RFE/RL in the Media
# Foreign Policy mentions Frud Bezhan’s piece “Remembering Karzai”
# Andre Mendes’ Journey From CIO to COO, cioinsight.com
# BurnISISFlagChallenge in Kosovo, gatestoneinstitute.org
Afghanistan/Pakistan
# Afghanistan’s Failed Transformation – Ahmed Rashid, NYT
# This new era for Afghanistan has come at a cost – Michael Keating, Guardian
# Afghanistan: The New President and a Joint Venture Government – Rajeshwari Krishnamurthy, IPCS
# The ‘secret’ doctor on a mission to help Afghanistan’s women, AI
# Mistrust between Afghanistan and Pakistan soars as U.S. forces depart, WP
# In Pakistan, some antigovernment protesters just want to go home, LAT
# Pakistan Rising? – Fouzia Saeed, NI
# Can Pakistan’s new ISI spy chief Rizwan Akhtar restore security?, BBC
Caucasus
# Azerbaijan: Lawyers denied access to Leyla Yunus, Index on Censorship
# Azerbaijan: Rasul Jafarov appeal, Index on Censorship
# Gay couple in Azerbaijan forced to flee after engagement vow makes local news, Guardian
# Georgia eyes economic development, wary of Russia: deputy PM, Reuters
Central Asia
# Uzbekistan: Sentences Often Extended for Merest Excuse, HRW
# Kazakhstan Considers Dollar Bond Comeback, WSJ
Iraq/Syria
# Islamic State air strikes in Iraq ‘would be legal’ – No 10, BBC
# Iraq looms large again for Hillary Clinton as she weighs another White House bid, WP
# Britain’s involvement in the new Iraq war is a doomed and dangerous gesture, – Simon Jenkins, Guardian
# Women’s Rights Activist Executed by ISIS in Iraq, NYT
# Obama’s war of democracy in Iraq, Syria – Editorial, CSM
# Iraq reveals Isil ‘terror plot’ to attack America and France, Telegraph
Iran
# Iran’s president appeals for ‘united’ world against extremism in name of Islam, WP
# Why Iran Can’t Walk Away from Nuclear Talks So Easily – Alireza Nader, NI
# EU turns to Iran as alternative to Russian gas, euractiv.com
# The fight against the Islamic State must include Iran, – Fareed Zakaria, WP
# Obama’s Isis coalition was built at Iran’s expense, and Rouhani knows it – Ali Gharib, Guardian
# Will Iran Sell Out Al Qaeda for Nukes?, thedailybeast.com
Russia
# Amid Ukraine crisis, Russia sanctions force exodus of Western energy, CSM
# Russia Needs to Start Looking After Its Health – Cesar Chelala, MT
# Russia Speeds Up Law to Ban Most Foreign Web Services, MT
# Russian TV sees US plot behind Ukraine and IS militants, BBC
# Is Russia’s Paul McCartney a traitor? The Kremlin would like you to think so, CSM
# West v Russia: Propaganda war rages on – Alexander Nekrassov, Al-Jazeera
# The West Gives Putin Too Much Credit, Joerg Forbrig, MT
Ukraine
# EU Official Raises Prospect of Reworking Ukraine Trade Pact, WSJ
# At least 955 Ukrainian soldiers killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine, Kyiv Post
# An Orwellian nightmare for pro-Ukrainians in rebel-held east, WP
# Barroso Won’t Rule Out Changes to EU-Ukraine Pact, WSJ
# “Whatever it takes” in Ukraine, euractiv.com
# Why Eurosceptics should back Ukraine – Daniel Hannan, Telegraph
Of Interest
# Khorasan: Behind the Mysterious Name of the Newest Terror Threat, Time
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