Der Spiegl dives into Syria's tortuous revolution-cum-civil war:

“The lurching family business is still keeping itself afloat, partly because no alternatives are in sight yet. The prominent civil rights activists who penned the "Damascus Declaration" in 2005 have a program, but no followers. The protest movement in the streets has followers, but no program that extends beyond deposing the regime.”

Definitely worth a full read.

Ibrahim Saif on the failure of government-backed social programs in the Middle East:

“(S)ocial spending is distinguished by low levels of competency, especially in healthcare and education -- the two sectors that capture the greatest share of social expenditure. These sectors are usually not subject to oversight and lack indicators to measure their operational efficiency. Most of the expenditures go to wages and salaries, rather than to areas such as research and development, which could help improve competency and reduce waste.

These sectors also are resistant to change. They are based on obsolete regulations and bureaucratic measures that are difficult to change. Because of the low average employee salary, they often do not attract the most competent candidates and offer employees too few incentives to increase their work efficiency and motivation.”

And a list of practical and actionable suggestions for U.S. foreign assistance reform in Afghanistan from Desaix Myers:

"•Lower the footprint: Building a team of individuals with field experience and enough time in-country to establish trust is more important than increasing numbers in-country. It’s better to focus on fewer people and fewer activities.

• Streamline coordination and oversight: We need to cut coordinating meetings and duplicative requests for information. More responsibility needs to be delegated to lower levels.

•Rein in expectations: State-building involves often-competing objectives. We want the Afghans to do more but we want less corruption. Building the institutions to contain corruption takes time, but we want the government to get credit for better schools and health now. Finding a balance requires patience. Going slower, with fewer but more knowledgeable people working on fewer projects and spending less money stretched over longer time makes sense — if we can develop strategic patience.

•Develop “expeditionary” civilians willing to be deployed to danger zones critical to national security for years not months. The military has an “AfPak Hands” program to develop a cadre of 750 officers with knowledge and expertise to work on the region’s problems for five to seven years. Civilian agencies could do something similar, creating a team based in Washington, traveling frequently to the field, living in-country for up to 24 months, working the problem for four to five years, and developing the area and language expertise needed to do the job."

Allison Benedikt's stream-of-consciousness narrative of how she turned against the American Zionist movement is making ripples in the blogosphere.

It's essentially a story about a journey from naivete to cynicism (and back again?), but it's an interesting one, especially if you've grown up in a similar cultural milieu, or have an interest in American Zionism.

See Goldblog's response here (he's not terribly impressed), and Sullivan here (he is impressed). I'd give you money quotes, but to be honest, this type of writing doesn't lend itself to quoting.

Longtime readers will remember when we highlighted Krispy Kreme’s expansion to Turkey a couple of years back. Now it’s the International House of Pancakes’ turn to take their uniquely American riff on breakfast eastward. From MSN Money:

“DineEquity, Inc. (NYSE: DIN), the world's largest full-service restaurant company, announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, IHOP Franchise Company, LLC, has signed a multi-restaurant franchise agreement with an affiliated entity of Kuwait-based M.H. Alshaya Co., WLL, for the development of 40 new IHOP Restaurants in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain and Egypt.”

Despite claiming international cred, the new Middle East locations will be the chain’s first step outside of North America.  I for one can’t wait to see what a halal IHOP menu looks like.

Mohammed Alshaya, executive chairman of M.H. Alshaya Co., cheerily explained his decision to partner with DineEquity to bring mounded  pancakes and cheese-encased omelets to the Arab world: "Consumers in the Middle East consistently tell us that they want the great quality and value that IHOP represents and we are pleased to introduce this leading American dining brand here.”

Something tells me he’s never actually eaten at IHOP.

Sorry for the blogging break, folks. I've been battling a mountain of work and cripplingly slow internet at home (thanks, Comcast). I know that Jon has been rather busy with his day gig as well. Hopefully we'll both be back blogging substantive stuff here soon.

In the meantime, I've taken to Twitter to issue abbreviated political missives and share links, so follow me (@evantachovsky) if you're so inclined. 

Evan

“[T]he all-too-human mistake…was that of allowing ourselves to believe there is something morally redeeming in the quality of victimhood itself. There isn’t. The very opposite is likely to be the case: the victims of cruelty or injustice are not only no better than their tormentors; they are more often than not just waiting to change places with them.

[We] turn to victimhood as a way out of our own helplessness…But victimhood is not a quality; it is a condition. Invariably it is a condition that diminishes both the victims and us who have not been hurt, but who write, and who make mistakes when we are consumed with outrage or shame. The danger is that one tends to forget, in such a charged emotional climate, that in a region like the Middle East, victimhood is a condition that may very well have touched everybody, including the victimizers.”

Kanan Makiya, Republic of Fear, Introduction to the 1998 edition, p. XXIX

How quickly we forget. Reflecting on the capture of bin Laden, I dug up an old Hitchens article on the capture Khalid Sheikh Muhammad. Although nobody seems to remember this, he was found in the garrison city that serves as the headquarters of the Pakistani military:

I remember laughing out loud, in what was admittedly a mirthless fashion, when Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, one of Osama Bin Laden's most heavy-duty deputies, was arrested in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Straining to think of an apt comparison, I fail badly. But what if, say, the Unabomber had been found hiding out in the environs of West Point or Fort Bragg? Rawalpindi is to the Pakistani military elite what Sandhurst is to the British, or St Cyr used to be to the French. It's not some boiling slum: It's the manicured and well-patrolled suburb of the officer class, very handy for the capital city of Islamabad if you want to mount a coup…Who, seeking to evade capture, would find a safe house in such a citadel?

Yet, in the general relief at the arrest of this outstanding thug, that aspect of the matter drew insufficient attention. Many words of praise were uttered, in official American circles, for the exemplary cooperation displayed by our gallant Pakistani allies. But what else do these allies have to trade, except al-Qaida and Taliban suspects, in return for the enormous stipend they receive from the U.S. treasury? Could it be that, every now and then, a small trade is made in order to keep the larger trade going?

Plus ca change.

Azerbaijan's fourth Eurovision attempt turned out to be charmed one. Since joining the European Broadcasting Union in 2007 the small Caucasus country placed well in the pan-European exercise in ESL English, ridiculous costumes, and saccharine pop, coming in 3rd in 2009 and 5th in 2010.   

On Saturday night, Eldar Kasimov and Nigar Djamal AKA Ell & Nikki brought home the trophy with their appropriately sentimental tune "Running Scared" (see below for video). 
   
It's hard to overstate just how big a deal this is for Azerbaijanis. Beyond being a point of national pride, the Eurovision contest has been a matter of economic planning. The winner of the contest hosts the following year's competition and Azerabaijan has been preparing for its day in the Eurovision sun since it entered the competition. Hotels were built, venues constructed--all far in excess of domestic demand. 

Eurovision will fill those largely empty spaces, if only for a summer, and more importantly give Azerbaijan a chance to prove that it has the infrastructure and temperament to host major, international events. 

Update- Der Spiegel considers both the opportunities and potential pitfalls for Azerbaijan: 
Next year, the spotlight will be on Azerbaijan with both its boom and its youthful success with Ell/Nikki, but also its political and human rights blemishes. The song contest could be a Grand Prix opportunity for Baku to show a new face of prosperity and success, and for Azerbaijan to polish its reputation. Perhaps the extra international attention will prompt the government to allow more freedoms and put pressure on the regime to better its human rights record.

But the event could also leave Eurovision running scared if the government doesn't take action to improve its international image.

By Matt Bors, via War is Boring. 

Vanity Fair has an excerpt from the autiobiography of a Navy Seal vet-- who served in the same elite team that was sent to Pakistan to kill bin Laden. Here is one example of the training that aspiring Navy Seals endure:

We arrived at the pool located at Building 164 and stripped down to our UDT swim shorts. An instructor said, “You are going to love this. Drown-proofing is one of my favorites. Sink or swim, sweet peas.”

I tied my feet together, and my swim partner tied my hands behind my back.

“When I give the command, the bound men will hop into the deep end of the pool,” Instructor Stoneclam said. “You must bob up and down 20 times, float for five minutes, swim to the shallow end of the pool, turn around without touching the bottom, swim back to the deep end, do a forward and backward somersault underwater, and retrieve a face mask from the bottom of the pool with your teeth.”

All politics aside, Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan may well be the best political battle rapper alive. 

Exhibit A: In response to a proposal by CHP presidential challenger Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu that the two meet for a televised debate Erdogan spat back, "Bu lig meselesi. Amatör kümede oynayanla, süper ligde oynayanı biraraya getirmek mümkün mü? Sen daha dur bakalım. Daha çok ekmek yiyeceksin. Daha çok işin var."

Loosely translated: "This is a matter of league. Is it possible for someone who plays in an amateur league and someone who plays in the Super League to come together? Hold up, let's take a look. You've got more bread to to eat. You have more work to do." 

Reminds me a bit of this.