Iran Offers Proposal for Nuclear Talks

Stories we're following today:

Iran Ready to Hold Nuclear Talks with World Powers - Reuters [link]

•  "Iran has prepared an updated nuclear proposal and is ready to resume negotiations with world powers," chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili was quoted as saying by al-Alam, Iran's Arabic-language satellite television channel.
• Nod to NIAC's analysis on niacINsight: "If these statements are true–and are not retracted in the coming days–then this appears to be an unambiguous signal from Iran that they are willing to accept the invitation to nuclear talks."

North Korea Reopens Border with South – New York Times [link]

•  North Korea restored regular border crossings for traffic going to South Korean factories in the North on Tuesday, while its leader, Kim Jong-il, reiterated his government’s call for a peace treaty with the United States.

Behind the U.S.-Pakistan Missile Spat: The Indian Threat - Time [link]

•  The spat between Washington and Islamabad over allegations that Pakistan illegally modified U.S.-supplied missiles to improve its ability to target India reveals a deeper schism in the relationship: Pakistan's military establishment remains unmoved by Washington's best efforts to persuade it that the Taliban, rather than India, is the primary threat facing Pakistan — and that's bad news for the U.S. effort in neighboring Afghanistan.

Local Priorities vs. National Interests in Arms Control – Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists [link]

•  Would a senator from a state dependent on the nuclear weapons complex oppose an arms control treaty not on the basis of ideology, but because the treaty would mean the loss of jobs or funding in their home state? Absolutely.
• At least 20 states derive significant economic benefits from the U.S. strategic triad. If both senators from all 20 key states adhere to traditional congressional behavior and vote purely on local interest, at least 40 senators could oppose an arms control agreement negotiated by the Obama administration.

Rebuttal of Peter Brookes’ New York Post Op-Ed – Nukes of Hazard [link]

• Kingston Reif of Nukes of Hazard posted a rebuttal of Peter Brooke’s recent op-ed in the New York Post, entitled “Don’t Get Scammed by Russia Again.”
• Reif breaks down Brookes’ argument – that Russia has not upheld its existing arms control agreements – by refuting the four major allegations of non-compliance Brookes cites.

A View from the Dark Side
Sanctions Won’t Work Against Iran – John Bolton in the Wall Street Journal [link]

•  If imposed, [sanctions] will create shortages that will likely increase internal dissatisfaction with Iran's regime, thereby hopefully contributing to its ultimate demise. But no one should believe that tighter sanctions will, in the foreseeable future, have any impact on Iran's nuclear weapons program.
• Adopting tougher economic sanctions is simply another detour away from hard decisions on whether to accept a nuclear Iran or support using force to prevent it.