Analyst Notes The New Age of Pan-Arabism
April 22nd, 2011 by Naureen
Writing at Foreign Policy, Parag Khanna notes the new age of Pan-Arabism that is characterized by societies demanding good governance and an inclusive political process. He states that the anti-authoritarian revolutions are “truly borderless” following Al Jazeera’s shaming of Arab autocrats — with the exception of Bahrain — and young activists training together across the region. Khanna also highlights the Arab League’s backing of a no-fly zone in Libya and considerations of peacekeeping forces for Palestine and Lebanon as “examples of a meaningful transnational Arab political sphere coming into being.” Khanna states that “the next great step toward a new Arab renaissance will come through physically overcoming the region’s arbitrary political borders” following the model of the European Union which has moved towards investing in cross-border infrastructure. He states that the Gulf countries could easily finance projects such as the Palestinian Arc project and trans-Arab transport corridors.
Posted in Arab League, Bahrain, Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, EU, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Gulf, Gulf Cooperation Council, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, Protests, Qatar, Reform, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Youth | Comment »
Libya Updates: TNC Discusses Possible Ceasefire, Gains Support of Arab League
April 1st, 2011 by Naureen
On Friday, the Libyan Transitional National Council (TNC) leader, Mustafa Abdul-Jalil stated that the TNC would accept a ceasefire only if Gadhafi’s forces immediately withdraw from Libyan cities. The group also issued statements against terrorism and Al-Qaeda. U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stated that al-Qaeda is unlikely to be able to “hijack” the uprisings in Libya and Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) also stated that there are “some very sophisticated people” leading the opposition in Libya and that he has no fear that Libya will turn into an “al-Qaeda driven state.” The Arab League also declared its support for the TNC and its goals.
Posted in al-Qaeda, Arab League, Democracy Promotion, Freedom, Human Rights, Libya | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Libya: Defining U.S. National Security Interests”
April 1st, 2011 by Naureen
On Thursday, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing to discuss the current situation in Libya and U.S. involvement. The committee—chaired by Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), with ranking member Howard Berman (D-CA) in attendance—, requested the testimony of Deputy Secretary James B. Steinberg.
To read full notes, continue below or click here for pdf.
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Posted in al-Qaeda, Arab League, Bahrain, Civil Society, Congress, Congressional Hearing Notes (House), Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Human Rights, Libya, Protests, sanctions, Sudan, Syria, Terrorism, Tunisia, United Nations, US foreign policy, Yemen | Comment »
Takeyh Believes Saudi and Egypt are Key, Not Libya
March 29th, 2011 by Kyle
Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, Ray Takeyh, believes that the most important events taking place in the Middle East over the last week are not the military actions in Libya, but the “plebiscite in Egypt,” “the stalled attempt to usher in a constitutional rule in Bahrain, ” and “the ongoing turmoil in Yemen.” Takeyh believes that the U.S. must continue ardently supporting reform in the region even in light of the Arab League’s support for the military action in Libya.
He believes that the U.S. must focus on Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and that we must press the Egyptian military towards the transition to civilian rule. In regards to Saudi, he states: “Riyadh can be instrumental in advancing the cause of stability in the Gulf should it move away from its zero-sum confrontation with Iran and intolerant obsession with the Shiites.” He argues that the U.S. must also do more to effect Saudi policy to help effect a modernization of gulf politics. Thus, Takeyh recommends that the U.S. European nations focus on Libya while it focuses its efforts on broader reforms in the region.
Posted in Arab League, Bahrain, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Freedom, Gulf, Iran, Libya, Military, Multilateralism, Reform, Saudi Arabia, US foreign policy | Comment »
Members of Congress Question Administration’s Libya Policy, Call for Congressional Hearings and Debate
March 24th, 2011 by Naureen
On Wednesday, Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH), in a letter to President Barack Obama, called on the administration to “provide the American people and Congress a clear and robust assessment of the scope, objective, and purpose of our mission in Libya and how it will be achieved.” Boehner provided the president with a list of questions which he believes must be answered including the “contradiction” between the stated goal of the administration — Muammar Gadhafi‘s removal from power– and that of the U.N. resolution. On Wednesday, Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), Ranking Member on the Foreign Relations Committee, called for congressional hearings on the mission in Libya in a letter to the Committee Chairman Senator John Kerry (D-MA): “In my judgment, hearings on Libya are especially vital because the Obama Administration did not consult meaningfully with Congress before initiating military operations. Members have not yet had an opportunity to question the Administration on its policy goals or its diplomatic and military strategy.”
Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Mike Lee (R-UT) also expressed concerns that Obama’s actions in Libya may violate the constitution given the lack of Congressional debate and approval for this level U.S. military involvement. Meanwhile, Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Carl Levin (D-MI) and Jack Reed (D-RI) voiced support for the President’s actions in Libya and stated that given the limited nature of the conflict and support of international community, he believes Senators would support the mission in Libya if they were to vote on it.
Update: Senator John Thune (R-SD) argued that President Barack Obama did not need the consent of Congress before ordering U.S. military to attack forces and military installations controlled by Gadhafi and will only need to do so if the fight becomes protracted: “You have to reserve to your commander in chief the authority to act in emergencies.”
Posted in Arab League, Congress, Democracy Promotion, Freedom, Libya, Military, United Nations, US foreign policy | Comment »
Zakaria Discusses U.S. Approach to Libya and Calls for Limited Military Involvement
March 24th, 2011 by Naureen
Writing for Time Magazine, Fareed Zakaria discusses how the Obama Administration’s multilateral approach to Libya differs from past U.S. presidents’ approach to international conflict since the Cold War. He states that in the past, U.S. leaders have “unilaterally identified crises, articulated responses, determined actions and then persuaded, bribed and threatened countries to join in the collective action.” He argues that, “America has always done better in the role of the reluctant imperialist” and noted that thus far the administration has stated a goal — regime change in Libya– but has thus far failed to outline its strategy. Zakaria calls for the arming of the Libyan opposition group “now that we have tied ourselves to their fate” but cautions that the most significant challenge for Barack Obama will be keeping America’s military involvement limited and that the U.S. should limit its involvement to destroying Muammar Gadhafi‘s air defenses.
Posted in Arab League, Democracy Promotion, Freedom, Human Rights, Libya, Military, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Popular Uprisings in the Middle East: The Implications for U.S. Policy”
March 18th, 2011 by Naureen
On Thursday, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing on the implications of uprisings in the Middle East has on U.S. policy. The Committee—chaired by Senator John Kerry (D-MA) – with ranking member Senator Dick Lugar (R-IN) in attendance –requested the testimony of William J. Burns, Under Secretary for Political Affairs.
To read full notes, continue below or click here for pdf.
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Posted in al-Qaeda, Arab League, Bahrain, Civil Society, Congressional Hearing Notes (Senate), Corruption, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Elections, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Gulf, Gulf Cooperation Council, Hezbollah, Human Rights, Iran, Iraq, Islam and Democracy, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Military, Morocco, Protests, Reform, sanctions, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Nations, US foreign policy, Yemen | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Sen. John Kerry on U.S. Policy Toward the Middle East”
March 17th, 2011 by Alec
Senator John Kerry (D-MA) delivered a speech at The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on Wednesday, March 16, 2011, on U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East in light of the recent uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt and continued unrest and protests across the entire region. Marwan Muasher, vice president of studies at The Carnegie Endowment introduced Senator Kerry and made brief remarks about the current unrest in the region.
For full notes, continue below. For pdf version, click here.
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Posted in Arab League, Bahrain, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Event Notes, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Journalism, Judiciary, Legislation, Libya, Middle Eastern Media, Mideast Peace Plan, Military, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam, Political Parties, Protests, Reform, Terrorism, Tunisia, Turkey, US foreign policy | Comment »
Arab Support for the No Fly Zone Exaggerated
March 15th, 2011 by Naureen
Writing in Foreign Policy, Marc Lynch argues that there is “both more and less to this Arab support [for the no-fly zone] than meets the eye.” He states that there is deep concern among Arab leaders and populace over the situation in Libya, “when it comes to military intervention, however, this deep identification with the Libyan protesters intersects uncomfortably with the enduring legacy of Iraq.” He states that the invasion and occupation of Iraq is “a gaping wound in the Arab political consciousness which has barely scabbed over” making an Arab audience suspicious of America’s military involvement. Lynch argues that “any direct American military presence in Libya would be politically catastrophic” and cautions that a no-fly zone “isn’t a costless, easy alternative to war… it is more likely the preface to deeper military involvement.”
Posted in Arab League, Libya, Military, Protests, Public Opinion, US foreign policy | Comment »
Senator Lugar: Arab League Should Pay for No-Fly Zone
March 14th, 2011 by Alec
Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), issued a press release today on the possible implementation of a no-fly zone on Libya, stating that any effective no-fly zone policy would likely require U.S. military participation, at great cost to the American taxpayer. He stated that due to the uncertainty over the success a no-fly zone would have, that U.S. national interests would most likely not be served by such a policy. If the Obama administration is seriously considering such a policy, it should seek a declaration of war from Congress so the issue could be openly debated, he argued. Lugar also stated that the Arab League nations, currently pushing for such a policy, should pledge the necessary resources to ensure success and pointed to the $50 billion in foreign assistance the U.S. received to offset the cost of the Gulf War in 1991, as a precedent.
Posted in Arab League, Congress, Libya, US foreign policy | Comment »
Clinton: Intervention in Libya Requires International Support
March 9th, 2011 by Naureen
Speaking on CBS’s The Early Show, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed questions about international efforts in Libya stating that the British and French governments are going to the United Nations with a draft resolution to authorize international action and that the administration believes that it is important that there be a U.N. decision on whatever might be done and that the effort is not solely an American, NATO, or European one, but rather a truly international effort. She noted, however, that the Gulf countries have announced their support of a no-fly zone and that the Arab League has said that it will not object to one. The United States and the international community will move cautiously, she said, to prevent Colonel Muammar Gadhafi or others from using the intervention as evidence that the protests were foreign born instead of an indigenous movement.
Posted in Arab League, Gulf, Libya, Protests, United Nations | Comment »
Libya: Arab League to Hold Crisis Talks on No-Fly Zone
March 8th, 2011 by Kyle
The Arab League has postponed a crisis meeting on Libya until Saturday, to discuss the potential imposition of a no-fly zone in Libya and other potential measures in regards to Libya. An Arab League official stated the purpose of the meeting would be “discussing the steps to be taken to protect the Libyan people, including imposing a no-fly zone over Libya.” This comes amidst increased calls for a no-fly zone including a British-French resolution that will likely be submitted to the UN Security Council this week. Organization of the Islamic Conference Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu called on the United Nations to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya on Tuesday as well.
Posted in Arab League, Diplomacy, Human Rights, Libya, Multilateralism, United Nations | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Hearing on FY2012 State Department Budget “
March 4th, 2011 by Naureen
On Wednesday, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations hosted a hearing on the State Department’s Fiscal Year 2012 budget. The Committee—chaired by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) with ranking member Senator Lindsey Graham in attendance—requested the testimony of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
To see full notes, continue below or click here for pdf. To see webcast, click here.
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Posted in al-Qaeda, Arab League, Bahrain, Civil Society, Congressional Hearing Notes (Senate), Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, Iran, Muslim Brotherhood, Protests, Reform, Tunisia, US foreign policy, Yemen | Comment »
Senators Condemn Violence in Libya
February 22nd, 2011 by Naureen
On Tuesday, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) condemned the use of violence by the Ghadafi regime and called on the UN Security Council to immediately condemn the acts and for the General Assembly to expel Libya from the UN Human Rights Council. He also unveiled a Senate resolution condemning Libyan President Moammar Ghadafi and the regime’s use of violence. The resolution calls for the suspension of arm sales to Libya, urges the UN to suspend Libya’s membership on its Human Rights Council, and calls on the International Criminal Court to investigate whether crimes against humanity have been committed by Ghadafi against the Libyan people.
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) also condemned the use of violence and called for immediate international action. He stated that a four step process should take place: Libya’s senior military commanders should be made aware that their acquiescence may open them to future international war crimes charges; American and international oil companies should immediately cease operations in Libya and the administration should consider re-imposing U.S. sanctions; the U.N. Security Council should condemn violence and explore sanctions and the U.N. should remove Libya from the Human Rights Commission; and for the Arab League and African Union to create a new precedent in response to the crisis. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) also released a joint-statement condemning the violence in Libya and applauding the Libyan officials who have broken with the Ghadafi regime. They also call for a no-fly zone to prevent the regime’s use of air power to attack Libyan civilians, sanctions and asset freezes, an arms embargo and the immediate suspension of Libya from international organizations.
Posted in Arab League, Congress, Human Rights, Libya, Military, Protests, Reform, sanctions, United Nations | Comment »
Egypt: Amr Moussa Joins Protests, Calls For Investigation Into Violence
February 4th, 2011 by Naureen
On Friday, Secretary-General of the Arab League Amr Moussa was reported to be with protesters demanding the resignation of president Hosni Mubarak at Cairo’s Tahrir Square. The former foreign minister of Egypt has said he was “at the disposal” of the Egyptian people, expressing his readiness to play a role should a transitional governing body be formed and stating that he would consider running for president in September. Moussa is one of the most commonly-approved potential presidential candidates by Egyptians. On Thursday, the Arab League called for an investigation into the violence in Tahrir square between pro and anti-government protesters.
Posted in Arab League, Egypt, Elections, Protests | Comment »
Farcical Elections Offer Little Hope Across Middle East
December 2nd, 2010 by Evan
The Economist recently published an article documenting democratic stagnation across the Middle East. Elections in Bahrain, Jordan, and Egypt have only led to the “perpetuation of rule by well-entrenched strongmen, the demoralisation and sometimes radicalisation of the forces opposed to them, and the degradation of the word democracy,” the author writes, adding that there is little difference between countries “that make a show of practising it and those, like Saudi Arabia, that do not even pretend.” According to The Economist, the Middle East’s democratic deficit is partially the result of uncertainty about what democratic governance should actually look like: “As many opinion polls have shown, Arabs sound keen on the idea of democracy. But what is understood by democracy, in a region with so few examples of it, remains open to question. Egypt’s president, Hosni Mubarak, once described the Egyptian army as an example of democracy, on the ground that a commander weighs opinions from his officers before making a decision. By this definition, his party may deserve its name.”
Posted in Arab League, Elections, Islam and Democracy | Comment »
Iraq: Mixed Reactions to Saudi Offer for Talks
November 1st, 2010 by Anna
On Saturday, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah offered to host talks in Riyadh between the leaders of Iraq’s main political factions. The talks, which would be under the Arab League’s auspices, would take place at the end of this month. The reactions to the offer were mixed. The Iraqiya party welcomed the initiative and called on other political blocs to take part. The National Alliance turned down the offer, expressing confidence that the political stalemate could be resolved in Baghdad without outside “interference.” The Kurdish bloc also reportedly rejected the offer, contending that King Abdullah’s involvement would only complicate the problem. Outside Iraq, the Arab League’s Secretary General Amr Moussa seemed to welcome the idea, and Egypt likewise expressed support for the initiative and urged Iraqi politicians to make the necessary compromises in order to end the political impasse.
Posted in Arab League, Iraq, Political Parties, Saudi Arabia | Comment »
Sudan: Donor Conference Addresses Darfur
March 22nd, 2010 by Josh
Yesterday, international donors gathered in Cairo to raise money for reconstruction efforts in Darfur. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit implored participating countries to donate generously, raising hopes that the one-day summit, organized by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), would amass upwards of $2 billion for development projects in agriculture, water supply, health, and education.
The conference failed to meet that mark, however, with the 57 OIC members pledging only $850 million in developmental support. Nonetheless, participants still underscored the importance of continuing financial aid, particularly in light of Sudan’s precarious peace process that has ebbed and flowed in recent weeks. Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa stressed that the ongoing process of political reconciliation must be joined by development strategies. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu concurred, insisting that peace “will not only be achieved through political agreements but also through humanitarian and development assistance.”
But Enough Project director John Prendergast views the conference as a serious misallocation of resources for a strategy that may only exacerbate existing problems. “Pouring money into this environment is a recipe for ongoing instability and is no substitute for the more serious political engagement necessary for lasting peace and security rooted in a measure of justice that the Darfur people have clearly been denied,” he says.
Posted in Arab League, Egypt, Human Rights, Sudan | Comment »
Egypt: Moussa Won’t Run for President
December 23rd, 2009 by Jason
In an interview (Arabic) with al-Masry al-Youm, Arab League head Amr Moussa announced he will not run for president in Egypt’s 2011 elections. He explained, “The question is, is it possible? And the answer is, the road is closed.” The current constitution makes it nearly impossible for an independent candidate to run for president, and Moussa refuses to join a political party for pure “political opportunism.”
Meanwhile, President Mubarak met with King Abdullah in Riyadh today before heading on to Kuwait. They discussed the Middle East Peace Process and the Houthi insurgency in Yemen. Al-Masry al-Youm reports that the newly elected members of the MB Guidance Bureau swore fealty to General Guide Mahdi Akef yesterday. Sources within the MB suggest a new general guide will be named within two days.
Abdel-Rahman Hussein and Sarah Carr contend Egypt’s opposition groups are “blighted by internal divisions.” They observe that the Muslim Brotherhood has endured “heavy blows from the regime” as the media focused on the Brotherhood’s internal rifts. Meanwhile, Ayman Nour has been physically attacked, disbarred, and legally prohibited from running for office. While opposition groups banded together in October to campaign against the succession of Gamal Mubarak, the Kefaya movement has already withdrawn its support. Now Kefaya is left “trying to prove that it is still relevant” as it clamors for the election of an “alternative president” separate from the regime.
Babylon and Beyond delves deeper into the Muslim Brotherhood’s recent election, which resulted in a victory for the conservative faction. According to MB analyst Abdul Rehim Aly, “hard-liners couldn’t accept the presence of reformers within the group itself, so how can anyone expect them one day to have a dialogue with other people belonging to different religious and cultural backgrounds?”
Dalia Rabie explores several moral controversies of 2009, including the Ramadan arrests, the niqab ban and virginity kits, that “highlighted the conflict between Egypt’s so-called secular government and its age-old traditions.”
Posted in Arab League, Diplomacy, Elections, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Kuwait, Middle Eastern Media, Mideast Peace Plan, Military, Muslim Brotherhood, Palestine, Political Islam, Saudi Arabia, Secularism, Women | Comment »
Report: Human Rights on the Decline Part II
December 12th, 2009 by Jason
As we reported earlier, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) has released a comprehensive and thorough report, called “Bastion of Impunity, Mirage of Reform,” on the state of human rights throughout the Arab world. The full report in Arabic spans 254 pages and chronicles in detail the backsliding on human rights in the region while also identifying a few points of optimism. In addition to the full report, CIHRS has released a translation of the report’s introduction written by their general director, Bahey eldin Hassan, as well as a 21-page summary of the report in English.
According to Hassan’s introduction, while there have been important strides to “ease repressive measures” in the Middle East under the Forum of the Future regional initiative, in no country were there “real constitutional, legislative, or institutional gains that could upset the balance of power between authoritarian regimes and the forces of reform.” Hassan blames this failure on the narrow focus on electoral reform at the expense of human rights, the contradictory actions of the G-8 countries, attempts by the Arab League to co-opt reform with their own homegrown initiatives, and the European and American fear of Islamist electoral victories. Finally, Hassan contends “the last spark in the initiatives was quashed once and for all with the arrival of a new US administration” apparently unwilling to support democracy rhetorically.
Now, Hassan warns that the minor gains made over the past five years are under a “counterattack by Arab governments. Among other examples of backtracking, the Arab league disabled the Arab Charter on Human Rights, which only had 10 of 22 signatory countries to begin with. As with the CIHRS report last year, Hassan concludes that “lack of political will on the part of most regimes in the Arab region was the key to understanding and explaining chronic human rights problems in the region.”
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Posted in Algeria, Arab League, Bahrain, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Elections, EU, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Gulf, Hamas, Hezbollah, Human Rights, Iraq, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Israel, Jordan, Journalism, Judiciary, Kurds, Lebanon, Legislation, Military, Morocco, Multilateralism, Muslim Brotherhood, NGOs, Palestine, Political Islam, Political Parties, Protests, Public Opinion, Publications, Reform, Saudi Arabia, Sectarianism, Syria, Tunisia, United Nations, US foreign policy, Western Sahara, Women, Yemen | 1 Comment »
