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Afghan Elections, Take 2

CNN: Abdullah to drop out of runoff

CNN is reporting that Abdullah Abdullah will drop out of the Afghan runoff scheduled for Nov. 7. The report is attributed to a single "Western source close to the Afghan leadership" -- Zalmay Khalilzad, maybe? -- and says Abdullah will formally announce his decision this weekend.

Khalilzad is quoted on the record later in the story -- which doesn't necessarily mean he isn't also the unnamed source quoted at the top.

Update: The Times of London advances the story a bit with quotes from several sources who say it is "increasingly unlikely" that Abdullah will take part in the runoff.

Larry King and the king of kings

Apparently Larry King didn't think his ridiculous Ahmadinejad interview was ridiculous enough, so last night he did a one-on-one with... Muammar Qadhafi.

I'm off to commit acts of journalism for a few hours, so I'll try to watch the full interview tonight and blog about it. (Evan could beat me to the punch... but he's watched two full hours of Ahmadinejad interviews in the last 10 days and probably needs a break.)

Fortunately for our mental health, this appears to be Larry's last big-name interview for a while. Tonight he's talking with Rabbi Schmuley Boteach, Michael Jackson's "spiritual adviser."

Ahmadinejad on Larry King Live

Update #2: CNN evidently neglects to post entire interviews online, therefore I'm relying on that old stalwart, YouTube, to bring you a full liveblog of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Larry King interview.

0:00 - King asks Ahmadinejad immediately about Friday's big news: the revelation of Iran's "secret" nuclear facility near Qom.

As he did at the beginning of his Today Show interview with NBC News correspondent Ann Curry, Ahmadinejad opens his first response with words of praise for God and thanks King and his viewers. As I've said before, Ahmadinejad is definitely PR-savvy.

Wolf Blitzer interviews Netanyahu; Netanyahu wins

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set out on a couple media wooing attempts in the wake of a meeting today between himself, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. - an attempt to "narrow the gaps" between their views on how to proceed with peace negotiations.

There's not a lot of news out there about how the talks went; probably there weren't any substantial advances, but hey, at least they shook hands. Netanyahu, meanwhile, seemed to do a skillful public relations job.

EU's Stevenson alleges further voter fraud in Baghdad

Jumblatt to Assad: I'm sorry!

Petraeus: Israeli-Arab conflict endangering U.S. interests

Al-Akhbar: Our weekly brief

Peace Processing

Fallout from Biden's visit: West Bank sealed off; proximity talks appear stalled

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas greets U.S. vice president Joe Biden in Ramallah. (Photo: AFP)
As Joe Biden wraps up his Middle East tour, Palestinian officials say they're unwilling to move forward with proximity talks unless Israel cancels its new construction in East Jerusalem; and the Israeli Defense Forces have sealed off the West Bank for 48 hours, reportedly for security concerns. Several people were injured and arrested in fighting at the Al-Aqsa mosque this morning.

Peace Processing

Biden arrives in Israel amid serious Palestinian doubts

Vice President Joe Biden and his wife arrived in Israel on Monday.
As Joe Biden lands in Israel, the Israeli government -- obviously keen to demonstrate that it's serious about restarting peace talks -- announced Monday that it will violate its West Bank settlement freeze and build 112 new homes in Beitar Illit, a settlement west of Bethlehem.

Iraqi Elections

Polls close in Iraq; media reports suggest strong turnout, relative calm

An Iraqi man on a bicycle displays his ink-stained finger after voting in Baghdad on March 7, 2010. (Photo: AP)
A handful of insurgent attacks around the country killed two dozen people, but Iraqi security forces seemed generally confident; the vehicle ban in Baghdad, scheduled to last all day, was lifted before noon. Anecdotal reports suggest a strong turnout across the country.