News of the Day (January 30)

Number of Communist missiles pointed at Taiwan near 1,000: The exact figure, given by President Chen Shui-bian in an interview with Talk Asia (reprinted by CNN), was 988; "the figure has increased by 168 missiles" in one year alone, according to Chen.

President Bush "has not asked" for satellite defense: Brigadier General Patrick O'Reilly of the Missile Defense Agency said the current ballistic-missile-defense technology "could be used to counter China's anti-satellite weapon" (Voice of America via Epoch Times). He wasn't sure hoe long it would take; in fact, it "has not even begun because President Bush has not asked for it" (emphasis added). Meanwhile, the arms-control folks are growing louder in their calls for a treaty (Cybercast News), while Arizona Senator John Kyl demanded "a major program to counter China from attacking U.S. satellites" (Bill Gertz, Washington Times).

Hu Jintao begins Africa tour: The Communist leader will likely sing a bunch of trade deals (BBC) and ignore the call from the editors of the Washington Post to bring his Sudanese allies to heel on Darfur.

Communist China's Korean colony and Middle Eastern Proxy Number One join ICBM efforts: According to the aforementioned general O'Reilly, the Communist-backed mullahcracy of Iran and Stalinist North Korea are "working towards developing a space launch capability, which also would give them an ICBM capability" (Gertz). This comes amid reports of nuclear cooperation between the two Beijing allies - reports the Stalinists, of course, denied (CNN).

Nuclear talks to resume on February 8: Communist China, SNK's oldest ally, will once again host the talks - as it has done with every round (BBC).

Has a high-ranking Stalinist defected? Amid reports that former Stalinist propaganda chief Jung Ha Chol "has escaped North Korea" (Daily NK), the SNK regime is unwittingly giving said reports credibility by attempting remove every reference or memory of the man in northern Korea (One Free Korea). Jung would be one of over 10,000 Koreans who escaped Stalinism - if he can make it to South Korea (Daily NK).

Czech Republic shuts the door on SNK slavery: The Czech government "decided to end the practice of having North Koreans work in Czech factories under what one human rights organization has described as 'slave' conditions" (Agence France Presse via Washington Times).

Back to the Communist-backed mullahcracy: Former UN Ambassador John Bolton calls for Iran's liberation (Washington Times). President Bush insists the United States "will 'respond firmly' if Iranian agents inside Iraq escalate their attacks or supply materials used to attack U.S. troops or Iraqis" (United Press Int'l via Washington Times), leading many in the Middle East to wonder if harsher action is on the way (UPI via Washington Times and Washington Post via MSNBC), while Stanley Kurtz (National Review Online: The Corner) ponders what would happen if the mullahs actually became a nuclear power. The United Nations wants Tehran to takew a nuclear "timeout" (UPI via Washington Times), and oddly enough, they mat get it - due to the death of an Iranian scientist (Adn Kronos Int'l; h/t Michael Rubin, who also has the rest of the news on Iran in NRO: The Corner). Of course, Russia is making no effort to slow the mullahs' nuclear ambitions (NRO: The Corner).