TOP NEWS NATO North? Building a role for NATO in the Arctic War on the Rocks Iran moves further from nuclear deal, alarming Russia, France Reuters N. Korean official arrives in Moscow for nuclear nonproliferation conference Yonhap News Agency United States Air Force updates massive ordnance penetrator bombs amid new Iranian nuclear posturing The Drive11/5/19 The U.S. Air Force is continuing to update its stockpile of 30,000-pound class Massive Ordnance Penetrator bunker busters, or MOPs, and bring older MOPs up to the latest standard, also known as the GBU-57E/B. Middle East Iran moves further from nuclear deal, alarming Russia, France Reuters11/6/19 Iran has stepped up work at its underground Fordow nuclear facility, state TV reported on Wednesday, a move France said showed for the first time that Tehran explicitly planned to quit a deal with world powers that curbed its atomic work. South Asia Speed up delivery of S-400 missiles, India to tell Russia Times of India11/5/19 India wants Russia to speed up the delivery schedule of the advanced S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile systems, which can detect, track and destroy hostile strategic bombers, jets, spy planes, missiles and drones at a range of 380-km, after having now paid the first installment of around Rs 6,000 crore for them. East Asia N. Korean official arrives in Moscow for nuclear nonproliferation conference Yonhap News Agency11/6/19 A North Korean diplomat has arrived in Moscow to attend a nuclear nonproliferation conference amid speculation he could possibly meet with U.S. officials also attending the forum. Analysis/Commentary North Korea hates this: Meet South Korea’s very special F-15 fighter National InterestSebastien Roblin 11/5/19 The F-15K has powerful sensors and bunker-busting bombs to take out North Korea’s missiles, or even its leadership. Deepen nuclear cooperation, think-tank urges Australian Financial Review11/7/19 Australia should examine deepening cooperation with the US over its nuclear weapons program as part of efforts to deter and manage escalation of a potential conflict with China, a think-tank says. How to deal with a declining Russia Project SyndicateJoseph S. Nye, Jr. 11/5/19 It seems unlikely that Russia will again possess the resources to balance U.S. power in the same way that the Soviet Union did during the four decades after World War II. But declining powers merit as much diplomatic attention as rising ones do. NATO North? Building a role for NATO in the Arctic War on the RocksRebecca Pincus 11/6/19 The Arctic is undergoing jarring changes in environmental, political, military, and economic domains — all at the same time. This transformation threatens to upend decades of stability. In this state of flux, any mishap or misunderstanding could generate enough friction to spark a serious crisis or even conflict. Members of U.S. Congress refuse to benefit from the Iran nuclear deal Bulletin of the Atomic ScientistsJohn Krzyaniak 11/6/19 Members of U.S. Congress, including Senators Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham as well as Representative Liz Cheney, want to bar the administration from renewing waivers for Arak in the future, which would effectively prevent the United States from reaping a key benefit from the nuclear deal. America’s strategic interest in New START American Enterprise InstituteJohn Maurer 11/5/19 New START limits the strategic nuclear forces of the United States and Russia to relatively low and equal levels, including their intercontinental missiles, submarine-launched missiles, and heavy bombers. The treaty will expire in 2021, but could be extended for an additional five years by executive agreement. Why the Koreas won’t achieve peace as long as Kim Jong Un is in power Talking Points MemoChung Min Lee 11/5/19 A fundamental remaking of the Korean Peninsula can happen only if Kim Jong Un makes a strategic decision to save North Korea by dismantling the Kim dynasty. So long as he remains in power, however, Kim will never make that choice.