A feature in Foreign Affairs details how attempts to repatriate laundered assets by deposed Arab regimes has "highlighted the inadequacy of current international efforts against corruption." Drawing from Switzerland's new law to maintain its reputation as a haven for legitimate financial assets, the author argues that "the United States and its allies should capitalize on such reputational sensitivities by promoting mutually enforced anticorruption standards and exposing those countries that fail to ...

Marc Lynch defends the U.S. administration's restrained condemnation of the Assad regime, arguing that empty rhetoric and politicizing international institutions would be counterproductive. Specifically, he claims that calling for Syrian President Bashar al Assad's ouster without the means to do so will undermine U.S. credibility; and that enthusiasm over using the International Atomic Energy Agency or the Special Tribunal for Lebanon is misled. He proposes that "the Obama administration should continue to ...

David Schenker and Andrew Tabler of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy argue that to force President Bashar al-Assad to step down, the U.S. should work with its allies to increase economic pressure on Syria, further the regime's international isolation, and support domestic opposition.  Economically, the U.S. should target the oil industry on which the regime depends, target businesses supportive of the regime to encourage elite defections, and increase unilateral sanctions. To ...

State Department Spokesman Mark Toner reacted to escalating violence in Syria, including the use of helicopter gunships on protesters, saying "what continues to occur is absolutely revolting, and we condemn these barbaric acts in the strongest possible terms." He said that the U.S. still supports a Security Council resolution, but is not waiting on one to take diplomatic action against Syria, citing a variety of avenues available. His remarks fell ...

Writing for the Huffington Post, Benjamin R. Barber argues that "in place of the old Pan-Arabic movement what is needed is a new pan-democratic movement." Despite Western optimism regarding the Arab Spring, "little of the hard patient foundational work on civil society, education and citizenship necessary to creating a working democracy has been done." To address this issue, and to move away from a focus on "NATO war plans or ...

Yesterday, eight Libyan army officers, including 5 generals, appeared at a press conference in Italy stating they represented 120 military officers who defected from the camp of Libyan Muammar Gadhafi in recent days. The announcement came as South African Prime Minister Jacob Zuma met again with Gadhafi. He reiterated a previous call to follow an African Union peace plan. In Benghazi, Italian Prime Minister Franco Frattini announced 100 million euros in ...

Ahead of appearing at the G8 summit, World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick announced up to $6 billion in new support over the next two years for Egypt and Tunisia linked to progress by the two post-revolutionary countries to modernize their economies."The new public engagement in many countries in the Middle East and North Africa offers an opportunity for the region's people to take their destiny in ...

On Tuesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a nomination hearing for William J. Burns to become Deputy Secretary of State. The hearing was presided over by Committee Chairman Senator John Kerry (D-MA) with Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Jib Webb (D-VA), Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-PA), Richard Lugar (R-IN), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) in attendance. William J. Burns is a career foreign service officer and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia and ...

In a joint letter by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner to fellow G8 minister, the two called for the Middle East and the world "to work together to support successful transitions toward democratic societies and more inclusive economies." They argued that G8 countries "share a compelling interest in seeing the transitions in Egypt and Tunisia succeed and become models for the region." ...

Moisés Naím, writing for the Carnegie Endowment, discusses why the United States and Europe are attacking Libya with bombs and Syria with words. He first dismisses arguments that the justification for war in Libya is oil, arguing that it would be easier for U.S. oil companies to have security under Gadhafi rather than under the chaos that has ensued.  He states that there are five reasons why the same response ...

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 ...

William S. Lind, writing for The American Conservative, argues that NATO's proper role in Libya should not be to protect civilians or democracy but to preserve the Libyan state.  Lind argues that because NATO's campaign relies solely on air power without "high quality ground forces," it is unlikely to ensure victory for rebel forces on the ground.  If the rebels cannot replace Muammar Gadhafi; Gadhafi may be the only answer ...