On Thursday, the State Department released a fact sheet outlining U.S. policy initiatives and goals in Libya in regards to both the military and humanitarian efforts. The press release reiterated U.S. support for the NATO operations within Libya, the democratic aspirations of the Libyan people, and the work and statements that have been made by the Transitional National Council (TNC). "We believe the TNC continues to serve as a credible ...

Robert Satloff and Amos Yadlin of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy argue that while the Obama administration's mixed approach to the Arab Spring mostly falls al0ng the traditional realist-idealist divide, such tension does not exist in Syria which is against American values and interests. Hence, they classify the debate over Syria as between the devil you know and the one you don't. The administration's recent decision to extend ...

On Wednesday,  House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman  Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) applauded the new Executive Order which imposes sanctions on Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.  She  called on the administration to fully implement existing sanctions laws on the Syrian regime, recall the U.S. ambassador to Iran, and support Congressional efforts targeting the regime such as a new bipartisan legislation she will soon introduce that "would strengthen and increase sanctions to deny the Syrian regime the resources to threaten ...

On Wednesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs held a hearing entitled “Human Rights and Democratic Reform in Iran.”  Senator Robert P. Casey (D-PA) chaired the committee hearing, Senators James Risch (R-ID), Tom Udal (D-NM) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) were also present. Assistant Secretary of State Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Michael H. Posner; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State ...

On Friday, following a meeting in Brussels an EU representative announced that the EU had agreed to levy sanctions against 14 Syrian individuals believed to be tied to the violence perpetrated against Syrian citizens. It remains unclear whether or not sanctions will be levied against Syrian President Bashar Al Assad. These sanctions were announced as protests continued following Friday prayers. Early reports state that 6 people have been ...

On Wednesday, Senators Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Kristen Gillibrand and Representatives Robert Dold (R-IL) and Ted Deutch (D-FL) introduced H.R.1714, the Iran Human Rights and Democracy Promotion Act which increases U.S. support for Iranian dissidents and imposes new sanctions on companies that aid the ruling regime.  During a news conference, Senator  Kirk called on the United States to "make the issue of human rights a fundamental pillar of our international diplomacy with ...

In remarks made with Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed her alarm at the situation in Syria and called for an immediate end to the use of violence stating that "we have to show the Syrian Government that there are consequences for this brutal crackdown that has been imposed on the Syrian people."  Minister Frattini also called for an end to the violence and for ...

Mona Yacoubian, writing for Foreign Policy, asserts that the Assad regime "may withstand the current unrest," but the "brutal tactics" used to quell the unrest have destroyed his domestic legitimacy and "will also preempt any possibility of Western engagement."  She argues that the revolution in Syria will be far bloodier and prolonged compared to Tunisia and Egypt due to the lack of international media coverage and leverage from the international ...

The International Crisis Group argues that the situation in Syria "is quickly going beyond the point of no return."  The ICG condemns the Syrian Government's violent crackdown on peaceful protesters and states that the violence has decreased the likelihood of a broad based negotiation and has only further discredited the regime.  The ICG concludes that even if the crackdown does succeed in the short term, that Syria would be increasingly ...

On Friday, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) released a statement after President Barack Obama issued an Executive Order imposing economic sanctions against Syrian officials responsible for perpetuating human rights abuses. "Syrians are every bit as deserving of human rights and dignity as the Libyans, Tunisians, and Egyptians and the government should have met their protests with responsiveness not repression.  That the government would continue to respond to ...

The U.N. Human Rights Council voted on Friday for a mission to be sent to Syria to investigate claims of human rights violations by the Syrian government against civilians.  Twenty-six of the Council's forty-seven member states called for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights to dispatch the mission while nine states voted against.  The Council requested a preliminary report and oral update to be submitted to its 17th session ...

The U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom's advisory board has added Egypt to its list of  "countries of particular concern."  Commission Chair Leonard Leo has stated that Egypt has experienced "severe religious freedom violations" both before and after the fall of Hosni Mubarak.  He noted that violence against Egyptian Copts has continued "unabated" despite the recent revolution and that the interim government is not bringing the perpetrators of such violence to justice.  Despite the ...

About 200 officials from Syria's ruling Arab Socialist Baath Party have resigned in protest of the regime's violent repression of the country's protests. The defections were primarily from low-ranking officials from the Deraa area, and follows the resignation of some 30 officials in the city of Baniyas. At the United Nations, a Security Council draft resolution was condemning the crackdown was voted down by several members. Russia argued that ...

Germany has asked the European Union to explore the imposition of sanctions on Syria in response to the government's violent crackdown on protesters.  The U.K. has joined Germany in calling for sanctions while France, Spain, and Italy have summoned their respective Syrian ambassadors to voice condemnation of the crackdown.  Sanctions could include a travel ban on Syrian leaders, asset freezes, and a halt to economic assistance from the Union.  German ...

In addition to the White House's condemnation on Friday of the Syrian government's violent repression of protests, the US has voiced support for freezing regime assets abroad, has openly opposed Syria's election to the UN Human Rights Council--it was previously considered an shoo-in for an allotted Asia seat, and is reported to support a UN Security Council draft resolution by the United Kingdom, France and Germany condemning the Syrian government's ...

On Thursday, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace hosted a discussion with Iranian Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi about her new book, The Golden Cage: Three Brothers, Three Choices, One Destiny about the Iranian revolution and the struggle of activists and the human rights movement. Jessica Matthews, President of the Carnegie Endowment made opening remarks and Karim Sadjadpour moderated the event. To read full notes, continue below or click here for ...