Moon Promises to “Solidify” Denuclearization, Peace Economy by End of Term
Dagyum Ji | NK News
In a speech marking the 74th anniversary of the end of Japanese rule in Korea, Moon Jae-in reiterated Seoul’s goal of establishing peaceful economic cooperation with the North and completing the country’s liberation through the unification of the peninsula. “As we commemorate the Liberation Day today, I pledge to solidify denuclearization and peace regime on the Korean Peninsula during my term in office,” Moon told an audience at the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan. “I will initiate the peace economy upon this foundation and move toward unification.” Moon called on the two Koreas and the U.S. to resume working-level talks “at the earliest possible time,” saying the concerned parties are at a critical period. “This will probably constitute the most critical juncture in the entire process of achieving denuclearization and establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula,” the President said, warning that “making dialogue difficult by spoiling the mood or erecting barriers is by no means a desirable course of action.”
Gibraltar Releases Iranian Tanker Grace 1 Despite Last-Minute Effort by U.S. to Seize the Vessel
Yuliya Talmazan | NBC News
An Iranian oil tanker impounded in Gibraltar last month has been released, the government of the British overseas territory has confirmed, despite a last-minute effort by the U.S. government to seize the vessel. Grace 1 was detained last month in a British Royal Navy operation off of Gibraltar. It was suspected of violating European Union sanctions on oil shipments to Syria — an ally of Iran — and its seizure deepened international tensions in the Persian Gulf. Gibraltar’s chief minister Fabian Picardo said in a statement Thursday that he met with Iranian officials in London last month “in the spirit of seeking to de-escalate all aspects of the issues arising from the detention of Grace 1.” On Aug. 13, Picardo said he received a written assurance from Iran government that if released, the destination of Grace 1 would not be an entity that is subject to E.U. sanctions. “In light of the assurances we have received, there are no longer any reasonable grounds for the continued legal detention of the Grace 1,” he said. Earlier on Thursday, Gibraltar officials said the U.S. Department of Justice had applied to seize the vessel “on a number of allegations which are now being considered.”
Norway Finds Minor Radioactive Substances In Air Near Border to Russia
Atle Staalesen | Barents Observer
The measurement made in Svanhovd, an environmental center located near Norway’s border to Russia, shows “very small amounts of radioactive iodine”, the Norwegian Radiation Control Authority informs. The findings do not pose any threat to humans or the environment, the control authority underlines. The measurement was made in the period 9-12th August, the days following the accident in Nyonoksa, the weapons testing site near Arkhangelsk in northern Russia. The blast resulted in a 16 times hike in radiation levels in the nearby city of Severodvinsk. The Norwegian radiation control authorities do not however want to link the measurements in Svanhovd with the incident Nyonoksa. “At the current moment, it is not possible to determine whether or not the latest measurement is connected with the accident in Arkhangelsk last week,” the Norwegian radiation experts say.
Deploying New U.S. Missiles Would Be ‘Reckless Act’: North Korean Media
Josh Smith | Reuters
Any move by the United States to place new ground-launched, intermediate-range missiles in South Korea could spark a “new Cold War” and an escalating arms race in the region, North Korean state media said on Wednesday. U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper this month said he was in favor of placing ground-launched, intermediate-range missiles in Asia, a day after the United States withdrew from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty with Russia. “The U.S. pointed out that it is now examining a plan for deploying ground-to-ground medium-range missiles in the Asian region and South Korea has been singled out as a place for the deployment,” North Korea’s state news agency KCNA said. South Korea’s defense ministry has said there had been no discussion of placing American intermediate-range missiles in the country, and there were no plans to consider the idea.
Battle Emerges Over Nuclear Waste in America’s Oil Patch
Lauren Silva Laughlin | Wall Street Journal
A plan to build two big nuclear-waste storage facilities in the heart of the most important U.S. oil field is igniting a fight between frackers and the atomic-energy industry. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering proposals to put up to 210,000 tons of nuclear waste—including the most dangerous high-level waste—at two sites in the Permian Basin, the booming oil-and-gas producing region along the Texas-New Mexico border. The temporary facilities would be surrounded by fracking equipment—shale oil drillers that pump water and sand into the ground at high pressure to break apart rocks and free up oil and gas. One step in the fracking process can lead to earthquakes, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The NRC is reviewing the proposals and is expected to release results of preliminary environmental studies as early as March.
Russia’s Nuclear Weapons: Doctrine, Forces, and Modernization
Amy Woolf | Congressional Research Service
Russia’s nuclear forces consist of both long-range, strategic systems – including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and heavy bombers – and shorter- and medium-range delivery systems. Russia is modernizing its nuclear forces, replacing Soviet-era systems with new missiles, submarines and aircraft while developing new types of delivery systems. Although Russia’s number of nuclear weapons has declined sharply since the end of Cold War, it retains a stockpile of thousands of warheads, with more than 1,500 warheads deployed on missiles and bombers capable of reaching U.S. territory.