Iran

• Russia's efforts to reach an agreement with Iran on enriching uranium are not going easily, according to president Putin.

• You'll be reassured to hear that Russia's chief of intelligence says that Iran has no WMD, and can't build nukes yet.

• 'Analysts say' that Iran's diplo-shennanigans are aimed at dividing world powers over measures intended to curb their nuclear ambitions.

• An Iranian media outlet says that a representative of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq says Iran is the best example of a democracy in the Middle East.

• Why has Iran suddenly turned on the Sufis?

• The mullahs are also turning on businesses that aren't sufficiently committed to the values of the 1979 revolution...

The Middle East

• Back to those controversial comments. IDF Maj.-Gen. Yair Naveh says several cells broken up by the Israelis had links to al-Qaeda members in Jordan. He says Zarqawi's network is trying to tighten control on their network in Israel and Jordan

• The Arab League has decided not to fund the Hamas-run PA.

• ThreatsWatch details how Intel are establishing a technology training centre in Gaza, and notes the potential for good such ventures portend.

• Both Egypt and Saudi Arabia have rebuffed U.S. attempts to prevent direct aid to Hamas.

• Egyptian dissident Ayman Nour's political party has released a letter from him to Secretary of State Rice, in which he says Egypt should request nuclear reactors from the U.S..

• Peace is it hand! Moqtada al-Sadr, noted lunatic terrorist, has offered to mediate between Lebanon and Syria.

• Lebanon's pro-Syrian president, Emil Lahoud, has accused France of working with anti-Syrian parties to remove him from office - France denies it.

• Israel expects al-Qaeda to attempt a major attack on Israel this year.

• Fatah has agreed 'in principle' to join a coalition government with Hamas.

• Hamas is planning to release the murderers of Israeli minister Rechevam Ze'evi. 'Moderate' president Abbas has already released 50 Islamic Jihad terrorists in the last two weeks.

• Israel is on the lookout for fake passports, after 10 Iranians with fake Israeli passports tried to enter the country in the last few weeks. Hundreds are forged in Thailand every year.

• The IDF has thwarted 14 suicide bombings in three weeks. Most came from in and around Shechem (Nablus), prompting an Israeli operation in which a bomb factory was discovered and five palestinians were killed.

• 56.2% of palestinians support suicide bombings against Israeli civilians.

• Continuing the long tradition of unelected leftists conducting foreign policy, Israeli Labor leader Amir Peretz has told Egypt that Israel could fund the PA - or at least the 'moderate' parts of it. PA sources also say he is due to meet with president Abbas.

• The Syrians are expected to acquire North Korean built No Dong medium range ballistic missiles.

Iraq and the Gulf

• A CBS News reporter in Iraq agreed to a Pentagon request not to publish details of how U.S. forces are dealing with IEDs. Of course that's good news, but it is shame DoD had to ask.

• Michael Totten is in Iraqi Kurdistan. Check out Our Jerusalem and The Safest City in Iraq.

• The U.S. military is training dogs to detect IEDs in Iraq.

• Australia is alerting citizens in Bahrain that there is a heightened threat of a terrorist attack.

• Syrian dissidents are accusing Qatar's al-Jazeera of refusing to show anything that portrays Assad in a bad light, due to fears such views would damage Syrian-Qatari relations.

• Yemen has put 17 men on trial for plotting attacks on U.S. interests in the country on orders of al-Qaeda in Iraq.

• Yemen has released 11 Islamic terrorists, including an al-Qaeda leader.

• The U.S. wants Yemen to extradite a senior Islamist politician, who is on a U.N. list of terror sponsors.

The Americas

• Bill Gertz at the Washington Times details concerns of Bush administration security officials about handing control of six ports to Dubai Ports World. One source described it as putting the fox in charge of the henhouse.

• On the other hand: Actually, it's beyond smart, it's brilliant..

• The battle lines over the new immigration bill in the U.S. are already being drawn.

• One of the Virgina Jihad suspects has been indicted again.

• Three men arrested in Ohio have pleaded not guilty to charges relating to plotting and recruiting for jihad in Iraq.

• The younger of the Lodi pair, Hamid Hayat, has told the FBI how he was ordered to attack buildings in Los Angeles. "Why would you hit a food store?" an agent asks."I think just to hurt people," says Hayat. Hayat's lawyer claims he is prone to exaggeration.

• The FBI raided several Middle Eastern owned convenience stores yesterday, in connection with possible money laundering and counterfeiting in connection with suspected domestic terrorist activity.

• A Muslim student at the University of Memphis arrested in September with a pilot's uniform and flight-training materials was suspected of preparing for a terrorist attack.

• The U.S. Army is developing unmanned Stryker convoys.

Europe

• The 'brain of the barbarians' has been arrested in Ivory Coast and is in French custody. The 'suburban' gang kidnapped and tortured to death a 23 year-old Jew last week.

• With rumours abound about the whereabouts of General Ratko Mladic (including one claiming he was captured by the British SAS in Romania), the European Union is telling Serbia they have to choose between joining the E.U. and Mladic's continued freedom.

• The LIFG financier Mohammed Benhammedi was linked to an al-Qaeda plot to attack a Lithuanian nuclear power plant. His European teenage lover's father is a senior security official at the plant. More details here.

• An anonymous British source has said that U.S. claims that Gitmo detainees had information about the 7/7 bombers is 'nonsense'.

• The British government is again under fire after revelations that as many as 200 CIA flights used British airspace.

• Britain is going to test a nuclear weapon in the Nevada desert, leading to accusations that the U.K. is going to replace its Trident force.

• Cold War throwbacks have apparently restarted Action Directe, setting two vans on fire and spraying graffiti in solidarity with convicted terrorists and murderers.

• ETA seems to be blowing things up every week - this week, a bomb outside a business in an industrial complex. Fortunately, there were no injuries. How's that ceasefire coming, Zappy?

• A Spanish firm is recalling a clothing line after Muslims complained about the design, which incorporated a mosque and 'symbols of love and suggestive comments'.

• The WaPo has a long piece on Louai Sakka's thwarted plot to attack Israeli cruise ships.

Russia, Caucasus & Central Asia

• Russian forces claim to have thwarted an attempt to poison Grozny's water supply with mercury.

• The Russians also prevented attacks in Grozny intended to coincide with 'Fatherland Defenders Day'.

Afghanistan & Southern Asia

• British forces deploying in southern Afghanistan are to take a low-key approach to the opium farmers in the region, leaving Afghan forces to eradicate crops.

• Australia is going to send an extra 200 troops to Afghanistan to help with reconstruction.

• A German soldier was wounded in a bombing in Kunduz that left a 13 year old boy dead.

• Afghan foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah says that the leaderships of al-Qaeda and the Taliban are not in his country. While he described as 'concerning' the recent rise in Taliban attacks, he noted that the security situation has improved since 90% of the country was under al-Qaeda/Taliban control.

• Indian and U.S. diplomats are trying to iron out a U.S.-India nuclear deal before President Bush visits India next week. The U.S. wants India to clearly divide its military and civilian nuclear programs.

• Indian soldiers in Kashmir are being accused of killing four boys during a cordon-and-search for Lashkar e Taiba terrorists.

• The LTTE has asked for government help in disarming their 'armed wing'.

• 11 members of Jundallah have been sentenced to death for their involvement on an attempt on the life of a Karachi military commander in 2004. Eleven people were killed, while the commander was wounded.

• Robin Burk has first-hand details of military relief efforts in Pakistan, still reeling from the recent earthquake.

• Pakistan is considering building an energy and trade corridor for the Chinese.

• Pakistan claims that Indian intelligence is funding the Baluch insurgency. That is, of course, BS. In fact, they're getting their cash and arms from Gulf donors.

• Afghanistan has given Pakistan a list of about 150 terrorists believed to be in Pakistan.

• The Bangladeshi suicide bombers who killed eight people in December last year were sheltered by local leaders of the JMB (Jamaatul Mujahideen, Bangladesh).

Far East & South East Asia

• Joe has several interesting links at America's Asian Alliances.

• The Filipino army is questioning 14 officers in an investigation in to an alleged coup planned to oust the Arroyo government.

• 40.7% of South Koreans aged 17-23 would support North Korea if the U.S. attacked the communist regime. Only 11.6 percent would support the United States.

• South Korean politicians have detailed how North Korea distributes counterfeit U.S. cash.

• One of the founders of the Japanese Red Army has been given 20 years in jail.

• Abu Sayyaf planted a bomb in a bar near a Filipino military base on the island of Jolo, killing two people. U.S. forces are conducting exercises on the island. A political party says that they believe Abu Sayyaf is attempting to provoke a confrontation between the MLF and the Filipino army. Suspected ASG also killed six Christians, including a nine-month old baby girl, on Jolo.

• An Australian intelligence document says that Jemaah Islamiyah has formed independent cells following the death of its master bomb-maker. These cells are still recruiting suicide bombers to carry out attacks.

Africa

• The GSPC's periodical online magazine has a new edition.

• In Mogadishu, fighting between militias and, er, Islamist militias have left 22 people dead since Saturday. The warlords claim the Islamists are terrorising people.

• The Indian air force is to send 285 personnel with five transport helicopters and four gunships to back up UN forces in Congo.

• The Mauritanian government is holding seven men thought to have been recruited to fight against the U.S. in Iraq.

• An attempt by Nigerian Christians to prevent being made scapegoats over the cartoons has failed. At least 138 people have been killed in riot and counter-riot.

The Global War

• The CT blog has listed the cost of the cartoon controversy. Hundreds dead, embassies sacked, death threats...

• UPI asks why there isn't a U.S.-Russian missile treaty in the works. Russia's new ICBM, the SS-25 Sickle (aka, Topol-M) is thought to be able to beat every missile defence system out there.

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