On the radar: 6-party forecasts; Pipeline diplomacy on the peninsula?; Tehran’s trouble in Damascus; China swapping out old missiles; 425 tons of HEU down, 75 to go; Hypersonic glider flies on Youtube; and SCOTUS gets bunker suites.

US skeptical of Kim’s 6-party pitch - "If in fact they are now willing to refrain from nuclear test and missile launches, this would be welcome, but it would be insufficient,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. "Their disclosure last November of uranium enrichment facilities remains a matter of concern to us, and these activities are a clear violation of their obligations under United Nations resolutions."Global Security Newswire reports. http://ow.ly/6duCr

Expert forecast - “I am not sure that the talks will actually proceed unless North Korea acknowledges some responsibility for its provocations and demonstrates some willingness to return to its earlier pledge for denuclearization,” says Mark Fitzpatrick of IISS. http://ow.ly/6cDCL

Peninsula pipeline could open new “paradigm”?- By building a gas pipeline from Russia to South Korea, Fyodor Lukyanov argues that the recent Russia proposal with North Korea could create an opportunity to change the dynamic with the North and draw the regime into a system of economic interdependence. From Russia in Global Affairs http://ow.ly/6dvQS

Tehran is amping up support for Assad - How? Iran is sending weapons, communications monitoring technology and military expertise to Damascus in attempt to support Assad or influence any future government.

--Why? “For Iran, Assad's Syria is the front line of defense against the United States and Israel. Without his guaranteed loyalty, the second line of defense -- Hezbollah and Hamas -- would crumble.” Fresh analysis from Genieve Abdo in Foreign Affairs. http://ow.ly/6dxHu

Early Tweet - @nukes_of_hazard: "Can’t believe I missed this. Musharraf says he had no idea how many nuclear weapons Pakistan had while he was President." http://ow.ly/6dBoP

China slowly replacing its ICBMs- “The 2011 Pentagon report [on China’s military power] shows that China’s nuclear missile force changed little during the past year but appears to continue the slow replacement of old liquid-fueled missiles with new solid-fueled missiles. China’s efforts to develop a sea-launched ballistic missile capability have been delayed.” Hans Kristensen has the details and asks why the Pentagon report is less transparent this year. http://ow.ly/6dwAP

17,000 warheads worth of HEU - That’s how much bomb-grade uranium (425 metric tons) that Russia has converted for use in nuclear reactors under the 1993 Megatons to Megawatts program. Moscow is committed to downblending 75 more tons in “the most successful nonproliferation program in history.” Global Security Newswire reports. http://ow.ly/6dzVV

See that tiny white streak? - That’s what a hypersonic glider looks like at 13,000 mph. DARPA released a video of the global strike weapon’s failed test flight. Spoiler: the video does not show the vehicle ditch into the Pacific. http://ow.ly/6dAvH

Holed Up - “Where do governments run when the worst case scenario arrives?” Underground. Josh Keating reports on North Korea’s tunnels, Russia’s Metro-2, and who in the USG gets private bunker suites. http://ow.ly/6cFyf