NYTblog

June 12, 2002

Some good links from today's Times:
Tom Friedman: The Best of Enemies?

Despite the official ban, Iran-U.S. relations are still the No. 1 political subject here, and are still being openly discussed in Parliament and in the reformist press. And no conversation between an Iranian and a visiting American seems to be complete without some variation of the question: "When do you think we will have relations again?"

When the hardliners are no longer in control in Tehran, Iran stops exporting terrorism and stops calling for the destruction of Israel, the US and Iran will have relations again. Hopefully, the moderate majority in Iran will succeed.

The Russian mafia is boring? Clyde Haberman thinks so: Where's Ivan (The Terrible) Sopranoff?

Subway columnist Randy Kennedy on the state of bathrooms in the subway system: A Difficult Call When Nature Calls

Quality fruit on the street: Fields on Wheels: Every Street Is Orchard Street