IRAN
Iran nuke unlikely to start Mideast arms race: report
Angus McDowall, Reuters – Feb 20, 2013
Fears that an Iranian nuclear weapon might trigger an atomic arms race across the Middle East are overplayed, a U.S. security thinktank said on Tuesday, arguing that countries like Saudi Arabia face big disincentives against getting the bomb.
Make Tehran a Serious Offer
Yousaf Butt, The National Interest – Feb 20, 2013
Opinion piece analyzing and critiquing US nuclear negotiation strategy with Iran, specifically the issue of sanction relief and an insufficient effort to pursue it.
NORTH KOREA
S. Korea, U.S. to discuss N. Korea nuclear deterrence strategy
Kim Eun-jung, Yonhap News – Feb 20, 2013
South Korea and the United States will have working-level defense talks to explore all possible measures to deter growing nuclear threats from North Korea in light of its third atomic test, Seoul’s defense ministry said Wednesday. The Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue, the first such meeting since the North’s recent nuclear test, will be held from Thursday to Friday in Washington to discuss ways to step up intelligence efforts and prepare measures to deter North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and further provocations, the ministry said.
Moscow Against North Korea Trade Sanctions
Ria Novosti – Feb 19, 2013
Moscow will not support trade sanctions against North Korea but is ready to support additional UN Security Council sanctions aimed at Pyongyang’s controversial nuclear program, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said on Tuesday.
NUCLEAR TESTING
Why underground nuclear tests can no longer be peaceful
Jayita Sarkar, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) – Feb 20, 2013
Historically, underground nuclear tests had been associated with ‘peaceful nuclear explosions’ (PNEs) until at least India’s nuclear test in May 1974. How did this alter over time?
