Information Related to "World News & Trends May 2009"
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According to The Guardian, U.S. President Barack Obama has warned that "suspected rogue states, such as North Korea or Iran, may be persuaded to abandon their quests only if the big nuclear powers set an example." He specifically stated that "we can't reduce the threat of nuclear weapons going off unless those that possess the most nuclear weapons, the United States and Russia, take serious steps to reduce our stockpiles" ("Obama's New Offensive Against Nuclear Weapons," April 4, 2009).
In spite of warnings from the American, Japanese and South Korean presidents, North Korea defiantly launched a long-range missile April 4 in clear violation of UN Resolution 1718 prohibiting this nation from all such activities. Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts have done virtually nothing to deter Iran from pursuing its own nuclear ambitions.
But what many may not understand is that "North Korea and Iran have been collaborating on building missiles; the two are thought to have worked together in Iran to improve on basic North Korean missile designs at times when it has been impolitic for the North to test for itself. Iran has learned a great deal from this work; recently it has been making strides in its own missile technology" ("Proliferation United in Defiance," The Economist, Feb. 28, 2009, emphasis added throughout).
Veteran journalist Con Coughlin categorically stated that "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is about to turn Iran into a nuclear rogue state" ("His Master's Angry Voice," Standpoint, Feb. 9, 2009). Meanwhile, the United Nations again confirmed that Iran is refusing to cooperate with inspectors charged with monitoring Iran's nuclear program.
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