Alawites Meet in Cairo, Denounce Assad
Members of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's minority Alawite sect met in Cairo over the weekend to encourage other Alawites and opposition groups to join the struggle against his government. Considered the backbone of Assad's support base, Alawites hold ...
March 25, 2013
Category: Conflict, Democracy Promotion, Featured, Human Rights, Political transition, Syria, US foreign policy
POMED Notes: Senate Hearing “Syria’s Humanitarian Crisis”
On Tuesday, March 19, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Subcommittee on Near East and South and Central Asian Affairs held a hearing titled “Syria’s Humanitarian Crisis.” The witnesses were divided into three panels. Panel 1 consisted of the Honorable Anne C. Richard, Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration, and the Honorable Nancy Lindborg, Assistant Administrator for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance at the U.S. Agency for ...
March 21, 2013
Category: Conflict, Congressional Hearing Notes (Senate), Diplomacy, Human Rights, Political transition, Syria, United Nations, US foreign policy, Women, Youth
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 ...
March 20, 2013
Category: Congress, Congressional Hearing Notes (House), Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Foreign Aid, Hezbollah, Islamist movements, Political transition, Syria, US foreign policy
Syrian Opposition Elects PM for Interim Government
Syria's opposition coalition elected its first prime minister of an interim government on Monday. Ghassan Hitto, a Syrian-born, naturalized American citizen, will be tasked with funneling aid to Syrian rebels and providing an alternative to President Bashar al-Assad's ...
March 19, 2013
Category: Conflict, Elections, Featured, Political transition, Reform, Syria, US foreign policy
Engel Introduces Bill to Arm Syrian Opposition
Representative Eliot Engel (D-NY) previewed legislation Sunday to allow President Obama to arm the Syrian opposition. Indicating last month that he would introduce such a bill, Engel wrote in a statement Monday, "We know who they are. And ...
March 19, 2013
Category: Conflict, Featured, Foreign Aid, Legislation, Political transition, Syria, US foreign policy, US politics
POMED Notes: “Obama to the Middle East: Implications and Expectations”
Ahead of President Obama's upcoming trip to Israel and Jordan, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy held a policy forum titled "Obama to the Middle East: Implications and Expectations" on Tuesday, March 18, 2013. It featured Ambassador Dennis Ross, Counselor to the Washington Institute and former National Security Council member under President Obama, Michael Singh, Managing Director at the Washington Institute, and David Makovsky, Director of Project on the ...
March 18, 2013
Category: Diplomacy, Egypt, Human Rights, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Syria, US foreign policy
Video of the Day: U.S. Amb. Robert Ford Addresses the Syrian People
U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford recently released this address to the Syrian people (in Arabic). Ford has served as the Ambassador to Syria since 2010, and served in-country until he was recalled in October 2011 due to safety threats.
March 18, 2013
Category: Diplomacy, Freedom, Political transition, Syria, US foreign policy, US politics
March 14, 2013
Category: Conflict, Diplomacy, Featured, Foreign Aid, Political transition, Syria, US foreign policy
POMED Notes: “Syria Beyond Assad: Building a New Syria from the Grassroots”
The Stimson Center and the Middle East Institute co-hosted a panel discussion entitled “Syria Beyond Assad: Building a New Syria from the Grassroots.” The panel featured Leila Hilal, Director of the Middle East Task Force for the New America Foundation, Rafif Jouejati, Director of FREE-Syria and English-language Spokeswoman for the Syrian Local Coordination Committees, Elizabeth O’Bagy, Senior Research Analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, Honey al-Sayed, Host ...
March 8, 2013
Category: Civil Society, Conflict, Democracy Promotion, Event Notes, Foreign Aid, Islamist movements, Syria
Syrian Opposition in Aleppo Elects Provincial Council
On Monday, a contingent of Syrians from Aleppo announced that the province had elected a civilian council. The election was held this weekend in Gazientep, Turkey, due to safety concerns. Committees throughout the province selected a total of 224 ...
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 ...
March 4, 2013
Category: Bahrain, Congress, Egypt, Foreign Aid, Syria, US foreign policy, Weekly Wire
U.S. Announces Nonlethal Assistance to Syrian Opposition
Secretary of State John Kerry announced Thursday that the United States will provide $60 million in nonlethal assistance to the Syrian Opposition Coalition. The assistance will include food rations and medical supplies as well as training, but according ...
February 28, 2013
Category: Conflict, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, EU, Featured, Foreign Aid, Syria, US foreign policy
February 27, 2013
Category: Conflict, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Featured, Foreign Aid, Political transition, Syria, US foreign policy
Syrian Opposition Reverses Decision to Boycott International Conference
The Syrian National Coalition (SNC) reversed its decision to boycott a conference in Rome designed to help raise funds and political support for the Syrian opposition. After a phone call between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and SNC leader Mouaz al-Khatib, ...
February 25, 2013
Category: Conflict, Diplomacy, Featured, Political transition, Syria, US foreign policy
Syrian Opposition Declines International Visit Invitations
Syria's National Coalition has announced it will not participate in a Friends of Syria summit in Rome next month. The group also declined invitations to visit Moscow and Washington. A spokesperson attributed the decision to concerns ...
February 24, 2013
Category: Conflict, Diplomacy, Featured, Foreign Aid, Protests, Syria, United Nations, US foreign policy
Kerry Reiterates Syria Approach in Talks with Jordanian FM
In remarks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh Wednesday, Secretary of State John Kerry reaffirmed U.S. support for the kingdom's constitutional and electoral reform process and the U.S. Government's commitment to aiding Syrian refugees pouring into Jordan through ...
February 14, 2013
Category: Conflict, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Elections, Featured, Jordan, Parliament, Political transition, Reform, Syria
Weekly Wire – February 11
POMED's Weekly Wire for February 11 is now available. This week, we cover these and other top stories: Bahrain National Dialogue Underway Yemen’s National Dialogue Scheduled, Karman to Boycott Libyan Constitutional Commission to be Elected Tunisia Navigates Political Crisis after Opposition Leader's Assassination Assad Spurns Negotiations Offer,Rebels Capture Dam To continue reading the full Weekly Wire, click here.