In the Wall Street Journal today, Mohammed Khazaei argues that the Islamic Republic of Iran has "welcomed the revolution in Egypt," as it is reminiscent of Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979.  "Iran and the new Egypt have embarked on the path of amity and reconciliation that can be rewarding to both nations," Khazaei writes.  In addition, Tehran and Cairo can embark on a new relationship that "enhances their cooperation in ...

In an article written by assistant Harvard professor Tarek Masoud, he addresses and comments on prominent issues and events leading up to Egypt's current political state. He states that the combination of a "failing regime, aging leader, and a people increasingly willing to confront both" led to the revolution that overwhelmed Egypt in January. Masoud noted the amount of restraint that Mubarak's forces used in the earlier waves of the protests, suggesting ...

Al-Jazeera indicates that two rights groups from France plan to sue Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the ruling Baath party. They rights groups are pushing for the French government to investigate whether they (the Baath party) actually own any assets in France. Reuters reports, "  has imposed asset freezes and travel bans on Assad and other officials and targeted companies with links to the Syrian military," and "EU foreign ministers said last ...

In a report released today by the Working Group on Egypt are questions and concerns regarding the transitional government (SCAF) in Egypt. Thoughts and suggestions outlined in the report are summarized below: International monitoring of elections: The report suggests that, "U.S. policymakers should strongly encourage the SCAF to grant domestic as well as international monitors full access to all aspects of the polling process." The SCAF has purported that international monitoring undermines the ...

POMED's Weekly Wire for July 25 is now available. This week's edition includes coverage of increased violence in Syria, as well as ongoing discussions between NATO, Russia, and others about Libya. Protests in Jordan were met with police violence and a lawsuit by journalists, and there were renewed protests in Tunisia. Gulf countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, and Iran, continued to imprison pro-democracy supporters. Congress hosted several hearings on events ...

A report released by the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran featured interviews with 35 prominent Iranians living within Iran including, activists, human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, and members of the political oppositions and addressed the possibility of a military strike against Iran.  The interviewees expressed "grave concern" of the possibility of a military conflict, which would negatively impact the human rights situation and provide a "pretext for the full ...

On Monday, protesters called for action against the government officials who were accused of restraining the peaceful demonstrations. As Bahraini's gathered to rally for reform, Bahrain's king set up an international panel in an effort to investigate the Shi'ite-led protests and the deaths of over 30 people as a result.  Mahmoud Cherif Bassiouni, the head of the five-member panel, reported on Sunday that the panel would meet with both government officials ...

Women have played a central role in the uprisings sweeping the Middle East and North Africa, and now, as some of these countries undergo transitions, women’s rights must be incorporated into broader demands for social, economic, and political reform. In the latest POMED policy brief, Isobel Coleman examines the women’s movements in Tunisia and Egypt in the context of the Arab Spring. A transition to an inclusive, authentic democracy will ...

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is allegedly refusing solid food in a Sharm el-Sheikh hospital. Some believe that Mubarak is intentionally refraining from eating to postpone his trial set for August 3rd. Head of hospital Mohamed Fathallah reports that Mubarak "is completely refusing to eat food but consumes some liquids and juice only. He lost a lot of weight and suffers weakness and severe infirmity." Additionally, MENA reports the medical supervisors ...

Al-Jazeera reports that 23 allies of former Tunisian leader Zine el Abidine Ben Ali "have appeared before a court in the capital Tunis for trying to flee the country last January with illegally obtained foreign currency." On January 14th, 14 men and nine women were captured when trying to escape from Tunisia with a 'large sum of money', the same day Ben Ali and his wife fled to exile in ...

Today, the House Appropriations Committee released the FY12 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, which included a total of $39.6 billion in regular discretionary funding, an 18% decrease ($8.6 billion) from last year's level. Global War on Terror funding received $7.6 billion in the bill, $1.1 billion below the President's request. Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers noted that, "the bill provides essential support to secure and stabilize some of the most critical ...

On Monday, the United States Institute of Peace hosted an event entitled "Beyond Tahrir: The Trajectory of Egypt's Transition." The discussion was with Major General Said Elassar, Assistant to Egyptian Defense Minister, Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). Tara Sonenshine, Executive Vice President, United States Institute of Peace, provided introductory remarks. William Quandt, Edward R. Stettinius Professor of Politics, University of Virginia, moderated the discussion. For full notes, continue reading. ...

U.S. State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland released a statement condemning the ongoing violence in Syria. The statement said, "the United States condemns the ongoing violence in Syria, particularly the brutality practiced by the Syrian Government against its own citizens – peaceful protesters and bystanders alike...President must understand that he is not indispensible, and we believe he is the cause of Syria’s instability not the key to its stability." The ...

Al-Jazeera reports that the court trials for former President Hosni Mubarak and ex-Interior Minister Habib al-Adly have been merged. The Egyptian cabinet announced the decision today in an effort to further placate protesters who have accused the interim ruling military of retaining the former regime's practices. Additionally, six other high-ranking officials had trial dates set for August 3. Former Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif was also charged and ordered detained for 15 days ...

According to a report by Reuters, a U.N. envoy to Libya discussed plans to resolve the civil war, but no definite initiative had taken shape. Despite continued NATO strikes, Gadhafi and his family remain clinging to power in the embattled country. Senior rebel official Mahmoud Jibreel informed Reuters that, "his side would reject any initiative that did not involve the removal of Gadhafi from power..." However, the Libyan government has said that official ...