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WikiLeaks: Yemen President Tells U.S. to Keep its Guantánamo Detainees

Yemen’s president Ali ­Abdullah Saleh tells America to keep the 120 Yemeni detainees from Guantánamo unless Yemen gets $11m from the US and Saudi Arabia to build a rehabilitation centre in… Continue reading

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Mossad: ‘Hezbollah Can Fire 400-600 Rockets a Day in Next War’

Hezbollah would likely shoot between 400 and 600 missiles a day into Israel during a future war, a senior Mossad official told a congressional delegation to Israel in 2009, according to a US diplomatic cable published on Sunday… Continue reading

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WikiLeaks: Israel Preparing for ‘Large Scale War’

Israel’s army chief told a US Congress delegation in late 2009 he was preparing for a large war in the Middle East, probably against Hamas or Hezbollah, leaked US diplomatic cables showed on Sunday… Continue reading

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WikiLeaks: Lockerbie Bomber Released after Gaddafi’s Threats Against UK

The British government’s deep fears that Libya would take “harsh and immediate” action against UK interests if the convicted Lockerbie bomber died in a Scottish prison are revealed in secret US embassy cables which show London’s full… Continue reading

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Intelligence Minister Reveals Iran Deciphered Encrypted E-mail Correspondence of Regime Opponents

Iran’s Intelligence Minister Hojjat-ol-Eslam Heydar Moslehi announced last weekend that, during the riots that had broken out after the presidential election in June 2009, the Intelligence Ministry had intercepted encrypted… Continue reading

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Ahmadinejad’s Office Chief Provokes Outrage Once Again

Ahmadinejad’s office chief Esfandiar Rahim Masha’i provoked another outrage this week after making two controversial remarks recently. Speaking at an artists’ convention held in the city of Arak in… Continue reading

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WikiLeaks: U.S. Embassy Cables Deeply Unflattering about Tunisia

Deeply unflattering reports from the US embassy in Tunis, released by WikiLeaks, make no bones about the state of the small Maghreb country, widely considered one of the most repressive in… Continue reading

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WikiLeaks: The Eccentricities of Libyan Leader Gadaffi Revealed

Recent first-hand experiences with Libyan Leader Muammar al-Qadhafi … primarily in preparation for his UNGA trip, provided rare insights into Qadhafi’s inner circle and… Continue reading

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WikiLeaks: Ugandan President’s Fears of Libyan Attack

Ugandan President Museveni said Libyan President Qadhafi “is a problem” for the continent and is pushing for the creation of a “United States of Africa” to be governed by one president. Museveni noted that tensions… Continue reading

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WikiLeaks: Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s President-for-Life

A secret American assessment suggests Hosni Mubarak intends to seek another presidential term in 2011 despite his advanced years, that the election will not be free or fair, and that he will likely stay in office until he… Continue reading

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WikiLeaks: Pakistan Home to 43 ‘Terrorist Camps’

In June 2009, India’s army chief, General Deepak Kapoor, used a meeting with US national security adviser Jim Jones to claim that Pakistan was home to 43 “terrorist camps”, while rejecting suggestions… Continue reading

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WikiLeaks: Pope Wanted Muslim Turkey Kept Out of EU

In 2004 Cardinal Ratzinger, the future pope, spoke out against letting a Muslim state join, although at the time the Vatican was formally neutral on the question… Continue reading

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The Turkish IHH Continues at the Forefront of anti-Israeli Hate and Incitement Campaign

The Turkish IHH, which directed the flotilla led by the Mavi Marmara, continues at the forefront of an anti-Israeli hate and incitement campaign, adopting the maximalist Palestinian demands, calling for the annihilation of the “Zionist entity” and… Continue reading

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WikiLeaks: Ahmadinejad Ordered Capture of British Servicemen ‘For Domestic Reasons’

In conversations with foreign ministry officials in Brunei, US diplomats hear what their counterparts believe was behind the capture of 15 British servicemen and women by Iran earlier in the month. The Brunei officials say they think… Continue reading

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WikiLeaks: Switzerland’s Biggest Challenge is Its Continuing Crisis with Libya

A secret October 2009 cable from Bern, written by the US ambassador Donald Beyer, briefed Hillary Clinton for her upcoming Swiss trip (on October 10, 2009) to Zürich about “the biggest challenge on Switzerland’s foreign policy front… Continue reading

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The Asian Convoy Waits at Latakia for Permission to Enter Egypt

As of December 28, the members of the Asian convoy, which left India on December 5, are still in the Syrian port of Latakia. The convoy now has 160 activists, of whom 15 are Lebanese and 35 Jordanian. It is carrying 200 tons of humanitarian assistance and food, including… Continue reading

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WikiLeaks: UK – We’re Not Importing Moderate Imams

A Home office official plays down press reports concerning British plans to “import” moderate Pakistani imams as part of efforts to reduce the terror threat in the UK… Continue reading

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WikiLeaks: President of Mali Links Drug Trafficking to Terrorism

When an unidentified plane crashed into the desert in northern Mali in November 2009, it was immediately suspected of smuggling cocaine from Latin America. The west African route to the lucrative European markets had been growing in… Continue reading

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WikiLeaks: Iraqi PM Claims U.S. Oil Company in Contact with Iran

The US energy firm Chevron negotiated with Tehran about developing an Iraq-Iran cross-border oilfield in spite of tight US sanctions, according to the Iraqi prime minister in… Continue reading

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WikiLeaks: Don’t Tell Us What To Do, India Warns U.S.

In a meeting shortly after controversial stopover visit of Iranian president – who told Indian prime minister that the “world is changing in Iran’s favour” – Delhi’s top diplomat was uncomplimentary about the visitor to… Continue reading

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WikiLeaks: U.S. Concern over Suspicious Indian Shipment to Iran

U.S. officials convey concern over a missing consignment of potentially nuclear-grade graphite that an Indian company intended to ship to Iran… Continue reading

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WikiLeaks: Sudan, Chad and the quest for resolution

A debrief on Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit to Chad reveals growing moves against Sudan. Chinese officials urge caution on prosecution president Omar al-Bashir, insisting it will only serve to destabilise Sudan… Continue reading

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WikiLeaks: Yemen Sounds Alarm over Radioactive Materials

Yemen radioactive stocks ‘were easy al-Qaida target.’ Sana’a official told US diplomats solo sentry had been removed from atomic facility and CCTV system was broken… Continue reading

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Uproar Over Foreign Minister Mottaki’s Sacking Continues

A group of 16 Majles members submitted a written address to President Ahmadinejad this week criticizing the manner in which Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki had been fired last week. In the address, the Majles members demanded… Continue reading

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Geneva Talks Revive Debate Over Recent Years’ Performance of Iran’s Nuclear Negotiators

A commentary article which spoke in favor of the Iranian negotiating team in the nuclear talks held earlier this month in Geneva provoked strong reactions from those close to Iran’s former chief negotiator… Continue reading