The Rundown - December 22

Afghanistan/Pakistan
#
The perils of training the Afghan Army (w/ video)
# Philip Shenon on the "terrorist underground railroad"
# Peter Galbraith addresses claims that he tried to oust Hamid Karzai
# Peter Bergen on how bin Laden got away at Tora Bora in 2002
# Michael Crowley on anti-Americanism in Pakistan
# Christopher Hitchens on Pakistan's reliance on the U.S.
# Gerald Posner on a feud between the Karzai family and the "New York Times"
# Roderic Braithwaite on a looming Afghan quagmire

Iran
#
Nader Mousavizadeh thinks focusing on the nuclear issue harms Iranians
# The "Wall Street Journal" editorializes on yesterday's protests
# The "Independent" sees fractures in the Iranian leadership
# Maziar Bahari on the legacy of Ayatollah Montazeri
# Robert Worth reports on yesterday's funeral for Ayatollah Montazeri
# Meir Javendafar on the hole created in the opposition with Montazeri's death

Russia
#
Vladimir Rhyzhkov on a year of graft and corruption in Russia
# How the Kremlin is dealing with cyrillic url's

Iraq
#
Ranj Alaadin on the politics of the Iranian incursion into Iraq
# Kenneth Pollack on remaining challenges in Iraq
# Tom Ricks on Iraq's possible unraveling

Of Interest
#
Roger Cohen thinks America has the best chance at recovery from a tough decade
# Noah Schactman on drone hacks giving insurgents early warning
# "Newsweek" interviews leading newsmakers including Bill & Hillary Clinton
# Al-Qaeda's presence in Yemen is growing, despite U.S. efforts

-- Zach Peterson