The Rundown -- September 23

RFE/RL in the Media

# Read Frud Bezhan in "The Atlantic" on a video purporting to show Iran's helping Assad's forces in Syria

# Read Glenn Kates in "The Atlantic" on Russian responses to McCain's Pravda.ru op-ed

Attack in Kenya

# Al-Shabaab follows tenants of Zawahiri's recommendations

# "Little Mogadishu" fears backlash

Afghanistan/Pakistan

# At least 78 killed in deadliest ever attack on Christian minority in Pakistan

# Former Taliban second-in-command released by Pakistan

# Three U.S. troops killed in insider attack

Germany

# Merkel trounces, but may have to build new coalition because of failure of Free Democrats

# "Mutti Knows Best: Merkel Delivers What Germans Want" - Charles Hawley, "Spiegel"

Syria

# AP freelancer denies writing article that linked rebels to chemical attack

# "The Spies Inside Damascus" - Ronan Bergman, "Foreign Policy"

# Islamist rebels being funded through private donations

Russia

# Lavrov chides U.S. for threat of Syria military strikes

# RT's U.S. marketing campaign

# Surkov returns as Putin aide

# Putin's op-ed was slightly different in Russian

# "Why Vladimir Putin Tried -- and Failed -- to Woo the U.S. Public" - Jeremi Suri, "Foreign Affairs"

Iran

# Revolutionary Guards warn Rohani to be wary of U.S.

# Netanyahu views nuclear deal as a "trap"
# "Short of a Deal, Containing Iran Is the Best Option" - Kenneth M. Pollack, "New York Times"

Iraq

# "New York Times" profiles "the guy who hung Saddam Hussein"

Caucasus

# Thousands rally in Azerbaijan

Eastern Europe

# Ukraine and Russia spar in Yalta on EU association agreement

Of Interest

# "Roosevelt the Revisionist" - Meredith Hinley, "Humanities"