POMED’s Weekly Wire – February 25
POMED's Weekly Wire newsletter for the week of February 25th is now available. In this edition, we cover the following top stories: Sec. Kerry Preps for Egypt Visit, Morsi Announces Election Date Sen. Corker Meets with Tunisian Officials, New PM Chosen Lebanese Legislative Committees Approve Draft Elec. Law Yemeni Dialogue Planning Stalls amid Resignations, Protester Deaths Iranian Supreme Leader Meets with Reformists To continue reading the full Weekly Wire, click here.
Protesters Killed in Yemen on Anniversary of Election
Yemeni security forces fired at protesters on Thursday, killing at least four and wounding several others. The protesters were calling for Southern independence and were holding a counter-protest to the many supporters that had gathered to celebrate the anniversary of President Abdu ...
February 17, 2013
Category: Conflict, Democracy Promotion, Featured, Freedom, Gulf Cooperation Council, Political transition, UN Security Council, United Nations, Yemen
POMED Notes: “Yemen’s National Dialogue: Prospects for Success”
On Thursday, February 14, the Middle East Institute hosted an event entitled “Yemen’s National Dialogue: Prospects for Success,” where Charles P. Schmitz, a Professor of Geography at Towson University, spoke on the conditions surrounding Yemen’s upcoming National Dialogue Conference (NDC). Professor Schmitz began by sketching out the series of events leading up to the NDC—which is scheduled to commence March 18—and touching on the Yemeni revolution’s successes and failures to ...
“Yemen’s Long Journey to National Reconciliation”
Brookings Doha Center published an analysis paper by Ibrahim Sharqieh titled "A Lasting Peace? Yemen's Long Journey to National Reconciliation." In it, Sharqieh offers " insights into how to deal with the challenges facing Yemen’s national reconciliation process." He examines the GCC accord, the issues and architecture of national reconciliation, and the role of the international community. Sharqieh credits the GCC initiative with preventing civil war and establishing "a forward-looking process ...
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.
Yemen National Dialogue Set to Begin in March
Yemen's president, Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, announced Wednesday that the long-awaited national dialogue conference will open on March 18. Plagued by a southern separatist movement and disagreement among opposition parties concerning participation, the dialogue aims to build a framework ...
February 8, 2013
Category: Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Elections, Featured, Parliament, Political transition, Reform, Tunisia, Yemen
Atlantic Council Issues Report On U.S.-Gulf Relations
The Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East has issued a report titled "The United States and the Gulf States: Uncertain Partners in a Changing Region" examining the current state of relations between the U.S. and the Gulf countries and making recommendations for continued cooperation. In the report, Richard LeBaron argues that although there is "continued congruence of interests between the GCC states and the United States," the democratic ...
February 7, 2013
Category: Bahrain, Gulf, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Political transition, Qatar, UAE, US foreign policy, Yemen
POMED Notes: “Yemen’s Ongoing National Dialogue: Moving Forward”
The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) and the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) hosted a discussion titled "Yemen's Ongoing National Dialogue: Moving Forward" with Amat al-Alim Alsoswa, Former Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States, United Nations Development Program, Stephen McInerney, Executive Director, POMED, and Abdulwahab Alkebsi, Regional Director, Africa and Middle East, CIPE. For full event notes continue reading, or click here for ...
Weekly Wire – January 22
POMED's Weekly Wire for January 22nd is now available. This week, we highlight these and other top stories: Obama Promises to "Support Democracy" in 2nd Term Bahrain: King Hamad Calls for Renewal of Talks with Opposition Senate Delegation Returns from Egypt; McCain Pledges Support for Release of Aid Jordan's IAF Heightens Opposition to Election Yemen National Dialogue: 3 Candidates Nominated for Secretary General To continue reading the full Weekly Wire, click here.
Yemeni Official Killed, National Dialogue Moves Forward
In Yemen on Wednesday two suspected Al-Qaeda gunmen on a motorbike shot and killed Colonel Abdullah al-Mushki, a high-ranking security official. "The interior ministry said that 40 members of the security forces and four civilians were killed in 2012 in ...
POMED Notes: “Freedom in the World 2013: Democratic Breakthroughs in the Balance”
On Wednesday, January 16, 2013, Freedom House and the Council on Foreign Relations hosted a panel discussion on the release of Freedom House’s annual report on the state of political rights and civil liberties in the world, entitled “Freedom in the World 2013: Democratic Breakthroughs in the Balance.” The panel, moderated by Foreign Affairs Correspondent for CNN Jill Dougherty, featured Arch Puddington, Vice President for Research at Freedom House; Larry ...
January 18, 2013
Category: Bahrain, Civil Liberties, Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Elections, Event Notes, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Gulf, Morocco, Political Islam, Political transition, POMED, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, US foreign policy, Yemen
U.S. Official Visits Yemen Amid Political Unrest
U.S. Homeland Security undersecretary Rand Beers was in Yemen this week discussing security, trade, and immigration issues. In a statement released Tuesday Beers said, "The United States has a profound interest in advancing Yemen's security and prosperity," and that "By enhancing ...
January 9, 2013
Category: Featured, Political transition, Protests, Uncategorized, US foreign policy, Yemen
Saleh to Participate in Yemen Dialogue, Prompting Boycotts
A series of suspected drone strikes underscored a tense week in Yemen as various factions threatened to pull out of the upcoming National Dialogue and three kidnapped European tourists remained in captivity. ...
President Hadi Announces Sweeping Reforms to Yemeni Military
President Abd al-Rab Mansur al-Hadi issued a sweeping decree on Wednesday night aimed at consolidating and reforming Yemen's security sector, removing two of Yemen's most influential players from their current military posts in the process. The "presidential decision," ...
December 19, 2012
Category: al-Qaeda, Economics, Egypt, Elections, Featured, Freedom, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Libya, Political transition, Sectarianism, Tunisia, Yemen
Wilson Center Releases Arab Spring Paper
To mark the 2nd anniversary of the Arab Spring, the Woodrow Wilson Center released a report, titled "Has the Arab Spring Lived up to Expectations?" The report features opinions from 39 experts from the Middle East, North Africa, ...
December 17, 2012
Category: Algeria, Bahrain, Civil Liberties, Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Economics, Egypt, Featured, Freedom, Gulf, Human Rights, Iran, Iraq, Islam and Democracy, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Political Islam, Political transition, Protests, Qatar, Reform, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, Yemen
Weekly Wire – December 17th
POMED's Weekly Wire for December 17 is now available. This week includes coverage of these and other top stories: Egypt Holds Referendum, IMF & Germany Postpone Monetary Aid U.S. Officially Recognizes Syrian Opposition Coalition Protests Resume in Bahrain after Ban Lifted Yemenis Call for Military Restructuring, Removal of Saleh Remnants Kuwait Forms New Cabinet To continue reading the full Weekly Wire, click here.
Cleaning Day in Yemen as National Dialogue Preparation Continues
A government-sponsored cleaning day brought hundreds of thousands of Yemenis into the streets of Sana'a on Wednesday, one day after an intelligence officer was gunned down in the coastal city of Mukalla and battles over an ...