Nuclear Summit Will Not Influence Iran, North Korea, Says Expert

By Benny Martinez - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

The Nuclear Security Summit will do little to accelerate a campaign goal laid out by then-candidate Barack Obama to secure all nuclear material internationally by the end of his first term, Ted Bromund, a Senior Research Fellow with a focus on American Leadership and Terrorism at the conservative Heritage Foundation, told Talk Radio News Monday.

"These are excellent aims for the President to pursue," Bromund said. "But he's going about them in ways that will achieve absolutely nothing."

Bromund said the summit will fail to be effective since it will not deter countries like Iran and North Korea from pursuing and maintaining nuclear capabilities.

"There's no reason why a summit meeting, even with the 46 nations attending, is going to convince Iran to stop doing something that it's done enthusiastically for more than a decade," Bromund said.

Gates: Toned-Down Nuclear Policies Do Not Apply To Iran, North Korea

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday that a set of new policies designed to downplay the strategic role of nuclear weapons will not prevent the U.S. from using nuclear force against Iran and North Korea if necessary.

“The [new policies have] a very strong message for both Iran and North Korea,” Gates told reporters.

Gates explained that the new guidelines, introduced in the Defense Department’s Nuclear Posture Review, apply only to the 189 nations that have signed the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Neither Iran or North Korea are signatories.

“All options are on the table for countries in that category along with non state actors who might acquire nuclear weapons,” Gates stated.

Under the new guidelines, the U.S. nuclear stockpile will primarily be used as a deterrent against nuclear attacks alone. The U.S. will be restricted from using or threatening to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear armed nations that have signed the NPT, even if said nations launch a biological or chemical attack.

However, Gates noted that this new restriction is not set in stone.

“The United States reserves the right to make any adjustment t to this policy that may be warranted by the evolution or proliferation of biological weapons,” Gates warned.

The Nuclear Posture Review also states that the U.S. will not test nuclear weapons or develop new nuclear warheads.

Petraeus Open To Ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

By Chingyu Wang
Talk Radio News Service

U.S. Gen. David Petraeus, Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said on Tuesday that he is open to a review of the military's controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

“I believe the time has come to consider a change to DADT,” he said.

Regarding Iran, he said CENTCOM is networking with other countries that are concerned about Iran’s nuclear project and who hope to prevent it from growing.

“The Iranian regime continues its nuclear program. Indeed, Iran is assessed by many analysts to be engaged in pursuing nuclear weapon capability,” said Petraeus. “[Iran] is likely to spur a regional arms race.”

To prevent a nuclear war, Petraeus said CENTCOM has been working on building regional security architecture in that region to establish “security relationships and partnerships" between nations that share concern over Iran.

On Afghanistan, Petraeus said that in roughly 18 months from now, the total number of American troops in Afghanistan will top 139,000.

Meanwhile, American forces in Iraq are expected to be reduced from 97,000 to 50,000 by the end of August 2010, he said.

Secretary Clinton: Iran Could Become A Military Dictatorship

The apparent shift in power from Iran’s government to the country’s Revolutionary Guard signals the rise of a military dictatorship, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday.

“The Government of Iran, the supreme leader, the president, the parliament, is being supplanted,” Clinton explained during a town hall exchange at a Qatar-based university. “Iran is moving toward a military dictatorship.”

Clinton down-played the possibility of a U.S. led attack against the Islamic Republic, stating that the sanctions being pursued currently by the U.S. should offset the need for military action.

“We are planning to try to bring the world community together in applying pressure to Iran through sanctions adopted by the United Nations that will be particularly aimed at those enterprises controlled by the Revolutionary Guard,” Clinton said.

However, the Secretary did stress that the U.S. will be prepared to defend itself if the needed.

“We will always defend ourselves,” said Clinton. “We will always defend our friends and allies. And we will certainly defend countries here in the Gulf who face the greatest immediate nearby threat from Iran.”

White House Briefing

With Robert Gibbs

President Obama will meet with his Holiness the Dalai Lama on February 18th in the Map Room of the White House. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that the President is looking forward to “an engaging and constructive dialogue. “
At the White House Briefing, Gibbs was also joined today by Dr. Christina Romer, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors. She presented the Economic Report, number 64 in the order, that will be sent to Congress.
Romer said that each economic report talks about three things; first it brings up the economic challenges that we face as a country. Secondly, it talks about what policies were put in to place and how they work, and finally it lays out the President’s agenda going forward.
She also talked about the passed year and the coming challenges. Romer felt the importance of this particular report, not because of herself but because of the times we are facing.
Dr. Romer also said that this is the first time that the report is printed in color and also available electronic form. “It’s prettier than ever before”, Romer said.
When asked if the estimates are more conservative in order to not be burned politically, Dr. Romer said that, “every time we try to do the best we can. The truth is that we don’t have a crystal ball. Every year we try to do an honest, reasonable, conservative forecast ... ”

Iran

Gibbs said that they continue to monitor events in Iran as they happen. The President was very clear in his speech in Oslo, that we stand by the universal rights of Iranians to express themselves freely and to do so without intimidation and violence”.
When asked about a statement from the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Agency who cautioned President Obama about what he called taking the wrong steps, and telling the United States that consequences are beyond imagination; Gibbs said Iran has made a series statements that are based more on politics and not on physics. “We do not believe that they have the capability to enrich to the degree to which they now say that the are enriching. “
He also stated that, “our allies are more united in this than they have ever been,” to take actions and consequences based on the statements and actions of the Iranians.
Gibbs was also asked about the relationship with China and if they are on board with the UN sanctions, and he said that, “ the Chinese will continue to play a constructively role. They worked with us very constructive with the UN resolution with North Korea. It is not in their interest to have an arms race in the Middle East, Gibbs continued.

China

Gibbs was asked why the White House was preceding with meeting with the Dalai Lama considering how much China is clearly against it. “ We think we have a mature enough relationship with the Chinese that we can agree on issues that are of mutual interest, but we also have a mature enough relationship that we know that two countries on this planet are not always going to agree on everything, and we’ll have those disagreements, “ Gibbs said.

Snow in Washington DC Area

When asked if the President is pleased with the response to the storm, considering that the federal government is closed for a 4th day in a row, Gibbs said that what we have seen here is extraordinary. “If there was snowfall that exceeded what we had this winter, it happened before we kept statistics on snowfall. It has been an overwhelming weather event.“ People are working to clear enough so that the federal government can open again.

Sen. Bond and John Brennan

Gibbs was asked about Senator Kit Bond who was accusing the White House of using John Brennan for political purposes. Gibbs responded by telling reporters that John Brennan has worked in counterterrorism for more than 25 years. He worked at the CIA and hired by former President George W. Bush and was asked to stay on. “ I don’t have a slightest idea what political party John Brennan is a member of. I have never had a political conversation with John. I know this; John is there each and every day working in his office to try to do everything he can to keep the American people safe. And I would suggest, whether it's to Senator Bond or others on Capitol Hill, that these are decisions best left to people that have an understanding of counterterrorism, experience in counterterrorism and law enforcement, rather than to politicians on Capitol Hill.”