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The Skeletons in Ahmadinejad's ClosetHow Iran's president once prepared young soldiers for martyrdom.

By Zuzanna Kobrzynski, Melonyce McAfee, and Sonia Smith
Updated Friday, April 14, 2006, at 4:03 PM ET
The New Republic

New Republic, April 24
The cover article delves into Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's dark past, focusing on his experience as an instructor for the Basiji, a volunteer militia comprised primarily of minors. During the Iran-Iraq war, thousands of Basiji were sent to the front as expendable human "detonators," with many becoming martyrs. Today, the group serves as the "potent core" of Ahmadinejad's political base. "The history of the Basiji shows that we must expect monstrosities from the current Iranian regime," the author writes. … An article scolds DNC Chairman Howard Dean for focusing on long-term development while neglecting the critical task of fund-raising for 2008. The ultimate outsider, Dean has "turned the most insider institution in all of Democratic politics into a weapon in his battle against the party establishment," the author writes. … A comic strip celebrates the fall of Tom DeLay by chronicling his ill-fated political career, from his "buggy" beginnings as an exterminator to the lobbying scandal that led to his downfall.—S.S.

The Economist

Economist, April 15
A special report examines how Israel's construction of its West Bank barrier is changing Jerusalem. The wall is supposed to keep residents from killing one another, but it creates problems with land encroachment, disparities in the enforcement of settlement regulations, and the use of ethnic ID cards. The barrier's route affects "the economic ties between Israel and the West Bank, Israel's readiness to grant permits to cross the barrier, the number of available crossing-points, and how efficiently and civilly they are run," according to an expert. … An editorial piggybacks on an article about the American immigration debate and puts the quagmire into perspective: "In France the nation's youth marched for the right to work half-heartedly and not be sacked. By contrast, hundreds of thousands of immigrants in more than 100 American cities marched for a chance to work hard and not be deported."—M.M.

Reason

Reason, May 2006
Nick Gillespie reviews two books geared toward parents who are out to raise the next generation of James Carvilles and Ann Coulters. Mommy Is a Democrat and Help! Mom! There Are Liberals Under My Bed! are both chock full of partisan hackery, from the former's "Democrats make sure we are nice to people who are different, just like Mommy does," to the latter's characters "Mayor Leach" and "Mr. Fussman," a card-carrying member of the "Liberaland Civil Liberties Union." Laments Gillespie, "[T]here is something truly depressing about stealing from them the few minutes they have to themselves … to sermonize on politics." … The panic over an oral-sex pandemic with parents fretting that school might resemble a "Girls Gone Wild" episode is a product of the overactive imaginations of busybody adults, argues Cathy Young. … An article presents the libertarian solution to the impending oil drought: letting the free market come up with an alternative source of energy. Shocker.—Z.K.

Washington Monthly

Washington Monthly, May 2006
A review of Can She Be Stopped?, John Podhoretz's new book about a possible Hillary Clinton presidency, points out the prematurity of the question since the midterm elections haven't even passed. Playboy's Jamie Malanowski concentrates on debunking Podhoretz's argument that Clinton's national-security record is weak. "Podhoretz shouldn't put too much stock in finding a candidate who is going to stand in front of the American people and say 'I pledge to run the Global War on Terror the same way President Bush did,' " he suggests. … It's one thing to be abandoned in favor of a marathon doubleheader, but quite another to play second fiddle to a fantasy baseball league, argues an author who finds herself in just that situation. She writes that it's not just the time away from her boyfriend that troubles her, but the popularity of fantasy baseball. "Their numbers are growing, but they must be stopped before they ruin the sport for the rest of us."—M.M.

New York Times Magazine

New York Times Magazine, April 16
PR man Larry Ross has represented the big dogs of the Christian economic empire, including Billy Graham, T.D. Jakes, and Rick Warren, the author of The Purpose-Driven Life. In a profile, Ross explains that his business is more of a calling than a vocation. "The Kingdom of God itself is a client of sorts. Publicity, marketing and branding are his ministry," notes the writer. … If eating bad food makes you angry, an article says you may not be alone. A Finnish study found low levels of omega-3 fatty acids in prisoners. "Omega-3's foster the growth of neurons in the brain's frontal cortex, the bit of gray matter that controls impulsive behavior," the writer claims. "Could a salmon steak and a side of spinach really help curb violence, not just in prison but everywhere?" … The issue also includes a profile of Spanish novelist Juan Goytisolo, an expat living in Marrakesh.—M.M.

New York

New York, April 17
As Angelina Jolie prepares to give birth, hence "bequeath[ing] unto the celebrity weeklies a gift so magnificent that, until recently, few imagined such a thing was possible," an article examines the lengths to which paparazzi might go to snap the first shots of the newborn. Magazines are so desperate, one weekly reportedly is willing to send its staff to "go volunteer in Africa or Haiti or wherever," in order to win over Jolie and Brad Pitt. … As Congress quibbles about immigration reform, an article personalizes the plight of illegals by offering up a profile of 9-year-old Alan and his parents, who are living as undocumented aliens in Brooklyn, N.Y. Alan and a friend prepare to participate in a rally supporting the rights of illegals by chanting, "George Bush is unfair, he can kiss my butt!"—Z.K.

The New Yorker

The New Yorker, April 17
Quoting the expected shadowy (yet knowing) sources, Seymour Hersh unloads a bombshell in divulging the Bush administration's plans for Iran. Hersh claims that strategic planners inside the administration are considering using tactical nuclear weapons—specifically, bunker busters—to destroy underground Iranian nuclear sites and that covert U.S. military teams are already in Iran. According to one anonymous former senior intelligence official, "[t]he lack of reliable intelligence leaves military planners, given the goal of totally destroying the sites, little choice but to consider the use of tactical nuclear weapons." … Adam Gopnik evaluates the newly published, much hyped Gospel of Judas, in which Jesus asks Judas to betray him, throwing the whole "Judas as traitor" paradigm into question. Gopnik examines the current trend of embracing "revisionist" accounts of Jesus' life and finds in it a strange paradox. "By making the Gospel story more occult, one also drains it of its cosmic significance; making it more mysterious makes it less mystical," he writes.—S.S. 

The Weekly Standard

Weekly Standard, April 17
William Kristol pens another in a series of pep talks to President Bush urging him to start playing offense against his detractors. The president's critics piled on with accusations of hypocrisy and illegality after the revelation that Bush authorized Scooter Libby to leak intelligence about Iraq that bolstered the administration's reasoning for going to war. Kristol reminds readers, "There was nothing unlawful or improper about what Libby claims the president did." Another point of contention for Kristol is the administration's silence following a Joint Forces Command report that reinforces the now-scoffed-at claim that Iraq was a terrorism incubator. Writes Kristol, "The administration's timidity in taking on its critics, openly and publicly, is self-defeating. It's awfully hard to win a political struggle without fighting." … Fred Barnes doesn't have high hopes for John Boehner, Tom DeLay's successor, and House Republicans: "Whatever the Boehner vision turns out to be, the House won't be able to do much."—Z.K.

Newsweek

Newsweek, April 17
Katie Couric's leap from hosting Today to anchoring the CBS Evening News raises a passel of questions, according to the cover. "Will she ration her trademark smile? Will she ditch the tangerine lip gloss and killer shoes?" ask the writers. It shouldn't take long for the public to voice its opinion once Couric settles into Dan Rather's old seat. "She's shaking up a cultural institution, and viewers tend to react very quickly when there's a revolution in their living rooms." … An Afghan man who sheltered and nursed a wounded Navy SEAL until he could be airlifted from a small village says he's received mostly trouble for his efforts, an article reports. Mohammad Gulab says he has "no regrets" about rescuing the soldier whose group was overpowered by the Taliban. But now insurgents have threatened Gulab's life and American forces are not helping him, he says. "I never imagined I would pay such a price," he laments.—M.M.

Time

Time, April 17
A special report addresses what a study calls "The Silent Epidemic" of high-school dropouts in America. An "increasing number of researchers" claim that 30 percent of high-school students drop out, while other studies place the rate at 15 percent to 20 percent. Now educators and legislators are trying to stanch the flow of students leaving early with alternative schools, revamped curricula, and even by changing the age at which a student may legally drop out. … A photo essay illustrates the reconstruction of Kashmir after an earthquake rocked the region last year. Families were separated, children maimed, and millions left homeless after the 7.6 magnitude tremor in October. … Time excerpts Politics Lost, a new book by Joe Klein, who argues that consultants are souring politics. "[T]hey have drained a good deal of the life from our democracy," Klein writes. "They have become specialists in caution, literal reactionaries—they react to the results of their polling and focus groups; they fear anything they haven't tested."—M.M.

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Zuzanna Kobrzynski is Slate's executive assistant. Melonyce McAfee is a Slate copy editor. She can be reached at . Sonia Smith, a former Slate intern, is a reporter at the Baton Rouge Advocate.
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