Gadhafi Denies Occurrence of Protests, Invites UN To Do “Fact Finding Mission”

In an interview with the foreign reporters, Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi denied that protests against his regime were taking place, blaming the unrest on foreign instigators and Al-Qaeda.  When asked whether he would step down, he laughed and invited the United Nations and other organizations to come to Libya for a "fact finding mission." He questioned how the UN could freeze assets, impose sanctions and an arms embargo, and implement ...

Bahrain: Polling Station Manipulation

This image, courtesy of NDI and the Bahrain Transparency Society, shows "super-polling centers" during October (2010) parliamentary elections in Bahrain, almost all of which lay outside the most heavily populated areas of the country.

Democracy Not A Cure-All for Egypt/Middle East

Writing for Al-Jazeera, Lev Grinberg, professor of Political Economy and Sociology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, argues that democracy will not, in and of itself, resolve longstanding economic problems and cultural conflicts in Egypt and elsewhere in the Arab world.  Grinberg asserts that "democracy," as a fundamentally Western European concept, lacks the institutional capacity to deal with such problems as its principles, "have been formulated in industrialized capitalist societies characterized by ...

American Public Invited to Participate in House Foreign Affairs Committee

Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, unveiled new tools featured on the Committee website.  The first feature, named "Your Seat on the Dais" will allow members of the public to submit  questions that they would like to have answered by witnesses testifying before the Committee. The second feature called "Whistleblower" allows citizens and government officials to "alert the Committee to any instances of waste or ...

Clinton Discusses Situation in Libya, Expresses U.S. Support for Democratic Aspirations

On Sunday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed U.S. support for the aspirations and rights of the Libyan people and called for Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi to "go as soon as possible without further bloodshed and violence."  She also reiterated U.S. support for the Security Council resolution which makes clear there will be accountability for crimes against humanity and war crimes being perpetrated against the Libyan people and opens the ...

POMED’s Weekly Wire – February 28

POMED’s Weekly Wire for February 28 is now available. This week’s edition includes coverage of the international community's efforts to confront Muammar Gadhafi's violent crackdown in Libya, as well as the continued popular protests in Morocco, Syria, Yemen, Tunisia, Oman, and Iraq. In Washington, the foreign aid debate in Congress continues as the Senate takes up the FY2011 appropriations bill. The full Weekly Wire can be viewed here.

Iran: Mousavi And Karroubi Being Held In Tehran Prison

PBS/Frontline's Tehran bureau has relayed a report from the opposition Kaleme website associated with jailed opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, stating that he, along with his wife, and Mehdi Karroubi and his wife, are being held at Tehran's Motashamiyeh Prison.   Karroubi's opposition website, Saham News, claims that his son Ali has also been arrested and that the decree for arrest was issued by Ayatollah Khameini himself.  It has also said that the Karroubis also require ...

Democrats Name New Members to House Democracy Partnership

Democrats named Susan Davis (CA) and Gwen Moore (WI) to the House Democracy Partnership (HDP), a bipartisan commission of the U.S. House of Representatives that works directly with 14 partner countries, including Lebanon, "to support the development of effective, independent, and responsive legislative institutions."  Other members of the commission include: David Drier (R-CA), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), Judy Biggert (R-IL), Charles Boustany Jr. (R-LA), Michael Conaway (R-TX), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Ander ...

Yemen: Opposition Groups Reject Saleh’s Calls for Unity Government

On Monday, Yemen's main opposition bloc rejected President Ali Abdullah Saleh's calls to form a unity government, stating: "The opposition will not enter a unity government with the ruling party and will  stand with the demands of the people."  Youth groups, opposition leaders, and even members of his own tribal group have called for demonstrations on Tuesday calling for his resignation.  Opposition to Saleh has solidified following violent confrontations between ...

Senators Discuss the Adminstration’s Response to Libya and Middle East Policy

On Sunday, Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) expressed his disappointment that President Obama had not responded more more forcefully against the violence in Libya and called for the issuance of a no-fly zone and  military assistance for protesters.  He stated that while he was glad international pressure was finally being applied, that "the world has to do more."  Senator John McCain (R-AZ) echoed Lieberman's sentiments and called for the U.S. to ...

Libya: Protests in Tripoli, Government To Send Envoy to Rebel-held Benghazi

At least 300 people gathered for an anti-Gadhafi demonstration in the eastern Tajoura district of Tripoli on Monday shouting anti-Gadhafi slogans, that was quickly dispersed by pro-Gadhafi forces.  Meanwhile the Libyan government said it would send an envoy to Benghazi, currently in the hands of rebel forces.  The government said it would be delivering food, medicine, and medical equipment to the city and wanted to speak to the rebel leadership.  A spokesman for ...

Lebanon: Protesting Against Confessionalism

On Sunday, hundreds of people rallied in Beirut to protest the country's complicated power-sharing confessional system which divides political power amongst the country's 18 different religious sects.  The protesters called for a civil-secular state that guarantees religious diversity and social justice.  Many, including some of the protesters at the rally, blame the current political system as the root cause of corruption and violence in Lebanon.  One counter demonstrator however questioned the abandonment ...

Don’t Forget About Bahrain

Writing at Foreign Policy, Mohammed Ayoob states that while Libya is important, we should not forget about Bahrain where regime change may, in the long run, be an even more momentous event.  Bahrain is  not only located in a region with around 60 percent of the world's proven oil reserves and 40 percent of it's natural gas reserves, it is also a member of the regional security organization, the Gulf ...

Egypt: Constitutional Amendments Approved by Military Council

On Monday, Egypt's Supreme Military Council approved eight amendments to the Egyptian Constitution, proposed by a constitutional committee which was given 10 days to draft changes.  The amendments are intended to ease restrictions on presidential candidacy, limit the number and length of presidential elections,  allow judicial oversight of elections, prevent the Emergency Law to be in effect for longer than six months unless approved by public referendum.  An amendment to ...

Tunisia: PM Ghannouchi Resigns After Deadly Clashes

Mohamed Ghannouchi resigned his post as Prime Minister on Sunday in response to deadly clashes between protesters and security forces that left three people dead.  He was replaced with Beji Caid Essebsi, a former foreign minister under Habib Bourguiba and erstwhile opposition party member.  The Industry and Technology Minister Mohamed Afif Chelbi also resigned leaving Mohamed Nouri Jouini, Minister for International Cooperation, as the only former member of Zine Ben Ali's government in the cabinet.

Oman: Six Dead in Weekend Protests, Unrest Continues

The protest wave spread to Oman over the weekend when residents of the city of Sohar, an industrial city 124 miles north of the capital Muscat, gathered to demand political and economic reforms.  Two people were  reported killed during clashes with security forces, although Reuters has updated that number to six as of Monday.  Angry demonstrators burned down two police stations and a state building on Sunday.  Protests continued on Monday with local media ...

The Palestinian Authority Should Dissolve

In response to calls for elections by Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Mahmoud Abbas, Ali Abunimah argued that the Palestinian Authority should be dissolved. Although Abbas has called for elections, Abunimah believes that this does not restore legitimacy to the PA because of the unresolved conflict between the PA and Hamas which has led to a "crisis of leadership."

POMED Notes: “Egypt and the Middle East: A Turkish Model of Democracy”

On Friday, the Wilson Center hosted an event, entitled, “Egypt and the Middle: A Turkish Model of Democracy,” discussing the growth of democracy in Egypt and the role other democratic models could play in the process. John Sitilides, Chairman of the Board of Advisors for the Wilson Center Southeast Europe Project moderated and introduced the speakers: Steven A. Cook, the Hasib J. Sabbagh senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at ...

POMED Notes: “Referendum in South Sudan and the Road to Independence”

The Heritage Foundation hosted a panel discussion on Thursday entitled, “Referendum in South Sudan and the Road to Independence.”  Ray Walser, Ph.D., Senior Policy Analyst at The Heritage Center moderated the event with Jon Temin, Director of the Sudan Program at USIP (United States Institute for Peace), Amb. Richard Williamson, former U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan, and Amb. Ezekial Lol Gatkuoth, Head of Mission to the U.S. for the Government ...

Libya: U.S. Embassy Personnel Withdrawn from Tripoli

The U.S. State Department has temporarily withdrawn Embassy personnel from Tripoli and suspended all embassy operations effective February 25, 2011. The state department removed U.S. personnel due to safety concerns as the situation in Libya continues to change daily.

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