TOP NEWS US to loosen nuclear weapons constraints and develop more ‘usable’ warheads The Guardian Amid Signs of a Thaw in North Korea, Tensions Bubble Up Wall Street Journal Trump is staring down a deadline to keep the Iran nuclear deal alive CNBC EAST ASIA North Korea Wins Olympics Trip, But Discord Remains Over Nuclear Weapons Bloomberg 1/9/2018 Despite the frictions over nuclear weapons, the two sides agreed Tuesday to hold a military dialogue and resolve problems through negotiations. They plan to hold another round of talks, though haven’t yet agreed on the date. Is economic struggle driving North Korea to negotiating table? BBC 1/10/2018 He’s developed the weapons he believes he needs, and has what he thinks to be an effective nuclear deterrent necessary for his regime’s survival. But with a weakening economy what he may now need is help to offset the effect of sanctions. Amid Signs of a Thaw in North Korea, Tensions Bubble Up Wall Street Journal 1/9/2018 Trump administration weighs a risky strategy as Seoul and Pyongyang prepare to meet. North Korea’s Chemical Weapons Most Overlooked Threat from Rogue State, Experts Warn Newsweek 1/10/2018 North Korea’s nuclear weapons program continuously makes headlines, which is overshadowing the danger posed by its chemical and biological weapons, members of Congress and experts warn. Trump admin approves $133 million anti-ballistic missile sale to Japan CNN 1/9/2018 he Trump administration notified Congress on Tuesday that it has approved the potential sale of SM-3 anti-ballistic missiles to Japan in a deal estimated to be worth $133.3 million, according to a State Department statement. MIDDLE EAST Trump is staring down a deadline to keep the Iran nuclear deal alive CNBC 1/10/2018 President Donald Trump has multiple opportunities to scrap the Iran nuclear agreement in the coming days, and the energy market will be watching for signs that his patience with an accord he calls the “worst deal ever” is wearing thin. Corker: Scrapping Iran deal could make North Korea ‘more difficult’ The Hill 1/9/2018 Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) warned Tuesday that withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal could have consequences for the ongoing crisis with North Korea as President Trump faces critical deadlines on the accord. U.S. NUCLEAR POLICY US to loosen nuclear weapons constraints and develop more ‘usable’ warheads The Guardian 1/9/2018 The Trump administration plans to loosen constraints on the use of nuclear weapons and develop a new low-yield nuclear warhead for US Trident missiles, according to a former official who has seen the most recent draft of a policy review. OPINION AND ANALYSIS The Myth of the Limited Strike on North Korea Foreign Affairs Abraham Denmark 1/9/2018 Any strike would risk igniting a full-blown war on the Korean Peninsula that would endanger millions of lives and ultimately diminish U.S. power and influence in the Asia-Pacific. North and South Korea Have a Breakthrough. What Next? National Interest Joseph Cirincione 1/9/2018 Whether the United States enters the room once invited, and whether this diplomatic moment can be extended into a genuine diplomatic solution to the most serious nuclear crisis in the world, depends, unfortunately, on the mercurial temperament and political fortunes of the most unpredictable president in American history. ‘Much Bigger’ Buttons Have Nothing to Do With Deterrence Foreign Policy Paul Miller 1/9/2018 Trump isn’t wrong to believe that saber rattling is a sound, underutilized tool of statecraft. But he risks giving it a bad name with his schoolyard insults, and he is likely to end up achieving the opposite of what he intends. On Iran, Trump Should Be Like Reagan Politico Richard Goldberg and Dennis Ross 1/9/2018 There is always a middle path to discover in foreign policy—and, in this case, a path that can uphold American values, defend our national security and keep our commitments to close allies. The Iranian protests are an opportunity for Trump — just not the one he wants Washington Post William Burns and Jake Sullivan 1/8/2018 The Trump administration could reset its Iran policy in a way that puts Washington back in the lead and Tehran on the diplomatic defensive. Trump’s nuclear-button tweet was a stroke of ‘stable genius’ Washington Post Marc Thiessen 1/10/2018 His recent tweet telling Pyongyang that his nuclear button is “much bigger & more powerful” than Kim Jong Un’s was neither unstable nor stupid.