U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill heads to nuclear talks today in Beijing (Frederic Brown/Getty Images). Long Hours Mark North Korea Talks Negotiators worked into the early morning Tuesday in Beijing in hopes of reaching an agreement to begin moving North Korea toward dismantling its nuclear weapons program, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, Feb. 9). Envoys to the six-party talks had spent more than 14 hours in meetings that began Monday morning. “It is up to the North Koreans.  We have put everything on the table.  We have offered a way forward on a number of issues.  They just need to make a decision,” U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said before negotiations began Monday...Full Story

Iran Offers Hope to Ease Nuclear Impasse Iran’s top nuclear negotiator raised hopes yesterday that a long-term solution to the Iranian nuclear crisis could be negotiated, the Financial Times reported (see GSN, Feb. 9)...Full Story

Panama Agrees to Nuclear Security Measures The United States and Panama agreed Friday to enhance their cooperation to prevent terrorists from moving nuclear materials through Panamanian waters, the U.S. Energy Department announced (see GSN, May 13, 2004)...Full Story

	Monday, February 12, 2007

Long Hours Mark North Korea Talks Negotiators worked into the early morning Tuesday in Beijing in hopes of reaching an agreement to begin moving North Korea toward dismantling its nuclear weapons program, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, Feb. 9). Envoys to the six-party talks had spent more than 14 hours in meetings that began Monday morning. “It is up to the North Koreans.  We have put everything on the table.  We have offered a way forward on a number of issues.  They just need to make a decision,” U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said before negotiations began Monday. A South Korean official said this round of talks has “reached a final phase.” Diplomats have met sporadically since 2003.  There is concern that failure to reach some sort of agreement now would essentially kill off the talks. “There’s a certain life cycle to these negotiations,” Hill said.  Rejection by Pyongyang of the latest proposal might produce “some political climate change, if not in the U.S., then maybe among some other countries.” However, Hill added, “I don’t want to predict that this is the last chance.” North Korea has expressed its willingness to freeze work at its Yongbyon nuclear reactor and to release an accounting of its nuclear sites, Chinese negotiator Wu Dawei told visiting Japanese lawmaker Fukushiro Nukaga, AP reported. The talks appeared stuck on how much energy assistance Pyongyang would receive as it moves toward denuclearization. There were different reports regarding North Korea’s energy demands, ranging from 2 million kilowatts of electricity to 2 million tons of heavy fuel oil.  A Kyodo News report pegged the amount at 1 million tons of oil each year prior to nuclear disarmament, and 2 million annually afterward (Jae-Soon Chang, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Feb. 12). “The problem is that North Korea has excessive expectations about this, and unless it reconsiders this issue, an agreement will be difficult,” lead Japanese negotiator Kenichiro Sasae told Kyodo News. The proposed agreement prepared by China calls on North Korea to close Yongbyon and allow nuclear inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency.  It does not set out a specific time frame for Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons or weapon-grade material, the New York Times reported.  Another agreement would be necessary for North Korea to hand over those items. Hill indicated that further talks could be conducted in March or April, assuming this meeting ends in success. “We’re not looking to provide energy assistance so that they could avoid taking the further steps on denuclearization,” he said.  “We understand that you can’t just get there in one jump, you have to take several steps, so we’re prepared to take several steps.” The agreement calls for “tight timelines for actions that are measured in months, not years.”  That includes a number of measures in the first two months, including shuttering Yongbyon. Back to top       Iran Offers Hope to Ease Nuclear Impasse Iran’s top nuclear negotiator raised hopes yesterday that a long-term solution to the Iranian nuclear crisis could be negotiated, the Financial Times reported (see GSN, Feb. 9). Speaking to a Munich security conference attended by many international defense ministers, Ali Larijani said Iran could accept some limitations on its uranium enrichment capabilities, according to the Times. He said Iran was willing to hold negotiations with the European Union. “Europe has the necessary will for a settlement of this case and there is the political will on our side to have a negotiated settlement,” Larijani said.  “There are solutions to address your concern.  We don’t want you to be concerned,” he told conference participants (Financial Times, Feb. 12). Iran could assuage international concerns over its intentions quickly, Larijani said, mentioning an offer delivered recently to International Atomic Energy Agency head Mohamed ElBaradei. “I have written to Mr. ElBaradei to say we are ready to within three weeks to have the modality to solve all the outstanding issues with you,” he said (Associated Press I/The Guardian, Feb. 11). Despite the sense of optimism, Larijani made it clear that Iran would not freeze its enrichment activities as a precondition to beginning talks.  The European Union and the U.N. Security Council have made that demand (David Rising, Associated Press II/International Herald Tribune, Feb. 12). President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also reinforced Iran’s position yesterday, AP reported. “We are prepared for dialogue, but won’t suspend our activities,” he said. Ahmadinejad promised major advancements to Iran’s nuclear program in the weeks ahead.  “Until April 9, 2007, you will witness the great advances of the Iranian nation … especially in the field of nuclear technology,” he said.  That date would be near the first anniversary of Iran’s announcement that had successfully enriched uranium (see GSN, April 12, 2006). The Iranian president did not specify what the new developments would be, but Tehran has recently begun to install the first of 3,000 planned centrifuges at an underground enrichment site at Natanz (Ali Akbar Dareini, Associated Press III/San Diego Union-Tribune, Feb. 11). By continuing its nuclear activities, Iran has rejected the U.N. Security Council demand to suspend its program, leading the council in December to call for economic sanctions. EU leaders today agreed on specific measures to implement those sanctions, Reuters reported. Meeting in Brussels, EU foreign ministers agreed to adhere to the sanctions mandated in the December resolution and decided not to heed U.S. calls to impose harsher measures. “The EU text transcribes the U.N. sanctions one-by-one in a very strict and stringent manner,” said one EU diplomat (John/Ennis, Reuters/Washington Post, Feb. 12). For its part the Bush administration continued its recent efforts to tone down its rhetoric regarding the possibility of taking military action against Iran.  That possibility has appeared to gain credence recently after President George W. Bush authorized U.S. forces in Iraq to fire on Iranian personnel who appeared to be backing insurgents.  Bush also ordered a second aircraft carrier battle group to patrol the Persian Gulf Defense Secretary Robert Gates last week sought to clarify the president’s orders. “I don’t know how many times the president, [Secretary of State Condoleezza] Rice and I have had to repeat that we have no intention of attacking Iran, that the second carrier group is there to reassure our allies, as well as to send a signal that we’ve been in the Persian Gulf for decades and we intend to stay there,” he said.  “I think these are fairly modest statements, frankly” (Financial Times). Back to top       Panama Agrees to Nuclear Security Measures The United States and Panama agreed Friday to enhance their cooperation to prevent terrorists from moving nuclear materials through Panamanian waters, the U.S. Energy Department announced (see GSN, May 13, 2004). The two nations signed a Declaration of Principles to help implement the Energy Department’s Megaports Initiative and the Homeland Security Department’s Container Security Initiative. The Megaports Initiative is a program to install radiation detectors at major ports to scan U.S.-bound cargo (see GSN, Oct. 19, 2006).  The Container Security Initiative aims to identify and examine “high-risk shipments” headed for the United States, according to an Energy Department release (see GSN, Jan. 16). “Today’s agreement with Panama represents a commitment on both sides to tackle the threat of illicit trafficking in nuclear and other radioactive materials,” Thomas D’Agostino, acting head of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration, said in the release.  “Cooperating with the Panamanian government on the Megaports Initiative will help to secure global shipping lanes and ultimately protect U.S. ports” (NNSA release, Feb. 9). Back to top       Nuclear Terror Prevention Meeting Opens in Turkey A two-day international meeting to discuss nuclear terror prevention began today in Turkey, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, Oct. 31, 2006). The meeting was the second of series announced at last year’s Group of Eight summit in St. Petersburg, Russia.  Nations attending this week’s session include Australia, Canada, China, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Morocco and Turkey (Associated Press/International Herald Tribune, Feb. 12). Back to top       Arab Nations Plan Nuclear Meeting Next Week Representatives from six Arab nations plan to meet with International Atomic Energy Agency officials next week to discuss their plans to study development of nuclear technology, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, Jan. 22). The Gulf Cooperation Council — consisting of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — announced its nuclear intentions last year (see GSN, Dec. 15, 2006), and GCC representatives have scheduled IAEA meetings for Feb. 22, according to AP. The nuclear plans are strictly peaceful, according to the council’s top official. “Nuclear technology is legal as long as it’s for peaceful purposes:  for electricity, desalination and agriculture,” said GCC Secretary General Abdul Rahman al-Attiyah.  The IAEA meetings would ensure that the development of nuclear technology would be “a transparent process, within international standards,” he added.  “We are re going to meet them and talk to them about the framework and frames of reference for the study” (James Calderwood, Associated Press/PlantSave.com, Feb. 11). Back to top

Ex-Iraqi Defense Minister Denies Role in CW Attacks Iraq’s former defense minister yesterday said he played no role in the use of chemical weapons during the Saddam Hussein regime’s campaign against Kurds in the late 1980s, the Kuwait News Agency reported (see GSN, Jan. 24). “Perhaps some agencies used chemical weapons.  But I do not know them.  I did not receive any orders to use chemical weapons,” said Sultan Hashim al-Tai, who is being tried with five other former regime officials for the deaths of up to 180,000 Kurds during the Anfal campaign. “The first legion which I led took part only in limited part, rather than whole, of the Anfal campaign,” Hashim said (Kuwait News Agency, Feb. 11). Back to top       Mustard Leak Reported at Deseret Depot Workers at the Deseret Chemical Depot in Utah on Thursday found a minute amount of mustard agent vapor leaking from the plug of a container, the U.S. Army said (see GSN, Oct. 12, 2006). Less than 1 milliliter of agent escaped the bulk container before workers tightened the plug.  No mustard vapor escaped the storage igloo (U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency release, Feb. 8). Back to top

Israel Tests Arrow Missile Interceptor Israel yesterday brought down a mock long-range ballistic missile during a test of its Arrow missile defense system, Reuters reported (see GSN, June 7, 2006). “This evening’s successful test reinforces Israel’s readiness … against external threats at the extremes of its operational envelope,” said Defense Minister Amir Peretz. Israel has conducted 15 tests of the Arrow system, 13 of which were considered successful, a security source said.  Arrow interceptors are designed to reach their targets in the atmosphere, and are considered to be the primary protection against Iranian Shahab missiles (Reuters/Yahoo!News, Feb. 11). Back to top

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