TOP NEWS Trump asked Moon to give him public credit for pressuring North Korea into talks Washington Post Where China Built Its Bomb, Dark Memories Haunt the Ruins New York Times Spurned by Trump, Europeans ponder how to meet Iran ultimatum Reuters India Enters Australia Group, Inches Closer to Joining Nuclear Suppliers Group The Wire Cataclysmic cargo: The hunt for four missing nuclear bombs after a B-52 crash Washington Post EAST ASIA Trump asked Moon to give him public credit for pressuring North Korea into talks Washington Post1/20/18 Trump, a former businessman who prides himself on being a masterful negotiator, is claiming — and getting — most of the credit for the sudden burst of Olympics-related diplomacy between the two Koreas. Where China Built Its Bomb, Dark Memories Haunt the Ruins New York Times1/20/18 China’s nuclear arsenal was born in Plant 221, a secret facility on a remote plateau in the country’s northwest. Now billed as “Atomic City,” the site celebrates the patriotism of thousands of scientists and laborers, but dark aspects of its history go unmentioned. Korea working on N. Korea’s Olympic participation not running afoul of int’l sanctions: FM Yonhap News Agency1/19/18 South Korea’s top diplomat said Friday Seoul is working closely with the international community to make sure North Korea’s PyeongChang Olympic participation does not run afoul of international sanctions imposed on the North. Japan will not waver from pressure strategy on North Korea, Foreign Minister Taro Kono says Japan Times1/22/18 Japan will continue to pressure North Korea rather than encouraging dialogue over its internationally condemned nuclear and ballistic missile programs, Foreign Minister Taro Kono said Monday as the Diet kicked off a 150-day ordinary session. On its border with North Korea, China prepares for a possible crisis Japan Times1/19/18 China has ramped up security along its border with North Korea, installing new surveillance cameras, deploying extra security forces and operating radiation detectors as it braces for a potential crisis. Trump can stop North Korea Nuclear War by Opening Military-to-Military Communication, Lawmakers Say Newsweek1/19/18 Dozens of lawmakers sent a letter to President Donald Trump, urging him to reestablish military-to-military contact with North Korea in order to prevent any miscalculations that could evolve into “a great conflict, including nuclear war.” Japanese capital holds first North Korean missile attack drill Reuters1/21/18 Tokyo held its first missile evacuation drill on Monday with volunteers taking cover in subway stations and other underground spaces that would double as shelters for the Japanese capital in the event of a North Korean missile strike. South Korea says talks with North Korea will become a regular thing — and it will push Kim Jong Un to make peace with Trump Business Insider1/19/18 South Korea’s Ministry of Unification has unveiled plans to make the recent talks with North Korea a regular thing, and it will look to eventually involve the US. MIDDLE EAST Spurned by Trump, Europeans ponder how to meet Iran ultimatum Reuters1/21/18 A day before Donald Trump’s Jan. 12 ultimatum to “fix” the Iran nuclear deal, European powers met Iran’s foreign minister to show support for it, but the effort failed to soften Trump’s aversion to the accord, U.S. and European officials said. France says Iran not respecting U.N. text on ballistic missiles Reuters1/22/18 France’s foreign minister accused Iran on Monday of not respecting part of a U.N. resolution that calls on Tehran to refrain from work on ballistic missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads. SOUTH ASIA India Enters Australia Group, Inches Closer to Joining Nuclear Suppliers Group The Wire1/19/18 India on Friday joined the Australia Group which aims to stop the development and acquisition of chemical and biological weapons, a move that may take the country an inch closer to joining the Nuclear Suppliers’ group (NSG). India’s entry into elite nuclear groups reaffirms its non-proliferation commitments: Modi The Hindu1/20/18 His remarks come in the backdrop of India becoming a member of the ‘Australia Group’ (AG), a move that is expected to raise New Delhi’s stature in the field of non-proliferation and also help it acquire critical technologies. U.S. NUCLEAR POLICY The Incredible 50-year-old Plane on the Front Lines of the North Korea Standoff Politico1/20/18 The Cold War-era B-52 is a still a key part of the U.S. bomber fleet. But is that a good thing? OPINION AND ANALYSIS Nuclear Weapons did not Embolden Pakistan: Drawing the Right Lessons for North Korea War On the RocksT. Negeen Pegahi 1/22/18 Although Kargil took place a mere year after Pakistan’s nuclear tests, digging into the case shows that the country’s nascent nuclear arsenal drove neither Pakistan’s decision to start the conflict nor India’s decision about how to respond. Forget Britain’s nuclear deterrent – here’s what Russia is really afraid of The GuardianMark Galeotti 1/19/18 Russia is being weaponised to justify big-ticket buys for the UK military, yet there’s little talk of what Moscow thinks matters Is North Korea the world’s main remaining ‘Cold War’ problem? Asia TimesXuan Loc Doan 1/22/18 Perhaps it isn’t wrong to say that the DPRK is a shambolic and dangerous Cold War anachronism, if not the biggest remaining Cold War problem facing the world. Destroying the Iran Deal While Claiming to Save It The AtlanticPhilip Gordon and Robert Malley 1/21/18 President Trump’s recent “help-me-before-I-do-something-really-irresponsible” statement on the Iran nuclear deal could have been worse. But it should have been better. And it will almost certainly end badly. SPECIAL INTEREST Cataclysmic cargo: The hunt for four missing nuclear bombs after a B-52 crash Washington Post1/21/18 Nothing seemed out of the ordinary 50 years ago when Air Force Capt. John M. Haug and his crew took off in a B-52 carrying four hydrogen bombs.