TOP NEWS Our efforts to prevent nuclear terror are shrinking. The threat is not. Defense One Why the U.S. abandoned nuclear-powered missiles more than 50 years ago Popular Mechanics Gibraltar denies it is about to free captured Iranian tanker The Guardian U.S. Nuclear Policy U.S. says it is consulting on Asian missile deployment Washington Times8/13/19 A senior U.S. diplomat says Washington is consulting with its allies as it proceeds with plans to deploy intermediate-range missiles in Asia, a move China says it will respond to with countermeasures. Why the U.S. abandoned nuclear-powered missiles more than 50 years ago Popular Mechanics8/13/19 The United States tried to develop a nuclear-powered cruise missile in the 1950s and 1960s but abandoned the project as impractical. Middle East Gibraltar denies it is about to free captured Iranian tanker The Guardian8/13/19 Confusion swirled over a possible breakthrough in the tanker standoff in the Middle East on Tuesday after Gibraltar scotched Iranian media reports that an Iranian tanker was due to be released. U.S. turning Gulf region into ‘tinderbox’: Iran’s Zarif Reuters8/12/19 Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused the United States on Monday of turning the Gulf region into a “matchbox ready to ignite”, according to Al Jazeera television. East Asia Kim Jong Un promotes military scientists after missile test flurry The Diplomat8/14/19 Following an intensified period of weapons testing, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un granted promotions to scores of scientists involved in the country’s munitions industry, a state media article published Tuesday noted. North Korea appears to have built its first real ballistic missile submarine Forbes8/13/19 Hidden behind the distraction of the recent spate of tactical missile tests is a greater development with strategic implications: New submarines that will allow North Korea to improve the lethality and survivability of its nuclear arsenal. Europe/Russia Russian jet chases NATO plane away from defense minister’s aircraft: TASS Reuters8/13/19 A Russian fighter jet saw off a NATO warplane after it approached a plane carrying Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu over neutral waters in the Baltic Sea, the TASS news agency reported on Tuesday. Opinion/Analysis/Commentary Our efforts to prevent nuclear terror are shrinking. The threat is not. Defense OneGeorge Schultz and Lee Hamilton 8/13/19 Despite progress made at four Nuclear Security Summits between 2010 and 2016 to address the existential threat of nuclear terrorism, high-level political attention to nuclear terrorism has largely faded. India’s clampdown in Kashmir reflects international disorder Financial TimesDavid Gardner 8/14/19 The Trump Administration’s contemptuous attitude to diplomacy, international law, and treaties have only made the Kashmir crisis worse. This one chart is all you need to know about Iran’s deadly missiles National InterestDavid Axe 8/13/19 Iran is continuing to develop increasingly long-range ballistic missiles, and is firing some shorter-range missiles in combat, despite demands from the U.S. government that the Islamic republic totally give up any weapons that could, in theory, carry a nuclear warhead. North Korea’s new weapons, and how they affect Trump’s nuclear deal hopes, explained VoxAlex Ward 8/12/19 North Korea has become much more dangerous since Trump took office. Special Interest Part 2: SPECIAL REPORT: Non-Military Factors Shape Arctic Power Balance National DefenseConnie Lee 8/13/19 Besides establishing a military presence, there are also economic and diplomatic factors that the United States should take into consideration. Do Americans support using nuclear weapons because they don’t understand the consequences? Political Violence at a GlanceLisa Langdon Koch and Matthew Wells 8/13/19 Would Americans support the use of nuclear weapons again?