The Rundown - February 24

News & views on RFE/RL's broadcast region

Afghanistan
#
Craig Nelson analyzes the death of Haji Zaman Ghamsharik
# The "Wall Street Journal" editorializes on Hamid Karzai's leadership
# An Afghan government administrator has arrived in Marjah
# "The New York Times" editorializes on Karzai's seizing of the electoral commission

Pakistan
#
A.Q. Khan thinks Pakistan needs to reclaim her sovereignty
# Zafar Hilaly on the high politics of Pakistan-U.S.-India relations in terms of Afghanistan
# Kamran Shafi on the strength of Pakistan's army in relation to that of Afghanistan

Iran
#
Saeed Kamali Dehghan on how riot police quelled student protests
# The EU is planning "massive" sanctions against Iran
# "Babylon & Beyond" looks at Ali Rafsanjani
# David Kay discusses the nuclear facility at Natanz

Russia
#
Nikolai Petrov thinks announced police reforms will be mostly cosmetic
# The lawyer who hired Sergei Magnitsky has fled Russia

Iraq
#
Nir Rosen does not think Iraq is unraveling
# Emile Hokayem on Iraq's messy democracy
# Thomas Friedman on Iraq's tenuous politics
# Marc Lynch compiles recent Western commentary on Iraq
# Brian Katulis wonders where Iraq sits in U.S. grand strategy

Of Interest
#
Matthew Alexander on effectively interrogating suspected terrorists
# Andrew Bacevich thinks the U.S. should withdraw from NATO
# The "Christian Science Monitor" takes the long view on NATO
# Viktor Yanukovich will travel to Brussels before going to Moscow
# Reza Aslan thinks peace in the Middle East starts with Syria

U.S. Politics
#
Embassy Row from the "Washington Times"
# Al Kamen's "In the Loop"