September 30, 2013

"Israel’s Netanyahu heads for the US with a warning to the White House: Don’t be fooled by Iran" Associated Press / September 30, 2013 Mortified that the world may be warming up to Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is taking an unpopular message to the White House and the United Nations this week: Don’t be fooled by Tehran’s new leadership.... View Source ›

"Obama to meet with Israel’s Netanyahu at White House as US-Iran dynamic shifts" Associated Press / September 30, 2013 President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are meeting at a time that the three-decade estrangement between the United States and Iran may be nearing an end.... View Source ›

"Israeli President Peres says all options open on Iran after visit to World Court" Associated Press / September 30, 2013 Israeli President Shimon Peres says “all options” are being kept open in forcing Iran to give up its nuclear program, which Iran says is for peaceful purposes but Israel and others believe is aimed at building nuclear arms.... View Source ›

Thomas Erdbrink, "Iranians Welcome Home Rouhani With Protest" The New York Times / September 28, 2013 Dozens of protesters hurled eggs and at least one shoe at President Hassan Rouhani as he returned to Tehran on Saturday after a groundbreaking phone call with President Obama and other outreach to the West at an annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.... View Source ›

Rachel Oswald, "Lawmakers Urge the U.N. to Punish Cuba For North Korea Arms Deal" Global Security Newswire / September 27, 2013 U.S. lawmakers on Thursday called for Cuba to be punished for its illegal weapons dealings with North Korea, arguing the international-sanctions regime would be undermined if the U.N. Security Council does not penalize Havana.... View Source ›

Jane Perlez, "China Ban on Items for Nuclear Use to North Korea May Stall Arms Bid" The New York Times / September 29, 2013 During the George W. Bush era, North Korea and Iran were joined together as the Axis of Evil, but with President Obama’s phone call to President Hassan Rouhani of Iran last week, that pairing — already out of favor in some quarters in Washington — was no longer so tight.... View Source ›

"Iranian foreign minister says nuclear facility inspections possible to open negotiations" Associated Press / September 29, 2013 Iran would open its nuclear facilities to international inspectors as part of broad negotiations with the United States that could eventually restore diplomatic relations between the adversaries and those talks have the backing of the nation’s supreme leader, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said Sunday.... View Source ›

September 27, 2013

Fredrik Dahl, "Iran plays down prospects for quick IAEA nuclear deal" Reuters / September 27, 2013 Iran played down prospects for a quick breakthrough in talks with the U.N. nuclear agency on Friday over a stalled inquiry into its atomic work, the first such meeting under the new relatively moderate Iranian government.... View Source ›

Arshad Mohammed, "Iran proposes fully implementing nuclear pact within a year -U.S." Reuters / September 27, 2013 Iran proposed carrying out an agreement to address concerns about its nuclear program within a year at talks with major powers on Thursday, a senior U.S. State Department official said.... View Source ›

"Six major powers, Iran agree to meet in Geneva next month" Reuters / September 26, 2013 Six major powers and Iran on Thursday agreed to meet in Geneva next month for further talks on resolving the standoff with Tehran on its nuclear program, the European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Thursday.... View Source ›

"Kerry says Iran sanctions could be eased in months" AFP / September 26, 2013 US Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday that if Iran takes rapid measures to cooperate with international monitoring of its nuclear program, Washington could begin lifting sanctions within months.... View Source ›

Joe Lauria, "Iran's Rouhani Calls on Israel to Join Non-Nuclear Treaty" The Wall Street Journal / September 26, 2013 Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, speaking Wednesday on behalf of the Non-aligned Movement, reiterated the group's and Iran's position that Israel must join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in order to bring about a nuclear-weapons-free Middle East.... View Source ›

"India ready to negotiate a global no-first-use nuke treaty" IANS / September 27, 2013 External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said Thursday that India as a responsible nuclear power has a credible minimum deterrence policy and a posture of no-first use... View Source ›

"Iraq ratifies nuclear test ban treaty" AFP / September 27, 2013 Iraq ratified Friday the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), an accord that however cannot enter into force until the United States, China and six other states follow suit.... View Source ›

September 26, 2013

Louis Charbonneau and Yeganeh Torbati, "Iran says it wants to resolve nuclear row within months" Reuters / September 25, 2013 Iran's new government, stepping up a campaign to project a more moderate image abroad, said on Wednesday it wants to jump-start talks with world powers to resolve a decade-long dispute over its nuclear program and hoped for a deal in three to six months.... View Source ›

Paul Richter, "The nuclear question likely to be key issue in Iran-U.S. talks" Los Angeles Times / September 25, 2013 The two nations may have used back-channel negotiations to consider a route to a deal, analysts say. Kerry is to meet with the foreign minister Thursday.... View Source ›

Anne Gearan and Martin Baron, "Iranian leader says he is open to meeting Obama at a later date" The Washington Post / September 25, 2013 A much-anticipated greeting between President Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani did not take place here because American officials seemed to have no firm strategy for what would come next, the new Iranian leader said Wednesday.... View Source ›

"Iran Meeting Snub Could Signal Limited Nuke Bargaining Ability" Global Security Newswire / September 25, 2013 White House insiders fear that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani turned down a brief meeting proposed for Tuesday with President Obama to avoid a domestic political backlash, possibly signaling that the relatively moderate leader lacks adequate authority in Tehran to settle an international standoff over its suspected nuclear-arms ambitions, the Wall Street Journal reported.... View Source ›

"U.S., North Korean Officials Rumored to Swap Notes on Atomic Talks" Global Security Newswire / September 26, 2013 The Obama administration's onetime point-man for North Korean policy met with a senior official from Pyongyang in Germany, Kyodo News reported on Wednesday, citing an informed source... View Source ›

Charles Levinson, "Israeli President Backs Iran Diplomacy" The Wall Street Journal / September 25, 2013 Peres—In Contrast to Premier Netanyahu—Endorses U.S. Overtures Toward Tehran and Handling of Syria Crisis... View Source ›

"U.S. Navy Successfully Test Launches Trident Missiles" Global Security Newswire / September 25, 2013 The U.S. Navy earlier this month carried out four successful test launches of unarmed Trident 2 D-5 ballistic missiles, weapons maker Lockheed Martin announced in a Tuesday press release that touts the SLBMs' successful launch track record.... View Source ›

September 25, 2013

Aamer Madhani, "Iran president ready to engage immediately in nuke talks" USA Today / September 24, 2013 In an address to the United Nations, President Obama urges a diplomatic path to solving Iran's nuclear weapons crisis.... View Source ›

Patricia Zengerle, "After Syria, Congress wary of Obama's Iran thaw" Reuters / September 25, 2013 After balking at President Barack Obama's plan to attack Syria, the U.S. Congress is also stirring in opposition to his latest foreign policy goal: an effort to improve relations with Iran.... View Source ›

Lara Jakes, "Iran's President Tones Down Anti-Israel Rhetoric" Associated Press / September 24, 2013 The Iranian president's first speech to world leaders was absent anti-Israel rhetoric and offered up negotiations with the U.S. and its allies over the disputed nuclear program, showing a more moderate face of the hard-line regime in Tehran.... View Source ›

"IAEA Opens Atomic-Material Safeguards Lab" Global Security Newswire / September 24, 2013 The International Atomic Energy Agency on Monday unveiled a new laboratory that will be used to aid the U.N. agency's nuclear-nonproliferation safeguards efforts.... View Source ›

"India voices concern over Sino-Pak nuclear cooperation" Zee News / September 25, 2013 India has flagged concerns over Sino-Pak nuclear cooperation and China's assistance in building infrastructure in PoK ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's planned visit here next month. ... View Source ›

Faith Aquino, "Russian state-owned nuclear company offers help to TEPCO with Fukushima plant" Japan Daily News / September 25, 2013 As TEPCO seems open to foreign assistance, with its adviser a former director of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission at the Three Mile Island, Russia is once again offering help to resolve problems bombarding the defunct Fukushima nuclear power plant. According to a unit head of Rusatom, a state-owned nuclear company in Russia, they are hoping to cooperate with Fukushima operator Tokyo Electric Power Co.... View Source ›

Andrei Kislyakov, "Russia pioneers floating nuclear power plants" Russia Beyond The Headlines / September 23, 2013 Environmentalists have hindered the development of floating nuclear power plants in other countries, while Russia is gearing up to test its first vessel of this kind.... View Source ›

September 24, 2013

Aamer Madhani and Doug Stangli, "Kerry to meet Iran FM in highest level talks since 1979" USA Today / September 23, 2013 They will meet with representatives of four other nations negotiating to contain Iran's nuclear policy... View Source ›

Donna Cassata, "Senators Press Obama to Stand Firm on Iran" ABC News / September 23, 2013 Senators called on President Barack Obama to reiterate that the United States will not accept a nuclear-capable Iran and that crippling economic sanctions on Tehran will continue despite Iranian President Hasan Rouhani's recent overtures to the West.... View Source ›

Edith M. Lederer, "EU Says Iran, 6 Key Nations to Hold Nuclear Talks" Associated Press / September 23, 2013 Iran's new foreign minister will join talks with six key nations trying to rein in the Islamic Republic's nuclear program later this week at the United Nations, the European Union's foreign policy chief said Monday.... View Source ›

Nasser Karimi, "Iran Frees 80 Prisoners as President Heads to UN" Associated Press / September 23, 2013 Iran said Monday it had freed 80 prisoners arrested in political crackdowns, offering another potential diplomatic boost for the country's new president and his outreach to the West at this week's U.N. gathering.... View Source ›

Michael R. Gordon and Somini Sengupta, "France Sets Conditions for Including Iran, an Assad Ally, in Syria Peace Talks" The New York Times / September 23, 2013 In a softening of the Western stance on Iran, France’s foreign minister said on Monday that Iran could be included, under certain conditions, in a Geneva conference that would seek to negotiate an end to Syria’s bloody civil war.... View Source ›

"Easing Sanctions No Easy Goal For Iran's President" Associated Press / September 24, 2013 Near Iran's border with Iraq, work crews are putting finishing touches on a petrochemical plant expected to pump out hundreds of tons a year of oil-based products that the country hopes can slip through the net of Western economic sanctions.... View Source ›

"Fate of Libya's 'Yellowcake' Uranium Still in the Air" Global Security Newswire / September 23, 2013 Libya still has not decided what to do with uranium ore concentrate amassed under its late dictator, Agence France-Presse reported on Monday.... View Source ›

September 23, 2013

"Declassified document: US narrowly escaped nuclear blast in 1961 H-bomb accident" Associated Press / September 21, 2013 A U.S. hydrogen bomb nearly detonated on the nation’s east coast, with a single switch averting a blast which would have been 260 times more powerful than the device that flattened Hiroshima, a newly published book says.... View Source ›

"Insider: Iran to Pursue U.S. Atomic Offer" Global Security Newswire / September 20, 2013 Iran plans to take President Obama up on a written offer of relief from harsh economic penalties in a potential compromise on the nation's contested atomic activities, an insider with ties to Iranian policy-makers told the New York Times for a Thursday report.... View Source ›

"IAEA Meeting Rejects Arab Resolution Criticizing Israel's Nukes" Global Security Newswire / September 20, 2013 An Arab-sponsored measure criticizing Israel for its widely suspected nuclear arsenal failed on Friday to secure enough votes to pass at the International Atomic Energy Agency's yearly general membership meeting, Russia Today reported.... View Source ›

Mark Landler, "Netanyahu Is Said to View Iran Deal as a Possible Trap" The New York Times / September 22, 2013 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, stepping up his effort to blunt a diplomatic offensive by Iran, plans to warn the United Nations next week that a nuclear deal with the Iranian government could be a trap similar to one set by North Korea eight years ago, according to an Israeli official involved in drafting the speech.... View Source ›

"Iran's Russian-Built Nuclear Plant To Be Handed Over In Ceremony" Radio Free Europe / September 23, 2013 A ceremony is expected to be held in which Iran will take control of the Russian-built nuclear power station at Bushehr. ... View Source ›

Frank Jack Daniel and Matthias Williams, "Before PM's U.S. trip, India rushes to ready nuclear deal" Reuters / September 21, 2013 India is making a last-minute push to close a nuclear deal in time for a meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has made atomic energy cooperation with Washington a hallmark of his tenure.... View Source ›

Megha Rajagopalan, "China releases list of goods banned from export to North Korea" Reuters / September 23, 2013 China has released a list of technologies and goods banned from export to North Korea because of their possible use in building nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, China's Ministry of Commerce said on Monday.... View Source ›

September 20, 2013

Thomas Erdbrink and Mark Landler, "Iran Said to Seek a Nuclear Accord to End Sanctions" The New York Times / September 19, 2013 Iran’s leaders, seizing on perceived flexibility in a private letter from President Obama, have decided to gamble on forging a swift agreement over their nuclear program with the goal of ending crippling sanctions, a prominent adviser to the Iranian leadership said Thursday.... View Source ›

"Asia airs nuclear ambitions at U.N. gathering" Reuters / September 20, 2013 China, India and other Asian states used a United Nations nuclear agency meeting this week to signal their determination to expand the use of atomic energy.... View Source ›

"U.N. chief Ban praises Iran's efforts on international dialogue" Reuters / September 19, 2013 U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday commended efforts by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's government to engage with the international community and praised Tehran for releasing several prominent prisoners.... View Source ›

"U.S. Conducts Successful Missile Defense Test with SM-3 Block 1B" Global Security Newswire / September 19, 2013 The U.S. military on Wednesday announced it had carried out a successful missile-intercept test using the new second-generation Aegis system and a Standard Missile 3 Block 1B interceptor.... View Source ›

"U.S. House Backs South Korea Nuclear Trade Deal Bill" Global Security Newswire / September 19, 2013 The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday unanimously approved a bill that will renew for two years a bilateral atomic-cooperation agreement with South Korea, according to a House Foreign Affairs Committee press release.... View Source ›

Diane Barnes, "Auditors Urge NRC to Tighten Personnel Security Checks" Global Security Newswire / September 19, 2013 Investigators warned last week of a potential national-security threat at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission resulting from a policy that does not penalize employees who fail to disclose criminal and financial improprieties.... View Source ›

"Putin: Israel's nuclear weapons just make it a target" The Jerusalem Post / September 19, 2013 Russian president: Syria's WMDs a counter to Israel's alleged nukes, which create "foreign policy problems."... View Source ›

September 19, 2013

"Burma Signs New Nuclear Deal With IAEA" Voice of America / September 17, 2013 Burma and the U.N. nuclear agency have signed an agreement that will give international inspectors wider access to Burmese facilities.... View Source ›

"North Korea Calls for Return to Six-Party Talks on Unconditional Basis" Yonhap News Agency / September 18, 2013 A high-ranking North Korean official on Wednesday said his government wants to reinvigorate multinational negotiations over its nuclear-weapons program, but only if there are no preconditions.... View Source ›

"U.S. Envoy Rejects Anti-Israeli Nuclear Measure" Reuters / September 18, 2013 The United States on Tuesday spoke out against a resolution before a U.N. body condemning Israeli nuclear weapons, arguing the proposal would hamper efforts to ban weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.... View Source ›

Tracy Connor, "Iran's president Rouhani: We will never develop nuclear weapons" NBC News / September 18, 2013 Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told NBC News on Wednesday that the country will never develop nuclear weapons and that he has the clout to make a deal with the West on the disputed atomic program.... View Source ›

"Pakistan fears abduction of nuclear scientist A Q Khan by US troops, ups his security" National Turk / September 19, 2013 Pakistan has increased security of its nuclear scientist and father of country’s nuclear programme Dr Abdul Qadir Khan fearing that he may be abducted or killed in a surprise raid by US elite troops.... View Source ›

"Following Agni 5 Success India Plans Longer-Range Missile" Global Security Newswire / September 18, 2013 Emboldened by Sunday's launch of the nuclear-capable Agni 5, Indian weapon designers are turning their focus to developing a next-generation missile with an initial range of 3,700 miles.... View Source ›

Sandeep Dikshit, J. Venkatesan, "Manmohan may carry nuclear liability dilution as gift for U.S. companies" The Hindu / September 19, 2013 Under sustained pressure from the Obama administration, the Manmohan Singh government is looking to use the opinion of the Attorney- General to effectively neutralise a key provision of India’s nuclear liability law that would hold American reactor suppliers liable in the event of an accident caused by faulty or defective equipment.... View Source ›

September 18, 2013

Jason Rezaian, "Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, endorses diplomacy over militarism" The Washington Post / September 17, 2013 Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Tuesday that his country should embrace diplomacy over militarism, saying it was time for “heroic leniency,” and signaled his embrace of international outreach efforts by new president Hassan Rouhani.... View Source ›

"Obama pledges to test Iran's willingness for dialogue" AFP / September 17, 2013 US President Barack Obama pledged Tuesday to test the sincerity of signs that new Iranian President Hassan Rowhani may be ready for a newly productive nuclear dialogue with the West.... View Source ›

Andrew Davis, "North Korea Willing to Work to Resume Nuclear Talks, China Says" Bloomberg / September 18, 2013 North Korea is willing to work with China to resume six-party talks aimed at curtailing its nuclear program, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said today.... View Source ›

"Iran sees 'opening' on nuclear diplomacy: official" Reuters / September 18, 2013 An Iranian official said on Wednesday that he saw an "opening" in Iran's nuclear dispute with the West, a news agency reported, in the latest signal that Tehran expects fresh movement to break a decade-old deadlock.... View Source ›

Frank Oliveri, "Ohio-Class Ballistic Submarine Remains Priority for Navy" Roll Call / September 18, 2013 The Navy views the Ohio-class replacement ballistic missile submarine as its top priority, indicating it would be prepared to slash other ship programs to build the 12 submarines it needs.... View Source ›

Hasan Ehtisham, "Is India’s nuclear arsenal safe?" The Express Tribune / September 18, 2013 It confuses me immensely as to why the mainstream media and Western governments are constantly generating a hype about the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal when they don’t seem concerned at all about the highly startling condition regarding the nuclear capabilities of India. Ever since the India-US nuclear deal has taken place, India has signed civil nuclear deals with more than half a dozen countries. Hence, the most precarious lie is advocated, that India has a strong track record of nuclear safety, to materialise these nuclear deals.... View Source ›

"The Lib Dems are wrong on nuclear power – the arguments don't add up" The Guardian / September 16, 2013 As Japan and much of the world rows back on nuclear power, why have the Lib Dems made a U-turn to support it?... View Source ›

September 17, 2013

Fredrik Dahl, "Iran 'to expand cooperation' with U.N. nuclear watchdog" Reuters / September 16, 2013 Iran's new atomic energy chief pledged increased cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog on Monday, delivering a conciliatory message ahead of talks between the two sides this month over Tehran's disputed atomic activities.... View Source ›

Jonathan Tirone & Kambiz Foroohar, "Iranian Offer of Deal on Nuclear Program Met by Doubts" Bloomberg / September 17, 2013 Iran’s offer to negotiate a deal on its suspected nuclear weapons program with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the five permanent United Nations Security Council members and Germany, is being met with skepticism.... View Source ›

Yeganeh Torbati, "U.S. Iran sanctions force closure of opposition leader's website" Reuters / September 16, 2013 A U.S. web-hosting company has shut the website of an Iranian opposition leader held under house arrest in Tehran to comply with U.S. sanctions, underscoring the unintended impacts of some of the curbs imposed on the Islamic Republic.... View Source ›

"Myanmar to grant U.N. nuclear watchdog wider access" Reuters / September 16, 2013 The U.N. nuclear watchdog will gain wider inspection powers in Myanmar under an agreement to be signed this week, in a further sign of the formerly army-ruled Asian state opening up to the outside world.... View Source ›

"India-Australia nuclear agreement back on track with government change in Australia" The Economic Times / September 17, 2013 The return of the Tony Abbott-led Conservatives to power in Australia has put back on fast-track the talks for the nuclear deal. ... View Source ›

"Nuclear envoys from N. Korea, China discuss resumption of six-party talks" Yonhap News Agency / September 17, 2013 Chief nuclear envoys from North Korea and China held talks in Beijing and shared "in-depth views" on ways to resume the six-party talks on ending the Norths' nuclear weapons program, China's foreign ministry said Tuesday.... View Source ›

Brian Winter, "Brazil cools on nuclear power plans; favors wind" Reuters / September 15, 2013 Brazil will probably scale down its plans for new nuclear plants due to safety concerns following the 2011 radiation leak in Japan and pick up some of the slack with a "revolution" in wind power, the head of the government's energy planning agency said.... View Source ›

Diane Barnes, "Conference on Disarmament Shuts Down for Year with No Deal in Sight" Global Security Newswire / September 16, 2013 A global arms-control forum on Friday wrapped up its work for the year stuck in political gridlock that has hampered it since the 1990s, despite high-profile concerns among member nations and observers that the body faces a slide into irrelevancy.... View Source ›