Tuesday, March 12, 2013



Transmission

Odds, Ends, And Autocrats

WATCH: Turkmen State TV Coverage

Video Silly Dictator Story #26: Trees And Turkmenistan's 'Era Of Happiness'

An ambitious decree by the Turkmen president to plant 3 million trees in order to transform the country into a “blooming garden and further enrich its beautiful nature in the era of power and happiness” is now under way. More

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Power Vertical

How Russia Is Ruled

'Let me make you an offer you can't refuse.'

The Kremlin's New Deal

Vladimir Putin is offering the elite a new deal they can't refuse. And they don't like it. More

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Caucasus Report

Regional Smoke Detector

Vardan Sedrakian

One Former Armenian Presidential Candidate Arrested In Connection With Attack On Another

As he had predicted, former Armenian presidential candidate Vardan Sedrakian has been taken into custody for two months in connection with the January 31 incident in which rival candidate Paruyr Hairikian was shot and injured. More

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Tangled Web

Digital Dissidents, Rogues

Why Technology-Penetration Rates Are Worthless

Governments and policy pundits frequently cite technology-penetration rates -- Internet, mobile phone, or social media -- as meaningful proxies for deeper concepts. Despite this, in fact, penetrations rates are futile. More

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Gandhara

Blogging Afghanistan

Tahir Ashrafi, head of the All-Pakistan Ulema Council

Pakistani Cleric's Suicide Bomber Comments Anger Afghans

Comments on suicide bombers, which may or may not have been made by the head of the All-Pakistan Ulema Council, have been making waves in Afghanistan. More

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Persian Letters

Notes Of An Iran Watcher

Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani, commander of the IRGC's Qods Force, in Tehran in an undated photo

Head Of Iran’s Qods Force Suggests Assad Is Vulnerable

The head of Iran’s Qods Force, which has been accused by U.S. officials of providing military aid to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, doesn’t seem to believe the Syrian dictator can win. More

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Watchdog

Abuses Uncovered

RSF's logo for its "Enemies of the Internet" report

Iran Among Worst For Online Spying

The Paris-based media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says China, Iran, Syria, Bahrain, and Vietnam are the world's worst offenders in terms of Internet censorship and spying. More

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