ONLINE NEWS

The US is well informed in Moscow -- which is why Washington is skeptical that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has much of a future. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, diplomatic cables make clear, is 'in the driver's seat.'

The report that the US ambassador to Moscow, John Beyrle, sent to Washington on Aug. 9, 2008, did not contain a lot that was flattering about the Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev. Beyrle, a diplomat who had been an expert on Russia since Soviet times, got his charges d'affaires to describe the reaction of Medvedev to the beginning of the war with Georgia the previous night. "A pale and hesitant Medvedev, with none of the bravado of Putin, was pushed forward into the limelight on Saturday morning," the report said.

Read more ....

My Comment: Putin has (in the past few months) assembled the necessary organization and support to make a run at the Russian Presidency. But .... I believe that he is only going through the motions, and that his focus and heart is not to regain the Russian Presidency.

Why should he .... he has all the powers and influence that a man in his position can have .... therefore, why have the added headache of 'Head of State'. In addition, at the moment Russian President Medvedev is the perfect man for Putin to have in the top spot. Medvedev is not a threat to him .... and more to the point .... he is his protege.

Therefore .... If I was a betting man .... I would put my money on him to not run in the next Russian Presidential election.

On a side note, the U.K. Guardian rips into Putin for making Russia into a mafia-state. The link to that story is here.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE RAMROD, Afghanistan — It's just after sunup as Air Force Staff Sgt. Michael Tankersley, close to wrapping up another night shift, looks at several flat-screen monitors while trying to pull in a video feed from a drone.

Flying west of Kandahar, the Reaper's signal is fuzzy much the same way as an old rabbit-ear TV, the image forming and fading because of interference from other frequencies.

Read more ....

My Comment: Regular readers know that I always enjoy posting good articles on America's drone fleet .... well .... here is another one.

December 1, 2010: The U.S. Army is facing another, and rather poignant, drug menace. It seems a growing number of infantry troops are using steroids, to help them build muscle mass, so that they can better handle the loads they have to carry in combat. For most of these troops, the additional muscle is seen as a matter of life and death. But there are short term (mood swings, especially irritability and increased aggressiveness) and long term (hypertension, damage to the heart or liver) risks from steroid use. Even so, many troops accept the risks, in order to obtain a little more speed in combat. Speed is often the key to survival out there.

Read more ....

Update #1: US soldiers using steroids to increase brawn for battle -- Sydney Morning Herald
Update #2: Steroid use on the rise in the Army -- Seattle Times

My Comment: It's going to be the cigarettes that will kill them in the end.

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--The U.S. Army wants to purchase nearly 1,900 infantry combat vehicles for an estimated $20 billion to replace an aging Bradley fleet that's been vulnerable to roadside-bomb attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan.

That estimate does not include development costs, which could double the vehicles' final drive-away price.

The military anticipates awarding up to three, fixed-priced incentive fee contracts in April to develop the initial design for the vehicle, the Army said late Tuesday in a news release. Total value of the awards is estimated to be about $450 million.

The first delivery of the next-generation vehicles are expected seven years later.

Read more ....


Army wants proposals for combat vehicle -- UPI
Army revamps rules for vehicle competition -- Reuters
Army Relaunches FCS Son -- DoD Buzz
DoD Savings Push Hits U.S. Army Vehicle Program -- Defense News
Army issues revised RFP for ground combat vehicle -- Government Executive
U.S. Army RFP for new Ground Combat Vehicle -- Defense World
Army unveils new GCV requirements -- Army Times
U.S. Army Requests Bids for $1.35 Billion Ground-Combat Vehicles Contract -- Bloomberg
Army overhauls wish list for $40B combat vehicle program -- The Hill

From Boston.com:

Saturday, November 27th marked a milestone in Afghanistan - after that day passed, the United States and its allies have now been in Afghanistan longer than the Soviet Union had been when it withdrew in 1989. Recent announcements by the U.S. appear to show that it plans to remain at least another four years. In the south, U.S. forces are increasingly encountering abandoned buildings that are heavily booby-trapped as they pursue the Taliban, leading them to systematically destroy the structures. Arghandab district governor Shah Muhammed Ahmadi said "In some villages where only a few houses were contaminated by bombs, we called the owners and got their agreement to destroy them, In some villages like Khosrow that were completely empty and full of IED's, we destroyed them without agreement because it was hard to find the people - and not just Khosrow, but many villages. We had to destroy them to make them safe." Collected here are images of the country and conflict over the past month, part of an ongoing monthly series on Afghanistan. (43 photos total)

Read more ....

Building was constructed by Israeli engineers prior to Islamic Revolution; Iranian officials incensed, call for Jewish symbol's removal.

Did Israeli prankster architects sneak a Star of David onto the roof of the Tehran airport, or is the controversy in Iran over a Google Earth revelation much ado about nothing?

Regardless of whether it was happenstance or an act of architectural subterfuge, government officials in Iran were incensed this week when they discovered the outline of a Star of David atop the roof of the headquarters of Iran Air, Al- Arabiya reported on Monday.

Read more ....

Update: Iranians Furious After Finding Jewish Symbol Hidden In Plain View -- Gizmodo

My Comment: Hmmmm .... someone has a sense of humor. But I wonder if the Iranians are going to rid this "star" on the roof.

WASHINGTON — Calls to prosecute the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, mounted this week as his organization began releasing documents from a cache of 250,000 State Department cables — its third major disclosure of United States government secrets this year.

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. has confirmed that the Justice Department is examining whether Mr. Assange could be charged with a crime, but legal scholars say that such an effort would encounter steep legal and policy difficulties.

Read more ....


US embassy cables: browse the database -- The Guardian

Top 10 new revelations from Wikileaks (10 images) -- UPI
Top ten revelations from Wikileaks cables -- Yahoo News/The Lookout
Wikileaks: what the leaked State Department cables say -- The Telegraph
WikiLeaks: The revelations at a glance -- The Daily Mail
Sticks and Stones: The Top 5 Cablegate Insults -- Time Magazine

Amazon Drops Leaks Website -- Wall Street Journal
Amazon stops hosting WikiLeaks website -- Reuters
WikiLeaks website kicked off Amazon's servers -- AP
Wikileaks pushed off Amazon, but files persist on file-sharing system -- The Guardian
Amazon.com stops hosting WikiLeaks on its servers -- Washington Post

Wikileaks chief: What will he do next? -- The Independent
Wikileaks' Assange in UK, police know where: report -- Reuters
How 250,000 US embassy cables were leaked -- The Guardian
US says leaks are a crime, threatens prosecution -- Yahoo News/AP
US embassy cables leak sparks global diplomatic crisis -- The Guardian
WikiLeaks sparks worldwide diplomatic crisis -- The Telegraph
Leaked US cables reveal sensitive diplomacy -- Yahoo News/AP
WikiLeaks unleashes a flood of damaging US cables -- Yahoo News/AFP
Thousands of Classified US Documents Leaked on the Internet -- Voice of America
World politics rocked as diplomatic exchanges are 'WikiLeaked' -- Scotsman
WikiLeaks 'surprised' by scale of US espionage -- CNN
Cables Obtained by WikiLeaks Shine Light Into Secret Diplomatic Channels -- New York Times
WikiLeaks reveals U.S. diplomatic secrets -- Politico
Deceits, plots, insults: America laid bare -- The Independent
Wikileaks: How the reverberations will be felt in Downing Street and far beyond -- The Independent
WikiLeaks release reveals embarrassing diplomatic details -- McClatchy News
Embarrassing Revelations Abound in Leaked U.S. Cables -- CBS News
Vast Leak Discloses Diplomatic Secrets -- Wall Street Journal
Wikileaks release of embassy cables reveals US concerns -- BBC
WikiLeaks: Leaked cables reveal the rough workings of diplomacy -- Christian Science Monitor
Released WikiLeaks documents send shock waves around the globe -- Globe And Mail
WikiLeaks Drop Shows U.S. Striving to Maintain Order in Chaotic Global Relations -- FOX News
A Superpower's View of the World -- Der Spiegel
Leaked Cables Reveal True US Worldview -- Spiegel Online
‘Chipped’ Detainees, Iran Mega-Missiles And More in Latest WikiLeaks -- The Danger Room
WikiLeaks's release of documents shows struggle to relocate Guantanamo detainees -- Washington Post
Revealed: U.S. diplomats slam world leaders -- MSNBC
U.S. Wary of Putin, Berlusconi Ties, Guardian Reports, Citing WikiLeaks -- Bloomberg
WikiLeaks cables reveal personal details on world leaders -- Washington Post
In pictures: Undiplomatic view of world leaders -- BBC News


Interpol Called For Arrest Of WikiLeaks Founder -- New York Times
European police on alert for Wikileaks founder -- Yahoo News/AP
British police seek Assange over Swedish rape charges -- Foreign Policy
British police seek Julian Assange over rape claims -- The Guardian
Julian Assange of WikiLeaks placed on Interpol most-wanted list, more diplomatic cables released -- Washington Post
WikiLeaks: Interpol issues wanted notice for Julian Assange -- The Guardian
Interpol issues red notice for WikiLeaks founder Assange -- RIA Novosti
Julian Assange of WikiLeaks is being persecuted in Sweden, lawyer says -- Washington Post
WikiLeaks founder appeals Swedish arrest order -- Reuters
Wikileaks' Assange appeals over Sweden arrest warrant -- BBC
Julian Assange, WikiLeaks founder, up for Time's 'Person of the Year,' with Obama, Palin and more -- New York Daily News
WikiLeaks' Julian Assange: How much trouble is he in? -- Christian Science Monitor
The Ambitions of Julian Assange -- Ross Douthat, New York Times
10 things you don’t know about WikiLeaks mystery man Julian Assange -- Toronto Star
U.S. Weighs Legal Options in Wikileaks Release -- CBS News
WikiLeaks spurned New York Times, but Guardian leaked State Department cables -- Washington Post
Ecuador offers a home for founder of WikiLeaks -- Breitbart/AP
WikiLeaks founder could be charged under Espionage Act -- Washington Post
WikiLeaks website hit with 'mass distributed denial of service attack' -- New York Daily News
WikiLeaks: Julian Assange could face 'grave consequences' -- The Telegraph
WikiLeaks: US Senators call for WikiLeaks to face criminal charges -- The Telegraph
Senators: Prosecute the WikiLeakers -- Politico
Congressman wants WikiLeaks listed as terrorist group -- CNet
Australian police investigate WikiLeaks founder -- The Australian


WikiLeaks cables highlight Arab contempt for Iran -- L.A. Times
WikiLeaks: Arab allies want tougher US measures -- AFP
Leaked Documents Show Middle East Consensus on Threat Posed by Iran -- FOX News
Iran 'must be stopped': Arab leaders implored U.S. to attack, WikiLeaks disclosures show -- The L.A. Times
Saudi king urged U.S. to attack Iran: WikiLeaks -- Yahoo News/Reuters
WikiLeaks: Fears for Middle East stability as cables reveal Arab leaders urged U.S. to attack Iran -- The Daily Mail
"Cut off the head of the snake" Saudis told US on Iran -- Reuters
Saudi Arabia urges US attack on Iran to stop nuclear programme -- The Guardian
WikiLeaks documents reveal Arab states' anxiety over Iran -- CNN
Arab states scorn 'evil' Iran -- The Guardian


WikiLeaks confirm fear of Iran’s nuclear ambition -- Toronto Star
FACTBOX - Iran, NKorea nukes rely heavily on smuggling - WikiLeaks -- Reuters
Documents: Iran Obtained Missiles From N. Korea -- NPR (Audio)
Israel greets WikiLeaks cables as vindication of its Iran policy -- Christian Science Monitor
Israel could strike Iran without US help: WikiLeaks -- AFP
U.S. fears Iran has long-range missile, but Russia calls it a 'myth' -- CNN
Washington troubled by Iran nuclear fears -- Financial Times
Iran May Have North Korean Missiles, WikiLeaks Shows -- Bloomberg
Secret cables reveal that U.S. believes Iran has advanced missiles -- Washington Post
Fear of 'different world' if Iran gets nuclear weapons -- The Guardian
Iran 'lied to UN inspectors about Qom nuclear site' -- The Guardian
Iran Fortifies Its Arsenal With the Aid of North Korea -- New York Times
Leaked Cables Shine Light on Iran Nuclear Threat -- CBS News
WikiLeaks Reveals Iran’s Secret, Worldwide Arms Hunt -- The Danger Room
U.S. asked China to stop missile parts shipment to Iran -- Washington Post
Iran obtained missiles from North Korea: US documents -- AFP


WikiLeaks: US referred to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as 'Hitler' -- The Telegraph
'Ahmadinejad is Hitler; Sarkozy is a naked emperor' -- Jerusalem post
Der Spiegel: US officials called Ahmadinejad 'Hitler' -- Ynet News


US memos: Iran armed Hezbollah through ambulances -- AP
Leak: Iran used Red Crescent to smuggle weapons -- Jerusalem Post
WikiLeaks: Red Crescent smuggled weapons for Iran -- Ynet News
Iranian spies 'used Red Crescent to enter war zones' -- The Guardian


Wikileaks: Ireland prevented US weapon transfers to Israel -- Jerusalem Post
WikiLeaks: Pakistan passed terror intel to Israel -- Jerusalem Post
Palestinians: Gaza war claim exposed by WikiLeaks is untrue -- Haaretz
Israel consulted Egypt, Fatah on Gaza war: WikiLeaks -- AFP
WikiLeaks exposé: Israel tried to coordinate Gaza war with Abbas -- Haaretz
WikiLeaks exposé: Israel offered to coordinate Cast Lead with Egypt and Fatah -- Haaretz
Israeli doubts about Mahmoud Abbas -- Al Jazeera
US embassy cables: Washington requests personal data on Hamas -- The Guardian


Arms deals, racketeering – Putin accused of running 'mafia state' -- The Independent
Cables Offer Dim View of Russia and Putin -- New York Times
Leaked cable reveals Putin slacking -- UPI
Putin Criticizes U.S. Over WikiLeaks Revelations -- Politics Daily
WikiLeaks row: Putin labels US embassy cables 'slanderous' -- The Guardian
Putin Criticizes U.S. Remarks on Russia -- New York Times
Putin says Gates is 'deeply misled' -- Politico
Putin fires back over WikiLeaks criticism -- ABC News (Australia)
WikiLeaks revelations no threat to Russia's ties with other states - Kremlin -- RIA Novosti
Putin "Seeking to Restore Russia's Grandeur", Leaked Cables Claim -- CBS News
Kremlin Plays Down Cables' Take on Russia's 'Alpha Dog' -- Wall Street Journal
Russia downplays WikiLeaks exposures -- UPI
Wikileaks release: in Russia, fear of damage to future US relations -- Christian Science Monitor
WikiLeaked cable from Bob Gates: 'Russian democracy has disappeared' -- Foreign Policy


China's 'great firewall' blocks access to WikiLeaks -- 9News
China Blocks Access to WikiLeaks -- PC World
China censors itself in WikiLeaks -- Financial Times
China Trying to Plug Wikileak? -- Wall Street Journal
China blocks WikiLeaks -- Tech Eye
WikiLeaks: Great firewall of China blocks access to latest revelations -- Tech Digest

Wikileaks release 'shows China thinking on Korea' -- BBC
China frustrated with North Korea: WikiLeaks -- CBC
WikiLeaks: China Is Frustrated With North Korea -- NPR (Audio)
China preparing for collapse of N. Korea regime, cables say -- Sydney Morning Herald
China would allow a united Korea, claims WikiLeaks -- Scotsman
WikiLeaks: China 'would back one Korea run by South' -- The Telegraph
Wikileaks cables reveal China 'ready to abandon North Korea' -- The Guardian
At-loss China accepts unified Korea: WikiLeaks -- AFP
WikiLeaks: China doubtful of N Korea as ally -- Financial Times/Reuters
Analysis: WikiLeaks reveals China, N. Korea tensions -- CNN
Daily View: Wikileaks on China's attitude to North Korea -- BBC

China pressed over Iran and North Korea's nuclear trade -- The Guardian
U.S. tackled China over North Korea nuclear trade: media -- Reuters
Secret documents show Chinese role on Iran -- CNN

WikiLeaks: China Behind Google Hack -- CBS News
Wikileaks: Chinese Govt Helped Coordinate Google Attack -- PC Magazine
Wikileaks in China: was the Politburo behind Google attacks? -- Financial Times
WikiLeaks: Chinese contact claimed Beijing hacked Google as part of coordinated computer sabotage campaign -- The Daily Mail
Wikileaks: China's Politburo directed Google hack -- ZDNet
Leaked U.S. document links China to Google attack -- Computer World

China urges US action over WikiLeaks revelations -- AFP
China urges U.S. to resolve issues on leaked U.S. cables -- Reuters
China Hopes WikiLeaks Will Not Harm Relations With US -- Voice of America

ANALYSIS: North Korea standoff, WikiLeaks test China's diplomacy -- M&C
Why China hasn't abandoned North Korea – and why Wikileaks is a work of flawed genius -- Richard Spencer, The Telegraph
WikiLeaks files may put ideas in heads of Chinese hackers: analysis -- The Telegraph
China, As Rendered by WikiLeaks -- New Yorker


Erdogan Says Clinton Apology for ‘Lies’ Not Enough for Turkey -- Bloomberg
Wiki Secret: U.S. Distrusts Turkey's PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan -- ABC news
Turkey Disputes U.S. Claim -- Wall Street Journal
Turkish PM furious over leaked US cable -- Macon.com
Turkish official: Israel is responsible for Wikileaks -- Jerusalem Post
Turkey's prime minister will sue over diplomat's remarks -- CNN
WikiLeak Documents Question Turkey's Relationship with US -- Voice of America
US cables claim Turkish PM Erdoğan has eight Swiss bank accounts -- Hurriyet News
Diplomatic Cables Reveal US Doubts about Turkey's Government -- Spiegel Online
'Souring' Israel-Turkey relationship seen in WikiLeaks trove -- L.A. Times
Turkish PM 'hates' Israel: US cables -- AFP
Turkish PM on WikiLeaks' documents -- World Bulletin
Turkish FM: We don't hate Israel -- Ynet News
Turkish foreign minister pokes fun at leak -- Sydney Morning Herald/AFP
Israelis allege Turkey allowed arms into Iran -- Hurriyet News
'Some fire' behind Ergenekon smoke, US official says -- Hurriyet News
WikiLeaks: ex-US envoy believes Turkish military has coup plans -- World Bulletin
Clinton discusses leaked documents with Turkish FM -- AFP
Turkey says leaked reports not to change foreign policy -- World Bulletin
WikiLeaks: ‘Political Firestorm’ if Genocide Recognized -- Armenian Weekly
Turkish experts not surprised by WikiLeaks revelations -- Today's Zaman
The long twilight of the U.S.-Turkey alliance -- David Kenner, Foreign Policy
WikiLeaks becomes a WikiFlood in Turkey -- Hurriyet Daily News
WikiLeaks cables expected to hurt US-Turkey relations -- Iason Athanasiadis, Global Post


U.S. Role in Yemen Covered Up by its President -- CNN News
Papers Could be Used by Al Qaeda, Analysts Warn -- Toronto Star
Yemen Cable Gives al-Qaida New 'Recruiting' Tool -- MSNBC News
Yemen Covered up U.S. Drone Strikes -- Daily Telegraph
Yemeni President Covers Up U.S. Strikes -- Agence France-Presse
Yemen Cable Gives al-Qaida New 'Recruiting' Tool -- MSNBC News
In Yemen, a WikiLeaks Whiskey Controversy -- Time


Canadian envoy offers to resign as leak threatens ties to Afghanistan -- Globe And Mail
WikiLeaks: bereaved families' fury at US 'insult' over Afghanistan -- The Telegraph
Afghanistan reacts mildly to scathing criticisms revealed by WikiLeaks -- L.A. Times
WikiLeaks: Karzai pardoned drug dealers -- AP
Karzai 'freed connected suspects' -- Press Association
Karzai's brother 'corrupt drugs baron' US says: WikiLeaks -- AFP
Karzai's brother corrupt drugs baron, WikiLeaks cables say -- RFI
WikiLeaks: Karzai's brother denies drug dealing, remembers Chicago -- CNN
WikiLeaks: Ahmed Wali Karzai wanted polygraph -- Washington Post
Karzai pardons criminals: WikiLeaks -- AFP
Kandahar kingpins at odds with Canada, U.S. over democracy: Wikileaks -- Winnipeg Free Press/Canadian Press
Pak captured Mulla Baradar to stop him from reconciling with Afghan govt: Wali Karzai -- Sify News
Karzai’s brother lobbied for role in Canada’s major aid project -- Globe And Mail
WikiLeaks' Afghan Revelations: Way Too Familiar -- Time Magazine
Kabul says US relations unaffected by diplomatic leaks -- AFP



WikiLeaks cables highlight Pakistani nuclear terror threat -- The Guardian
Wikileaks US cables: Pakistan rejects nuclear arms fear -- BBC
Pakistan Dismisses Fears over Safety of its Nuclear Weapons -- Voice of America
Pakistan hits back in WikiLeaks nukes row -- ABC News (Australia)
WikiLeaks shows America's imperious attitude to Pakistan -- Simon Tisdall, The Guardian
WikiLeaks Cables: US Special Forces Working Inside Pakistan -- The Guardian
WikiLeaks cables: US and Pakistan play down impact of 'mischief' -- The Guardian
WikiLeaks: Pakistan quietly approved drone attacks, U.S. special units -- CNN
Leaks paint picture of unreliable and unstable Pakistan -- BBC
WikiLeaks: Pakistan continues to support Mumbai terror attack group -- The Telegraph
Pakistan's top spy met Israelis to stop India attack: WikiLeaks -- Reuters
WikiLeaks gets muted political response in Pakistan -- Christian Science Monitor
US: 'Pakistan needs to continue aggressive action' -- BBC
Leaks expose US and UK fears over Pakistan nuclear arms -- BBC
US standoff with Pakistan over nuclear fuel: leaks -- AFP
Pakistan Blocks U.S. Access to Nuclear Fuel -- Global Security Newswire
Pakistan confirms Wikileaks claim of US nuclear appeals -- BBC
Pakistan defends nuclear stance revealed by WikiLeaks -- Reuters
Pakistan defends nuclear policy after US leaks -- AFP
Pakistan criticizes release of secret US cables -- AP
Pakistan Condemns WikiLeaks Disclosure of US Diplomatic Communications -- Voice of America
Pakistan criticizes release of secret US cables -- Washington Post
Pakistanis dismiss criticisms of nuclear security released by WikiLeaks -- Globe And Mail
Saudi King calls Pakistan President Zardari rotten head -- Times of India
Wikileaks report stokes anti-US hardliners in Pakistan -- Christian Science Monitor
Pakistan confirms Wikileaks claim of US nuclear appeals -- BBC
Wikileaks's unveiling of cables shows delicate diplomatic balance with Pakistan -- Washington Post
WikiLeaks Fuels Anti-U.S. Sentiment in Pakistan -- Time Magazine
Wikileaks report stokes anti-US hardliners in Pakistan -- Christian Science Monitor
What's New About the AfPak Region in WikiLeaks? -- Saad Khan, Huffington Post


WikiLeaks cables: UK on constant alert to Russian espionage -- The Guardian
U.K. Officials Brace For New WikiLeaks Revelations -- Wall Street Journal
WikiLeaks cables: Secret deal let Americans sidestep cluster bomb ban -- The Guardian
Labour protected US in Iraq inquiry: WikiLeaks -- AFP
Labour put limits on Iraq Inquiry to keep the US happy -- The Independent
WikiLeaks: British government promised to 'protect US interests' at Chilcot inquiry -- The Telegraph
WikiLeaks: Britain Pledged to Protect US in Iraq Inquiry -- Voice of America
Wikileaks files: Cables 'include criticism of UK' -- BBC
Cameron faces 'embarrassing' leaked memo -- AFP
Wikileaks revelations hit the 'special relationship' -- politics.co.uk

Leaked Cables Reveal Location of European Nukes -- CBS News
Four European states host US nuclear bombs, WikiLeaks reveals -- EU Observer
NATO Nukes -- Arms Control Wonk
Wikileaks: nuclear weapons owned by U.S. stationed in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Turkey -- News KF
NATO condemns WikiLeaks release on tactical nukes -- Jerusalem Post/AP
Wikileaks memo confirms US nuclear weapons are in Holland -- Dutch News
WikiLeaks confirms presence of US nuclear arms in Netherlands -- Radio Free Europe
Wikileaks embarrasses the Netherlands too -- Radio Free Europe


Now WikiLeaks Sets Its Sights On Top U.S. Bank: Website Boss Pledges To Release Explosive New Dossier -- The Daily Mail
WikiLeaks' Next Target: Wall Street -- CBS News
Wall Street Can Start Panicking About WikiLeaks Now -- Wall Street Journal
US bank implicated in WikiLeaks trove -- Financial Times
WikiLeaks to reveal ‘flagrant violations’ at major U.S. bank -- Financial Post
WikiLeaks: Julian Assange plans to turn his attention to US banks -- The Telegraph
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange: Our next leak will expose secrets of a major financial institution -- New York Daily News
WikiLeaks plans to release a U.S. bank's documents -- Reuters
US bank is next target for major leak, says Assange -- The Independent
Exclusive: WikiLeaks Will Unveil Major Bank Scandal -- Forbes
Wikileaks plans megaleak of documents of major US bank -- Jerusalem Post
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange: Our next leak will expose secrets of a major financial institution -- New York Daily News
WikiLeaks plans to release a U.S. bank's documents -- Reuters
WikiLeaks claims next target is 'big US bank' -- AFP
WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange Wants To Spill Your Corporate Secrets -- Forbes


Wikileaks: Hillary Clinton ordered U.S. diplomats to spy on UN leaders -- The Daily Mail
How Hillary Clinton ordered U.S. diplomats to spy on UN leaders -- The Daily Mail
US Diplomats Told to Spy on Other Countries at United Nations -- Spiegel Online
WikiLeaks: US diplomats 'have been spying on UN leadership' -- The Telegraph
U.S. Expands Role of Diplomats in Spying -- New York Times
U.S. Chases Foreign Leaders’ DNA, WikiLeaks Shows -- The Danger Room
Washington asked U.S. diplomats to collect information typically sought by spies -- L.A. Times
US diplomats spied on UN leadership -- The Guardian
Amid WikiLeaks uproar, Clinton heads to Central Asia -- Reuters


Wikileaks reveal US concerns on Cuba-Venezuela ties -- BBC
Wikileaks papers could be used by Al Qaeda, analysts warn -- Toronto Star
Clinton Says U.S. Diplomacy Will Survive ‘Attack’ -- New York Times
WikiLeaks exposé: Karzai 'paranoid' and Ahmadinejad 'like Hitler' -- Haaretz
Karzai’s brother lobbied for role in Canada’s major aid project -- Globe And Mail
US allies, Iran savage WikiLeaks for secrets release -- Yahoo News/AFP
U.S. sees top German diplomat arrogant: WikiLeaks -- Reuters
Internal Source Kept US Informed of Merkel Coalition Negotiations -- Spiegel Online


Media in China, Arab Middle East suppressing WikiLeaks coverage -- Washington Post
Obama orders review of how classified info is handled -- USA Today
Taliban prepare to punish WikiLeaks Afghan informers -- The Guardian
The World Reacts to Massive Diplomatic Leak: Laughter in Rome, Denials in Berlin -- Spiegel Online
France says stands by U.S. after WikiLeaks cables -- Reuters
Israel greets Wikileaks cables as vindication of its Iran policy -- Christian Science Monitor
White House censures WikiLeaks over diplomatic documents -- Washington Times
Text: White House condemns Wikileaks disclosures -- BBC
Israel greets Wikileaks cables as vindication of its Iran policy -- Christian Science Monitor


Intelligence cost of WikiDump -- Washington Times editorial
WikiLeaks and the Diplomats -- New York Times editorial
Security breach is disturbing — so why did US make it easy? -- Boston.com editorial
WikiScalps needed -- National Post editorial
Assange the Anti-American -- Richard Lowry, National Review
Keeping Secrets, Even From Wikileaks -- James Mann, The New Republic
WikiLeaks dump: Innocents may die as 'closet' allies of U.S. get cold feet in fight against terror -- James Gordon Meek, New York Daily News
A WikiLeaks wakeup call -- Jonah Goldberg, L.A. Times
Wikileaks "Bombshells" Confirm What We Already Know -- The Lid
WikiLeaks: Open Secrets -- The Guardian editorial
Obama administration is weak in the face of WikiLeaks -- Marc A. Thiessen, Washington Post
Attack by WikiLeaks -- Wall Street Journal editorial
Editor's note: publishing the cables -- The Guardian
A Note to Readers: The Decision to Publish Diplomatic Documents -- New York Times
US embassy cables: A banquet of secrets -- Timothy Garton Ash, The Guardian
WikiLeaks target: American power -- Ben Smith, Politico
Sarkozy, the emperor with no clothes. Putin is Batman... and Ahmadinejad is like Hitler: What America REALLY thinks of our world leaders -- Nick Pisa, The Daily Mail
Why the WikiLeaks Drama Is Overblown -- Peter Beinart, The Daily Beast
An Infoterrorist? -- IBD Editorial
Exclusive: WikiLeaks Will Unveil Major Bank Scandal -- Andy Greenberg, Forbes
How to Read WikiLeaks -- Ruchard Haass, Council On Foreign Relations
John Kampfner: Wikileaks shows up our media for their docility at the feet of authority -- The Independent
Officials may be overstating the danger from WikiLeaks -- McClatchy News
Official Says Wikileaks Greatest Danger: 'Loss of Trust' -- ABC News
Hoekstra: World's Trust in U.S. Now at Risk -- CBS
Analysis - WikiLeaks shows 21st-century secrets harder to keep -- Reuters
Has WikiLeaks finally gone too far? -- Blake Hounshell, Passport/Foreign Policy
Wikileaks: Bumpy ride ahead for US diplomats -- BBC
WikiLeaks doc dump furthers Obama as weak on international front -- Kerry Pickett, Washington Times
Wikileaks 'secrets' reveal the paranoid mindset of internet activists obsessed with conspiracies -- Praveen Swami, The Telegraph
What Do the Diplomatic Cables Really Tell Us? -- Spiegel Online
Wikileaks: from humble beginnings to Government nemesis -- The Telegraph

Photo: The attacks in Mumbai in November 2008 targeted high-profile sites. BBC

Spain's Interior Ministry says police have arrested at least seven people suspected of ties to the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, that left 166 people dead.

Spanish media report the arrests took place late Tuesday and early Wednesday in and around the northeastern city of Barcelona. They say the arrested are mostly Pakistanis nationals and are suspected of falsifying passports and other identification documents.

Read more ....


Spain arrests group suspected of Mumbai attack links -- BBC
Spanish police bust 'terrorist cell' that stole from tourists in Barcelona -- The Telegraph
7 held in Spain for suspected terror links -- The Hindu
Spain Arrests Seven Terror Suspects -- Wall Street Journal

It is autumn in Dushanbe, the Tajik capital, and for a brief moment, the weather is stunningly beautiful—perfectly crisp and sunny, but not cold. Much of the city’s low-lying, subdued architecture—a particular Central Asian hybrid—is quite attractive; the broad avenues, lined with large pine and chestnut trees, remind you a bit of Paris. But the atmosphere in Tajikstan, which shares an 800-mile border with northern Afghanistan, is anything but calm.

Read more ....


Violence in Tajikistan -- Diplomat
Tajikistan's Violence, Coming From Inside and Out -- Eurasianet
How heroin travels from Afghanistan to Tajikistan -- Global Post
UN high official says Tajikistan is key to deter drug trafficking from Afghanistan -- Wire Update
UN - Tajikistan key to preventing drug trafficking from Afghanistan – UN official -- ISRIA
Is India Out of the Game in Tajikistan? -- Eurasianet
Tajikistan: Dushanbe Forcing Students Abroad to Return Home -- Eurasianet
Tajikistan has recalled 1,000 students studying religion abroad -- Central Asia Newswire

The Iranian nuclear expert assassinated in Tehran on Monday was the top scientist and senior manager of Iran's nuclear effort. Majid Shahriari was killed when an explosive charge placed in his car was detonated by remote control after he climbed into the vehicle, according to a Western intelligence expert with knowledge of the operation.

The assassination carried the signature of Israel's Mossad, which has carried out similar operations on foreign soil over the decades. Typically, a team of agents reconnoiters the target and his routines over a period of months, assessing vulnerabilities and opportunities to escape afterward. Most of the operatives are usually on their way out of the country by the time the charge is detonated by a member who sees the target enter the booby-trapped car. "It's like a suit," says the intelligence expert. "An assassination must be custom-made."

Read more ....

Previous Post: Who Is Killing Iran's Nuclear Scientists?

Update #1: Iran to boost security for nuclear scientists -- AP
Update #2: Iran Calls Nuclear Physicist's Killing Terrorism, Notes `Western Silence' -- Bloomberg

My Comment: Time to round up and accuse the usual suspects.

Belarus has promised to eliminate its stocks of highly-enriched uranium by 2012, the material that can be used to form the warhead of a nuclear bomb.

Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, won the pledge from Belarus Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov after talks on the sidelines of the OSCE summit in the Kazakhstan capital Astana.

"Foreign Minister Martynov announced that Belarus has decided to eliminate all of its stocks of highly enriched uranium and intends to do so by the next nuclear security summit in 2012," said a joint statement.

Read more ....


Belarus agrees to give up stockpile of highly enriched uranium -- Washington Post
Belarus Pledges at Summit to Eliminate Highly Enriched Uranium Stockpiles -- Bloomberg
Belarus Vows to Eliminate Bomb-Grade Uranium -- Global Security Newswire
Belarus to eliminate uranium stockpile -- UPI
Belarus to Scrap Uranium Stockpile -- AOL News
Belarus to Give Up Uranium Stockpile -- New York Times
Belarus to scrap high enriched uranium stocks-U.S. -- Reuters
Former Soviet republic giving up nuclear materials -- AP
Belarus to scrap highly-enriched uranium stocks -- RIA Novosti

The deficits we face are a dagger pointing at the heart of the American economy

The modern world has for centuries been dominated economically, intellectually, and physically by the civilization that arose in Western Europe in the wake of the Renaissance and Reformation and spread across the Atlantic.
Click here to find out more!

Will that one day be seen as a passing phenomenon doomed to ascend ever upward and then slowly fizzle out like a firework?

Read more ....


America's global fight against AIDS -- George Bush, Washington Post

North Korea is China's growing monster -- Frank Ching, China Post

From WikiChina -- Thomas Friedman, New York Times

Why Wikileaks Is Bad for Progressive Foreign Policy -- Heather Hurlburt, The New Republic

Tajikistan: The Next Jihadi Stronghold? -- Ahmed Rashid, New York Review Of Books

Yemen: Think things are bad now? Don’t let it run out of water. -- Halima Gellman, Christian Science Monitor

Haiti After the Vote -- New York Times editorial

"You can't fight Islamism with ideas coming out of Europe" -- Daniel Pipes

'Don't ask, don't tell' report authors speak out -- Ed O'Keefe, Washington Post

Be Afraid. Very Afraid.: Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles try to scare America into doing something about the deficit. -- Annie Lowrey, Slate

Mounting calls for 'nuclear response' to save monetary union -- Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, The Telegraph

Who's going to get the 2022 World Cup? -- Blake Hounshell, Foreign Policy

In 2009, more than 33 million people worldwide were living with HIV. That's up from 26.2 million in 1999. Despite that staggering statistic, UNAIDS and other AIDS organizations are making progress in their efforts to control and eventually eradicate HIV/AIDS. World AIDS Day is a chance to take stock of how well these organizations are doing and where the world stands today.

Read more ....


Iran football star's wife hanged after eight-year campaign to save her life.

Hamas would honor referendum on peace with Israel.

Anxiety along Iraq's border with Iran.

U.S. announces new Iran sanctions.

Iran shuts down Tehran and other cities for two-day 'holiday' due to deadly levels of pollution.

U.S. condemns Palestinian report on Western Wall.

Silent coup underway in Riyadh?


Is the Thai military torturing detainees?

South Korean refugees struggle after shelling.

North Korea 'likely to attack again'.

Russia backs China’s call for six-party talks on North Korea.

It's official: North Korea says 'modern' nuclear plant is operating.

Pakistan dismisses nuclear fears in leaked U.S. cables.

Violence in Tajikistan.

Kazakhstan hosts first OSCE summit in decade.


UN seeks $530 million for Somalia 'catastrophe'.

No need for pessimism on Sudan: African Union.

Gbagbo ally tears up Ivory Coast run-off results.

Uganda frees 18 World Cup bomb suspects.

Egypt's opposition parties pull out of elections amid claims of fraud. Egypt's ruling party heads to usual sweeping win.

Mugabe and allies own 40% of land seized from white farmers – inquiry.

US launches HIV testing program in Zimbabwe.


Russian fury on eve of World Cup vote.

Putin dismisses Gates criticism of Russian democracy, CNN says.

Former Soviet republic giving up nuclear materials.

Snowfall disrupts northern Europe's airports and roads. Britain plunged into chaos by snow and ice.

Gaddafi demands £4 billion from EU or Europe will turn 'black'.

Putin: Resistance to nuclear START Treaty "dumb".

European security treaty plans not redundant - Medvedev.

Now Italy dragged into Euro crisis as investors jittery about its debt cause currency to sink.

Portugal denies that it needs an EU-led bail-out.

More walls collapse at Italy's ancient city of Pompeii.


Euro zone crisis concern for U.S.: White House.

US deficit panel calls for deep cuts and tax rises.

Official: No offshore drilling in Fla. Gulf waters.

Cartel arrests did not curb drug trade.

Brazil troops to stay in Rio slum after backing anti-gang assault.

Post-election violence reported in Haitian town.

Why Nicaragua and Costa Rica are in a tense standoff over a remote swamp.


Saudi women get 2nd-class status, even as terrorists.

All US-bound airlines to get info for watch lists.

Spanish police arrest 7 linked to al-Qaida.


U.S. Fed Names Recipients of $3.3 Trillion in Crisis Aid. Fed ID's companies that used crisis loan programs. Wall Street used Fed aid heavily.

US ready to back bigger EU stability fund: Official.

Net neutrality rules set for showdown in the US.

2 million lose jobless benefits as U.S. holidays loom.

Europe's aviation sector face emerging competition.

Google in talks to buy Groupon deals site.