Russia Suspends Plutonium Deal With U.S.
David Filipov | Washington Post
The U.S. side has been split between those who want to build a plant as a way to encourage the Russians, and those who believe it safer and cheaper to dilute the plutonium into less harmful material and dispose of it, said George Perkovich, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Putin’s move, Perkovich said, “is not a shock,” and reflects more of an opportunity for Moscow “to register political dissatisfaction” than a serious threat to nuclear non-proliferation, and is not as serious as concerns about the nuclear programs in North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan and India.
Is North Korea Building a New Submarine?
Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. | 38 North
Commercial satellite imagery strongly suggests that a naval construction program is underway at North Korea’s Sinpo South Shipyard, possibly to build a new submarine. While there is no direct evidence that the program is for a boat to carry the ballistic missile currently under development, the presence of an approximately 10-meter-in-diameter circular component outside the facility’s recently renovated fabrication hall may be intended as a construction-jig[1] or as a component for the pressure hull of a new submarine.
Why It’s Safe to Scrap America’s ICBMs
William J. Perry | New York Times
In recent years, Russia and the United States have started rebuilding their Cold War nuclear arsenals, putting the world on the threshold of a dangerous new arms race. But we don’t have to repeat the perilous drama of the 20th century. We can maintain our country’s strength and security and still do away with the worst of the Cold War
Nuclear Cash Cow Monju Now A Liability for Residents As Plant Faces Ax
Eric Johnston | Japan Times
In February 1983, Mayor Koichi Takagi of Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, spoke to residents in the town of Shiga, Ishikawa Prefecture, who were hoping the town would be chosen as the site for a new nuclear power plant.
The Lines That Have Been Crossed
Vipin Narang | Hindu
While strategic restraint vis-à-vis Pakistan may still persist as grand strategy, the predawn operation into PoK signals that the era of visibly ‘doing nothing’ militarily may be ending. As the dust settles following the so-called September 29 “surgical strike” which witnessed the publicly acknowledged employment of Indian special forces across the Line of Control (LoC) for the first time in over a decade, it is useful to take stock of the larger implications — what the operation does and does not mean for India’s broader strategic dynamic with Pakistan.
North, South Korea Trade Threats Over Pre-Emptive Strike
Fox News
Since North Korea's latest nuclear test, Pyongyang and Seoul have been openly trading threats of decapitation strikes and annihilating capitals populated by millions of civilians. And the talk of how each side might throw that first pre-emptive punch has become more detailed than ever.