Writing in Foreign Policy, Josh Rogin speculates on why, despite indications last week that President Barack Obama would to call for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, Obama has failed to do so. Rather, the U.S. administration is now arguing that a firm call from the U.S. for Assad to leave would make little difference. Providing analysis from various scholars and drawing on information from officials, Rogin demonstrates how ...

Semira Nikou, from the United States Institute of Peace, speaks with Seyed Hossein Mousavian, the former foreign policy adviser to Iran's former nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani on whether Iran is "ready" to begin diplomatic negotiations with the United States.   According to Mousavian, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be "ready to negotiate" once Iran is offered the "right solutions package" by the P5+1 (five permanent members of the ...

Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh indicated his willingness to positively consider the GCC power transfer deal that he has rejected for months. Speaking to representatives of the ruling General People's Congress party visiting him in Saudi Arabia, Saleh stressed the need to "continue to deal positively with the Gulf initiative," and noted the importance of finding "a mechanism to implement (the proposal) in a way that would guarantee a peaceful ...

U.S. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said that Italy's decision to recall its ambassador from Damascus will "help increase international isolation of the bloodthirsty Syrian regime."  Ros-Lehtinen said that rather than seeking confirmation of Robert Ford's position as ambassador to Syria, the Obama Administration should "immediately implement the full range of sanctions under existing U.S. law, including by recalling our ambassador." Additionally, Ros-Lehtinen with Representative ...

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad issued a decree today authorizing a multi-party political system. The state-run SANA News Agency reports that the law is designed for "activating the political life and citizens' participation." The law was previously adopted as a draft law. Assad's decree circumvents the need for Parliamentary approval, and the law is effective immediately. Assad also issued a decree reforming the general elections law, designed "at improving the election process" and protecting ...

The U.N. Security Council issued a statement today condemning the Syrian regime's crackdown and calling for an immediate end to the violence. The presidential statement, read by Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri of India, concluded: " stresses that the only solution to the current crisis in Syria is through an inclusive and Syrian-led political process, with the aim of effectively addressing the legitimate aspirations and concerns of the population which will allow the full exercise of fundamental ...

Government forces launched fresh attacks in several cities on Monday, killing at least eight people and bringing the total killed since Sunday to 150. According to residents in Hama, the military resumed its attack with fresh shelling and artillery fire as fasting on the first day of Ramadan ended, apparently to prevent people from gathering in mosques for evening prayers. Security forces could be fearful of these gatherings turning into large-scale ...

Yesterday participants in the regime-supported national dialogue issued a final statement, which goes beyond any previous officially-sanctioned document calling for reforms, but still falls short of the demands of protesters. The statement identifies "vague points of consensus among participants without outlining a tangible framework for advancement." Meanwhile, Syrian Embassy Spokesman Ahmed Salkini announced his resignation today, and apologized for his unresponsiveness to the uprisings. He wrote, "Syria will emerge from this crisis more democratic, ...

The United Nations is preparing for contingency plans that would include the deployment of about 200 unarmed U.N observers that would monitor a cease-fire in Libya in the wake of Colonel Moammar Gadhafi's fall.  The United Nations is also preparing to approve a later deployment of an armed, multinational force, which would involve troops from nations including, Turkey and Jordan.  If Gadhafi does leave Libya, the Security Council would have ...