SYRIA
Syria’s most dangerous chemical weapons to be destroyed by June
Steve Scherer, Reuters – January 16, 2014
Syria’s stockpiles of sarin and VX, priority A chemicals, were originally scheduled to be removed and destroyed by the end of March. Due to technical and security challenges–not least of which is removing the chemicals from a country in the middle of a civil war–the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has now set a goal of June 30, 2014, for the destruction of all Syria’s chemical weapons, sarin and VX included.
Danes to transfer Syrian chemicals to Americans in an Italian port
Rick Gladstone, New York Times – January 16, 2014
Syrian chemical weapons will first be placed aboard a Danish cargo ship currently in the Syrian port of Latakia. The Danish ship will then sail to Italy, where it will stop in Gioia Tauro to transfer the chemical weapons to an American ship specially equipped for chemical weapons disposal. Ahmet Uzumcu, head of the OPCW, announced the plans on Thursday and explained that Gioia Tauro was chosen due to its excellent ship-to-ship transfer facilities.
IRAN
White House releases full text of Iranian deal to Congress, summary to the public
Jay Solomon, The Wall Street Journal – January 16, 2014
After the Los Angeles Times reported that the P5 + 1 and Iran produced a “secret side deal”, public and congressional pressure mounted for the administration to release further details about the agreement. The White House has since released the full, 30-page agreement to Congress, but it will only provide a summary of the deal for public consumption. The public summary offers little new information, but it is clear from the text that Iran is making more concessions than the P5 + 1. For the full text of the agreement, see here.
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Senate passes omnibus appropriations bill
David Rogers, Politico – January 16, 2014
A majority of Senate Republicans voted against the bill despite House support, but the bill passed by a vote of 72-26. President Obama has signaled his intention to sign the legislation as soon as possible. The bill, of course, includes funding for US nuclear capabilities, including increased funding for the B61 life extension program.
Pentagon mulls new incentives for nuclear forces in wake of scandal
Phil Stewart and Cynthia Osterman, Reuters, January 16, 2014]
Following this week’s revelations that 34 individuals charged with overseeing US nuclear missiles cheated on exams designed to test their knowledge of those very weapons, a Pentagon spokesman said that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was considering new incentive programs to attract and maintain a quality, professional force. Hagel “expressed that he’s willing to look at that,” said the spokesman.
NORTH KOREA
North Korea rattles sabers in response to US-ROK drill
Ju-min Park, Michael Martina, et al., Reuters – January 17, 2014
The United States and South Korea will stage their annual military drills this February and March, but not without North Korea’s annual apocalyptic objections. After North Korea warned that the drills could provoke an “unimaginable holocaust”, South Korea rejected North Korean demands and stated that it would not use the drills to conduct any attacks on North Korea. Assuming the drills go ahead, North Korea may respond with a nuclear test or with some similar move.
