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Sec. Kerry to Travel to the Middle East

From May 21 to May 27, Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to the Middle East. His visit will begin in Oman, and then he will move to Jordan, Israel, the West Bank. In Jordan, Kerry will ...

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Kerry, Lavrov Optimistic About Syria Talks; UN Passes Resolution

Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed optimism Wednesday that the peace talks on the Syrian conflict they're organizing will be successful. After a meeting with Lavrov in Sweden, Kerry said, "Both of ...

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U.S., Russia to Sponsor Conference on Syria Conflict

During a visit to Russia last week Secretary of State John Kerry announced that Russia would participate in a conference dedicated to the issue of Syria. Russia is among Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's staunchest international allies and has regularly

POMED Notes: “American Foreign Policy in Retreat? A Discussion with Vali Nasr”

The Brookings Institution held a discussion titled “American Foreign Policy in Retreat? A Discussion with Vali Nasr” to explore the future of American power and foreign policy engagement. Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow Vali Nasr contributed thoughts from his new book.  Robert Kagan, Brookings Senior Fellow, contributed to the discussion and Martin Indyk, Vice President and Director for Foreign Policy at Brookings, moderated. For full event notes continue reading or click here for ...

photo credit: Reuters

Libyan Militias End Gov Siege; Protests Prompt Diplomatic Withdrawal

This weekend saw the end of the nearly two week siege of the foreign and justice ministries by armed militias in Tripoli.  The armed groups had besieged the ministries beginning in late April demanding the passage of a ...

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 ...

POMED Notes: “Amidst Iraq’s Turmoil: What Can We Do?”

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) hosted a panel discussion titled "Amidst Iraq's Turmoil: What Can We Do?" The event featured Ambassador James Jeffrey, the Philip Solondz Distinguished Visiting Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy; Daniel Serwer, Senior Research Professor of Conflict Management at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies; Mike Pillinger, Chief of Mission in Iraq for the International Organization for Migration; and ...

Deputy Sec. Burns: America and a Changing Middle East

Deputy Secretary of State William Burns spoke at Princeton University on Saturday on U.S. policy toward the Middle East. Burns characterized the region as "a place where American policymakers often learn humility the hard way," noting  that change in the region is "rarely neat or linear, but...deeply unpredictable." Despite this assessment, he stated that "the Middle East is a place where people and leaders are capable of great things … and ...

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Syrian Opposition Commander Urges Obama to Support Rebels

General Salim Idris, the top commander of the Free Syrian Army, is urging President Obama to intervene in the country's conflict and help defeat Assad's army after American officials confirmed last week the use of chemical weapons ...

Photo Credit: REUTERS/Jacquelyn Martin/Pool

Secretary Kerry Meets with Bahrain’s Foreign Minister

Secretary of State John Kerry met with Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa Monday morning to discuss Bahrain's reform process and regional issues including Syria and the peace process. State Department Acting Deputy Spokesperson Patrick Ventrell said ...

photo credit: Jim Watson

White House Suspects Chemical Attacks; Syrians Advocate Engagement

The White House today established that the U.S. Government now believes with "varying degrees of confidence" the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale against the opposition. However, the Obama Administration stated that, given the ...

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U.S. Rescinds Proposal for Rights Observers in Western Sahara

A U.S.-backed proposal to require the U.N.'s observer mission in occupied Western Sahara to monitor human rights abuses has been rescinded. U.S. diplomats dropped calls to enhance the U.N'.'s observer mission to the disputed territory after ...

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: Senate Hearing “National Security and Foreign Policy Priorities in the FY2014 International Affairs Budget”

The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing on the proposed FY2014 International Affairs budget titled “National Security and Foreign Policy Priorities in the FY2014 International Affairs Budget.” Secretary of State John Kerry testified and Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) presided. For full event notes continue reading or click here for the PDF. Senator Menendez opened the hearing by reminding the committee of the importance of America’s international leadership despite budgetary constraints. ...

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 ...

Photo Credit: Hakan Goktepe

Kerry Discusses Syria and Peace Process During Visit

Secretary of State John Kerry visited Turkey, the West Bank, and Israel this weekend. It is his third visit to the region since taking office in February. While in Istanbul, Kerry urged Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to ...

Photo Credit: AFP

U.S. Steps Up Training for Syrian Fighters

Fearing that violence from the Syria conflict will spill into neighboring countries, the Obama administration and the Kingdom of Jordan have accelerated training efforts for Syrian opposition fighters. Aimed at creating "buffer zones" along Syria's southern borders, the effort will ...

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U.S. “Concerned” About Egypt’s Restrictions on Expression

The U.S. State Department expressed concern over the arrest and questioning of Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef on charges of insulting the president and Islam, noting a pattern of repression of free expression. State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland said, " coupled with ...

Photo Credit: AFP 2013/Jewel Samad

Libyan Ambassador to U.S. Resigns

Ali Aujali, Libya's ambassador to the U.S., resigned Monday evening. He did not give a reason for his departure.  Serving as former Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi's ambassador to the U.S. since 2009, Aujali quit that post at the onset of the ...

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