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Senate Resolution on Libya

Last week, Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA), and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), the ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee, introduced the non-binding resolution, S.RES. 194, which " Muammar Qaddafi and his family so that a peaceful ...

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Yemen: 20 Feared Dead in Taiz

Mounting protests in the Southern city of Taiz over the weekend resulted in government troops storming a protester camp in the city's main square. About 20 are feared dead. The crackdown came following a reported Islamist takeover of Zinjibar, ...

obama and tusk

Pres. Obama Reflects on Democratization in Poland

In a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, President Barack Obama reflected on the transitions facing the Middle East in light of discussions held with Polish politicians and democracy activists. “What’s required I think is, number ...

Syria Friday

Syria: Friday ‘Guardians of the Homeland’ Protests

Syrian demonstrators filled the streets of Syrian cities across the country in another Friday of coordinated protests against the regime of Bashar al-Assad.  Eight deaths have been reported overall so far as Syrian military opened fire on protesters in ...

POMED Notes: “Arab Spring: Is America Getting It Right?”

On Tuesday, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace hosted a debate to be aired on BBC's The World Debate on U.S. foreign policy in response to the uprisings in the Middle East. Matt Frei, anchor for BBC's World News America moderated the event and introduced the following panelists: Marwan Muasher, Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment; Tamara Wittes, Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Bureau of Near Eastern ...

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Saudi’s Anti-Revolution Campaign

Neil MacFarquhar, writing at the New York Times, discusses Saudi Arabia's efforts to upend the revolutionary progress that has spread across the region.  The most recent steps include giving $4 billion in aid to Egypt's Supreme Miitary Council, working ...

Libya: Regime Call for Ceasefire Rejected by NATO

NATO has rejected an offer from the Libyan government for a ceasefire that was made on Thursday.  Libyan "Prime Minister" Baghdadi Mahmudi has sent a letter through Spain asking for a United Nations and African Union monitored ceasefire and said that the regime was to negotiate with the rebels and move toward a constitutional government.  At the G8 summit in France, Russia agreed to mediate an exit for Libyan leader ...

Cairo Protests

Egypt: Protestors Takeover Tahrir

On Friday, protesters took to the streets, gathering in Tahrir Square for what they called a "second revolution," calling for Egypt's military rulers to speed up the pace of democratic reforms. The protesters stated that they were demanding an ...

Yemen: FP Highlights Players in Unrest

Blake Hounshell, writing at Foreign Policy, highlights the power brokers who are involved in the current unrest and who could spell out the future if Yemen divulges into civil war. The first and most important being current president Ali Abdullah Saleh who has ruled since 1978 and is described as a "lifelong military man" and a man who cares more about enriching himself and his family than building a country. ...

U.S. President Obama walks with other leaders at the G8 Summit in France

G8 Leaders Launch “Deauville Partnership,” Pledge $20 Billion

On Thursday, President Barack Obama along with G8 leaders issued a declaration of support for the Arab Spring and announced the launch of the "Deauville Partnership"  with the people of the region to support the nascent democratic transitions in ...

1450-loaclMore protesters killed at Sana’a University as UK, UN condemn violence450_1

Yemen: Street Battles Rage in Capital, 70 Killed

Tribal fighters loyal to Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar, leader of Yemen's largest and most powerful tribe, the Hashid, have engaged in street battles with forces loyal to embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh.  Skirmishes have been occurring since Monday, after Saleh's third ...

Will Saudi Arabia Kill the Arab Spring

Nasr Calls on U.S. To Prevent Saudi From Killing the Arab Spring

Vali Nasr, writing for Bloomberg, states that Saudi Arabia has emerged as "the leader of a new rejectionist front that is determined to defeat popular demand for reform."   The country's leadership has made clear that they find U.S. support ...

Tunisian Opposition Expresses Concern Over Election Postponement

On Thursday,  Tunisian opposition officials expressed concern over the recent announcement that elections for the constitutional assembly will be postponed from July 24th to October 16th.  Opposition groups stated that they fear the delay may lead to the interim government reneging on its commitment to Tunisia's democratic transition.  Other parties have supported the delay, stating that the additional time will allow them to better prepare their campaigns and candidates.

Egypt: SCAF Arrests Four Activists in Relation to Scheduled Protests

The Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) has arrested four activists since Wednesday for handing out flyers advertising Friday’s demonstrations over former President Hosni Mubarak's trial and greater involvement of civilians in the decision making process during the transitional period.   Graffiti artist Mohamed Fahmy, film director Aida al-Kashef, musician Abdel Rahman Amin, and April 6 Youth Movement member Ibrahim Abed have been held for questioning.   ...

Saudi Arabia: Driving Woman Protester to Remain in Custody

Manal al-Sharif, who was recently arrested in Saudi Arabia for organizing planned June 17th protests in support for Saudi women's right to drive in the kingdom (which is currently illegal), will remain in custody for at least 10 more days. She was due to be released today (Thursday).  Her campaign to encourage Saudi women to drive on the 17th has garnered a stiff reaction from a group of Saudi men ...

European Nations Submit Draft Resolution on Syria to UN

On Thursday,  Britain, France, Germany and Portugal submitted a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council, condemning "the systematic violation of human rights, including the killings, arbitrary detentions, disappearances, and torture of peaceful demonstrators, human rights defenders and journalists by the Syrian authorities."  The resolution calls for Damascus to comply with a UN Human Rights Council inquiry and to launch an independent and credible investigation into ...

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Turkey: Implications of the June 12 Elections

Ersin Kalaycıoğlu, in a piece for the German Marshall Fund, analyzes the potential outcomes of upcoming Turkish parliamentary elections and their possible political effects.  Given Turkey's 10% threshold mark for obtaining a parliamentary seat (4 million votes), only three ...

mccainresized

McCain Interview, Opposes Mubarak Prosecution

In an interview with Marc Lynch in Foreign Policy, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is portrayed as being in rough agreement with President Barack Obama's policy toward the Arab Spring. Specifically and with regards to Syria, while McCain would prefer ...

Libya: Leaked Financial Report Raises Santions, Governance Questions

Global Witness, an good governance advocacy group, obtained a leaked 2010 report of the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA), the country's sovereign wealth fund, which revealed that major Western banks held over $4 billion of Libyan state funds in various account types.  It notes that $19 billion were held in Middle Eastern banks, and billions more were invested in Western company stocks.  Because, citing the International Criminal Court, “Gaddafi makes no ...

Boukhars Discusses GCC Invitation to Morocco

Anouar Boukhars, writing at the Arab Reform Bulletin, discusses the Gulf Cooperation Council's invitation to Morocco to become a member of the bloc.  Boukhars notes the diplomatic, political and economic boost membership would bring to the country, especially in light of its ongoing conflict with Algeria.  However, he states, many Moroccans oppose joining the group as they see it as an attempt by Gulf countries to forestall the reforms promised ...

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