Iran Democracy Monitor: No. 168
Iran's Iraqi beachhead gets bigger;
A new push into Latin America;
Russian fighters in Iran? Iran's newest investor 
Iran's Iraqi beachhead gets bigger;
A new push into Latin America;
Russian fighters in Iran? Iran's newest investor 
Russian demography: still dismal;
The high cost of exposing Russia’
s doping practices 
On a hot rainy day in August 2013, a group of young Colombians were celebrating the completion of a playground project in the village of Villarrica, Tolima. The project was funded by a nonprofit, Fundación ECCO, which I founded to encourage youths in rural areas affected by violence to develop leadership skills and engage in the democratic process.
Xinjiang outlines new anti-terrorism laws;
Latest stand-off at the China-India border
The United States was humiliated this week when the USS Nitze came under simulated attack by four Iranian missile and torpedo-equipped speedboats in international waters. Despite American warnings, radio calls, flares and foghorns, two of the boats came within a few hundred yards of the Nitze. Iran is harassing American naval warships in the Persian Gulf while Washington refuses to acknowledge Iranian threats for reasons that are both political and practical.