demands, including the cancellation of joint American-South Korean military exercises, that it said South Korea should meet before ties could improve between the two Koreas.
UNITED STATES
Panetta Says U.S. to End Afghan Combat Role as Soon as 2013
Elisabeth Bumiller, New York Times – February 1, 2012
In a major milestone toward ending a decade of war in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said Wednesday that American forces would step back from a combat role there as early as mid-2013, more than a year before all American troops are scheduled to come home.
GOP Lawmaker on Potential BRAC Request: ‘Kill It’
Kate Brannen, Defense News – February 1, 2012
Rep. Buck McKeon, Republican chair of the House Armed Services Committee, did not mince words when asked what he would do to a Pentagon request for domestic base closures.
U.S. Should Give Israel Bunker-Buster Bombs, Policy Group Says
David Lerman, Bloomberg – February 1, 2012
A bipartisan policy group called for providing Israel with 200 additional bunker-buster bombs to increase the credibility of a military strike aimed at thwarting Iran’s nuclear program.
