Photo Credit: ISNA

EU-Iran Hold Talks on Nuclear Program

Earlier this week EU Foreign Affairs Representative Catherine Ashton held talks with Iran's Chief Nuclear Negotiator,Saeed Jalili, in Istanbul. The EU said the dialogue was "useful and constructive," while Mr. Jalili said they discussed "common points." U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland 

Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Arab League Offers Assad Safe Exit

Intense fighting between government forces and the Free Syrian Army continued in Damascus and Aleppo today. Syrian troops reportedly regained control over areas of Damascus taken by rebels last week, who have recently taken over several ...

POMED Notes: “Tunisia in Transition: What Role for the International Community?”

On Sunday, July 8, 2012, POMED and the Heinrich Böll Foundation, in partnership with the Tunisian organization Afkar, held a one-day conference in Tunis entitled “Tunisia in Transition: What Role for the International Community?” The event examined critical issues surrounding U.S. and European assistance and policy approaches to support democracy and governance programs in Tunisia, and also explored some of the broader socio-economic challenges facing the country today. As Tunisians focus ...

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Upcoming POMED Event in Tunis – Sunday, July 8th

POMED and the Heinrich Böll Foundation, in partnership with the Tunisian organization Afkar, are pleased to announce a one-day conference in Tunis on Sunday, July 8th. The event will examine critical issues surrounding U.S. and European assistance to support democracy and ...

Photo Credit: Associated Press

EU Pressures Russia Over Syrian Crisis

European Union officials are meeting with Vladimir Putin today, and are expected to press the newly elected Russian president to take a stronger stance on the crisis in Syria.  Russia has refused to take stronger action against Damascus by using its veto powers ...

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Assad, Annan Talk to Salvage Ceasefire

According to Al Jazeera,  joint UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan has held talks with Bashar al-Assad after the UN human rights office declared that more than 85 people who were killed in the Houla region were "summarily executed".  Annan "conveyed in frank terms ...

POMED Notes: “The Civil Insurgents: The Arab Uprisings and Civil Society”

On Tuesday, the new America Foundation hosted a conference titled “The Civil Insurgents: The Arab Uprisings and Civil Society.” The discussion was focused on the role of civil society in the Arab Spring and in the future of the Arab states. The conference was moderated by Leila Hilal, co-director of the New America Foundation Middle East Task Force. The panelists were Abulnabi Hasan Alkery, President of the Bahrain Transparency Society, ...

POMED Notes: “The Political Economy of the ‘Maghreb’ Spring and Its Aftermath”

On Tuesday, the University of California in Washington’s Maghreb Center hosted a panel discussion discussing the economic causes of the Arab Spring. The panel discussed economic development strategies of the Maghreb countries since independence, possible alternatives for future development, and recently adopted reforms in Morocco and Tunisia. The panel featured Ahmed El-Hamri, Development Economist with the World Bank, Robert Prince, professor of the University of Denver, and Francis Ghiles, Senior ...

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Bahrain’s F1 Race Concludes With Focus Now on Unrest

Zainab al-Khawaja, daughter of human rights defender Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, has been detained for seven days while protesting for the release of her father, whose trial was delayed by another week. Amnesty International described the postponement as "toying ...

Western Powers Agree to Resume Talks With Iran

According to The Guardian, as many as six global powers have agreed to return to the negotiating table with Iran in order to “restore international trust in Tehran’s stated intentions." E.U. Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton sent a letter to Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili stating that negotiations should commence as soon as possible. Speaking for the Western bloc comprised of the U.S., U.K., France, Russia, China, and Germany, ...

Syrian Opposition Withdraws from Baba Amr

On Thursday, the Associated Foreign Press reported the Syrian regime had taken full control of the Baba Amr neighborhood, as a security official in Damascus stated "the last pockets of resistance have fallen. “After a 27-day siege the rebels announced a “tactical” retreat.  The Free Syrian Army (FSA) chief, Riyadh Al-Assad, confirmed that the Revolutionary Brigades of Baba Amr “have pulled out tactically in order to protect the remaining civilians,” who are facing “a ...

Syria Approves Constitution Referendum Amid Violence

Today, President Bashar al-Assad’s government announced voters had “overwhelmingly approved” a new constitution that had be criticized internationally as a "sham." As foreign powers met in Tunis to devise a plan to expedite Bashar Al-Assad’s departure and halt the ongoing violence taking place across Syria, the Syrian Interior Ministry announced that the constitutions,, which could keep Assad in power until 2028,  had received an 89.4% approval by more than eight million voters. The ...

E.U. Recognizes Syrian National Council as Representative of the People

The E.U. officially recognized the Syrian National Council (SNC) as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people after meeting in Brussels to discuss the implementation of stricter sanctions on the Assad regime. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe stated that while other opposition groups exist, these groups should be urged "to unite and become more organized. E.U. Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton urged the international community to "stand together" to halt the ongoing violence saying "We ...

POMED Notes: Syria: On the Edge of Civil War

On Thursday, the Center for National Policy hosted a panel discussing choices facing the international community and the implications of an ever increasingly violent conflict in Syria. Among the panelists were Middle East Project Director Mona Yacoubian, Washington Bureau Chief of Al-Arabiyya Hisham Melham, and Professor Daniel Serwer from Johns Hopkins University. The event was moderated by Bloomberg News correspondent Indira Lakshmana. For full event notes, continue reading below or click ...

Palestinian Prisoner Ends 66-Day Hunger Strike as Israel Agrees to Set Him Free

Israel agreed to release alleged Islamic Jihad operative Khader Adnan who, at the onset of  his detention, began a hunger strike that he continued for 66 days--the longest hunger strike in Palestinian prisoner history. Adnan's legal representation reported that he had agreed to end the hunger strike after reaching an agreement with Israeli authorities guaranteeing his release in April, should "no new additional substantial evidence" emerge against him. Adnan, a baker by profession, is alleged to be ...

U.N. General Assembly Meets to Discuss Humanitarian Crisis in Syria

On Monday, the U.N. General Assembly prepared to vote on a resolution, proposed by Saudi Arabia, endorsing the Arab League plan introduced by the 22-member states this past Sunday in Cairo. The Arab League introduced this document in hopes of ending the ongoing violence in Syria and ouster President Bashar Al-Assad. The resolution echoes the resolution that was vetoed at the U.N. Security Council and details alleged human rights violations perpetrated ...

Turkey Calls for Formation of a Coalition to End Violence in Syria

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called for an international coalition to be formed in order to stop Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s deadly crackdown from escalating any further. Davutoglu stressed that “clear and decisive statements” needed to be delivered to the Syrian regime from the broader international community. Davutoglu is scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington to discuss alternative measures. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with ...

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International Community Prepares Sanctions on Iran

Reports that Iran has begun enriching uranium at Fordow, a fortified nuclear site, has raised concern in the International community and may push countries to impose stronger sanctions. The enrichment is a direct violation of Iran's agreements with the ...

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EU Ramps Up Sanctions Against Assad Regime

The European Union approved tighter sanctions "against Syria's energy and financial sectors in response to President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on dissidents," diplomats said. In a joint statement by foreign ministers "the EU reiterates its condemnation in the strongest terms of the ...

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Arab Spring Activists Win Freedom of Thought Award

Five Arab Spring activists have won this year’s prestigious Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought, awarded by the European Parliament. The winners included Egyptian political activist Asmaa MahfouzSyrian cartoonist Ali Farzat, Syrian lawyer Razan Zeitouneh, Libyan ...

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