Chart of the day

Global nuclear arms build up between 2018-2025

As long as individuals like Putin the Terrible of Russia and the Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un of North Korea are in power you better keep praying and hoping!

As long as an Ayatollah rules Iran (e.g. a global sponsor of Islamic, suicidal terrorism) is in power, we better prevent Iran from ever obtaining nuclear weapons!

Source

Iran Floats Nuclear Deal With US, Arab States with Molly Gambhir

Recommendable! Maybe a deal with Iran is possible!

How a Japanese Crime Boss Tried to Sell Nuclear Material to Iran with Palki Sharma

Very recommendable!

The New Nuclear Sleuths

Very recommendable! Fascinating, well written story! The article is perhaps a little short on how much cheaper satellite imagery helps these nuclear watchdogs.

The article also raises a serious concerns as to what extent their discoveries help or aide rogue regimes to improve the cover up of their nuclear activities. It's a new arms race of sorts.

"Spy satellites still offer better resolutions and capabilities. But today’s commercial satellites are narrowing the gap, offering image resolutions that are roughly 900 percent better than what they were just 15 years ago—sharp enough to distinguish different types of cars driving along a road and capture certain indicators of equipment used in nuclear-weapons programs. ... What’s more, constellations of small satellites can fly over the same location multiple times a day, identifying changes on the ground in near–real time. Already, a San Francisco start-up called Planet has more than 150 satellites in orbit. Seattle-based BlackSky, which launched in 2013, has 60 satellites and says it flies over major cities 40 to 70 times a day. Perhaps most important, the costs of acquiring satellite imagery have plummeted—just as computing and communication power has been radically democratized."

The New Nuclear Sleuths - The Atlantic: Nuclear intelligence isn’t just for government agencies anymore. A motley crew of outside watchdogs has found creative ways to deter proliferation.

Why The Nuclear Deal With Iran Is Bad

Posted: 7/15/2015 Updated: 7/16/2015

1. There were at least two morons were involved in negotiating this deal, i.e. Obama & Kerry. Former is even an obstinate moron. Today (7/16/15), I learnt more about another chief U.S. negotiator, i.e. Ms. Wendy Sherman, who stated that a 24 day notice period of inspection was very long. What a moron is she?
2. The German foreign minister Steinmeier is not the sharpest knife in the drawer either
3. When several morons negotiate a treaty what do you expect the outcome to be?
4. I compare Iran’s regime with Hitler’s regime. Would the U.S. President have negotiated with Hitler like that?
5. How many U.S. soldiers were killed in Iraq due to the involvement of Iranian agents?
6. This is the appeasement of 1938 all over again!
7. Who trusts a regime that has over decades cheated and violated international agreements especially non proliferation?
8. Why was Iran not asked to sign a peace treaty with Israel first before anything?
9. Why was Iran not asked to cease all support for terrorism in the Middle East before anything?

Appeasement Lausanne 2015

Posted: 3/30/15 Updated: 3/31/15

Trigger

Today, I say the following headline “U.S. and European officials are seeking Russian backing to reinstate Iran sanctions ....” on the front page of the Wall Street Journal.

Deja Vu All Over

What has this desperate attempt by the Obama administration come to? A nuclear deal with Iran, a fanatical dictatorship ruling already over about three or four Middle Eastern countries, at any price? To involve Putin the Terrible is almost comical if it were not so serious.

Reminiscent of the failed appeasement policy by Chamberlain at Munich in 1938.

Reminiscent of the way to cozy negotiations between the terminally ill, socialist U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt and Stalin in Yalta over post war Europe.

Good, common sense political leadership in democratic Western countries has been rare!

A Conditio Sine Qua Non

Iran has been deceptive about its nuclear ambitions for about two decades. Would it not make sense to require Iran to sign a peace treaty with Israel first and to have Iran abandon any terrorist support before allowing Iran to continue its “peaceful” use of nuclear energy?

Why Is Korea Still Not Reunited?

Posted: 3/3/2012  Updated: 4/2/2017, 11/1/2015

Update Of 4/2/2017

Just read this quite compelling article by John R. Bolton about the subject of reunification of the Korean peninsula. He argues after over 20 years of thoroughly failed U.S. foreign diplomacy it is about time to put the goal of reunification on the front burner.

Update Of 11/1/2015

Just read in this article Nordkorea verkauft offenbar tausende Bürger ins Ausland Die Vereinten Nationen werfen Nordkorea staatlich organisierten Menschenhandel vor: Um an Devisen zu kommen, habe Nordkorea 50.000 seiner Bürger zur Zwangsarbeit ins Ausland geschickt. that the United Nations reported that North Korea sells about 50,000 slave workers primarily to Russia and China for hard currency revenues.

""It is believed that the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea earns through that system between $1.2 billion and $2.3 billion per year," he wrote, adding that they worked mainly in mining, logging, textile and construction." (Reuters)

As I have speculated below it is primarily Russia and China that still and persistently prevent the unification of Korea now even more than 25 years after the unification of Germany. This is a disgrace on a global scale!

Prologue

The artificial division of Korea is probably the last remaining major relic of the Cold War.

What Is Wrong With Wikileaks?

Why does Wikileaks not leak any Chinese, Russian, or North Korean documents to shed some light on this on this decades old quagmire? Just making fun of Wikileaks. I am sure one day they will publish those documents. ;-)

What Is The Matter With Western Diplomacy?

How much longer will it take until the surviving members of separated Korean families are united again? How much longer will it take until the enslaved, starving, and impoverished North Koreans can enjoy a better life?

Is the Western diplomacy content with their narrowly focused efforts to isolate or contain North Korea or to subject North Korea to nuclear arms inspections regime? Why is the West afraid of openly asking China and Russia what they want? Let the world find out.

What is so intractable that we see no progress? Is there perhaps a hidden agenda why Western countries plus Japan are not succeeding in the reunification of Korea?

If China is opposed, what is China asking for? If Russia is opposed, what is Russia asking for? Are there other parties opposed to the reunification, perhaps Japan or other Asian countries?

What are the West, Japan, and South Korea willing to offer? What price is South Korea willing to pay for reunification?

What If China Opened The Borders To North Korean Refugees?

There is probably little doubt that China holds the key to the reunification on the Korean peninsula.

Currently, China treats North Korean refugees like criminals and repatriates them to North Korea. Another one of China’s human rights violations. China's repatriation policy is a violation of the International Convention on Refugees, to which it is a signatory. The Convention bars returning of refugees to places where their lives would be endangered.

Finally, in early March 2012, South Korea has dared to raise the issue in the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Is there a minefield built by the North Korean dictator along the Chinese border to prevent large numbers of people to flee the country?

How long could the North Korean regime survive if China were to decline further support of the regime and if China opened the border to North Korean refugees? My guess is not very long. North Korean soldiers (and with them entire navy ships and air force planes) would be among the first to cross the border and go AWOL. I am sure South Korea and the West would pay for any refugees.

What Is The Role Of Russia?

Is Russia really willing to support the North Korean dictator even if China were to give up support of North Korea? Does Russia have any business interests in North Korea? Is Russia just playing games with the West, South Korea, and Japan?

What Are The Obstacles?

Is it solely the reluctance of the North Korean dictator and its military that prevents the unification? Would the North Koreans start a war or launch its missiles if China and Russia were to withdraw their support of the regime?

Is South Korea averse to reunification fearing perhaps the enormous costs of rebuilding North Korea? Does South Korea have any advantages from the current status quo?

Is China afraid of a bigger economic or military competitor if Korea was reunited? Does the Chinese Gerontocracy still believe in a buffer? Is China holding out to vex the West, South Korea, and Japan? Does China insist that Taiwan has to be part of the solution? Is China afraid that the unification of Korea would threaten its own dictatorship?

If China insists on Taiwan being part of the solution, is Taiwan refusing to consider being a part?

Is Japan the problem? Why?

Whatever the obstacles or hidden agendas why does the general world public not learn more about it? [Sarcastic footnote: Well, Wikileaks and Mr. Assange are too preoccupied to attack the US and greedy Western Banks. Wikileaks and Assange are not really interested in human progress.]

A Possible Scenario

Reunification yes, but unified Korea may have to become neutral like Switzerland. Taiwan agrees to hold a referendum whether it will be reunited with China or not and about the transition period perhaps somewhat along the lines of Hong Kong.