January 30, 2014 | Edited by Lauren Mladenka, Geoff Wilson and Benjamin Loehrke

Big trouble - “A widening cheating scandal within the Air Force's nuclear missile corps is revealing systemic personnel problems in the force and is setting off high-level meetings to search for solutions,” report Lolita C. Baldor and Robert Burns for the AP. “For the first time, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel summoned 15 of his top Air Force, Navy and nuclear mission leaders to the Pentagon, where they worked Wednesday to figure out whether cultural problems within the nuclear force make launch officers feel more compelled to cheat on their proficiency tests.” Full story here. http://abcn.ws/1iMXisS [1]

Blame the mission - “In the wake of alarming reports that some Air Force nuclear-armed missile operators have been cheating on performance tests, using drugs, napping on duty, failing to follow safety rules, and more, the Pentagon announced Jan. 23 it is setting up an independent review of all U.S. nuclear forces, to be completed in 90 days,” writes Tom Collina for the Arms Control Association. “But the scope of this review—limited to personnel issues—must be expanded. At its core, the problems facing the nuclear force have little to do with people and everything to do with the declining mission.”

--”The Pentagon’s upcoming review must address the fact that political attention and career opportunities have moved away from the nuclear enterprise to more pressing threats, like terrorism, proliferation and cyber attacks. Yet the Cold War weapons and troops remain,” says Collina. “For the long term, the only viable solution is to bring the size of the arsenal into proportion with its mission, which means a smaller force at a lower state of readiness. This will save money, and reduce the risk that nuclear weapons will threaten the United States.” Full article here. http://bit.ly/1bBypZh [2]

Iran transparency - “U.N. nuclear inspectors visited an Iranian uranium mine for the first time in nearly a decade on Wednesday, Iranian media reported, as Tehran gradually opens up its disputed nuclear program to greater international scrutiny,” reports Reuters.

--”Allowing the U.N. nuclear agency - which is investigating suspicions that Iran may have carried out atomic bomb research - to go to Gchine was among six concrete steps Iran agreed to under a November 11 cooperation agreement with the IAEA.” Full report here. http://reut.rs/MlhJPz [3]

Clapper on the deal - “We assess that if Iran fully implements the Joint Plan, it will temporarily halt the expansion of it enrichment program, eliminate its production and stockpile of 20-percent enriched uranium in a form suitable for further enrichment, and provide additional transparency into its existing and planned nuclear facilities. This transparency would provide earlier warning of a breakout using these facilities,” wrote Director of National Intelligence James Clapper in testimony to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Full prepared remarks here. (pdf) http://1.usa.gov/1dahsFg [4]

Backing off - “A few of the senators co-sponsoring an Iran sanctions bill now warn the measure could have serious consequences, a day after President Obama repeated his threat to veto the measure,” writes Rebecca Shabad in The Hill. Read the full article here. http://bit.ly/1aK5Pug [5]

--”Obama Repels New Iran Sanctions Push… For Now” by Stephen Collinson in AFP. http://bit.ly/1idD48R [6]

Reactor restarted - “In written testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said North Korea has expanded the size of the uranium enrichment facility at the Yongbyon nuclear complex and restarted a reactor that was used for plutonium production before it was shut down in 2007,” reports Matthew Pennington for the AP. http://abcn.ws/1n1c4tv [7]

Larger Missiles - “Analyzing satellite images of the Sohae launch site over the past two months, Johns Hopkins University's US-Korea Institute said North Korea apparently tested a rocket engine needed for its road-mobile KN-08 intercontinental ballistic missile. The evidence indicates that North Korea may be preparing ‘for a more robust rocket test program in the future,’ said the institute's blog, 38 North. ‘This expansion could involve "larger space launch vehicles and road-mobile ballistic missiles able to attack targets in Northeast Asia and the United States.’" Full report from AFP. http://bit.ly/1fzKilh [8]

Russian missile - “The United States informed its NATO allies this month that Russia had tested a new ground-launched cruise missile, raising concerns about Moscow’s compliance with a landmark arms control accord,” that banned medium-range missiles, reports Michael Gordon in The New York Times. “With President Obama pledging to seek deeper cuts in nuclear arms, the State Department has been trying to find a way to resolve the compliance issue, preserve the treaty and keep the door open to future arms control accords.” Read the full article here. http://nyti.ms/1jNFf5X [9]

Foal Eagle - “The US military is scaling back an annual exercise with South Korea next month and will not deploy an aircraft carrier or fly strategic bombers for the drill,” the AFP reports. “Last year Washington put on a show of military might for the exercise in response to saber-rattling by North Korea. But the United States is adopting a lower profile this time around, apparently due to some conciliatory steps by Pyongyang.” Get the full report here. http://bit.ly/1fjGZQg [10]

Irreconcilables - ”The opposition [to diplomacy with Iran] will never end, no matter the terms of an agreement, because the opponents want no agreement at all,” argues Paul Pillar about the shifting arguments of opponents to a nuclear deal with Iran. “One of the unfortunate effects of the endless opposition is that it constitutes another form of sabotage. The Iranians may be understandably reluctant to make more concessions knowing there are elements on the other side determined to destroy any deal no matter what the terms, no matter how long it takes, and no matter what new arguments have to be conjured up.” Full post in The National Interest. http://bit.ly/LdToKP [11]

Quick hits -

--”The Complex Exclusive: Nuke Cheating Scandal Puts Promotions for Air Force Brass on Ice” by Dan Lamothe of Foreign Policy. http://atfp.co/1b92F0W [12]

--“Inhofe Says There’s Not Enough Support to Override a Veto on Iran Sanctions” by Sara Sorcher in Defense One. http://bit.ly/1hRkRND [13]

--“Will America’s Asian Allies go Nuclear?” by David Santoro for The National Interest. http://bit.ly/1hRgAK4 [14]

CRS roundup - TEXT

--”Next Steps in Nuclear Arms Control with Russia: Issues for Congress” by Amy Woolf of the Congressional Research Service. January 6, 2014. (pdf) http://bit.ly/1d80gQF [15]

--”The New START Treaty: Central Limits and Key Provisions” by Amy Woolf. January 8, 2014. (pdf) http://bit.ly/1b7YXS1 [16]

--”Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons” by Amy Woolf. January 3, 2014. (pdf) http://bit.ly/1cuTM2C [17]

DOT&E Reports - “Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD)” FY2013 annual report of the Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation. (pdf) http://1.usa.gov/1exki8i [18]

--”Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (Aegis BMD)” annual report from DOT&E. (pdf) http://1.usa.gov/1jJC67e [19]

Events:

--"Solving Today’s Nuclear Nightmares." featuring Joseph Cirincione. Feb. 3rd at Noon-1:30 PM at George Washington University. RSVP here. http://bit.ly/1b0Ncgf [20]

--”At the Table: Perspectives on Iran Negotiations from Two Former U.S. Negotiators” featuring Nicholas Burns and Robert Einhorn. Sponsored by the Partnership for a Secure America. Feb. 7 from 11:00-noon at 2118 Rayburn HOB. RSVP here. http://bit.ly/1dah61g [21]

Dessert:

Backpack nukes - “Twenty years after Hiroshima, elite American troops trained to stop a Soviet invasion -- with nuclear weapons strapped to their backs.” Read the absurd and thrilling true story, as told by Adam Rawnsley and David Brown for Foreign Policy here. http://atfp.co/Mx62WR [22]