On Wednesday, the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia held the first in a proposed series of hearings entitled, “Shifting Sands: Political Transitions in the Middle East.” Testimony was given by a panel featuring, Elliott Cohen, Ph.D, Professor of Strategic Studies at The Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, J. Scott Carpenter, Keston Family Fellow at Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and ...

The U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing to discuss changes in the direction of Turkish foreign policy and their effects on U.S.-Turkey. In particular, the hearing focused on shifts in policy toward Iran, Israel, and Palestine of concern to policymakers. To discuss these issues, the full committee-- chaired by Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), with ranking member Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) in attendance --requested the testimony of four ...

The Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs held a public hearing addressing corruption in Afghanistan. The committee, headed by Chairwoman Nita M. Lowey (D-NY), requested the testimony of two witnesses: Richard C. Holbrooke, Ambassador and Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan; and Dr. Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator. (POMED's full notes continue below or view them as a pdf) In her opening ...

The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing yesterday to consider nominees for ambassadorial positions in Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, and Turkey. Many of the questions posed by the Committee focused on democratization, human rights, governance, and institution building. The Committee—headed by Chairman Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) and ranking Committee member Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-IN) —requested the testimony of four nominees. The first panel consisted of James ...

(POMED’s full notes continue below, or read the rest of the entry as a pdf document.) Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) opened the conversation with an aside on the war in Afghanistan, in light of the recent blow-up between the White House and General Stanley McChrystal. Kerry stated that America’s “top priority” is the success of its mission in Afghanistan and implored the concerned parties to remain focused on U.S. ...

General McChrystal and Ambassador Eikenberry testified about the new Afghan strategy before the Armed Service Committees in both the House and Senate yesterday. They will continue their testimony on the Hill both today and tomorrow. According to Chris Good at The Atlantic, General McChrystal's prediction of success in Afghanistan was couched in "a healthy amount of humility." McChrystal argued that a combination of the resolve of the Afghans, the unpopularity of the Taliban, ...

Michael H. Posner, President of Human Rights First, testified Tuesday before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations to be confirmed as Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. In his testimony, Posner asserted that the framework put forth by President Obama in his Cairo speech--in which it was asserted that freedom of speech, rule of law, equal administration of justice, transparent justice and freedom were not just ...

The House Appropriations Committee met today to consider the 2009 supplemental bill to provide funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, aid to Pakistan, and other purposes. Chairman David Obey (D-WI) said he was "extremely dubious" that the Obama administration's strategy in Afghanistan would succeed, but that he was willing to give them one year to try it out.For POMED's notes on the hearing, click here.

The editors of the Small Wars Journal blog have a comprehensive roundup of commentary on yesterday's two Senate hearings with General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker.  Included are links to a few dozen articles, analyses, reactions, and live-blogging from the two hearings.  Petraeus and Crocker are now speaking before the House Armed Services Committee, and will appear before the House Committee on Foreign Afffairs this afternoon.  We'll have further details on today's ...

On Thursday, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing entitled, “Iraq 2012: What Can it Look Like, How do We Get There?” Committee Chairman Senator Joseph R. Biden presided over the hearing and gave opening remarks, in addition to Chairman Senator Dick Lugar's opening remarks. The panel of witnesses included Professor Carole O'Leary, Program Director, Scholar in Residence, Center for Global Peace, American University, Dr. Dawn Brancati, Fellow, Institute ...

On Wednesday, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing on the International Relations Budget for Fiscal Year 2009. The witness was The Honorable Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State. The hearing was presided over by Acting Chairman Rep. Howard Berman. Secretary Rice was questioned by various members of the committee on a variety of foreign issues. For POMED’s full notes on the hearing, click here.

On Monday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing for appointment of three ambassadors. The ambassadors to be were the Honorable Margaret Scobey for the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Honorable James F. Moriarty for the People's Republic of Bangladesh, and Ms. Deborah K. Jones for the State of Kuwait. For POMED's full notes on the hearing, click here.

On Thursday, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing entitled, “Afghanistan: A Plan to Turn the Tide?” In Panel I, Ambassador Richard A. Boucher, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, U.S. Department of State and Ambassador David T. Johnson, Assistant Secretary, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, U.S. Department of State testified at the hearing. The second panel’s witnesses were comprised of General James L. ...

On Tuesday, the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing entitled, “Pakistani Elections: Will They Be Free and Fair or Fundamentally Flawed (Part II).” The hearing served as a follow-up to Chairman Tierney’s December 20, 2007 hearing on the Pakistani elections that featured, among others, former Senate Majority Leader Thomas A. Daschle. Ambassador Richard A. Boucher, Assistant Secretary of ...

Yesterday the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee held a hearing on U.S. Foreign Assistance aimed to discuss reform on how aid is distributed and the nature of the assistance projects priority should be given to.  Witnesses included  Mary Bush, former Chairman, HELP Commission, Leo Hindrey, former Vice Chairman, HELP Commission, Lael Brainard, Vice President and Director, Global Economy and Development, Brookings Institute, and George ...

Today the Subcommittee on Middle East and South Asia of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing entitled, "That which is not obligatory is prohibited: Censorship and Incitement in the Arab World." The hearing focused on the various progress, or lack thereof, of the freedom of the press across the region. Joel Campagna of Committee to Protect Journalists, Richard Eisendorf of Freedom House, and Kenneth Jacobson of the Anti-Defamation ...

On Wednesday, the Subcommittee on Middle East and South Asia of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing on the future of Pakistan after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto last month. The hearing focused on how the United States should handle relations with the country in the midst of the political turmoil over the February parliamentary elections. C. Christine Fair, Ph.D of RAND Corporation, Ashley J. Tellis, Ph.D. ...

Yesterday, the International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing to investigate if Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s request for an extension of the UN mandate for coalition in forces in Iraq without the approval of the Iraqi Parliament was unconstitutional under the Iraqi Constitution. This is debatable because the Iraqi Constitution says that the Iraqi Parliament must approve all international ...

Joshua Landis provides a transcript of David Lesch's oral testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on the Near East on November 8, 2007. POMED's notes from the hearing were posted last week.

Yesterday the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing entitled “Syria: Options and Implications for Lebanon and the Region." Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) made an opening statement. Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) submitted an opening statement to the record.Witnesses were: the Honorable C. David Welch, Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, Department of State, Washington, DC; Mr. Robert Malley, Middle East and North Africa Program Director, International ...