Beijing, china
{04-29-2012}

China dissident Chen Guangcheng 'in US embassy'
Associated Press

China dissident Chen Guangcheng is in the US embassy in Beijing following his dramatic escape from house arrest, activist Hu Jia has told the BBC. Mr Hu said Mr Chen - who is blind - had scaled a high wall and was driven hundreds of kilometres to Beijing.

Other, unconfirmed, reports say Mr Chen is under "US protection" while talks take place with Chinese officials. Mr Chen escaped on Sunday, activists say, and has since released a video addressed to Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. There are reports that his brother and nephew have now been held by police.

The rights group Human Rights in China quoted a source who knew about Mr Chen, and said his nephew Chen Kegui was taken away from his home by more than 30 police officers.

Mr Chen's escape complicates already tricky relations between China and the United States and could overshadow a visit to Beijing next week by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She has repeatedly called for the dissident's release. The US state department has refused to comment on the claim that Mr Chen is in its embassy. The US embassy in Beijing has also not commented.

"High-level talks are currently under way between US and Chinese officials regarding Chen's status," said the group, which is led by Bob Fu, an American-based human rights campaigner and friend of Mr Chen.

UN human rights chief Navi Pillay said she was concerned for the wellbeing of Mr Chen and his family, who live in Dongshigu town, Shandong province.

"I'm disturbed to hear reports that other family members, including his brother Chen Guangfu and nephew Chen Kegui, have now been detained," she said in a statement.

Blogger Yaxue Cao says he spoke to Chen Kegui on Friday at about 01:30 local time (Thursday 17:30 GMT), and he has transcribed the interview on his blog Seeing Red in China.

The transcript suggests that at the time of the interview Chen Guangfu had already been detained.

Chen Kegui was awaiting police arrest, having initially resisted an attempt to detain him by unidentified men less than two hours before by slashing at them with kitchen knives.

"Around midnight, about two hours ago, they entered our property by jumping over the enclosed walls, they pried open the locks and kicked on the doors. I heard my mother crying inside, helplessly: 'Please don't come in! Please don't come in!'"

Chen Kegui, who often sobs during the interview, insists: "I did not take knives to go out to kill anyone. I was defending myself in my own home. They attempted to apprehend me without showing any warrant."

Chen Guangcheng, 40, was placed under house arrest after being released from a four-year jail sentence in 2010. Reports suggest authorities only realised he had escaped on Thursday.

Mr Hu - a friend of Mr Chen and himself a prominent activist and dissident - said he had met him in the last 72 hours, since his escape.  He said Mr Chen had fled to the US embassy in Beijing.

UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK
{04-26-2012}

Annan alarmed at Syria military action
Edith M. Lederer & John Heilprin //  Associated Press

International envoy Kofi Annan told the U.N. Security Council Tuesday that the situation in Syria is "bleak" and expressed alarm at reports that government troops are still carrying out military operations in towns where U.N. observers are not present.

He expressed particular concern at media reports that government troops entered the central city of Hama on Monday after U.N. observers departed, firing automatic weapons and killing a significant number of people. Activists said more than 30 people were killed.

"If confirmed, this is totally unacceptable and reprehensible," he said.

Annan echoed U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who called the current situation "unacceptable," and urged President Bashar Assad's government to immediately implement his six-point peace-plan, which would culminate with Syrian-led talks between the government and opposition aimed at reaching a peace settlement.

The joint U.N.-Arab League envoy said the speedy deployment of the 300-strong U.N. observer force authorized by the council on Saturday is "crucial" to verify what is happening on the ground and potentially "change the political dynamics." The observer force also would provide the international community with "incontrovertible" information to increase pressure for a cease-fire by the government and opposition, he said.

Annan briefed the Security Council by videoconference hours after his spokesman, Ahmad Fawzi, told U.N. Television in Geneva that satellite imagery and other credible reports show that, despite its claims, Syria has failed to withdraw all of its heavy weapons from populated areas as required by the cease-fire deal it accepted.

Fawzi also cited credible reports that "people who approach the observers may be approached by security forces or Syrian army and harassed or arrested or even worse, perhaps killed."

Annan did not mention either the satellite photos or the harassment and possible killing of people who talked to the observers in the text of his closed briefing, which was obtained by The Associated Press, but he stressed that "the government cannot cease action in one area to resume it in another."

He told the council the Syrian foreign minister had informed him in a letter on April 21 of the withdrawal of troops and heavy equipment from populated areas and the handover of responsibility to police for maintaining law and order. He said he replied that this means troops should be back in barracks and weapons placed in storage "rather than operationally deployed," and that civilians should not be endangered by police actions.

Annan said the minister's letter is "encouraging" and would make "a real difference ... if it is scrupulously applied." But he added pointedly, "It should be understood that the only promises that count are the promises that are kept."

U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice told reporters after the briefing that "several council members expressed their skepticism on the Syrian government's intentions and the veracity of statements contained in the Syrian foreign minister's letter."

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, whose country is Syria's most important ally, noted that some council members said "they have information" that Syria has not withdrawn its troops and heavy weapons.

"If this is the case, if the promise in the letter has not really been carried out, that would mean it is a breach of the promise they have made on Saturday," Churkin told reporters. "I'm certainly going to bring it to the attention of Moscow that there is an issue that needs to be looked at."

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told reporters in Washington that "the responsibility rests with Assad and with his supporters and his military to demonstrate a commitment to the Annan plan by silencing the guns."

"Unfortunately, the Assad regime has broken its commitments time and again," she said. "So even as we work to help deploy the monitors, we are preparing additional steps in case the violence continues or the monitors are prevented from doing their work."

Annan said that in addition to the reported military attacks, Syria's implementation of the other points in his peace plan - including unrestricted access for journalists and humanitarian workers and allowing peaceful demonstrations - "remains partial."

Annan welcomed the council's initial authorization of a 30-member advance team of U.N. observers, and its approval of a 300-strong U.N. observer team, stressing the importance of getting "eyes and ears on the ground" with the ability to move freely and swiftly.

Rice said U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told the council that 11 observers are currently in Syria including two in Homs and two in Hama. He predicted 30 observers will be on the ground by April 30 and 100 observers within a month, she said.

Ladsous reported that the Syrian government refused at least one observer based on his nationality and stated that it will not accept any observers or civilians for the mission from countries that are members of the Friends of Democratic Syria, Rice said. The group includes more than 70 countries including the U.S., many European countries and a number of Mideast nations.

"He underscored that from the U.N.'s point of view, this is entirely unacceptable," Rice said.

Annan said available reports suggest the level of violence has decreased since April 12 with the exception of the spike on Monday.

He said the reported events in Hama on Monday "are a reminder of the risks that Syrians face if our effort to create a sustained cessation of violence does not succeed."

"But we have also seen events change - at least temporarily - in Homs, where violence has dropped significantly in response to the presence of a very small number of observers," Annan said.

DAMASCO, SIRIA
{21-04-2012}

Clinton: Syrian leader running out of time
Associated Press

     Attacks by government forces killed at least nine people nationwide, including seven in Homs province and a child in Damascus countryside province, the coordination committees said.

Security forces also raided homes in a neighborhood in the capital of Damascus, according to the group.

"Fear is spreading among the residents after arrival of military reinforcements and heavy security deployment," the opposition group said in a statement.

CNN cannot independently verify reports of violence and deaths as the government has severely restricted access by international media.

The attacks come as world leaders seek ways to ensure the regime fully implements a cease-fire imposed on April 12.

An advance team of U.N. observers is in Syria to ensure compliance with the truce, with 30 unarmed monitors expected in the coming days.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for an initial three-month observer mission to be expanded to 300 monitors in 10 locations, and is asking the U.N. Security Council to authorize the expanded number.

Russia -- which has blocked action against the regime -- called for the quick approval of the Security Council resolution to deploy more monitors.

"Every effort should be made to get a second resolution passed that would approve a full-scale monitoring mission and, simultaneously, influence all groups in Syria without exception into cooperating for the sake of implementing the (envoy Kofi) Annan plan," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a news conference Friday in Moscow.

Russia said a Syrian opposition delegation will visit Moscow next week.

Syria and the United Nations reached an agreement Thursday on a protocol for the advance monitoring team and other observers. It outlines the functions of the observers, and the tasks and responsibilities of the Syrian government, according to Annan, the U.N. and Arab League envoy.

The international community is seeking an end to the bloodshed, but the Security Council is split between Western countries demanding tough measures against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Russia and China, which have blocked action against the regime.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe and other top diplomats met Thursday in Paris to call for tougher measures and discuss the next move if the cease-fire fails.

Russia and China declined an invitation to the Paris meeting, according to the French foreign ministry.

Clinton suggested moving "vigorously" to push for a Security Council resolution for more sanctions on al-Assad, including an arms embargo and travel sanctions if the Syrian leader did not fully implement the peace plan.

"I think we are all here out of a sense of great frustration and outrage over what we see occurring in Syria," Clinton said. "We also are hopeful that despite the evidence thus far, the mission of Kofi Annan can begin to take root, starting with monitors being sent."

Clinton said the government has to implement all six options of the peace plan.

While violence ebbed after the truce began last week, Ban said, it resumed days later and Syria has not lived up to its promise to withdraw troops from cities, a key element of the peace plan.

Thirty people were killed in Syria on Thursday and dozens more have been killed in the past few days, the Local Coordination Committees of Syria said.

The peace plan calls on both sides to end the violence, allow access to humanitarian groups, release detainees and begin a political dialogue.

It also says demonstrators should be able to protest peacefully. While there was a restrained regime response to demonstrations a week ago, Ban said, there were attempts to intimidate protesters, including reports of gunfire by government troops.

There has also been no significant release of detainees and no substantive progress on providing humanitarian assistance, another point of the peace plan, Ban said.

Syria has been engulfed in violence for 13 months as a national uprising has spread, and the government has cracked down on peaceful protests. The United Nations estimates that at least 9,000 people have died since the protests began, while activist groups put the death toll at more than 11,000

PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA
{04-18-2012}

North Korea declares dead deal dead
Jill Dougherty  //  Associated Press

    North Korea's so-called "Leap Day" agreement with the United States to suspend its nuclear-weapon and long-range missile testing was dead in the water even before the North's dud rocket splashed into the ocean last week.

Tuesday Pyongyang made it official, blaming Washington for "hatching all sorts of dastardly tricks to prevent the peaceful nature of the (Democratic People's Republic of Korea's) satellite launch from being confirmed objectively" and imposing on the U.N. Security Council "its brigandish demand that the DPRK should not be allowed to launch even a satellite for peaceful purposes."

"We have thus become able to take necessary retaliatory measures, free from the agreement," the government news agency KCNA announced, quoting the Foreign Ministry. "The U.S. will be held wholly accountable for all the ensuing consequences."

Now, U.S. officials are waiting for the other shoe to drop: Will North Korea break the other part of that agreement and carry out a nuclear test? "That," a senior administration official told CNN, "is the 64-thousand-dollar question."

Most conventional wisdom, this official says, "holds a blast is in the offing." But, the official cautions, that is all it is – conventional wisdom - and "there are no definitive telltale indicators the North is readying a nuclear test."

Everyone believes it will happen, the official said, but each person seems to have a different opinion about when it might occur.

Asked at the State Department's daily briefing Tuesday whether there is any indication the North might be laying the groundwork for a nuclear test, deputy spokesman Mark Toner told reporters, "Frankly, it's very difficult to say. It's a very opaque regime."

He added, "We parse out their public comments. We also know that in the past, as we've said, there's been this pattern of bad behavior."

The senior administration official, speaking on background because of the diplomatic sensitivity of the issue, said the choice of words by North Korea counts.

"Those who parse Pyongyang's statements closely point out that this one threatens 'necessary retaliatory measures,' whereas in 2009 they said they would 'strengthen' its 'nuclear deterrent in every way,' and in 2006 they said they would take 'strong physical actions.' So it could be they are just beginning the process of cranking up their bellicosity," the official observed.

In April 2009, North Korea unsuccessfully launched a three-stage rocket, and then, on May 25, detonated an underground nuclear device. In October 2006, Pyongyang carried out its first nuclear test. Those followed two rounds of missile tests on July 4-5, including short, medium and long-range missiles.

When the North fired off its missile this month, the United States suspended food aid that was part of the Leap Day deal, a fact the North notes sullenly in its Tuesday statement: "No sooner had the DPRK's plan for satellite launch been announced than the U.S. suspended the process for the provision of food pursuant to the DPRK-U.S. agreement under that pretext."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday the North Koreans only have themselves to blame.

"They need to take a hard look at their policies, stop the provocative action, open to the rest of the world, work to educate their people, feed their people, put their people first ahead of their ambitions to be a nuclear power, and rejoin the international community," Clinton said in a news conference in Brazil.

Although Pyongyang singles out the United States, the U.N. Security Council on Monday condemned the North's rocket launch and warned that if it conducted another long-range missile test or a nuclear weapons test, the council would take further action.

The senior administration official argued that "North Korea's self-inflicted quarrel is increasingly with the whole world, not just the United States."

"They are struggling to tag us as the devil making them test a nuclear device," the official said, "when the truth is they have almost certainly been planning a nuclear test for some time, in order to continue to master the technology."

Meanwhile, North Korea's Foreign Ministry claimed that "peace is very dear for us but the dignity of the nation and the sovereignty of the country are dearer for us."

United nations, new york
{04-18-2012}

UN strongly condemns NKorea rocket launch
Edith M. Lederer // Associated Press

The U.N. Security Council strongly condemned North Korea's rocket launch Monday, announcing it will impose new sanctions and warning of further action if Pyongyang conducts another launch or a new nuclear test.

Acting swiftly, the 15-member council, including North Korea's closest ally China, adopted a presidential statement underscoring its united opposition to Friday's launch - which violated U.N. sanctions - and the military policy being pursued by the country's young new leader, Kim Jong Un.

The council directed its sanctions committee to expand the list of North Koreans entities subject to asset freezes and identify more proliferation-sensitive technology to be banned for transfer to and from the country.

"The swift and unanimous adoption of this strong presidential statement shows that the international community is united in sending a clear message to North Korea that such provocations are serious and totally unacceptable," said U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice, the current council president who read the statement at a council meeting.

While Russia and China blocked the Security Council from adopting a resolution on their ally Syria for over a year, both world powers have consistently supported tough measures against North Korea, despite their close ties.

North Korea's attempt to launch a satellite ended in failure when the rocket disintegrated over the Yellow Sea, embarrassing its new leader at what the North had planned as the centerpiece of the 100th birthday celebration of the country's founder, his grandfather Kim Il Sung. Western nations have said the launch was a cover for the testing of a long-range missile, and worries remain about North Korea's nuclear program amid reports that it may be planning another atomic test soon.

North Korea launched missiles in 2006 and 2009; in both cases, the missile tests were followed by nuclear tests.

"Clearly, the potential for that pattern to persisit is one that all members of the international community are mindful of and think would be a disastrous course for the North to pursue," Rice said. "It will only lead to the North's increased isolation."

The statement expressed the Security Council's "determination to take action accordingly in the event of a further DPRK launch or nuclear test," using the initials of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the country's official name.

It said Friday's launch, "as well as any use of ballistic missile technology, even if characterized as a satellite launch or space launch vehicle, is a serious violation of U.N. resolutions." It demanded that North Korea halt further launches using ballistic missile technology and suspend its ballistic missile program, as required by U.N. resolutions imposing sanctions after the country's nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009.

The council asked the Security Council committee monitoring sanctions against North Korea to prepare new additions for the sanctions list within 15 days, and said if it doesn't the council itself would take action within five days to expand the list.

Rice said the council intends "to designate additional North Korean entities, including companies, to be subject to an asset freeze, as well as to identify additional proliferation-sensitive technology to be banned for transfer to and from North Korea."

The sanctions committee will also take several other actions to improve enforcement of existing sanctions, she said.

The United States, Rice said, will propose "a robust package of new designations, including the names of companies responsible for North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and a list of technical items that North Korea needs to proceed with its illicit programs."

The sanctions committee will go over proposals for new additions to the sanctions list, Rice said, which "in 2009 yielded a very credible outcome, and we expect the same this time."

The Security Council proceeded as it did in 2009, adopting a presidential statement after North Korea's missile launch. In that statement, a united council also condemned the launch and asked the sanctions committee to add companies, items and technologies to the sanctions list.

"This text is stronger than the one the council adopted in 2009, both in language and in substance," Rice said.

The presidential statement, which is weaker than a resolution but becomes part of the council's record, was largely drafted by Rice and China's U.N. Ambassador Li Baodong, with South Korea, Japan and European nations consulted at different points, U.N. diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the talks were private. The final draft was sent to the entire council and there were no objections by the Monday morning deadline, the diplomats said.

Pyongyang, North Korea
{04-14-2012}

NORTH Korea launch draws anger as failure wounds pride
Jean H. Lee  //  Associated Press

A satellite launch North Korea had hailed as a moment of national pride ended in failure Friday when the rocket disintegrated over the Yellow Sea, earning Pyongyang embarrassment as well as condemnation from a host of nations that deemed it a covert test of missile technology.

In a rare move, Pyongyang admitted that the rocket did not deliver a satellite, but it also pressed ahead with grandiose propaganda in praise of the ruling Kim family.

The United States and South Korea declared the early-morning launch a failure minutes after the rocket shot out from the North's west coast. North Korea acknowledged that some four hours later in an announcement broadcast on state TV, saying the satellite that the rocket was carrying did not enter orbit.

North Korea had held up the launch as a scientific achievement and even a gift for its late founder, Kim Il Sung, two days before the 100th anniversary of his birth. It pressed ahead even as world leaders vowed to take action in the U.N. Security Council against what they called a flagrant violation of international resolutions prohibiting North Korea from developing its nuclear and missile programs.

The rocket's destruction suggests the country has yet to master the technology needed to build long-range missiles that could threaten the United States. Still, worries remain about North Korea's nuclear program amid reports that it may be planning an atomic test soon.

The launch is also a setback for the government of new leader Kim Jong Un, which had projected the satellite as a show of strength amid North Korea's persistent economic hardship. Kim is solidifying power following the death of his father, longtime leader Kim Jong Il, four months ago.

Kim Jong Un has been given several important titles intended to strengthen his rule this week. Hours after the failed launch, state media said he was named first chairman of the powerful National Defense Commission during a meeting of the Supreme People's Assembly.

Kim Jong Il, who ruled the country in his capacity as chairman of the commission, was given the title of "chairman for eternity."

Outsiders, meanwhile, focused on the launch, which was condemned by the foreign ministers of the Group of Eight industrialized nations meeting in Washington, including Russia. The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting for later Friday, and Washington said it was suspending plans to contribute food aid to the North in exchange for a rollback of its nuclear programs.

But the U.S. is not expected to seek an additional Security Council resolution against North Korea. Another administration official said existing sanctions resolutions against North Korea are adequate and said their enforcement could be "ratcheted up."

The Obama administration believes U.S. sanctions against North Korea, particularly on its ability to obtain advanced electronics for guidance systems, have restricted its proliferation activities.

"North Korea's longstanding development of missiles and pursuit of nuclear weapons have not brought it security - and never will," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement. "North Korea will only show strength and find security by abiding by international law, living up to its obligations, and by working to feed its citizens, to educate its children and to win the trust of its neighbors."

North Korea had announced weeks earlier that it would launch a long-range rocket mounted with an observational satellite, touting it as a major technological achievement to mark the centennial of the birth of Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Un's grandfather.

The failure "blows a big hole in the birthday party," said Victor Cha, former director for Asia policy in the U.S. National Security Council. "It's terribly embarrassing for the North."

In downtown Pyongyang, university student Kim Kwang Jin was sanguine about the news.

"I'm not too disappointed. There was always the chance of failure," he said. "Other nations - including China and Russia - have had failures while building their space programs so why wouldn't we? I hope that in the future, we're able to build a better satellite."

Experts say the Unha-3 carrier was the same type of rocket that would be used to strike the U.S. and other targets with a long-range missile.

Greg Thielmann, a former intelligence officer with the U.S. State Department, said it now appears the North Koreans haven't mastered the technology they need to control multistage rockets - a key capability if the North is to threaten the United States with intercontinental ballistic missiles.

North Korea has tested two atomic devices but is not yet believed to be able to build a nuclear warhead small enough to be mounted on a long-range missile.

Cha, who was an Asia adviser for former President George W. Bush, said the next step would be to watch whether North Korea conducts a third nuclear test, as has been speculated by the South Korean intelligence community.

State media said the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite was fired from the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in the hamlet of Tongchang-ri but "failed to enter its preset orbit."

"Scientists, technicians and experts are now looking into the cause of the failure," the state-run Korean Central News Agency said.

North Korean space officials said the Unha-3, or Galaxy-3, rocket was meant to send a satellite into orbit to study crops and weather patterns - its third bid to launch a satellite since 1998. Officials had earlier brought foreign journalists to the west coast site to see the rocket and the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite Sunday in a bid to show its transparency amid accusations of defiance.

The acknowledgment of the rocket's failure - both to the outside world and to North Koreans - was a surprising admission by a government that in the past has kept tight control over information. In Pyongyang, dozens of foreign journalists invited to cover the launch were not allowed to view the liftoff live.

"The failure, which was impossible to hide from the North Korean people given the advance publicity and presence of international media, will be a major source of domestic and international embarrassment for the Kim Jong Un regime," said Ralph Cossa, president of Pacific Forum CSIS, a Hawaii-based think tank.

Attempts to put satellites into orbit often pose problems even for developed nations. In 2010, a South Korean rocket carrying a climate observation satellite exploded 137 seconds into its flight. An earlier 2009 attempt, Seoul's first from its own territory, also failed.

The Unha-3's launch was monitored by a host of U.S., Japanese and South Korean military assets, which were expected to capture vital data on North Korea's ballistic missile capabilities.

U.S. Navy minesweepers and other ships in the area were expected to begin scouring the sea for debris from the rocket, which can offer evidence of what went wrong and what rocket technology North Korea has.

At a massive gathering later Friday in Pyongyang, Kim Jong Un and other senior officials watched the unveiling of an enormous new statue of Kim Jong Il, which stood beside an equally large statue of Kim Il Sung.

TEHRAN, Iran
{04-10-2012}

Iran lawmaker: Country can produce nuclear weapons
Ali Akbardareini  //  Associated Press

     Iran has the knowledge and scientific capability to produce nuclear weapons but will never do so, a prominent lawmaker has said.

Gholamreza Mesbahi Moghadam is a parliamentarian not a government official and his views do not represent the Iranian government's policy. It however is the first time that such a prominent Iranian politician has publicly stated that Iran has the technological capability to produce a nuclear weapon.

His assertion published on parliament's website late Friday suggests that Iran is trying to show unity in its political establishment around its often repeated claims that it seeks world-class technological advances including nuclear expertise, but does not want to develop atomic arms as the U.S. and its allies claim.

The statement comes before planned talks beginning next week with the U.S. and other world powers over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Moghadam said Iran can easily produce the highly enriched uranium that is used to build atomic bombs, but that it is not Tehran's policy to go that route.

"Iran has the scientific and technological capability to produce (a) nuclear weapon, but will never choose this path," he said in remarks carried by the parliamentary website icana.ir.

The U.S. and its allies accuse Iran of using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to develop nuclear weapons. Iran denies the charges, saying its program is peaceful and geared toward generating electricity and producing medical radioisotopes to treat cancer patients.

The White House did not comment on Moghadam's comments.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has repeatedly insisted that his country is not seeking nuclear weapons, saying that holding such arms is a sin as well as "useless, harmful and dangerous."

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has also asserted that if Iran one day decides to build nuclear weapons, it will do so openly and won't fear anybody. However, he has also emphasized that Iran has no intention to weaponize what he describes as a peaceful nuclear program.

Director of U.S. National Intelligence James Clapper asserted in a January report to the Senate Intelligence Committee that Iran has the means to build a nuclear weapon but has not yet decided to follow through.

U.S. intelligence officials say they generally stand by a 2007 intelligence assessment that asserts Iran stopped comprehensive secret work on developing nuclear arms in 2003. But Britain, France, Germany, Israel and other U.S. allies think such activities have continued past that date, a suspicion shared by the IAEA, which says in recent reports that some isolated and sporadic activities may be ongoing.

However, the IAEA says there is no evidence to prove that Iran's nuclear materials have been diverted towards weapons.

Iran says it is enriching uranium to about 3.5 percent to produce nuclear fuel for its future reactors and also to around 20 percent to fuel a research reactor that produces medical isotopes to treat cancer patients. Uranium has to be enriched to more than 90 percent to be used for a nuclear weapon.

The U.N. nuclear agency has also confirmed that centrifuges at the Fordo site near Iran's holy city of Qom are churning out uranium enriched to 20 percent, and says uranium enriched to that level can more quickly be turned into weapons-grade material.

Moghadam, the lawmaker, said that Iran has the means to produce 90-plus percent enrichment.

"There is a possibility for Iran to easily achieve more than 90 percent enrichment," icana.ir quoted Moghadam as saying.

United nations, new York
{03-23-2012}

UN Chief ‘Deeply Concerned’ at North Korean Missile Launch Plans
Associated Press

     U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed “deep concern” about North Korea's plan to launch a satellite into orbit, and vowed to raise the issue at next week's nuclear security summit in Seoul.

Mr. Ban, speaking Thursday, said the missile launch — widely seen outside the North as a pretext for testing a nuclear weapons delivery system — threatens regional security. He said it also violates a U.N. resolution prohibiting Pyongyang from using ballistic missile technology.

“I urge the DPRK authorities to refrain from any such act that will destabilize the situation and peace and stability in the Korean peninsula, and that is against the aspiration and inspiration of the international community.”

North Korea says the satellite launch, set for mid-April, is for “peaceful scientific purposes.” Pyongyang warned earlier this week that any South Korean attempt to discuss the North's controversial nuclear program at the security summit would be seen as a declaration of war.

Last month, North Korea agreed to suspend uranium enrichment and missile testing. It also agreed to allow the return of U.N. weapons inspectors, in exchange for badly needed U.S. food aid. The International Atomic Energy Agency said Thursday it had begun preliminary talks with the North on the return of its inspectors, who were expelled from the country more than two years ago.

Victor Cha, the former director of the National Security Council for Asian Affairs, told VOA that when Pyongyang agreed to suspend ballistic missile tests, that “clearly” included a moratorium on satellite launches.

“There really is no distinction between their (proposed) satellite launch and a ballistic missile test, since they use the same technology to get this vehicle into orbit. There really is no difference.”

The United States, Russia, South Korea, and Japan all have condemned the planned launch.

But Cha says international pressure is unlikely to persuade North Korea to reverse course, since the launch is planned as part of the celebration of the 100th birthday of the late leader Kim Il Sung, the founder of the communist state.

Earlier this week, Japan said it has the right to intercept the North Korean missile, if it becomes necessary to protect national security. Cha says North Korea's neighbors have every right to be concerned, because past endeavors by North Korea have resulted in failure, sending debris crashing into the Pacific Ocean.

“The danger with the so-called satellite launches is that, if they fail, they can drop pieces of the missile on stuff underneath the ascent path and that could be Japan. So I think the Japanese see this as a true national security risk, not because the North Koreans are aiming at Japan, but because we know nothing about the technology of this missile and whether it will be successful.”

Similar attempts by North Korea to launch satellites in 1998 and 2009 are widely regarded to have failed. But North Korea insists it has successfully launched at least one satellite into orbit, where it remains today, broadcasting patriotic songs.

In a separate development, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said his government is nearing a deal with the United States to expand the range of its ballistic missiles to counter the North Korean threat.

President Lee told reporters in comments published Thursday he believes a deal will be reached in the “near future” to extend the current 300-kilometer range, which was set by a 2001 agreement with the United States.

UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK CITY
{03-22-2012}

U.N. unites on Syria, sanctions set for Assad's wife
Reuters

    The U.N. Security Council, including Russia and China, threw its weight on Wednesday behind efforts by Kofi Annan to end the bloody conflict in Syria, providing a rare moment of global unity in the face of the year-long crisis.

In a statement approved by all its 15 members, the council threatened Syria with unspecified "further steps" if it failed to comply with Annan's peace plan, which calls for a ceasefire and demands swift access for aid agencies. Although the original statement was diluted at Russia's demand, editing out any specific ultimatums, the fact that all world powers signed up to the proposal dealt a serious blow to President Bashar al-Assad as he battles a popular uprising. "To President Assad and his regime we say, along with the rest of the international community: take this path, commit to it, or face increasing pressure and isolation," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in Washington.

Adding to the pressure, European Union governments are set to impose sanctions against Syrian Assad's wife Asma on Friday, EU diplomats said, meaning that she will no longer be able to travel to the EU or buy from EU-based shops, in her own name.

The sanctions, which still need formal approval from ministers, come after the British-born former investment banker became the focus of media attention when a trove of emails obtained by Britain's Guardian newspaper appeared to show her spending tens of thousands of dollars on internet shopping sprees while Syria descended into bloodletting. At least 8,000 people have died in the revolt, according to U.N. figures. Violence has intensified in recent weeks as pro-government forces bombard rebel towns and villages, looking to sweep their lightly armed opponents out of their strongholds.

Assad's forces have chalked up a string of gains as they turned their firepower on areas held by rebels. But the fighting shows no sign of abating and analysts expect the insurgents to change their tactics and adopt guerrilla warfare. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 21 civilians were killed in Syria on Wednesday, the majority in government shelling on towns in Syria's central Homs province.

The army fired mortars into the Khalidiya district of Homs city, while artillery targeted the rebel town of Rastan, north of Homs city. Video also showed shelling of the ancient Apamea castle at Qalat Mudiq, near Hama. Opposition activists said the army used tanks, artillery and anti-aircraft guns on the Damascus suburbs of Harasta and Irbin early Wednesday, which were retaken from rebels two months ago but have seen renewed insurgency in recent days.

The official Syrian news agency SANA reported the funerals of seven security force members killed in the fighting. Reports from Syria cannot be independently verified because officials have barred access to rights groups and journalists.

Russia and China, competing with Western powers for influence in the Middle East, previously vetoed two U.N. draft resolutions that would have condemned Damascus and have resisted calls from Western and Arab states for Assad to stand down. But faced by growing global outrage at the bloodshed, the two countries agreed to a so-called "presidential statement". They are generally non-binding documents but do require unanimous support in the Security Council.

Russia, one of Assad's few remaining allies, praised the document as pragmatic. "The most important thing is that there are no ultimatums ... and no suggestions as to who carries more blame," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Berlin.

The accord came a few days after Annan, a former U.N. secretary general, told the Security Council that Damascus's response to his plans for peace were disappointing and he had urged the international community to lay aside its divisions. His proposal, spelled out in the U.N. statement, tells the Syrian government to cease troop movements in population centres and end the use of heavy weapons in such areas.

It also calls for the government and opposition to hold talks to secure a peaceful settlement. Assad has not rejected the proposals but has challenged their feasibility and asked who can speak for the splintered opposition. The Syrian opposition plans to meet in Turkey on March 26 to try to overcome their internal feuds and plot a more coherent strategy, sources said on Wednesday.

However, they have yet to agree on who should attend the gathering, underlining doubts about their ability to act together, which has frustrated Arab and Western states seeking a reliable partner to unite the anti-Assad movement.

The Security Council last passed a presidential statement on Syria in August 2011, but council members did reach a rare agreement on March 1 to rebuke Damascus for not letting U.N. humanitarian aid chief Valerie Amos into the country. Shortly afterwards, Amos was allowed to visit Damascus. Annan welcomed the U.N. support for his mediation efforts and called on Damascus to "respond positively".

The latest Council accord came after Moscow adopted a new, sharper tone with Syria, which hosts Russia's only naval base outside the former Soviet Union. "We believe the Syrian leadership reacted wrongly to the first appearance of peaceful protests and ... is making very many mistakes," Lavrov told Russian radio on Tuesday.

France welcomed the Security Council's move and said Assad must now halt all violence and repression, allow humanitarian aid to reach everyone in need and engage in "inclusive dialogue" with the opposition to find a lasting political solution. "With this declaration the United Nations Security Council is beginning to take responsibility after months of blockage," French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said in Paris.

Jerusalem, Israel
{03-16-2012}

Israel’s Arrow II ready for Iran’s missiles
associated press

     Israel, meanwhile, has emerged from the past few days of fighting with Palestinians in Gaza more confident that its advanced missile shield and civil defenses can perform well in any war with Iran.

Describing how the flare-up in violence had provided an impromptu opportunity to test out Israel’s defenses, one Israeli official said on Tuesday it gave useful indicators for any potential conflict with Tehran: “In a sense, this was a mini-drill,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, according to Reuters.

“There are significant differences, of course, but the basic principles regarding the ‘day after’ scenarios are similar,” the official added, alluding to Iran’s threat to respond to any “pre-emptive strike” on its nuclear facilities by firing missiles at Israel.

While Iron Dome is deployed against rockets from Gaza, Israel’s answer to the bigger, ballistic missiles of Iran and Syria is Arrow II, an interceptor that works in a similar way but at far higher altitudes.

After counting 170 incoming missiles from Gaza over four days, Israeli officials said Iron Dome had shot down 77 percent of those it had identified as a threat. The system does not fire on rockets it calculates will land in empty fields. Developers of the Arrow II, which has so far proved itself only in trials, boast a shoot-down rate for that system of some 90 percent.

Uzi Rubin, a veteran of the Arrow program, cautioned, however, against relying too far on such defenses as Iranian missiles, if not intercepted, could wreak far more damage than Gazan rockets, many of which are improvised from drainage pipes.

“We are talking about 750-kg (1,650-lb) warheads, enough to level a city block,” Rubin said, noting there would be a greater impact if Iran’s allies on Israel’s borders -- Syria, Lebanon’s Hezbollah guerrillas, and Palestinian fighters -- joined in.

Yet some Israeli experts see that axis bending to new domestic political pressures, notably after the popular Arab revolts of the past year, which may reduce the extent to which Tehran can count on their support in any conflict with Israel.

Indeed, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has recently predicted that “maybe not even 500” of Israel’s civilians would die in any counter-attack after a strike on Iran.

If it is planning to attack Iran, which denies seeking the bomb while preaching the Jewish state’s destruction, Israel must contend with unprecedented tactical hurdles and the disapproval of the United States -- underwriter of Arrow II and Iron Dome.

Israel would also depend on Washington’s grants for the two projects to bear the lopsided cost of each interception -- between $25,000 and $80,000 for Iron Dome, and $2 million and $3 million for Arrow.