What is happening today besides the debate

This is not a day for foreign policy.  We are all too busy getting ready for the first presidential debate tonight.  The right is preparing by reminding us all that President Obama is black.  That’s useful to shore up white male support in western Pennsylvania and Ohio.  Obama and his supporters are more anxious to suggest he is not so good at this debating stuff.  Romney is good he says.

The world has more interesting things going on.  If you are curious, try these:

1.  Georgian President Saakashvili has admitted electoral defeat and will accept, contrary to expectations, seeing his party go into opposition.

2.  Iranians have held a massive demonstration protesting the devaluation of the rial and calling on the Islamic Republic to forget about Syria and take care of its own citizens.

3.  The independent Serbian broadcaster B92 is airing a series dubbed “Patriotic Pillage” documenting abuses, smuggling and other offences in northern Kosovo.

4.  The Syrian opposition is trying to liberate Aleppo, the country’s largest city, resorting to bomb attacks that are unfortunately fulfilling the regime’s claim of terrorism.

5.  The Americans are said to be giving up on negotiations with the Taliban, which appear never to have really gotten off the ground.

6.  People have started noticing that most of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s campaign financing come from wealthy Americans, some of whom also back Mitt Romney.

These are all more interesting in my view than the debate is likely to be, but you know I’ll be watching anyway!

PS:  I should have included in this list Bashar al Assad’s need to send troops to his Lattakia, reportedly to quell fighting between pro- and anti-regime Alawite militias.  Not clear whether it is true, but if it is it could be important.  You know you are in trouble when…