Detained hikers stir memories of Iran hostage crisis Aug 4, 2009
"On the one hand we can expect the Iranians will want to use this incident to say "Iran is as strong as ever, we are in control of our borders, and no one should try to mess with us," says Alex Vatanka, an Iran analyst with Jane's Information Group in Alexandria, Va. "That will play well with hardliners domestically, but it will also send a message to the international community not to imagine that Iran is weakened after 50 days of internal unrest over the June elections. " But on the other... (Christian Science Monitor -- USA)
Iran tests missile with range that can hit Israel May 21, 2009
"The announcement on Monday that there was a deadline by the U.S. may have been received in Tehran as a slap in the face," said Alex Vatanka, a senior Middle East analyst at Jane's Information Group, particularly coming after Iran's release last week of a American journalist who was jailed for spying. He called the launch a gift to Ahmadinejad from military hard-liners who hoped it would demonstrate the country's strength and boost the president's popularity in advance of the June 12 election. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Iran Tests Missile; Israel, Europe Within Range May 21, 2009
Alex Vatanka, a senior Middle East analyst at Jane's Information Group, said the test "does not change the strategic equation" in the region because Iran has had the ballistic missile capability to hit Israel and much of the Middle East for more than a decade with its Shahab missiles. It was likely intended to send a message to the Obama administration that Iran cannot be bullied into talks and also to show the country's strength in hopes that would boost Ahmadinejad's popularity among voters in... (Newsmax)
Fury in Seoul, Tokyo... Apr 7, 2009
"Today was a failure," Joseph Bermudez of Jane's Information Group told AFP Sunday following the rocket launch. "And it seems to indicate that North Korea has not been able to demonstrate a reliable system capable of being an ICBM or a space launch vehicle.". (The Drudge Report)
Full Story » Apr 6, 2009
All countries concerned should show restraint and refrain from taking action that might lead to increased tension," China's UN ambassador Zhang Yesui told reporters Sunday. "The use of ballistic missile technology is a clear violation of the resolution which prohibits missile-related activities," Rice noted in reference to Resolution 1718 passed after the North's missile and nuclear tests in 2006. "Rules must be binding, violations must be punished, words must mean something," US President... (Channelnewsasia.com)
Regional anger at NKorea rocket launch Apr 6, 2009
"Today was a failure," Joseph Bermudez of Jane's Information Group told AFP Sunday. "And it seems to indicate that North Korea has not been able to demonstrate a reliable system capable of being an ICBM or a space launch vehicle." Bermudez said current information indicated the second stage did not drop, meaning the rocket was too heavy to sustain flight. (Yahoo! Asia News)
Asia forking out on defence despite slowdown: Experts Apr 5, 2009
Data from defence research firm Jane's Information Group estimates total military spending in the region rising year-on-year -- from about 220 billion dollars in 2008 to 239 billion dollars this year and higher still in 2010. Those figures include external defence and homeland security and cover a region stretching from Central Asia to Australia. (India Times)
US begins to reach out to Iran, but slowly and cautiously Mar 11, 2009
"Inviting Iran to a conference on Afghanistan or having ambassadors meet in Baghdad, those are tactical moves, and Tehran is saying it's not interested in tactical overtures anymore," says Alex Vatanka, Islamic affairs analyst at Jane's Information Group in Alexandria, Va ... In addition, Vatanka of Jane's Information Group says, Western countries are already so little involved in Iran's oil industry that any action they take is unlikely to move Tehran. (Christian Science Monitor)
Chinese aircraft maker to recruit foreign managers Feb 25, 2009
Foreign skills should help AVIC, now run largely by soldiers and government officials, meet goals that include developing a jetliner by 2020, said Jon Grevatt, the Asia-Pacific defense industry correspondent for Jane's Information Group. He said non-Chinese citizens probably will be kept away from military technology. (International Herald Tribune)
N. Korea seen readying missile test Feb 22, 2009
A significant increase in launch preparations has occurred at the Musudan-ni missile site on the communist country's northeastern coast, said Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., a senior analyst at Jane's Information Group who specializes in North Korean defense and intelligence matters. "The latest satellite images ... indicate that North Korea is preparing to launch either a prototype Taepodong-2 intermediate-range ballistic missile or a Paektusan-2 space-launch vehicle within a matter of days," Jane's... (Insight on the News)
Report: NKorea may be ready to test-fire missile... Feb 21, 2009
A significant increase in launch preparations has occurred at the Musudan-ni missile site on the communist country's northeastern coast, said Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., a senior analyst at Jane's Information Group who specializes in North Korean defense and intelligence matters. "The latest satellite images ... indicate that North Korea is preparing to launch either a prototype Taepodong 2 intermediate range ballistic missile or a Paektusan 2 space launch vehicle within a matter of days," Jane's... (The Drudge Report)
