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Daybreak: Syrian Regime Truly Beyond Hope

Plus the Etan Patz confession, and more in the news

by
Marc Tracy
June 08, 2012
This girl was actually wounded in an attack on security services, in Damascus.(-/AFP/GettyImages)
This girl was actually wounded in an attack on security services, in Damascus.(-/AFP/GettyImages)

• In Syria, observers were barred from entering a village where a massacre of up to 78 reportedly occurred. Then, the army again began shelling a part of the rebel stronghold of Homs. Russia and China are still resisting further economic sanctions, however. [WP]

• A jarring account of the Etan Patz confession: “At first, Mr. Hernandez, 51, averted his eyes from the image of the 6-year old boy … .” [NYT]

• As new talks begin between U.N. nuclear inspectors and Iran, China urged “flexibility”—to Iran. The inspectors are seeking access to several suspected military sites, most notably Parchin. [JTA]

• Prime Minister Erdogan has been a good friend to President Obama, writes David Ignatius, which is part of why Obama has continued close relations despite protest from American Jews upset over his posturing (and worse) on Israel. [WP]

• Follow the money? New governments are finding it difficult to track down the billions accumulated by the former dictators of Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya. [NYT]

• In its highest-profile case yet, the Palestinian Authority anti-corruption court sentenced a finance minister under Yasser Arafat to 15 years in prison. [NYT]

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