July 1, 2009                            
Dossier: Nouri Al Maliki


Iraq has 5-year counter-insurgency strategy as U.S. pulls out


BACKGROUNDER
Compiled by Bill Gertz

Taliban's Mehsud has commoditized suicide bombers in Pakistan

U.S. Defense officials disclosed last week that Taliban terrorist leader Baitullah Mehsud has built a system that systematically produces suicide terrorist bombers who can be used in Jihad against the United States and other perceived enemies of the Islamist extremist.

Mehsud who is based in Pakistan’s Waziristan and has been blamed for major terrorist bombings and attacks in Pakistan, including the assassination of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, remains one of the major terrorist leaders working to take over Pakistan, said officials who briefed reporters.

“I don’t think his stature has lessened, but his ability to generate suicide bombers is probably undiminished,” said one official.



Iran leans on its neighbors to stifle protests among Shi'ite populations

ABU DHABI — The UAE emirate of Dubai has ordered a halt to all demonstrations against the Iran regime in wake of the disputed elections on June 12. Officials said Dubai authorities were concerned that the unrest could spread throughout the country. "We don't want the power struggle between the two conflicting parties to be fought over here," Dubai police chief Lt. Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim said. In an interview with the Gulf News, Tamim said Dubai has been under pressure from Iran to stop anti-government demonstrations. The request was said to have arrived amid four days of anti-Teheran protests in the UAE port city.   
Northeast Asia Report
U.S. deploys THAAD interceptors, heightens readiness in Korea   


Gates: 'We're obviously watching the situation in the North, with respect to missile launches, very closely'

The U.S. military successfully shot down a short-range ballistic missile near Hawaii in a test of its ground-based missile defense system, the Pentagon announced in March.
Security Technology
Boeing looks to international partners to help fund stealth F-15E   
U.S.-Israel Security Ties
Air Force talks are first between Israeli, U.S. militaries under Obama   
Focus on Al Qaida
EU fears growing network could make Yemen another Afghanistan   
Middle East Report
Egypt said to end pro-Chechen policy after strategic deal with Russia    
East-Asia-Intel.com
Russian military sees new U.S.-China Cold War after PLA 'break out'    
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