The Telegraph: Iran's missile launchers towed by Peugeots
"Family cars made by Fiat, Peugeot and Renault are being used as missile platforms by the Iranian armed forces because of their difficulty obtaining proper military vehicles, leaked cables show."
The Telegraph: US vs China in battle of the anti-satellite space weapons
"On the night of Feb 20, 2008, Robert Gates, the US Defence Secretary, was on a plane to Hawaii when his telephone rang."
The Telegraph: The race to take control of space
"The race to take control of space raged throughout much of the cold war and has previously been dominated by the Americans."
The Telegraph: US and China in military standoff over space missiles
"The United States threatened to take military action against China during a secret "star wars" arms race within the past few years, according to leaked documents obtained by The Daily Telegraph."
The Telegraph: Timeline of the space race
"The US and China are locked in a bitter battle to assert their power in space, leaked diplomatic cables have disclosed. Here is a timeline of the space race."
The Telegraph: WikiLeaks: tension in the Middle East and Asia has 'direct potential' to lead to nuclear war
"Tension in the Middle East and Asia has given rise to an escalating atomic arms and missiles race which has “the direct potential to lead to nuclear war,” leaked diplomatic documents disclose."
The Telegraph: Libyans met minister days before bomber's cancer was confirmed
"A Foreign Office minister secretly met his Libyan counterpart to discuss the release of the jailed Lockerbie bomber days before it was confirmed that the terrorist had cancer, government documents show."
The Telegraph: Al-Qaeda 'is planning a dirty bomb'
"Al-Qaeda is actively tring to secure nuclear material and recruiting rogue scientists to build a radioactive "dirty" bomb, according to leaked diplomatic documents."
The Telegraph: Did al-Qaeda plot fifth attack on 9/11?
"A group of Qataris suspected of conducting surveillance on the targets of 9/11, and providing "support" to the plotters of the atrocities, were due to fly to Washington on the eve of the attacks, the Daily Telegraph can reveal."
The Telegraph: What the cables said about the 9/11 Qatari gang
"WikiLeaks cables reveal that the FBI has launched a manhunt for a Qatari gang suspected to be part of the 9/11 attacks."
The Telegraph: Qatar's moderate reputation hit by 9/11 link
"The revelation that a group of potential 9/11 plotters came from Qatar will come as a blow to the country’s wealthy royal rulers, who have been at pains to portray the oil-rich emirate as a beacon of stability and moderation in a volatile region."
The Telegraph: Gordon Brown ordered Pakistani president to kill Osama bin Laden
"Gordon Brown was apparently convinced that Osama bin Laden was alive and hiding in Pakistan and ordered the country’s president to have him killed, leaked diplomatic dispatches disclose."
The Telegraph: Uranium bricks and radioactive trains among nuclear terror scares
"American officials around the world are locked in a constant race to stop terrorists and rogue states from obtaining nuclear, biological and chemical materials which could be used to construct a “dirty bomb”."
The Telegraph: Terrorists 'plan to use teddy bear bombs to blow up planes'
"Terrorists are planning to use children’s toys such as teddy bears to get bombs onto planes, according to leaked diplomatic dispatches."
Aftenposten: Security Environment Profile Questionnaire (SEPQ) for Cairo and Alexandria (SEPQ) Spring 2009
"The following are Post´s Security Environment Profile Questionnaire (SEPQ) responses for Cairo and Alexandria:"
Aftenposten: Tunis Security Environment Profile Questionnaire (SEPQ) Spring 2009
"The following are Post´s Security Environment Profile Questionnaire (SEPQ) responses for Tunisia:"
Aftenposten: Algiers Security Environment Profile Questionnaire
"The following are Post´s Security Environment Profile Questionnaire (SEPQ) responses for Algeria:"
Aftenposten: King, Queen and Foreign Minister Meet with Senate Staffers
"A Government of Jordan-sponsored U.S. Senate staff delegation accompanied by Ambassador Hale met March 23 with King Abdullah. The King focused on Iran,s role in Iraq, Hamas,s electoral victory, and Syria. The King appreciated Capitol Hill support, but stressed Jordan will need continued help to face regional challenges."
Aftenposten: Scenesetter for King Abdullah´s Visit to the U.S.
"King Abdullah is extremely pleased to be the first Arab leader to meet with the President in Washington. He wants to show his skeptical public and the wider Arab street that his moderate approach gains him access to (and, he hopes, influence with) the White House. The visit also enhances his standing among his fractious peers. Jordanians question, however, whether the necessary pressure will be exerted on Israel to bring about a two-state solution. The King has high expectations that he will come home with tangible evidence."
Aftenposten: Jordan: Scenesetter for Visit of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
"Jordan is increasing its contributions in Afghanistan and to regional security efforts, reaching out to Syria to provide an alternative to Iranian influence, and maintaining its focus on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The King is able to carry out this ambitious regional agenda with the support of USG financial assistance. In FY09, Jordan received USD 547 million in Economic Support Funds (ESF) and USD 335 million in Foreign Military Finance Funds (FMF), plus USD 150 million forward-funded with FY10 FMF funds. Looking forward, Jordan hopes Iraq will be able to function as a secure and stable Arab partner in the region, but Jordan is also disappointed by our decision not to leave behind or store military equipment from the redeployment from Iraq through Jordan."
Aftenposten: As Jordan´s Government Fades, Reform Hangs in the Balance
"The end may be near for the Dahabi government. After two years in office, its inability to advance a coherent political agenda with parliament and the public at large has led to the increasing sense among our contacts that a change is forthcoming. It is less clear, however, what form that change will take. Talk at the highest levels about a potential dissolution of parliament adds to the uncertain atmosphere. What is clear is that reform as envisioned in the 2006 National Agenda is at a standstill, with the Dahabi government failing to advance almost every tenet of the royally endorsed plan. The decision on the road ahead ultimately rests with the King, who has given almost no indication of which way he is leaning."
Aftenposten: Jordan: PM Resigns, New Government to be Formed
"Nader al-Dahabi resigned as Prime Minister today, and Samir Zayd al-Rifa´i, son of Upper House Speaker Zayd al-Rifa´i, is to take his place. The King privately cited corruption within the previous government and the delay in parliamentary elections as reasons for the timing of the announcement. While the end of Dahabi´s government is not a surprise, initial reactions to the appointment of Rifa´i as Prime Minister have been mixed at best. This change in government has been long anticipated, but it remains to be seen whether a new Cabinet--still unconfirmed--will prove itself to be more competent in its reform efforts than its predecessor."
Aftenposten: Jordan: King Tasks New Premier With Reform, Teamwork
"King Abdullah´s letter of designation to Prime Minister Samir al-Rifa´i on December 9 told the new premier to form a Cabinet that will have a clear plan for continuing and implementing reform efforts, and emphasized that teamwork and transparency are essential for reforms to move forward. The letter also stated that the new parliament is to be elected and convened "no later than the last quarter of 2010." As in designation letters past, the King touched on the economy and reiterated Jordanian foreign policy goals. Abdullah throughout the letter appears preoccupied with preventing corruption in the new government, probably reflecting his view that the previous Cabinet was undermined by corruption as well as its own internal stalemate on reform legislation. With Cabinet minister appointments looming, parliamentary elections anticipated, and talk of real political change in the air, the King appears to be angling for the right combination of factors to mold Jordan´s political infrastructure into a better-functioning political system."
Aftenposten: Jordan: Court Ruling Threatens Freedom of Expression/Press
"Journalists and non-governmental organizations are up in arms about a ruling by Jordan´s highest court subjecting online media to the country´s Press and Publications Law (PPL). Non-governmental organizations and journalists assert the government will use the ruling to curb the dozens of Jordanian news sites (and possibly blogs, Facebook, and Tweets) that write on "taboo" topics not covered elsewhere and encourage reader commentary. The Minister for Media Affairs publicly stated that the court´s decision was "precedent and "must be respected." The Chief of the Royal Court and the King´s media advisor told the Ambassador that the Court´s ruling was unwelcome and that the government planned to pass in the near future a criminal cyber security law based on international standards, as well as replace the PPL once a new elected Parliament was in place."
El País: Las relaciones con Siria, un foco de tensión entre España y EE UU (The relations with Syria, a source of tension between Spain and the United States)
"Una escala técnica en Damasco del ministro español de Exteriores, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, el 7 de marzo de 2006, en la que se entrevistó con el ministro sirio de Exteriores, Walid Muallem, provocó el enfado de EE UU. (A technical stop in Damascus made by the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs in March 7th of 2006, in which Miguel Ángel Moratinos met with the Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Walid Muallem, upset the United States)"