POMED Notes: Hearing for the Nominations of Ambassadors to Libya and Chad

On Tuesday, May 7, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing for the nominations of the Honorable Deborah Kay Jones and Ambassador James Knight as ambassadors to Libya and the Republic of Chad, respectively. Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ) presided. For full hearing notes, continue reading or click here for a PDF. Senator Menendez reminded the committee of the increasing strategic importance of the Maghreb and Sahel to America’s long-term security interests, as ...

Photo Credit: Ismail Zitouny/Reuters

Libyan Parliament Passes Political Exclusion Law

Libya's parliament passed a law on Sunday that will ban a wide range of Gaddafi-era officials from positions in the new government, following demands from armed militias who surrounded government buildings in Tripoli last week. Following the vote, parliament spokesman Omar Hmaiden ...

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Yemeni Activist Asserts Negative Impact of U.S. Drones

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing Tuesday on the  implications of the U.S. conducting targeted killings using drones. Yemeni democracy activist Farea al-Muslimi testified at the hearing, saying that the use of drone strikes in ...

Photo Credit: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

Reps Introduce Bill Promoting Palestinian Leadership

Congressmen Peter Roskam (R-IL) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL) introduced a resolution in Congress to prevent a takeover of the Palestinian Authority by Hamas and to promote responsible Palestinian leadership. The bill urges President Mahmoud Abbas to prevent a ...

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Congressmen Seek Conditions on U.S. Aid to Egypt

On Thursday, five Congressmen sent a letter to the House State and Foreign Operation Subcommittee on Appropriations requesting that it "include language to provide specific benchmarks and, moreover, an overall strategy for U.S. foreign aid to Egypt" in its ...

POMED Notes – FY14 Department of State Budget Hearing

The United States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs questioned Secretary of State John Kerry at the FY14 Department of State Budget Hearing on Thursday. Subcommittee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) presided. For full event notes continue reading or click here for the PDF. In Senator Leahy's opening statement, submitted for the record, he said that, "We do not want a Democratic foreign policy or a Republican ...

POMED Notes: “Budget Hearing – Department of State”

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations’ Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs held a budget hearing on the Department of State on Wednesday, April 17. Secretary of State John Kerry was the witness. Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) presided over the hearing. For full event notes, continue reading or click here for a PDF. Representative Granger opened the hearing by noting that “the Arab Spring may last for a very long ...

POMED Notes: “Securing U.S. Interests Abroad: The FY 2014 Foreign Affairs Budget”

On Wednesday, April 17, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing titled “Securing U.S. Interests Abroad: The FY 2014 Foreign Affairs Budget.” Secretary of State John Kerry testified on the Department of State’s budget request. Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) presided over the hearing. For full event notes, continue reading or click here for a PDF. Chairman Ed Royce opened the hearing by saying that “wasteful spending is intolerable” and ...

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President’s Budget Released, Includes MENA Incentive Fund

President Barack Obama released his FY2014 budget request on Wednesday and he is requesting $47.8 billion for the State Department and international programs, a six percent decrease from the actual funds that will be appropriated through FY2013. The ...

Photo Credit: Sami Zaptia/Libya Herald

Senator McCain Visits Libya; Tunisia a “Militant Haven”

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) visited Libya on Thursday for the fifth time since the country's revolution. He met with Prime Minister Ali Zidane, the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Defense, and Justice, and the president of Libya's General National ...

POMED Notes: “Two Years after Tahrir”

On Thursday, March 28th, the American Islamic Congress (AIC) held an event titled “Two Years after Tahrir.” The panel featured Eric Trager of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Dwight Bashir of the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom, and Safei-Eldin Hamed of the Alliance of Egyptian Americans. John Pinna of AIC moderated the event. For complete event notes continue reading, or click here for the PDF. John Pinna opened the event saying ...

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Members of Congress Send Letter on Bahraini Jalila al-Salman

Ten members of Congress have signed a letter to Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo, Bahrain's Ambassador to the United States, expressing concern over the termination of Jalila al-Salman from her teaching position. The letter details the circumstances of al-Salman's termination, which occurred ...

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Congressmen Urge Iraq to Ground Iranian Flights

Representatives Ted Deutch (D-FL) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) are expected to send a letter to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki today expressing their concern with Iranian arms shipments across Iraq en route to Syria. Robert Ford, the U.S. ...

POMED Notes: House Hearing “Crisis in Syria: The U.S. Response”

The House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing on the current conflict in Syria titled “Crisis in Syria: The U.S. Response.” Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford, U.S. Department of State Assistant Secretary for the Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration Anne Richard and USAID Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance Nancy Lindborg were witnesses. Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) presided. For full event notes, continue reading ...

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Senate Continues Debate on Egypt Aid Amendments

On Thursday, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced SA 117, a modified version of his original amendment on Egypt aid.  The amendment specifies that Economic Support Fund appropriations for  direct budgetary assistance as well any appropriations for new contracts under ...

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Senators Introduce Egypt Aid Amendments

On March 14th, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced amendment SA 44. to H.R. 933, a slightly modified version of his previous amendment SA 27. In addition, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) introduced amendment SA.61 to H.R. 933 which states that ...

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Rubio Proposes New Conditions for Egypt Aid

Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) submitted an amendment to H.R. 933 placing conditions on two forms of U.S. assistance to Egypt unless the country adopts economic reforms and human rights safeguards. The amendment will also begin a comprehensive, long-term reevaluation of ...

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On Aid to Egypt, Congress Scaled Back Obama Request

Secretary of State John Kerry's announcement last Sunday of $250 million in aid to Egypt ran short of what the Obama Administration had originally hoped to give the cash-strapped country, The Hill reports.  Kerry said the aid, part ...

Weekly Wire – March 4th

POMED's Weekly Wire for the week of March 4th is now available. In this edition, we review these and other top stories: Sec. Kerry Announces Release of $250 Million in Aid to Egypt U.S. to Provide Non-Lethal Assistance to Syrian Opposition Rubio Discusses Importance of Human Rights after Middle East Visit Sen. Durbin Issues Statement on Trip to Bahrain Congressmen Urge Morsi to Revise Controversial Draft NGO Law To continue reading the full Weekly Wire, click ...

Photo Credit: Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

U.S. Announces Aid to Egypt

Secretary of State John Kerry announced that the United States will provide $250 million in aid to Egypt following President Mohamed Morsi's promise to move forward on negotiations with the International Monetary Fund over economic reforms. Congress has ...

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