RFE/RL in the Media
# Daud Khattak writes about PTI's continued support for peace talks, even after assassination, for "The Friday Times"
# RIA Novosti claims RFE/RL Uzbek website is unblocked
# UPI cites RFE/RL coverage of the Georgian presidential election
# "The National Review" cites RFE/RL coverage of human rights issues in Iran
Middle East
# Al-Nusra becoming the more "moderate" force in Syria?
# "Assad's War of Starvation" - John Kerry, Foreign Policy
Iran
# Eighty lashes for communion with wine
# Israel issues warning to Iran
# Tehran removes anti-U.S. billboards as divisions crystalize
# "Threading the Needle" - Walter Russell Mead, "The American Interest"
Afghanistan/Pakistan
# "Why U.S. Troops Want to Stay in Afghanistan" - Michael Phillips, "Wall Street Journal"
# NATO plans "minimalist" mission in Afghanistan
# A "watery escape" for the (male) middle class
Iraq
# Fifty-three killed in day of carnage in Iraq
Russia
# Saint Petersburg may make bid to host Summer Olympics
# Thousands march in Russia to demand freedom for Bolotnaya protesters
# Three generations of dissidents -- third in prison because of Greenpeace protest
# "Accusations of Racism Haunting Russia" - Patrick Reevell, "New York Times"
Eastern Europe
# Moldova says it will fight for wines to return to Russian market
Caucasus
# "Georgia Elects New President, but Real Power Will Rest With Next Premier" - David Herszenhorn, "New York Times"
# "Georgia Thrilled At Boring Landslide Elections, But Intrigue Remains" - Max Seddon, Buzzfeed
# 3,000 participate in opposition rally in Azerbaijan
Central Asia
# "A Conversation with Sanjar Umarov" - uznews.net
Of Interest