Exclusive: U.S. Making Plans for 'Bloody Nose’ Military Attack on North Korea
Ben Riley-Smith | Telegraph
America is drawing up plans for a “bloody nose” military attack on North Korea to stop its nuclear weapons programme, The Telegraph understands. The White House has “dramatically” stepped up preparation for a military solution in recent months amid fears diplomacy is not working, well-placed sources said.
North Korea Said to be Testing Anthrax-Tipped Ballistic Missiles
Yoshihiro Makino | Asahi Shimbun
North Korea has begun tests to load anthrax onto intercontinental ballistic missiles, according to an intelligence source here. The United States also has come to the same conclusion. The White House, in its new National Security Strategy issued Dec. 18, stated that North Korea is pursuing "nuclear, chemical and biological weapons that could threaten our homeland.”
Need for Reorganisation of NSG: U.S. Expert
Economic Times
A US expert has sought reorganisation in the NSG to maintain its effectiveness and credibility amidst the evolving global nuclear trade and a stalemate among the grouping's members over the entry of new participants like India and Pakistan. “A redesign of the regime may also be desirable or necessary should increasingly more states become suppliers and seek to participate in the NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group),” Mark Hibbs, a senior fellow on Nuclear Policy Programme at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said in a research paper.
Saudi Arabia Hopes to Start Nuclear Pact Talks With U.S. in Weeks - Minister
Rania El Gamal and Katie Paul | Reuters
Saudi Arabia aims to start talks with Washington within weeks on an agreement to allow U.S. firms to participate in its nascent civilian nuclear energy program, with the first tender expected in 2018, the kingdom’s energy minister said on Wednesday. Saudi Arabia is interested in reaching a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Washington, and Riyadh has invited U.S. firms to take part in developing the kingdom’s first atomic energy program.
Crackdown in Russia: Critics Accuse Nuclear Authorities of Soviet-Style Cover-Ups and Heavy-Handed Tactics
Marc Bennetts | Newsweek
When Russia’s FSB security service raided Fyodor Maryasov’s apartment in Siberia last year, the authorities seized his computer and a scathing report he had compiled about Rosatom, the Kremlin-owned nuclear corporation. Among other things, the authorities accused him of inciting hatred against nuclear industry employees, an unusual charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years behind bars. “They accused me of revealing state secrets in my report,” the 49-year-old environmental activist says. “But every single thing in it was taken from open sources.”
Japan’s Shinzo Abe Approves Ballistic Missile Defense Expansion
Franz-Stefan Gady | Diplomat
Japan is set to expand its ballistic missile defense capabilities with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet approving the procurement of two land-based Aegis Ashore missile defense systems on December 19, according to local media reports. The two Aegis Ashore batteries, the land-based variant of the Aegis combat system, will strengthen Japanese defenses against China’s and North Korea’s growing ballistic and cruise missile arsenals. The government plans to deploy the two batteries by 2023 but has yet to make a decision on the locations of the new missile defense systems.