The Rundown - March 23

News & views on RFE/RL's broadcast region

Pakistan
#
Pakistan and the U.S. are preparing for high-level talks
# "The Wall Street Journal" reports on Pakistan's request for U.S. aid
# Pakistan wants to investigate A.Q. Khan's ties to Iran
# Kamran Shafi is glad Pakistan had to take on the Taliban

Iraq
#
"Iraq's Democracy in Messy but Genuine" - Ranj Alaaldin, "The Guardian"
# "USA Today" reports on reconstruction costs in Iraq
# Ba'athists are threatening violence in al-Maliki is reelected
# The "Boston Globe" thinks ex-U.S. officials should take part in the UK inquiry

Iran
#
"Iran's Exiles" - Roger Cohen, "The New York Times"
# "Obama's Legacy and the Iranian Bomb" - Alan Dershowitz, "The Wall Street Journal"
# Michael Hirsh thinks Iran is the reason the U.S. and Israel aren't getting along

Russia
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"A Positive Step Towards Free Elections" - Nikolai Petrov, "The Moscow Times"
# "Stakes Rise as U.S. and Russia Stall Over Nukes" - Eben Harrell, "Time"
# Jamie Fly thinks Obama is making Bush's mistakes towards Russia
# Russia is planning to reform its system of penal colonies
# Peter Rutland on protectionism via customs unions

Of Interest
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Doug Bandow thinks Viktor Yanukovich will be good for U.S.-Ukraine relations
# Google has stopped censoring search results in China
# "Der Spiegel" interviews Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir

U.S. Politics/Foreign Policy
#
Gideon Rachman thinks passing health care will boost Obama abroad...
# ...Steven Walt is not so sure
# Embassy Row from "The Washington Times"