Steven Groves, writing for The Heritage Foundation, criticizes President Obama's use of "the responsibility to protect" as a justification for U.S. military action in Libya.  Groves argues that adhering to the R2P (Responsibility to Protect) doctrine, as formulated by the Canadian led International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty (ICISS), which requires U.N. authorization, sets a dangerous precedent.  He argues that as more nations subscribe to the doctrine, it will ...

On Thursday, Senator John McCain stated that he is working with Senators John Kerry (D-MA), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) to draft a resolution that will contain "language that can receive an overwhelming vote in the Senate."  The group has not yet decided whether the resolution will be "a symbolic measure," or something binding.  McCain also stated that the group is working with the administration to pass something "they ...

Radwan A. Masmoudi, President of the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy responded to a statement by Dr. Iadh Ben Achour, head of the Tunisian High Council for Political Reforms and Achievement of the Goals of the Revolution, that Tunisia does not need and will not have international election monitors.  Masmoudi stated that while he understands the "sensitivity" of foreign intervention, it "is totally misplaced in this case." ...

In a letter addressed to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,  Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called on the State Department to condition any long-term support or recognition of the Libyan opposition movement on a public commitment, by the group, to extradite Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi. He stated that such action would show good faith on part of the Libyan rebels seeking U.S. assistance.  "The Libyan opposition," Shumer stated, "has an ...

On Monday, the Middle East Institute hosted a discussion on the nature of cyberactivism in the uprisings taking place across the Middle East. Kate Seelye, Vice President of the Middle East Institute, made opening remarks and introduced the speakers: Adel Iskandar, Professor in Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, and Courtney Radsch, Senior Program Officer at Freedom House. To read full notes, continue below or click here for pdf. Kate Seelye ...

Writing for the Arab Reform Bulletin, Asma Nouira discusses the obstacles facing Tunisia's democratic transition and how the lack of effective leadership has hindered the establishment of foundations of political reform and the legitimacy of representation.  Nouira states that Tunisians have vacillated between constitutional legitimacy and revolutionary legitimacy as they progress in their transition.  She  notes the formation of a committee to draft a new constitution based on a system ...

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said that a judiciary committee will be set up to "study" the abolition of the country's emergency law.  The emergency law has been in place since 1963 restrict public gatherings and movement and permit arrests without charge.  The committee is expected to finish its inquiry by April 25th.  Repealing the emergency law may take some time, according to Al-Jazeera's Cal Perry, based in Damascus.  The ...

Bahrain's main Shi'ite opposition party al-Wefaq has stated that security forces have recently stepped up their campaign to arrest activists and Shi'ites in the country.  The party puts the number already arrested at 302 people and expects that number to reach 400 soon if the rate of arrests continue.  An influential Bahraini internet activists has reportedly been arrested.   Mahmood al-Yousif runs several websites including Just Bahraini, an anti-sectarian website ...

Kuwait's cabinet submitted its resignation on Thursday in order to avoid a questioning session from parliament members.  Members of the parliament had asked to question three ministers, all of whom are members of the ruling al-Sabah family.  In Kuwaiti politics, parliamentary questioning of ministers has triggered several cabinet reshuffles and is seen as a direct challenge to the individual minister and the ruling Emir Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah. Cabinet Member Roudhan ...

POMED's Senior Research Associate Daphne McCurdy was interviewed by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on Bashar al-Assad's recent speech addressing protests in Syria.  McCurdy said the Assad's speech was an attempt to pacify the unrest by stoking fear of Iraq or Lebanon-style sectarian strife in the ethnically and religiously diverse nation.  She explained that there may be internal divisions within the regime on how to respond to the protests as security forces ...

Libyan Foreign Minister  and former intelligence chief Moussa Koussa defected from Gadhafi's regime on Wednesday dealing a serious blow to Muammar Gadhafi.  Koussa is believed to have been one of Gadhafi's closest advisors and confidantes with unparalleled knowledge of the inner workings of the regime and particularly his inner circle.  Fawaz Gerges of the Middle East Centre at the London School of Economics called Koussa the "architect" of Libyan foreign policy ...

Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) released a joint statement last night criticizing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad: "President Assad’s speech this morning should put to rest any notion that he is a ‘reformer.'  Rather than offering the reasonable reforms that the Syrian people have been calling for, Assad instead bizarrely blamed the protests on outside ‘conspirators,’ ignoring the true source of the unrest – his own regime’s failed and ...

The following graphic, courtesy of NOWLebanon!, shows the cities and towns across Syria where protests have been taking place.

On Wednesday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations held a budget hearing for the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Administrator of USAID, Dr. Rajiv Shah, testified before the subcommittee. The Congressional panel was moderated by subcommittee Chairwoman Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX). Ranking Member Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) and House Appropriations Chairman Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA) were also in attendance along with Reps. Jesse ...

Video courtesy of CNN

On Wednesday, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen will hold classified briefings on Libya today on the hill. The House briefing will take place at 2:30 and the Senate at 5:00. The goal of the briefings will be to outline the current events on the ground as well as the administration's policy. The briefings come as many members of Congressman ...

David Ignatius, writing in The Washington Post, argues that President Bashar Al Assad is,  "attempting a new survival tactic in this Arab Spring — organizing what looks like a coup against his own government." With his dismissal of the government and his support for massive protests, Ignatius believed that Assad was gearing up for a major statement on reform today. Although this major statement did not come in explicit terms, Assad's claims ...

Human Rights Watch issued a report stating that "demonstrators and bystanders wounded in anti-government protests" are being targeted for "harassment, mistreatment, and in some cases denying them critical care." The report states that since the Bahraini Defense Forces  took over the country's largest medical facility on March 16th, "security and military forces have sought out and threatened, beaten and detained patients injured by teargas, rubber bullets, birdshot pellets, and live ...

Writing at The New Republic, Abbas Milani, argues that although there have been a wide array of important events taking place around the world, more needs to be done to combat Iran's "endemic brutality and its kleptocratic theocracy."  Milani questions where the international outrage is following the arrests of "Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karubi, as well as their equally defiant wives, Zahra Rahnavard and Fateme Karubi." These events along ...