Iran, IAEA Begin to Resolve Concerns About Past Research

February 10, 2014 | Edited by Lauren Mladenka and Geoff Wilson

Iran cooperation - “In a significant move, Iran agreed Sunday to provide additional information sought by the U.N. nuclear agency in its long-stalled investigation of suspicions that Tehran may have worked on nuclear weapons,” reports George Jahn of AP. “[The] IAEA’s announcement that Tehran was ready to ‘provide information and explanations’ for experiments in a type of detonator that the agency says could be used to trigger a nuclear explosion appeared to be the latest indication that Iran’s new political leadership is seeking to ease tensions over its nuclear program.” Read the full story here. http://wapo.st/1bje3d2

Analysis - “Satisfactory resolution of these issues [with the IAEA] will help demonstrate to the international community that Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful and that the country is not pursuing nuclear weapons,” writes Kelsey Davenport for Arms Control Now.

--“As Iran and the P5+1 begin negotiations on a comprehensive agreement to on Tehran’s nuclear program, these activities demonstrate Iran’s willingness to negotiate and follow through on its pledges of actions. Continued progress on resolving PMD issues will also go a long way to demonstrate to the international community that Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons and is willing to come clean about its past activities.” Full analysis of the new IAEA agreement here. http://bit.ly/1npLRVJ

Tweet - @ReutersIran: Iran says ready to answer U.N. nuclear agency's questions http://reut.rs/NtI0fR

Menendez, now a man alone - “Senator Robert Menendez fired back at a Republican letter that pressed for a vote on his Iran-sanctions legislation, reports Jordain Carney for Global Security Newswire. “At the end of the day -- a national security issue that we must approach in a spirit of bipartisanship and unity, which has been the spirit for which we have worked together on this matter. And I hope that we will not find ourselves in a partisan process trying to force a vote on a national security matter before its appropriate time," said Sen. Menendez. Full story here. http://bit.ly/1bjhIYt

Way to war - “Nearly 11 years since the invasion of Iraq, one thing is clear, the American people are wary of another war in the Middle East – and no one has better grounds to be cautious than America’s veterans and active duty military personnel. That’s why every veteran should be watching legislation in the U.S. Senate that may bring us closer to war with Iran,” writes Kenneth Mayers in the Albuquerque Journal. “The bill would place more sanctions on Iran and commit the U.S. to providing military support to Israel in the event of a conflict. These senators misguidedly reason that if sanctions helped bring Iran to the negotiating table, then more sanctions will strengthen our hand.”

--“They couldn’t be more wrong,” Mayers says. “This Senate bill would likely obliterate the progress that has been made. The collapse of international cooperation on this thorny issue would thus increase the probability of war. The far better course of action would be to give our negotiators the time they have secured, with the backing of the global community, to negotiate a more fundamental end to Iran’s nuclear program.” Full article here. http://bit.ly/1coRIp3

Nuclear Security Summit - “Next month’s Nuclear Security Summit in the Netherlands may come closer to establishing international standards for how to lock down dangerous nuclear materials than did the two prior gatherings of the biennial confab,” writes Douglas P. Guarino for Global Security Newswire. “According to multiple sources familiar with ongoing preparations for the March event, the United States, Netherlands and South Korea are encouraging summit participants to pledge that they will adopt and be bound by existing international guidelines for the physical protection of nuclear materials. The guidelines, established by the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency, are not currently the law in individual countries.” Full story here. http://bit.ly/1bEOgGM

Ethics investigation - “Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Friday he will appoint a senior officer to report directly to him on matters of military ethics after a spate of embarrassing scandals including widespread exam cheating among nuclear missile launch officers,” reports Phil Stewart for Reuters. “Hagel said the incidents have raised questions about the extent of the problem in the armed forces and whether America's military failed to focus enough on questions of integrity during more than 12 years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq.” Get the full story here. http://reut.rs/1lpeoM5

GOP on INF - “Republicans Urge Obama to Rebuke Russia for Alleged Treaty Breach” by Rachel Oswald of Global Security Newswire here. http://bit.ly/1lVXrfG

Nuclear leadership - “In March of last year the Norwegian government convened a gathering of 129 nations in Oslo for a two-day Conference on the Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear War. This week there will be a follow up meeting in Mexico to further examine the scientific data now available documenting the devastating global impact of even a very limited use of these weapons. The United States and the other four permanent members of the UN Security Council, who together possess 98% of the world’s nuclear weapons, boycotted the Oslo meeting and have not yet indicated if they will attend the meeting in Mexico… The US should attend the Mexico meeting and give leadership to the growing international movement to negotiate a treaty to eliminate these weapons once and for all.” Read the full article from Ira Helfand and Robert Dodge for Common Dreams here. http://bit.ly/1lpqnsV

Quick-Hits:

--“Shaheen Urges Obama to Press French on Business Visits to Iran” by Rebecca Shabad in The Hill. http://bit.ly/1dC5nsp

--“A nuclear nightmare is still too close” by David E. Drake for the Des Moines Register. http://dmreg.co/1bNJdHd

Events:

--“Discussion on the Air Force Nuclear Enterprise.” Discussion with Deborah Lee James, Secretary of the Air Force, and Lt. Gen Stephen Wilson, Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command. Feb. 12 from 9:00-10:00 at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. RSVP here.http://bit.ly/1npxyQS

--“Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare.” Book launch with Gareth Porter. Feb. 13 from 12:00-1:30 at Public Citizen, 1600 20th St. NW. RSVP online. http://bit.ly/M5i1KI

--“U.S.-Russian Relations in the 21st Century.” Discussion with Angela Stent, Fiona Hill, and Peter Baker. Feb. 18 from 2:00-3:30 at Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW. RSVP here. http://bit.ly/1bqFDTe

--“Reestablishing US Diplomatic Presence in Iran.” Discussion with Ramin Asgard, John Limbert, Morad Ghorban; moderated by Barbara Slavin. Feb. 19 at 10:00 at the Atlantic Council, 1030 15th St. NW, 12th floor. RSVP here.http://bit.ly/1lp96QC

--“A Preview of the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit.” Discussion with Graham Allison. Feb. 20 from 6:00-8:00 at George Washington University, Lindner Family Commons, Room 602, 1957 E St. NW. RSVP here. http://bit.ly/1iR0oZY