The country’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency informed that U.N. organization in Vienna of Iran’s decision to enrich some of its low-enriched uranium to a higher level.

While the ambassador said the purpose was for medical treatment, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the international community had no choice but to move toward imposing new sanctions on Iran.

Patrick Clawson, deputy director for research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, joins Daljit Dhaliwal to discuss the issue. He talks about why the medical use rationale is dubious and how the upcoming anniversary of the Islamic republic may be affecting the Iranian leadership.

Our German partner Deutsche Welle has more on how Iran has raised the stakes.

Is Iran putting itself on the fast track toward developing nuclear weapons?

Tell us what you think in the comments section below. Please be respectful and on-point. Malicious or offensive comments will be deleted, and repeat offenders will be banned.

Looking beyond the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula, Worldfocus Radio examines the economy of one of the most isolated countries on earth.

North Korea has a per capita income of around $1,800 and continues to be the poorest nation in East Asia. The country still relies on heavy industry and military spending — in addition to huge amounts of food and fuel aid.

But we know little about the country’s black markets. And we struggle to find accurate statistics on the nation’s true standard of living.

A propaganda poster in Pyongyang. Photo: Ben Piven

Martin Savidge hosts Barbara Demick of the LA Times and Leon Sigal of the Northeast Asia Cooperative Security Project. They discuss:

• North Korea’s post-Cold War isolation
• recent currency devaluation
• impact of closing underground markets
• China’s strategy of engaging North Korea
• prospects of U.S. economic engagement
• other investments (such Egypt’s Orascom)

GUESTS:

Barbara Demick is the Beijing bureau chief for the LA Times and author of the new book Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea. She has reported extensively on economic and social changes inside the country.

Leon Sigal is director of the Northeast Asia Cooperative Security Project at the Social Science Research Council in New York. He has authored several books, including Disarming Strangers: Nuclear Diplomacy with North Korea.

Credits:
Host: Martin Savidge
Producers: Ben Piven and Lisa Biagiotti

Visit Behind the Korean Curtain for our extended coverage and Inside the Hermit Kingdom for exclusive Worldfocus video from the inside.

In this week’s New Yorker, Seymour Hersh, the well-known national security correspondent, writes about a secret plan by the Obama administration to use American troops, if necessary, to protect Pakistan’s nuclear assets.

Daljit Dhaliwal talks to Hersh about why the Taliban overrunning Islamabad is not the only — or even the greatest — concern. Hersh contents that the principal fear is mutiny: extremists inside the Pakistani military could stage a coup and take control of some of the country’s nuclear assets.

For the U.S., the meeting was all about persuading Iran to come clean on its nuclear program. Thursday’s talks ended with Iran agreeing to more talks before the end of the month.

Flynt Leverett, the director of the Iran Project at the New America Foundation and professor of international relations at Penn State, joins Martin Savidge to discuss the outcome of the talks and the possibility of sanctions on Iran.

If the talks ultimately fail and sanctions are imposed on Iran, do you think Iran will give up its nuclear program?

Tell us what you think in the comments section below. Please remember to be respectful and on-point in your comments. Malicious or offensive comments will be deleted and repeat offenders will be banned.

On Thursday, the United States, along with the other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany, will meet with Iranian officials in Switzerland hoping to convince Iran to come clean about its nuclear ambitions.

They may be fighting an uphill battle. On Wednesday, Iranian President Mamhoud Ahmadinejad said that it’s the West that needs to change its ways.

Israel will be following the progress of the negotiations closely. There has been talk that the Israelis will take military action against Iran, if the talks don’t succeed.

Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies joins Martin Savidge to discuss whether an Israeli air strike against Iran’s facilities would even be effective. Read his opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal.

If the talks in Switzerland fail, would Israel be justified in attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities?

Tell us what you think in the comments section below. Please remember to be respectful and on-point in your comments. Malicious or offensive comments will be deleted and repeat offenders will be banned.

Worldfocus producer Mohammad Al-Kassim blogs about Friday’s revelations on Iran.

The news that Iran was building a “semi-industrial enrichment fuel facility” dominated the international headlines today. Here is how the news was covered in some Middle Eastern media outlets.

Iran’s Press TV, a government-funded news channel, broke into its regularly scheduled programming to feature the press conference held by U.S. President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The 24-hour channel, which is based in Tehran and broadcasts in English, targets viewers outside Iran.

As she was talking to a correspondent in Vienna, Press TV anchor Nargess Moballeghi noted British PM Gordon Brown’s comment that “the most urgent challenge in the world we face today is Iran.” Ms. Moballeghi told her colleague that this statement was completely opposite a statement made by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who said that it was “climate change.”

On Alalam Web site, a government-funded 24-hour news channel airing in Arabic from Tehran, the top story was same as its sister channel, Press TV. The news article on Alalam was short, quoting Iran’s top nuclear program official who said there is nothing secret about Iran’s nuclear site and that the IAEA is aware of its existence, adding that Iran has the right to have a peaceful nuclear program.

On Al Arabiya, the all-news channel based in Dubai, the news of Iran’s secret nuclear sites overshadowed the rest of the day’s news. Al Arabiya has been very critical in its coverage of Iran’s presidential election.

In general, the channel — which is funded by Saudi money — is critical of Iran’s influence in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia feels that Iran is treading on its territory as the natural leader in the Muslim world.

Al Jazeera Arabic also joined in the coverage of the breaking news with the press conference from Pittsburg, PA. The headline of the story on its Web site read, “World powers pressure Iran,” and the story reported the views of both sides, adding the position of Russia and China. The news article also quoted the Iranian student’s news agency for Iran’s official statement.

Al Jazeera is funded by the government of Qatar and is generally viewed by the Iranian government as relatively biased against Iran.

People in the West assume that because Iran is a Muslim country, it must be friends with many counties in the region. On the contrary, Iran’s neighbors are equally opposed to it obtaining a nuclear program and weapons as the West is. The so-called moderate Arab states –Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan — are quietly calling to disarm Iran nuclear program. Watching these media outlets, one cannot help but notice that the coverage is a reflection of this position.

- Mohammad Al-Kassim

At the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, U.S. President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain and French President Nicholas Sarkozy disclosed that Iran is building a new uranium enrichment facility that could be used to make nuclear weapons.

They warned Iran to come clean about its secret plant or face new, harsher sanctions. The facility is near Qom, the Shiite Muslim holy city about 100 miles southwest of Tehran.

On Friday afternoon, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad held a news conference and said the facility will not be operational for 18 months, insisting Iran has complied with United Nations disclosure rules.

Fariborz Ghadar, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and professor at Penn State University, joins Daljit Dhaliwal to discuss the military significance of this newly-discovered uranium enrichment plant and the impact on nuclear talks.

Does this new revelation about Iran demonstrate that the U.S. and its allies need to take an even tougher line toward Iran?

Tell us what you think in the comments section below. Please remember to be respectful and on-point in your comments. Malicious or offensive comments will be deleted and repeat offenders will be banned.

“I will repeat that I am committed to diplomacy that opens a path to greater prosperity and a more secure peace for both nations if they live up to their obligations,” Obama said. “But if the governments of Iran and North Korea choose to ignore international standards, if they put the pursuit of nuclear weapons ahead of regional stability…if they are oblivious to the dangers an escalating nuclear arms race in both East Asia and the Middle East, then they must be held accountable.”

In an interview with the Associated Press, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he expects next week’s discussions with the West about Iran’s nuclear program to be “free and open,” but called on the world’s nuclear powers to give up some of their weapons too.

Mansour Farhang is a professor of international relations at Bennington College and was revolutionary Iran’s first ambassador to the United Nations.  He joins Daljit Dhaliwal to discuss how Ahmadinejad’s nuclear stance is influenced by domestic Iranian politics, Israel and other concerns.

On Wednesday, Washington’s chief representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran may now possess enough uranium to make a bomb.

The U.S. and Europe have given Tehran until the end of this month to stop enriching uranium or face harsh sanctions. The United States has expressed “serious concerns” about Iran’s nuclear efforts in some of the administration’s strongest comments yet.

This week, the Federation of American Scientists’ Secrecy News blog also posted a translation of a television interview given by Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan, where he claims he aided Iran’s efforts to acquire nuclear weapons.

How should the Obama administration respond to Iran’s nuclear program?

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

Fariborz Ghadar, an expert in global economics with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins Daljit Dhaliwal to discuss the prospect of sanctions.

For more, view our Voices of Iran extended coverage page and listen to our online radio show on Baha’i faith and modern Iran.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates spoke of tougher sanctions against Iran as Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak took a tougher approach, making clear that Israel has not ruled out military action.

The U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, traveled to Syria and Egypt.

Daniel Levy, the co-director of the Middle East Task Force at the New America Foundation, joins Martin Savidge to discuss developments out of the Middle East.

Iran has so far refused to discuss or scale back its nuclear capabilities. Many experts believe Iran is several years away from being able to build a bomb, but a German news magazine quotes intelligence sources as saying there is evidence Iran could have a nuclear bomb within six months.

Reginald Dale, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins Martin Savidge to discuss the U.S. position and the likelihood that Iran will respond to Clinton’s call.

The deal represents a big step forward in relations between the two countries, which had been set back by the Russian invasion of Georgia last summer.

Nina Kruscheva, granddaughter of former Soviet leader Nikita Kruschev and professor at the New School, joins Martin Savidge to discuss the current and future state of American-Russian relations.

On Wednesday, North Korea responded with new threats and a display of military power.

Abraham Denmark, an expert on East Asia and a fellow at the Center for a New American Security, joins Martin Savidge to discuss how North Korea and South Korea match up militarily and China’s role.

Lavrov and Clinton expressed optimism that disagreements that have strained Russian-American relations in recent years are easing, and will not stand in the way of a new round of arms control negotiations.

Daryl Kimball, the executive director of the Arms Control Association, joins Martin Savidge to discuss the nuclear arsenals of Russia and the U.S., the imminent expiration of the START treaty reducing nuclear weaponry and the future of arms talks. 

U.S. President Barack Obama is scheduled to meet with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday. Source: UN Photo

In Pakistan, a peace deal between the government and the Taliban is on the verge of collapse. As the conflict escalates, Taliban forces are tightening their hold on the Swat region and civilians are fleeing. 

U.S. President Barack Obama is scheduled to meet with his Pakistani counterpart, Asif Ali Zardari, on Wednesday. The Obama administration has criticized Pakistan’s efforts to fight the Taliban as insufficient. Obama is expected to continue to press Zardari to crack down on both the Taliban and al-Qaeda, as well as ensure better security for Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.

Worldfocus editorial consultant Peter Eisner discusses what the U.S. and Zardari can hope to accomplish, though the Pakistani military is calling the shots. 

Who’s got the power?

That’s a good question with — unfortunately –- an easy answer, as President Obama meets in Washington with Pakistan’s civilian, democratically-elected president, Asif Ali Zardari. Zardari was elected about six months ago, and his lot has never been more tenuous.

Zardari’s goal from the visit to Washington this week is probably foremost to promote his own viability as the leader of a country of 176 million people. That’s enough of a problem. He can’t seem too friendly to the United States — Pakistanis are concerned about meddling by U.S. armed forces in the fight against the Taliban. He can’t seem to be taciturn, but at the same time, he needs the Obama administration’s support.

All the while, the gorilla in the room won’t be in the room: Who controls Pakistan? Who controls Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal? Who’s got the power? The short answer is: Zardari doesn’t; the military does. Zardari has a weak relationship, if any, with the Pakistani military, which calls the shots on dealing with the driving Taliban insurgency that threatens the country.

Zardari hasn’t much to do with fighting the Taliban. Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid warned last month about “the galloping Talibanization” of the country, in which more than 10 percent of the territory is controlled by insurgents. If Zardari were involved, he probably wouldn’t want to stray too far from Islamabad.

Here are points from the important Pakistani newspaper, Dawn, on Tuesday. It sounds like a war — and that’s what it is.

“Residents told DawnNews that Taliban militants had consolidated their positions in Mingora city from where they were targeting security forces.”

“Heavy shelling was witnessed in Swat’s Qambar area as militants engaged the security forces.”

“A statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday that militants in Swat had blown up a police station and fired at check posts of security forces at Shangla Top, Shamzoi bridge, Bariam bridge and grid station Mingora.”

“Militants also looted a store of the World Food Programme in Swat and took away 217 bags of wheat and 400 cans of edible oil, the statement said.”

“Frightened residents fled suburban areas in Mingora on Tuesday, where the Taliban concentrated a two-year insurgency, after the army issued an evacuation order that ignited fears of an imminent new offensive, witnesses said.”

Instead of fighting the war, Zardari is meeting with U.S. officials who are not counting on Zardari to do very much. U.S. military officials are maintaining contact with Pakistan’s military leaders, and with Zardari’s civilian rivals. That’s the best they can do right now in a dismal scenario with no immediate answers or hopes for success.

- Peter Eisner

David Sanger of The New York Times joins Worldfocus to discuss the security of Pakistan’s nuclear program and implications for the U.S. 

Michael Levi, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and expert on nuclear proliferation, joins Martin Savidge to discuss the threat posed by Iran, whether the country’s nuclear ambitions are peaceful and Russia’s involvement with Iran’s nuclear program.

Anthony Cordesman, an expert on the Middle East, terrorism and defense policy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, speaks with Martin Savidge about the implications of today’s launch and how it might relate to the use of a nuclear weapon.

Pakistan, North Korea and Russia may also prove to be concerns.

Joseph Cirincione, the president of Ploughshares Fund and an expert on nuclear weapons policy, speaks with Martin Savidge about the threat of nuclear weapons facing the Obama administration. They discuss Obama’s approach to Iran and other nuclear concerns.