POMED Notes: “The United States and Turkey: A View from the Obama Administration”
March 17th, 2010 by Chanan
The Brookings Institution, in collaboration with Sabanci University, held the sixth annual Sakip Sabanci Lecture with Philip H. Gordon, Assistant Secretary of European and Eurasian Affairs, to discuss the Obama administration’s perspective on Turkey, its relationship with the United States and the European Union, and its role across the Middle East and throughout the world.
For POMED’s notes in PDF, click here. Otherwise, continue reading below.
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Posted in Afghanistan, DC Event Notes, EU, Iran, Iraq, Islam and Democracy, Israel, Middle Eastern Media, Pakistan, Political Parties, Turkey, Uncategorized, sanctions | Comment »
Iraq: Elections Widely Perceived as a Success
March 8th, 2010 by Chanan
As millions of Iraqis braved scattered attacks and flooded the polls over the weekend to vote in the country’s second parliamentary elections, politicians and pundits alike hailed what Steven Lee Meyers of the New York Times described was “arguably the most open, most competitive election in the nation’s long history of colonial rule, dictatorship and war.” President Obama praised the “milestone” elections; Marc Lynch asserted that they “went off remarkably well”; and Philip J. Crowley, assistant secretary for public affairs, lauded the “impressive number of people [who] went to the polls.”
In reality, 62.4% of Iraq’s 19 million eligible voters participated in the elections, which was down from the 79.6% who turned out for the first parliamentary elections in 2005 but was higher than the January 2009 provincial elections. Seeking to explain the decrease in voter participation between 2005 and 2010, one analyst reasoned that large numbers of Iraqis have emigrated since the first election and that “overseas, it is not as easy to vote.” At the same time, a larger percentage of Sunni voters went to the polls on Sunday than had gone in the 2005 election, which at the time was under a country-wide Sunni boycott. The New York Times’ Anthony Shadid surmises that this increase reflects a growing Sunni desire for political relevance but also a burgeoning distrust of Shiite leaders and concerns about meddling Iranian influence.
Despite fears of post-election sectarianism, The Atlantic’s Max Fisher viewed the elections themselves as “successful” and sought to explain why. He quotes Peter Beinart of the Daily Beast who credits the presence of 90,000 American troops for overseeing the elections. This stands in slight contrast to an assessment by Lynch, who attributes the “relative calm election day” to the Iraqi security forces.
Nonetheless, press coverage in the Arab world of the historic elections appeared to have been quite minimal. As Nadia Taha points out, “while newspapers from the Arab world made mention of the elections, many led their Web sites with news of the weekend’s fighting in Jerusalem.”
Posted in Elections, Iran, Iraq, Middle Eastern Media | 1 Comment »
Meedan: New Website Eliminates Language Barrier
February 22nd, 2010 by Chanan
After much anticipation, a new website called Meedan has been officially launched granting English and Arabic speakers the opportunity to bypass typical language constraints when reading stories, posting comments and engaging in conversation about issues, events and topics of interest. In short, the site allows English readers to read news articles originally published in Arabic, and vice versa.
Ed Bice, Meedan’s co-founder and chief executive, laments in the Guardian that there is a “tremendous amount of media attention focused on the Middle East, but for the most part we are looking at those stories through the prism of western news agencies.” He continues, “We don’t have a good way of seeing the media that’s being written in Arabic and represents the way the region is understanding these events itself.”
A review of the site by Wired Magazine explains that Meedan - which means “a town square” or “gathering place” in Arabic - was therefore created to “cultivate citizen diplomacy between the Middle East and the West,” or in the words of Bice, “to let someone in Nebraska see an event through the eyes of someone in Nablus.”
The website, which has been in the development phase for the last three years, uses machine translation technology to translate the original text and then allows volunteer translators to refine and correct any mistakes.
Posted in Middle Eastern Media, Publications, Technology | Comment »
Press Freedom: New Report on 2009 Violations in Middle East & North Africa
February 22nd, 2010 by Maria
The International Press Institute, an Austrian-based organization working to further freedom of expression around the world, released its World Press Freedom Review for 2009 earlier this month, focusing on the Middle East and North Africa. The report accounts for 110 journalists that were killed for their work in 2009, making it the most deadly year for journalists in the past decade, according to IPI.
This year’s report focuses on the Middle East and North Africa, including a section on the state of freedom of the press and expression for each country in the region; it also offers specific recommendations for each country in order to further its protection against free speech violations. Of the total 78 recommendations, 17 addressed governments’ need to protect independent reporting and seven more specifically addressed the need to protect bloggers and Internet freedoms.
The report calls on Tunisian authorities to “end persecution and harassment of journalists.” It states that “the systematic attacks meted out against the independent media in Tunisia over the past few months are an insult to press freedom.” It also claims journalists that offend authorities in Saudi Arabia are charged with fines, detention, interrogation, dismissal and harassment. “Criticism of the royal family or government policy is generally prohibited, and Saudi Arabia maintains tight control over media content.”
In January 2009, the Ministry of Information in Bahrain implemented a law that would give the ministry the ability to “block certain web sites without warning or referring the case to court,” said the report. It also describes the Egyptian government’s efforts to monitor Internet access through “real-world surveillance” and that “state security officers require owners of Internet cafes, which are used by a majority of users to access the Internet, to register the names and identity card numbers of users. Owners are also required to monitor which web sites are visited, and to report to the security forces on people who visit ‘political’ web sites.” The report also features an interview with Aboubakr Jamai, the editor of the Moroccan magazine Le Journal that was recently shut down.
A PDF of the full report can be accessed here.
Posted in Bahrain, Egypt, Freedom, Middle Eastern Media, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia | Comment »
Iran: Interpreting Karroubi’s Recent Remarks
January 26th, 2010 by Maria
A debate has ensued over reports from earlier this week that Iran’s opposition movement leader Mehdi Karroubi officially recognized Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Iran’s president. The New York Times reported yesterday that “Iran Opposition Leaders Drop Demand for New Election,” writing that while they still view the June, 2009 elections as illegitimate, opposition leaders are now accepting the current Iranian regime as the official head of state, citing “Iranian news sources.” AlArabiya.net is also reporting today that this is the first time Karroubi has made a public acknowledgment of the regime’s leadership. Associated Press, Reuters, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty are making similar reports.
However, early this morning the Los Angeles Times‘ Middle East blog offers a bit of a different interpretation of these events, writing that the “brouhaha” created by journalists over Karroubi’s comments can now be “put to rest” because of an “unambiguous denunciation” by Karroubi of the June elections. They use the Iranian news Web site Sahamnews.org to cite Karroubi as having said: “The more we go ahead, the more I’m convinced the election was massively rigged…I get new information every day, and it is regrettable to see certain officials tampered with people’s votes in this way.” The L.A. Times says a “Tehran analyst” is refuting any interpretation that Karroubi has recognized President Ahmadinejad. “Karroubi had not budged at all,” says the analyst. “Karroubi said the government is the government of the system. So it does not imply he has recognized it.”
Posted in Elections, Iran, Middle Eastern Media, Protests, Reform | Comment »
Iran: Peaceful Movement to Boycott Fajr Film Festival
January 26th, 2010 by Jessica
The Babylon and Beyond blog at the Los Angeles Times has an interesting look at the Tehran film festival. The Fajr Film Festival is widely toted as the largest cinematic event of the year in Iran. The festival, established following the Iranian Revolution in 1979, has in recent years attracted the attention of the international community, including filmmakers and screenwriters from around the globe.
Babylon and Beyond reports that the highly anticipated 2010 film festival has experienced a boycott for political reasons, called for by opposition leaders. Prominent Iranian actor Ezzattolla Entzami and director Asghar Farhadi have both turned down offers to sit on the festival’s jury panel as a show of support for the opposition movement. The article notes that British directors Ken Loach and Peter Brook also supported the boycott by refusing to participate in the festival. Loach commented, “It is the request, first and foremost, from the Iranian filmmakers that makes you think and makes you want to support them.” Loach cemented his position, sending a letter to the Islamic Republic, informing them of his withdrawl from the festival and the reasoning behind his decision.
The boycott is largely a grassroots movement, organized online through blogs, facebook, and twitter, and is in response to the government’s violent treatment of its citizens and questions surrounding the legitimacy of the current president.
While the boycott has gained a foothold in the media, success is threatened by the opportunity presented to some artists by the boycott. Golab P. in an a post for Tehran Bureau reports that noted director Ebrahim Hatamikiya opted to participate in the film festival when restrictions placed on his film, “The Color Purple,” were lifted. The film had been banned from being viewed at the festival for the past five years. Other, younger artists, were given an opportunity to participate that may not have materialized for many years otherwise. In Golab’s article, younger artists argue that showing films that had been previously banned was a positive for the opposition.
Posted in Human Rights, Iran, Middle Eastern Media | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Syria’s Democratic Past: Lessons for the Future”
January 8th, 2010 by Josh
The National Endowment for Democracy hosted a presentation by Dr. Radwan Ziadeh entitled “Syria’s Democratic Past: Lessons for the Future.” Dr. Ziadeh is the founding director of the Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies and executive director of the Syrian Center for Political and Strategic Studies. He was most recently a visiting scholar at the Center for the Study of Human Rights at Columbia University and a 2008–2009 Visiting Scholar at Harvard University’s Carr Center for Human Rights. Dr. Steven Heydemann, vice president of the grant and fellowships program and special adviser to the Muslim World Initiative at the U.S. Institute of Peace, followed Ziadeh’s presentation with commentary and analysis. Karen Farrell, Senior Program Officer for NED’s Middle East and North Africa Program, moderated the event.
For POMED’s notes in PDF, please click here. Otherwise, keep reading below the fold.
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Posted in DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Freedom, Human Rights, Lebanon, Middle Eastern Media, Protests, Reform, Syria | 2 Comments »
Morocco: Reforming Through Decentralization?
January 5th, 2010 by Josh
On January 4, King Mohammed IV of Morocco announced his intention to establish an “Advisory Committee” which will be tasked with drafting legislation to “give regional authorities more power to determine their own paths to development based on local conditions.” Magharebia reports that the committee, led by Morocco’s Ambassador to Spain, Omar Azzamine, will “find ways to boost the power of regions so they can effectively contribute to Morocco’s socio-economic and cultural development.”
Supplementing this announcement is an Al-Arabiya report on a partial reshuffling of the Moroccan cabinet. In a statement to the media, the royal council linked the new appointments — the most significant of which are in the Ministries of Justice and Interior — to the aforementioned Advisory Committee initiative, claiming that the cabinet shake-up would “give greater momentum to major development projects and structural institutional reforms.”
Posted in Algeria, Democracy Promotion, Freedom, Human Rights, Middle Eastern Media, Morocco, North Africa, Reform | 1 Comment »
Iran: Protests Continue, Mousavi Fired
December 23rd, 2009 by Jason
Time reports that security forces fired tear gas and beat opposition protesters who were attending a memorial for Grand Ayatollah Montazeri today. According to one Isfahan resident who tried to attend the memorial, “tens of thousands gathered outside for the memorial but were savagely attacked by security forces and the Basijis.” Iran’s head of police warned that there would be a “fierce” confrontation if “illegal” protests continued.
In addition to such clashes in Isfahan and elsewhere, Juan Cole cites a militia raid against the office of reformist cleric Ayatollah Yusuf Sanei in Qom, and Gregg Carlstrom provides more details from several reformist websites. Cole argues such tactics reveal the regime’s concern “about liberalizing clergymen who might assume the mantle of Montazeri, a regime critic with impressive scholarly credentials.”
The Lede blog reports on the raid against Sanei’s office as well, while also relaying the decision of Montazeri’s family to cancel traditional mourning rituals held a week after death, which coincidentally lines up with Ashura, the Shi’ite day of mourning. The family cited security concerns for their decision. Nonetheless, Nicholas Goldberg contends that Montazeri’s life and death show “that the revolution that was made in Qom could be undone in Qom as well.”
Meanwhile, opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi has been fired from his position as head of the Academy of Arts, apparently at the request of President Ahmadinejad. In response, the vast majority of faculty members have threatened to quit in solidarity. In a comprehensive piece covering the reaction to Montazeri’s death, Michael Allen observes that both Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi “appear increasingly marginal, trying to defend or revive the Islamic Republic within a green opposition that appears more inclined to push for regime change and a more secular, democratic republic.”
Elaborating further, Mea Cyrus at Tehran Bureau argues that opposition leaders like Montazeri, Mousavi, and Karroubi “are favored by educated, secular elite only because they share a common goal: ousting Ahmadinejad and Khamenei. But until the time comes when the opposition movement is capable of producing leaders of its own, religious figures and ex-officials, dead or alive, are a good base to build upon.”
Marty Peretz believes “that the Iranian regime is trembling, trembling from fear of its own people.” In agreement, John Bolton cites three reasons for the regime’s unpopularity: the poor economy, dissatisfied youth, and ethnic discontent. While Bolton clamors for military strikes, Nader Mousavizadeh pleads for the U.S. to not give the Iranian regime a “lifeline” by imposing harsh sanctions or undertaking military strikes, actions the hardliners in Tehran hope to provoke. Instead, the U.S. should place the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom “at the core of every policy decision.”
Tony Karon blames the current impasse in nuclear negotiations on Iran’s internal turmoil and the Obama administration’s failure to adapt its goals while imposing strict deadlines. He concludes, “with both Obama and Ahmadinejad having been painted into corners, the deadlock is unlikely to be broken by the sanctions that are expected to be put in place in the coming months.” Finally, Laura Rozen reports on a new simulation from Tel Aviv University that corroborates a previous Harvard simulation’s conclusion that U.S. unilateral sanctions would likely backfire.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Islam and Democracy, Middle Eastern Media, Military, Protests, US foreign policy, sanctions | Comment »
Egypt: Moussa Won’t Run for President
December 23rd, 2009 by Jason
In an interview (Arabic) with al-Masry al-Youm, Arab League head Amr Moussa announced he will not run for president in Egypt’s 2011 elections. He explained, “The question is, is it possible? And the answer is, the road is closed.” The current constitution makes it nearly impossible for an independent candidate to run for president, and Moussa refuses to join a political party for pure “political opportunism.”
Meanwhile, President Mubarak met with King Abdullah in Riyadh today before heading on to Kuwait. They discussed the Middle East Peace Process and the Houthi insurgency in Yemen. Al-Masry al-Youm reports that the newly elected members of the MB Guidance Bureau swore fealty to General Guide Mahdi Akef yesterday. Sources within the MB suggest a new general guide will be named within two days.
Abdel-Rahman Hussein and Sarah Carr contend Egypt’s opposition groups are “blighted by internal divisions.” They observe that the Muslim Brotherhood has endured “heavy blows from the regime” as the media focused on the Brotherhood’s internal rifts. Meanwhile, Ayman Nour has been physically attacked, disbarred, and legally prohibited from running for office. While opposition groups banded together in October to campaign against the succession of Gamal Mubarak, the Kefaya movement has already withdrawn its support. Now Kefaya is left “trying to prove that it is still relevant” as it clamors for the election of an “alternative president” separate from the regime.
Babylon and Beyond delves deeper into the Muslim Brotherhood’s recent election, which resulted in a victory for the conservative faction. According to MB analyst Abdul Rehim Aly, “hard-liners couldn’t accept the presence of reformers within the group itself, so how can anyone expect them one day to have a dialogue with other people belonging to different religious and cultural backgrounds?”
Dalia Rabie explores several moral controversies of 2009, including the Ramadan arrests, the niqab ban and virginity kits, that “highlighted the conflict between Egypt’s so-called secular government and its age-old traditions.”
Posted in Arab League, Diplomacy, Elections, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Kuwait, Middle Eastern Media, Mideast Peace Plan, Military, Muslim Brotherhood, Palestine, Political Islam, Saudi Arabia, Secularism, Women | Comment »
Yemen: The Need for a Broader Perspective?
December 22nd, 2009 by Jason
Time Magazine explores the potential fallout from U.S. assistance in strikes and raids against Al-Qaeda militants in Yemen. The article quotes Gregory Johnsen who warns “you can’t just go kill a few individuals and the al-Qaeda problem will go away,” especially when such attacks result in civilian casualties. As Mohammad Quhtan of Yemen’s opposition Islamist al-Islah party explains, “Al-Qaeda will be able to recruit a lot more young people, at least from the tribes that were hit.”
Instead, Johnsen repeats his call for (see our previous post) a broader American foreign policy that will undermine Al-Qaeda. He points to a Reuters article that describes how, in addition to al-Qaeda, falling oil income, water shortages, humanitarian crises, the Houthi conflict, and a southern separatist movement all contribute to Yemen’s instability.
Posted in Middle Eastern Media, Military, Oil, Political Parties, Public Opinion, Terrorism, US foreign policy, Yemen, al-Qaeda | Comment »
Congress: Anti-American Media Bill Criticized
December 18th, 2009 by Jason
Bikya Masr reports The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) has come out criticizing a bill (see our previous post) recently passed in the House that would identify and seek to isolate international news media that broadcast “anti-American incitement to violence.”
According to ANHRI, the bill “represented a sharp additional decline on the U.S. promises to improve its poor record in civil and political freedoms locally and internationally.” Furthermore, ANHRI claims the bill violates American obligations to international treaties. In an interview with Bikya Masr, local media analyst Hassan al-Naggar argues Congress has further “tarnishe[d] Obama’s struggling image.”
However, the article suggests Congress hopes the legislation “will create more equitable television viewing that leaves violence off American air waves.”
Posted in Congress, Freedom, Journalism, Legislation, Middle Eastern Media, NGOs, Public Opinion, US foreign policy | Comment »
Oman: Growth of Media Outlets
December 15th, 2009 by Zack
Middle East Online reports that the media scene is growing in Oman after a royal decree “heralded a new era in broadcasting, bringing to an end more than three decades of dominance by the state-owned electronic media.” The country now boasts four English newspapers and several mainstream Arabic papers and journals. There are now three privately owned radio stations and the government is attempting to draw new investment into the broadcasting industry.
Programs on these stations cover economics, politics, culture, and sports while the “local flavour […] is of prime importance.” The article explains that “media plays an important role. It helps build public opinion, promotes national development, works as a mirror of day-to-day activities and serves as voice to the Omani citizen.”
Posted in Freedom, Journalism, Middle Eastern Media, Oman, Public Opinion | Comment »
Turkey: Subtle Shifts and Kurdish Tension
December 14th, 2009 by Zack
Claude Salhani comments that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent condemnation of Israeli action in Gaza and the AKP’s shift away from Euro-centric foreign policies “come as no surprise” in light of Europe’s continued position of stringing along E.U. accession. For Salhani, this shift is eroding Turkey’s viability as a partner to negotiate a Middle East peace plan.
David Kenner at Foreign Policy reiterates Erdogan’s resentment towards the E.U. in a speech he gave at SAIS. At the same time, the article sees a genuine admiration for President Obama by Erdogan for his ability to adapt quickly to Turkish dynamics.
Michael Allen writes about Erdogan’s assertion that Turkish policy is not undergoing a “reorientation from the democratic West to Eurasian and Middle East states.” At a meeting in Washington, Erdogan downplayed reports of attacks on press freedom. However, Allen goes on to cite recent commentary that illustrate Erdogan’s inability to tolerate criticism, his support for the Iranian elections as democratic, and the sense that Turkey has lost much of its democratic momentum.
BitterLemons-International has released its latest edition discussing the relationship between Turkey and the Kurds. Saad Jawad traces the strained relationship between Turkey and the Kurds in northern Iraq, arguing that Turkey will not support an independent Kurdish region, perhaps to point of attacking the region and bringing Turkey into conflict with the U.S. Ibrahim Kalin, however, notes an accelerating rapprochement between the two parties initiated by the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. Kalin believes the success of the newly burgeoning diplomatic ties will be determined by four principles that Turkey outlines with all of its neighbors: security for all, territorial integrity, economic integration, and deepening social relations among the people. Lastly, Khaled Salih writes that the Erdogan government is serious about dialogue with the Kurds as part of a movement to build a strong, new vision for Turkey. Currently, it appears the country will “likely adopt a combination of democratization and decentralization” that will recognize group identities and Salih argues that Erdogan could adapt elements from the British, Spanish, and Belgian systems in this pursuit.
In Turkey, AFP reports that Kurdish parliamentarians are debating a decision to withdraw from Parliament as the The Democratic Society Party (DTP), the largest Kurdish party, has been outlawed by the constitutional court on grounds it is linked to the PKK.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Freedom, Iraq, Islam and Democracy, Kurds, Middle Eastern Media, Mideast Peace Plan, Turkey, US foreign policy | Comment »
Egypt: ElBaradei As An Independent
December 12th, 2009 by Jason
Mohamed ElBaradei, who previously indicated his willingness to consider running for the Egyptian presidency if the elections are free and fair, announced (Arabic) to al-Masry al-Youm that he would run only as an independent in Egypt’s 2011 elections. ElBaradei put an end to speculations by ruling out the possibility of him running on an opposition party platform. He stated that “entering the presidential election through a political party means I agree to the fake frame of political practices in Egypt and had granted this frame legitimacy, and that I agree to the current constitution, which lacks legitimacy because it does not allow about 95% of citizens the opportunity to run for president because political parties account for only 5% of the population.” ElBaradei added that he respects all the political parties, but as an independent man, he cannot enter the election except as an independent.
Meanwhile, many political forces in Egypt welcomed (Arabic) ElBaradei’s statements and demands as they described his political position as one that deserves respect and support. Ayman Nour said that “ElBaradei has the right to seek a position in the presidential race while retaining his independence, but he has no right to not seek or wait for change.” Nour added that ElBaradei’s announcement to fight for change and reform regardless of the upcoming elections makes them partners in this dream project. While Gamal Heshmat, a leader in the Muslim Brotherhood, indicated that the Brotherhood has been neutral with respect to all potential candidates because the picture is still not clear, he indicated that if the competition was between Gamal Mubarakand Dr. ElBaradei, then the “the balance will be in favor of the latter.” However, he added that ElBaradei might not be able to run in the coming elections because amending the constitution is not an option for the Egyptian regime.
If ElBaradei were to run as an independent, he would need the backing of 250 elected representatives across both houses of parliament and local councils — all of which are dominated by Mubarak’s ruling National Democratic Party.
Posted in Egypt, Elections, Middle Eastern Media, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Parties | 2 Comments »
Iran: Gates Expects Significant Sanctions
December 12th, 2009 by Jason
Speaking in Erbil, Iraq, Secretary Gates said today that he expects the U.S. and its allies will impose “significant additional sanctions” on Iran because of Iran’s failure to follow through on negotiations. At the same time, he explained a military strike “would only buy some time, maybe two or three years.”
Danielle Pletka argues the U.S. should consider sanctions that are not just “inevitable,” but “effective” as well. Towards that end, she recommends several kinds of sanctions that will “hit hardest at the regime, and affect ordinary Iranians only incidentally.” However, Laura Rozen of Politico points to two more analyses of the recent Harvard simulation that “bode poorly for the pressure track the U.S. with support of some of its P5+1 partners is embarking on.” Nonetheless, she also notes that the simulation fails to adequately account for Europe’s role and consider an outcome between unilateral sanctions and UN Security Council sanctions.
insideIran reports that Iran’s Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi has launched an attack against reform-minded former president Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani. Moslehi accused Rafsanjani of espousing the views of the opposition after Rafsanjani stated last week that if the people of Iran no longer support Iran’s leaders, then they should no longer be in power. Meanwhile, Tehran’s Prosecutor announced that of the 204 protesters arrested during Student Day, 86 have been released and fate of the remaining detainees will be decided soon. Finally, in response to Majid Tavakoli’s arrest and government-staged photo of him wearing women’s clothing, opposition-minded men have come out in support by also wearing women’s clothing.
Despite the regime’s efforts, Mir Hossein Moussavi remains steadfast. The Economist quotes him warning the regime “In the streets, you are fighting with shadows. And your ramparts are collapsing, one by one, in the hearts of the people.” The article goes on to provide a history of events that have led from the disputed election in June to this week’s Student Day Protests, explaining how the protests seem to have radicalized under the increased brutality of the regime. Drewery Dyke in The Guardian calls on the international community to nurture “what hope there is” for human rights in Iran. Dyke also analyzes how the opposition have shown “the genie is now out of the bottle and there are signs that Iran’s governmental elites will have difficulty in putting it back.”
The Los Angeles Times editorial staff joins in, calling on the West to rhetorically and morally support the reform movement while also not undermining the cause “with too close an embrace.” Responding to President Obama’s reference to “the hundred of thousands who have marched silently through the streets of Iran,” Michael Ledeen warns that ”words aren’t nearly enough. But they are essential.” Jackson Diehl, meanwhile, wishes Obama had gone further in support of the Iranian opposition in the speech.
Lastly, Tehran Bureau offers a useful guide to Iranian media and describes their reputations and slants.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Iraq, Journalism, Legislation, Middle Eastern Media, Multilateralism, Oil, Protests, US foreign policy, sanctions | Comment »
Turkey: Questioning the Future
December 2nd, 2009 by Zack
Soner Cagaptay examines the seven years of AKP rule in Turkey for the Washington Institute. He writes that the AKP started out as a moderate Islamist movement indifferent to Turkey’s E.U. hopes, but with European Court of Human Rights decision to uphold the Turkish ban on headscarves and the military’s failed attempt to unseat the party, the AKP has eroded its E.U. aspirations and moved towards an authoritarian regime based on orthopraxy. The AKP has also worked to undermine liberal principles, including free speech, and continues to align itself with anti-Western and Islamist regimes, resulting in an “a la carte moralistic foreign policy.” Cagaptay believes the AKP “demonstrates that Islamists distort Islam, re-imagining it as inherently illiberal at home” and proves that “Islamism may not be compatible with the West, after all.”
David Schenker argues that Turkey has moved away from the West and towards Syria for two reasons: first, Turkey is no longer dependent on Israel to pressure Syria into not providing a safe haven for Kurdish extremists and, second, the Islamist shift in Turkish politics has shifted the country’s foreign policy paradigm. Damascus has naturally embraced rapprochement because the new face of Turkey is more amenable and Turkey can provide an avenue to facilitate diplomatic relations with Europe.
Michael Rubin writes that PM Erdogan is the new Vladimir Putin in his disdain for the free press and Rubin laments President Obama’s decision to turn a blind eye towards journalist abuses. Rubin, then, advertises a meeting of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Thursday morning at 10:30 on Turkey.
The Daily Star reports that Negar Azizmoradi, the head of the Iranian branch of the Rael sect, a group that rejects the “existence of any god and believe extraterrestrials created the earth,” faces deportation from Turkey to Iran, where she faces execution.
In other news, The Daily Star reports that Turkey has signed a free-trade agreement with Jordan that “is key to enhancing bilateral economic cooperation and boosting trade as well as investments between Jordan and Turkey.”
Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Islamist movements, Kurds, Middle Eastern Media, Political Parties, Reform, Turkey, US foreign policy | Comment »
Egypt: Soccer Distracts from Politics
November 24th, 2009 by Jason
The ongoing soccer feud between Egypt and Algeria continues to simmer, as many start probing the conflict for its political implications. The Arabist quotes Al Shurouq editor Hany Shukrallah who argues (in Arabic) that social and political life in the Arab wold has weakened to such an extent that people “search for easy contests, areas in which to let loose our stored up anger and frustration and feelings of humiliation, as long as this costs us no effort, and exposes us to no punishment.”
Meanwhile, Dalia Ziada at Bikya Masr is happy that Egypt lost the match against Algeria, otherwise the Egyptians would be distracted by soccer at a pivotal point in its political history. Next year, the parliamentary elections will determine who will write the laws that will govern the all-important presidential election in 2011. It is this struggle over constitutional amendments that is “the real battle which Egyptians should pay enough attention to,” not some over-hyped sporting event that acts as a “drug of patriotism.” The question remains, however, how “to mobilize the people again to the new cause” of political reform.
Finally, Baher Ibrahim explores the recent increase in sectarian violence between Muslims and Christians in Egypt.
Posted in Egypt, Elections, Middle Eastern Media, Reform, Sectarianism | 1 Comment »
Iran: More Censorship, More Arrests
November 24th, 2009 by Jason
After apparently rejecting a nuclear deal last week, Iran signaled it could send its uranium abroad for enrichment if given “100 percent guarantees” it would be returned. However, Michael Crowley at the Plank quotes George Perkovich, who warns that nuclear negotiations cannot succeed while Iranian internal politics remains under such disarray.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reports that the Iranian regime ”appears to be starting a far more ambitious effort to discredit its opponents and re-educate Iran’s mostly young and restive population.” Among other initiatives, they have deployed Basij militia to teach the Islamic Revolution in elementary schools, the Revolutionary Guards have acquired the country’s telecommunications monopoly, and the Guards will open a news agency within the next few months. But, according to Mehrzad Boroujerdiof Syracuse University, similar “previous efforts to reinstall orthodoxy have only exacerbated cleavages between citizens and the state.” Iranian authorities have also banned the country’s largest-circulation newspaper after it published a photograph of a Baha’i temple. Approximately 300,000 Baha’is live in Iran, but they are often persecuted as a minority faith.
Despite these initiatives, Omid Memarian praises Frontline’s “A Death in Tehran” documentary that “exposes the Iranian government’s fierce but failed endeavors to manipulate the truth.” According to Memarian, the spread of the Internet and mobile devices represents a “paradigm shift” in communication that the Iranian government is ill-equipped to control. However, the regime can still imprison its citizens. The journalist Ahmad Zeidabadi was sentenced to five years in prison and, earlier this month, student leader Abdollah Momeni was sentenced to eight years. Furthermore, prominent reformist Mohammad Atrianfar was released on $500,000 bail after being sentenced to a six-year prison term. In response to the continued crackdown, the opposition has called for another protest on December 7th, known in Iran as Student Day.
Posted in EU, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Journalism, Judiciary, Middle Eastern Media, US foreign policy, sanctions | Comment »
Reflecting on Afghan Strategy
November 13th, 2009 by Jason
President Obama rejected accusations of dithering yesterday, insisting that he will decide on a strategy soon that will not entail an “open-ended” commitment to Afghanistan. Secretary Gates also confirmed, “we’re getting toward the end of this process.”
That process was thrown a curve ball when someone leaked confidential cables from Ambassador Eikenberry that argued against a troop increase (see our previous post). Andrew Exum fumes that “whoever leaked these classified cables has cut the knees out from underneath the most important U.S. representative in Kabul” by poisoning the relationship between Eikenberry and Hamid Karzai (h/t Daily Dish). Michael Cohen at Democracy Arsenal contends the anger of some military officers over Eikenberry’s lack of support is ironic given that Eikenberry is doing exactly what General McChrystal’s report demands: evaluating whether we have the legitimate Afghan partner we need to succeed.
As Fred Kaplan reiterates, “if the government is particularly corrupt or incompetent, it won’t be able to build on the security wrought by a good counterinsurgency campaign, thus nullifying our success and sacrifice.” President Obama is therefore seeking ways to circumvent the central government and support provincial leaders instead. In fact, corruption runs rampant in Afghanistan, as explained by an Al Jazeera English clip linked to by Juan Cole. But there have been success in Afghanistan as well, as a New York Times article on the National Solidarity Program shows. The program provides direct grants to village councils for development projects instead of relying on the corrupt central government or overpriced foreign contractors.
Geoffrey Kemp in the National Interest warns that a counterterror strategy neglects the “fight for democratic universal values, such as women’s rights,” that has constituted the primary motivation for our European partners in Afghanistan. Therefore, if President Obama “lowers the bar on reform and universal values, then many Europeans will ask what’s the point of being there?” Citing the failures of the Soviets, Deepak Tripathi insists at Cole’s Informed Comment blog that the U.S. should forgo a counterinsurgency strategy in favor of allowing the development of democratic institutions and processes, fighting corruption, encouraging the rule of law, and building modern schools. The Soviet precedent is also on the mind of Matthew Yglesias, who posted an interesting map of the Soviet “ink spots” of control just prior to their withdrawal.
Finally, Rich Lowry at the Corner warns against the President micromanaging the Afghan war: “no plan so finely tuned from on high is going to survive its first contact with reality.” Instead, the president should support a “dumb” Afghan strategy and let the implementers be “savvy and adaptive.”
Posted in Afghanistan, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, Middle Eastern Media, Military, Multilateralism, Reform, Secularism, Taliban, US foreign policy, US politics, al-Qaeda | Comment »
