IRAN
Iran’s nuclear steps deepen Western suspicions
Fredrik Dahl, Reuters- July 6, 2011
Expanding uranium enrichment, a new atomic energy chief said to have military expertise, missile tests — Western analysts see fresh signs that Iran may be seeking to develop the means to build nuclear warheads.
Iran’s nuclear program helped by China, Russia
Eli Lake, Washington Times- July 5, 2011
The foundation of Iran’s nuclear program can be traced to extensive Chinese and Russian cooperation in the 1990s, according to a former U.S. intelligence official who specialized on Tehran’s program.
Weapons prove Iranian role in Iraq, US says
Ed O’Keefe and Joby Warrick, Washington Post- July 5, 2011
Iranian-backed militias in Iraq are using more sophisticated weapons than in the past to target U.S. troops and military installations in Iraq, according to senior U.S. officials.
NORTH KOREA
Analysis blames North Korea for cyberattack on South Korea
Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press- June 22, 2011
North Korea or its sympathizers were likely responsible for the cyberattack against South Korean government and banking websites earlier this year, according to a new analysis that said it also appears to have been linked to the 2009 massive computer-based attack that brought down U.S. government Internet sites.
PAKISTAN
Pakistan Taliban leader “isolated,” facing splits: report
Rebecca Conway, Reuters- July 5, 2011
The chief of the Pakistan Taliban has been isolated from his militant group for more than a year and is rapidly losing control, a newspaper reported on Tuesday, a day after the military said it had launched an offensive in the northwest.
Militants enter Pakistan, attack border villages
Riaz Kahn, Associated Press- July 6, 2011
Hundreds of militants crossed from Afghanistan and attacked several border villages in Pakistan on Wednesday, triggering shootouts with local militias that killed at least five people, police said.
UNITED STATES
U.S. willing to leave 10,000 troops in Iraq past year’s end, officials say
David S. Cloud and Ned Parker, Los Angeles Times -July 6, 2011
Reporting from Washington and Baghdad– The White House is prepared to keep as many as 10,000 U.S. troops in Iraq after the end of the year, amid growing concern that the planned pullout of virtually all remaining American forces would lead to intensified militant attacks, according to U.S. officials.
Senators question military spending on Afghanistan infrastructure
Walter Pincus, Washington Post- July 6, 2011
Military commanders in Afghanistan tapped a new $400 million Defense Department infrastructure fund to bring electricity to Kandahar and begin building provincial justice centers as part of the military’s program to secure Kandahar and Helmand provinces, according to senior administration officials.
MISSILE DEFENSE
Western bid to allay Russia’s missile concerns
Charles Clover, Financial Times- July 5, 2011
Nato’s plans to deploy ballistic missile defence from spring 2012 onwards threatens to derail a fragile thaw in relations with Russia, which is seeking guarantees that the system is not aimed at them.
