The Rundown - March 9

News & views on RFE/RL's broadcast region

Iraq
# "The Wall Street Journal" editorializes on the elections
# Iraq's neighbors are unimpressed with its elections
# Emile Hokayem on remaining dysfunction in Iraq's politics
# "What Iraq Costs Us" - Peter Beinart, "The Daily Beast"
# "Iraqis Embrace Democracy. Do We?" - Bret Stephens, "The Wall Street Journal"
# "The Wall Street Journal" reports on tightening immigration policies in Europe

Afghanistan/Pakistan
# A peace jirga will start in Kabul on April 29
# Michael Crowley profiles Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
# "Foreign Policy" lists the recent arrests and deaths of Taliban leaders
# "Behind Pakistan's Taliban Crackdown" - Bruce Reidel, "The Daily Beast"

Iran
# Abolhassan Bani-Sadr thinks sanctioning Iran will embolden the regime

Russia
# Vladimir Frolov thinks Medvedev has a "Perestroika problem"
# "Der Spiegel" publishes a call for Russia to join NATO
# Nikolai Petrov on Russia's regional elections
# Alexi Bayer wonders if Russia can pull off the Olympics
# Vladimir Putin weighs in on Russia's 2010 Olympic woes

Of Interest
# Anne Applebaum on why Germany is reluctant to bail out Greece
# Robert Fisk on the Armenian Genocide

U.S. Politics/Foreign Policy
# James Traub bemoans America's nation-building ability
# Al Kamen's "In the Loop"
# Embassy Row from "The Washington Times"