North Korea
N. Korea May Show Off New Longer-Range Missiles at July Parade
Global Security Newswire – July 12, 2013
Significant preparations for another of North Korea’s enormous displays of its armed forces and weaponry have been detected, raising anticipation that the world might get another rare glimpse of Pyongyang’s road-mobile ICBM and other new, longer-range ballistic missiles, the Yonhap News Agency reported on Friday.
Iran
U.S. resists pressure to offer a new nuclear deal to Iran
Paul Richter, Los Angeles Times – July 12, 2013
Some want a bold proposal and one-on-one U.S.-Iran nuclear talks now that a new president has been elected. But the White House says ‘the onus is on Iran.’
Israel Increases Pressure on U.S. to Act on Iran
Jodi Rudoren and David E. Sanger, New York Times – July 14, 2013
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ramped up pressure on the White House on Sunday to put the buildup of Iran’s nuclear program ahead of other crises in the Middle East, complaining of a lack of urgency on the issue and saying that the Obama administration must demonstrate “by action” to Iran’s newly elected president that “the military option which is on the table is truly on the table.”
Iran denies dissidents’ nuclear site allegation
Marcus George and Fredrik Dahl, Reuters – July 12, 2013
Iran denied on Friday an exiled opposition group’s allegation that the Islamic state was secretly building a new underground nuclear facility.
Report: Saudi missile sites target Iran, Israel
Oren Dorell, USA Today – July 14, 2013
Saudi Arabia has built missile launch pads that target both Iran and Israel with ballistic missiles, according to imagery and analysis by IHS Jane’s, the British security consultancy.
Guantanamo
Guantánamo: 25 captives quit hunger strike since Ramadan
Carol Rosenberg, Miami Herald – July 14, 2013
A total of 25 Guantánamo prisoners have quit their hunger strike during Ramadan, according to the U.S. military, which reported on Sunday that Navy medical staff still considered 45 captives sufficiently malnourished to require night-time forced-feedings.
Defense Spending
Feds confirm slowdown on UPF, raising questions about cost, safety
Frank Munger, Knoxville News Sentinel – July 13, 2013
The government has confirmed that, based on the latest estimates, the Uranium Processing Facility won’t become operational until 2025 — and that’s just the first phase of what’s now become a three-phase project.
Missile Defense
Opinion: $100 Billion Later, Missile Defense Men Are Still Crying Poor
John Reed, Foreign Policy – July 12, 2013
While the Republican lawmakers may have a point about the need for increased testing and better missile defense technology, lets hope they do it in a smarter way.
