IRAN
Obama: Iran, N. Korea face greater isolation
AFP – September 21, 2011
US President Barack Obama on Wednesday warned that Iran and North Korea would face even deeper isolation if they failed to bring their nuclear programs under international law.
Britain warns Iran over nuclear programme at UN meeting
AFP – September 21, 2011
Foreign Secretary William Hague on Wednesday warned his Iranian counterpart that Britain would resist any increase in Iran’s nuclear capabilities, during a meeting at the UN in New York.
A Few Words With Iran’s President
Nicholas D. Kristof, OP-ED NYT – September 21, 2011
Interview with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran: “If they were willing to sell us the 20 percent enriched uranium, we would have preferred to buy it,” he said. “It would have been far less expensive. It’s as though you wish to purchase a vehicle for yourself. No one is willing to sell it to you, then you must set up your own production line to produce your own vehicle.”
NORTH KOREA
North Korea says wants to more talks with U.S.
Jeremy Laurence, Reuters – September 22, 2011
North Korea wants to hold a second round of dialogue with the United States, possibly next month, as part of renewed efforts to restart talks on disabling the North’s nuclear weapons program, a South Korean official said on Thursday.
Korean Nuclear Envoys Say Meeting Was Helpful
Global Security Newswire – September 21, 2011
While the chief nuclear negotiators from North and South Korea said their Wednesday meeting was helpful, there was little indication that significant headway had been achieved in breaking the longstanding impasse over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons, Reuters reported
IAEA MEETING
IAEA states back post-Fukushima nuclear safety plan
Fredrick Dahl, Reuters – September 22, 2011
The U.N. nuclear agency’s 151 member states endorsed an action plan on Thursday to help strengthen global nuclear safety in the wake of Japan’s Fukushima accident, despite criticism from some that it does not go far enough.
Myanmar envoy says his country does not have ‘economic strength’ to develop nuke arms
The Washington Post – September 21, 2011
A senior Myanmar envoy says his country doesn’t have the financial means to develop nuclear weapons and supports global nonproliferation. There has been speculation that Myanmar may be secretly working on such weapons, with the U.S. warning two years ago of possible nuclear technology transfers to the secretive military-ruled nation from North Korea.
Peace Critical for a Nuke-Free Mideast: Israel
Global Security Newswire – September 21, 2011
Any Middle Eastern nuclear weapon-free zone must be preceded by robust nonproliferation measures and an enduring absence of armed conflict from the area, Israel told the International Atomic Energy Agency General Conference on Tuesday
UNITED STATES
Lew Joins Panetta in Warning of ‘Significant Risk’ to Defense
Tony Capaccio, Bloomberg – September 21, 2011
Office of Management and Budget Director Jacob Lew has told U.S. House Republican defense and budget leaders that automatic across-the-board cuts “could pose a significant risk to national security.”
Planned U.S. Nuke Updates Could Backfire: Report
Global security Newswire – September 21, 2011
A U.S. Senate analysis issued this month suggests plans to augment the safety and security capabilities of B-61 gravity bombs as part of their refurbishment might endanger the weapons’ dependability over an extended period, the Albuquerque Journal reported on Tuesday
