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Iran says UN nuke inspectors will not visit sites

NASSER KARIMI  / Associated Press

A U.N. team visiting Iran has no plans to inspect the country’s nuclear facilities and will only hold talks with officials in Tehran, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday.

Yemen election ensures Saleh’s exit after 33 years

Joseph Logan and Mohammed Mukhashaf / Reuters

Yemen pushed Ali Abdullah Saleh from power after 33 years on Tuesday, voting to install his deputy as president with a mission to rescue the nation from poverty, chaos and the brink of civil war.

US looks to regime figure for transition in Yemen

BRADLEY KLAPPER /Associated Press

The Obama administration is putting its hopes for Yemen in a vice president long seen as the loyal deputy to strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh, confident that at the very least he can shore up a counterterrorism alliance with Washington against al-Qaida’s resurgent Arabian Peninsula offshoot.

Boldest nuclear cutters recently? It’s been GOP

AP

The Obama administration’s consideration of severe cuts in nuclear weapons generated a flurry of GOP criticism – “reckless lunacy” in the words of Arizona Rep. Trent Franks. But the historical record shows that in the two decades since the Cold War ended, Republicans have been the boldest cutters of the nuclear arsenal.

It’s Time for the U.S. to Finally Make Economic Peace With Russia

Joshua Foust / The Atlantic

In December, Russia passed an important milestone: it was approved for full membership in the World Trade Organization. The decision still needs to be ratified by Moscow, but Russia’s inclusion in the global community of trading partners seems all but assured. So what does this mean?

Canada threatens trade war with EU over tar sands  

The Guardian

Canada has threatened a trade war with European Union over the bloc’s plan to label oil from Alberta’s vast tar sands as highly polluting, the Guardian can reveal, before a key vote in Brussels on 23 February. “Canada will not hesitate to defend its interests, including at the World Trade Organisation,” state letters sent to European commissioners by Canada’s ambassador to the EU and its oil minister, released under freedom of information laws.

On the ASP Flashpoint blog:

Gold: Is Iran Striking Back?

Last week, another bomb with alleged connections to Iran exploded in Thailand.  The latest blast involved an Iranian man who after his explosives stash prematurely detonated, attempted to avoid arrest by throwing an explosive at Thai police, blowing off his own legs in the process.  Whether this latest spate of violence is connected to the attempted bombings of Israeli foreign diplomats in India and Georgia is yet to be determined.  But these recent events beg the question, is Iran striking back?

Holland: No Economic Choice is Without Cost

On the front page of today’s Washington Post, we see an article “Obama’s support for export industry leads to clash of U.S. interests.” The article details a dispute between Boeing, America’s largest single exporter, and Delta Airlines, one of Boeing’s biggest domestic customers. Delta alleges that Boeing’s exports to its foreign competition – the article mentions Air India – places Delta at a disadvantage, and has forced it to close routes between the US and India.

Dorsk: Young minds converge on Washington for International Model NATO Conference 2012

Students from top universities in the U.S. and around the world are gathering in Washington this weekend for the 2012 International Model NATO Conference.

In my capacity here at ASP, and as a Model NATO alum, I will be assisting with the conference’s social media, specifically Facebook. Using the conference’s social media, students have the opportunity to engage and collaborate prior to the start of the event, share materials and information during the conference, and then network afterward.

About the American Security Project: The American Security Project is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy and research organization dedicated to fostering knowledge and understanding of a range of national security issues, promoting debate about the appropriate use of American power, and cultivating strategic responses to 21st century challenges.

For more information, visit www.americansecurityproject.org. info@americansecurityproject.org

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