Thursday, October 13, 2011

10/13/11

* Saudi Arabia weighs response to alleged Iran plot Saudi Arabia said on Thursday it was weighing its response to an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate its ambassador in Washington.

* Hezbollah praises prisoner deal as victory for 'resistance' Hezbollah on Wednesday said that the deal to release over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for the kidnapped solider Gilad Schalit was a victory for the resistance.

* Explaining the Iran-Saudi rivalry Yesterday afternoon, the U.S. government charged Mansoor Arbabsiar, a dual U.S. Iranian citizen, and Gholam Shakuri, an alleged member of the Iranian Quds Force (a division of the Revolutionary Guards), with conspiracy to assassinate the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States.

* Smuggled Libyan weapons flood into Egypt Large caches of weapons from Libya are making their way across the Egyptian border.

* Nato success against Taliban in Afghanistan 'may be exaggerated' The success of one of Nato's principal tactics against the Taliban targeted night raids aimed at killing or capturing leaders of the insurgency may have been exaggerated.

* Barroso outlines plan to resolve eurozone debt crisis The president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, has set out a plan designed to bring an end to the eurozone debt crisis.

* Iran: Wall Street protests to topple capitalism Iran's top leader said Wednesday that the wave of protests spreading from New York's Wall Street to other U.S. cities reflects a serious crisis that will ultimately topple capitalism in America.

* Saud to ink accord for dialogue center with Austria, Spain A tripartite accord between Saudi Arabia, Austria and Spain will be signed in Vienna on Thursday.

* EU struggling to fight cyber crime Faced with increasing cyber attacks, the EU is looking at a new law criminalising the use of 'zombie' computers and is setting up a 'cybercrime' centre and special teams of IT firefighters to prevent further attacks .

* U.S. Talks Tough to Iran, but Holds Off on Harsher Moves Despite issuing harsh calls for Tehran to be held to account, the Obama administration does not plan to shift its policy of pressure on the Iranian government.