CONTENTS
- DETERRENCE: Borey-class nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine Yuri Dolgorukiy will provide Russia with effective nuclear deterrent
- DPRK: Some Chinese are souring on being North Korea’s best friend
- ENERGY SECURITY: Global wind power reaches 282 GW in 2012 –
G.W.E.C. - GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: Popular protests in China against N. Korea’s nuclear test
- AUSTRAL PEACE AND SECURITY: Australia must pursue the truth about Prisoner X
See this week’s blog: China 1, Japan 0. Allies beware, from our Austral Peace and Security contributor, Richard Tanter.
DETERRENCE: Borey-class nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine Yuri Dolgorukiy will provide Russia with effective nuclear deterrent, Yulia Zamanskaya, Voice of Russia (22 January 2013)
Russia commissioned the Borei nuclear strategic submarine. President Putin said it “will become an important element of sea-based strategic forces, a guarantor of global balance and security of Russia and its allies.” Dmitry Rogozin, Deputy PM for military industries Twittered: “You bourgeoisie tremble! You are screwed!”
- Russian sub trials to include July missile firing, Global Security Newswire (5 February 2013)
- Russia’s nuclear forces: between disarmament and modernization, P. Podvig, Proliferation Paper, Institut Francais des Relations Internationales (Spring 2011) [PDF, 160KB]
- The future of the ballistic missile submarine force in the Russian nuclear triad, Thesis, Richard Lesiw, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey (September 2008) [PDF, 0.4MB]
DPRK: Some Chinese are souring on being North Korea’s best friend, Perlez, Jane, New York Times (16 February 2013)
The local military conflict on the Korean peninsula created conditions which in part led North Korea to develop nuclear weapons. Addressing the security environment of all who have a role in peninsular matters at least provides a framework for addressing the issue – even if North Korea’s main reason for developing nuclear weapons is endogenous. Communicating with North Korea remains a critical, yet underutilized tool.
- A nuclear North Korea: nonproliferation issues and beyond: talking points, Alexander Vorontsov, ASAN (19 February 2013) [106.2KB]
- US-China: North Korean nuclear dance card: talking points, Shi Yinhong, ASAN (19 February 2013) [173.3KB]
- North Korean nuclear nationalism and the threat of nuclear war in Korea, Peter Hayes and Scott Bruce, Policy Forum 11-09, Nautilus Institute (21 April 2011)
ENERGY SECURITY: Global wind power reaches 282 GW in 2012 – G.W.E.C. Catherine Dominguez, Ecoseed (12 February 2013)
These are the best of the times; these are the worst of the times. Through five years of financial and economic crisis, renewable electricity has grown rapidly in countries with practically zero electricity growth. Its contribution to GHG reductions is debatable, compared to, say, that by unemployment. How many long-term jobs it has created is anybody’s guess, as also the extent of reduction of climate change vulnerability. Throwing money may come to an end though; subsidies are not renewable.
- 100 GW of solar PV now installed in the world today, James Montgomery, Renewable Energy World (12 February 2013)
- Wind power buffeted by ‘political uncertainty’ but still growing, Arthur Neslen, Euractiv (8 February 2013)
- German compromise limits power-price increases, ensures election-year battle, Tino Andersen and Brian Parkin, Bloomberg (18 February 2013)
GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: Popular protests in China against N. Korea’s nuclear test, Chosun Ilbo (18 February 2013)
Protests broke out in China against the DPRK’s nuclear test last week, with protesters calling for stronger economic sanctions, military steps and a halt to sending aid supplies to the DPRK. The DPRK has warned China of further nuclear tests to push the US into nuclear talks. The ROK ruling party called for the development of domestic nuclear deterrence capability and Japan has signaled its right to pre-emptive strikes against imminent attacks.
- Exclusive: North Korea tells China of preparations for fresh nuclear test—source, Benjamin Kang Lim, Reuters (15 February 2013)
- Saenuri calls for nuclear capability to deter the North, Lee Eun-joo, Joongang Ilbo (19 February 2013)
- Interview: Japan defense chief could have pre-emptive strike ability in future, Asahi Shimbun (14 February 2013)
AUSTRAL PEACE AND SECURITY: Australia must pursue the truth about Prisoner X, Ben Saul, The Drum, ABC (14 February 2013)
Israel has been accused of ‘forcibly disappearing’ Prisoner X, the Australian Jew Ben Zygier, who died alone in an Israeli prison. The allegation follows our ‘good friend’ Israel’s forgery of Australian passports when its assassins murdered a Hamas financier in a Dubai hotel. It seems he was an Australian who moved to Israel, worked for Mossad, was imprisoned for treason, and died there by apparent suicide in 2010. But the security law book is not Israel’s alone to write.
- Ben Zygier, dead Mossad agent, arrested for compromising covert Iran operation, Dubai assassination? Richard Silverstein, Tikun Olam (14 February 2013)
- Zygier arrested after leaking Mossad work to ASIO: sources, Trevor Bormann, Foreign Correspondent, ABC, (18 February 2013)
- Zygier ‘close to spilling on Israel’, Philip Dorling, Sydney Morning Herald (15 February 2013)
Blog: China 1, Japan 0. Allies beware
by Richard Tanter – Austral Peace and Security Contributor
Japan has a talent for border disputes: it has one with all of its neighbours: the Senkakus…
The Nautilus Peace and Security Weekly Report presents articles and full length reports each week in six categories: Austral security, nuclear deterrence, energy security, climate change and security, the DPRK, climate change adaptation and governance and civil society. Our team of contributors carefully select items that highlight the links between these themes and the three regions in which our offices are found—North America, Northeast Asia, and the Austral-Asia region. Each week, one of our authors also provides a short blog that explores these inter-relationships.
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Editor
Contributors
- Deterrence: Peter Hayes
- Governance and Civil Society: Dyana Mardon, Yi Kiho
- Climate Change Adaptation: Saleem Janjua
- DPRK: Roger Cavazos
- Energy Security: Nikhil Desai
- Austral Peace and Security: Richard Tanter