Egypt Blogger: U.S. Must Make Aid Conditional on Reform
A prominent Egyptian blogger, The Big Pharaoh, accused the U.S. of unconditionally funding a repressive regime "that tortures people." At an event hosted by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, the blogger faulted the Obama administration with ...
April 15, 2013
Category: Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Featured, Foreign Aid, Muslim Brotherhood, Reform, US foreign policy
POMED Notes: Senate Hearing “U.S. Policy Toward Syria”
The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing titled “U.S. Policy Toward Syria” with testimony provided by U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford, State Department Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Elizabeth Jones, and Treasury Department Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes Daniel Glaser. Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ) presided. For full event notes continue reading, or click here for the PDF. Senator Menendez stated that the purpose ...
April 12, 2013
Category: Conflict, Congressional Hearing Notes (Senate), Democracy Promotion, Event Notes, Foreign Aid, Hezbollah, Human Rights, Political transition, Syria, US foreign policy
President’s Budget Released, Includes MENA Incentive Fund
President Barack Obama released his FY2014 budget request on Wednesday and he is requesting $47.8 billion for the State Department and international programs, a six percent decrease from the actual funds that will be appropriated through FY2013. The ...
April 10, 2013
Category: Congress, Democracy Promotion, Economics, Featured, Foreign Aid, Political transition, US foreign policy, US politics
National Reconciliation Way Forward For Libyans
To prevent collapse, Libya needs to engage in national reconciliation with the support of the international community, Karim Mezran of the Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center writes. Cautioning the implosion of the state and a return to authoritarian rule ...
U.S. Approach to Yemen Short-Sighted, “Counterproductive”
Encouraging U.S. support for Yemen's National Dialogue Conference, Danya Greenfield and David Kramer stress in a Washington Post Op-Ed that the U.S. threatens its efforts to curb extremism by focusing too heavily on counter terrorism operations in the country. " By focusing primarily on acute, ...
April 2, 2013
Category: Democracy Promotion, Featured, Political transition, US foreign policy, Yemen
POMED Notes: “Arab Uprisings and Mass Politics: Possibilities, Constraints and Uncertainty”
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, in conjunction with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), hosted a panel discussion titled “Arab Uprisings and Mass Politics: Possibilities, Constraints and Uncertainty” featuring Laurie Brand, Professor of International Relations at the University of Southern California, and Steven Heydemann, Senior Advisor for Middle East Initiatives at USIP. Haleh Esfandiari, Director of the Middle East Program at the Wilson Center, moderated. For full event ...
March 29, 2013
Category: Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Elections, Event Notes, Gulf, Jordan, Muslim Brotherhood, Political transition, Qatar, Reform, US foreign policy
March 25, 2013
Category: Conflict, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Elections, Featured, Iraq, Sectarianism
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
Libyan Human Rights Chief Flees after Death Threats
Hassan El Amin, the head of Libya's parliamentary human rights committee, has fled the country after receiving death threats from militia members. El Amin recently criticized the militias' unchecked power and legal violations, and he told The Washington Times, "The ...
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
Retire the Arguments Against Democracy, Diamond Says
Larry Diamond, in a piece for the Wilson Quarterly entitled "Why Wait for Democracy," argues that it is time to retire the notion that non-Western states are not "ready" for democracy. Refuting the policy and intellectual elites' fears and reservations about the uprisings in the Arab world beginning in 2011 - lack of democratic experience, security challenges, fear of Islamic radicalism, to name a few - Diamond links today's apprehensions ...
Rubio Proposes New Conditions for Egypt Aid
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) submitted an amendment to H.R. 933 placing conditions on two forms of U.S. assistance to Egypt unless the country adopts economic reforms and human rights safeguards. The amendment will also begin a comprehensive, long-term reevaluation of ...
March 13, 2013
Category: Civil Society, Congress, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Featured, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, Legislation, NGOs, Political transition, Reform, US foreign policy, US politics
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
On Egypt Aid, U.S. Must Further “Values and Interests”
In a piece for the National Review Online, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) argues that U.S. foreign assistance to Egypt must reflect our values and be used as "a tool to influence policy." Reflecting on the announcement Sunday by ...
March 7, 2013
Category: Courts and Judiciary, Democracy Promotion, Economics, Egypt, Elections, Featured, Foreign Aid, Reform, US foreign policy
POMED Notes: “Constitutionalism and Human Rights in Tunisia: The Islamist-led Democratic Transition Post-Arab Spring
On Tuesday, March 5, 2013, the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at The Johns Hopkins University and the Maghreb Center hosted a conference titled "Constitutionalism and Human Rights in Tunisia: the Islamist-led Democratic Transition Post-Arab Spring." The opening remarks for the conference were conducted by Dr. Nejib Ayachi, President of the Maghreb Center, Dr. Mohammed Mattar, Executive Director of The Protection Project at SAIS, and Issam Saliba, Secretary of ...
March 7, 2013
Category: Civil Liberties, Civil Society, Courts and Judiciary, Democracy Promotion, Economics, Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Journalism, Political transition, Reform, Tunisia, Women, Youth
March 5, 2013
Category: Courts and Judiciary, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Featured, Human Rights, Islamist movements, UAE, US foreign policy
U.S. Announces Aid to Egypt
Secretary of State John Kerry announced that the United States will provide $250 million in aid to Egypt following President Mohamed Morsi's promise to move forward on negotiations with the International Monetary Fund over economic reforms. Congress has ...
March 4, 2013
Category: Congress, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Featured, Foreign Aid, Political transition, US foreign policy
Libyan PM Vows Respect for Rights
Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan, speaking at the 22nd Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva Wednesday, vowed his country will fully respect human rights. Recognizing that Libya is still suffering the consequences of Qaddafi's long dictatorship, ...
March 1, 2013
Category: Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Featured, Human Rights, Libya, Political transition, Reform, US foreign policy
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
Rubio: Human Rights “Our Currency” in the World
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) spoke Wednesday at the Washington Institute regarding his recent visit to the Middle East and offered his observations on U.S. foreign policy, political reforms, and foreign aid in the region. Addressing Jordan, Rubio stated he was ...
February 28, 2013
Category: Civil Liberties, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Economics, Featured, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Human Rights, Jordan, Reform, US foreign policy