The Rundown - January 7

News & views on RFE's broadcast region

Pakistan
# "Global Post" on the possible collapse of Pakistan's government
# "An Assassination In Pakistan" - Ali Dayan Hasan, "The New York Times"
# "The New York Times" reports on Sufi Islam in Pakistan
# "Pakistani Muslims Should Protect Christians" - Faheem Younus, "Christian Science Monitor"
# "Death Of A Liberal In Pakistan" - Editorial, "The Washington Post"
# "Foreign Policy" interviews Pervez Musharraf

Afghanistan
#
Afghanistan and Pakistan will hold a jirga to deal with the Taliban
# The Taliban has not lost much in the way of numbers of fighters

Iraq
# "Moqtada al-Sadr Should Not Be Above The Law" - Hayder al-Khoei, "The Guardian"
# "Sadr Returns" - Paul Pillar, "National Interest"

Iran
# "Why the Pahlavi Dynasty Still Haunts Iranians" - Azadeh Moaveni, "Time"
# Iran has arrested a woman accused of being a U.S. spy

Russia
# "The Wheels Come Off The Russian Tandem" - Thomas de Waal, "National Interest"
# Russia's junior hockey team was penalized by Delta Airlines for excessive celebration

Of Interest
# "Hungary's Critics Are Too Quick To Judge" - Viktor Orban, "Financial Times"
# "Wiki Rehab" - Evgeny Morozov, "The New Republic"
# "The Economist" on Clay Shirky's essay on technology and democracy

U.S. Politics/Foreign Policy
# Hillary Clinton met with human rights activists from Belarus
# Robert Gates outlined $78 billion in defense budget cuts
# An ex-CIA officer has been indicted for leaking documents
# William Daley is the new White House Chief of Staff
# Al Kamen's "In The Loop"