POMED Notes: Political Reform and Religious Freedom in Bahrain
October 15th, 2008 by Jason
The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and the Congressional Task Force on Religious Freedom co-hosted a briefing on Capitol Hill featuring Toby Jones, Nabeel Ahmed Rajab, Abduljaleel Al Singace, and Maryam Al Khawaja to discuss the state of political reform and religious freedom in Bahrain. The briefing was chaired by Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA).
The panelists talked about the systematic oppression and marginalization of the majority Shia by the ruling Sunnis. They called for greater U.S. engagement, and stressed that they do not seek the overthrow of the regime, but merely the guarantee of equal rights and religious freedom under the current system.
For POMED’s notes on the event, click here.
Posted in Bahrain, DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Event Notes, Human Rights, POMED, Reform | Comment »
POMED Notes: Hill Event on Democracy in Egypt
October 10th, 2008 by Tariq
On Tuesday, the American Islamic Congress held a Capitol Hill lunch event on prospects of Democratic reform in Egypt entitled, “Democracy in Egypt: Can It Wait?” Speakers included Sherif Mansour of Freedom House, Dr. Dwight Bashir of the U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom, and Atef Al-Saadawy of the National Endowment for Democracy, moderated by Zahir Janmohamed of Amnesty International.
Speakers called for rescinding the Emergency Status law and highlighted the need for a more independent legislature and judiciary.
For POMED’s notes on the event, click here.
Posted in DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Event Notes, Human Rights, Judiciary, Reform, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Security and Governance in Afghanistan”
October 9th, 2008 by Jason
Yesterday the Center for Strategic and International Studies hosted Ronald Neumann, former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan (2005-2007), and Arnaud de Borchgrave, Senior Advisor and Director of the CSIS Transnational Threats Project, to discuss the current state of nation building and security in Afghanistan.
Ambassador Neumann said that improved security and justice are priorities for Afghans. He said the proposed increase in troops to Afghanistan is nothing more than a marginal reinforcement to prevent a complete disaster. Neumann said there is much to work with in Afghanistan, and though we may not succeed, there is no reason at all to be hopeless.
Arnaud de Borchgrave said that increasing troops to Afghanistan is putting good money after bad. He also described as critical Saudi Arabia’s recent role in mediating negotiations between the Taliban and Kabul.
For POMED’s notes on this event, click here.
Posted in Afghanistan, DC Event Notes, Event Notes, Military, POMED, Sectarianism, Terrorism, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: A Grand Bargain with Iran
October 7th, 2008 by Jason
This afternoon the New America Foundation hosted Flynt Leverett, former Senior Director for Middle East Affairs at the NSC; and Hillary Mann Leverett, former Director for Iran and Persian Gulf Affairs at the NSC, to discuss the prospects of a comprehensive diplomatic rapprochement with Iran. The event was moderated by Steve Clemons, Director of the American Strategy Program at NAF.
Flynt Leverett noted that the strategy toward Iran for the last thirty years has failed under any definition. He said a fundamental change in policy is needed in which the U.S. places all major bilateral differences with Iran on the table and resolves them as a package.
Hillary Mann Leverett stressed the rationality and realism undergirding Iranian foreign policy. She noted the twenty-year history of instances of tactical cooperation between the U.S. and Iran. She said the need for a comprehensive reorientation supersedes concerns for human rights and democracy within Iran. The hope is that such issues can be revisited only after a robust national security pact is secured.
For full POMED notes, click here.
Posted in DC Event Notes, Diplomacy, Iran, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: Dexter Filkins at the Wilson Center
October 2nd, 2008 by Jason
Yesterday afternoon the Wilson Center hosted New York Times foreign correspondent Dexter Filkins to discuss his new book, The Forever War, about his experiences reporting from Afghanistan and Iraq.
Filkins talked about his time in Afghanistan in 1998 as well as during the U.S. invasion in 2001. He said the situation is very bad there and has no apparent solution. He noted that much of the resistance now is not religious but nationalistic and ethnic.
On Iraq, Filkins said the surge is working and the positive changes have been extraordinary. He attributes the success to the new counterinsurgency strategy as well as overreach by al-Qaeda. He called the Sunni Awakening “very fragile” as the federal government takes command over it.
For full POMED notes on this event, click here.
Posted in Afghanistan, DC Event Notes, Iraq, Journalism, Publications, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: Public Diplomacy and the War of Ideas
October 1st, 2008 by Jason
Yesterday afternoon the Institute for Middle East Studies and the Institute for Global Communications and Public Diplomacy hosted a discussion featuring Hady Amr, Director of the Brookings Doha Center; Michael Doran, Dep. Asst. Sec. of Defense for Support to Public Diplomacy; and Kristin Lord, Fellow at the Brookings Foreign Policy Studies Program. The event was moderated by Marc Lynch, Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at GWU.
Kristin Lord said that every disparate U.S. national security goal can be buttressed by an effective public diplomacy strategy. Hady Amr stressed that we must engage with conservative voices in the Middle East, rather than just the liberal elite. He called for the creation of an independent non-profit organization that will allow a wall of separation between strict policy advocacy and the fostering of relationships and bridge-building. Michael Doran said we must create the bureaucratic institutions needed to empower third-party partners to form and disseminate U.S. messages.
For full POMED notes on the event, click here.
Posted in DC Event Notes, Diplomacy, Public Opinion, US foreign policy | 2 Comments »
POMED Notes: NAF: “Untangling the Paradox of Iran”
September 26th, 2008 by Jason
This afternoon the New America Foundation hosted Hooman Majd to discuss his new book, The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran. The discussion was moderated by Patrick Doherty, Deputy Director of the American Strategy Program at NAF.
Majd explained that the Iranian people are not in love with their system or their leadership, yet they don’t perceive that they live under a tyranny day to day. He said that lack of respect is the overriding motive that dominates both Iranian foreign policy and public opinion. He noted that the faltering economy is the biggest threat to the regime today.
On the nuclear issue, Majd said the regime has convinced the public that enrichment is a matter of national pride and a defiance of western bullying.
For full POMED notes on the event, click here.
Posted in DC Event Notes, Elections, Iran, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: An American Strategy for the New Era
September 26th, 2008 by Jason
Yesterday afternoon the Wilson Center hosted Stephen Van Evera, Robert Kagan, Melvyn Leffler, and Jeffrey Legro to discuss the new anthology, To Lead the World: American Strategy After the Bush Doctrine. The event was moderated by Robert Litwak, Director of International Security Studies at the Wilson Center.
Melvyn Leffler stressed the importance of creating a hierarchy of national security threats and challenges, as the solutions all have wildly divergent resource and strategy implications.
Stephen Van Evera believes the traditional era of great-power competition is over due to the levelling effect of the nuclear threat. He calls for the formation of a global concert of great nations to contain the threat of terrorism and WMD proliferation, as well as to manage common challenges such as energy and climate change.
Robert Kagan disagreed, and said each power will look at each discrete world problem and calculate its best move, irrespective of any appeal to our common shared interests. He noted that national tactics are once again governed by revanchist ambition, pride, resentment, and jealousy, and the U.S. cannot convince other great powers that what is good for America is good for the world.
For full POMED notes on this event, click here.
Posted in DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Military, Multilateralism, Terrorism, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: Brookings: Sen. Brownback and Rep. Smith on Public Diplomacy
September 24th, 2008 by Jason
Yesterday afternoon the Brookings Institution hosted Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) for a discussion on the future of U.S. public diplomacy and strategic communication. Also on the panel was Thomas Dyne, president of Radio Free Europe. The event was moderated by Kristen Lord, Brookings Fellow in the Foreign Policy Studies Program.
Sen. Brownback discussed his proposed legislation which would create a National Center for Strategic Communications. He said the current U.S. public diplomacy strategy is not working, and a new cohesive organization is needed with leadership that reports directly to the president.
Rep. Smith agreed that a basic reworking of our diplomacy apparatus is needed, and stressed the importance of targeted messaging, specifically tailored to local cultures and communication habits. He also discussed the importance of effective development, and noted that America’s image is greatly enhanced when it is seen as directly and tangibly helping foreign populations.
For full POMED notes on the event, click here.
Posted in DC Event Notes, Diplomacy, Foreign Aid, Legislation, Public Opinion, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: NED: Promoting Democracy in the Arab World
September 19th, 2008 by Jason
This afternoon, the International Forum for Democratic Studies at the National Endowment for Democracy hosted a presentation on ways in which the U.S. can encourage democracy in the Arab world. The panel featured Atef Al-Saadawy, Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow at NED; Larry Diamond, Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution; and Michele Dunne, Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Atef noted that a main cause of stagnation in MENA is the monopoly of political power by the ruling elite and the repression of all opposition. He said the U.S. must continue to support the clear indigenous demand for democratic change, and called for political and economic pressure to be used as a basic tool to encourage political reform.
Larry Diamond said our priority must be to press for the expansion of the political landscape to allow opposition parties the chance to grow constituencies. Michele Dunne suggested the U.S. would have more success if it applied pressure in private, and noted that if our assistance capacity is frustrated by repressive governmental policies toward NGOs, our aid programs will be useless.
For full POMED notes on this event, click here.
Posted in DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: Senator Feingold at Georgetown
September 15th, 2008 by Jason
This morning, the Georgetown University Mortara Center for International Studies hosted U.S. Senator Russell Feingold (D-WI) to deliver the 2008 Goldman Sachs Distinguished Lecture. His speech was titled “Promoting Democracy, Development and Diplomacy: U.S. Interests and Values.”
Senator Feingold argued that promotion of democracy and human rights aligns with the United States’ core national values, its image, and its aspirations. He said that political reform and rule of law are essential to the long-term stability of free societies, and U.S. national security depends upon it.
He also called for a strengthening of the U.S.’s civilian resource capability, and a de-emphasis on the military as a stand-in for long-term development strategy.
For full POMED notes on the event, click here.
Posted in DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Human Rights, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: Ashraf Ghani on Rebuilding Afghanistan
September 12th, 2008 by Jason
The Center for American Progress hosted Dr. Ashraf Ghani, Chairman of the Institute for State Effectiveness and former Minister of Finance in Afghanistan, to discuss the troubling state of nation building in Afghanistan and what can be done to improve the situation. Dr Ghani was introduced by Gayle Smith, Senior Fellow and Co-Chair of the ENOUGH Project at CAP.
Dr. Ghani said there is a loss of trust of the Afghan population in both its government and the international community. He said government corruption is endemic, the police force is dysfunctional, and the insurgency is ascendant.
Despite this, he stressed the overwhelming desire in the population for rule of law, and said that the Afghan people are not ideologically committed to the Taliban. In the short term, he said the government must prioritize law and order and the creation of jobs to mitigate the 40-60% unemployment rate.
For full POMED notes on the event, click here.
Posted in Afghanistan, DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Foreign Aid, Military, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: Jim Scuitto at New America Foundation
September 10th, 2008 by Jason
On Tuesday the New America Foundation hosted ABC News Senior Foreign Correspondent Jim Scuitto to discuss his new book, Against Us: The New Face of America’s Enemies in the Muslim World. The event was moderated by David Gray, Director of the Workforce and Family Program at New America Foundation.
Scuitto described the nature and complexity of the growing anti-Americanism in the Muslim world. He noted that both our enemies and our allies in the region now share the same list of grievances. Through extensive interviews, Scuitto concluded the chief resentments were the presense of foreign invaders on Muslim land, and American hypocrisy when it allows its interests to override its professed principles.
Scuitto suggested the U.S. engage with and aid struggling dissidents in the region, as well as keep its promises to besieged democrats in places like Afghanistan.
For full POMED notes on the event, click here.
Posted in Afghanistan, DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Terrorism | Comment »
POMED Notes: Saad Eddin Ibrahim at the Wilson Center
September 8th, 2008 by Jason
On Monday the Woodrow Wilson Center co-sponsored an event with Freedom House featuring leading Egyptian dissident Saad Eddin Ibrahim, visiting Professor of Political Sociology at Indiana University and Founder of the Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies in Cairo.
Saad discussed the repressive nature of the Mubarak regime, and cited three reasons Mubarak continues to enjoy such a generous reception among Western democracies. Mubarak claims that he maintains stability in the region, that he prevents Islamic extremists from taking power in Egypt, and that he ensures peace with Israel. Saad challenged all three claims, and advocated for the U.S. to condition its aid to Egypt on democracy and human rights reforms.
For full POMED notes on the event, click here.
Posted in DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Foreign Aid, Muslim Brotherhood, US foreign policy | 1 Comment »
POMED Notes: Ken Pollack at Brookings
September 6th, 2008 by Jason
On Friday the Brookings Institution hosted Kenneth Pollack, David Brooks, and Marwan Muasher to discuss Pollack’s new book: A Path Out of the Desert: A Grand Strategy for America in the Middle East.
Pollack diagnosed the many problems afflicting the Middle East today, and introduced the main themes of his book. He said the U.S. must embrace a long-term commitment to political and socioeconomic reform in the region. Muasher stressed the centrality and importance of resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict. David Brooks questioned our ability to transform complex societies, and was skeptical that a new U.S. administration would have the political will or capital to undertake a sweeping reform initiative.
For full POMED notes on the event, click here
Posted in DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Foreign Aid, Mideast Peace Plan | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Does Nation-Building Have a Future?”
August 21st, 2008 by Adam
Today, the New American Foundation held a discussion regarding nation-building efforts in Afghanistan and the future of U.S. nation building in light of the experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. The featured speaker was Ambassador James Dobbins, former Special Envoy for Afghanistan. Steve Clemons, Director of the American Strategy Program at the New America Foundation, moderated the discussion.
To read POMED’s complete notes on the discussion, click here.
Posted in Afghanistan, DC Event Notes, Iraq, Military, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Managing Pakistan’s Transition”
August 21st, 2008 by Adam
Yesterday, the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) held a discussion session with Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani. The discussion focused on Pakistan’s political transition to a democratic system in the wake of the resignation by former President Pervez Musharraf. The discussion was moderated by Ambassador Teresita C. Schaffer, Director of CSIS’ South Asia Program and Frederick Barton, Director of the Post Conflict Reconstruction Project at CSIS.
For POMED’s complete notes on the discussion, click here.
Posted in DC Event Notes, Pakistan, Reform | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Scripting America’s Priorities”
August 15th, 2008 by Adam
Today, the New America Foundation hosted a discussion on the contents of the 2008 Democratic Party Platform. Panelists included Susan Rice, Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to Barack Obama, Karen Kornbluh, Principal Author of the Democratic Party Platform, Steve Coll, President & CEO of the New America Foundation, and Maya MacGuineas, Director of the Fiscal Policy Program at the New America Foundation. Steve Clemons, Director of the American Strategy Program at the New America Foundation moderated the discussion.
For POMED’s full notes on the discussion, click here.
Posted in DC Event Notes, Election 08, US foreign policy, US politics | Comment »
POMED Notes: “How to Redeploy From Iraq Safely and Quickly”
August 11th, 2008 by Adam
This afternoon, the Center for American Progress (CAP) hosted a discussion on the release of the report, “How to Redeploy: Implementing a Responsible Drawdown of U.S. Forces from Iraq,” which examines recent developments in Iraq and how an orderly withdrawal of U.S. forces can be conducted over a ten month period. Panelists included Lawrence J. Korb, CAP Senior Fellow, Colonel T.X. Hammes (Retired), United States Marine Corps, and Lt. Col. John Nagl, (Retired), U.S. Army and Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security.
For POMED’s full notes on the discussion, click here.
Posted in DC Event Notes, Iraq, Military, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: “New Directions for Democracy Promotion”
August 8th, 2008 by Adam
Yesterday, the International Republican Institute (IRI), National Democratic Institute (NDI), American Academy of Diplomacy, and the Better World Campaign held a presentation for the new paper by Kenneth Wollack, President of NDI, and Lorne Craner, President of IRI. Wollack and Craner are also both members of POMED’s Board of Advisors. Their paper, entitled “New Directions for Democracy Promotion” urges the U.S. to continue its engagement in democracy programs abroad and looks at the opportunities and challenges facing the next administration. Ronald Neumann, former ambassador to Afghanistan moderated the discussion.
For POMED’s complete notes on the presentation, click here.
Posted in DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Events | Comment »
