Iran Tried to Buy the Pakistani Bomb. What Was China’s Role?

Posted by Matt in March 17th, 2010 | no comment

Published in China, Iran, Nuclear, Pakistan, beijing, Bomb Technology, Chinese China, Foxnews, Iran, Islamabad, Nuclear Arms Control, Nuclear Program, Nuclear Weapons Program, Pakistan Nuclear, Pakistani Bomb, Pakistani Government, Wisconsin Project

Second, by detailing how the Pakistani government was involved in nuclear transfers to Iran, Khan raises new questions about Beijing’s role. Why? The Pakistani nuclear weapons program is essentially an extension of the Chinese one. China, beginning around 1974, transferred bomb technology to Pakistan. Beijing’s assistance was crucial, extensive, and continuous. As Gary Milhollin of [...]

US will raise the heat until Israel toes the line on Iran

Posted by Matt in March 14th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Israel, Concessions, Debkafile, East Jerusalem, Espionage, Hullabaloo, Iran, Israel, Netanyahu Government, New Homes, Palestinians, Pitch, Terrorism Security, Toes, Washington Sources

While exploiting Israel’s ill-timed announcement of 1,600 new homes in East Jerusalem for concessions to the Palestinians, Washington will keep the hullabaloo against Israel at top pitch until the Netanyahu government toes the line on Iran, debkafile’s Washington sources report.
DEBKAfile, Political Analysis, Espionage, Terrorism, Security

Surprise! Guess who’s biggest Islamic threat

Posted by Matt in March 12th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Turkey, G2 Bulletin, Guess, Hamas, hezbollah, Iran, Islamic Leaders, Islamic Terrorist, Islamic Threat, Joseph Farah, Ottoman Empire, Plo, Surprise, Syria, Turkey, Walid Shoebat

Famed PLO terrorist-turned-Christian Walid Shoebat is warning that the United States needs to be watching not Iran, Syria or even Hamas and Hezbollah as closely as it needs to follow the actions of the Islamic leaders of Turkey.
It was just a few months ago when Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin reported Turkey appeared to be seeking [...]

Iran: The Diminishing Difficulty of Enriching Uranium – NYTimes.com

Posted by Matt in March 8th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Iran, Nuclear, Acquisition, Antiaircraft Guns, Barbed Wire, Desert, Enriching Uranium, Enrichment Of Uranium, Iran, Jitters, Nuclear Weapons, Nytimes, Path

In the Iranian desert, at a sprawling industrial site ringed by barbed wire and antiaircraft guns, a shift in the enrichment of uranium is producing global jitters because it could shorten Iran’s path to the acquisition of nuclear weapons.
The Diminishing Difficulty of Enriching Uranium – NYTimes.com

China, Iran Creating ‘No-Go’ Zones to Thwart U.S. Military Power — Politics Daily

Posted by Matt in March 3rd, 2010 | no comment

Published in Military, Air Space, Allies, Barge, China, cyberspace, Defense Secretary, Global Commons, Iran, Jujitsu, Military Power, Pentagon, Persian Gulf, Power Politics, Robert Gates, Sea Air, Secretary Robert, Strategists, Target Countries, United States

But now the party’s over. The United States, Pentagon strategists say, is quickly losing its ability to barge in without permission. Potential target countries and even some lukewarm allies are figuring out ingenious ways to blunt American power without trying to meet it head-on, using a combination of high-tech and low-tech jujitsu.
…
As Defense Secretary Robert [...]

Dinner in Damascus: What Did Iran Ask of Hizballah?

Posted by Matt in March 3rd, 2010 | no comment

Published in Iran, Colleague, Counterterrorism Blog, damascus, Fly, Fly On The Wall, hezbollah, Hizballah, Iran, Lebanese Border, Lebanon, Schenker, Target

My colleague David Schenker and I argue in an article on the state of Hizballah that a successful Hizballah attack against an Israeli target — whether on the Israeli-Lebanese border or abroad – to avenge the assassination of Imad Mughniyah two years ago last month could set off another round of fighting similar to that [...]

Hamas, Hezbollah Could Push Israel To War | AVIATION WEEK

Posted by Matt in March 3rd, 2010 | no comment

Published in Israel, Middle East, War, Aviation Week, Conflict, Defense Analysts, Hamas, hezbollah, Iran, Israel, Israel War, Lead, Neighbors, Proxies, Syria

Israel is always on high alert when it comes to the potential for war with its neighbors, particularly the two groups viewed as proxies of Iran and Syria: Hamas and Hezbollah. Though neither seems particularly eager for a full-blown conflict with Israel at present, defense analysts see a number of developments that could lead to [...]

Iran’s New World Order – WSJ.com

Posted by Matt in February 28th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Iran, Ahmad, Bravado, Cleric, Clue, Global Prominence, Iran, Iranian President Mahmoud, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian Regime, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mentor, New World Order, Nuclear Program, Political Sphere, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Sentiments, Terrorism, Wsj

Ahmad Khatami, an influential cleric and mentor to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, recently said publicly that the United States has to “regard Iran as a great power in the political sphere. The people of Iran have realized there is nothing you can do to us.”
The statement is part bravado, but it also offers an important [...]

White House Is Rethinking Nuclear Policy – NYTimes.com

Posted by Matt in February 28th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Nuclear, bombs, Chemical Attack, Chemical Weapons, Decisions, Embrace, Iran, New Movement, North-Korea, Nuclear Arsenal, Nuclear Policy, Nuclear Threats, Nuclear Weapons, Nytimes, Obama, United States, White House

Conventional for conventional, and nonconventional for nonconventional – as in bombs. A country attacked with chemical weapons may respond with nuclear weapons – nonconventional for nonconventional.
Mr. Obama’s decisions on nuclear weapons come as conflicting pressures in his defense policy are intensifying. His critics argue that his embrace of a new movement to eliminate nuclear weapons [...]

Syria, Lebanon host Iranian troops, Qatar also willing

Posted by Matt in February 27th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Iran, Syria, Countries, Debkafile, Defense Treaties, Doors, Espionage, Hard Edge, Iran, Iranian Troops, Israel, Lebanon, Military Sources, Qatar, Syria, Syria Lebanon, Terrorism Security

Iran further consolidated its anti-US coalition and honed its hard edge against Israel this week with two important defense treaties signed with Syria (covering Lebanon) and Qatar, home to the biggest US air base outside America. These treaties opened doors for Iranian troops to be stationed in all three countries. According to debkafile’s military sources, [...]