The Rundown - March 16

News & views on RFE/RL's broadcast region

RFE/RL in the Media
# "Forbes" reprints Claire Bigg's piece on protests in Russia
# "The Independent" reports on a new radio station to North Korea
# "UPI" reports on Iran's arresting of 30 people accused of cyber warfare

Int'l Press Review

Afghanistan
# "Return of the Warlords" - Sanjay Kumar, "The Diplomat"
# Stanley McChrystal is now commanding most U.S. special forces operations
# "Peace with the Taliban" - Munir Akram, "News International"
# "Beating the Taliban at the Propaganda Game" - Allen Richarz, "CSM"

Pakistan
# "The Wall Street Journal" on Pakistan's domestic politics
# "Pakistan's Catch 22" - Sameer Lalwani, "Foreign Policy"

Iran
# Vandals have defaced buildings on Mehdi Karroubi's block in Tehran
# Iran has banned photos of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
# Iran's women are rallying against a polygamy law

Iraq
# "The New York Times" editorializes on Iraq's elections
# "The Wall Street Journal" reports on early returns

Russia
# "AFP" reports on how Russian bloggers battle corruption
# "Is Putin in Trouble?" - Miriam Elder, "Global Post"
# "The Wall Street Journal" reports on Russia's regional elections
# Some Western firms may pull out of Russia due to corruption

Of Interest
# "The Future of Capitalism" - Alan Webber, "USA Today"
# Jeanne Shaheen and George Voinovich on progress in the Balkans
# Fred Weir on the politics of language in Ukraine

U.S. Politics/Foreign Policy
# Anne Applebaum on the continuity of UK-U.S. politics
# Embassy Row from "The Washington Times"