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Defense and Security

The World Next Week: North Korean Rocket Launch, the IAEA Iran Talk, and Another EU Summit

<p>Anti-North Korean activists from conservative and right wing civic groups attend a rally in Seoul denouncing the North&#8217;s plan for a rocket launch (Lee Jae-Won/Courtesy Reuters).</p>
Anti-North Korean activists from conservative and right wing civic groups attend a rally in Seoul denouncing the North’s plan for a rocket launch (Lee Jae-Won/Courtesy Reuters).

By experts and staff

Published
  • James M. LindsayCFR Expert
    Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy

The World Next Week podcast is up. Bob McMahon and I discussed North Korea’s impending rocket launch; the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) discussion on Iran’s nuclear program; and the year-end EU summit.

[audio: https://www.cfr.org/content/publications/media/editorial/2012/20121206_T…]

The highlights:

For more on the topics we discussed in the podcast check out:

North Korea announces another rocket launch: The Epoch Times describes the regional tensions that have risen in northeast Asia. Yonhap News writes that North Korea’s rocket launch is an early, unforeseen challenge for China’s new leadership. David Wright speculates about the motives behind the upcoming rocket launch. The Washington Post reports that North Korea’s impending rocket launch has taken attention from South Korea’s own failed satellite launch.

The IAEA discusses Iran: The Washington Post writes on the increase in the number of centrifuges in Iran and its potential consequences. AFP contends that Iran is willing to “continue enrichment with force.” Foreign Policy reports on the most recent round of sanctions on Iran, which Congress pushed for over White House objections. NBCNews.com writes that the IAEA has not been able to determine if Iran’s nuclear ambitions are peaceful because of the country’s lack of cooperation.

The year-end EU summit takes place in Brussels: The Washington Post describes the establishment of a banking supervisor as one of the main sources of gridlock in EU summit meetings. The New York Times outlines the reactions of various leaders and what a banking supervisor would mean for their country. Reuters identifies the rift between France and Germany as the primary obstruction to consensus. Bloomberg Businessweek writes that the EU summit also hopes to establish a budget for the Eurozone.