The Consequences of Unconditioned U.S. Military Aid to Egypt
Thomas Friedman writes in the New York Times that Nancy Okail, the Egyptian woman who led the Cairo office of Freedom House, is worried that the U.S. will forget about her and the dozens of Egyptian still facing ...
April 25, 2012
Category: Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Featured, Foreign Aid, US foreign policy
Tunisia’s Transition: The Ups and Downs
The U.S. Treasury Department announced, "The United States will provide as much as "several hundred million dollars" of loan guarantees to support Tunisia's democratic transition and economic recovery." There have certainly been some positive steps in Tunisia's transition: ...
April 22, 2012
Category: Democracy Promotion, Education, Featured, Foreign Aid, Government, Journalism, Media, Political transition, Reform, Tunisia
Sen. Paul Re-Introduces Egypt Aid Amendment
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) re-introduced an amendment today "that will end Egyptian aid or at least delay Egyptian foreign aid until they relinquish this persecution of citizens," referencing the American NGO workers who are still facing charges from Egypt. ...
April 17, 2012
Category: Congress, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Foreign Aid, Government, Reform, US foreign policy
U.S. Urges Interpol to Deny Egypt’s Arrest Request
On Wednesday, Sara Sorcher reported in the National Journal that the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama is urging Interpol to deny Egypt’s request for the arrest of American employees of foreign-funded nongovernmental organizations who
April 6, 2012
Category: Egypt, Featured, Foreign Aid, Islamist movements, Military, Muslim Brotherhood, US foreign policy
POMED Notes: “The Feasibility of the Turkish Model for Egypt”
On Wednesday, The Middle East Institute Center for Turkish Studies hosted Mohamed Younis, senior analyst at the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, to discuss Gallup’s research In Egypt since the resignation of President Mubarak in February 2011. The discussion focused on Younis’ recent publication in the Turkish Policy Quarterly on the role of Turkey in the region and the potential influence it can have on the process of democratization in ...
DC Lobbying Firm Contracts with Libyan Rebels
The Harbour Group, the first Washington firm to apply to represent the Libyan rebels during the revolution, signed a $15,000-per-month contract with the Embassy of Libya. The agreement will run from March 1 to the end of the ...
April 4, 2012
Category: Foreign Aid, International Law, Libya, Lobbying, NATO, Political transition, US foreign policy
April 2, 2012
Category: Diplomacy, Foreign Aid, Government, Multilateralism, NGOs, Syria, UN Security Council, United Nations, US foreign policy
State of Emergency Extended in Tunisia
A video about the security situation in Tunisia On Sunday, the current state of emergency was extended until the end of April. Tunisian interim president Moncef Marzouki originally extended the state of emergency from December 2011 until March 31, 2012. The state of emergency was applied the first time in January1978, by former president Habib Bourguiba and put again into effect three times in 2011. The decision to extended the state of emergency was made after Marzouki consulted with the ...
Members Continue to Withdraw from Egypt’s Constituent Assembly
When Egypt's newly-elected Constituent Assembly held its opening session on Wednesday more than a quarter of its one hundred members was absent. Since the Assembly was elected at a joint session of parliament Saturday at least fifteen members ...
March 29, 2012
Category: Egypt, Featured, Foreign Aid, Islamist movements, Legislation, Muslim Brotherhood, US foreign policy
POMED Notes: Egypt’s Transition: Military Rule, Human Rights Challenges, and U.S. Policy Choices
On Wednesday, The Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) and the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East co-hosted a panel discussion focused on Egypt’s ongoing transition and U.S. policy options. The panel featured Shana Marshall, research fellow at the Crown Center for Middle East Studies, Maikel Nabil, an Egyptian blogger and activist, and Michele Dunne, Director of the Hariri Middle East Center at the Atlantic Council. For the ...
March 28, 2012
Category: Egypt, Event Notes, Foreign Aid, Government, Military, POMED, US foreign policy
Al-Jazeera: Is the U.S. Choosing Stability Over Democracy?
Al-Jazeera's Inside Story Americas aired an episode titled Is the U.S. Choosing Stability Over Democracy? with Graeme Bannerman, Josh Rogin, and Executive Director of POMED, Stephen McInerney as guests. Bannerman began that he does not believe the U.S. has chosen stability over democracy, and due ...
NYTimes: U.S. Aid “Enabling” Egypt’s SCAF
On Monday, the New York Times editorial board criticized U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's decision to release part of Egypt's $1.3 billion in military aid by waiving the conditions ...
March 28, 2012
Category: Egypt, Featured, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, Military, NGOs, Political transition, US foreign policy
Ex-Military Leaders Advise Against Cuts in Nonmilitary Foreign Policy Budget
On Tuesday, more than 80 retired military officials advised Congress against cutting the nonmilitary foreign policy budget, declaring that it is of “the utmost importance” that “civilian programs have the resources to maintain the hard-fought gains of our military.” The retired officials said in a letter that the State Department and other civilian-led programs are “particularly critical” during this time of withdrawal, as they will take on greater responsibility. The letter ...
March 28, 2012
Category: Civil Society, Congress, Diplomacy, Foreign Aid, Legislation, NGOs, US foreign policy
Foreign Affairs: “After the Arab Spring”
Foreign Affairs hosted a debate concerning the status of the region post-revolution featuring Shadi Hamid, Director of Research at the Brookings Doha Center, and Robert Malley, Program Director for Middle East and North Africa at the International Crisis group. The duo discussed the latest developments of the Arab Spring, including possible intervention in Syria, events that may challenge the stability of the so-far stable monarchies, the legitimate fears of minorities ...
March 27, 2012
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Category: Civil Society, Countries, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Islam and Democracy, Public Opinion, US foreign policy
POMED Notes: The Human Rights Crisis in Syria – Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Hearing
On Tuesday, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission held a hearing to examine the systemic and grave human rights abuses by the Syrian government, and the impact of those abuses on the Syrian people. Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) chaired the hearing. Congressman James McGovern (D-MA) and Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) gave opening remarks. Panel one featured Ambassador Robert Ford as the witness, and Panel two featured Maria McFarland, deputy Washington ...
March 27, 2012
Category: Committee Meetings, Congressional Hearing Notes (House), Foreign Aid, Human Rights, ICC, Syria, UN Human Rights Council, UN Security Council, United Nations, US foreign policy
Friedman: “A Festival of Lies”
On Friday, March 24, Thomas Friedman wrote an op-ed in the New York Times that chronicled the relative failure of past and current U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. He cited Victor Davis Hanson’s piece published in the National Review documenting America’s pas policies in Iraq, Iran, Libya, Syria, Egypt, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and opined that “none of them could be said to have worked yet.” “Military Assistance or punitive ...
Russia Calls for Full Support of Annan’s Solution
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has called for full support of envoy Kofi Annan's peace mission in Syria "on all levels," saying it may be the last chance to avoid a "prolonged and bloody civil war." Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov gave ...
March 25, 2012
Category: Diplomacy, Featured, Foreign Aid, Government, Human Rights, Multilateralism, Syria, Turkey
Saleh Still Holding on to Power in Yemen
Tens of thousands of protesters filled the streets of Yemen demanding that former president Ali Abdullah Saleh's immunity be stripped and that he be brought to trial for the 2,000 plus deaths that occurred during last year's uprisings. ...
March 24, 2012
Category: Featured, Foreign Aid, Government, Multilateralism, Political transition, Protests, Reform, US foreign policy, Yemen
March 23, 2012
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Category: Congress, Egypt, Featured, Foreign Aid, Israel, US foreign policy
Clinton Waives Conditions on Egypt, Leahy Objects
Today, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton agreed to waive conditions on U.S. military assistance to Egypt for Fiscal Year 2012. Those conditions, passed by Congress in December, prohibited the delivery of the $1.3 billion in aid to Egypt's military ...
