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Sundown: The Devil In Syria

Plus, Iranian smuggling, Crowe’s cutting remarks, and more

by
Marc Tracy
June 10, 2011
From a protest at the Syrian Embassy in Ankara, Turkey.(Adem Altan/AFP/Getty Images)
From a protest at the Syrian Embassy in Ankara, Turkey.(Adem Altan/AFP/Getty Images)

• Helicopters are now firing at anti-government protesters in Syria. 32 reported dead today. [JPost]

• From a week ago, Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren insists in a letter to the editor that it is Israel’s position that “the devil we know in Syria is worse than the devil we don’t.” So Israel advocates regime change? This should be bigger news. [WSJ]

• A new U.N. report for the Security Council lists 10 instances of Iran’s supplying weapons in recent years to terrorist groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and even the Taliban. [JTA]

• Russell Crowe enters the circumcision debate on the anti- side, and then, having made a mess, rolls back. Tryin’ here, folks. [JTA]

• Baruch Korff, an Orthodox rabbi who was one of President Nixon’s spiritual confidantes and defenders during Watergate, died at 81. [NYT]

• The blog “A Gay Girl in Damascus,” which many (including The Scroll) have heralded, is most likely a work of fiction. [JPost]

• “I absolutely support Israel,” Tony Kushner told Cindy Adams (!). “It should continue to exist. I work hard to be clear that I never supported a boycott.” [Page Six]

It’s hot.

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.