The Rundown - July 26

Russia
# Authorities are using not-so-subtle forms of surveillance
# "The Last Free Oligarch" - Steve LeVine, "Foreign Policy"
# Masha Gessen: "Putin's religious war against Pussy Riot"
# Eugene Kaspersky and "Wired" are having a bit of a tiff
# More info is being released on the spy ring that was broken up in the U.S. two years ago

Iran
# Iran says Israel planned the Bulgaria bus attack
# An Indian-Iranian shipping company will close because of sanctions

Afghanistan/Pakistan
# "Lessons From My Talks With the Taliban" - Anatol Lieven, "Financial Times"
# "AFP" on the tech-savvy Taliban
# "Afghanistan: An Example of How Not to Give Aid" - Joel Brinkley, "Politico"

Of Interest
# Christian Bleuer on the fighting in Tajikistan
# "Assad's Fall Is Maliki's Nightmare" - Dov Zakheim, "National Interest"
# "Why Moldova Has Turned Its Back on Russia" - Anders Aslund, "Moscow Times"
# "The Full Measure of Freedom" - Christian Caryl, "Foreign Policy"

U.S. Politics/Foreign Policy
# Bill Keller on defending WikiLeaks
# Skype is making its data more available to authorities
# Inside a high-level visit of U.S. officials to China