The Economist on New START: "Just Do It."

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

Stories we're following today: Friday September 24, 2010.

Just Do It: The Case for Early Ratification of the New START Treaty - The Economist [link]

• Given its support from the Foreign Relations Committee (on a 14-4 vote), a chorus of generals and senior Republicans from previous administrations, you might expect it to pass easily…But the tea-partiers seem to have got it into their heads that the treaty is a bad one, and Republicans are stalling.
• The case against New START is a mixture of political opportunism, ignorance and perfectionism. Shamefully, some Republicans, disregarding the convention that you should not play politics with nuclear missiles, just can’t face giving Mr Obama a “win” before the mid-terms.
• New START explicitly opens the door to further arms cuts, including those 2,000-3,000 warheads, which represent both a big proliferation risk and a tempting target for terrorists.
• The new treaty’s ratification could also embolden Mr Obama to revive the long-stalled Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty, which would do more than anything to show that America was holding up its end of the fraying nuclear non-proliferation regime. And New START is a powerful symbol of the “reset” of relations with Russia, not least to boost America’s hopes of getting a helping hand in dealing with Iran.
• The inspection and verification regime of the old START was suspended when that treaty expired last December...The longer it takes to ratify the new treaty and resume boots-on-the-ground inspections, the more that knowledge erodes, increasing mistrust and the risk of misunderstandings.
• Momentum is vital; delay potentially lethal. The Senate should approve New START now.

UN Session Urges US, Others to Back Nuke Test Pact - Charles Hanley of The Washington Post [link]

• Two dozen foreign ministers from around the world on Thursday urged a handful of remaining nations to ratify the nuclear test-ban treaty, allowing it to take effect.
• Advocates said approval by the U.S. Senate, in particular, would encourage some of the other eight governments whose ratification is required to bring the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) into force, to outlaw all nuclear test explosions.
• "I believe the national security interests of the United States are enhanced by ratification of the CTBT," Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd told reporters after chairing the two-hour meeting to promote the treaty on the 2010-11 General Assembly's opening day.
• "Be courageous. Take the initiative. Be the first mover," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged non-ratifiers in a speech to the meeting.
• Led by Australia, Japan, Canada and Morocco, Thursday's session adopted a statement endorsing the capability of the [CTBT] monitoring system and calling upon "all states that have not yet done so to sign and ratify the treaty without delay."

New START treaty good for the country and ET - Editorial from the Knoxville Sentinel [link]

• The [New START treaty], which now heads to a ratification vote on the Senate floor, calls for the United States and Russia to reduce deployed nuclear warheads from 2,200 to 1,550. Locally, that means more work for the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant in Oak Ridge.
• Ratification is in the best interest of all Americans. For East Tennesseans, there's also a welcome whiff of pork.
• The key modernization project [associated with the treaty vote and] planned for [Tennessee's Y-12 nuclear complex] is the proposed Uranium Processing Facility, which would replace the plant's Cold War-era production facilities. Workers at the facility would refurbish and recycle old warheads.
• A project that would only benefit East Tennessee would expose Senators Corker and Alexander to allegations of putting local concerns above the national interest. But because the treaty is an important milestone in America's relations with Russia and calls for the decomissioning of warheads, local and national interests in this instance dovetail.
• A nuclear arms accord with Russia demands bipartisanship. The Obama administration should be able to give the assurances Republicans seek without giving up any political points. Corker, Alexander and other Senate Republicans likewise should be able to meet the administration halfway and cast their votes for ratification.
• New START is too important to be held hostage by political posturing.

N. Korean Leadership Changes Point to Shift in Nuclear Dealings - Chico Harlan of The Washington Post [link]

• North Korea on Thursday revealed the promotion of three senior officials who have been involved previously with the United States in nuclear negotiations. The changes, coming days before North Korea begins its largest political convention in 30 years, led experts to suggest that the country's leaders are seeking to stabilize foreign relations and encourage diplomacy.
• The latest reshuffle elevates diplomats who previously helped to engineer some of the short-lived bright spots in the denuclearization talks.
• According to North Korea's state news agency, Kang Sok Ju has been named the new vice premier of the cabinet, overseeing foreign policy. Kang was involved in 1994 negotiations that led to the Agreed Framework…Kang's previous job, as first vice foreign minister, will be filled by Kim Kye Gwan, who led North Korea in six-party talks in 2005…The new vice foreign minister is Ri Yong Ho, Kim's deputy on the nuclear negotiating team…
• Although the international community remains skeptical about North Korea's willingness to denuclearize, there has been momentum in recent weeks for another round of disarmament-for-aid discussions. Chinese officials have urged resumption of six-party talks.

Is It Hard To Get Into Iran's Revolutionary Guard? - Brian Palmer of Slate [link]

• Not if you're a male between 18 and 50.
• The 120,000-member guard employs the same personnel as any other army—infantry, fighter pilots, sailors, mechanics, and bureaucrats—so it's not difficult to enlist. You just have to walk into one of the many recruiting stations all over the country.
• Or you can wait to be drafted. Iranian men between 18 and 50 (60 during emergencies) are eligible for the military draft, and those who are actually drafted can opt to serve in either the Revolutionary Guard or [Iran's other military body] the Artesh.
• While some go for the [Revolutionary Guard] only because its alumni network offers great career opportunities, most are true believers in the core principles of the Iranian revolution—namely, strict adherence to a particular interpretation of Islam, the unquestioned authority of the supreme leader, and the moral bankruptcy of the West.
• The guard can find a spot for just about anyone—well, except women. Their ranks include high-school dropouts and people with limited literacy…But only the most ideologically pure can advance. The higher you go in the ranks, the more you are subjected to background checks that focus on your religious and political views.
• The most powerful officers often have relatives who fought or died in the Iran-Iraq war, and their families and friends have to vouch for their commitment to the supreme leader and the principles of the revolution. When people talk about the Revolutionary Guard grabbing power in every segment of Iranian society, they're referring to this small number of zealots.