Vol.11 No 20 October 30, 2019 - Pugwash India 11 No 20... · Rao Tula Ram Marg, Near USI ,...

Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest1 Nuclear, Missile&

Space Digest

Indian Pugwash Society

No.1, Development Enclave,Rao Tula Ram Marg, Near USI , Delhi-110010

Email: [email protected]

Tel. No (91-11) 2671-7983 Fax No. (91-11)2615-4192

Volume 11, Number 20 A Fortnightly Newsletter from the Indian Pugwash Society October 30, 2019

Convenor

Amb. Sujan R. Chinoy

Executive Council

Cdr. (Dr.) Probal K. Ghosh

Air Marshal S. G. Inamdar(Retd.)

Dr. Roshan Khanijo

Amb. R. Rajagopalan

Dr. Rajesh Rajagopalan

Shri Dinesh KumarYadvendra

Contents

A. India

� India-Pakistan nuclear war could kill more than 100 million, study warns

� Second steam generator for Kudankulam Nuclear Plant Unit-4 shipped fromRussia

� Pak PM’s Nuclear Threat Is “Brinksmanship”: India Tells UN

� Honouring APJ Abdul Kalam, UN celebrates birthday of ‘People’s President’on 15 Oct as World Students Day

B. China

� China’s Yuanwang 3 sailing to Pacific Ocean for satellite monitoring missions

� Biggest Military Show In Decades

� China debuts most advanced ICBM DF-41 at parade

� National parade showcases nuclear-capable submarine-launched ballisticmissile JL-2

� China unveils new H-6N bomber with extended range, extra capabilities

� Chinese military commissions GJ-11 stealth attack drone

� China’s strategic deterrents on display

� Missiles, drones and tanks: China shows off military prowess

� China’s Ballyhooed New Hypersonic Missile Isn’t Exactly a Game-Changer

� Ambassador: Display of China’s strength not a threatening message

� China launches HD observation satellite

� FAST closely monitoring unknown repetitive fast radio burst

� J-15s have become navy’s ‘iron fist’

� China, Pakistan to advance military ties

� China calls for dialogue after DPRK-US nuclear talks broke down

� Int’l arms control, disarmament in jeopardy: Chinese envoy

� PLA air force eyes improving electronic warfare capabilities: spokesperson

� China-Russia missile defense cooperation needed

� Initial research on rocket ends successfully

Volume 11, Number 20 October 30, 20192

C. Pakistan

� AJK president warns worsening situation in disputed Kashmir could lead tonuclear

� Pakistan’s Imran Khan in Tehran to facilitate Iran-Saudi talks

� Welcome peace gesture by Pakistan, says President Rouhani alongside PM Imran

� Voting for BJP means nuking Pakistan: Indian minister

� Pakistan condemns Indian defence minister’s ‘provocative, highly irresponsible’statements

D. USA

� US confirms nuclear talks with North Korea to resume

� North Korea, U.S. to hold working-level talks at weekend - KCNA

� Republican lawmakers call for measures to spur new U.S. uranium mining

� Puerto Rico to begin nuclear feasibility study

� U.S. Energy Secretary Perry expected to announce resignation next month

� N Korea, US envoys to resume nuclear talks in Stockholm

� New techniques used in US legacy reactor decommissioning

� U.S. Nuclear Talks With North Korea Break Down in Hours

� Centrus completes Oak Ridge D&D contract

� NuScale highlights multiple applications of SMRs

� US Nuclear Weapons

E. Europe

� EU denounces North Korea missile, calls for fresh talks with U.S.

� France ‘extremely worried’ after North Korean missile test

� At U.N., Europeans urge North Korea to move toward giving up nuclear weapons,missile programs

� Arms firms fret over delays in Franco-German fighter project

� Germany bans exports of arms to Turkey

F. Russia

� Russia interested in exploring WPS but won’t meddle in PH-China sea row

� Russia’s Putin praises Donald Trump for North Korea talks

� Vladimir Putin says Russia is helping China build a missile early warning system

� Russia’s Putin says Iran’s missile programme should be treated separately to nuclearprogramme -Arabiya

� Moscow has done its homework: Russia will be least affected if US exit from INFtreaty brings back arms race, Putin says

� Russia’s Rosatom may purchase controlling stake in lithium project in Chile

West Asia

G. Iran

� Iran to cut nuclear deal commitments until it reaches ‘desired result’: supreme leader

� Rohani blames Trump for failed France bid to initiate contact

� Iran’s Rouhani says French plan for talks broadly is acceptable

� France gives one month to get Iran-U.S. to negotiating table

Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest3

� Iran nuclear deal can be saved by goodwill not sanctions: Slovakia’s IAEA hopeful says

� After pressing Iran for answers, IAEA reports improved cooperation

� Iran will use every possible way to export its oils-Shana

H. Turkey

� Erdogan’s Ambitions Go Beyond Syria. He Says He Wants Nuclear Weapons.

I. Saudi Arabia

� Workshop discussing feasibility studies on uranium production

� Russia ready to work with US to build Saudi nuclear power plant- Rosatom

J. Israel

� Israel should focus more on Iran’s Nuclear Weapons than on Hezbollah’s Missiles

� Israel to construct first waste to energy power plant

K. UAE

� UAE cooperating with Russia to buy Russian Nuclear Fuel, Minister

East Asia

L. North Korea

� North Korea blames U.S. for failure to restart talks

� North Korea may have tested submarine-launched ballistic missile: South Korea

� U.S. urges restraint after North Korea fires ballistic missile

� North Korea fires ballistic missile, possibly from submarine, days before talks

� Explainer: North Korea’s suspected submarine missile ‘pushes the envelope’

� A North Korean delegation has landed in Sweden for talks with U.S.: source

� U.N. Security Council likely to meet next week over North Korea missile launch:diplomats

� North Korea says it successfully tested new submarine-launched ballistic missile

� North Korea, U.S. envoys to resume high-stakes nuclear talks over weekend

� Japan PM seeks meet with North Korea’s Kim despite missile launch

� Pompeo says hopes for progress in talks with North Korea

� North Korea breaks off nuclear talks with U.S. in Sweden

� North Korea doubts U.S. will have alternative plans inside two weeks

� North Korea warns U.S., Europeans against raising its missile tests at U.N.

� North Korea warns on test freeze in denouncing European move at U.N.

� ‘N. Korea poses one of biggest ballistic missile threats to US’

� U.S. wants China to press North Korea to be more constructive in talks-Pentagonofficial

M. South Korea

� S. Korea paying close attention to US-NK nuke talks: ambassador

� Nuclear power plants ‘vulnerable to drone attacks’

� Seoul still preparing for Kim Jong-un’s Busan visit in November

� Nuclear plant operator remains vulnerable to cyberattack: lawmaker

� S. Korea’s top nuke envoy returns from US trip


� Navy seeking to secure nuclear-powered submarines for self-defense capabilities

� Moon takes cautious approach as ‘facilitator’

� S. Korea seeks Russia’s support for N. Korea’s denuclearization

N. Japan

� Lawyers appeal TEPCO acquittals over Fukushima nuclear disaster

� Robotic explorer to orbit Ryugu asteroid in final mission for Japan’s Hayabusa2

� Kyushu Electric to halt reactors over delay in anti-terror plans

� JAXA and NASA agree to collaborate more on lunar exploration

� Chairman, four execs resign at Kansai Electric over gift scandal

O. Miscelleanous

� The most experienced newcomer to nuclear power

� After PH inks nuclear energy deal with Russia, Duterte says it may be unconstitutional

� Brazil to restart uranium mining this year, minister tells newspaper

P. Op-Ed

India

� India- Pakistan nuclear war may kill up to 125 million people: Study

� India-Pakistan nuclear war could kill 125 million

� Where Trump and Modi Should Take U.S.-India Space Cooperation

� Study: a nuclear war between India and Pakistan could lead to a mini-nuclear winter

� During War Games, an Indian Diesel Submarine Sank a U.S. Nuclear Submarine

� In Mamallapuram, seeking the true north in ties

� A Nuclear War Between India and Pakistan Could Happen (And Would ChangeThe World)

� A War Between Pakistan And India Could Kill Billions (If It Went Nuclear)

China

� Missiles, drones and tanks: China shows off military prowess

� China’s Ballyhooed New Hypersonic Missile Isn’t Exactly a Game-Changer

� China’s military posturing during its National Day parade won’t win it any friends

� The role of the PLA in the new era

� China’s National Day parade highlights its commitment to peace

� A Partial North Korean Nuclear Agreement Is Better Than None at All

� Yes, North Korea Is Building Submarine-Launched Nuclear Missiles

Pakistan

� New York 2019: A watershed in Pakistan’s diplomatic history

� India’s thermonuclear bomb

� Imran Khan’s UN Speech Was Aimed at Helping Pakistan’s Army, Not the Kashmiris

� Potential aftermath of a nuclear war

� Internal strength of country that matters

USA

� Why Are U.S. Nuclear Bombs Still in Turkey?


Russia

� Did China’s Missiles Kill the INF Treaty with Russia? The Experts Don’t Agree.

� Russian strategic nuclear forces’ drills not aimed against third countries — top brass

� Russia Will Hold Major Test of Its Strategic Missile Forces

� The One Reason Why Russia Might Not Get Its Advanced Stealth Submarines

West Asia

Iran

� Are We Nearing a Stage Where Iran and Saudi Arabia Are Liable to Begin Negotiating

� It’s Time to Talk to Iran

Turkey

� Erdogan’s nuclear dream may be nightmare for US ties

� Turkey Shows Nuclear Weapons Interest

Syria

� Syria Israel Military Technology World Nuclear Weapons

Israel

� Israel May Have 300 Nuclear Weapons (Including Submarine-Launched Missiles) Apowerful, but unofficial, force.

East Asia

North Korea

� Product of political profiteers’ coalition

� Four contentious nuclear issues

� Missile for dialogue

� North Korea needs to back down for nuke talks to yield results: experts

� Why a Series of Small Nuclear Deals with North Korea Could Work

Japan

� Scandal shows nuclear power immune from proper oversight

Q. Think Tanks

India

� India Considers No-First-Use Changes

� Air Power: Theory and Practice

North Korea

� Denuclearising North Korea Through a Broader Security Framework

� Staying in Sync on North Korea’s Nuclear Program

UK

� Nuclear Energy in a Post-Brexit Europe

R. Miscellaneous

� Nuclear Hedging and Latency: History, Concepts, and Issues

� Partnerships are at the Core of Modern Deterrence

S. Interviews

� INSTEX has a limited scope: Finaud


India

India-Pakistan nuclear war could killmore than 100 million, study warns

South China Morning Post, October 3, 2019

The year is 2025 and militants have attackedIndia’s parliament, killing most of its leaders.New Delhi retaliates by sending tanks intothe part of Kashmir controlled by Pakistan.

Nuclear Armageddon would be only thebeginning. The research found that thefirestorms could release 16 million to 36million tonnes of soot (black carbon) into theupper atmosphere, spreading around theworld within weeks.

The soot in turn would absorb solarradiation, heating the air up and boostingthe smoke’s rise.

Sunlight reaching the Earth would decline20 to 35 per cent, cooling the surface by 2 to5 degrees Celsius and reducing precipitationby 15 to 30 per cent.

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3031358/nuclear-war-between-india-and-pakistan-would-kill-more-100

Second steam generator forKudankulam Nuclear Plant Unit-4shipped from Russia

The New Indian Express, October 4, 2019

The second steam generator for Unit 4 ofthe Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant hasbeen shipped from Russia to theconstruction site in Tamil Nadu, accordingto Russia’s Rosatom State Atomic EnergyCorporation.

The equipment will reach India using multi-modal transport from Volgodonsk by roadand water transport to Saint-Petersburgport, then by water transport through Balticand Mediterranean seas, Suez Canal, RedSea and the Indian Ocean. The length of theroute is 21,000 kilometres with complexlogistics.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2019/oct/04/second-steam-generator-for-kudankulam-nuclear-plant-unit-4-shipped-from-russia-2043161.html

Pak PM’s Nuclear Threat Is“Brinksmanship”: India Tells UN

NDTV, October 15, 2019

India has warned of the inherent dangersin “nuclear brinkmanship” pursued bycountries as a cover for cross-borderterrorism, days after Pakistan PrimeMinister Imran Khan drummed uphysteria over a possible nuclear war inSouth Asia, after New Delhi revoked thespecial status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Noting that the global security situation isin a flux, Ambassador Pankaj Sharma,Permanent Representative of India to theConference on Disarmament (CD), saidthat as a responsible nuclear power,India’s nuclear doctrine continues to stressa policy of credible minimum deterrencewith a posture of no-first use and non-useagainst non-nuclear weapon states.

He made the comments on Monday at theGeneral Debate of the First Committee,which deals with disarmament, globalchallenges and threats to peace that affectthe international community.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/imran-khan-pakistan-prime-minister-nuclear-threat-does-not-qualify-as-statesmanship-pankaj-sharma-a-2117111

Honouring APJ Abdul Kalam, UNcelebrates birthday of ‘People’sPresident’ on 15 Oct as WorldStudents Day

Firstpost, October 15, 2019

To honour and mark the importance ofIndia’s 11th President APJ Abdul Kalam,in 2010 the United Nations declared hisbirthday on 15 October to be celebratedas World Students Day.

With a background in aerospaceengineering, Kalam came to be known asthe ‘Missile Man of India’ for his work onPokhran-II nuclear tests, a series of fivenuclear bomb test explosions conducted byIndia in 1998.

https://www.firstpost.com/india/honouring-apj-abdul-kalam-un-celebrates-birthday-of-peoples-president-on-15-oct-as-world-students-day-7499681.html


China

China’s Yuanwang 3 sailing toPacific Ocean for satellitemonitoring missions

Xinhua, October 1, 2019

China’s spacecraft tracking ship Yuanwang3 is sailing to the Pacific Ocean to carry outmaritime monitoring missions for the BeiDou3 and other satellites. The ship departedSunday from a port in East China’s Jiangsuprovince. It is the third voyage of the shipthis year. Before the voyage, crew memberscompleted preparation of supplies, carriedout examinations and tests of the facilitiesand received tailored training to ensure thesuccess of the missions.

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201909/30/WS5d91aab7a310cf3e3556e61c.html

Biggest Military Show In Decades

Zhao Lei, China Daily, October 1, 2019

China is poised to stage a grand militaryparade in Beijing on Tuesday to celebratethe 70th anniversary of New China’sfounding. The event will be the country’s15th National Day parade and the largestof its kind in more than six decades. About15,000 officers and soldiers from the People’sLiberation Army, People’s Armed PoliceForce, the reserve services and the militia willparticipate in the parade. Fifteen units ofsoldiers will march down Chang’an Avenue.

A total of 580 pieces of weaponry andmilitary hardware from 32 units willshowcase the nation’s prowess in land andsea combat, air and missile defense,information operations, unmanned tasks,logistics support and strategic strikes.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2019-10/01/content_37513462.htm

China debuts most advanced ICBMDF-41 at parade

Yang Sheng and Liu Xuanzun, Global Times,October 1, 2019

China’s most advanced intercontinentalballistic missile (ICBM), the DF-41, made its

debut at the National Day parade inBeijing on Tuesday, which Chinesemilitary experts said is a message to theworld that China has sufficient andreliable strategic nuclear power to respondto any “nuclear blackmail” from anycountry.

16 transporter erector launchers of the DF-41 missile were inspected during theparade in Tiananmen Square on Tuesday.A DF-41 missile has an operational rangeof more than 14, 000 kilometers and cancarry about 10 independently targetablenuclear warheads, capable of hittinganywhere on Earth, according to the USthink tank Center for Strategic andInternational Studies, and this wouldmake DF-41 the world’s longest rangemissile, surpassing the range of the USLGM-30 Minuteman which has a reportedrange of 13,000 kilometers. YangChengjun, a Chinese expert on missiletechnology and nuclear strategy and chiefscientist of quantum defense, told theGlobal Times that the DF-41 is Chinesefourth-generation strategic nuclearweapon and has the longest operationalrange among all Chinese ICBMs.”ThisICBM’s research and development wasvery successful, and its technology is verymature. During testing, there was nofailure record,” Yang noted.

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1165931.shtml

National parade showcasesnuclear-capable submarine-launched ballistic missile JL-2

Yang Sheng and Liu Xuanzun, GlobalTimes, October 1, 2019

China showcased its JL-2 nuclear-capablesubmarine-launched ballistic missiles(SLBM) for the first time during theNational Day parade in Beijing onTuesday. The JL-2 is a mature SLBM, andis actually the submarine-launched typeof DF-31, and the next generation JL-3 isundergoing research and development, aChinese missile expert said. Twelve JL-2missiles were carried by trucks andreviewed at Tiananmen Square along with


the other advanced weapons and equipmentof China in active service.

Yang Chengjun, a Chinese expert on missiletechnology and nuclear strategy and chiefscientist of quantum defense, told the GlobalTimes that the JL-2 is a submarine-launchedversion of the DF-31, an advancedintercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), andit’s a very mature missile already deployedin the People’s Liberation Army Navy. “Yang said that the JL-3 is actually thesubmarine-launched version of the DF-41,the most advanced ICBM, which also madeits debut at the parade, and is undergoingresearch and development.

China’s Type 094 nuclear-poweredsubmarine is able to carry JL-2 missiles,Reuters reported. Equipped with themissiles, the Type 094 submarines representChina’s first credible, sea-based nucleardeterrent, the US Department of Defensesaid in a report released in August 2018.


China unveils new H-6N bomberwith extended range, extracapabilities

Yang Sheng and Liu Xuanzun, Global Times,October 1, 2019

China’s latest bomber, the H-6N withrefueling capability, made its debut at theNational Day parade in Beijing on Tuesday,and Chinese military analysts said that thenew bomber’s ability to take aerial refuelingcan give it a much longer operational rangecompared to its predecessor H-6K. Three H-6N bombers flew above Tiananmen Squareduring the parade. The new H-6N withrefueling capability is believed to be the latestentry to the H-6 bomber family, with manyimprovements made to its predecessor H-6K, including an in-flight fuel-receivingprobe on the nose of the aircraft, militaryobservers said.

This probe will allow the H-6N withrefueling capability to conduct aerialrefueling, significantly extending itsoperational range and expanding weaponsload, Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military

analyst, told the Global Times. The H-6Nwith refueling capability is capable oflaunching more powerful missiles, YangChengjun, a Chinese missile expert andquantum defense scientist, told the GlobalTimes.


Chinese military commissions GJ-11 stealth attack drone

Yang Sheng and Liu Xuanzun, GlobalTimes, October 1, 2019

The Gongji-11 (GJ-11) stealth attack drone,capable of attacking strategic targetswithout being detected, was showcased atTuesday’s National Day parade,indicating it is in active Chinese militaryservice. Boasting a flying wingaerodynamic design similar to the US B-2strategic bomber, the GJ-11 was displayedat the parade in Beijing for the first time.All weapons on display at the parade arein active service, said Major General TanMin, Executive Deputy Director of theMilitary Parade Joint Command Office, ata press conference last week prior to theparade. The drone is believed to havestrong stealth capability, enabling it tosneak deep into enemy territory andlaunch strikes with weapons hidden in itsweapons bay on key hostile targets,military analysts said.


China’s strategic deterrents ondisplay

Zhao Lei, China Daily , October 2, 2019

China unveiled some of its most secret andmightiest missiles at the grand parade inBeijing on Tuesday, with experts sayingthe move was intended to display theprowess of the nation’s strategic deterrent.DF-41 missile formation is reviewed duringthe National Day military parade. Sixtypes of ballistic missiles featured in theceremony at central Beijing’s Tian’anmenSquare that marked the 70th anniversaryof the founding of the People’s Republic


of China. They were the DF-17 medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile, the DF-26intermediate-range ballistic missile, the JL-2submarine-launched intercontinentalballistic missile, and the DF-31AG, DF-5Band DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles.Five of them can carry nuclear warheads,representing an unprecedented disclosure ofChina’s nuclear force. In previous paradesno more than four types of nuclear-capablemissiles were displayed. Among theshowcased missiles, the DF-41, DF-17 andJL-2 had never been formally shown to thepublic and their existence had never beenofficially confirmed by the People’sLiberation Army.

They had long been the subjects of intenseattention or speculation from militaryanalysts and weapons fans around theworld. Carried by a gigantic, 16-wheellaunch vehicle, the road-mobile, solid-propellant DF-41 appeared at the end of thestrategic strike group moving alongChang’an Avenue, indicating its importancein the Chinese military’s arsenal. It was thelargest land-based weapon showed at theparade. Military observers widely considerthe DF-41 to be one of the most advancedand lethal weapons on the planet. Only threecountries the United States, Russia and China

possess such destructive hardware, regarded as

the ultimate strategic deterrent.

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201910/02/WS5d93e15aa310cf3e3556e8f6_5.html

Missiles, drones and tanks: Chinashows off military prowess

Saudi Gazette, October 1, 2019

China put its growing military might on fulldisplay Tuesday with a parade of newballistic missiles, supersonic drones andnext-generation battlefield tanks thathighlighted Beijing’s accelerating race tomatch the firepower of its US rival.

The tightly choreographed procession acrossTiananmen Square underscored a level ofmaterial and technological innovation thatis increasingly viewed by many as a threatto US dominance in the Asia-Pacific regionand beyond.

President Xi Jinping, who reviewed thetroops before the parade marking 70 yearsof Communist Party rule, has pushed forthe People’s Liberation Army to become a“world-class” military by mid-century.

China’s rapid military modernizationcomes as it faces rising diplomatic tensionswith the United States, with Washingtonworried about Beijing’s territorial claimsin the South China Sea and its ambitionsto reunify self-governed Taiwan with themainland.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/578680/World/Asia/Missiles-drones-and-tanks-China-shows-off-military-prowess

China’s Ballyhooed NewHypersonic Missile Isn’t Exactly aGame-Changer

James M. Acton, Washington Post,October 4, 2019

In the show of military might Tuesday tocelebrate the 70th anniversary of thePeople’s Republic of China, one of thehighlights among the weapons trundlingthrough Tiananmen Square in Beijing wasa hypersonic boost-glide missile. Theexhibition of 16 DF-17 missiles (or possiblymodels of the real thing), displayed inpublic for the first time, will probably addto disquiet in the United States about agrowing military imbalance, but thatunease should be tempered by a fewpractical considerations.

For the past few years, scientists, Pentagonofficials and uniformed militaryleaders have warned about China’sapparent lead in hypersonic technology,which they often describe as a “gamechanger.” Over the long term, hypersonicmissiles could indeed provide China (andRussia, too) with a uniquely threateningcapability, but there is time for aconsidered response: The DF-17 and itsimmediate successors are unlikely to addmuch, if anything, to China’s alreadyimpressive military forces. To be sure, theDF-17 is a powerful weapon, even armedwith a conventional warhead, as it will be,according to the parade announcer in


Beijing. The missile consists of a rocket thatlaunches a glider, presumably at more thanfive times the speed of sound.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/10/04/chinas-ballyhooed-new-hypersonic-missile-isnt-exactly-game-changer/

Ambassador: Display of China’sstrength not a threatening message

China Military Online, October 5, 2019

Chinese ambassador to the UK LiuXiaoming said Beijing would continue tofollow the path of peaceful developmentafter a massive military parade in Beijingmarking the PRC’s founding anniversary,dismissing allegations of so-called Chinathreats.

Marking the 70th anniversary of thefounding of the People’s Republic of China,the country showcased its military mightand development achievements in theNational Day parade on October 1, showingthe world some of its “state-of-the-art”weaponry including the DF-17 conventionalmissiles, DF-100 cruise missiles, and DF-41intercontinental strategic nuclear missile.Sitting in the “Sky News Night” programon Tuesday, Liu said the world doesn’t needto feel threatened at all. Liu said: “China willcontinue to follow the path of peacefuldevelopment, and we would like to sharethe opportunities of China’s developmentwith the rest of the world.” When askedwhat China wants for the next 70 years, Liusaid: “China has no intention to dominatethe world.” He said China’s priority is toconsolidate its achievements and to resolvedomestic challenges, not to make othercountries and their people suffer the invasionand aggression as Chinese people did in theearly 20th century. Speaking of the ongoingchaos in Hong Kong, Liu said the centralgovernment is not to crackdown on protestsin the city. Hong Kong has seen months ofviolence. Such acts have severely challengedthe bottom line of “One Country, TwoSystems” and the rule of law, theambassador said.

http://english.chinamil.com.cn/view/2019-10/05/content_9643832.htm

China launches HD observationsatellite


China sent its observation satellite intospace from the Taiyuan Satellite LaunchCenter in north China’s Shanxi Provinceat 2:51 a.m. Saturday (Beijing Time). Thesatellite, Gaofen-10, was launched aboarda Long March-4C rocket and entered theplanned orbit successfully. It was the 314thflight mission of the Long March carrierrocket series. As part of the country’s high-definition Earth observation project, themicrowave remote sensing satellite iscapable of providing photographs with aresolution of less than a meter. Gaofen-10will be used in land survey, urbanplanning, road network design, crop yieldestimate, as well as disaster relief. It canalso serve key national strategies such asthe Belt and Road Initiative. The satelliteand the carrier rocket were bothdeveloped by the Shanghai Academy ofSpaceflight Technology under the ChinaAerospace Science and TechnologyCorporation.

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-10/05/c_138448867.htm

FAST closely monitoring unknownrepetitive fast radio burst


Chinese scientists are paying closeattention to a repeating fast radio burst bymaking follow-up observations during thecountry’s National Day holiday. Scientistsare not sure yet what kind of celestial bodyit comes from, nor do they know itsdistance from us, said Qian Lei, associateresearcher at the National AstronomicalObservatories of the Chinese Academy ofSciences. The repetitive burst, code-namedFRB121102, was first discovered inSeptember when researchers processeddaily cosmic radio signal data received bythe Five-hundred-meter ApertureSpherical Radio Telescope (FAST), alsodubbed as the “China Sky Eye.”

Rapid bursts are usually short and intense,far less numerous than pulsars, and such


a repetitive burst is even less common,according to Qian, also head of the “ChinaSky Eye” observation program. “We hopeto find out the nature and potential laws ofthe repeating fast radio burst by studyingits pulses statistically,” he said. Chinesescientists believe more detection and researchmay help clarify the origins and physicalmechanisms of the so-called “mysterioussignals from deep space.”


J-15s have become navy’s ‘iron fist’

Zhang Zhihao, China Daily, October 8, 2019

Zhang’s confidence may sound typical ofany military veteran, but China’s ace pilotsgo through regular life-threatening trialsand tribulations to obtain that level of self-assurance. When landing a jet on theground, the aircraft typically deceleratesand touches down on a runway severalkilometers long. However, carrier-basedaircraft must accelerate when landing on amoving carrier with a runway less than 300meters long. The added speed is meant tomaintain the jet’s momentum in case its tailhook fails to snare any arresting wires andit needs to take off for another landingattempt. As a result, landing on a carrieroften gives pilots a sense of crashing onpurpose.

Moreover, carrier-based aircraft take off andland on the open sea, where weatherconditions can be unpredictable. Theaccident risk faced by carrier-based pilots isfive times greater than that of astronauts,and 20 times higher than conventionalpilots. Zhang said that because of the highrisk, J-15 pilots were often dubbed “bladedancers”.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201910/08/WS5d9be4eaa310cf3e3556f09f_2.html

China, Pakistan to advance militaryties


Xu Qiliang, vice chairman of the CentralMilitary Commission, said Tuesday that

China is willing to keep advancing the tiesbetween China and Pakistan and theirmilitaries. Xu made the remarks whenmeeting with Pakistan’s Chief of ArmyStaff Qamar Javed Bajwa in Beijing. Thefriendship between the two countries hasweathered the changing internationallandscape and stayed rock-solid, he said.China is willing to implement theimportant consensus reached by theleaders of the two countries, strengthenpragmatic cooperation with Pakistan invarious fields and deal with risks andchallenges together with Pakistan,according to Xu.

Bajwa delivered his congratulations on the70th anniversary of the founding of thePeople’s Republic of China, and said thePakistani military is willing to strengthenstrategic communication and pragmaticcooperation with the Chinese military, soas to make contributions to safeguardingregional peace and stability.


China calls for dialogue afterDPRK-US nuclear talks broke down


China once again calls for dialogue andpolitical consultation, stressing that it is theonly feasible solution to Korean Peninsulanuclear issues, after nuclear talks betweenthe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea(DPRK) and the United States broke downin Sweden on Saturday. Geng Shuang,spokesperson for Chinese Foreign Ministrymade the remarks at a press conferenceon Tuesday. China hopes the DPRK andthe USto maintain communication andstay committed to promotingdenuclearization progress, said Geng,calling on the two sides to meet each otherhalfway.



Int’l arms control, disarmament injeopardy: Chinese envoy

Global Times, October 13, 2019

A Chinese envoy warned on Friday thatinternational arms control and disarmamenthas come to a crucial crossroads with a seriesof significant challenges. Speaking at aplenary meeting of the First Committee ofthe UN General Assembly, Fu Cong, headof the Department of Arms Control of theChinese Foreign Ministry, said the world isencountering changes unseen in a centuryand the international security situation hasbecome increasingly complicated andunsettling. The United States, in itsdesperate attempt to gain securitysupremacy over others, continuously lowersthe threshold for the use of nuclear weapons,and turns outer space and cyberspace intonew battlegrounds, said Fu. “Such acts haveseverely undermined global strategic stabilityand increased the risk of a nuclear war.”

“Withdrawalism” of the United States isrunning rampant, he said. As the UnitedStates scrapped the Intermediate-RangeNuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, and the futureof New START, the nuclear arms reductiontreaty between the United States and Russia,remains uncertain, the international securitysituation is plagued with unprecedenteduncertainties, he said. Breach ofcommitments and abuse of maximumpressure by the United States are constantlyescalating the Iran nuclear issue, andpushing the security situation in the MiddleEast to a breaking point, he said. The dualeffects of technological development areincreasingly prominent. The militaryapplication of new and advancedtechnologies is having a profound impact onglobal security, giving rise to ethical and legalconcerns, he said. Fu asked member statesto firmly uphold multilateralism, maintainand further develop the multilateral armscontrol system.


PLA air force eyes improvingelectronic warfare capabilities:spokesperson


The Chinese People’s Liberation Army(PLA) air force has introduced a newcombat exercise featuring theimprovement of electronic warfarecapabilities, a spokesperson said hereSunday. Electronic warfare aircraft servedas important parts of the support aircraftformation in a military parade on Oct. 1,marking the 70th founding anniversary ofthe People’s Republic of China, said ShenJinke, a spokesperson for the PLA air force.Shen added that the new exercise, togetherwith four other air force exercise series,will comprehensively improve the combatcapabilities of the PLA air force.


China-Russia missile defensecooperation needed

Yang Yucai, Global Times, October 14,2019

Russian President Vladimir Putin onOctober 3 spoke of helping “Chinesepartners create a missile attack warningsystem” at the final plenary session of the16th meeting of the Valdai InternationalDiscussion Club in Sochi, Russia. The “bigsecret” has drawn attention ofinternational media due to not only theway Putin revealed it but also the contextin which it was revealed. Putin said thesystem is very important and “willdrastically increase China’s defensecapability.” Putin’s words, which carrythe weight of credibility, show Russianconfidence in its military technology andstrategic capability.



Initial research on rocket endssuccessfully

Zhao Lei, China Daily, October 15, 2019

Report says spacecraft carrier will be bigger,stronger than Long March 5 The preliminaryresearch on China’s new generation ofmanned spacecraft-carrying rocket hasconcluded successfully, paving the way forthe program’s next steps, according to ChinaSpace News, the flagship newspaper in thecountry’s space industry. The newspaperreported recently that the research resultswere reviewed and approved onWednesday by the China Manned SpaceAgency, which governs the nation’s mannedspace activities. Experts from the agencysaid the results will be adopted in theresearch and development of the new carrierrocket, which has yet to be named.

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201910/15/WS5da51d41a310cf3e355707a9.html

Pakistan

AJK president warns worseningsituation in disputed Kashmir couldlead to nuclear war

Pakistan Today, October 1, 2019

Azad Kashmir President Masood Khan haswarned that a deteriorating securitysituation in the disputed Kashmir region hadthe potential to escalate into a nuclearconflict between India and Pakistan, andurged the U.N. and the world communityto deal with the crisis.

In an interview with Nesweek, a leadingAmerican weekly magazine, he describedthe situation at the Line-of-Control (LoC) as“volatile.”

“We have beefed up security, we remainvigilant,” Masood Khan said, arguing that“India with its aggressive and aggravatingsteps has pushed the region to the brink ofwar.”

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2019/10/01/ajk-president-warns-worsening-situation-in-disputed-kashmir-could-lead-to-nuclear-war/

Pakistan’s Imran Khan in Tehranto facilitate Iran-Saudi talks

Aljazeera, October 13, 2019

Imran Khan and Hassan Rouhani haveheld talks in the Iranian capital, Tehran,as part of a Pakistani initiative to defuserising tensions in the Gulf and mediatebetween regional foes, Iran and SaudiArabia.

Khan, Pakistan’s prime minister, arrivedin Tehran on Sunday - the first leg of atour that also includes a stop in SaudiArabia.

“The reason for this trip is that we do notwant a conflict between Saud Arabia andIran,” Khan told reporters as he stoodalongside the Iranian president.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/pakistan-imran-khan-tehran-facilitate-iran-saudi-talks-191013144217969.html

Welcome peace gesture byPakistan, says President Rouhanialongside PM Imran

Sanaullah Khan, Dawn, October 13, 2019

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sundaymet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani inTehran during his one-day official trip,with both the leaders emphasising on theneed for peace in the region.

“I told Prime Minster Imran we welcomeany gesture by Pakistan for peace in theregion and appreciate his visit to ourcountry,” said Rouhani at a joint pressconference with the premier.

“Regional issues have to be resolvedthrough regional means and dialogue. Wealso emphasised that any goodwill gesturewill be responded with a goodwill gestureand good words,” said the Iranianpresident.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1510619


Voting for BJP means nukingPakistan: Indian minister

The Express Tribune, October 14, 2019

Deputy Chief Minister of India’s UttarPradesh state Prasad Maurya has said thatvoting for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) means “dropping a nuclear bomb onPakistan”.

He was addressing a public gathering insupport of BJP candidate Narendra Mehtain Maharashtra’s Thane district on Sunday.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2079332/9-voting-bjp-means-nuking-pakistan-indian-minister/

Pakistan condemns Indian defenceminister’s ‘provocative, highlyirresponsible’ statements

Naveed Siddiqui, Dawn, October 15, 2019

Pakistan on Tuesday condemned recentstatements made by Indian Defence MinisterRajnath Singh during election rallies inHaryana, calling them “provocative andhighly irresponsible”.

“Statements from a senior Minister in theIndian government provide another insightinto the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) mindset— a mix of extremist ideology, hegemonicambitions, and obsession with Pakistan,”read a statement issued by office of theForeign Office spokesperson.

“It is highly irresponsible of the Indiandefence minister to be threatening thesplitting of a sovereign country. We are surethat the world community would takecognizance. For his part, Mr Rajnath Singhshould have no doubt that the security forcesand people of Pakistan remain ready toresolutely defend the country against anyevil design,” added the statement.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1510979/pakistan-condemns-indian-defence-ministers-provocative-highly-irresponsible-statements

USA

US confirms nuclear talks withNorth Korea to resume

Morgan Ortagus, The Tribune, October 1,2019

The United States confirmed on Tuesdaythat it will resume nuclear talks withNorth Korea in a matter of days.

“I can confirm that US and DPRK officialsplan to meet within the next week,” StateDepartment spokeswoman MorganOrtagus said. She said she had no furtherdetails on the meeting.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/us-confirms-nuclear-talks-with-north-korea-to-resume/841062.html

North Korea, U.S. to hold working-level talks at weekend - KCNA

Joyce Lee, Reuters, October 1, 2019

North Korea and the United States haveagreed to hold working-level talks on Oct.5, North Korea’s state news agency KCNAsaid on Tuesday, a development thatwould break months of stalemate since afailed summit in February.

Talks aimed at dismantling North Korea’snuclear and missile programmes havebeen stalled in a holding pattern since thesecond summit between U.S. PresidentDonald Trump and North Korean leaderKim Jong Un in Vietnam ended without adeal.

https://in.reuters.com/article/uk-northkorea-usa/north-korea-u-s-to-hold-working-level-talks-at-weekend-kcna-idINKBN1WG3FY

Republican lawmakers call formeasures to spur new U.S.uranium mining

Valerie Volcovici, Reuters, October 2, 2019

Republican U.S. lawmakers this weekurged President Donald Trump’sadministration to ease restrictions onuranium mining on federal lands, as aCabinet-level committee prepares


recommendations this month for boostingdomestic nuclear fuel production.

“We strongly encourage you to makeimproved access to federal lands with high-grade uranium deposits a top priority,”according to the Sept. 30 letter from 27Western state Republican senators andCongress members to Trump’s nationalsecurity and economic advisers RichardO’Brien and Larry Kudlow, both co-chairson the uranium mining working group.

“Greater access to our own resources willhelp put Americans to work exploring forand responsibly producing the uranium thatour country needs,” wrote the lawmakersfrom the western states from Alaska to Utah.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-uranium/republican-lawmakers-call-for-measures-to-spur-new-u-s-uranium-mining-idUSKBN1WG4U2

Puerto Rico to begin nuclearfeasibility study

World Nuclear News, October 3, 2019

The Nuclear Alternative Project (NAP),founded in 2016 by Puerto Rican engineersin the US nuclear industry to inform andadvocate for SMRs and microreactors inPuerto Rico, proposed the study to the DOEOffice of Nuclear Energy, to evaluate theeconomic, safety and social impact ofdeploying microreactors and SMRs for theisland. It has announced it will officiallybegin the study on 8 October, having nowreceved receipt of a “notice to proceed” fromthe US DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory.

“It’s been quite a journey up to this moment- connecting with communities in PuertoRico to understand needs and aspirations,engaging with policy makers and leadership,gathering support from the US nuclearindustry, and mobilising Puerto Ricanengineers with a desire to transform theisland’s energy infrastructure,” NAP said.

According to Morning Consult, the projectteam, which is led by NAP and consistingprimarily of lawyers and consultants in theenergy sector, is to receive USD820,000toward the first phase of the study, whichis to be completed by 18 December. The

group had initially planned to perform thefeasibility study in a single phase over anine-month period, NAP’s communityimpact and engagement consultant JesabelRivera said. The first phase of the studywill inform the final piece of the study nextyear. Rivera said the final part wouldexplore further specifics related to sitecharacteristics and the management andlogistics of a nuclear project on the island.

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Puerto-Rico-to-begin-nuclear-feasibility-study

U.S. Energy Secretary Perryexpected to announce resignationnext month

Timothy Gardner, Reuters, October 4, 2019

U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry isexpected to announce his resignation inNovember, Politico reported on Thursday,citing three unidentified people familiarwith his plans.

A spokeswoman for the EnergyDepartment said Perry remains a “proudmember” of President Donald Trump’sCabinet, in a statement that stopped shortof denying the Politico report.

“While the beltway media has breathlesslyreported on rumors of Secretary Perry’sdeparture for months, he is still theSecretary of Energy,” spokeswomanShaylyn Hynes said in a statement. “Oneday the media will be right. Today is notthat day.”

https://in.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-energy-perry/u-s-energy-secretary-perry-expected-to-announce-resignation-next-month-politico-idINKBN1WJ04P

N Korea, US envoys to resumenuclear talks in Stockholm

Aljazeera, October 4, 2019

Negotiators from the UnitedStates and North Korea are due to resumetalks over Pyongyang’s nuclearprogramme this weekend in Stockholm,but it is far from clear if the two sides willfind common ground after months ofdeadlock and increased tensions.


The meeting in Stockholm will be the firstformal working-level talks since USPresident Donald Trump and North Koreanleader Kim Jong Un met in June, vowing torestart negotiations that had stalled aftertheir failed summit in February.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/korea-envoys-resume-nuclear-talks-stockholm-191004033536551.html

New techniques used in US legacyreactor decommissioning


US Department of Energy Office ofEnvironmental Management (EM)contractors have used new techniques,including the use of a diamond wire saw, ina collaborative effort to demolish a legacyresearch reactor at the Idaho NationalLaboratory (INL).

US Department of Energy Office ofEnvironmental Management (EM)contractors have used new techniques,including the use of a diamond wire saw, ina collaborative effort to demolish a legacyresearch reactor at the Idaho NationalLaboratory (INL).

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Innovative-approach-used-in-US-legacy-reactor-deco

U.S. Nuclear Talks With NorthKorea Break Down in Hours

David E. Sanger, The New York Post,October 5, 2019

The first negotiations in eight monthsbetween the Trump administration andNorth Korea aimed at breaking the logjamover dismantling the North’s nuclearprogram broke down only hours after theybegan in Stockholm on Saturday, the NorthKoreans said.

It was the latest indication that PresidentTrump’s signature diplomatic initiative hasstalled.

“The negotiation did not live up to ourexpectations and broke down,” the chiefNorth Korean negotiator, Kim Myong-gil,

said, according to Yonhap, the SouthKorean news agency. Mr. Kim added thatthe United States had arrived “empty-handed” and had “not discarded its oldstance and attitude.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/05/us/politics/trump-north-korea-nuclear.html

Centrus completes Oak RidgeD&D contract


Centrus Energy Corp has completeddecontamination and decommissioning(D&D) of the US Department of Energy’s(DOE’s) K-1600 facility in Oak Ridge,Tennessee, one year after being awardedthe contract to prepare the facility fordemolition. K-1600 is one of the lastremaining legacy structures on the EastTennessee Technology Park site.

Centrus had since 2002 leased K-1600from DOE to test and demonstrate itsAmerican Centrifuge uranium enrichmenttechnology, while carrying out centrifugemanufacturing, engineering, and design atits own Technology and ManufacturingCenter (TMC) - a former Boeing plant - insouth Oak Ridge. The state of Tennesseein 2018 issued a licence to Centrus to allowfor future testing activities to take place atTMC, enabling the company to consolidateits future centrifuge development effortsat a single facility and removing the needfor it to continue using K-1600.

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Centrus-completes-Oak-Ridge-D-D-contract

NuScale highlights multipleapplications of SMRs


Nuclear power can play a major role inreducing carbon emissions beyondelectricity supply to include the industrialand transportation sectors, a fact that isleading to interest in integrated energysystems (IES), José Reyes, chief technologyofficer at NuScale Power, said yesterday.Reyes, who is co-designer of NuScale’spassively-cooled small modular reactor(SMR), spoke at the International


Conference on Climate Change and the Roleof Nuclear Power being held this week atthe International Atomic Energy Agency’sheadquarters in Vienna.

NuScale has conducted studies into the useof its SMR design for flexible poweroperations, hydrogen production, processheat and power for oil refineries, and waterdesalination. Its technology is so far the firstand only SMR undergoing the US regulatoryprocess. Reyes provided the conference witha paper summarising the results of thesestudies.

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/NuScale-highlights-multiple-applications-of-SMRs

US Nuclear Weapons

Union of Concerned Scientists. October 2019

The United States tested the first atomicdevice in July of 1945. Seven years later, itexploded the first thermonuclear weapon—designed in part by Richard Garwin, whonow serves on the board of the Union ofConcerned Scientists.

In the following years, the United Statesamassed many thousands of nuclearweapons, each capable of immensedestruction. At the height of the Cold War,the United States maintained roughly 30,000nuclear bombs and warheads, though thetotal number of weapons has fallen, thanksin part to US-Soviet and US-Russian treatiesand agreements.

https://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear-weapons/us-weapons

Europe

EU denounces North Korea missile,calls for fresh talks with U.S.

Reuters, October 2, 2019

The European Union denounced onWednesday North Korea’s decision to fire aballistic missile off its east coast as “yetanother provocative action” and called forfresh talks between Washington andPyongyang. “We look forward to theresumption of working-level talks betweenthe US and the DPRK and stand ready to

support all international efforts for findinga diplomatic solution leading to lastingpeace and security on the KoreanPeninsula,” the EU said in a statement,referring to North Korea.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-eu/eu-denounces-north-korea-missile-calls-for-fresh-talks-with-u-s-idUSKBN1WH167

France ‘extremely worried’ afterNorth Korean missile test


Reports of new North Korean ballisticmissile launches are “extremelyworrying”, France’s Foreign Affairsministry said on Wednesday. “Such an actcannot contribute to serious negotiations,”a spokeswoman for the ministry addedafter North Korea fired what may havebeen a submarine-launched ballistic missilefrom off its east coast, a day after itannounced the resumption of talks withthe United States on ending its nuclearprogram.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missile-france/france-extremely-worried-after-north-korean-missile-test-idUSKBN1WH1UE

At U.N., Europeans urge NorthKorea to move toward giving upnuclear weapons, missileprograms

Michelle Nichols, Reuters, October 8, 2019

The five European members of the UnitedNations Security Council urged NorthKorea on Tuesday “to take concrete steps”toward giving up it nuclear weapons andballistic missile programs in a complete,verifiable and irreversible manner. Theenvoys issued a joint statement followinga closed-door meeting of the 15-membercouncil on North Korea after Pyongyangsaid it had test-fired a new submarine-launched ballistic missile last Wednesday.The discussion was requested by Germany,Britain and France.

The European council members describedthese launches as undermining “regionalsecurity and stability, and they are in clear


violation of U.N. Security Councilresolutions.” “It is vital that the SecurityCouncil upholds its resolutions.International sanctions must remain in placeand be fully and strictly enforced,” theenvoys, including from Belgium andPoland, said in the statement. North Koreawarned the United States, Britain, Franceand Germany on Monday that raising theissue of Pyongyang’s missile tests at the U.N.Security Council would “further urge ourdesire to defend our sovereignty.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-un/at-u-n-europeans-urge-north-korea-to-move-toward-giving-up-nuclear-weapons-missile-programs-idUSKBN1WN241

Arms firms fret over delays inFranco-German fighter project

Tim Hepher, Reuters, October 8, 2019

France’s Dassault Aviation and Europe’sAirbus have stepped up pressure on Franceand Germany to agree the next stage of aplanned fighter project, warning Europe’sarms industry and long-term security couldsuffer from delays. The two companies arethe leading industrial partners in a projectto build a futuristic swarm of manned andunmanned warplanes, announced by theleaders of France and Germany two yearsago and expanded earlier this year toinclude Spain.

Dassault and Airbus won a 65-million-eurocontract in January to develop the conceptfor the Future Combat Air System (FCAS)but await a new contract to builddemonstrators for interlinked fighters,drones and an “air combat cloud” by 2026.Dassault Aviation Chief Executive EricTrappier told a conference of policymakerslast month that the demonstrator contractshould have been launched in September butthis was now slipping toward end-year. Hecalled it “indispensable” to avoid any furtherdelays in order to maintain the 2026deadline.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-fighters/arms-firms-fret-over-delays-in-franco-german-fighter-project-idUSKBN1WM22B

Germany bans exports of arms toTurkey


Germany has banned arms exports toTurkey over its assault against KurdishYPG militia in Syria, a foreign ministryspokeswoman said. Turkey launched themilitary operation on Wednesday afterU.S. President Donald Trump withdrewsome U.S. troops who had been backingKurdish forces in the fight against IslamicState. The United States and EuropeanUnion have already warned Turkey ofpossible sanctions over the offensive.

“Against the backdrop of the Turkishmilitary offensive... , the FederalGovernment will not issue any newpermits for all military equipment thatcould be used by Turkey in Syria”, ForeignMinister Heiko Maas said, according to thespokeswoman.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-security-turkey-germany/germany-bans-exports-of-arms-to-turkey-idUSKBN1WR0EL

Russia

Russia interested in exploringWPS but won’t meddle in PH-China sea row

Argyll Cyrus Geducos, Manila Bulletin,October 3, 2019

Philippine Ambassador to Russia CarlosSorreta said that Russia was interested inexploring the West Philippine Sea forenergy cooperation but has no intentionto meddle in the sea dispute between thePhilippines and China.

Sorreta made the statement ahead ofPresident Duterte’s bilateral meeting withRussian President Vladimir Putin in SochiThursday.

In an interview here, Sorreta said thatRussia has been interested in energycooperation in many areas, including theWest Philippine Sea. Sorreta said Russiaexpressed willingness to do theexploration within Philippine laws.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/10/03/russia-interested-in-exploring-wps-but-wont-meddle-in-ph-china-sea-row/


Russia’s Putin praises DonaldTrump for North Korea talks


Russian President Vladimir Putin onThursday praised Donald Trump for whathe said was the U.S. president’s historicmove to enter into talks with North Koreato defuse nuclear tensions on the Koreanpeninsula.

Trump held a summit with North Koreanleader Kim Jong-un last year and a secondone in February, although the talks aimedat dismantling Pyongyang’s nuclearprogrammes then stalled.

https://in.reuters.com/article/uk-northkorea-missiles-putin-trump/russias-putin-praises-donald-trump-for-north-korea-talks-idINKBN1WI1QU

Vladimir Putin says Russia ishelping China build a missile earlywarning system


Russia is helping China to build an earlywarning system to counter missile attacks,Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

Speaking at an international affairsconference in the resort town of Sochi, hesaid Moscow was helping China increase itsmissile defence capability, Russian state-owned news agency Sputnik reported.

“This is a very serious endeavour that willfundamentally and radically increase thedefence capability of the People’s Republicof China because only the United States andRussia have such a system at present,” theRussian leader said.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3031639/vladimir-putin-says-russia-helping-china-build-missile-early

Russia’s Putin says Iran’s missileprogramme should be treatedseparately to nuclear programme -Arabiya


Russian President Vladimir Putin said Iran’smissile programme should be dealt with as

a separate matter to its nuclearprogramme.

Putin was speaking in an interview withArab broadcasters, including Saudi-ownedAl Arabiya TV, ahead of his first visit toSaudi Arabia in over a decade.

“It is possible, and we should, discussIran’s missiles programme... but the missileprogramme is one thing and the nuclearprogram is another thing,” Putin wasquoted as saying. (Reporting By Aziz ElYaakoubi and Maher Chmaytelli Editingby Raissa Kasolowsky)

https://in.reuters.com/article/saudi-russia-mideast-iran/russias-putin-says-irans-missile-programme-should-be-treated-separately-to-nuclear-programme-arabiya-idINB2N26C000

Moscow has done its homework:Russia will be least affected if USexit from INF treaty brings backarms race, Putin says

Russian Times, October 13, 2019

A renewed arms race between the US andRussia would be bad for the world butMoscow won’t be dragged into excessivemilitary spending, as it has alreadydeveloped next gen weapons of“unmatched” capabilities, Vladimir Putinsaid.

The Russian president discussedWashington’s unilateral withdrawal fromthe Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces(INF) Treaty at a joint interview with RTArabic, UAE-based Sky News Arabia andSaudi Arabia’s Al-Arabiya broadcasters.

However, Putin pointed out that ”it wasnot worth ruining the deal,” which helpedthe US and Russia by precluding thefielding in Europe of ground-based missileswith a range of between 500km and5,500km, and which remained thecornerstone of security on that continentsince 1987. ”I believe there were other waysout of the situation,” he added.

https://www.rt.com/news/470828-russia-us-arms-race-putin/


Russia’s Rosatom may purchasecontrolling stake in lithium projectin Chile


Uranium One Group, a subsidiary ofRussia’s state nuclear company Rosatom,may purchase a controlling stake in alithium project in Chile from Canada-listedWealth Minerals Ltd, Wealth Minerals saidin a statement on Tuesday.

Wealth Minerals signed a strategicmemorandum of understanding withUranium One which provides for theacquisition by Uranium One of up to a 51%ownership interest in Wealth Minerals’sAtacama lithium project in northern Chile,it added.

https://in.reuters.com/article/chile-lithium-russia/russias-rosatom-may-purchase-controlling-stake-in-lithium-project-in-chile-idINR4N20701Z

West Asia

Iran

Iran to cut nuclear dealcommitments until it reaches‘desired result’: supreme leader


Iran will continue reducing its commitmentsunder its 2015 nuclear deal until it reachesthe “desired result,” Supreme LeaderAyatollah Ali Khamenei said onWednesday, according to his official website.

“We will continue the reduction ofcommitments,” Khamenei said in a meetingwith commanders of the elite RevolutionaryGuards. “The responsibility is with theAtomic Energy Organization and they mustbe carry out the reduction ...in a precise,complete and comprehensive way andcontinue until the time we reach a desiredresult.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran-nuclear/iran-to-cut-nuclear-deal-commitments-until-it-reaches-desired-result-supreme-leader-idUSKBN1WH0Y9

Rohani blames Trump for failedFrance bid to initiate contact


Iran’s President Hassan Rohani onWednesday blamed his US counterpartDonald Trump for the failure of Frenchefforts to initiate a historic phone callbetween them last week at the UnitedNations.

The Islamic republic is prepared “to holdfruitful negotiations”, he told the Iraniancabinet, referring to two days of diplomaticefforts by French President EmmanuelMacron.

“From my point of view, the path (todialogue) remains clear,”, he said in aspeech carried on state television, thankingthe French leader.

France’s efforts at the UN GeneralAssembly in New York “could have beenacceptable, in a certain way”, he said. “Ifanyone tried to prevent (contact takingplace), it was the White House and nobodyelse”.

While diplomatic efforts were in fullswing, “the American president on twooccasions” in the space of 24 hours “clearlyannounced an intensification of sanctionsagainst Iran”, said Rohani.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/578833/World/Mena/Rohani-blames-Trump-for-failed-France-bid-to-initiate-contact

Iran’s Rouhani says French planfor talks broadly is acceptable


A plan for talks presented to the UnitedStates and Iran by French PresidentEmmanuel Macron is broadly acceptableto the Islamic Republic, President HassanRouhani said on Wednesday during acabinet meeting that was broadcast live onstate TV.

He said some wording needed to bechanged in the plan, which would requireIran not to pursue nuclear weapons andto help the security of the region and its


waterways, while Washington would haveto remove all sanctions. It would also allowIran to immediately resume oil sales. ButRouhani also told the cabinet that mixedmessages about sanctions received from theUnited States while he was attending theUnited Nations General Assembly in NewYork last week had undermined thepossibility of talks.

He said it was unacceptable for U.S.President Donald Trump to say publicly thathe would intensify sanctions while Europeanpowers told Iran in private that he waswilling to negotiate. “The Americanpresident on two occasions ... said explicitlythat we want to intensify sanctions. I toldthese European friends, so which partshould we accept? Should we accept yourword that you say America is ready?”Rouhani said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran-rouhani/irans-rouhani-says-french-plan-for-talks-broadly-is-acceptable-idUSKBN1WH0RA

France gives one month to get Iran-U.S. to negotiating table


Iran and the United States have one monthto get to the negotiating table, France’sforeign minister warned, suggesting thatTehran’s plan to increase its nuclear activitiesin November would spark renewed tensionin the region.

French President Emmanuel Macronattempted, but failed to broker talks betweenU.S. President Donald Trump and IranianPresident Hassan Rouhani in New York lastweek.

“We consider that these initiatives, whichdidn’t succeed, are still on the table and it isup to Iran and the United States to seize(them) in a relatively short amount of timebecause Iran has announced new measuresto reduce its commitments to the Viennaaccord in November,” Jean-Yves Le Driantold parliament’s foreign affairs committee.Iran is breaching the restrictions of its 2015nuclear deal with major powers step-by-stepin response to U.S. sanctions imposed since

Washington pulled out of the agreementin May of last year.

It has said its next reductions would be atthe start of November and diplomats fearthe next move could force Europeanpowers who are trying to salvage theaccord to respond, unlike after previousbreaches.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran-france/france-gives-one-month-to-get-iran-u-s-to-negotiating-table-idUSKBN1WI20C

Iran nuclear deal can be saved bygoodwill not sanctions: Slovakia’sIAEA hopeful says


The 2015 nuclear deal between Iran andthe remaining signatories can still be savedafter the U.S. withdrawal but Iran mustreturn to the full implementation of itscommitments and in return be offeredsome goodwill instead of sanctions, theSlovak candidate to head the UnitedNation’s nuclear agency said on Thursday.

“The remaining parties, so-called E3+2countries including China, France,Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom,that are still committed to the deal shouldfind a way to help Iran in this difficultsituation (to show) that deals should behonored,” Marta Ziakova, who is runningfor the post of International AtomicEnergy Agency (IAEA) chief, told Reuters.“Iran hasn’t got much for keeping its partof the deal so far but it has to return to thefull implementation of its commitmentsunder the deal,” she added.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-usa-nuclear-talks/iran-nuclear-deal-can-be-saved-by-goodwill-not-sanctions-slovakias-iaea-hopeful-says-idUSKBN1WI1OT

After pressing Iran for answers,IAEA reports improvedcooperation


The International Atomic Energy Agency,which polices Iran’s nuclear deal with


major powers, told Tehran last month that“time is of the essence” in addressing whatit describes in its jargon as concerns aboutthe completeness of Iran’s safeguardsdeclarations to the agency.

Diplomats say Iran has been stonewallingthe agency over the uranium particles foundin environmental samples taken at whatIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahucalled a “secret atomic warehouse” inTehran. Iran has said was a carpet-cleaningfacility. Acting IAEA Director GeneralCornel Feruta, who is heading the agencyprovisionally after the death in July of itslongtime chief Yukiya Amano, reportedprogress on Friday.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear-iaea/after-pressing-iran-for-answers-iaea-reports-improved-cooperation-idUSKBN1WJ0XO

Iran will use every possible way toexport its oils-Shana


Iran will not succumb to U.S. pressure andwill use every possible way to export its oil,Iranian Oil Ministry’s website SHANAquoted Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh assaying on Sunday.

Iran’s crude oil exports were reduced bymore than 80% when the United States re-imposed sanctions on the country lastNovember after President Donald Trumppulled out of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal withworld powers.

“We will use every possible way to exportour oil and we will not succumb to America’spressure because exporting oil is Iran’slegitimate right,” Zanganeh said.

In response, Iran has gradually scaled backits commitments to the 2015 nuclear deal,under which Tehran accepted to curb itsnuclear activities in return for lifting mostinternational sanctions.

The increasing U.S. pressure on Iran hasscared away foreign investors from doingbusiness in the country.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-oil-zanganeh/iran-will-use-every-means-possible-to-export-its-oil-shana-idUSKCN1WL037

Turkey

Erdogan’s Ambitions Go BeyondSyria. He Says He Wants NuclearWeapons.

David E. Sanger and William J. Broad, TheNew York Times, October 20, 2019

Turkey’s president, Recep TayyipErdogan, wants more than control over awide swath of Syria along his country’sborder. He says he wants the Bomb.

In the weeks leading up to his order tolaunch the military across the border toclear Kurdish areas, Mr. Erdogan made nosecret of his larger ambition. “Somecountries have missiles with nuclearwarheads,” he told a meeting of hisgoverning party in September. But theWest insists “we can’t have them,” hesaid. “This, I cannot accept.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/20/world/middleeast/erdogan-turkey-nuclear-weapons-trump.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Saudi Arabia

Workshop discussing feasibilitystudies on uranium production

Saudi Gazette report, October 8, 2019

A three-day national workshop onfeasibility studies for uranium productionis underway in Riyadh. Dr. Khalid Al-Sultan, president of King Abdullah Cityfor Atomic and Renewable Energy(K.A.CARE), inaugurated the event onMonday at K.A.CARE headquarters. Theworkshop is organized by K.A.CARE incooperation with the Ministry of Industryand Mineral Resources and theInternational Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA). Deputy Minister of Industry andMineral Resources for Mining Khaled Al-Modaifer addressed the inaugural sessionof the workshop in which several nationaland international officials and experts areattending, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said.

The workshop focuses on the mechanismsand methods of uranium production,economic factors, social and environmentalimpacts and project management focusing


on exploration, extraction and concentrationof uranium from its ores in Saudi Arabia. Italso hosts a panel discussion on nuclearresponsibilities. The workshop aims tostrengthen cooperation with national andinternational business partners under theumbrella of technical cooperation with IAEAto highlight the most important challengesduring the work of a feasibility study for theproduction of uranium in the Kingdom.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/579348/SAUDI-ARABIA/Workshop-discussing-feasibilitystudies-on-uranium-production

Russia ready to work with US tobuild Saudi nuclear power plant-Rosatom


Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatomwould be ready to cooperate with partnersfrom the United States, Europe and Asia tobuild a nuclear power plant in Saudi Arabia,Rosatom’s CEO Alexey Likhachev said onMonday.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-russia-nuclear/russia-ready-to-work-with-u-s-to-build-saudi-nuclear-power-plant-rosatom-idUSKBN1WT1KZ

Israel

Israel should focus more on Iran’sNuclear Weapons than onHezbollah’s Missiles

Jerusalem Post, October 6, 2019

A senior Israeli official recently said thatIsrael’s top priorities are to prevent Iran fromproducing a nuclear weapon and to thwartHezbollah’s precision missile project. Thoseare the biggest security challenges Israelfaces but there is a huge difference betweenthem. An Iranian nuclear attack mightannihilate Israel and cause hundreds ofthousands of casualties. Hezbollah’sprecision missiles present a major problem,but on a much smaller scale than the nuclearone. The gap between the two issues is sovast that it requires putting each one of themin its own category.

Iran has been taking steps to breach theagreement about its nuclear program, the

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action(JCPOA), signed in July 2015. If Iranactually tries to produce a nuclearweapon, then Israel must stop it, almostat any cost. Iran with a nuclear arsenalwill be an existential threat to Israel.Therefore Israel must focus on that, at theexpense of other major issues, such asHezbollah’s precision missile project. Israelshould not neglect, let aloneunderestimate, Hezbollah’s missiles but itis much less of a danger compared withIran’s nuclear project. Nevertheless it oftenseems that Israel concentrates too muchon Hezbollah’s missiles, instead of zeroingin on Iran’s nuclear project.

https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Israel-should-focus-more-on-Irans-nuclear-weapons-than-on-Hezbollahs-missiles-603796

Israel to construct first waste toenergy power plant

Jerusalem Post, October 15, 2019

The Finance Ministry and Ministry ofEnvironmental Protection haveannounced plans to construct Israel’s firstwaste-to-energy power plant, estimated tocost NIS 1 billion. An inter-ministerialcommittee for the treatment of waste,estimated at 5 million tons annually,published Thursday a pre-qualificationdocument ahead of the public-private-partnership (PPP) tender to plan, fund,construct and operate the facility.

Incinerating waste to produce electricity,the plant will be built at the “GoodSamaritan” recycling park near Ma’alehAdumim. The plant is expected to serveas the primary waste treatment facility forthe Jerusalem metropolitan area andsurrounding towns.

According to the ministries, the new site –which is estimated to commenceoperations in another six years – will behome to an innovative waste sortingfacility and the most advanced energyrecovery facility worldwide, producingelectricity from waste under stringentenvironmentally-friendly conditions.

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israel-to-construct-first-waste-to-energy-power-plant-604380


UAE

UAE cooperating with Russia to buyRussian Nuclear Fuel, Minister


The United Arab Emirates is cooperatingwith Russia to buy Russian nuclear fuel,state-run news agency (WAM) quoted theUAE’s Minister of Energy and Industry assaying on Monday.

“There is cooperation between the twocountries to buy Russian nuclear fuel inrelation to the UAE’s peaceful program fornuclear energy,” Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-emirates-russia-nuclear-fuel/uae-cooperating-with-russia-to-buy-russian-nuclear-fuel-minister-idUSKBN1WT0VI

East Asia

North Korea

North Korea blames U.S. for failureto restart talks


North Korea blamed the United States onMonday for a failure to restart stalled talks,more than a year after President DonaldTrump’s first meeting with North Koreanleader Kim Jong Un. In a speech at the U.N.General Assembly, Pyongyang’s U.N.ambassador Kim Song said it was time forWashington to share proposals for talks.“Assuming that the U.S. has had enoughtime to find out a calculation method thatcan be shared with us, we expressed ourwillingness to sit with the U.S. forcomprehensive discussion of the issues wehave deliberated so far.”

On the final day of the annual gathering ofworld leaders at the United Nations, hecalled for the full implementation of astatement issued by Trump and NorthKorean leader Kim after their first meetingin Singapore in June last year. The pairagreed in the statement to foster newrelations and work towards thedenuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-un-assembly-northkorea/north-korea-blames-u-s-for-failure-to-restart-talks-idUSKBN1WF1WY

North Korea may have testedsubmarine-launched ballisticmissile: South Korea


South Korea is reviewing North Korea’smissile launch on Wednesday as a possibletest of a submarine-launched ballisticmissile (SLBM), the presidential BlueHouse said. South Korea’s NationalSecurity Council expressed strong concernover the North Korean launch before therestart of talks between Pyongyang andWashington on Oct. 5, the Blue House saidin a statement.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-southkorea/north-korea-may-have-tested-submarine-launched-ballistic-missile-south-korea-idUSKBN1WH038

U.S. urges restraint after NorthKorea fires ballistic missile


The United States called on Pyongyang onWednesday to “refrain fromprovocations” and remain committed tonuclear negotiations after North Koreafired a ballistic missile off its east coast.“We call on (North Korea) to refrain fromprovocations, abide by their obligationsunder U.N. Security Council Resolutions,and remain engaged in substantive andsustained negotiations to do their part toensure peace and stability on the KoreanPeninsula and achieve denuclearization,”a state department spokeswoman said inRome.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-usa/u-s-urges-restraint-after-north-korea-fires-ballistic-missile-idUSKBN1WH0QW

North Korea fires ballistic missile,possibly from submarine, daysbefore talks

Joyce Lee, Chang-Ran Kim, Reuters,October 2, 2019

North Korea fired what may have been asubmarine-launched ballistic missile fromoff its east coast on Wednesday, a day afterit announced the resumption of talks with


the United States on ending its nuclearprogram. If confirmed, it would be the mostprovocative test by North Korea since itstarted the talks with the United States in2018. Analysts said it was likely a reminderby Pyongyang of the weapons capability ithad been aggressively developing as it gearsup for the new round of talks. A StateDepartment spokeswoman called onPyongyang to “refrain from provocations” andremain committed to the nuclear negotiations.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles/north-korea-fires-ballistic-missile-possibly-from-submarine-days-before-talks-idUSKBN1WG4Y5

Explainer: North Korea’s suspectedsubmarine missile ‘pushes theenvelope’

Jack Kim, Reuters, October 2, 2019

North Korea fired what may be asubmarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM)on Wednesday, which would be the first testin three years of what had been a relativelyyoung but rapidly progressing program todeliver nuclear weapons. The launch comeshours after the North announced it wouldresume nuclear talks with the United Statesthis weekend, potentially ending a months-long deadlock that followed a vow by NorthKorea leader Kim Jong Un and U.S.President Donald Trump to make progress.The exact type of the missile and the launchplatform remain unclear, but it appears tobe a step that “pushes the envelope,” saidJoshua Pollack, a leading expert on nuclearand missile proliferation and editor ofNonproliferation Review.

North Korea’s state news agency KCNA saidon Thursday the missile was a Pukgukson-3 test-fired at a high angle in the waters offWonsan designed to contain external threatand bolster self-defense, but gave no otherdetails. Photos released in the North’s officialRodong Sinmun newspaper showed a black-and-white painted missile emerging andclearing the surface of the water, then thebooster rocket igniting to propel it into the sky.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-explainer/explainer-north-koreas-sus-pected-submarine-missile-pushes-the-envelope-idUSKBN1WH0XJ

A North Korean delegation haslanded in Sweden for talks withU.S.: source


A North Korean delegation headed by thecountry’s chief nuclear negotiator KimMyong Gil has landed in Stockholm,Sweden for denuclearization talks with theU.S., a source familiar with the matter saidon Thursday. Earlier on Thursday Kim,speaking to Yonhap news agency at Beijingairport, said he and other officials wereheading to Sweden. “We’re going for theDPRK-U.S. working-level negotiations,”Kim told reporters in Beijing, according toYonhap. “There’s been a new signal fromthe U.S. side, so we’re going with greatexpectations and optimism about theoutcome.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missles-sweden/a-north-korean-delegation-has-landed-in-sweden-for-talks-with-u-s-source-idUSKBN1WI1VO

U.N. Security Council likely tomeet next week over North Koreamissile launch: diplomats


The U.N. Security Council will likely meetbehind closed doors on North Korea nextweek, diplomats said on Thursday, afterPyongyang said it had successfully test-fired a new submarine-launched ballisticmissile ahead of fresh nuclear talks withWashington. The council discussion wasrequested by Germany with the supportof Britain and France, the diplomats said.The launch on Wednesday was the mostprovocative by North Korea since itresumed a dialogue with the United Statesin 2018. U.N. Security Council resolutionsban Pyongyang from using ballistic missiletechnology.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-unitednations/u-n-security-council-likely-to-meet-next-week-over-north-korea-missile-launch-diplomats-idUSKBN1WI1MQ


North Korea says it successfullytested new submarine-launchedballistic missile

Joyce Lee, Reuters, October 3, 2019

North Korea said on Thursday it hadsuccessfully test-fired a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from thesea to contain external threats and bolsterself-defense, ahead of fresh nuclear talkswith the United States.The launch onWednesday was the most provocative byNorth Korea since it resumed dialogue withthe United States in 2018 and a reminderby Pyongyang of the weapons capability ithas been aggressively developing, includingintercontinental ballistic missiles, analysts said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “sentwarm congratulations” to the defensescientists who conducted the test, state newsagency KCNA said, indicating he did notattend the launch as he has during previoustests of new weapons systems.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles/north-korea-says-it-successfully-tested-new-submarine-launched-ballistic-missile-idUSKBN1WH2GS

North Korea, U.S. envoys to resumehigh-stakes nuclear talks overweekend

Josh Smith, Reuters, October 3, 2019

As negotiators for the United States andNorth Korea resume talks over Pyongyang’snuclear program this weekend, analysts saythat the leaders of both countries faceincreased incentives to strike a deal, but thatit is far from clear they will find commonground after months of deadlock andincreased tensions. The meeting inStockholm will be the first formal working-level talks since U.S. President DonaldTrump and North Korean leader Kim JongUn met in June, vowing to restartnegotiations that had stalled after theirfailed summit in February.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-analysis/north-korea-u-s-envoys-to-resume-high-stakes-nuclear-talks-over-weekend-idUSKBN1WJ0AU

Japan PM seeks meet with NorthKorea’s Kim despite missilelaunch

Kiyoshi Takenaka, Linda Sieg, Reuters,October 4, 2019

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe saidon Friday he was determined to meetNorth Korea’s leader to resolve the issueof Japanese nationals abducted by NorthKorean agents, maintaining an offer to talkdespite the country’s missile launches.North Korea said this week it hadsuccessfully test-fired a new submarine-launched ballistic missile from the sea, tocontain external threats and bolster self-defense, ahead of fresh nuclear talks withthe United States.

“I am determined to meet with ChairmanKim Jong Un face-to-face, with nopreconditions, to resolve the all-importantabduction issue,” Abe said in a policyspeech at the beginning of a parliamentarysession.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-japan-abe/japan-pm-seeks-meet-with-north-koreas-kim-despite-missile-launch-idUSKBN1WJ0FW

Pompeo says hopes for progress intalks with North Korea


The United States Secretary of State MikePompeo said on Saturday that he washopeful of progress in nuclear talks withNorth Korea which started in Stockholm.U.S. and North Korean officials gatheredin Sweden on Saturday to begin nucleartalks in an attempt to end months ofstalemate. “I’m hopeful that we will (makeprogress). We came with a set of ideas, wehope the North Koreans came with a goodspirit and a willingness to try to moveforward and implement what PresidentTrump and Chairman Kim agreed to backin Singapore,” Pompeo told a newsconference in Athens.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-pompeo/pompeo-says-hopes-for-progress-in-talks-with-north-korea-idUSKCN1WK0A1


North Korea breaks off nucleartalks with U.S. in Sweden

Johan Ahlander, Philip O’Connor, Reuters,October 5, 2019

Working-level nuclear talks in Swedenbetween officials from Pyongyang andWashington have broken off, North Korea’stop negotiator said late on Saturday,dashing prospects for an end to months ofstalemate. The talks, at an isolatedconference center on the outskirts ofStockholm, were the first such formaldiscussion since U.S. President DonaldTrump and North Korean leader Kim JongUn met in June and agreed to restartnegotiations that stalled after a failedsummit in Vietnam in February.

The North’s chief nuclear negotiator, KimMyong Gil, who spent much of the day intalks with an American delegation, cast theblame on what he portrayed as U.S.inflexibility, saying the other side’snegotiators would not “give up their oldviewpoint and attitude.” “The negotiationshave not fulfilled our expectation and finallybroke off,” Kim told reporters outside theNorth Korean embassy, speaking throughan interpreter.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-sweden/north-korea-breaks-off-nuclear-talks-with-u-s-in-sweden-idUSKCN1WK074

North Korea doubts U.S. will havealternative plans inside two weeks

Ju-min Park, Josh Smith, Reuters, October 6,2019

North Korea said on Sunday there was noway the United States would bringalternative plans for their stalled nucleartalks to a meeting proposed by Stockholmin two weeks after weekend negotiations inSweden broke down. The working-leveltalks between U.S. and North Korean envoyswere broken off on Saturday. The U.S. StateDepartment said it had accepted Sweden’sinvitation to return for more discussions withPyongyang in two weeks.

North Korea said the ball was now inWashington’s court, and warnedWashington that it would wait only until

the end of the year for the United Statesto change course. “We have no intentionto hold such sickening negotiations as ...happened this time (in Sweden) before theU.S. takes a substantial step to makecomplete and irreversible withdrawal ofthe hostile policy toward the DPRK,”KCNA state news agency cited aspokesperson for North Korea’s foreignministry as saying, referring to the officialname of North Korea.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa/north-korea-doubts-u-s-will-have-alterna-tive-plans-inside-two-weeks-idUSKCN1WL089

North Korea warns U.S.,Europeans against raising itsmissile tests at U.N.


North Korea warned the United States,Britain, France and Germany on Mondaythat raising the issue of Pyongyang’smissile tests at the United Nations SecurityCouncil would “further urge our desire todefend our sovereignty.”The 15-membercouncil is due to meet behind closed doorson Tuesday after North Korea said it hadtest-fired a new submarine-launchedballistic missile last week. The discussionwas requested by Germany with thesupport of Britain and France. “We knowwell that the United States is behindimpure moves of the UK, France andGermany,” North Korea’s U.N.Ambassador Kim Song told a small groupof reporters at Pyongyang’s U.N. mission.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-un/north-korea-warns-u-s-europeans-against-raising-its-missile-tests-at-u-n-idUSKBN1WM1SK

North Korea warns on test freezein denouncing European move atU.N.

Joyce Lee, David Brunnstrom, Reuters,October 10, 2019

North Korea issued a veiled warning onThursday that it could eventually end afreeze in long-range missile testing as itcriticized a call by U.N. Security Council


members for it to give up its nuclearweapons and denounced a recent U.S.missile test. Five European members of theU.N. Security Council met on Tuesday tourge North Korea to take “concrete steps”toward giving up its nuclear weapon andballistic missile programs in a complete,verifiable and irreversible manner.

That call came days after North Korea saidit had test-fired a new submarine-launchedballistic missile, the latest in a series of missiletests since it resumed dialogue with theUnited States in 2018, and the break-off overthe weekend of a round of talks in Sweden.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa/north-korea-warns-on-test-freeze-in-denounc-ing-european-move-at-u-n-idUSKBN1WP0SR

‘N. Korea poses one of biggestballistic missile threats to US’

Yonhap, Korea Herald, October 11, 2019

North Korea’s short- and medium-rangeballistic missiles represent one of the “ballisticmissile threats of most concern” to the UnitedStates, along with those from Iran and China,a U.S. congressional report has said.NorthKorea has an arsenal of hundreds of short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) that canreach all of South Korea and perhaps dozensof medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs)capable of reaching Japan and U.S. bases inthe region, according to the CongressionalResearch Service’s “Defense Primer: BallisticMissile Defense” updated Wednesday.

“North Korea is in the process of developingan intercontinental ballistic missilecapability that could strike the U.S.homeland with a nuclear warhead,” it said,though adding that it is yet unclear “whetherany of their ballistic missiles are armed witha nuclear warhead.”

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20191011000208&ACE_SEARCH=1

U.S. wants China to press NorthKorea to be more constructive intalks-Pentagon official


The senior U.S. defense official for Asia saidon Tuesday the United States wants China

to improve its enforcement of sanctions onNorth Korea and take other steps to pressPyongyang to be more constructive in talkswith the United States.

Randall Schriver, the U.S. assistantsecretary of defense for Indo-PacificSecurity Affairs, told a Washingtonconference there had been some slippagein sanctions enforcement by China,particularly when it came to controllingship-to-ship transfers of banned goods inits waters. “We want them to do better,”Schriver said. “At a minimum, sanctionsenforcement, but I think there are otherways China could help pressurePyongyang into being a more constructiveparticipant in the talks, should theyresume, and we are just not seeing thisright now.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa/north-korea-warns-on-test-freeze-in-denouncing-european-move-at-u-n-idUSKBN1WP0SR

South Korea

S. Korea paying close attention toUS-NK nuke talks: ambassador


South Korea is paying close attention tothe outcome of this weekend’sdenuclearization negotiations between theUnited States and North Korea, whilemaintaining communication withWashington, Seoul’s top envoy here said.Ambassador Cho Yoon-je made theremark at an annual parliamentary auditof the South Korean Embassy inWashington, noting that the U.S. andNorth Korea are scheduled to resumeworking-level denuclearization talks inSweden Saturday. “(We are) paying closeattention to the outcome,” he said, addingthat South Korea and the US “arecontinuing strategic communication formeaningful progress in the working-levelnegotiations.”



Nuclear power plants ‘vulnerable todrone attacks’

Baek Byung-yeul, Korea Times, October 6,2019

National infrastructure sites are vulnerableto possible drone strikes, with a growingnumber of intrusions at nuclear powerplants here using the small unmannedaircraft being confirmed, according to alawmaker. Lee Sang-min of the rulingDemocratic Party of Korea (DPK) said theNuclear Safety and Security Commission(NSSC) reported 13 cases of the illegal flyingof drones near the power plants from 2015to 19. Ten of the 13 cases occurred just in 2019¯ and six took place near the Kori NuclearPower Plant in northern Busan in August.

Referring to the recent drone attack on oilfacilities in Saudi Arabia, the lawmaker saidthe Aviation Safety Act needed to be revisedto counter possible terrorist attacks usingdrones. “According to the Aviation SafetyAct, fines of up to 2 million won can beimposed on a drone pilot who attempts tobreach a prohibited airspace, but only250,000 won in fines were issued againstsome drone pilots and other cases were justdismissed for lack of evidence,” Lee said. “Asthere’s a chance that the airspace nearnuclear power plants could become a targetof terrorist attacks, there should be toughersanctions against the intrusions.”

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2019/10/129_276717.html

Seoul still preparing for Kim Jong-un’s Busan visit in November

Lee Min-hyung, Kim Yoo-chul, Korea Times,October 7, 2019

While North Korea said its working-levelnuclear disarmament talks with the UnitedStates in Sweden over the weekend failedto meet expectations, the government hereis still hoping to invite North Korean leaderKim Jong-un to Busan. Diplomatic sourcestold The Korea Times, Monday, thatpreparatory work was still underway forKim’s possible visit to Busan in November,though the chances of it actually happeningare considered low.

“We were hoping for Washington andPyongyang to see progress in theirdenuclearization talks as Kim’s visit toBusan depends somewhat on thenegotiations,” an official at Cheong WaDae said. The government has yet to sendan official invitation to the North, as it isbasing this on results from the nucleardialogue between Washington andPyongyang.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/10/113_276759.html

Nuclear plant operator remainsvulnerable to cyberattack:lawmaker

Yeo Jun-suk, Korea Herald, October 7, 2019

Cyberattacks targeting South Korea’snuclear plant operators have occurredconstantly over the past decade, with thenumber of hacking attempts during theperiod reaching more than 1,300, alawmaker said Monday. According to Rep.Shin Yong-hyeon from the minorBareunmirae Party, there have been 1,366hacking attempts against Korea Hydro &Nuclear Power since 2012. KHNP is thecountry’s largest electric power company,managing nuclear and hydro plants acrossthe country.

By category, a malware-based attacktopped the list with 835 cases. It wasfollowed by 329 homepage attacks fromunauthorized entities targeting websitesand 111 cases of denial of service attacks.


S. Korea’s top nuke envoy returnsfrom US trip


South Korea’s top nuclear negotiatorreturned home Thursday after talks withhis US and Japanese counterparts inWashington over how to make progressin denuclearization negotiations withNorth Korea. Lee Do-hoon had bilateraland trilateral meetings with his US andJapanese counterparts, Stephen Biegun


and Shigeki Takizaki, on Tuesday, after theunfruitful working-level talks between theUS and the North in Sweden on Saturdaylast week.

When asked whether the talks betweenWashington and Pyongyang would resumein the coming weeks, Lee said, “We mayhave to wait and see.” “We had deepdiscussions regarding how the South and theUS work together to move forward. We planto handle it through continued contactdepending on the situation,” he added.


Navy seeking to secure nuclear-powered submarines for self-defense capabilities


The Navy said Thursday it has been runninga task force on the potential construction ofnuclear-powered submarines as part ofefforts to bolster its nuclear deterrent andboost defense capabilities. “With longer-termperspectives to have nuclear-poweredsubmarines, we have been running a taskforce of our own,” the Navy said in a reportpresented to lawmakers for a parliamentaryaudit. “As the matter will be decided inaccordance with national policy, the Navywill work closely with the defense ministryand the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” it added.


Moon takes cautious approach as‘facilitator’

Lee Min-hyung, Korea Times, October 10,2019

President Moon Jae-in is taking a cautiousapproach to responding to the working-leveldenuclearization talks between the U.S. andNorth Korea in Sweden. Cheong Wa Daehas eyed the resumption of the talks as astrong impetus for accelerating thePresident’s “peace process,” which has beenput on hold due to prolonged deadlock innuclear negotiations between the foes of theKorean War.

In a weekly meeting with seniorpresidential secretaries, Tuesday, Moonrefrained from commenting on the one dayof negotiations, and instead shifted hisfocus to the local economy, saying thegovernment was placing “specialattention” on revving this up by securingnew growth engines. Moon’s silence hasraised doubts about his role as a“facilitator” in the nuclear talks betweenWashington and Pyongyang. Cheong WaDae has instead stressed that it was notappropriate for the South to make any rashjudgment on the matter that would createroom for misunderstanding.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/10/113_276939.html

S. Korea seeks Russia’s supportfor N. Korea’s denuclearization


South Korean National Assembly SpeakerMoon Hee-sang has asked Russia topersuade North Korea to rid itself ofnuclear weapons and promote economicprojects with Seoul and Moscow. Moonmade the request to Valentina Matviyenko,chairwoman of the Russian FederationCouncil, on Monday as they met afterattending the 141st assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Belgrade, Serbia.

He referred to a visit to Russia on Oct. 23-24 by a delegation of North Korea’sparliament, known as the Presidium of theSupreme People’s Assembly. The NorthKorean delegation will make the visit atthe invitation of Matviyenko. During histalks with the leader of the Russian upperhouse, Moon sought Russia’s support forSeoul’s policy for completedenuclearization and lasting peace on theKorean Peninsula.



Japan

Lawyers appeal TEPCO acquittalsover Fukushima nuclear disaster

The Asahi Shimbun, October 1, 2019

Lawyers appealed a court ruling thatabsolved three former executives of TokyoElectric Power Co. of criminal responsibilityfor the 2011 nuclear disaster, saying theacquittals deny justice for the victims. Theappeal of the Tokyo District Court’s rulingwas submitted to the Tokyo High Court onSept. 30. The lawyers, who are serving asprosecutors in the case, said in the appeal,“The ruling not only evaded judgment onthe defendants’ important duties andresponsibilities to prevent foreseeabledamage (to the nuclear plant), but it evendenied the possibility that they could foreseethe disaster. “To allow the ruling to befinalized at this stage would significantly goagainst justice,” their statement said.

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201910010047.html

Robotic explorer to orbit Ryuguasteroid in final mission for Japan’sHayabusa2

Japan Times, October 3, 2019

The Hayabusa2 on Thursday released arobotic explorer bound for the surface of anasteroid in the probe’s final task beforereturning to earth, the Japan AerospaceExploration Agency (JAXA) said.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/10/03/national/science-health/robot-explorer-ryugu-asteroid-japan-hayabusa2/#.Xa2otVQza01

Kyushu Electric to halt reactors overdelay in anti-terror plans

Yasuyuki Onaya, The Asahi Shimbun,October 4, 2019

In a blow to its financial situation, KyushuElectric Power Co. said it will suspendoperations of its Sendai nuclear power plantafter falling behind schedule on establishingmandatory anti-terrorism measures. Thecompany said Oct. 3 that it will be unableto meet the construction deadlines for the

measures and will halt two reactors at theplant in Kagoshima Prefecture on the daybefore their respective deadlines. Thatmeans the No. 1 reactor will be offline fornine months from March to Decembernext year, while the No. 2 reactor will besuspended for eight months from May toJanuary 2021.

Under safety standards of the NuclearRegulation Authority (NRA), utilities mustbuild facilities that can respond toemergencies triggered by terrorist attacksagainst their reactors. The NRA’s policy isto order a suspension of operations fromthe day after a construction deadline ismissed.


JAXA and NASA agree tocollaborate more on lunarexploration

Japan Times, October 5, 2019

The Japanese and U.S. space agencieshave agreed to step up collaboration onadvancing human activities on the moonas a way of realizing the eventualexploration of Mars. Hiroshi Yamakawa,president of the Japan AerospaceExploration Agency (JAXA), and JamesBridenstine, administrator of NASA,reached the agreement at a recent meetingin Tokyo.

JAXA will extend technical cooperation forNASA’s Gateway project to build a lunarorbiting space station and for its Artemisprogram to return astronauts to the moonby 2024, according to a joint statementsigned by Yamakawa and Bridenstine.Bridenstine welcomed JAXA’s proposal toextend habitation and logistics missionswith the use of Japan’s HTV-X spacecraftand H3 launch vehicles for the Gatewayproject.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/10/05/national/jaxa-nasa-collaborate-lunar-explora-tion/#.Xa2owlQza01


Chairman, four execs resign atKansai Electric over gift scandal


The chairman, executive vice president andthree executive directors of Kansai ElectricPower Co. resigned on Oct. 9 amid mountingcriticism over the lucrative gifts that they andother bigwigs received from a former townofficial. Makoto Yagi conveyed his intentionto step down as chairman at a special boardmeeting held by the utility to discuss thescandal.

Just a week earlier, on Oct. 2, Yagi said at anews conference that he would remain asKansai Electric chairman as a well as vicechairman of the Kansai EconomicFederation. He is now also expected to leavethe local business lobby. Executive VicePresident Ikuo Morinaka resigned from theboard, as did the three executive directors:Nozomu Ushiro, Shigeki Otsuka and SatoshiSuzuki.


Miscelleanous

The most experienced newcomer tonuclear power


“As our president has said, Uzbekistan is10-15 years late in having a nuclear powerplant. In fact, our archive material confirmsthat the matter was first brought up as longago as the 1970s, during Soviet times,”Energy Minister Alisher Sultanov said.Sultanov and his deputy ministers spoke toa group of foreign journalists invited toTashkent on 20-21 September to learn aboutthe government’s energy sector reform.

“The decision to build a nuclear power plantwas not made overnight,” Sultanov said, butreached after 18 months of deliberation bya specially appointed task force. “We knowthis is a sensitive matter but globally mostpower sector professionals understand thatnuclear is green energy.”

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/The-most-experienced-newcomer-to-nuclear-power

After PH inks nuclear energy dealwith Russia, Duterte says it maybe unconstitutional

CNN Philippines, October 6, 2019

After the Philippines signed a deal withRussia on the possible construction ofnuclear power plants, President RodrigoDuterte said this may not be constitutionalafter all.

“The Constitution would not like it. Thatis why I have to talk to the Cabinet. I cannotaffirm or deny that because that’s part ofthe proposals,” Duterte told reportersSunday upon returning to the Philippinesfrom his five-day official visit to Russia.

He added that he has to consult his Cabinetto see if anything in the deal would needthe consent of Congress.

An agreement to explore the possibleconstruction of nuclear power plants in thecountry was among the 10 businessagreements with Russia, estimated to beworth $12.57 million or around ± 650 million.

The Constitution does not ban the use ofnuclear energy, but it does “adopts andpursues a policy of freedom from nuclearweapons in its territory.”

https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2019/10/6/Rodrigo-Duterte-nuclear-power-plant-unconstitutional.html

Brazil to restart uranium miningthis year, minister tells newspaper


Brazil plans to restart domestic uraniummining in 2019 for the first time in fiveyears, the mines and energy minister tolda newspaper in an interview published onMonday.

Operations would begin this year at amine in the city of Caetite in thenortheastern state of Bahia, Minister BentoAlbuquerque told Estado de S. Paulonewspaper. A ministry spokesmanconfirmed Albuquerque’s comments.

https://in.reuters.com/article/brazil-mining/brazil-to-restart-uranium-mining-this-year-minister-tells-newspaper-idINL2N26S0B0


Op-Ed

India

India- Pakistan nuclear war maykill up to 125 million people: Study

India Today, October 3, 2019

A nuclear war between India and Pakistancould, in less than a week, kill 50-125 millionpeople — more than the death toll duringall six years of World War II, and lead toglobal climate catastrophe, according toresearchers in the US.

A study by researchers from the Universityof Colorado Boulder and Rutgers Universityexamined how such a hypothetical futureconflict would have consequences that couldripple across the globe.

Today, India and Pakistan each have about150 nuclear warheads at their disposal, andthat number is expected to climb to morethan 200 by 2025, the researchers said amidrecent tensions between the nuclear-armedneighbours over Kashmir after India revokedJ&K’s special status. “An India-Pakistan warcould double the normal death rate in theworld,” said Brian Toon, a professor at theUniversity of Colorado Boulder.

“This is a war that would have no precedentin human experience,” Toon said.

“Such a war would threaten not only thelocations where bombs might be targeted butthe entire world,” said co-author AlanRobock of Rutgers University-NewBrunswick. The study, published in thejournal Science Advances, looked at a warscenario that may occur between India andPakistan in 2025.

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-pakistan-nuclear-war-kill-million-people-brian-toon-1605967-2019-10-03

India-Pakistan nuclear war couldkill 125 million

Ben Farmer, Telegraph UK, October 3, 2019

A nuclear war between India and Pakistancould kill up to 125 million people and thentip the world into a decade of starvation assmoke blocks sunlight, researchers haveestimated. If the neighbours attacked each

other with a significant proportion of theirgrowing nuclear arsenals, millions woulddie instantly from the blast and thenfirestorms would rage through cities.

The fires would send huge quantities ofsmoke into the atmosphere, devastatingagriculture as it blocked sunlight and cuttemperatures. Escalating tension betweenthe countries because of their rivalry overKashmir has this year underlined thethreat the threat of war between thenuclear-armed states. They have foughttwo wars over the disputed Himalayanterritory and fought air clashes inFebruary.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/03/india-pakistan-nuclear-war-could-kill-125-million/

Where Trump and Modi ShouldTake U.S.-India Space Cooperation

Peter Garretson and Namrata Goswami,National Interest Blog, October 6, 2019

During Indian Prime Minister NarendraModi’s visit to Houston, Texas for theSeptember 2 forum organized by the U.S-India Security Forum, at which PresidentDonald Trump was present, the issue ofU.S-India space cooperation figuredprominently. Texas Senator Ted Cruzhighlighted the significance of suchbilateral collaboration, and House MajorityLeader Steny Hoyer made similarstatements. Most critically, U.S-India spacecooperation was brought up multiple timesby President Trump himself, who stated,“Here in America, we are creating theUnited States Space Force, and we’reworking closely with India to enhancespace cooperation… We will pioneer newfrontiers in space, working together,raising the sights of humanity. We willuphold our values, defend our liberty, andcontrol our destiny.”

But the context in which bilateral spacecooperation is taking place has changed.What is the logic pushing U.S. and Indiacloser on space? How exactly should thetwo nations seek to cooperate on the issue?And how should they work to moveforward on civil, commercial, and militaryspace? The answers to these questions will


help shape the complexion of the bilateralU.S.-Indian cooperation in what is fastemerging as a vital domain.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/where-trump-and-modi-should-take-us-india-space-cooperation-85896

Study: a nuclear war between Indiaand Pakistan could lead to a mini-nuclear winter

Kelsey Piper, Vox, October 9, 2019

More than 90 percent of the world’s nuclearweapons are held by the United States andRussia. The world’s other nuclear powers— Britain, China, France, Israel, India, andPakistan — are believed to maintain muchsmaller arsenals, probably 100 to 300warheads each. But in the past few years,India and Pakistan are believed to haveexpanded their nuclear capabilities.

And that, argues a new paper, is a recipefor disaster. In the paper, “Rapidlyexpanding nuclear arsenals in Pakistan andIndia portend regional and globalcatastrophe,” published last week in ScienceAdvances, Owen Toon of the University ofColorado and co-authors analyze the effectsof a nuclear war between India andPakistan in 2025, if both countries continueto expand their nuclear capabilities as theyreportedly currently are. Unsurprisingly, theexpanded capabilities would make a nuclearexchange between the two countriesdeadlier and more devastating.

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/10/9/20903418/study-nuclear-war-india-pakistan-could-lead-to-mini-nuclear-winter

During War Games, an IndianDiesel Submarine Sank a U.S.Nuclear Submarine

The National Interest Blog, October 9, 2019

The Indian submarine INS Sindhudhvaj(S56) allegedly “killed” USS City of CorpusChristi (SSN 705) during an exercise calledMalabar that is held annually between India,Japan and the United States. According to theIndians, the submarines were assigned totrack each other down in the Bay of Bengal.“The way it happens is that the Sindhudhvajrecorded the Hydrophonic Effect (HE) -

simply put, underwater noise - of thenuclear powered submarine and managedto positively identify it before locking onto it. Being an exercise what did nothappen was the firing,” an Indian navalofficer told India Today. The Indian vesselthen “sank” USS City of Corpus Christiusing 533mm torpedoes.

If the Indian description of the events iscorrect, it would be a bright spot in anotherwise dismal record for New Delhi’sundersea force. In recent years, thewoefully neglected Indian submarine fleethas suffered numerous calamities.Submarines have run aground, caught fireand even sunk due to a combination ofunderinvestment, negligence andcorruption. Perhaps the worst incidentwas when INS Sindhurakshak sank whenat harbor in Mumbai after a series ofexplosions in the forward torpedo bay,killing eighteen sailors. Nonetheless, it’s nota huge surprise that a Russian-built Kilowould be able to defeat a Los Angeles-classattack boat. The Los Angeles-class is adated design that is slowly being replacedby the newer and exponentially quieterVirginia-class submarine.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/during-war-games-indian-diesel-submarine-sank-us-nuclear-submarine-86736

In Mamallapuram, seeking thetrue north in ties

Sujan R. Chinoy, The Hindu, October 11,2019

Ties have experienced some turbulence oflate. China’s position on issues such asMasood Azhar, India’s Nuclear SuppliersGroup membership, the yawning tradegap and inroads into South Asia, have allplayed a role. Mr. Modi’s vision of aninclusive Indo-Pacific region, outlined atthe Shangri La event in Singapore in Junelast year, has helped allay some concernsover America’s Free and Open Indo-Pacificstrategy. China’s public support forPakistan on Jammu and Kashmir hascreated a new stress point.

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/in-mamallapuram-seeking-the-true-north-in-ties/article29649936.ece


A Nuclear War Between India andPakistan Could Happen (And WouldChange The World)

Kyle Mizokami, The National Interest Blog,October 11, 2019

Sandwiched between Iran, China, India andAfghanistan, Pakistan lives in a complicatedneighborhood with a variety of securityissues. One of the nine known states knownto have nuclear weapons, Pakistan’s nucleararsenal and doctrine are continuallyevolving to match perceived threats. Anuclear power for decades, Pakistan is nowattempting to construct a nuclear triad of itsown, making its nuclear arsenal resilient andcapable of devastating retaliatory strikes.

Sandwiched between Iran, China, India andAfghanistan, Pakistan lives in a complicatedneighborhood with a variety of securityissues. One of the nine known states knownto have nuclear weapons, Pakistan’s nucleararsenal and doctrine are continuallyevolving to match perceived threats. Anuclear power for decades, Pakistan is nowattempting to construct a nuclear triad of itsown, making its nuclear arsenal resilient andcapable of devastating retaliatory strikes.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/nuclear-war-between-india-and-pakistan-could-happen-and-would-change-world-87251

A War Between Pakistan And IndiaCould Kill Billions (If It WentNuclear)

Kyle Mizokami, The National Interest Blog,October 13, 2019

It’s distinctly possible that any future warbetween India and Pakistan would involvelimited action on the ground and full-scalefighting at sea and in the air. India has theupper hand in both, particularly at seawhere it would have the ability to blockadePakistani ports. Pakistan imports 83% of itsgasoline consumption, and without sizablereserves the economy would feel the effectsof war very quickly. An economic victory,not a purely military one might be the bestway to decisively end a war without the useof nuclear weapons.

With that scenario in mind, let’s look atseveral Indian weapons Pakistan wouldfear most in a war.

INS Vikramaditya Aircraft Carrier:Commissioned in November 2013, INSVikramaditya is the newer and moremodern of India’s two aircraft carriers. Inthe event of war, Vikramaditya wouldlead an offensive at sea designed to sweepthe Pakistani Navy from the field. Thenightmare scenario for Pakistan would beVikramaditya parked off the coast ofKarachi, Pakistan’s largest port, enforcinga naval blockade.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/war-between-pakistan-and-india-could-kill-billions-if-it-went-nuclear-87431

China

Missiles, drones and tanks: Chinashows off military prowess


China put its growing military might onfull display Tuesday with a parade of newballistic missiles, supersonic drones andnext-generation battlefield tanks thathighlighted Beijing’s accelerating race tomatch the firepower of its US rival.

The tightly choreographed processionacross Tiananmen Square underscored alevel of material and technologicalinnovation that is increasingly viewed bymany as a threat to US dominance in theAsia-Pacific region and beyond.

President Xi Jinping, who reviewed thetroops before the parade marking 70 yearsof Communist Party rule, has pushed forthe People’s Liberation Army to become a“world-class” military by mid-century.

China’s rapid military modernizationcomes as it faces rising diplomatic tensionswith the United States, with Washingtonworried about Beijing’s territorial claimsin the South China Sea and its ambitionsto reunify self-governed Taiwan with themainland.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/578680/World/Asia/Missiles-drones-and-tanks-China-shows-off-military-prowess


China’s Ballyhooed NewHypersonic Missile Isn’t Exactly aGame-Changer

James M. Acton, Washington Post, October4, 2019

In the show of military might Tuesday tocelebrate the 70th anniversary of the People’sRepublic of China, one of the highlightsamong the weapons trundling throughTiananmen Square in Beijing was ahypersonic boost-glide missile. Theexhibition of 16 DF-17 missiles (or possiblymodels of the real thing), displayed in publicfor the first time, will probably add todisquiet in the United States about agrowing military imbalance, but that uneaseshould be tempered by a few practicalconsiderations.

For the past few years, scientists, Pentagonofficials and uniformed militaryleaders have warned about China’sapparent lead in hypersonic technology,which they often describe as a “gamechanger.” Over the long term, hypersonicmissiles could indeed provide China (andRussia, too) with a uniquely threateningcapability, but there is time for a consideredresponse: The DF-17 and its immediatesuccessors are unlikely to add much, ifanything, to China’s already impressivemilitary forces. To be sure, the DF-17 is apowerful weapon, even armed with aconventional warhead, as it will be,according to the parade announcer inBeijing. The missile consists of a rocket thatlaunches a glider, presumably at more thanfive times the speed of sound.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/10/04/chinas-ballyhooed-new-hypersonic-missile-isnt-exactly-game-changer/

China’s military posturing duringits National Day parade won’t win itany friends


Looking at all the military hardware ondisplay for the October 1 celebration of the70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of

China, and reflecting on the Chineseoccupation of the South China Sea and itsBelt and Road Initiative, one can’t get awayfrom the incongruity of it all, with respectto the challenges facing China today.Whom or what is China up againstmilitarily and to what end? Are itsneighbours such a huge threat? “Belt androad” to where? To extend China’sinfluence? Billions of renminbi have beenspent on militarising the South China Sea,and many millions more are being spenton its maintenance. Meanwhile,hypersonic weaponry is being developed.What for? If the US is the target, is Chinagoing to destroy what is arguably itsbiggest customer?

https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3031573/chinas-military-posturing-during-its-national-day-parade-wontwin?li_source=LI&li_medium=homepage_int_edition_top_picks_for_you

The role of the PLA in the new era

China Military Online, October 5, 2019

As part of China’s National Daycelebrations on October 1, a grand militaryparade was held in Beijing to showcasethe country’s achievements in building amodern and strong national defense andarmed forces over the past decades sincethe founding of the People’s Republic ofChina. While many are impressed byChina’s advanced defense capabilities,some still revert to the cliché that China isa security threat. So what is China’smilitary role in global affairs? How doesthe People’s Liberation Army (PLA) defendthe country against domestic andinternational security challenges?According to Senior Colonel Zhou Bofrom China’s Ministry of NationalDefense, the role of the PLA is not justlimited to defending territories. “It’s notonly territorial defense you got to do, youhave two things more, one is the ever-growing national interests overseas andaccompanying national responsibilities.”



China’s National Day paradehighlights its commitment to peace

Zhang Junshe, China Military Online,October 5, 2019

With a total of 59 formations including15,000 military personnel, 160 aircraft and580 pieces of equipment, the massive militaryparade on China’s National Day is of thelargest scale in recent years. What signal didthe impressive march send? To begin with,the event highlighted the People’s LiberationArmy’s firm political faith. The paradebegan with an air flag guard formation of20 helicopters flying in the shape of number70. This implies the historic achievements thePLA has gained in the past 70 years underthe leadership of the Communist Party ofChina (CPC). The military review and thePLA’s solemn salute to Chinese President XiJinping, also general secretary of the CPCCentral Committee and chairman of theCentral Military Commission, demonstratethe PLA’s adherence to the CPC’s absolutecontrol and determination to submit itselfto Xi’s command.

At present, more than 2,500 Chinesepeacekeepers are on duty in the UN andhave been praised as “key factor” inpeacekeeping operations. The parade is, byno means, flexing China’s military muscle.China is proving its adherence to peacefulrise and its determination to safeguardworld peace and stability with concreteactions. Time is needed for the world todispel all misunderstandings against China.


A Partial North Korean NuclearAgreement Is Better Than None atAll

Rod Lyon, The National Interest, October 10,2019

Last Friday, after a long hiatus, US andNorth Korean officials resumed theirnegotiations on denuclearisation of theKorean peninsula. Later that same day, theNorth Koreans walked out, citing theAmericans’ ‘outdated viewpoint andattitude’. Not an ideal start. But don’t

despair: the prospects for some sort oflimited accord emerging in the comingmonths are good. Both sides want a deal—not the same deal, true, but they might yetfind enough common ground to make astart on what can only be a long-term task.Two issues will be prominent in NorthKorean leader Kim Jong-un’s thoughts.First, the sterling work done by his rocketscientists since the test flight of theHwasong-15 ICBM in late 2017 hasmaterially strengthened Pyongyang’shand at the negotiating table. Some of theNorth’s short-range missiles have beenredesigned, apparently to allow them tofly lower and flatter trajectories—complicating the tracking and interceptionmissions of regional ballistic-missiledefences. And a recently tested solid-fuelled submarine-launched ballisticmissile—although tested from a sub-surface platform rather than an actualsubmarine—performed well, suggestingNorth Korea’s making progress on addinga sea-based leg to its nuclear arsenal. Allof that makes for a happy Kim. But inanother area, Kim is much less happy. Thesanctions-hit North Korean economy isstruggling: Seoul’s Bank of Korea estimatesthe economy shrank by 4.1% in 2018, ontop of a 3.5% slump in 2017. Even theweather’s being unkind.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/partial-north-korean-nuclear-agreement-better-none-all-87841

Yes, North Korea Is BuildingSubmarine-Launched NuclearMissiles

Sebastien Roblin, The National Interest,October 11, 2019

In the summer of 2018 a flurry of reportsconfirmed that North Korea has continuedconstruction of a second ballistic-missilesubmarine, designated the Sinpo-C byintelligence analysts after the shipyard ineastern North Korea. South Koreanrepresentative Kim Hack-yong told theWall Street Journal that South Koreanintelligence officials had reported activityand new materials around theconstruction site of the submarine. For


context, Kim is a member of a conservativeparty which is skeptical of President MoonJae-in’s diplomatic outreach to Pyongyang.The Sinpo-C is estimated to displace morethan 2,000 tons and have a beam of 11meters, making it the largest vessel in theKorean People’s Navy. The KPN operatesroughly 70 submarines, technically giving itone of the largest submarine fleets on theplanet—but most of the submarines are verysmall types incapable of sailing far from theKorean Peninsula.

The existence of the new submarine had firstbeen publicized in October 2017 by AnkitPanda of the The Diplomat based on U.S.military intelligence reports passed on bygovernment sources. Then in November thewebsite 38North published detailed satellitephotos showing new construction andtesting activity at Sinpo, including 7-meterdiameter components which may besegments of the pressure hull. Multiplesubmarine ejections tests were observedearlier that year, including a failed launchin September that reportedly killed oneKorean according to Japanese newspaperAsahi Simbun.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/yes-north-korea-building-submarine-launched-nuclear-missiles-87301

Pakistan

New York 2019: A watershed inPakistan’s diplomatic history

Umair Malik, The Express Tribune,October 1, 2019

With the odds heavily stacked against him,Khan started his Mission Kashmir withintent and poise. In the week leading up tohis address to the United Nations GeneralAssembly (UNGA) he spoke at the Councilon Foreign Relations and Asia Society NewYork. He also met world leaders includingPresident Trump; spoke to CNN, and tosecretary generals of the UN and AmnestyInternational.

During all these interactions, he paid greatattention to building a coherent narrativehighlighting Indian atrocities in Kashmir,the mindset driving these brutalities and the

potential for an all-out war between twonuclear armed countries.

https://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/88501/new-york-2019-a-watershed-in-pakistans-diplomatic-history/

India’s thermonuclear bomb

Rizwana Abbasi, The Express Tribune,October 3, 2019

A thermonuclear bomb has become India’snecessity to exert broader influence at aglobal level. Today, India enjoys astrategically advantageous position in orderto achieve nuclear efficiency and sufficiencyto prove its scientific proficiency.

India, from the outset, has been ambitiousto achieve technological supremacyinspired by its “Greater India vision”. InJune 1946, Nehru declared, “I have nodoubt India will develop its scientificresearches and I hope Indian scientists willuse the atomic force for constructivepurposes.” Domestic politics and scientists’lobbying always remained a crucial factorin Indian nuclear politics. After China’snuclear test, it was domestic politics, morethan the security factor, that played a rolein India’s nuclear acquisition. It wasdriven by the desire of its scientists to provethat Indian science was as good as anyoneelse’s. In 1963, Nehru convinced theIndian Parliament to develop nuclearweapons. Homi J Bhabha declared in 1964that India is capable of developing nuclearweapons within 18 months if it wished todo so. Bhabha got approval from thenprime minister Shastri to carry out anunderground nuclear explosion in 1964. InJuly 1971, it was confirmed that India was tocarry out an underground nuclear explosionunder Indira Gandhi’s administration.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2070720/6-indias-thermonuclear-bomb/

Imran Khan’s UN Speech WasAimed at Helping Pakistan’sArmy, Not the Kashmiris

Mohammad Taqi, The Wire, October 4, 2019

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’sspeech at the United Nations General


Assembly (UNGA) won him kudos from hisdomestic political base, drew criticism fromhis opponents and continues to be fiercelydebated upon back home.

Akram’s claim to fame, or notoriety to beprecise, is two-fold: First, he was chargedwith assaulting his girlfriend by smashingher head into a wall, while he was Pakistan’srepresentative at the UN. The US had askedPakistan to strip him of his diplomaticimmunity so that he could be prosecuted butnothing came of it. Secondly, the man isknown for threatening nuclearArmageddon at the drop of a hat. Akram’sdiplomatic success, if there ever was any,pales against his nuclear war-mongeringand alleged domestic abuse. He is perhapsthe most jingoistic Pakistani diplomat to haveserved at the UN. He continued to raise thespectre of a nuclear war between India andPakistan in his writings after that stint. Sowhy him, why now?

https://thewire.in/south-asia/imran-khan-un-speech-pakistan-army-kashmir

Potential aftermath of a nuclear war

Kamran Yousaf, The Express Tribune,October 7, 2019

At a time when there is a total breakdownin the relationship between Pakistan andIndia, there was a story last week thatshould give some glimmer of hope. Amidstwar rhetoric and continued tensions,Pakistan military’s media wing released ahandout regarding the handing over thebody of an Indian solider. The Indian bordersecurity official had drowned in a nullahand swept away to the Pakistani side.Pakistan Army recovered his body afterIndia had requested for help. The handoutalso accompanied an image showingPakistani soldiers carrying the coffin of theIndian solider while their Indiancounterparts looked on. The way Pakistaniand Indian soldiers were standing togetherin a sombre mood, for once you forgot if therewas any hostility between the two neighbours.In the current charged atmosphere, the storydid not get much traction.

The reason, perhaps, is that the years oftensions and the recent row over Kashmir

have poisoned the minds of the twopeoples so much that a few are willing tolisten to positive stories.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2073634/6-potential-aftermath-nuclear-war/

Internal strength of country thatmatters

Talat Masood, The Express Tribune,October 9, 2019

In his impassioned speech at the UnitedNations General Assembly, Prime MinisterImran Khan, apart from presenting thegross human rights violations by India inKashmir, raised the specter of a nuclearconflict. He maintained that India couldattack Pakistan to divert attention from itsinhuman clampdown.

Pakistan’s international image will have asignificant bearing in garneringinternational support to counter India’shostile posture. Prime Minister Khan hascontributed to improving the country’simage. But his attitude towards oppositionparties and the lack of interest instrengthening state institutions goesagainst building a firm political foundationfor the country. There are short and longterm effects of whittling down oppositionleaders. The JUI’s protest movement andthe prospect of the two major politicalparties joining arek unnerving thegovernment and casting a shadow on howthese developments will unfold. Thegovernment has threatened with thestrategy of intimidation that will result inraids and arrests. Clearly, these happeningscreate uncertainty, affect economic growthand dampen prospects of foreigninvestment that Pakistan so desperatelyneeds. Prime Minister Khan and thecabinet should realise that security;development issues and political stabilityare closely interlinked and need to betackled simultaneously. Moreover, if ourleaders want to build Pakistan into amodern state it has to be peaceful and notas chaotic and weak administratively. Thereis no space for authoritarianism and populistgovernance or for a chaotic opposition.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2075121/6-internal-strength-country-matters/


USA

Why Are U.S. Nuclear Bombs Stillin Turkey?

Ankit Panda, New Republican, October 15,2019

The American relationship with RecepTayyip Erdoðan’s Turkey has been fraughtfor half a decade, but never this bad. Lastweek, American troops were intentionallytargeted by Turkish artillery units inNorthern Syria as Erdoðan’s forcesadvanced and President Donald Trumpordered the U.S. into a unilateralwithdrawal. The Pentagon sternly warnedthat Turkey’s troops would face “immediatedefensive action” from American forces ifsuch an encounter were to be repeated.

This was a doubly unprecedented targetingof the United States military. As a memberof the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,Turkey is a capital-A ally, treaty-bound todefend the collective security of all its 28nation members, including the UnitedStates. Turkey is also part of a select groupof five NATO members—along withBelgium, the Netherlands, Germany, andItaly—whose territory hosts Americannuclear weapons, too.

https://newrepublic.com/article/155381/us-nuclear-bombs-still-turkey

Russia

Did China’s Missiles Kill the INFTreaty with Russia? The ExpertsDon’t Agree.

David Axe, National Interest Blog, October2, 2019

China’s lead over the United States in thefield of super-fast missiles is one reason whyWashington was wise to withdraw from akey arms-control treaty, one Americanexpert argued.

China’s lead over the United States in thefield of super-fast missiles is one reason whyWashington was wise to withdraw from akey arms-control treaty, one Americanexpert argued.

While other countries also are working onhypersonic weapons — meaning poweredor gliding precision-guided munitions thatcan travel faster than five times the speedof sound — the DF-17 could be the firsthypersonic glide vehicle in the regularinventory of any military. HGVs in theorycan carry conventional or nuclearpayloads.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/did-chinas-missiles-kill-inf-treaty-russia-experts-dont-agree-84951

Russian strategic nuclear forces’drills not aimed against thirdcountries — top brass

TASS News Agency, October 14, 2019

The Russian strategic nuclear forces’ drillsThunder 2019 are defensive and are notaimed against other states, acting Head ofthe Defense Ministry’s Main Departmentfor International Military CooperationMajor General Yevgeny Ilyin said at anews briefing for foreign attaches onMonday.

“The strategic command and staff drillsThunder 2019 are aimed at practicing theissues of training and employing strategicforces amid a threat of an aggression <…>I would like to emphasize that the drills’scenario does not stipulate measures tocounter any specific state or a group ofcountries,” the Russian general stated.

https://tass.com/defense/1083017

Russia Will Hold Major Test of ItsStrategic Missile Forces

The Moscow Times, October 14, 2019

Russia announced on Monday it wouldhold a large test of its Strategic MissileForces that will see it fire ballistic and cruisemissiles from the land, sea and air this week.

The exercise, from Oct. 15-17, will involvearound 12,000 military personnel, as wellas aircraft, including strategic nuclearbombers, surface ships and submarines,Russia’s Defense Ministry said in astatement.


The drills come at a time when PresidentVladimir Putin is warning of a burgeoningarms race spurred by the unraveling of a keyarms control treaty, something he blames onthe United States. Washington rejects thatand says Russia is the one who has floutedits arms control commitments.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/10/14/russia-will-hold-major-test-of-its-strategic-missile-forces-a67730

The One Reason Why Russia MightNot Get Its Advanced StealthSubmarines

Mark Episkopos, National Interest Blog,October 15, 2019

Moscow might not have the funding to buildand maintain its envisioned submarines.Russia’s ambitious submarine modernizationprogram is spearheaded by two flagshipprojects: Borei, a heavy ballistic-missilesubmarine meant to replace the aging Deltaand Typhoon lines in Russia’s nuclear triad;and Yasen, a nuclear-powered cruise missileattack submarine. Yasen’s currentdevelopment incarnation is known asYasen-M, an upgrade package that is meantto account for the sixteen-year gap betweenthe first commissioned Yasen vessel— Severodvinsk— and the upcoming Kazan.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/one-reason-why-russia-might-not-get-its-advanced-stealth-submarines-88201

West Asia

Iran

Are We Nearing a Stage Where Iranand Saudi Arabia Are Liable toBegin Negotiating

Michael Young, Carnegie endowment ofInternational Peace, October 10, 2019

The U.S. embargo and the biting sanctionsagainst Iran have created severe economichardships for the country. There is alwaysa concern that such economic hardship maylead to popular unrest. Therefore, Iranianleaders would welcome a deescalation ondifferent fronts.

In Saudi Arabia, Crown PrinceMohammed bin Salman is one of the fewprinces who did not pursue a highereducation abroad. That is why most likelyhis perspective has been shaped onlythrough the authoritarian Saudi domesticprism. The issue with absolutist rulers isthat they never have to face pushback athome, hence don’t develop a good sensefor negotiations. But the kingdom’sstrategic initiatives have not led to victory.Saudi policies in Yemen, Syria, and Qatar,plus the current low price of oil, not tomention the bombshell that was JamalKhashoggi’s assassination, may havechanged minds in Riyadh.

https://carnegie-mec.org/diwan/80011

It’s Time to Talk to Iran

William J. Burns, Jake Sullivan, New YorkTimes, October 14, 2019

This month, six years ago, we were in themidst of secret talks with Iran that led tothe comprehensive nuclear agreement. Itwas a moment when diplomacy carriedconsiderable risk, and considerablepromise. Today, the promise has faded,and the risk is accelerating. Theconsequences of the Trumpadministration’s foolish decision toabandon that nuclear deal last year, withno evidence of Iranian noncompliance,were predictable — and predicted.

We are now at a very dangerous point.The story of how we got here is one offaulty expectations on both sides.

Iran thought it could wait out PresidentTrump, and the United States wouldsimply return to the deal under a newpresident in 2021. But the pressure ofeconomic sanctions, unilaterallyreimposed by the United States, has beenmore formidable than Iran anticipated.Inflation is at 50 percent, and oil exports,the lifeblood of Iran’s economy, havedeclined from 2.5 million barrels per dayto as little as a couple of hundredthousand this past summer. The Europeansignatories to the nuclear deal provedincapable of offering much relief.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/14/opinion/iran-nuclear-deal.html


Turkey

Erdogan’s nuclear dream may benightmare for US ties

Ömer Taºpinar, Asia Times, October 3, 2019

As if Turkey’s current problems with NATO– sparked by its purchase of a Russianmissile-defense system – were not troublingenough, now its strongman president, RecepTayyip Erdogan, wants to adopt nuclearweapons.

Erdogan made his first public reference inthis regard in a speech last month markingthe 100th anniversary of Turkey’s War ofIndependence. After praising the country’sprogress in creating a defense industry, hesaid: “We came a long way. This is great.Yet some countries have missiles withnuclear warheads.… I don’t have missileswith nuclear warheads. This, I cannotaccept. Almost all developed countries havenuclear capabilities. Look at Israel. Do theyhave nuclear weapons? They do. They bullyother nations by possessing these. No onecan touch them.”

https://www.asiatimes.com/2019/10/opinion/erdogans-nuclear-dream-may-be-nightmare-for-us-ties/

Turkey Shows Nuclear WeaponsInterest

Shannon Bugos, Arms Control Today,October 2019

Complaining that nuclear-armed nationsretain an unacceptable monopoly onnuclear weapons, Turkish President RecepTayyip Erdogan used a recent Turkishholiday to seemingly suggest that his nationacquire its own nuclear arsenal. Earlier inthe month, he suggested that Turkey maybe interested in acquiring nuclear weapons.Earlier in the month, he suggested thatTurkey may be interested in acquiringnuclear weapons.

“Several countries have missiles with nuclearwarheads, not one or two. But [they tell usthat] we can’t have them. This I cannotaccept,” Erdogan said on the centennial ofthe Turkish independence movement.“There is no developed nation in the worldthat doesn’t have them.” In fact, many

developed countries do not have nuclearweapons. Only nine countries—the UnitedStates, Russia, the United Kingdom,France, China, India, Pakistan, NorthKorea, and Israel—possess nuclearweapons, with Washington and Moscowowning 93 percent of them.

https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2019-10/news/turkey-shows-nuclear-weapons-interest

Syria

Syria Israel Military TechnologyWorld Nuclear Weapons


On September 6, 2007, Israeli fighter-bombers destroyed a mysteriousinstallation near the Euphrates River inthe Deir-ez-Zor region. The strike incurredcuriously little response from Damascus.A cyber-attack reportedly pre-empted adefensive Syrian military mobilization, andeven the diplomatic outcry was muted. Noother Arab governments commented onthe attack, and even the Israelis did notacknowledge the operation for quite sometime. Destroying the facility was notregarded as a slam-dunk decision, eitherin Israel or the United States. Anxiety overthe strength of the intelligence in the wakeof the Iraq debacle stayed the hand of thelatter, while concern about internationalblowback, not to mention a Syrian militaryresponse, worried the former.

What if cooler heads had carried the day,and Israel had never undertaken thestrike? Nuclear Progress It’s difficult toassess how far Syria would have been fromdeveloping a nuclear weapon if its effortshad gone unhindered. Although we maynever have the complete story regardingSyria’s interest in a nuclear program, itprobably stemmed from the growing gapin conventional capabilities between Syriaand Israel, as well as the U.S. invasion ofIraq. Although Syria has always deniedthat the installation was part of a nuclearprogram, the International Atomic EnergyAgency (IAEA) later confirmed that thesite appeared to be a nuclear reactor.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/syria-wanted-nuclear-bomb-2007-israels-air-force-destroyed-their-reactor-86486


Israel

Israel May Have 300 NuclearWeapons (Including Submarine-Launched Missiles) A powerful, butunofficial, force.

Reuters, Sebastien Roblin, October 8 2019

Unofficially, Tel Aviv wants everyone toknow it has them, and doesn’t hesitate tomake thinly-veiled references to itswillingness to use them if confronted by anexistential threat. Estimates on the size ofTel Aviv’s nuclear stockpile range from 80to 300 nuclear weapons, the latter numberexceeding China’s arsenal. Originally,Israel’s nuclear forces relied on air-droppednuclear bombs and Jericho ballistic missiles.For example, when Egyptian and Syrianarmies attacked Israel during the 1973 YomKippur War, a squadron of eight Israeli F-4Phantom jets loaded with nuclear bombswas placed on alert by Prime Minister GoldaMeir, ready to unleash nuclear bombs onCairo and Damascus should the Arab armiesbreak through. Though Israel is the onlynuclear-armed state in the Middle East, TelAviv is preoccupied by the fear that anadversary might one day attempt a firststrike to destroy its nuclear missiles andstrike planes on the ground before they canretaliate. Currently, the only hostile stateslikely to acquire such a capability are Iranor Syria.

East Asia

North Korea

Product of political profiteers’coalition

Choe Yong Nam, Pyongyang Times, October13, 2019

Shortly ago, the south Korean nationalassembly cooked up a resolution on the“denunciation of the north’s nuclear buildupand missile provocation and the preventionof recurrence”. The resolution described theDPRK’s successive measures for self-defensive military buildup as an “act ofposing threat to peace and stability of theinternational community” and a “violationof the spirit of north-south agreement in the

military field”. It is an outcome ofdesperate measure of ruling andopposition forces to get out of the politicalcrisis and difficulties.

The south Korean authorities have oftenpaid lip service to “peace” and “dialogue”in the front, and sharpened a knife ofconfrontation behind the scene. Last year,they committed itself to turning the hotspot in the West Sea of Korea into peacewaters at the negotiating table, but laterconducted a drill of repulsing the “north’sprovocation” in simulation of an armedconflict in the waters in collusion withoutside forces. This clearly shows who isthe real provoker and breaker of the inter-Korean agreement in the military field.

http://www.pyongyangtimes.com.kp/?bbs=31724

Four contentious nuclear issues

Jun Bong-geun, Korea Times, October 15,2019

In order to hold a new summit, fourcontentious nuclear issues should benegotiated and agreed upon, as bothleaders have learned from the Hanoisummit that a “no-deal” summit is not anoption anymore. Then what are those fourissues? First, the U.S. presented threedemands to North Korea: the so-called“Yongbyon plus” initial denuclearizationmeasures, the definition (or end-state) ofdenuclearization and a denuclearizationroadmap.

Second, initial first-step denuclearizationmeasures by North Korea will be the mostcritical and controversial issue, as was thecase at the Hanoi summit. North Koreahad offered to dismantle its Yongbyonnuclear facility, whereas the U.S. wants a“Yongbyon plus alpha.” Third,verification is another difficult problem. Ofcourse, North Korea’s denuclearizationmeasures should be verified, but thequestion is how and to what extent. Themost desirable verification method wouldbe full-scope and intrusive safeguards bythe International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) that members of the NuclearNonproliferation Treaty (NPT) are


obligated to accept. But Pyongyang has longrefused inspections at all costs.

Lastly, what kinds of correspondingmeasures do we need to provide to NorthKorea? In Hanoi, North Korea allegedlydemanded the lifting of most sanctionsagainst its economy in exchange for apartial, Yongbyon-only denuclearization.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2019/10/137_277141.html

Missile for dialogue

Korea Times, October 2, 2019

North Korea launched yet another missileWednesday, only a day after it announcedthat it had agreed with the United States toresume working-level denuclearization talksthis coming Saturday. The missile, whichflew about 450 kilometers at a maximumaltitude of 910 kilometers, is presumed tohave been launched from a submarine inwaters off the North’s east coast, accordingto the South Korean military.

It is a typical North Korean tactic to raisetensions ahead of crucial talks to increaseits leverage. What is more significant that itfired a ballistic missile from a submarine,which represents an evolving threat. It isapparently making significant progress indeveloping technology needed to carry outa nuclear strike from the sea.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2019/10/137_276514.html

North Korea needs to back down fornuke talks to yield results: experts

Park Han-na, Korea Herald, October 8, 2019

Neither North Korea nor the US adopted anew stance at their recent working-leveldenuclearization talks, and the road aheadappears rough unless the North comes to thetable with substantial concessions, expertssaid. North Korea said Sunday’s talks withUS counterparts in Sweden had “notfulfilled our expectations and broke down,”blaming Washington for not coming up witha new approach to negotiations.

The US State Department called the talks,meant to end a stalemate on the

denuclearization of North Korea, “gooddiscussions” and said it hoped the twosides would meet again in the comingweeks.


Why a Series of Small NuclearDeals with North Korea CouldWork

The National Interest, October 8, 2019

This week’s most recent talks between theUS and North Korea have failed again.When U.S. President Donald Trump metNorth Korean supreme leader Kim JongUn in Hanoi earlier this year, Trumpwalked out abruptly. This time it appearsthe North Koreans did. Perhaps it wasturnabout as the North Koreans wereapparently surprised and embarrassedthat Hanoi collapsed so badly. Certainlythe North Korean statement that thesenewest talks were ‘sickening’ and theirrefusal to return to another suggests themeeting went badly. SPONSOREDCONTENT Recommended by This wasnot that difficult to foresee.

The U.S. keeps approaching negotiationswith the North in search of a big-bang, all-or-nothing deal. But North Korea hasrepeatedly said that there is not enoughtrust between it and the U.S. for a mega-deal which would dramatically reduce itsnuclear and missile arsenal, and that theU.S. offer of sanctions relief for large NorthKorean cuts is not enough. The NorthKoreans seem to want a smaller starterdeal, or at least to avoid one final, end-all-be-all resolution. The focus on a one-shotagreement seems to flow from Trump’spersonal hang-up with winning a NobelPeace Prize. His opening to North Koreais the argument he makes most for theprize. But to actually justify it, Trumpwould have to bring home a seriousbreakthrough, a deal which sustainablyshifts the peninsula away from its long,heavily militarized stalemate. This prize-seeking, in turn, has provoked blowbackfrom U.S. analyst community and mediathat Trump would give away a lot in orderto secure any deal he could get. That deal


could then be pitched as a foreign policysuccess for his re-election campaign and theNobel Committee. This blowback hasconstrained how much Trump can offer theNorth. In Hanoi, he complained that themedia and expert community would havecriticized him if he had struck a soft dealwith Kim.

The collapse of this weekend’s talks, on topof the failure of all the high-profile, emptysymbolism summitry of the last eighteenmonths, once again strongly suggests thismiddling approach. The reasons for bigbang’s failure are not that difficult to figureout. The strategic and ideological gapsbetween the U.S. and North Korea areenormous. North Korea explicitly builtnuclear weapons to deter the United States.The U.S. has long supported South Korea’ssovereign claim to rule the peninsula.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/korea-watch/why-series-small-nuclear-deals-north-korea-could-work-86491

Japan

Scandal shows nuclear powerimmune from proper oversight


Kansai Electric Power Co. on Oct. 2 discloseda report on an in-house investigation intoallegations that its executives received cashand other gifts from an influential towngovernment official. In its second newsconference on the issue, the utility unveiledfindings of the probe it had previouslyrefused to publish. The list of gifts from thelate Eiji Moriyama, a former deputy mayor ofTakahama, Fukui Prefecture, where one of thecompany’s nuclear power plants is located,included cash, gift certificates, coupons forcustom-tailored suits and gold coins.

Two senior executives each received giftsworth more than 100 million yen ($933,600).Some received 10 million yen in cash at atime. Kansai Electric earlier said 20executives received gifts worth about 320million yen in total, but details represent jaw-dropping revelations.


Think Tanks

India

India Considers No-First-UseChanges

Arms Control Association, October, 2019

India may be considering repudiating itslong-standing no-first-use nucleardoctrine, according to an Aug. 16 tweetby Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.“India has strictly adhered to thisdoctrine,” Singh wrote, but “whathappens in the future depends on thecircumstances.”

Like China, India currently vows to usenuclear weapons only in retaliation for afirst-strike attack. If there is a change, itwould not be the first time that India hasmodified its nuclear posture. Indiaadopted a no-first-use policy in 1998 butstipulated that the promise extended onlyto states that did not have nuclearweapons and were not aligned with anuclear-armed state

https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2019-10/news-briefs/india-considers-first-use-changes

Air Power: Theory and Practice

John Andreas Olsen, Arjun Subramanim,Carnegie endowment of International Peace,October 4, 2019

Knowledge Transfer Carnegie India is aninitiative that aims to provide a platformto facilitate the genuine exchange of ideasand knowledge among students,practitioners, subject-matter experts, andother interested audiences.

The advent of air power has significantlyaltered the nature of warfare. In the wordsof the political scientist Eliot A. Cohen, airpower offered states the unique advantageof “gratification without commitment,”wherein the speed and agility of the airforces could be leveraged to strike anenemy at lesser risk of being hit comparedto territorial and naval armies.

Even with the development of anti-aircrafttechnology, and maxims like “no war was


won by airpower alone,” instances like thePersian Gulf War of 1991 demonstrated theeffectiveness of air power and theadvantages that belligerents can reapthrough its use. Ever since its first majorforay into warfare during World War I, airpower has undergone a significant military-technological revolution, with implicationsfor strategic theory that underpins theapplication airpower. How have thesechanges impacted the way in which leadersemploy air power? What does the futurehold for the theory and practice of airpower?

https://carnegieindia.org/2019/10/04/air-power-theory-and-practice-event-7192

North Korea

Denuclearising North Korea Througha Broader Security Framework

Cristina Varriale, RUSI UK, 4 October 2019

For months, the US and North Korea wereengaged in ‘working-level’ talks ondenuclearisation. For months, theresumption of these talks was supposedly‘just weeks away’. Finally, the two sideshave announced that a meeting will takeplace on 5 October. Close to 24 hours afterthis was confirmed, North Korea tested whatis assumed to be a submarine-launchedballistic missile (SLBM) from a location nearWonsan. Although this will be unlikely todamage diplomatic efforts in the short term,the episode should serve as a reminder thatsecurity and military confidence-buildingmeasures need to remain a central part ofthe peace and denuclearisation process.

From early assessments of North Korea’smost recent missile test, the missileis presumed to be a modified variation ofNorth Korea’s SLBM, with state mediadeclaring it a Pukguksong-3. AlthoughNorth Korea already broke their 18-monthmissile testing hiatus in May this year, thistest is the first since 2017 that could involvea nuclear-capable missile. Given thatscheduled talks with the US are just daysaway, why did North Korea decide toconduct this test now?

https://rusi.org/commentary/denuclearising-north-korea-through-broader-security-framework

Staying in Sync on North Korea’sNuclear Program

Evans J.R Revere, Matake Kamiya,Carnegie endowment of International Peace,October 10, 2019

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sentU.S. President Donald Trump a powerfulmessage at their February 2019 summit inHanoi: Pyongyang is determined to keepits nuclear weapons. Faced with Kim’sattempt to exclude parts of his nuclearweapons program and other weapons ofmass destruction from any agreement,Trump walked away from the negotiatingtable, surprising many critics andsupporters alike.

The future of diplomacy between theUnited States and the Democratic People’sRepublic of Korea (DPRK) is now unclear,particularly as North Korea hasthreatened to go its own way if the UnitedStates does not meet its demands by theend of 2019. At the same time,Pyongyang’s ongoing test firing of newshort-range ballistic missiles suggestsNorth Korea could use launches and otherprovocations to pressure the United Statesto change its negotiating position. Thebreakdown of the Hanoi summit leftPyongyang still able to manufacture anddeploy nuclear weapons and ballisticmissiles. Meanwhile, the internationalsanctions regime is fraying, giving NorthKorea some respite from economicpressure, despite its inability to convincethe United States to ease sanctions. Kimmay find this status quo palatable for now.

https://carnegieendowment.org/2019/10/10/staying-in-sync-on-north-korea-s-nuclear-program-pub-80022

UK

Nuclear Energy in a Post-BrexitEurope

Tim Yeo, Chatham House, October 11,2019

Brexit will significantly change the balancewithin the EU in relation to nuclear energy.Apart from France and Finland, both ofwhose nuclear development programmes


are behind schedule, the UK is the onlymember state in northern or western Europecurrently investing in new nuclear capacity.Brexit will therefore leave the supporters ofnuclear energy within the EU27 and theEuropean Commission in a weaker position.The speaker will argue that at a time whenthe energy industry needs to accelerate itsshift away from fossil fuels, and when theelectricity generation industry must cut itscarbon emissions faster than it has evermanaged to do in the past, this change isunhelpful.

https://www.chathamhouse.org/event/nuclear-energy-post-brexit-europe

Miscellaneous

Nuclear Hedging and Latency:History, Concepts, and Issues

Ariel (Eli) Levite, Carnegie endowment ofInternational Peace, October 10, 2019

The point of departure in this assessment ofnuclear hedging and latency is why andhow numerous states that embarked on thepath of developing nuclear weapons, or atleast seriously toyed with the idea, neverultimately acquired them. By some estimatesthere seem to have been in total roughly 30such states, approximately 20 by some otherexperts’ accounts. Regardless which of theseestimates one adopts, it is clear that at theend of the day only a small fraction of thosehave crossed or even come close to the finishline. Why is this the case? What explains theconsiderable contrast between the numberof states that embarked on the nuclear-weapon path and those that ended up withnuclear weapons? This chapter is a furthereffort to look systematically at the nuclearhedging phenomenon in the early 2000s.

https://carnegieendowment.org/2019/10/10/nuclear-hedging-and-latency-history-concepts-and-issues-pub-80048

Partnerships are at the Core ofModern Deterrence

Giedrimas Jeglinskas, RUSI UK, 15 October2019

How does a state achieve effectivedeterrence? Lithuania provides an example.

Deterrence has always been a crucialelement in ensuring one’s security. Inclassic international relationsliterature, punishment and denial aredescribed as drivers of effective deterrence.Yet, the intent of this article is not to delveinto theories but to offer a practical viewon deterrence as a reflection of the author’stime as deputy defence minister ofLithuania and as an incentive to reimaginethe concept.

In simple words, effective deterrenceallows people to feel safe to conduct theirsocial, economic and cultural activitiesundisturbed and allows institutions towork towards reaching their goals. Thefast-changing economic and geopoliticalscene, augmented by technologicalinnovation, contributes to a whirlwindstate of mind where it becomes difficult toseparate noise from a signal. In such aworld, a focus on building effectivedeterrence can serve as a true north, a clearobjective to be achieved on the way to amore secure and prosperous world.

The fundamental question is how toachieve effective deterrence.

https://rusi.org/commentary/partnerships-are-core-modern-deterrence

Interviews

INSTEX has a limited scope:Finaud

Javad Heirannia, Tehran Times, October14, 2019

Marc Finaud, the former French ForeignMinistry spokesman, says that the INSTEXmechanism is operational but has a limitedscope.

A senior member of Geneva Centre forSecurity Policy also says that “RegardingU.S. sanctions in other areas, Europeancompanies may be deterred by the impactof secondary sanctions and will most likelynot sacrifice their interests on theAmerican market if they have less stakesin Iran. Unfortunately, the EU can offersome legal protection, but the ultimatedecisions will be made by the companies.”


Following is the full text of the interview:

Q: French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves LeDrian warned that the United States andIran have only one month to implement theParis plan to keep JCPOA alive. Is France ina position to warn against keeping thingsthat the Europeans themselves failed tofulfill?

A: It is always difficult and it takes time toconvince all the EU member states but sincethere is so far no alternative to the Frenchproposals for mediation to salvage theJCPOA, it is likely that the French initiativewill be supported by the EU.

Q: Does this warning mean a defeat inFrench diplomatic efforts to mediatebetween Iran and the United States?

A: French efforts are continuing, so it maybe premature to call them a defeat. But theopposition from the United States does makesuch efforts a hard challenge.

Q: Iran has announced that by earlyNovember it will take new measures toreduce its obligations in JCPOA. Whydoesn’t Europe make a serious effort topreserve the JCPOA and just announcedaily that the country has joined INSTEXbut nothing actually happens?

A: The INSTEX mechanism was alwaysconsidered as a limited step to facilitate tradein humanitarian goods. The EU and itsmember states until now have complied withall their commitments in the JCPOA andregret the resumption of U.S. sanctions thatalso affect their companies wishing to tradewith Iran.

Q: Do you think that the INSTEXmechanism will be operational in light ofU.S. warnings about sanctions on thecompanies that work with them and meetIran’s needs?

A: The INSTEX mechanism is operationalbut has a limited scope. Regarding U.S.sanctions in other areas, Europeancompanies may be deterred by the impactof secondary sanctions and will most likelynot sacrifice their interests on theAmerican market if they have less stakesin Iran. Unfortunately, the EU can offersome legal protection, but the ultimatedecisions will be made by the companies.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/441122/INSTEX-has-a-limited-scope-Finaud


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