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Saddam Faked Nukes to
Scare Iran, Not US: Agent

Jan 25, 2008 5:18 AM CST

Saddam Faked Nukes to Scare Iran, Not US: Agent

Did not believe US would invade over weapons of mass destruction

(Newser) - Saddam Hussein revealed in FBI interrogations that he had no nuclear or biological weapons of mass destruction, but hid that fact to avoid invasion by Iran—and was stunned when the US invaded. "For him, it was critical that he was seen as the strong, defiant Saddam to prevent...

Group Counts 932 Falsehoods in Runup to War

Jan 23, 2008 9:09 AM CST

Group Counts 932 Falsehoods in Runup to War

False statements by Bush, top officials were 'orchestrated campaign'

(Newser) - President Bush and top administration officials made hundreds of false statements—932, to be exact—about the national security threat from Iraq following 9/11, report two nonprofit journalism organizations. In the two years after the attacks, Bush and top officials stated at least 532 times that Iraq had weapons of...

NATO Must Be Ready to Strike 1st With Nukes: Manifesto

Jan 22, 2008 4:39 AM CST

NATO Must Be Ready to Strike 1st With Nukes: Manifesto

Call for 'nukes in the quiver' deterrent

(Newser) - Top military strategists from the US and Europe say that NATO must be prepared to launch a preemptive nuclear strike to keep the world safe, the Guardian reports. The five ex-military chiefs have issued a manifesto calling for a sweeping overhaul of NATO to deal with a world where the...

Musharraf Puts Nukes Under
His Control

Dec 14, 2007 2:33 PM CST

Musharraf Puts Nukes Under His Control

Arsenal's safety, January vote factor into president's move

(Newser) - Pervez Musharraf moved today to put Pakistan’s nuclear weapons under the control of the president rather than the prime minister, the BBC reports. The ordinance comes amid concern from abroad about the safety of Pakistan's arsenal—termed "foolproof" by the country's military—and with parliamentary elections set for...

Iran Halted Nuke Weapons Work in 2003: US Report

Dec 3, 2007 12:28 PM CST

Iran Halted Nuke Weapons Work in 2003: US Report

In reversal, NIE says Tehran hasn't been building weapons for 4 years

(Newser) - Iran stopped work on its nuclear weapons program in 2003, a US National Intelligence Estimate revealed today. The report, which represents the consensus of America’s 16 spy agencies, contradicts a 2005 report that concluded Tehran was working toward building a bomb, the New York Times reports. The new assessment...

Sharif Joins Pakistan Fray

Nov 26, 2007 6:11 AM CST

Sharif Joins Pakistan Fray

Musharraf's bitterest rival files for elections, vows to boycott unless emergency rule is lifted

(Newser) - Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who returned to Pakistan yesterday after 8 years in exile, today filed papers to run in January's nationwide election, although he says he will boycott the vote unless President Pervez Musharraf lifts emergency rule, the BBC reports. Sharif—who was welcomed by throngs of supporters ...

Iran Closer to Fueling Nuke Reactor, VP Claims

Nov 24, 2007 5:55 PM CST

Iran Closer to Fueling Nuke Reactor, VP Claims

First time Iran has made claim

(Newser) - Iran claims to have made nuclear fuel pellets of uranium oxide, a major step in its quest to fuel a heavy water reactor, the AP reports. It also claims to be making pellets for light water reactors, like the one Russia is helping it build on the Persian Gulf coast—...

Iran Warns Against UN Sanctions

Nov 23, 2007 5:44 PM CST

Iran Warns Against UN Sanctions

US, Europe allies call for penalties after inspectors' report

(Newser) - Iran warned today that UN sanctions might bring a halt to its cooperation with nuclear inspectors, Reuters reports. The warning comes a day after Britain, France, and Germany joined the US in calling for such sanctions because a report by international inspectors gave Tehran mixed marks on its openness. "...

Pakistan Rebuffs US Demands

Nov 19, 2007 3:00 AM CST

Pakistan Rebuffs US Demands

Alarmed US warns it will not recognize elections under emergency rule

(Newser) - Alarmed at the deteriorating crisis in Pakistan, the US has made it clear it will not recognize the results of elections held under emergency rule. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, on a special mission to Pakistan, failed to convince President Musharraf to free political prisoners, resign as army commander...

Holes Emerge in Secret US Shield of Pakistan Nukes

Nov 18, 2007 9:14 AM CST

Holes Emerge in Secret US Shield of Pakistan Nukes

Pakistan refusing to share information

(Newser) - The US has secretly spent $100 million to safeguard Pakistan's nuclear weapons, but some officials fear protections may have been undermined by Pakistan's reluctance to share information. The aid, buried in a secret part of the budget, was intended to improve nuclear safety, reports the New York Times. But Pakistan...

North Korea Disabling Nukes

Nov 6, 2007 3:03 AM CST

North Korea Disabling Nukes

US experts supervising program

(Newser) - North Korea has begun disabling its nuclear installations under the supervision of a team of nine US experts, reports Agence France Presse. Work started at plutonium production facilities in the Yongbyon complex, where North Korea has already shut down a reactor. "Obviously, it is going to take some time,...

Obama Vows New Ties With Iran

Nov 2, 2007 2:10 PM CDT

Obama Vows New Ties With Iran

He would reward 'changes in behavior' with economic incentives

(Newser) - Barack Obama says he would take a much different approach to Iran than the Bush administration, pushing high-level talks and economic incentives in exchange for cooperation on Iraq and nuclear issues. In an interview with the Times, the candidate said Iran's obstinance on those issues is caused in part by...

Arab World Frets Over
Iran Nukes

Nov 2, 2007 11:15 AM CDT

Arab World Frets Over Iran Nukes

Bahrain leader bluntly accuses Tehran of developing WMDs

(Newser) - The crown prince of Bahrain has become the first Arab leader to accuse Iran of lying about its nuclear program. In an interview with the Times of London, Salman bin Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa pushes aside diplomatic language as threats of a military strike multiply. "While they don’t...

Hiroshima Bomb Pilot Dead at 92

Nov 1, 2007 3:19 PM CDT

Hiroshima Bomb Pilot Dead at 92

Pilot defended his role to the last, said he had 'no regrets'

(Newser) - The commander and pilot of the B-29 that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945—the first military use of nuclear weapons—died today, the Associated Press reports. Paul Tibbets was 92, and requested no funeral or headstone for fear that they might attract anti-nuclear protesters. Tibbets always...

US Team to Disable Nuke Plant

Nov 1, 2007 2:50 PM CDT

US Team to Disable Nuke Plant

Disabling North Korea's nuclear complex at Yongbyon should take several months

(Newser) - A US team arrived in Pyongyang today and is to begin disabling North Korea's nuclear complex this week—a process which experts say will zap plutonium production for at least a year, but falls short of destruction. North Korea has agreed to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for 1...

Cheney Amps Up Rhetoric Against Iran

Oct 21, 2007 7:56 PM CDT

Cheney Amps Up Rhetoric Against Iran

Threatens 'serious consequences' over nuke program

(Newser) - Cheney threatened "serious consequences" today if Iran doesn't drop its nuclear program, Reuters reports. "Our country and the entire international community cannot stand by as a terror-supporting state fulfills its most aggressive ambitions," he told the audience at a think-tank forum. One analyst called Cheney's threat "...

USAF Officers Take Rap for Missing Nukes

Oct 19, 2007 5:50 PM CDT

USAF Officers Take Rap for Missing Nukes

Top commanders relieved of duty after warheads take unauthorized flight

(Newser) - Nearly 2 months after a B-52 loaded with nuclear warheads took an unauthorized flight from North Dakota to Louisiana, the Air Force has relieved four officers of duty, CNN reports. After a 6-week investigation, 70 airmen will be disciplined for what the Air Force secretary called an "unacceptable mistake...

Bush: Iran Risks 'World War III'

Oct 17, 2007 10:41 PM CDT

Bush: Iran Risks 'World War III'

Outspoken response to a warning from Russia

(Newser) - In a cantankerous press conference today, President Bush warned that Iran risks starting World War III if it develops nuclear weapons. His remarks came as reporters sought his reaction to Vladimir Putin's comments, after meeting with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday, that the West should not only rule out military action against...

Israeli Strike
on Syria Hit Nuke Reactor

Oct 13, 2007 6:21 PM CDT

Israeli Strike on Syria Hit Nuke Reactor

Partly-built facility based on North Korean model

(Newser) - Israel's air strike on Syria last month was aimed at a nuclear reactor, US and Israeli intelligence analysts say. The partly-built facility was based on a North Korean model—a link that could harm Pyonyang's new denuclearization deal if Israel can prove that Kim Jong Il helped mount the reactor....

Putin Threatens to Pull Out of Nuke Treaty

Oct 12, 2007 8:11 AM CDT

Putin Threatens to Pull Out of Nuke Treaty

Confronts Rice, Gates over missile shield in Eastern Europe

(Newser) - Vladimir Putin kicked off a meeting with Condoleezza Rice and Robert Gates today in Moscow by threatening to withdraw from a treaty governing intermediate-range nuclear missiles unless it was expanded to include other countries. The pugnacious Russian president also warned his American visitors not to push ahead with the missile...