Iran May Launch Its Own Spy Sat

Posted by Matt in February 7th, 2007 | no comment

Is Iran about to put a spy in the sky? The Israeli debka.com Web site, which maintains a wide circle of sources within Israeli intelligence, has claimed that Tehran may soon launch its own surveillance satellite. The booster vehicle would be a BM25 ballistic missile, “18 of which were purchased from North Korea, notwithstanding Pyongyang’s [...]

Russia plans new ICBMs, nuclear subs

Posted by Matt in February 7th, 2007 | 2 comments

Published in Military, Missiles, Nuclear, Russia

MOSCOW - Russiaâ€˜s defense minister on Wednesday laid out an ambitious plan for building new intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear submarines and possibly aircraft carriers, and set the goal of exceeding the Soviet army in combat readiness.
The plan envisages the deployment of 34 new silo-based Topol-M missiles and control units, as well as an additional [...]

Beijingâ€™s Great Leap Outward: Power Projection with Chinese Characteristics

Posted by Matt in February 7th, 2007 | no comment

Published in China, Military

02/07/2007 - By Willy Lam (from China Brief, February 7) - The forceful projection of Chinaâ€™s hard and soft power in recent months marks a stunning departure from the foreign policy axioms of late patriarch Deng Xiaoping. Deng, who anointed President Hu Jintao as the â€œcoreâ€ of the Fourth Generation leadership, noted shortly after the [...]

China: An Intelligent Test?

Posted by Matt in February 7th, 2007 | no comment

Published in China, Satellites, Space

China’s new antisatellite program makes senseâ€”at least from Beijing’s perspective. But it could turn out to be a dangerous mistake.
Feb. 5, 2007 issue - On one level, China’s recent test of a new antisatellite weapon was a success: Beijing managed to blast one of its aging weather sensors out of orbit several hundred miles above [...]

Russia to Build Up Number of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles

Posted by Matt in February 7th, 2007 | no comment

Published in Missiles, Russia

The Russian military will sharply increase the number of new intercontinental ballistic missiles to be deployed this year as part of an ambitious weapons modernization plan, The Associated Press news agency quoted Russian Defense Minister as saying on Wednesday.
Sergei Ivanov said the military would get 17 new ballistic missiles â€”- a drastic rise compared with [...]

Analysis: Russia embraces Iranian energy

Posted by Matt in February 7th, 2007 | no comment

Published in Energy, Iran, Russia

CAIRO — Despite mounting US and international pressure on Tehran’s nuclear program, the US holds little chance of discouraging Russia from pursuing energy cooperation with the cash-strapped, but oil-and-gas-rich Iran.
Russia wants Iranian oil and natural gas, and while concerns over Tehran’s nuclear program may affect relations in the future, for the time being, Moscow [...]

Nuclear Officials Seek Approval for Warhead

Posted by Matt in February 7th, 2007 | no comment

Published in Nuclear, U.S.

Design Would Require No Live Testing.
The NNSA requested $88 million in the fiscal 2008 Energy Department budget — up from $27 million this year — to complete detailed planning with the Navy based on a design produced in December by the nation’s two nuclear weapons laboratories. The new funds would support design concept testing and [...]

Israel sounds alarm on Iran’s nuclear efforts

Posted by Matt in February 7th, 2007 | no comment

Published in Iran, Israel, Nuclear

The Jewish state warns of a second Holocaust if nations fail to prevent Tehran from acquiring the bomb.
JERUSALEM â€” Israeli leaders rarely invoke the Holocaust in the face of enemies. The Jewish homeland founded after Adolf Hitler’s genocide has, for the last generation, felt secure enough to fight its many battles with little or no [...]

Washington Makes Distinction Between Syria and Iran

Posted by Matt in February 7th, 2007 | no comment

Published in Iran, Middle East, Syria, U.S.

Bush, in his speech, did not mention the possibility of engaging Iran and Syria with the aim of stabilizing Iraq and the Middle East. It is possible, however, to see signals that the Bush administration is beginning to make a distinction between Iran and Syria.
From a strictly rhetorical point of view, such differences are hard [...]

Facing Economic Squeeze, Iran Plays Asian Energy Game

Posted by Matt in February 7th, 2007 | no comment

Published in Energy, Iran

Five years before the Islamic Revolution, Iran produced 6.1 million barrels of oil a day. By the end of 2006 the Iranian oil industry was only pumping 3.9 million barrels a day, 5 percent below its OPEC quota. Barely able to produce any oil for export or cope with escalating domestic demand, Iran’s energy industry [...]

Experts: North Korean Nuke Crisis Could Lead to U.S., China Conflict

Posted by Matt in February 7th, 2007 | no comment

Published in China, Koreas, U.S.

A prominent Chinese arms control expert says China’s strategic interests could force Beijing into a military confrontation with the United States if the U.S. and North Korea were to go to war.
Over the past three years, Beijing has generally sided with the United States and other nations trying to persuade North Korea to abandon its [...]