IRAN
UN Nuclear Inspectors in Iran, No Sign of Parchin Visit
Reuters – December 13, 2012
Inspectors from the U.N. nuclear watchdog were in Tehran on Thursday for talks on Iran’s disputed nuclear program, but there was no sign they would gain access to the Parchin military complex as requested. The Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) said “no plans were announced yet for inspectors to visit Iran’s nuclear facilities or other sites”, without giving a source.
UN Inspectors Hold Tehran Talks in Bid to Restart Stalled Nuclear Negotiations
AP – December 13, 2012
Envoys from the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency opened talks with Iranian officials on Thursday, seeking ways to restart negotiations with world powers and gain access to a site with suspected links to past atomic tests. The mission by the International Atomic Energy Agency underscores the stalemate atmosphere over Tehran’s nuclear program.
DEFENSE SPENDING
Generals: Get Real and Cut Pentagon Spending
Robert G. Gard and John Johns, CNN – December 12, 2012
A strong U.S. military is indispensable to our national security. As retired military officers, we have dedicated our careers, on active duty and retired, to that end. We have been involved in crafting and teaching national security strategy, of which military strategy and use of military force are vital components.
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Who Holds the World’s Nuclear Warheads? Get the Full List by Country
Guardian – December 13, 2012
The news that North Korea has successfully launched a satellite heightened fears that the same know-how could be used to launch ballistic missiles. Which countries already have the capability to launch a nuclear missile, and how many warheads do they have?
US Nuclear Weapons Complex in Google Earth
Union of Concerned Scientists – December 12, 2012
Today we released a free, interactive web map of the U.S. nuclear weapons complex, the collection of facilities that produce, maintain and dismantle U.S. nuclear weapons. The map is part of a larger UCS project evaluating and making recommendations for the future of the complex in light of the fact that the U.S. nuclear arsenal is shrinking.
NORTH KOREA
UN Security Council Condemns North Korea Rocket Launch
Barbara Plett, BBC – December 12, 2012
The UN Security Council has condemned North Korea for launching a rocket in defiance of a UN ban. Calling the launch “a clear violation of Security Council resolutions”, the council said it would consider an “appropriate response”.
Norht Korea’s Latest Provocation
New York Times – December 12, 2012
Even though it cannot feed its people, North Korea has joined the ranks of countries with the money and expertise to build and launch a long-range rocket and put a satellite into space.
Why North Korea Can’t Count on China’s Patronage Forever
Brian Fung, The Atlantic – December 13, 2012
North Korea’s long-range missile test has put the hermit kingdom back on America’s radar. Experts are already scrutinizing the launch for clues as to Kim Jong Un’s grip on power, the state of the country’s nuclear program, and even what it could mean for South Korea’s looming presidential elections. But in the wake of the test, there’s only one country that really matters — and it’s not the one with a 29-year-old at the helm.
ARMS CONTROL
Instagram Arms Control: WMD Prevention Versus Internet Freedom
Eddie Walsh and Mark Jansson, Al Jazeera – December 13, 2012
Few things are as important to long-term strategic interests of the United States and the United Kingdom as preventing the spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and preserving the internet as a secure and uncensored resource for people around the world. So, it is important that Americans and Brits better understand how their governments’ policy approaches toward these objectives interact with one another.
SYRIA
Assad Losing Syria, Say Russia and NATO
Wall Street Journal – December 13, 2012
Russia, Syria’s most important international ally, said for the first time Thursday that President Bashar al-Assad is increasingly losing control of the Middle Eastern country and the opposition may win the civil war, as NATO’s top official also said he thinks the regime is on the brink of collapse. The statements by Russia’s deputy foreign minister and North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen came as rebels make gains across the country and on the international stage and one day after the U.S. and NATO said Mr. Assad’s forces had fired Scud missiles at rebel areas.
Syria Uses Scud Missiles in New Effort to Push Back Rebels
Michael Gordon and Eric Schmitt, New York Times – December 12, 2012
President Bashar al-Assad’s forces have resorted to firing ballistic missiles at rebel fighters inside Syria, Obama administration officials said Wednesday, escalating a nearly two-year-old civil war as the government struggles to slow the momentum of a gaining insurgency.
