In The News

Measure Would Alter Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy

R. Jeffrey Smith October 4, 2003
In an effort to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons, the US has made an effort to reduce global trade in bomb-grade uranium, which is often used for medical isotope production. In recent years, Washington has required isotope-producing firms to move towards use of low-enriched uranium, which has less destructive capabilities. But a provision in an energy bill currently under consideration by the...

Iran Playing With Fire

October 3, 2003
Iran faces harsh international scrutiny in coming weeks about its nuclear weapons program as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) begins new inspection. In question are traces of weapon’s grade enriched uranium found in Iran that Tehran officials claim were contaminated before Iran received them. The IAEA has warned that Iran could face international sanctions backed by the US if Iran...

Roh Says Iraq Troops Hinge on NK Nukes

Sim Sung-tae October 2, 2003
Though the US has made an effort to keep the security issues of North Korea and Iraq separate, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun views them as connected. President Roh hesitates to deploy any troops to the Middle East, thus sending an "indirect message" to the US to consider the non-aggression pact that North Korea has been demanding. According to the author, as the US continues to...

North Korea Says It Is Using Plutonium to Make A-Bombs

James Brooke October 2, 2003
While claiming to be producing plutonium for nuclear weapons, Pyongyang's vice foreign minister also emphasized that "We have no intention of transferring any means of that nuclear deterrence to other countries." Apparently, the communist regime wants to avoid pushing Washington so far that the Bush administration would declare the need for a pre-emptive strike. But analysts...

China Bids for the High Ground

Joan Johnson-Freese October 1, 2003
The world may seem a little smaller to China soon - especially as viewed from outer space. The Chinese government plans to launch a manned space capsule in the next few weeks, closing a technological gap with Russia and the US that no other country has crossed. Joan Johnson-Freese, an expert in Chinese space technology at the US Naval War College, believes that to understand the implications of...

U.S. Must Counteract Image in Muslim World, Panel Says

Steven R. Weisman October 1, 2003
A team of academics, diplomats, and writers convened by the Bush administration has found "shocking levels" of hostility towards the US in the Muslim world. The panel found anti-American sentiment increasing in the wake of the Iraq war and escalating Israel-Palestine conflict, and called this sentiment a "lethal threat" to American interests and public safety. The panel's...

Iranian Pilgrims Resume Journeys to Iraq

September 30, 2003
Two of the holiest places for Shi’ite Muslims – the cities of Karbala and Najaf – are located in Iraq. Devout Iranian pilgrims have traditionally journeyed to these cities each year to visit the burial sites of prominent Shi'ite religious figures. The Iranian government halted pilgrimages when the US invaded Iraq, fearing for the safety of the travelers. However, these measures did not...