Internet Intolerance
August 8th, 2008 by Amanda
As the Egyptian Parliament is preparing a draft audio-visual law that has the potential to severely curtail the use of internet communication, a swath of the country’s youth continue to use online networking as a means of political opposition.
14 Facebook activists, who organize large protests like the 10,000 worker strike in the textile town of Mahallah in April of this year, were arrested without charges in late July. Democracy Digest suggests that “Egypt’s crackdown on Facebook activism reflects the authorities’ anxiety that protests have escalated over several months, generating perhaps the biggest wave of strikes since the 1940s”.
Posted in Egypt, Legislation | Comment »
POMED Notes: Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan: Challenges in the Fall and Beyond
August 6th, 2008 by Sarah
Today, the Brookings Institution hosted foreign policy experts Kenneth Pollack, Bruce Riedel and Jeremy Shapiro for a discussion on the state of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as U.S. efforts to partner with Pakistan in confronting al Qaeda. Kenneth Pollack is a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, Bruce Riedel is Director of Research at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, and Jeremy Shapiro is a Senior Fellow at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy and Director of Research at the Center on the United States and Europe. Michael O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institution moderated the event.
Riedel called for the U.S. to “clearly stand behind the new democratically-elected government” in Pakistan, while Pollack recommended that the U.S. aggressively engage Iran in order to best serve our interests in the region.
For POMED’s full notes, click here.
Posted in Afghanistan, Elections, Event Notes, Foreign Aid, Iran, Iraq, Legislation, Pakistan, Terrorism, US foreign policy, al-Qaeda | Comment »
Ethnic Rivalries Plague Iraq
July 28th, 2008 by Sarah
Ned Parker in the L.A. Times warns that Iraq’s “political horizon is clouded” by dangerous ethnic rivalries “with no resolution in sight.”
Robert Dreyfuss at The Nation agrees, claiming that Iraq is “poised to explode” for various reasons. “The first is the brewing crisis over Kirkuk, where the pushy Kurds are demanding control and Iraq’s Arabs are resisting. The second is in the west, and Anbar, where the US-backed Sons of Iraq sahwa (”Awakening”) movement is moving to take power against the Iraqi Islamic Party, a fundamentalist Sunni bloc. And third is the restive Mahdi Army of Muqtada al-Sadr, which is chafing at gains made by its Iranian-backed rival, the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq.”
Likewise, Juan Cole at Informed Comment reports that this weekend attempts to come to a compromise on Iraq’s provincial elections have failed.
Posted in Iraq, Kurds, Legislation, Sectarianism, US foreign policy | Comment »
Cracking Down on Speech
July 28th, 2008 by Sarah
Egypt has banned a book by British journalist John R. Bradley about Egyptian politics and society entitled “Inside Egypt: The Land of the Pharaohs on the Brink of a Revolution.”
In a similar move, the Egyptian government continues to target Facebook users. Noha El-Hennawy at Babylon and Beyond reports that last weekend, Egyptian police arrested about 14 Facebook activists who earlier this year called for a national strike over inflation. The arrests come a month after the proposal of draft legislation that would open Facebook activists and bloggers up to legal liability.
Posted in Arab media, Egypt, Freedom, Journalism, Legislation | Comment »
Kurdish Walk-Out
July 23rd, 2008 by Sarah
Marc Lynch at Abu Aardvark suggests that the recent walkout of Kurdish Iraqi Parliament members at the vote on the country’s provincial election law spells trouble for political reconciliation. “At a minimum, it seems likely that President Jalal Talabani will not vote to ratify the law, which means it will not come into effect. Even worse would be if the decision drives Kurds to now demand the implementation of Article 140 [the deeply contentious referendum on the status of Kirkuk]… And then, of course, there’s the prospect of a mass Kurdish boycott of the provincial elections leading to a round of disenfranchisement reminiscent of the Sunni community in 2005.”
Posted in Elections, Iraq, Kurds, Legislation, Sectarianism | Comment »
POMED Notes: Senate Markup of State, Foreign Operations Bill
July 18th, 2008 by Stephen
Yesterday afternoon, the full Senate Appropriations Committee held a session to markup three of the annual appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2009: for State and Foreign Operations, Agriculture, and Defense. The markup of the State and Foreign Operations bill, which contains all funding for foreign assistance and nearly all funding for other international affairs programs, was considered rather quickly and approved by a 28-1 vote.
The bill grants $36.62 billion, which represents a $3.82 billion increase over the levels granted for FY08, but just over $1 billion less than the President’s budget request for FY09. Of note was the sharp reduction in funding for the Millennium Challenge Corporation, down from more than $1.5 billion a year ago to only $254 million to cover administrative costs. The committee has not yet released the full text or all details of the bill, but they have made available a summary of key points on their website.
For POMED’s notes on yesterday’s markup, click here.
Posted in Congress, Congressional Hearing Notes (Senate), Foreign Aid, Legislation | Comment »
Freedom House Analyzes FY09 Budget Request
June 9th, 2008 by Sarah
Freedom House releases an analysis of the Bush administration’s FY09 Budget Request.
They made several recommendations including the reinstatement of funding for the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor, and USAID’s Office of Transition.
In addition, they warn that cutting funding initiatives to Russia and China—countries with growing international influence and diminishing freedom domestically—will adversely affect the work of democracy and human rights advocates from these countries.
In regards to the Middle East, Freedom House urges Congress to fully fund democracy and human rights assistance for Egypt and consider conditioning a portion of Egypt’s military assistance on political reform. Country specific funding should be provided for democracy activists in the Gulf while Tunisia and Algeria should each receive $1 million.
For the full report, click here.
Posted in Congress, Human Rights, Legislation, US foreign policy | Comment »
Pakistan’s Judicial Juncture and American Diplomacy
May 5th, 2008 by Amanda
Pakistan’s PPP and PML-N parties will vote on legislation on May 12th to reinstate the 60 judges dismissed by Musharraf last November, leaving questions about his future status as president. Joshua Keating at FP Passport notes that while Nawaz Sharif (PML-N) would like to see an immediate reinstatement Asif Zardari (PPP) “wants to gradually erode Musharraf’s power through legislation, and worries that an injunction against the president will be meaningless if the military doesn’t play along.”
At the Daily Star Arif Rafiq suggests a redefined American relationship with the new Pakistani government . He states that “in a democratic Pakistan, decision-making will be less centralized and more representative of public opinion,” and that the U.S. must engage the Pakistani people. “Failure to do so in the Bush administration’s remaining months could cause irreparable harm to Washington’s relationship with Pakistan.”
Posted in Diplomacy, Legislation, Pakistan, Political Parties, US foreign policy | Comment »
Supporting the Afghani Private Sector and Culture
April 22nd, 2008 by Sharlina
Khaleda Atta and Hawa Ghaus implore Congress to pass legislation (S. 2776) introduced by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Kit Bond (R-MO), Joe Lieberman (I-CT), and Chuck Hagel (R-NE) that would authorize President Bush to designate Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) in Afghanistan and the border regions of Pakistan. Atta and Ghaus argue that “this sustainable approach will allow Afghanistan and Pakistan to transcend political differences and to find common ground in the promise and potential of the private sector.”
Meanwhile, Afghani Minister for Information and Culture, Abdul Karim Khurram, ordered television networks to stop broadcasting five soap operas on Tuesday, saying they were not in keeping with “Afghan religion and culture.”
Posted in Afghanistan, Congress, Freedom, Legislation, Pakistan | Comment »
Does Iraqi Law Rule in Iraq?
April 14th, 2008 by Amanda
As reported in Tapped, “Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein was granted full amnesty by an Iraqi judicial panel,” yet remains jailed.
The Iraqi Parliament passed an amnesty law in February, one of the 18 benchmarks pushed by the U.S. government, that allows for his release. Regardless of this law, a UN mandate not due to expire until the end of 2008 declares that the U.S. military is permitted to “continue to detain the Iraqi photographer until it has reviewed the panel’s order.” He has been under their detention for over 2 years.
Ilan Goldenberg continues the debate on the status of Iraqi political development at Democracy Arsenal .
He says that the “Security Framework Agreement” between the Bush Administration and Prime Minister Maliki “will in fact be subject to approval by the Iraqi Government.” Some policymakers believe the Security Framework Agreement amounts to a “defense treaty commitment” extending U.S. obligation in Iraq, as reported in the Washington Post.
Posted in Iraq, Journalism, Judiciary, Legislation, Military, US foreign policy | Comment »
House and Senate Pass FY09 Budget Resolutions
March 14th, 2008 by Kent
Following a marathon 15 hour session Thursday that ran well past midnight, the Senate passed its budget resolution for fiscal year 2009 (S.Con.Res.70) in a 51 to 44 vote. In the preceding hours, dozens of amendments were proposed and voted on, including the Biden-Lugar Amendment (S.Amdt.4245), which passed in a vote of 73 to 23. This key amendment restored the international affairs allocation by more than $4 billion to $39.5 billion, matching the amount requested by President Bush last month. In a 212-207 vote, the House also passed its budget resolution (H.Con.Res.312), allocating $37.9 billion for international affairs.
Now over the course of the spring, the appropriations committees will formulate bills that divide up this money among the various programs at the Department of State and for other foreign operations, including all foreign assistance and numerous programs essential for supporting democracy abroad.
Congressional Quarterly (subscription required) has a good round-up of the various last-minute activity on the budget bills, and the ONE blog has a description of the late-night passage of Biden-Lugar.
Posted in Foreign Aid, Legislation | Comment »
Biden-Lugar Amendment to 2009 International Affairs Budget
March 13th, 2008 by Sharlina
An amendment sponsored by Senators Joseph Biden (D-DE) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) to restore $4.1 billion that the Senate Budget Committee cut from the Administration’s International Affairs Budget will be considered by the full Senate today. Earlier this week, the House provided $38.3 billion for the International Affairs Budget, a $1.5 billion reduction from the Administration’s request of $39.8 billion.
Posted in Congress, Foreign Aid, Legislation | Comment »
ON THE FLOOR: Condemning Bhutto Assassination, Urging Democracy in Pakistan
January 16th, 2008 by Nicolas
This morning the House will consider H.Res.912, condemning the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and reaffirming the commitment of the American people to promote a free and democratic Pakistan. Specifically, the bill “urges the people and Government of Pakistan to be relentless in its pursuit of a democratically-elected government, including the holding of free and fair elections at the earliest possible opportunity,” and “expresses its support for the freedom of the media, the ability of political parties to express their views without restriction, and the independence of the judiciary in Pakistan.”
Posted in Congress, Legislation, Pakistan | Comment »
POMED Report: FY08 Appropriations for State and Foreign Operations
December 19th, 2007 by Sean
Funding for State and Foreign Operations in Fiscal Year 2008 has been passed by both the Senate and the House this week, as part of an omnibus appropriations package, H.R.2764, and will likely be signed into law by the President shortly.
The bill contains much of interest to U.S. democracy promotion efforts. Recipients of U.S. economic support include Egypt, Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza, Lebanon and Afghanistan. Recipients of U.S. military aid include Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, and Morocco, with portions of the military aid available for Egypt and Pakistan made conditional on specific progress towards democratic and judicial reform. A controversial provision of $60 million for democracy promotion efforts in Iran is also included in the bill.
POMED’s report on the final version of the legislation is available here.
Stay turned for a further POMED report to be posted here later this week, comparing the bill to previous versions, administration requests, and the State and Foreign Operations appropriations for FY07.
Posted in Afghanistan, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Foreign Aid, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Legislation, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, US foreign policy | Comment »
Omnibus Appropriation Package Passes House, With Iraq War Funding
December 19th, 2007 by Sean
An omnibus spending package, H.R. 2764, passed the Senate yesterday 76-17 with an additional amendment providing $70 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, in contrast to $31 billion that provided only for Afghanistan in a version that the House passed on Monday. Today the House passed the bill, including the Senate amendment, by a vote of 272-142.
The omnibus package will now likely avoid a veto, as the White House earlier issued its measured approval of the bill in the case that it includes Iraq war funding. The White House had earlier requested $196 billion in emergency supplemental funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The $126 billion difference sets the stage for a confrontation in Congress next year, concerning the balance of war funding for FY08.
Posted in Afghanistan, Democracy Promotion, Iraq, Legislation, Military, US foreign policy | Comment »
Millennium Challenge Corporation Faces Funding Cuts
December 18th, 2007 by Sean
The Millennium Challenge Corporation is facing a potential budget cut for fiscal year 2008, as H.R.2764, an omnibus appropriations bill making its way through Congress, provides 1.5 billion for the agency, half of the administration’s request and 207 million below FY07 levels.
MCC Chief Executive Officer John Danilovich has responded to a NYT article discussing criticism of the U.S. agency for its slow pace.
Last week the MCC announced the countries eligible for funding in 2008. Morocco and Jordan have maintained their eligibility, and Mauritania has been added as a candidate for threshold assistance grants. Yemen’s status appears to remain uncertain.
Update: Though the spending cuts have come under criticism for tying funds to projects instead of longer-term compacts, which would make the MCC more like the World Bank, a House Appropriations Committee summary justifies the cuts due to the availability of previously unspent funds.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Foreign Aid, Legislation, Uncategorized | Comment »
A Civilian Reserve for Post-Conflict Reconstruction
December 17th, 2007 by Sean
In today’s Washington Post, Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Secretary Condoleezza Rice call for Congress to follow through on legislation that would establish a Civilian Reserve Corps. This reserve would serve as “a volunteer cadre of civilian experts who can work with our military to perform the urgent jobs of post-conflict stabilization and reconstruction.”
Posted in Foreign Aid, Legislation, Military, US foreign policy | Comment »
On the Floor: Omnibus Appropriations for FY08
December 17th, 2007 by Sean
An 11-bill omnibus package, H.R. 2764, is set to be considered by the House today. The bill includes appropriations for State and Foreign Operations as well as emergency supplemental funding for the war in Afghanistan, while no money is provided for military operations in Iraq, Congressional Quarterly reports.
When the bill is considered in the Senate later this week, GOP leaders are expected to offer an amendment providing $70 billion in additional funding to cover the war in Iraq, which will then go back to the House for a vote.
On Wednesday, POMED will be offering a more extensive report on the new version of the State and Foreign Ops bill, including changes such as major cuts to the Millenium Challenge Corporation.
Posted in Afghanistan, Foreign Aid, Iraq, Legislation | Comment »
POMED Report: Passage of Defense Authorization Bill
December 14th, 2007 by Sean
The conference version of H.R. 1585, Defense Authorization for Fiscal Year 2008, was passed by the House on Wednesday, December 12, by a vote of 370-49, and it passed the Senate today, Friday, December 14th, by a vote of 90-3.
Specific provisions of interest to U.S. democracy promotion efforts focus on Afghanistan’s reconstruction and governance, Iraqi political benchmarks, refugee processing, and U.S.-Iranian relations. The bill also authorizes $75 million in assistance to Pakistan’s Frontier Corps, a provision that has been criticized by some as a misguided attempt to export the ‘Anbar strategy’ to Pakistan.
POMED’s full report on the legislation is available here.
Posted in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Legislation, Military, Pakistan | Comment »
Waiting for Congress to Appropriate Funds for FY08
December 12th, 2007 by Amanda
Marion Edwyn Harrison in The Conservative Voice criticizes Congress for their delay on passing appropriation bills for FY08. Harrison highlights the broad effects this lack of action is causing and says, “Nobody in the Federal Government, including the Department of Defense (“DOD”) and the Armed Forces, accurately and safely can plan, for lack of knowledge as to how many dollars…Congress will appropriate.”
Moreover, Harrison warns that “If Congress departs without enacting another continuing resolution or appropriating the bucks for Fiscal Year 2008…DOD soon will be required to commence laying off some 100,000 civilian employees. These employees function for the purpose of supporting our uniformed military. Thus, our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, the war effort and our national security - as, of course, also those employees - all would suffer in some measure.”
Posted in Legislation, Military, US politics | Comment »
