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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 ... By Ali May 30, 2011 Category: Congress, Democracy Promotion, Featured, Legislation, Libya, Military, Multilateralism, NATO, Reform, US foreign policyMounting 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, ... By Ali May 30, 2011 Category: Diplomacy, Featured, Protests, US foreign policy, YemenIn a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, President Barack Obamareflected 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 ... By Ali May 30, 2011 Category: Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Elections, Featured, Multilateralism, Reform, Rule of Law, Sectarianism, US foreign policySyrian 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 ... By Alec May 27, 2011 Category: Featured, Military, Protests, SyriaOn 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 ...
By Naureen May 27, 2011 Category: al-Qaeda, Arab League, Bahrain, Civil Society, Corruption, DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, EU, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Gulf, Human Rights, Iran, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Protests, Reform, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, US foreign policy, Yemen, YouthNeil 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 ... By Kyle May 27, 2011 Category: Bahrain, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Featured, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Gulf, Gulf Cooperation Council, Iran, Jordan, Morocco, Protests, Reform, Saudi Arabia, US foreign policy, YemenNATO 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 ...
By Alec May 27, 2011 Category: Libya, MilitaryOn 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 ... By Kyle May 27, 2011 Category: Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Elections, Featured, Freedom, Protests, Reform, YouthBlake 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. ...
By Kyle May 27, 2011 Category: Civil War, Diplomacy, Military, Protests, YemenOn 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 ... By Naureen May 27, 2011 Category: Civil Society, Corruption, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Featured, Foreign Aid, Reform, Trade & Investment, TunisiaTribal 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 ... By Alec May 26, 2011 Category: Featured, Protests, YemenVali 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 ... By Naureen May 26, 2011 Category: Bahrain, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Gulf, Gulf Cooperation Council, Human Rights, Iran, Jordan, Morocco, Protests, Reform, Saudi Arabia, Sectarianism, US foreign policy, YemenOn 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.
By Naureen May 26, 2011 Category: Democracy Promotion, Elections, Protests, Reform, TunisiaThe 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. ...
By Naureen May 26, 2011 Category: Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Freedom, Military, Protests, ReformManal 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 ...
By Alec May 26, 2011 Category: Freedom, Human Rights, Protests, Saudi ArabiaOn 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 ...
By Naureen May 26, 2011 Category: Democracy Promotion, EU, Freedom, Human Rights, Protests, sanctions, Syria, UN Human Rights Council, UN Security Council, United NationsErsin 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 ... By Alec May 26, 2011 Category: Elections, Featured, Reform, TurkeyIn 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 ... By Ali May 26, 2011 Category: Congress, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Featured, Foreign Aid, Military, US foreign policyGlobal 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 ...
By Ali May 26, 2011 Category: Corruption, Diplomacy, Libya, sanctions, Trade & Investment, US foreign policyAnouar 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 ...
By Naureen May 26, 2011 Category: Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Foreign Aid, Gulf Cooperation Council, Morocco, Protests, Reform, SectarianismNext Page »Project on Middle East Democracy 1820 Jefferson Place, NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20036 (202) 828-9660
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