What Happened in Moscow

June 20, 2012 | Edited by Benjamin Loehrke and Leah Fae Cochran

Moscow - After two days of nuclear talks in Moscow between the negotiators from the P5+1 and Iran, the two sides’ positions remain too far apart to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough. Negotiators agreed to continue talks at lower levels over the coming weeks.

--”We have begun to tackle the critical issues. However, it remains clear that there are significant gaps between the substance of the two positions,” said EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. The New York Times has the story. http://nyti.ms/M6A8gH

How it played - “Iran nuclear program talks yield no breakthrough” LA Times; “Setback in Talks on Iran’s Nuclear Program in a ‘Gulf of Mistrust’” NY Times; “Iran nuclear talks fall short” Washington Post; “EU: Iran nuke meeting to continue on lower level” AP; “Moscow Talks Grind to Halt; Some Progress Claimed” AOL Defense; “Iran nuclear negotiations: The dawn of zombie talks” The Guardian.

Quote - “It was a success that talks have gone this far...The problem is that Iran is stuck in its position: it has to give up substantial things — trump cards — for talks to proceed substantively, and it needs serious concessions in return,” said Vali Nasr to The New York Times. http://nyti.ms/M6A8gH

What happens next? - Experts from the P5+1 and Iran will hold technical meetings in Istanbul on July 3rd. A meeting between EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton’s deputy and Iran’s deputy nuclear negotiator is slated for a date to be determined. Then Ashton and Saeed Jalili, Iran’s lead nuclear negotiator, will be in touch about a future political-level meeting. Details from Laura Rozen at Al Monitor. http://bit.ly/Kkz8Am

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ICBM creativity - The Air Force is studying alternative basing modes for a future ICBM. In 1981, a DoD report listed 30 different modes! Stan Norris pulled the report from his archives, posting it with Arms Control Wonk.

--Included options: “Orbital based,” the “Orca,” inland ships, amphibious aircraft, blimps, the midgetman, commercial rail, road mobile, and trenches. http://bit.ly/KkC2Fg

Flame attribution - The Flame malware was developed by the U.S. and Israel in order to collect intelligence on Iran’s computer networks to prepare for future cyberwarfare campaigns, according to The Washington Post.

--Flame is the most “sophisticated and subversive” computer virus to be exposed. It contains some of the same code as the Stuxnet virus which was used to attack Iran’s centrifuge program at Natanz in 2010. Find the story here: http://wapo.st/MDIlYf

Tweet - @LivableWorld: Rep. Fortenberry (R-NE) lauded as important leader on nuclear non-proliferation, a true bi-partisan issue. http://bit.ly/M3Y2XY

Russia WTO bid - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton touted the benefits of Russia joining the World Trade Organization later this summer in The Wall Street Journal.

-- “Extending permanent normal trading relations isn't a gift to Russia. It is a smart, strategic investment in one of the fastest growing markets for U.S. goods and services. It's also an investment in the more open and prosperous Russia that we want to see develop,” Secretary Clinton writes. Full op-ed here. http://on.wsj.com/KS3xHG

Takoma Park NWFZ - Takoma Park, Maryland, has been a nuclear-free zone since 1983, meaning that the city does not do business with companies that help make nuclear weapons. That came into questions recently when the Takoma Park library bought 5 Hewlett-Packard computers - a company that has worked on nuclear weapons projects.

--The library eventually got a waiver to keep the computers, despite the nuclear taboo. However, concerned citizen Ian Barclay notes “It’s just a slippery slope...When you start letting things slide, then where are you going to end up?” The Washington Post has the story. http://wapo.st/NiYcfD

Pressing for pressure - After the recent impasse in talks with Iran, The Washington Post editorial says the U.S. should be prepared to increase pressure on the Iranian regime, grant no major sanctions relief, and reject recognition of an Iranian right to enrich.

--Taking a decidedly hawkish tone, The Post argues “Israel may press for military action; if that option is to be resisted, there must be a credible and robust alternative.” Full post here:http://wapo.st/LkkGfS

Tweet - @Gottemoeller: Join ISN A/S Tom Countryman & Deepti Choubey of @NTI_WMD for a discussion on preventing ‪#WMD‬ proliferation. http://1.usa.gov/N93EOU

Red phone - On this day in 1963, the U.S. and Soviet Union agreed to setup a direct “hot line” between Moscow and Washington - more popularly known as the red phone. Hat tip Austin Wright at “Morning Defense.” http://politi.co/MtvNAV