IRAN
Iran cautiously welcomes Russian proposal for bringing Tehran back to nuclear talks
Associated Press- July 21, 2011
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has cautiously welcomed a Russian proposal for bringing Iran back to talks over its nuclear program, the official news agency reported Thursday.
Indian refiners said to seek Saudi oil next month as Iran warns of cutoff
Pratish Narayanan and Anthony DiPaola, Bloomberg – Jul 20, 2011
Indian refiners asked Saudi Arabian Oil Co. for at least one additional shipment in August as a payment dispute jeopardizes Iranian cargoes, four people with knowledge of the matter said yesterday.
PAKISTAN
Will Pakistan’s first woman foreign minister make a difference?
M Ilyas Khan, BBC News- July 21, 2011
Pakistan’s new foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar, who was sworn in earlier this week, takes charge at a time when apparent contradictions in the country’s foreign policy are coming to a head.
House moves to restrict U.S. foreign aid
Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post- July 20, 2011
House Republicans sought to put their stamp on U.S. foreign policy Wednesday by advancing a bill that would slash federal payments to the United Nations and other international bodies and slap restrictions on aid to Pakistan, Egypt and others.
AFGHANISTAN
US aid may be flowing to Afghan insurgents: audit
Dan De Luce, AFP- July 20, 2011
US aid money could be fueling corruption and inadvertently bankrolling insurgents in Afghanistan because the United States is unable to closely track the funds, a government audit said Wednesday.
NORTH KOREA
Southeast Asian ministers push for resumption of talks on North Korea’s nuclear program
Associated Press- July 21, 2011
Foreign ministers from 10 Southeast Asian nations are calling for a speedy resumption of talks aimed at convincing North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.
A look at the top issues at Asian security meeting
Associated Press- July 21, 2011
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and top diplomats from Europe and Asia gather over the weekend to discuss recent flare-ups in the South China Sea, North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and other issues that threaten to undermine regional security.
COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY
Senate decision key to future of Test Ban Treaty
Chris Schneidmiller, Global Security Newswire- July 18, 2011
The Obama administration is preparing for a lobbying campaign that could determine the future of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
