Activists Spied On Assad's Private Emails

The Guardian has a big Syrian scoop today in the form of what it says are more than 3,000 private emails from the accounts of Bashar al-Assad and wife Asma. Activists apparently had access to the accounts for months, sometimes using them to get wind of military maneuvers, until a separate hack by Anonymous earlier this year blew their cover. The emails cover a huge range of topics, from the personal to the political, and in general "paint a portrait of a first family remarkably insulated from the mounting crisis and continuing to enjoy a luxurious lifestyle," says the newspaper. Pick a topic here.

Some highlights:

• Entertainment: Assad liked everyone from Chris Brown to, oddly, Right Said Fred, according to his iTunes purchases. He also ordered the Steve Jobs biography. Click for details.
• Mocking the Arab League: Assad liked a YouTube video that made fun of Arab League observers' inability to see what was really going on. Click for details.
• Luxe living: Amid national shortages, wife Asma ordered about $15,000 worth of candlesticks, tables, and chandeliers from Paris, along with a fondue set from Amazon.

(More Syria stories.)