-- France and the United States have been cooperating more closely for a year to combat Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI) in a push initiated by Paris.

An account of a January meeting written by the US embassy said that "the French insisted on better coordination in the area of military assistance, sharing intelligence and development projects."

France officially acknowledged the cooperation in late summer but up to now no details were known about the meetings between the French and the Americans.

-- The United States views Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero as a "wily politician with an uncanny ability -- like a cat in a jungle -- to sense opportunity or danger."

"It is dangerous to underestimate him, as many former rivals have found out too late," said a January 2009 cable.

-- NATO has expanded defence plans in parts of eastern Europe amid fears that Russia poses an increasing threat.

Contingency plans were drawn up for the three Baltic states -- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania -- earlier this year after they lobbied for extra protection following the 2008 Russia-Georgia war.

The US also offered to beef up Polish security amid fears of a resurgent Russia, said cables, despite the policy of US President Barack Obama's administration to "reset" relations with Moscow.

-- The United States suspected a Saudi Arabian ambassador to the Philippines of potential involvement in funding terrorists.

A security aide of then-US president George W. Bush raised concerns over Muhammad Amin Waly, who was replaced in January 2010, in a private meeting with Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, in Jeddah in 2007.

Waly was replaced by Abdullah Al Hassan as Saudi envoy to Manila in January this year.

-- The militant group Hezbollah has acquired an arsenal of some 50,000 rockets and missiles, raising fears of an enlarged conflict with Israel.

A Pentagon official indicated Hezbollah's arsenal now included 40 to 50 Fateh-110 missiles capable of reaching Tel Aviv and most of Israel, and 10 Scud-D missiles.

-- The United States views Hungarian soldiers stationed in Afghanistan as ineffective and focussed on "getting home unscathed" after doing short stints of small-scale development work

A undated cable signed by Washington's ambassador in Kabul, Karl Eikenberry, said the Hungarian Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) did little to combat the escalating violence, drug problems and power struggles in the northern province of Baghlan.

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