Mona Eltahawy, the columnist arrested as she defaced a “Defeat Jihad” poster in a New York subway came on the show today to defend her actions. She said she would do it all over again because she acted "out of a belief in freedom of expression.”

Filed under: CNN •Idesk •Mona Eltahawy

The spokesman for UN envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, came on the show and stressed how focused the envoy is on the crisis in Syria. Watch to see how he responds when asked for a specific plan of action or a specific time table.

Filed under: CNN •Idesk •Syria •UNGA

Today we continue our in depth look at the crisis in Syria with CNN’s Ivan Watson. He reports from a refugee camp on the border of Syria and Turkey where people are desperately trying to gain access to Turkey.

Filed under: CNN •Idesk •Syria •UNGA

Many people are worried about the effects of cell phone radiation on the brain and the debate continues. CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, came on the show today to talk about the latest research and precautions you can take everyday.

Filed under: CNN •Health •Idesk

Doctors and scientists are currently trying to identify and treat a new "mystery" virus that has already claimed one life. CNN Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen visited the show today to explain what we do know.

Filed under: CNN •Health

Hello everyone...

Hala is taking a day off, after a wild few weeks of travel - as all of you saw at the I-Desk from Haiti and France. As a result, Jonathan Mann is leading the charge in today's programme.

We're covering several big stories around the world, including the arrest of a top Taliban military commander in Pakistan. But, what does it mean for the overall fight against the Taliban? We're taking a closer look with Reza Sayah in Islamabad.

From the U.A.E. to the Palestinian territories to Ireland, there are new developments in an international murder mystery. Eleven people arrested in Dubai, accused of torturing and killing a Hamas leader. The suspects have passports from several western countries, including Ireland - which announced that they had never heard of the suspects. There are several twist and turns in this story. Paula Hancocks hopes to iron them out from Jerusalem, where she also had reaction from the victim's brother.

At the Vatican, the crisis talks continue between the Pope and members of the Catholic Church in Ireland. We're expecting to hear from Vatican officials in the coming hours, leading up to our show. But, will their comments and the Pope's reaction be enough, after so many years of sex abuse allegations in the Church? We're taking a closer look from Rome.

We also have new CNN poll numbers on Americans' opinion of Pres. Barack Obama. And, for the first time, we're asking: Does Pres. Obama deserve to be re-elected in two-years? And, speaking of the U.S. leader, some people in Indonesia are mad about a statue erected in Mr. Obama's honor. Find out what they're now doing with the statue, at 18:00 in London, 19:00 across Central Europe.

See you then!
J the P.

Posted by: Javier de Diego, Senior Producer
Filed under: Barack Obama •CNN •Iran •Israel-Gaza •Terrorism •Today At The I-Desk

Greetings from the I-Desk...

First of all, Hala is off this week. And, for most of the week, BackStory's Michael Holmes will be fillling-in. He'll join us today, to bring you the latest news headlines and live reports feeding into CNN.

Alright, so here's what's on tap –

The U.S. and China are trying to continue warming-up relations, with a forum in Washington today. And, the U.S. brought out the big guns, with President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner. So, what does this mean for the future of relations, between the world's largest communist country and the world's most prominent democracy?? Our Jill Dougherty is joining Michael live, to break it all down.

Also, on the diplomatic front, Britain's government today urged the Afghan government to reach out to the Taliban. Is this a good and viable idea? Or, is Gordon Brown's government trying to pander to those, who are increasingly becoming ANTI-Afghanistan? Our Senior International Correspondent, Nic Robertson, who's been to Afghanistan a number of times, is following that one from London.

And, keeping with the diplomatic theme, we're following developments in the Middle East, between Israel and Iran... And, in Honduras, between Roberto Micheletti's government and the ousted president, Jose Manuel Zelaya.

Then, on a lighter note... Why is Bill Gates quitting Facebook?? Let's just say - some of YOU may be to blame. It's a story you don't want to miss.

See you at the I-Desk!
J the P

Posted by: Javier de Diego, Senior Producer
Filed under: Afghanistan •China •CNN •Today At The I-Desk

We continue to receive fiery and opinionated responses to the unrest in Sri Lanka on our blog. In response, we want to use this post to establish a forum for anyone who still wants to share their thoughts. Think of it as a discussion or sounding board for all things related to the current situation in that country. Unfortunately, we will have to delete any comments on the topic left on unrelated blog postings. Thanks!

-The I-Desk Team

Filed under: CNN •Sri Lanka

After lengthy court battles John Demjanjuk, 89, a purported Nazi concentration camp guard accused of being responsible for some 29,000 deaths during World War II, has finally arrived on German soil to face that country's criminal courts.

Demjanjuk has been in this position, when, being accused of having been Ivan the Terrible, a notoriously brutal guard at the Treblinka concentration camp, he was found guilty in an Israeli court in the late 1980s and sentenced to death for his crimes. Subsequent refutations of the facts led to him being exonerated and he returned to his life in the United States.

This recent saga got me thinking about the culpability we still assign– 64 years after the end of the war– to these diminutive holdovers of evil.

I recently read a novel titled ‘The Kindly Ones’ by Jonathan Littell. Told from the viewpoint of a Nazi bureaucrat, it makes the case (among many cases) that men like Demjanjuk were merely tools of a twisted regime, doing what they were told was their duty. It's not necessarily an idea I believe, it's much more complicated–almost unapproachable in its philosophy. The notorious Nazi Adolf Eichmann used this argument in his trial in Israel, stating he was merely a puppet, carrying out orders. He was convicted and executed.

The argument continues that the real men of evil—the ones we should hold accountable– were the architects, the brutal designers, the puppet masters of the committed atrocities. Who those people are is vague in and of it self for where does the authoritative voice become the subservient one? Who is the voice of "reason" and who complacently follows "reason" to its inexorable end?

No doubt if Demjanjuk is guilty of what he is accused of he did monstrous things. But after living a full life, what is the value of this delayed justice? What do all those who suffered from his acts or from acts similar to his feel about this man who represents so many things to so many people?

Posted by: Video Journalist, Zach Pontz
Filed under: CNN

We want to thank everyone who has contributed their thoughts on the unrest in Sri Lanka over the past few days. Unfortunately, due to high volume, we've had to disable comments. We've simply been unable to keep up with the pace! For everyone who posted their opinions: we hear your voice. And for everyone we couldn't accomodate: we apologize and rest assured you won't go unheard. Thanks!

-The I-Desk Team

Filed under: CNN •Sri Lanka