1. Pakistani Prime Minister Gilani, suggesting America is “impatient,” said the US should give Pakistan intelligence on al-Qaeda and Taliban “and we’ll do the job ourselves.” But when actionable targeting intelligence has been shared with Pakistan in the past, al-Qaeda camps were suddenly abandoned due to leaks to the enemy from sympathetic members of Pak intelligence and military.

2. A “top Central Intelligence Agency official” has made a trip to Islamabad to confront Pakistani officials regarding CIA information confirming relationships between members of Pakistan’s ISI intelligence agency and Taliban leadership in the tribal areas.

3. Israel’s Ehud Barak warns that Hizballah has tripled its missile arsenal since the terrorist group’s 2006 war with Israel in southern Lebanon.

AFGHANISTAN
Northern Alliance Build up to Challenge Taliban ‘not welcome’ - Washington Times
Afghan corruption remains ‘endemic’ - Washington Times

CHINA
Bush Meets Chinese Democracy Activists - New York Sun
China’s economic ‘bargaining chip’ - Washington Times
IOC admits Web Censorship Agreement with Chinese Gov’t During Olympics - ABC
China Tightens Tiananmen Square Security - ABC

IRAN
Opinion: Iran’s Accelerating Nuclear Program Requires A Stringent Sanctions Response - Counterterrorism Blog

LEBANON
Hizballah Has Tripled Its Missile Arsenal, Barak Warns - New York Sun

PAKISTAN
Pakistan PM wants US Intel and No US Attacks on AQ - The Australian
PrincipalAnalysis: Al-Qaeda Abandons Camps After US Intelligence Shared with Pakistan - ThreatsWatch
Pak PM to Bush: We Are ‘Fighting The War For Ourselves’ - ThreatsWatch
CIA outlines Pakistan links with Taliban leadership - International Herald Tribune
Fighting Erupts in Swat Valley; Curfew Imposed - ABC
Taliban capture 25 Pakistani security personnel in Swat - The Long War Journal

SPAIN
Investigation of ETA cell reveals blueprint for violence - International Herald Tribune

1. India continues search for terrorists responsible for spate of bombings throughout country. Dozens were killed in recent days with coordinated bombings in several Indian cities.

2. Though confirmed only by an anonymous Pakistani intelligence source thus far, it is believed that al-Qaeda’s chief bomb maker and chemical expert, Abu Khabab al-Masri, was killed in a US Predator drone strike inside Pakistan. Initial reactions are the standard lot; Pakistani warnings against US attacks inside Pakistan, US assurances that it respects Pak sovereignty, and dead al-Qaeda terrorists inside Pakistani territory.

3. The Taliban, true to past patterns, has abducted 30 Pakistani police and security force members in the tribal areas.

4. MEND militants have sabotaged two Shell Oil pipelines in Nigeria, prompting the oil company to announce that it may not be able to meet supply obligations from the Delta.

5. Following carnage wrought by female suicide bombers on crowds of Iraqi civilians, female members of security forces are now being deployed to conduct female-to-female searches.

WAR OF IDEAS
Deobandi Fatwa Against Terrorism Didn’t Treat the Jihadi Root - Counterterrorism Blog

AL QAEDA
Al-Qaeda Video Urges Muslims to Kill Saudi King for Hosting Interfaith Conference - FOX

AFGHANISTAN
Iran main entry route for rebels, says Afghan paper - Gulf Times
Doubts mount on Afghan surge - Washington Times
Several Militants Killed in Afghan Clashes - ABC

INDIA
Former Intelligence Officer: We Are Sitting Targets - The Times of India
Fear grows over India car terror - The Australian
Indian police hunt for bombers in suburb - Washington Times

IRAN
Iran’s Ahmadinejad says world powers on the decline - Africasia
Medvedev names Russia’s Iran pointman as U.S. ambassador- Reuters

IRAQ
Female guards to fill a ‘void’ at checkpoints - Washington Times

NIGERIA
Shell issues Nigeria oil warning after attack - CNN

PAKISTAN
CIA Drone Targeted Chemical Weapons Expert Abu Khabab Al-Masri On Afghanistan-Pakistan Border - CBS
Al-Qaeda weapons expert slain in Waziristan strike - Daily Times
Pakistan military warns US commander on strikes - Daily Times
Bush respects Pakistan sovereignty - The Press Association
Militants abduct 30 Pakistani police, troops - Washington Times

RUSSIA
Russian Army Boasts Less Desertions Than Years Past - New York Sun

ZIMBABWE
Zimbabwe Power-Sharing Talks Near Collapse - New York Sun

1. India’s major cities remain on high alert after a wave of bombings has killed dozens. Last week, bombings rocked Bangalore, and this weekend 45 were later killed in synchronized bombings in Ahmedabad, a state capital. With another jihadist group claiming responsibility, tensions between India and Pakistan remain high on the heels of the bombing of the Indian embassy in Afghanistan.

2. Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for a bombing in Yemen carried out against security forces. A building housing the forces was struck with a car bomb, killing four.

3. In Baghdad, a Shi’a pilgrimage was bombed, killing 28. South of Baghdad, the same pilgrimage was attacked by gunmen hiding in reeds. Al-Qaeda in Iraq has a history of bombing Shi’a pilgrimage processions in order to achieve a high body count and stoke Sunni-Shi’a tensions. In Kirkuk, a suicide bomber killed 17 and wounded 170 at a Kurdish rally.

4. In Instanbul, coordinated bombings killed 17. Turkish authorities blame Kurdish PKK terrorists for the blasts. A second blast was coordinated to kill first responders to the first blast.

AFGHANISTAN
Canada eyes beefing up troops - Toronto Star

INDIA
India on alert after two days of bombings kill 46 - Reuters
Islamic Group Claims Responsibility for India Bombings - New York Sun
Bombings may threaten India-Pakistan relations - CS Monitor
India: The Terrorists Within - TIME

IRAN
What ‘s Motivating Shift in US-Iran Policy? - VOA

IRAQ
Bombs kill 28 in Iraqi Shi’a pilgrimage - International Herald Tribune
Gunmen ambush Shiite pilgrims near Baghdad - International Herald Tribune
Bombings kill 43 in Baghdad, Kirkuk - AP
Despite Today’s Attacks, Iraqi Counterterrorism Capabilities Expanding - MNF-I

LEBANON
Fatfat blames Hizballah for north Lebanon clashes, says Army ‘negligent’ - Ya Libnan

PAKISTAN
Pakistan feels the heat in Washington - Asia Times
Bush, Pakistan PM Hold Talks Amid Rising Concern Over Afghan Violence - VOA
15 killed in Dera Bugti clashes near Quetta - DAWN

TURKEY
Coordinated Blasts in Istanbul leave 13 dead - Washington Times
Turkey Blames Kurdish Rebels For Istanbul Blasts That Killed 17 - Wall Street Journal

UNITED STATES
New York Jihad Birthday Invitations Warn of Terror Threat In Lower Manhattan - National Terror Alert

YEMEN
Al-Qaeda claims responsibility for Yemen attack - CNN

ZIMBABWE
Zimbabwe army nearing collapse as recruits lack basic training - Telegraph
Zimbabwe Power-Sharing Talks Break Off - ABC

1. The US announced intentions to funnel the bulk of Pakistan’s current counterterrorism aid monies into upgrading Pakistan’s F-16 fleet instead. The talk could be interpreted as US push-back against an increasingly less cooperative new Pakistani government in relative disarray, and one which faces direct terrorist and insurgency threat from the same enemies.

2. Afghan soldiers flanked and crushed a pocket of Taliban forces in the road to Kandahar. “At least 34 enemy dead bodies are at the battlefield but we believe there are many more killed.” NATO commander warns Afghanistan at risk, requests forces.

3. The next National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran is in the process of being formed and written. November release expected to clearly state that the US believes Iran is in pursuit of nuclear weapons. The November 2007 Iran NIE summary was cleverly worded to suggest the opposite, but was itself not supported by the body of the report.

4. A day after Iran said it will no longer cooperate with the nuclear weapons probe, today it says it will expand ‘cooperation’ with the IAEA - as long as it does not claim to be investigating a nuclear weapons program.

AFGHANISTAN
Afghan Soldiers kill ‘dozens’ of jihadists, some foreign - Washington Times
Afghan Soldiers Battle Taliban as NATO Leader Warns of Perils to Nation’s Stability - NY Times

INDIA
One killed in string of blasts in Bangalore, India high-tech hub - MSNBC
Nuclear Trade With India: China’s Role In NSG - SAAG

IRAN
The Next NIE: US Now Believes Iran Seeking Nuclear Weapons - Haaretz
Yesterday: Iran Ends Cooperation With UN Nuclear Arms Probe - ABC
Yet, Today Iran Says Will Increase Cooperation With IAEA - ABC
Iranian military convoy in Tehran rocked by mystery explosion - Telegraph

IRAQ
Hollywood goes on location to work with Iraq’s Kurds - Los Angeles Times
U.S. expands visa program for Iraqi employees - International Herald Tribune
Female AQI Bomber Targets Awakening, Police, Killing 8 - NY Times

LEBANON
‘UNIFIL flaws may lead to new conflict’ with Israel - Jerusalem Post

PAKISTAN
McCain and Obama Miss the Real Crisis: Pakistan - Newsweek
U.S. shifting bulk of counterterrorism aid to upgrade Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets - CNN
‘NATO has right to hit back Pakistan militants’ - Daily Times
US-China Engagement in Pakistan: A Chinese View - SAAG

UNITED STATES
Mueller praises FBI’s changes since 9/11 - Washington Times
Bush Proposes Merit Pay For Diplomats - New York Sun
Opinion: Avoiding ‘CSI Kandahar’: Congress Needs To Fix Boumediene - NRO

1. Sixteen Israelis were wounded when a Palestinian went on another bulldozer rampage terrorist attack in Jerusalem.

2. Pakistani court bars AQ Khan from discussing Pakistani nuclear proliferation. Recently Khan had loudly criticized the Pak government for being as involved in illicit proliferation as he was, and that such required army security.

3. A top Indian diplomat has leveled charges that Pakistan was behind the recent Indian embassy bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan. Said that the current peace process between the two countries is “under stress” as a result.

4. Iranian proposal offered at Geneva nuclear talks offered nothing at all. One report noted that “the paper’s substance” was so lacking that the Russian deputy foreign minister laughed out loud when he read it.

AL QAEDA
Guantanamo Judge Blocks Use of Some Statements in Hamdan Trial - Washington Post
Rules for Guantanamo Bay proceedings are still unclear - Los Angeles Times

AFGHANISTAN
Pakistan blamed in Indian embassy bombing - Washington Times
Tough talking, accusations - Daily Times
Afghan Rescue: US Spec Forces and Afghan Commandos Free Taliban Prisoner - Blackfive

IRAN
Iran Gives Nations in Nuclear Talks Two Pages and No Ground - NYTimes

IRAQ
British troops in Iraq are set for smooth withdrawal - Times Online
Maliki Bets That Obama Will Prevail - New York Sun
Obama Visits Pro-US Tribal Leaders in Iraq’s Anbar Province - VOA

ISRAEL
Sixteen wounded in copycat bulldozer attack in Jerusalem - Jerusalem Post

PAKISTAN
Bin Laden aide tells Pakistan’s GEO TV ‘Saudi Qaeda hit Danish embassy’ - Daily Times
Court bars disgraced Pakistan nuke scientist from speaking of proliferation - Jerusalem Post

1. Following making his recommendations on Iraq, presidential candidate Barack Obama will now meet with General David Petraeus in Baghdad. Elsewhere in Iraq, US forces wrapped up another militant with ties to Iran.

2. Reacting to speculation that NATO forces are preparing an incursion, the governor of Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province has said that any foreign troops will be repelled by military and paramilitary forces. Meanwhile, al-Qaeda Arabs and Chechens, among other foreigners, continue to remain and another peace accord has been signed, now in Orakzai agency.

3. Iran’s president praised this weekend’s talks in Geneva, Switzerland, as signs of progress. Iran rejected out of hand all calls to suspend uranium enrichment. Secretary of State Rice question’s Iranian sincerity at talks.

4. Five bombs were detonated in Spain, causing damage but no injuries, leading to speculation of a summer of terror by Basque separatist group ETA. A warning call was received before the blasts by an individual claiming to be part of the ETA group.

AFGHANISTAN
Gen. Natynczyk says Afghanistan situation is worsening - CTV

AL QAEDA
Still Driving News: Al-Qaeda ‘changing focus to Pakistan’ - The Australian
Last Week: Al-Qaeda Shifting Resources To Pakistan - ThreatsWatch

EGYPT
Egypt arrests 39 Muslim Brotherhood members - Washington Times

IRAN
Iran Praises Latest Nuclear Talks - ABC
Rice Questions Iran’s Seriousness at Weekend Nuclear Talks - New York Sun
Iran’s Aggressive Proselytizing Campaign - Middle East Times

IRAQ
US forces arrest another Iran-linked militant - Washington Times
Iraqi, US forces keep pressure on the Mahdi Army - Long War Journal
Barack Obama Arrives in Iraq, Will Meet With Gen. Petraeus - ABC
Obama, Maliki May Soon Talk of a Timeline - New York Sun
Timeline for Iraq Drawdown Would Be Dangerous, Mullen Says - DefenseLink
Key vote may be postponed, election panel warns - Washington Times

KOSOVO
Meet The Bin Ladens of the Balkans, Part I - Michael J. Totten

PAKISTAN
Restrictions Eased for Pakistan Bomb Scientist AQ Khan - ABC
‘Pakistani forces, tribesmen will expel foreign troops if attacked’ - Daily Times
Pakistan signs peace accord in Orakzai tribal agency - Long War Journal
Militants kill ‘US spies’ in Pakistan: official - AFP

SPAIN
Spain Bombings Signal Basque Terror Campaign - New York Sun

ZIMBABWE
Mugabe and Tsvangirai sign deal to open Zimbabwe talks - International Herald Tribune

1. Inside Pakistan, Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud has issued an ultimatum to the government of the North West Frontier Province demanding the government resign within 5 days or “face the consequences.”

2. The Hamdan military trial - war crimes charges against the former driver for Usama bin Laden - could begin as soon as Monday at Guantanamo Bay.

3. Kuwait has named its first ambassador to Iraq since Saddam’s brutal 1990 invasion, another sign that the young Iraqi democracy is not only progressing, but is perceived as such within its own region.

AL QAEDA
Former Bin Laden Driver Hamdan Set for Gitmo Trial - ABC
Hamdan: I’m Happy to Report I Was Wrong - NRO
Al-Qaeda: Winning or losing? - The Economist

EGYPT
Weapons and contraband tunnels found in Egypt’s Sinai - AFP

IRAN
Iran expects progress in forthcoming nuclear talks in Geneva - Jerusalem Post

IRAQ
Al-Qaeda’s losing relevance in Iraq war outcome - MSNBC
Iraqi Army Patrols Sadr City During Friday Prayers - ABC
Progress Pic of the Day - PrairiePundit

ISRAEL
Israel arrests six for ‘al-Qaeda links’ - The Age

KUWAIT
Kuwait names first ambassador to Iraq since 1990 - Los Angeles Times

NORTH KOREA
Top Diplomats in Six-Party Korean Nuclear Talks to Meet - VOA

PAKISTAN
Taliban issues ‘five-day ultimatum’ to NWFP government - Dawn
Pakistan Army says it has driven militants from Hangu villages - Daily Times
Pakistan Army Reports 10 Militants Killed During Offensive in Northwest - VOA
Poll: 86% think Pakistan headed in wrong direction, say Impeach Musharraf - Dawn

1. With word of a possible US diplomatic presence inside Tehran and William Burns’ presence at EU-Iran negotiations, questions arise about a possible change in Washington’s stance towards Iran.

2. With another province handed over to Iraqi control (10 of 18 now), overall security in Iraq has improved dramatically. Still, another car bombing is carried out killing Iraqi civilians and the US rolled up an IED network leader suspected of having ties and training with Iran and Hizballah.

3. US forces are massing along the Afghan-Pakistani border in reaction to increased attacks from within Pakistan. The US has called for Pakistan to effectively police its side of the border, a call that has been made publicly and privately since 2001.

4. With the Hizballah-Israeli prisoner exchange executed, one of the most violent terrorists released - Samir Kuntar - vowed in Lebanon to continue in Imad Mugniyeh’s footsteps. The Israelis received corpses in the exchange.

AL QAEDA
Why Some Terrorists Make the Choice to Leave al Qaeda - US News and World Report
SOURCE DOC: Combating Terrorism Center: Sentinel - West Point
Judges Rejects al-Qaeda Delay Request in Guantanamo Trial - New York Sun
Hamdan Ruling: A Win for the Administration … But Maybe Very Temporary - NRO

AFGHANISTAN
Coalition troops mass at border - The Australian
More: Afghanistan: Force Consolidation Offensive or Defensive? - ThreatsWatch
Afghan Surge Could Start in Weeks - AP
Brit Special forces kill Taliban leader Bishmullah in ‘critical blow’ to insurgency - The Guardian
Taliban release photos of beheaded Afghan ‘prostitutes’ on Internet - AKI

IRAN
U.S. to establish presence in Tehran: report - Washington Post
Iran and U.S. Signaling Chance of Deal - Washington Post
Columbia University won’t invite Iran’s Ahmadinejad this time around - NY Daily News

IRAQ
US military captures suspected bomb network chief with alleged Iranian training, Hizballah ties - IHT
Iraq’s security ‘remarkably better’ - Washington Times
Canada expels an American who deserted during the war in Iraq - IHT
Car Bomb in Iraq Kills 18, Including Kids - ABC

ISRAEL
Kuntar: I’ll continue Mughniyeh’s legacy - Jerusalem Post

LEBANON
Lebanon celebrates release of five prisoners - al-Bawaba

PAKISTAN
NATO forces use gunships, artillery to attack targets inside Pakistan - Daily Times
Pakistan Must Do More to Police Tribal Zone, Defense Leaders Say - DefenseLink
US Calls on Pakistan to Control Afghan Border - VOA
Militants ready for a war without borders - Asia Times
Pakistani Investors Riot as Stocks Plunge - VOA

1. Within the historical context of overstating its conventional military capabilities, the widely published image of this week's Iranian missile launch is found to have been digitally edited to cover up a missile misfire. Meanwhile, a major French energy firm has canceled a deal originally made with the Iranian regime for development.

2. In Israel, embattled PM Olmert has been questioned a third time by Israeli police over charges of inappropriately accepting money while in government.

3. Egypt has uncovered new tunnels along the Gaza-Egypt border and seized multiple weapons caches.

4. The International Criminal Court is expected to issue an arrest warrant next week for Sudan president Bashir on charges of war crimes in Darfur.

NEW FISA LAW SIGNED
Bush Signs Spy Bill, ACLU Sues - Wired
President Signs Electronic Surveillance Legislation; Lawsuits Expected - CQ Politics

CENTCOM, MNF-I COMMANDS
Senate Confirms Petraeus for CENTCOM, Odierno for MNF-I Commands - DefenseLink

COLOMBIA
US, Colombia choked rebel communications network - Washington Post

IRAN
French Energy Giant Cancels Gas Deal in Iran - NY Times
Picture: Iran 'fakes' missile launch after misfire - Times Online
Iran's Enriched Uranium Supply Grows with Steady Production - Newsweek

IRAQ
Bodies of 2 missing U.S. soldiers found, relatives say - Los Angeles Times
Battle Over Sadr City Defines Apache Helicopter Regiment’s Tour in Iraq - The Long War Journal
Obama's Iraq Withdrawal Plan: Mission Impossible? Commanders Warn of Troubles - ABC

ISRAEL
Police question Olmert third time on 'money envelopes' - M&C

GAZA STRIP
Hamas claims arrests PA-aligned al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades members for rocket fire - AFP
Egypt uncovers three tunnels, weapons caches on border with Gaza strip - Haaretz
2 killed in tunnel collapse on Gaza-Egpyt border - AP
Logistics: The Lucrative Tunnels Of Gaza - Strategy Page

LEBANON
Hizballah-Israel prisoner swap set for next Wednesday - Haaretz
Lebanese leaders agree on national unity cabinet - M&C
France Develops Relations with Syria in Favor of Lebanon - an-Nahar

PAKISTAN
Taliban: Pakistan hostages will be slain if insurgents are not released - International Herald Tribune
Senior Taliban Commander Arrested in Northwest Pakistan - VOA

RUSSIA
Russian FM Says Iran Missile Tests Prove US Shield 'Not Needed' - VOA

SUDAN - DARFUR
ICC Arrest warrant likely for Sudan president Omar Hassan Ahmad Bashir - IHT

SYRIA
U.S. tightens sanctions on Syria - Reuters

TURKEY
Gunmen Who Killed Three At US Consulate In Istanbul Linked To al-Qaeda - Sky News

YEMEN
Yemeni security forces blanket Aden on war anniversary - The Long War Journal

1. Iran publicized a second round of missile tests as it attempts to deter any US or Israeli attack on its nuclear weapons program. Though Iran claimed the tests were of the longer-range version of the North Korean No Dong-based Shahab-3, it is believed to have been the older, shorter range version.

2. Terror attack on US Consulate in Turkey is believed to have been carried out by AQ-linked terrorists. One of the killed attackers is believed to have been released from Guantanamo Bay detention facility. Turkish speculation includes potential cooperation between al-Qaeda and Kurdish PKK terrorists.

3. New Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, seen by Syria as an ally, said in an interview that Hizballah is not a terrorist organization. In justifying, he said, "Whoever defends his land and liberates it from occupation cannot be termed terrorist. I cannot accept this in any case."

WAR ON TERROR
Gitmo cases will be tried chronologically in US District Court - Washington Times
One Terrorist in Attack on U.S. Consulate in Turkey Believed Released from Gitmo - Los Angeles Times
Biological Terror Threat Worse Than Nuclear Terror Threat - UPI

ATTACK ON US CONSULATE IN TURKEY
Turkey investigates possible al Qaeda link in U.S. Consulate attack - Hurriyet
Turkey investigates al-Qaeda link - BBC
Investigators look for motive in deadly attack on U.S. Consulate in Turkey - Los Angeles Times
Al Qaeda-PKK cooperation lies behind Istanbul consulate attack? - Hurriyet
Consulate attack exposes Turkey's frailty - Asia Times

IRAN
Iran test-fires more missiles in Persian Gulf - Washington Times
Israeli defense sources: Iran missile test not an advanced Shahab-3 as Tehran claims - Haaretz
History of Conventional Overstatement: Iran's Public Defense Industry Trade Show Maneuvers - ThreatWatch 2006
Iran's Asymmetric Defense Doctrine: Iran Defense: New Doctrine, Old Doctrine - ThreatsWatch 2006
Iranian General: 'Our Hands Are Always on the Trigger' - New York Sun
Strategically Related: PrincipalAnalysis: Iran’s Oil Weapon: Fielded and Wielded - ThreatsWatch
Rice warns Iran: US will defend Israel - AFP
U.S. says diplomacy is focus in Iran efforts - Reuters

ISRAEL
Israel sees Mediterranean Union as way to boost Arab ties - AFP
Q&A: 'There Are No Negotiations Between Syria and Israel' - IPS

LEBANON
Lebanese President: 'Hizballah cannot be called terrorist' - Press TV
Lebanese Troops Move On To The Streets Of Tripoli To Quell Armed Sunni-Alawite Clashes - Sky News

ZIMBABWE
Mugabe Plans to Retake Parliament, Officials Say - Bloomberg

1. Contradicting the latest politicized NIE, Western intelligence agencies believe Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps has set up a network for producing advanced P-2 centrifuges to enrich uranium much faster. The Iranian nuclear weapons program is not dormant.

2. The bombing in Kabul near the Indian embassy which killed over 40 may have been designed by al-Qaeda to stoke Indo-Pak tensions that have been relatively cool and managed since 2001. Pakistan has mistrusted and resented India's involvement in the rebuilding and security of Afghanistan.

3. Al-Qaeda's As-Sahab Media has published the 34th release this year, glorifying a terrorist who blew himself up in Afghanistan. Curious contradiction between his purportedly significant stature yet embarkation on suicide mission. Deceased is on tape describing how he and al-Qaeda trained Somalis to fight US forces after the invasion that led to the 'Blackhawk Down' events.

4. Report says that Palestinians have received nearly $1 Billion in direct aid in the past six months. Meanwhile, another mortar attack from Gaza violates the ceasefire and the PA's Abbas meets with Islamic Jihad leadership in Syria.

AL-QAEDA PROPAGANDA
New As-Sahab Video In Honor of Slain al-Qaeda Commander - CBS

EUROPEAN MISSILE SHIELD
Poland tries to save U.S. missile-defense deal - Washington Times

AFGHANISTAN
Bomb in Kabul May Ignite India, Pakistan Tensions - New York Sun
Escalation in Afghanistan - Captain's Journal

IRAN
Iran has resumed A-bomb project, says West - Telegraph
Iran stages war games, rejects nuclear demand - Reuters
Netherlands bans Iranian students from nuclear studies - AFP

IRAQ
UAE to cancel Iraq's $7 billion debt - CNN

ISRAEL
Mortar shell hits W. Negev in fresh Gaza truce violation - Haaretz

PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES
Nearly One Billion dollars in direct aid disbursed to Palestinians in six months - AFP
Abbas meets Islamic Jihad head in Syria - Jerusalem Post

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
An al-Qaeda Threat in the United Arab Emirates? - Jamestown.org

VENEZUELA
U.S. ties Caracas to Hizballah aid - Washington Times

1. While Pakistan has mobilized its military in FATA regions, it has yet to aggressively and directly combat Taliban and al-Qaeda with significance. Previous reports indicated mortar and other indirect engagements. Pakistani television reports 30 members of security forces have been abducted in Kurram agency.

2. President Bush has signed the supplemental war funding bill, freeing funds for Iraq, Afghanistan and other theaters in the conflict before us.

3. Israel and Syria are engaging in a third round of talks in Turkey today, with the Golan Heights high on the Syrian agenda.

4. Israeli-Hizballah prisoner swap is expected to contain two separate phases. Meanwhile, Israel criticizes UN report on the implementation of UNSC Res. 1701 in Lebanon because it ignores Hizballah's violations.

DETENTION AND TRIALS DEBATE
Ex-Guantanamo detainee suicide bomber fought at Tora Bora - The Long War Journal
Commission Trial for Cole Bomber? Don't Bet On It - The Corner

INFORMATION FLOW
Are Search Sites Over-Censoring in China? - ABC

INTELLIGENCE
Pentagon will buy satellites to do more spying - AP

IRAN
Strait of Hormuz Won't Close, American Fleet Says - New York Sun

IRAQ
Iraq Opens Bidding on Oil and Gas Fields - New York Sun
President Bush signs emergency war spending measure - Los Angeles Times
Enemy Neutralized in Iraq’s Anbar Province, Colonel Says - DefenseLink

ISRAEL
Lebanon: Hizballah prisoner swap marks 'failure' for Israel - Haaretz

LEBANON
'UN report ignores Hizballah violations' - Jerusalem Post

PAKISTAN
Pakistan's Army shying away from major Taliban assault - Seattle Times
Tribesmen kidnap 30 security men in Kurram Agency - GEO.tv
Mullah Omar wears shades, has trimmed beard, lives in Quetta, Pakistan: ex-follower - Canada East

SYRIA
Israel, Syria set for third round of talks today - Haaretz

ZIMBABWE
Mugabe aide says Western critics can "go hang a thousand times" - BBC