Morocco and the Mauritanian Coup
August 14th, 2008 by Adam
Kal at The Moor Next Door has an interesting analysis of Morocco’s position towards Mauritania’s coup, which it has taken a favorable attitude towards. Morocco’s attempts to cultivate a positive relationship with the junta are an attempt, “…to cultivate a favorable disposition in the regime presently in place so that when the rest of the world does reconcile with the junta, which would ideally take place by way of Morocco, the Mauritanians will have to pay the Kingdom back in some manner or the other.”
In other coup related news, the EU threatened Mauritania’s junta with international isolation unless it restored institutions to how they were before the coup. The EU issued a statement saying, “The EU warns the military junta that the country faces the serious risk of long-lasting isolation from the international scene.”
Posted in EU, Mauritania, Morocco, North Africa | 1 Comment »
Turkey’s Court Meets Today
July 28th, 2008 by Sarah
Turkey’s highest court meets today to decide whether the AKP party should be banned as unconstitutional. BBC News reports that “if the party is closed down or large numbers of its senior members are banned from politics, it will deepen the political fault lines between AKP supporters and secularists,” and “could lead to a period of political instability.” In addition, BBC News notes that “the case has already caused uncertainty in Turkey’s stock market,” and that “a ban could harm Ankara’s long-running bid to join the European Union.”
Posted in EU, Islam and Democracy, Political Islam, Political Parties, Turkey | Comment »
The Status of Al-Qaeda
July 22nd, 2008 by Sarah
This week’s edition of The Economist focuses on the status of al-Qaeda worldwide.
The issue addresses the current debate over CIA Director Michael Hayden’s claim of a “near strategic defeat” of the terrorist organization, its growing strength in Pakistan, its ability to recruit and export its ideology, the contrast between home-grown terrorism in Europe and the U.S., the effects of maintaining Guantanamo Bay on fighting global terrorism, tactics explored by Saudi Arabia to tackle terrorism, and al-Qaeda’s self-destructive tendencies.
Posted in EU, Military, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Terrorism, US foreign policy, al-Qaeda | Comment »
A Frozen Freeze-for-Freeze
July 21st, 2008 by Sarah
Paul Richter and Borzou Daragahi in the L.A. Times report that Iran has refused to say whether it would suspend its uranium enrichment program as a precondition to negotiations over its nuclear program. Iran has been given a 2-week deadline to provide its final answer.
Michael Rubin in the Wall Street Journal argues that “diplomacy is not wrong, but President Bush’s reversal [by sending a U.S. representative to talk with Iran] is diplomatic malpractice on a Carter-esque level that is breathing new life into a failing regime.” Additionally, Rubin argues that “Washington is signaling to Tehran that it need not adhere to three current U.N. Security Council resolutions. Rather than reinforce diplomacy, the White House reveals that its red lines are illusionary.”
An editorial in the Arab News, however, suggests that even if Iran eventually refuses to accept the incentives package, “the very fact that Iran and the US got together at one table for the first time concerning the nuclear issue represents a huge turnaround for both sides and provides distinct signs that a collision course is being averted.”
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown calls on Iran to either halt its nuclear program or face stronger sanctions. “We stand ready to lead in taking firmer sanctions and will ask the whole international community to join us.”
Posted in Diplomacy, EU, Iran, US foreign policy | Comment »
Iran’s Response to Incentive Offer is Leaked
July 17th, 2008 by Sarah
A leaked Iranian letter, responding to the P5+1 incentives package, indicates that while Iran is not interested in talks aimed toward Iran foregoing its nuclear program, the country is interested in negotiating a broader peace and security deal.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon warns that Iran’s ballistic missiles could reach Eastern and Southern Europe and Guy Faulconbridge at Reuters reports that Saudi Arabia allegedly has offered a lucrative arms contract to Russia if it curtails its cooperation with Iran. Moscow has denied that the offer was connected to relations with Iran.
Posted in EU, Iran, Military, Saudi Arabia | Comment »
Turkey’s Political Crisis
July 16th, 2008 by Adam
In their RAND report entitled “The Rise of Political Islam in Turkey” Angel Rabasa and F. Stephen Larrabee argue that Turkey’s political crisis is a struggle between the secular elite and previously marginalized social groups. Turkey’s staunch secularists fear that the AKP’s broad political support will shift the balance of power towards civilian government and gradually lead to their political marginalization.
On a related note, Helle Dale in the Washington Times writes that the crisis threatens any chance of Turkish EU membership. Dale says the EU’s failure to engage Turkey and cement its ties to Europe can be blamed for contributing to the crisis.
Posted in EU, Political Islam, Secularism, Turkey | 1 Comment »
POMED Notes: Fighting Internet Censorship
July 15th, 2008 by Sarah
This afternoon Freedom House invited U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), sponsor of the Global Online Freedom Act, and Jules Maaten, Member of the European Parliament and sponsor of the European Global Online Freedom Act, to discuss pending bills that would prevent U.S. and European companies like Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft from sharing technology with repressive governments.
The event was particularly relevent in light of a recent high profile lawsuit against Yahoo! for disclosing information that ultimately led to the arrest and torture of a Chinese dissident.
For POMED’s full notes, click here.
Posted in EU, Journalism, Technology, US foreign policy | Comment »
The Atlantic Divide on Democracy
July 14th, 2008 by Adam
In an interesting article in the Daily Star, Waleed Sadi examines the differences between American and European approaches to democratization in the Middle East. Sadi says the U.S. sees regional democratization as, “…a process with a political agenda linked to its strategic global policy.” This makes the American commitment to democracy much more inconsistent as the U.S. is willing to ignore democracy when it advances U.S. interests, while promoting it when their is little risk.
The Europeans, on the other hand, are more consistent even if its successes are limited. The EU takes a more subtle, nuanced approach and rarely criticizes nations that have yet to embark on political reform for fear of provoking a counterproductive response. Sadi concludes by elucidating the greatest difference on regional democratization by saying, “…the EU has concluded that democracy cannot be imposed from the outside, but must arise from within through a slow evolutionary process. Democracy needs to be nurtured and cultivated by creating a culture for democracy that does not arise out of nowhere. This conclusion has yet to dawn on the US leadership.”
Posted in Democracy Promotion, EU, US foreign policy | Comment »
On Turkey
July 14th, 2008 by Adam
Meliha Benli Altunisik at Bitter Lemons International writes about Turkey’s grudging reluctance to accept the Mediterranean Union. Even though Turkey fears the organization may be used as an alternative to EU membership, “…the issue seems to have surpassed the context of a union for the Mediterranean and become more about Franco-Turkish relations within a Turkish-EU framework.”
In other Turkey news, 86 secular Turks were arrested on terrorism charges for plotting to topple the government. Those arrested included one former general and an opposition politician. The opposition sees the arrests as another attempt by the AKP to silence its critics ahead of a decision by the Constitutional Court about the party’s future.
Posted in EU, Political Islam, Turkey | Comment »
Mediterranean Union and the Middle East
July 10th, 2008 by Adam
With Sunday’s summit in Paris, many are discussing what impact, if any, this weekend’s launch of the Mediterranean Union will have on Euro-Arab relations and Middle East politics as well. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently decided to attend this weekend’s summit at the behest of French President Nicolas Sarkozy. However, “Ankara has been hesitating about whether to embrace the Union for the Mediterranean, an initiative spearheaded by Sarkozy, because of doubts that it may be an attempt to delude the country’s European Union membership prospects.”
Amitai Etzioni at Talking Points Memo sees the new union as an opportunity for Turkey to bolster its leadership in the Middle East and use its position as a functioning democracy to promote reform and regional integration. Etzioni says, “Calling on Turkey to lead the economic and political development of the Middle Eastern community fits well in a new global design.” Furthermore, “…a Middle Eastern community, serving as a democratizing magnet for other states in the region, would well complement such a global architecture.”
Posted in Democracy Promotion, EU, Turkey | Comment »
The E.U. On Turkey
July 8th, 2008 by Sarah
As Turkey’s highest court weighs whether to ban the AKP party as unconstitutional, debates resume on whether Turkey is fit to become a member of the European Union. Some, including E.U. Commissioner Olli Rehn suggest that banning the AKP “would not be in line with European norms,” while others criticize Rehn for overstepping his powers, and caution that the E.U. should not be so actively involved with Turkey’s internal affairs.
Posted in EU, Judiciary, Political Islam, Political Parties, Secularism, Turkey | Comment »
An Iranian Response to Incentive Proposal
July 7th, 2008 by Sarah
Borzou Daragahi and Ramin Mostaghim report in the L.A. Times that after being offered a package of incentives to forego its uranium enrichment program, Iran responded to the E.U. last Friday. While specifics have not been revealed, E.U. spokesmen call the Iranian response “positive” and “constructive.”
Babylon and Beyond suggests that Iran has ruled out halting its enrichment program as a precondition to negotiations, but the Islamic Republic News Agency reports that Iran is ready to negotiate.
The Iranian response comes at a time when many debate whether Israel or the U.S. will mount a preemptive strike against Iran. Ron Paul warns that fellow members of Congress have openly voiced support such an attack. “The debate was not are we going to attack? but are we going to attack before or after the election?”
However, last Friday Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki signaled that the U.S. will not be given permission to use Iraqi airspace to do so.
Meanwhile, Grant Smith at Bloomberg.com argues that Iran’s response has lowered crude oil prices over the weekend.
Posted in EU, Iran, Iraq, US foreign policy | Comment »
Turkish Turmoil and the EU
July 7th, 2008 by Adam
A Financial Times editorial examines the impact of the recent Constitutional Court case on Turkish-EU relations. Banning the AKP, the editorial states, will tremendously damage relations between the EU and Turkey. The editorial blames this instability on Europe’s poor engagement with Turkey as, “If its members had united to offer Turkey a firm and optimistic timetable for accession, instead of constantly raising the bar to entry, it would have kept both the generals and the AKP focused on a European destination.”
Posted in EU, Turkey | Comment »
Iran, Iran, Iran
June 17th, 2008 by Sarah
How can we best sytmie the Iranian threat?
Barbara Slavin at the National Interest Online suggests building toward diplomacy and questions why Bush did not send an American representative with the other foreign diplomats that joined the E.U. to present its incentive package. “Sending an American to Tehran with Solana might not have resulted in a breakthrough but it could have laid the groundwork for one.”
Trita Parsi at Foreign Policy’s blog recommends quelling the Iranian threat by arranging their strategic interests in opposition to their ideological ones.“Iran’s hostile rhetoric [toward Israel] is more a product of opportunism than fanaticism. Iran and Israel have even been willing to work together quietly at times, despite their conflicting ideologies.”
Posted in Diplomacy, EU, Iran, Israel, US foreign policy | Comment »
Accession Talks vs. Intergovernmental Event: Turkey and the EU
December 17th, 2007 by Sean
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan responded today to what he called discouraging efforts by France to prevent Turkey’s membership in the EU, stating that “we will proceed with determination.” Negotiations, now termed an ‘Intergovernmental’ event at France’s insistence, will continue tomorrow.
Posted in Diplomacy, EU, Turkey | Comment »
U.S.-Turkish Alliance, French-Turkish Tensions
December 10th, 2007 by Sean
In the winter issue of the Washington Quarterly, Joshua Walker argues that despite the changing nature of U.S.-Turkish relations, the ruling AK party presents an “ideal partner for the United States in the region.” The self-described party of ‘Islamic Conservatism’ was accepted by the Bush administration following its election victory in 2002, Walker writes, and has since successfully led a ‘robust’ program of economic development and democratic reform.
The Economist, meanwhile, writes of the French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s insistence that EU negotiations set for this Thursday will not include an endorsement of Turkey’s ‘accession’ or ‘membership’ in the European Union.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, EU, Turkey, US foreign policy | Comment »
Progress and Delays for Lebanon’s Presidential Election
December 10th, 2007 by Sean
While the Lebanese parliament is set to convene tomorrow, opposition leader General Michel Aoun and others have stated that an agreement will not have been reached by then, setting the stage for another postponed presidential election.
Negotiations between March 14 and March 8 political factions focus on the details of a constitutional amendment needed to render General Michel Suleiman eligible for election.
Meanwhile, today the EU pledged $117,000,000 in financial assistance to Lebanon, one of the most indebted countries in the world.
Posted in EU, Elections, Foreign Aid, Lebanon | Comment »
Marshall Plan Renewed for the Middle East
June 5th, 2007 by Shir
David Kirkham commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Marshall Plan in a piece in the Christian Science Monitor. He argues the legacy of the Marshall Plan should encourage Americans and Europeans to unite with a common vision and foreign aid strategy to remedy the challenges of the Middle East.
Posted in EU, Foreign Aid | Comment »
EU Aid-for-reform Deal with Egypt Seen as All Carrot, No Stick
March 7th, 2007 by Stephen
On Tuesday, the EU and Egypt announced a deal for the EU to provide aid of 558 million euros ($733 million) over four years to encourage political, economic and social reform in Egypt.
Today, Egyptian opposition leaders and political analysts expressed disappointment in the deal, complaining that EU attempts to make aid conditional on Egyptian reform
were not reflected in the final agreement.
Not inconsistent with the Egyptian Trade Minister’s declaration last week that “Egypt has no intention to enter conditional deals whether politically or economically.”
Posted in EU, Egypt, Foreign Aid | Comment »
