BURMA: Loophole Gives Junta Room to Go Nuclear in Secrecy

Thanks to a loophole in the international regime to control the proliferation of nuclear weapons, military-ruled Burma could very well carry out its reported intent to go nuclear behind a veil of secrecy, free of scrutiny from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Amiri Told CIA Iran Has No Nuclear Bomb Programme

Contrary to a news media narrative that Iranian scientist Shahram Amiri has provided intelligence on covert Iranian nuclear weapons work, CIA sources familiar with the Amiri case say he told his CIA handlers that there is no such Iranian nuclear weapons programme, according to a former CIA officer.

Clues Suggest Amiri Defection Was an Iranian Plant

U.S. officials are explaining Iranian scientist Shahram Amiri's return to Iran as the result of a defector having a change of heart because of his concern about Iranian government threats to his family. Iran and Amiri himself have insisted that it is a simple case of a victim of abduction escaping his captors.

IRAN: Unrest Grows over Economic Woes

Last year's Iranian political demonstrations have given way to economic protests that could prove more worrisome for the Tehran government.

N. Korea Agrees to Talks on Torpedoed Warship

Depending on whom you asked, Friday's statement from the U.N. condemning the "attack" on a South Korean warship was either a victory for those countries seeking to publicly shame North Korea or a failure of the international community to sufficiently assign blame to Pyongyang for the incident.

Stirrings of a New Push for Military Option on Iran

"From a marketing point of view, you don't introduce new products in August," explained then-White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card back in September 2002, in answer to queries about why the administration of George W. Bush had not launched its campaign to rally public opinion behind invading Iraq earlier in the summer.

IRAN: Worries Mount over Sanctions’ Ripple Effect

Although the United States and its allies insist that the latest round of U.N. sanctions against Iran targets high-level government officials rather than the general population, interviews with a number of analysts, activists and journalists in Tehran reveal a growing concern over the impact on the country's middle class.

Heinonen Pushed Dubious Iran Nuclear Weapons Intel

Olli Heinonen, the Finnish nuclear engineer who resigned Thursday after five years as deputy director for safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was the driving force in turning that agency into a mechanism to support U.N. Security Council sanctions against Iran.

White House Low-Key on China-Pakistan Nuke Deal

Last week's meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in New Zealand brought statements of concern over China's planned nuclear deal with Pakistan, but U.S. State Department officials avoided taking a strong position on the deal when pressed by reporters this week.

U.S. Congress Approves Strong Unilateral Sanctions on Iran

Escalating Washington's growing confrontation with Iran, both houses of Congress Thursday approved a sweeping unilateral sanctions package designed to pressure Tehran into curbing its nuclear programme.

‘Nuclear-Free Middle East Not Easy’

A meeting called for 2012 on a Middle East free of nuclear weapons is likely to run into difficulties, says Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Buddhist association Soka Gakkai International (SGI).

Obama Still Globally Popular, But Doubts Grow in Muslim World

While U.S. President Barack Obama has largely retained huge popularity among most of the world's publics, disillusionment with his leadership appears to have set in throughout much of the Islamic world, according to the latest annual survey of global public opinion by the Washington-based Pew Research Centre released here Thursday.

/CORRECTED REPEAT*/: U.S. Urged to Engage China on N. Korea Nukes

On a day when North Korea's World Cup team played its first match in South Africa - ending in a respectable two-one loss against powerhouse Brazil - a new report is suggesting that the White House engage in more active diplomacy to address the deterioration of regional attempts to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons programme.

IRAN: Sanctions’ Effectiveness Widely Questioned

While top U.S. officials touted the U.N. Security Council's approval Wednesday of a new sanctions resolution against Iran as a major diplomatic breakthrough, most nuclear and Iran specialists say it is unlikely to be effective and could prove counterproductive.

Brazil, Turkey Defy U.S. on Nuke Vote Against Iran

After several months of closed-door negotiations and shuttle diplomacy, the United States succeeded Wednesday in getting a new Security Council resolution - the fourth in a series - imposing a fresh set of sanctions penalising Iran for its nuclear programme.

Apartheid-Era Docs Shed Light on Israel’s Worst-Kept Secret

A U.S. author is standing by claims that Israel offered to sell nuclear warheads to South Africa during the apartheid regime, despite denials by Israel's then-defence minister, now-president Shimon Peres, that the accusation has "no basis in reality".

Experts Call Brazil-Turkey Deal with Iran a “First Step”

A group of U.S. experts ranging from former top diplomats to non-proliferation specialists is praising the recent deal brokered by Brazil and Turkey on Iran's nuclear programme as a potential "first step" towards ratcheting down tensions between the West and the Islamic Republic.

Obama Seeks to Quiet Outrage over Gaza Flotilla Killings

Amid nearly universal condemnation of Monday's pre-dawn Israeli assault in international waters on a flotilla carrying humanitarian and reconstruction aid bound for Gaza, the administration of President Barack Obama has steadfastly avoided assigning blame.

Gaza Aid Attack Complicates New Sanctions on Iran

Israel's lethal confrontation with pro-Palestinian activists in the Mediterranean is complicating U.S. strategy toward Iran and undermining the likelihood of a solid sanctions victory at the United Nations.

Fuel Swap Shakes Sanctions Draft, Prods U.S. on New Iran Talks

Although the Barack Obama administration continued to dismiss the May 17 Iranian fuel swap agreement Friday, there are indications that Iran's move has shaken the agreement among U.N. Security Council members on sanctions, and is bringing Russian diplomatic pressure on the United States to participate in new talks with Iran on the swap arrangement - something the administration clearly wished to avoid.

U.N. Nuke Meet Ends with Good Intentions and Empty Promises

The road to a nuclear weapons-free world is apparently paved with good intentions - but littered with plenty of platitudes and empty promises.