TOP NEWS Congress calls on U.S. to scout nuclear alternatives to Turkey base Al-Monitor Japan, France offer loan for Iran’s full JCPOA compliance Financial Tribune Russian nuclear submarine aborts ballistic missile test Reuters United States Congress calls on U.S. to scout nuclear alternatives to Turkey base Al-Monitor10/21/19 Congress has tucked a provision into a bill to sanction Turkey for its two-week incursion into northern Syria that would study the possibility of removing U.S. nuclear weapons and troops from Incirlik Air Base. Middle East Japan, France offer loan for Iran’s full JCPOA compliance Financial Tribune10/20/19 Japan and France have proposed a joint plan to provide Iran with a loan of about $18.4 billion to be secured by oil if Tehran returns to full compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on its nuclear program, Japanese media reported. East Asia North Korea says U.S., South Korea must present new solutions for conflict Reuters10/21/19 The United States and South Korea must produce new solutions for the current standoff on the Korean Peninsula, a senior North Korean military official said on Monday, warning that hostile policies towards Pyongyang would lead to serious consequences. Russia/Europe Russian nuclear submarine aborts ballistic missile test Reuters10/21/19 A Russian nuclear submarine aborted the test firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile during a military exercise overseen by President Vladimir Putin last week, the Ministry of Defense said on Monday. Russia to send strategic bombers to South Africa for visit Associated Press10/21/19 The Russian military says two of its nuclear-capable bombers will visit South Africa in what appears to be the first-ever such deployment to the African continent. Trump pulling U.S. out of nuclear treaty ‘will lead to arms race,’ says Russia’s defense minister Newsweek10/21/19 Russia’s defense minister has said that the “real reason” for the U.S. withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty was because it wanted to “hold back” Russia and China and redeploy its nuclear arsenal in the Asia-Pacific region. Multilateral Arms Control Election of world’s top nuclear peacekeeper shrouded in secrecy Bloomberg10/20/19 The ambassadors of the 35 nations on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s board will enter a sealed chamber at its headquarters in Vienna on Monday. Analysis/Commentary Japan in a new Northeast Asian security environment International Policy DigestYacqub Ismail and Eleanor Shiori Otsuka Hughes 10/22/19 In the short term, North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile program is a huge danger, while in the long term, Sino-Russian strategic partnership would be a dire threat to Japan’s strategic outlook. The stress test: Japan in an era of great power competition Brookings InstitutionRichard C. Bush, Linsey Ford, Ryan Hass, Adam P. Liff, Michael E. O’Hanlon, Jonathan D. Pollack, Mireya Solis, Bruce Jones, Laura McGhee, and Ted Reinert 10/21/19 With a dramatic power shift in the Indo-Pacific, the intensification of U.S.-China strategic rivalry, and uncertainty about the United States’ international role, Japan confronts a major stress test. Gulf states need a seat at Iran talks table Arab NewsMajid Rafizadeh 10/20/19 When the leaders of the UN Security Council’s five permanent member states sat around the table to hammer out the nuclear agreement, there was a major shortcoming; not one representative from a Gulf state was present at the table. The Middle East’s dangerous new hegemonic confrontation Project SyndicateJoschka Fischer 10/21/19 By giving Iran no other option but to demonstrate its military prowess, US President Donald Trump has exposed himself and his Saudi allies as paper tigers. How to tame Iran and win a nuclear deal National InterestEmily B. Landau 10/20/19 The Trump administration should remain firm with the pressure campaign, continue trying to get the Europeans on board a harsher response to Iran’s aggressions, carve out a clear negotiations strategy, and be wary of blinking first.