Middle East

The Two-Way

Two Key Candidates Barred From Seeking Iran's Presidency()  

Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's candidacy for the country's presidency was rejected Tuesday by the powerful Guardian Council. He's seen here on May 11 registering his candidacy for the June 14 election.

May 21, 2013 The Guardian Council, which vets all candidates, approved eight names, but left out an influential former president and a top aide to the current president. Their exclusion gives establishment-friendly candidates a clear path to the presidency in the June 14 election.

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Parallels

Iran's 'Zahra' Tells Alternate Tale Of Presidential Campaign()  

A panel from Amir Soltani's Zahra on the Campaign Trail. Drawing by Khalil.

May 20, 2013 What do you do when you can't openly wage a campaign for the presidency? Some Iranians inside and outside the country have turned to the heroine of an online graphic novel who has embarked on a virtual campaign.

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The Two-Way

Syrian Troops Target Key Rebel-Held Town()  

Syrians inspect Saturday the rubble of buildings damaged by government airstrikes in Qusair, Syria. The image was provided by Qusair Lens, and was authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting.

May 19, 2013 Qusair is a strategically important town that lies between Homs, where the Syrian uprising began two years ago, and the Lebanese border. If President Bashar Assad's troops – reportedly backed by Hezbollah fighters — regain the town, they would control an important route from the coast to the capital, Damascus.

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The Two-Way

Bashar Assad: A Political Solution In Syria Is 'Unreal' ()  

Syrian President Bashar Assad made it clear in an interview with the Argentine newspaper El Clarin that he was not resigning.

May 18, 2013 The Syrian president also left no room for his departure. "The captain of a ship doesn't flee when faced with a storm," he said during an interview with an Argentine newspaper.

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