The international backlash, at the wake of accusations that Israel was behind the January assassination of top Hamas man Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai, has not affected Jerusalem's intelligence cooperation with other Western spy agencies, the Washington Post quoted an senior Israeli intelligence official on Thursday.

Israel has not denied or confirmed it played any role but Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said earlier in the week that there was nothing to link it to the killing.

TEHRAN, IRAN - Iran has arrested seven people linked to a U.S.-funded Farsi-language radio station for allegedly fomenting unrest, and accused some of the suspects of working for American spy agencies, Iranian state media reported Sunday.

The official IRNA news agency and Iran's state radio both cited an Intelligence Ministry statement saying the suspects played a role in violent anti-government demonstrations in Tehran on Dec. 27. On that day, at least eight people were killed and hundreds were arrested during clashes between opposition supporters and security forces.

tehran, iran-iran has arrested seven people linked to a u.s.-funded farsi-language radio station for allegedly fomenting unrest, and accused some of the suspects of working for american spy agencies, iranian state media reported sunday. the official

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's state media says Tehran has arrested seven people linked to the U.S.-funded Radio Farda and accused some them of working for American spy agencies.

State radio and the official IRNA news agency reported Sunday the suspects played a key role in provoking protesters during a violent anti-government demonstration in Tehran in late December.

The report, based on an Intelligence Ministry statement, claimed the suspects were trained in "sabotage."

Reporting from Washington - Al Qaeda's offshoot in Yemen has emerged as the "foremost concern" for U.S. spy agencies after the group was tied to two attacks in the United States last year, according to a sweeping new assessment of terrorist threats issued Tuesday by the nation's top intelligence officer.

Dennis C. Blair, the director of national intelligence, testified at a congressional hearing that American spy agencies have intensified surveillance of the Al Qaeda affiliate's operations amid concern that the group -- once considered a regional menace -- is focused on the "recruitment of Westerners or other individuals with access to the U.S. homeland."

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. spy agencies updating intelligence on Iran see growing evidence that Tehran has pushed forward with nuclear weapons research but has yet to relaunch its atomic bomb program in full, U.S. officials said.

Analysts from across the U.S. intelligence community have been finalizing a revised national intelligence estimate (NIE) that is expected to bring the United States more into line with its European allies about the state of Iran's nuclear program.

SHAMED British diplomat James Hudson may have been targeted for blackmail by Russian spy agencies, it was hinted last night.

The podgy envoy, who quit in disgrace after being filmed having sex with two hookers, could have been the victim of an elaborate plot by Moscow’s intelligence services.

Speculation was growing that the Russians tried to use the sleazy video to "persuade" Hudson, 37, to work for them — but that he refused and owned up to his UK Government seniors instead.

Reporting from Washington -- Afghanistan's former Taliban leader is pursuing a strategy to reclaim power, the top U.S. intelligence official said today, identifying a key administration concern as the White House prepared to unveil a new plan to step up combat operations and stabilization efforts.

The Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, was driven from power by the U.S. invasion in 2001 but has reassembled much of his base in Pakistan, where he leads a council of Islamic hard-liners accused of directing insurgent attacks across the border in Afghanistan.