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An Iranian police officer, pictured in a white shirt, is protected and taken away by people after being beaten by protesters in Tehran Photograph: AP

Read the latest about the civilian protests and clashes with the government here and here.

Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri

Read about the death of the leading reformist Iranian cleric here

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Hassan Abbas

Hassan Abbas interviews Hillary Clinton on her recent trip to Pakistan.  Read the exchange here

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned opposition leaders Friday of a “harsh response” if they continued speaking out against the government, a move that analysts said opened the way for their possible arrest.

Read the rest of this NY Times article here.

Read about the steps being taken to discredit the allegations of rape.

Students in  Tehran, 2006

Students in Tehran, 2006

Women have been on the front lines of the reform movement in Iran.  Read the CFR’s Isobel Coleman’s take on Iran’s not-so-silent activists  here

Iranians have bravely turned out in the streets to question the crowning of President Ahmadinejad.  What was first a protest over votes has turned into a violent confrontation over the future of the Republic. Read an overview here.

The ruling party awaits a court decision brought by Kemalist prosecutors that could oust them from power. Read about it here.

The Network 20/20 Pakistan delegation has returned home, but our work is far from over. In the months ahead we will be publishing our report along with some short films about our findings. For now, here are some photos and observations from the trip.

When people in the U.S. think of Pakistan, many imagine a man like this. We have seen him on the news screaming for the death of America and we are afraid. Men like that are the exception, not the rule. Most people here long for a robust democracy.


The reality is that there are many more men like this.  He, too, deserves a break today.


It’s a poor country, but there are many who strive to make it better.  On this trip, I encountered some of the smartest people I have ever met. They are Pakistanis and they are working tirelessly to raise up their country.


Infrastructure is a huge challenge in Pakistan. The country needs good roads and—even more important—reliable power. The electricity goes down every day. This unpredictability prevents the economy from moving forward.


Textiles are a huge export business, but this fellow works strictly on local goods.


Independent women can have a rough time here, yet they have risen to the highest ranks of politics and they will remain an active force in shaping the nation’s future.

It’s hot here—and not just politically. The temperature in Lahore is close to 110 degrees. These two are in a growth business.

In Peshawar, at the border crossing with the North-West Frontier Province, I witnessed some of the glorious chaos that is Pakistan. This boy crossed into Peshawar, from a region that foreigners are forbidden from entering. His future will depend on education and opportunity. What are the forces that could conspire against him? Will Pakistan reach its potential? Will he view the U.S. as a friend or foe?  Is there anything that we can do to help ensure that he has a peaceful and prosperous future?

For the answers you’ll have to wait for our report.

Rami Khouri writes thoughtfully about the US role in the Mid-East. Read it here

The world holds it’s breath while Mugabe starts cracking down on the opposition.  Read about it here.