By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — As nuclear tensions continue to spread across the Korean Peninsula, South Korea has for the first time declared “nuclear weapons as a policy option”,—triggering the threat of a potentially new nuclear power looming in the horizon. South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol is quoted as saying that if […]
India Seeks to Rekindle Old Ties with Egypt
By Navdeep Suri Observer Research Foundation published this article. The writer has had a 36-year-long career in the Indian Foreign Service. He served, among others, in India’s diplomatic missions in Cairo, Damascus, Washington, Dar es Salaam and London. NEW DELHI (IDN) — The decision to invite President Abdel Fattah al Sisi of Egypt as the […]
South Korea Warned Against Talk of Pursuing Nuclear Weapons
By J C Suresh TORONTO | WASHINGTON (IDN) — A former U.S. official has cautioned South Korea against talk of pursuing nuclear weapons. Mr Thomas Countryman, who served as the acting Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security until January 2017, was responding to remarks by South Korea’s president Yoon Suk Yeol.
Iranian Drones Include US & Western Components
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — The United States has continued to accuse Russia of using scores of Iranian-made drones in its 11-month-old conflict with Ukraine. But in an ironic twist, the Biden administration is now investigating widespread reports that Iranian drones include American and Western components— despite longstanding economic and military sanctions against […]
Ukrainian Troops Headed to U.S. for Patriot Missile Training
By C. Todd Lopez, DOD News This article was issued by U.S. Department of Defense. WASHINGTON, D.C. (IDN) — Weeks after announcing that the U.S. would send one Patriot air defense battery and associated munitions to Ukraine, a Pentagon official said Ukrainian soldiers will come to the U.S. to train on the Patriot system so […]
Behind India Ignoring Lula’s Inauguration as Brazil’s President
Viewpoint by M.K. Bhadrakumar This article was issued by Indian Punchline. NEW DELHI (IDN) — The Brazilian news agency reported that Lula da Silva’s inauguration as the new president on January 1 for a historic third term amidst a carnival-like backdrop was attended by over five dozen foreign delegations, composed of heads of government, vice […]
US $3 Billion US Military Package Looks to Change Battlefield Dynamics
By Jim Garamone, DOD News This article was issued by U.S. Department of Defense. WASHINGTON, D.C. (IDN) — DOD officials unveiled the more than $3 billion package of military capabilities to help Ukraine drive the Russian invaders from their soil. “The war in Ukraine is at a critical point right now, and we have to […]
The Decline & Fall of Nuclear Disarmament in 2022
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — As a politically and militarily tense 2022 came to an inglorious end, nuclear threats kept hitting the front pages of newspapers with monotonous regularity last year. The rising tensions were triggered primarily by threats from Russia, the continuous military rhetoric spilling out of North Korea and Iran’s unwillingness […]
UN Takes to New Ways to Promote Nuclear Disarmament
By Jaya Ramachandran GENEVA (IDN) — UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 24 May 2018 his Agenda for Disarmament, which outlines a set of practical measures across the entire range of disarmament issues, including weapons of mass destruction, conventional arms and future weapon technologies. Action 1 for “Securing Our Common Future,” the title of the […]
No Nuclear Weapon Can Save Iran from its Internal Strife
Viewpoint by Dr Alon Ben-Meir Dr Alon Ben-Meir, a retired professor of international relations at the Center for Global Affairs at New York University (NYU), taught courses on international negotiation and Middle Eastern studies for over 20 years. NEW YORK (IDN) — Words from various officials in the know suggest that, although President Biden stated […]