Syria: As Dissident Army Organizes, Revolution May Enter “Militarized” Phase
As Syria's uprising finishes its sixth month and "protests aimed at overthrowing the regime and ousting President Bashar al-Assad have failed," Simon Tisdall of the Guardian speculates on whether Syria's uprising will see a militarization that will propel Syria into a "dangerous winter of discontent." Tisdall lists several reasons why militarization of the uprising may be an eventual outcome: 1) the lack of a unified opposition with enough credibility to garner international ...
Analysis: “Confirm Robert Ford as Syrian Ambassador”
In an op-ed for the LA Times, Max Boot, Senior Fellow in National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, arguesthat the Senate should confirm Robert Ford as Ambassador to Syria. Ford has been serving as ambassador since December, ...
Ambassador Ford: “Syria Crackdown Risks Sectarian Strife”
Ambassador Robert Ford told Reuters that even though time is against President Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian opposition need to come to an agreement on the details of a transition and type of government that would replace Assad."The government violence is ...
September 23, 2011
Category: Human Rights, Political transition, Protests, Rule of Law, Sectarianism, Syria
POMED Notes: “Axis of Abuse: U.S. Human Rights Policy toward Iran and Syria, Part II”
On Thursday, the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia held a hearing about U.S. approaches to human rights policy in Syria and Iran. The panel included Michael Singh of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Mehdi Khalaji, a Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Alireza Nader of the RAND Corporation, Tony Badran, a Research Fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, ...
September 23, 2011
Category: Event Notes, Events, Government, Human Rights, Iran, Political transition, Syria, US foreign policy, US politics
Change in Leadership at Al Jazeera
On Tuesday, Al Jazeera's director general Wadah Khanfar stepped down from his post after 8 years as the network's top executive. Khanfar, who started as a correspondent for Al Jazeera, stated that "he had been discussing his decision to step down with ...
September 22, 2011
Category: Bahrain, Featured, Iraq, Journalism, Media, Middle Eastern Media, Syria, US foreign policy
Syria: International Pressure Continues to Mount on Assad
The Arab Parliament, a body to which members of the Arab League send representatives" has issued a call for the suspension of Arab League membership for both Syria and Yemen. After a committee meeting was held by the Arab Parliament, the ...
September 20, 2011
Category: Democracy Promotion, Featured, Freedom, Political transition, Syria, US foreign policy
Defected Syrian Officer Abducted and Handed Over to Syrian Regime
Al 'Arabiya has reported that the highest ranking officer in the Syrian Army to defect, Lieutenant Colonel Hussein Harmoush, along with two other dissident officers were abducted by Turkish intelligence agents and smuggled back across the border into Syria, ...
Analysis: Foreign Aid Funds Technology to Protect Protesters
Writing in the Los Angeles Times, Doyle McManus argues that as "Congress is getting ready to make deep cuts in federal spending, including foreign aid, one program it ought to spare" is the State Department's funding of Internet and ...
September 19, 2011
Category: Congress, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Featured, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Protests, Syria, Technology, US foreign policy
Syria: Dissidents Meet Outside Damascus
After 44 people were killed on Friday after morning prayers in anti-government protests, 200 dissidents met outside Damascus to unite key opposition figures. The meeting comes two days after Syrian opposition figures formed the Syrian National Council (SNC) to ...
State Dept. Releases International Religious Freedom Reports
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton introduced the State Department's annual International Religious Freedom Report, stating that "it is our core conviction that religious tolerance is one of the essential elements not only of a sustainable democracy but of ...
September 16, 2011
Category: Algeria, Bahrain, Civil Society, Egypt, Freedom, Iran, Iraq, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, US politics
Kirk: “Standing for Human Rights” in the Senate
Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) published the first edition of his newsletter entitled "Standing for Human Rights," in which he outlines his efforts, through various programs and legislation, to champion human rights through the United States Senate. Among his initiatives ...
September 15, 2011
Category: Congress, Democracy Promotion, Featured, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Iraq, Legislation, sanctions, Syria, US foreign policy, US politics
Rubio: America Must Champion Democracy Abroad
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations delivered a speech Tuesday at the Jesse Helms' Center emphasizing the need for America to "champion the cause of freedom—not only with the power of our example but also ...
September 14, 2011
Category: Bahrain, Congress, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Iran, Libya, Military, Reform, Syria, US foreign policy
September 14, 2011
Category: Arab League, Featured, Human Rights, International Law, Multilateralism, sanctions, Syria, United Nations
POMED Notes: “The Arab Uprisings and the United Nations”
On Tuesday, the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) and the National Security Network (NSN) hosted a panel discussion with Dr. James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, Geneive Abdo, fellow at the Century Foundation and the National Security Network, and Ted Piccone, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. The event was moderated by Heather Hurlburt, executive director at NSN, with a welcome by Stephen McInerney, executive director ...
September 14, 2011
Category: Bahrain, Egypt, Events, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, Iran, Israel, Political transition, Reform, Syria, United Nations, US foreign policy
Syria: UN Puts Death Toll at 2,600; Russia Rejects More Sanctions
The United Nations Human Rights Council stated that the death toll in Syria since the March uprising now stands at 2,600. The Human Rights Council has repeatedly called on Mr. Assad to end the crackdown, but the latest increase in ...
September 13, 2011
Category: Featured, Freedom, Government, Human Rights, Political transition, Protests, Syria
US Condemns Syria Over Killing of Rights Activist
State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland issued a press release stating that the "United States condemns in the strongest possible terms the killing of Syrian human rights activist Ghiyath Mattar while in the custody of Syrian Security Forces." Mr. Matter ...
Syria: Assad “Agrees” on Reform
Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are to have "agreed" on steps aimed at ending months of violence in Syria."We have reached agreement on steps to carry out the reforms," al-Arabi said after the talks. ...
September 11, 2011
Category: Arab League, Government, Human Rights, Political transition, Protests, Reform, Syria