IRAN
Russia Says No Plans To Build Nuclear Power Stations in Iran After Bushehr
Henry Meyer, Bloomberg — September 7, 2011
Russia isn’t currently planning to build any new nuclear stations in Iran after operations start at the Persian Gulf state’s first atomic plant in Bushehr, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said.
Editorial: The undimmed danger of Iran’s nuclear program
The Washington Post — September 6, 2011
IRAN HAS TAKEN two more steps toward producing a nuclear weapon. According to a report released Friday by the International Atomic Energy Agency, it has begun to use a new, more advanced centrifuge to enrich uranium, which could allow it to produce bomb-grade material in a much shorter time period, should it choose to do so.
NORTH KOREA
Why Thailand has become a popular path to freedom for North Korean defectors
Jared Ferrie, Christian Science Monitor — September 7, 2011
A growing number of North Korean defectors are crossing illegally into Thailand via a new ‘underground railroad’ because Thailand processes defectors and sends them to South Korea quickly.
North Korea Used Black Market to Acquire Nuke Technology, IAEA says
Global Security Newswire — September 6, 2011
North Korea appears to have employed an illicit network to acquire material needed to establish a uranium enrichment facility at its Yongbyon nuclear complex, the International Atomic Energy Agency concluded in a report issued on Friday.
SYRIA
Franes’s Alain Juppe: Syria committing ‘grave crimes’
BBC News — September 7, 2011
France’s Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has accused the Syrian government of carrying out “crimes against humanity”.
Envoys accuse Syria of reneging on pledge to assist nuke probe
Global Security Newswire — September 6, 2011
yria has broken a pledge to move promptly to assist a U.N. investigation into the nation’s suspected secret nuclear operations, envoys said to the Associated Press on Thursday.
LIBYA
Nations focus on al-Qaida threat in Sahara desert
Aomar Ouali, The Associated Press — September 7, 2011
he foreign ministers of Algeria and other North African nations met Wednesday to discuss how to confront terrorism in the vast desolate regions of the Sahara Desert. The two-day conference, originally expected to focus just on al-Qaida, has now also become inextricably tied up with the civil war in neighboring Libya, which Algeria says has sent floods of arms across the border into militant hands.
UN watchdog says Libyan chemical weapons secure
The Associated Press — September 7, 2011
The chief of a U.N. watchdog says Libya’s remaining chemical weapon stockpiles are believed to be secure despite the turmoil that has roiled the country since February.
