NYT: Cut the War Talk, Time for Diplomacy

August 14, 2012 | Edited by Benjamin Loehrke and Leah Fae Cochran

Loose talk - “Israeli leaders are again talking about possible military action against Iran. This is, at best, mischievous and, at worst, irresponsible, especially when diplomacy has time to run,” writes The New York Times editorial board.

--”There is still time for intensified diplomacy. It would be best served if the major powers stay united and Israeli leaders temper loose talk of war.” http://nyti.ms/MujiZK

Tweet - @MicahZenko: January 16, 2007 headline: "Israel Buzzes Over Notion of Attacking Iran." http://bit.ly/NAEFF4

No strike - Yet another top figure in Israel’s security establishment has publicly disagreed with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Barak that an autumn strike on Iran is necessary or warranted.

--Lt.-Col. (ret) Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, former IDF chief of the General Staff said, “I assume that the decision makers have the same information as the heads of the security establishment… [and so] I ask myself how is it that the security officials and the politicians can arrive at such different conclusions?” The Times of Israel has the story. http://bit.ly/Mu9Oha

Welcome to Early Warning - Subscribe to our morning email or follow us on twitter.

--Have a tip? Email earlywarning@ploughshares.org. Want to support this work? Click here.

Contractor in hot water - The Department of Energy has asked the managing contractor at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant to explain why its contract should not be terminated. This is the latest development in the wake of the security breach last month, when an 82-year old nun and two other peace activists broke into the facility. Frank Munger at The Knoxville News Sentinel has the story. http://bit.ly/Nn8k9Q

Tweet - @ThomasErdbrink: Like everything on #Iran, deadly double earthquakes turn political as potential aid money can't bypass US sanctions. http://nyti.ms/P9tk2E

Hypersonic - The U.S. military is about to test a hypersonic cruise missile that can travel Mach 5, as part of the push for Prompt Global Strike capabilities. The new missile - the X-51A “Waverider” - is launched from a B-52. This is a marked change from other designs for PGS weapons that proposed fitting ICBMs with conventional warheads - which carried the risk of being misinterpreted as an atomic first-strike. Noah Shachtman at Danger Room has the story. http://bit.ly/QxWcOh

Hassan’s lesson - Supreme Leader Khamenei's website has been highlighting Iman Hassan lately- a seventh century Shi’ite imam who sought a peaceful resolution with his enemy. The lesson, “stressing the importance of flexibility in dealing with the enemy in order to serve the greater good,” may be in preparation for concessions offered on Iran’s nuclear program in the face of international isolation, writes Fatemah Aman in Al-Monitor.

--”Does the Supreme Leader have a contingency plan to prepare the public for a possible deal over Iran’s nuclear program? Khomeini certainly surprised many Iranians when he accepted a cease-fire in the Iran-Iraq war. For Khamenei, however, such a decision would be much more difficult since he lacks the charisma of the father of the revolution. Thus if he is preparing to concede, he needs to do a lot to prepare the public in order to save face,” writes Aman. Read the full-story here. http://bit.ly/Nv099J

Verification App?- “Imagine a situation in which entire populations could help monitor a ban on nuclear weapons testing simply by downloading a seismic detector app to their smartphones,” writes Kirk C. Bansak in The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.

-- Bansak discusses the possibility of “social verification” of arms control agreements- using technology and public support for disarmament to collectively dissuade countries from cheating on agreements.http://bit.ly/PRe3PJ