The life expectancy of Iran's nuclear physicists is falling rapidly and is almost as low as civil-rights activists, journalists, and public intellectuals.

In one of his last acts as prime minister, Barham Salih symbolically launched the Aras Publishing House’s book fair in Erbil. The event featured important Kurdish classics, translations of Western works, as well as children’s books. Book fairs are important.

Hay's mission was to establish civil administration as the British took control of Iraq from Ottoman authorities.

Transparency matters. Regardless of the mansion's ownership, if President Barzani is sincere about combating corruption, he should require that every official serving in his government detail their property holdings and business interests, not only in Iraqi Kurdistan, but also abroad.

The U.S. must do damage control in Afghanistan. The recent WikiLeaks disclosures are undoing months of efforts by U.S. diplomats to repair relations with the Karzai government.

What will happen at this latest Iraqi Kurdistan turning point?

Rubin reviews Mike Tucker's Hell is Over, Voices of the Kurds after Saddam.

How has the president managed to build such a formidable power base? Who are the key members of his coterie, and will they enable their benefactor to outsmart the supreme leader to become Iran's effective ruler?