Russia Cancels S-300 Missile Sale to Iran

Today's top nuclear policy stories, with excerpts in bullet form.

Stories we're following today, Friday, June 11, 2010: 

Russia Moves to Scrap Iran Missile Sale - The Associated Press [link]

• Russia signalled on Friday it was scrapping the controversial sale of S-300 missiles to Iran in a major shift the Kremlin said was needed after fresh UN sanctions over Tehran's nuclear programme.
• Konstantin Kosachev, the chairman of the State Duma's foreign affairs committee whose public pronouncements are known to reflect Kremlin policy thinking, said the S-300 sale had to be stopped.
• He noted that that the UN resolution adopted Wednesday imposing fresh sanctions on Iran did not ban the sale of defensive weapons systems like the S-300 complex to the Islamic state.
• But going ahead with the deal, long in the works, would "breach the spirit" of the resolution, he said.

Key Senate Panel to Vote on New START Treaty by August - Agence France Presse [link]

• "We plan to hold a vote in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the New START Treaty prior to the August recess," said the panel's chairman, Democratic Senator John Kerry.
• Kerry said he and Senator Richard Lugar, the committee's top Republican, "are confident that our colleagues from both sides of the aisle will join us in supporting the treaty to strengthen our national security."
• "This timeline for committee consideration is imperative so that we can restart inspections, invigorate our relationship with Russia and continue our leadership in global nonproliferation," said Lugar.

McCain Urges Obama to Back Regime Change in Iran - The New York Times Caucus Blog [link]

• In a speech at the National Endowment for Democracy honoring Iran’s dissident Green Movement, Mr. McCain said President Obama’s attempt to talk with Tehran has been “defiantly met with a clenched fist”.
• “I believe that it will only be a change in the Iranian regime itself – a peaceful change, chosen by and led by the people of Iran – that could finally produce the changes we seek in Iran’s policies,” Mr. McCain said.
• [Mr. McCain] called on his former rival to personally invest himself in the democracy movement.
• "If he were to make their quest for democracy the civil rights struggle of our time – it could bolster their will to endure in their struggle and the result could be historic," McCain said.

We Are Totally Unprepared - Peggy Noonan in The Wall Street Journal [link]

• A report from the Inspector General of the Justice Department, issued in late May, said the department is not prepared to ensure public safety in the days or weeks after a terrorist attack in which nuclear, biological or chemical weapons are used.
• The Department of Homeland Security is designated as first federal responder, in a way, in the event of a WMD attack, but every agency in government has a formal, assigned role.
• The crucial job of Justice is to manage and coordinate law enforcement and step in if state and local authorities are overwhelmed.
• So how would Justice do, almost nine years after the attacks of 9/11? Poorly. "The Department is not prepared to fulfill its role . . . to ensure public safety and security in the event of a WMD incident," says the 61-page report.

On the Lighter Side

Former Senator Sam Nunn on The Colbert Report - Comedy Central [link]

• "We're at a race between [international] cooperation and catastrophe," said former senator Sam Nunn when he appeared on The Colbert Report to talk to Stephen Colbert about the new film, Nuclear Tipping Point.
• Watch the clip below and order the film for free here.

SATANAC - Jeffrey Lewis for Arms Control Wonk [link]

• We have official word about Bob Einhorn’s new role at State — he is the U.S. Coordinator for Iran and North Korea Sanctions.
• That acronym works out to CINKS (as in, throwing everything at them, including the Kitchen CINK.)
• Einhorn is currently the SANAC — Special Advisor for Nonproliferation and Arms Control. Why not make him the Special Advisor for Targeted Sanctions, Nonproliferation and Arms Control. You know, SATANAC.
• Anyway, I still like The Dentist. (Seriously, click that link.)
• Read the full announcement of Einhorn's new position here.