POMED Notes: Pakistan, Toward Democracy and Stability
August 19th, 2008 by Sarah
Today, the New America Foundation invited Ambassador Husain Haqqani and Steve Coll to discuss the future of Pakistan. Ambassador Husain Haqqani is the Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S. and Steve Coll is President of the New America Foundation. The event was moderated by Steve Clemons, Director of the American Strategy Program at the New America Foundation.
Haqqani was optimistic in noting that “for the first time Pakistani politicians are united in making Pakistan a functioning democracy.”
For POMED’s full notes, click here.
Posted in Event Notes, Pakistan | Comment »
POMED Notes: Back from Baghdad, Views from Veterans of the Iraq Mission
August 15th, 2008 by Sarah
Yesterday, the American Enterprise Institute invited David Bellavia, Capt. Erik Swabb, and Colin Kahl to share their day to day experiences in Iraq, to discuss a potential withdrawal of U.S. troops, and the effects of the Surge on the ground. David Bellavia is a former U.S. Army soldier and co-founder of Vets for Freedom, Capt. Erik Swabb is a U.S. Marine Corps member and currently attends Harvard Law School, and Colin Kahl is a Senior Fellow of the Center for a New American Security. Danielle Pletka, Vice President for Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at AEI, moderated the event.
Despite the heated exchange between participants, all agreed that while there have been great security gains in Iraq, those gains remain fragile.
For POMED’s full notes, click here.
Posted in Event Notes, Iraq, US foreign policy, al-Qaeda | Comment »
POMED Notes: Iraq’s Refugee and IDP Crisis
August 11th, 2008 by Sarah
Today, the Middle East Institute invited Dr. Phebe Marr and Elizabeth Ferris to discuss the Iraqi dislocation within and beyond its border and its effect on political stability in Iraq and the region. Dr. Phebe Marr is a former professor at National Defense University. Elizabeth Ferris is co-director of the Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. Amb. Wendy Chamberlain, President of MEI, moderated the event.
Both guests spoke of the need to improve Iraqi governance, including health services, schools, and infrastructure, in order to entice Iraqi refugees to voluntarily return to Iraq in order to help rebuild their country.
For POMED’s full notes, click here.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Event Notes, Human Rights, Iraq, US foreign policy | 1 Comment »
POMED Notes: Implications of Turkey’s Constitutional Court Decision
August 7th, 2008 by Sarah
Yesterday, the Brookings Institution invited Cagri Erhan, Ibrahim Kalin, and Murat Yetkin to discuss the Turkish court’s ruling and its implications for Turkey’s relations with the United States and Europe. Cagri Erhan is Vice President of the Center for Eurasian Strategic Studies, Ibrahim Kalin is the Founding Director of the Foundation for Political, Economic, and Social Research, and Murat Yetkin is a columnist for Radikal, a Turkish publication. Brookings Visiting Fellow and former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Mark Parris moderated the event.
All of the speakers saw the court’s decision as “good step forward for democracy.”
For POMED’s full notes, click here.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Event Notes, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Political Islam, Political Parties, Turkey | 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 »
POMED Notes: Subcommittee Hearing: Update on the Situation in Lebanon
July 30th, 2008 by Sarah
Yesterday, the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs invited Jeffrey Feltman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs in the U.S. Department of State to discuss the current political situation in Lebanon in light of the recent Doha Agreement. Feltman welcomed the election of President Sulieman and the formation of a new cabinet under Prime Minister Siniora, and reiterated President Bush’s policy of non-engagement with Hizbullah and Syria.
Rep. Gary Ackerman made opening remarks.
For POMED’s full notes, click here.
Posted in Elections, Event Notes, Foreign Aid, Hezbollah, Iran, Lebanon, Political Parties, Syria, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: Subcommittee Hearing On The Extension of The U.N. Mandate in Iraq
July 29th, 2008 by Sarah
Last week, the Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs invited Steven Kull, Michael J. Matheson, and Danielle Pletka to testify before Congress on options for a possible extension of the U.N. mandate for Iraq. Steven Kull is director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes. Michael J. Matheson is a Visiting Research Professor of Law at George Washington University Law School. Danielle Pletka is Vice President of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi Council of Representatives and Former Prime Minister of Iraq was invited to brief the subcommittee on the current status of Iraq political reform.
All of the speakers addressed a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops and the need to recognize Iraqi sovereignty.
For POMED’s full notes, click here.
Posted in Event Notes, Iraq, Military, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Democratic Development in the Middle East and North Africa”
July 29th, 2008 by Adam
Today, the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED), the Middle East Institute (MEI), and Americans for Informed Diplomacy (AID) hosted a discussion with representatives from three conferences sponsored this spring by POMED and AID, in which young Middle Eastern and American leaders developed and ratified policy recommendations on how to improve America’s impact on Middle East reform. The participants included Erika Spaet and Sara Ait Imoudden from the Rabat Conference, Dina Elshinnawi and Mohamed Sabbah from the Cairo Conference, and Emily Crawford and Tharwat Alazab from the Amman Conference.
For POMED’s complete notes on the discussion, click here.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Event Notes, Events, Foreign Aid, Reform, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: IRI Releases Findings From Pakistan Opinion Poll
July 29th, 2008 by Sarah
Last week, the International Republican Institute released the findings from its June 2008 Pakistan Public Opinion Poll. Thomas Garrett, Director of IRI’s Middle East and North Africa Regional Program, led the presentation of the survey’s findings alongside Rob Varsalone, IRI’s former Resident Country Director for Pakistan via teleconference.
71% of respondants believe that the new Pakistani government should engage in political dialogue with extremists.
61% believe the best way to combat extremists is with education and economic development. Another 24% believe these tactics should also be balanced with military force.
For POMED’s full notes, click here.
For the entire Pakistan Public Opinion Survey, click here.
For IRI’s Pakistan Index, click here.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Event Notes, Pakistan, Public Opinion, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: “The Future of the U.S. Military Presence in Iraq”
July 25th, 2008 by Adam
Today, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) held a discussion regarding the latest developments in Iraq and how the U.S. military strategy should adapt to Iraq’s changing dynamics. Speakers included Kimberly Kagan, President of the Institute for the Study of War, Colin Kahl, Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, Charles Knight, Co-Director of the Project on Defense Alternatives at the Commonwealth Institute, and Rend al-Rahim, Iraq Fellow at USIP. Daniel Serwer, Vice President of Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations at USIP moderated the discussion.
For POMED’s complete notes on the discussion, click here.
Posted in DC Event Notes, Event Notes, Iraq, Military, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Turkey’s Political Crisis: Implications for the Middle East”
July 25th, 2008 by Adam
Yesterday, the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) held a discussion regarding the current political crisis in Turkey and the potential consequences for Turkey, the broader Middle East, U.S. relations with the region, and prospects for democracy. Panelists included Abdullah Akyuz, President of TUSIAD, the United States office of Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association, Bulent Aliriza, Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Director of CSIS’ Turkey Project, and Omer Taspinar, Professor of National Security Strategy at the U.S. National War College and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution where he directs Brookings’ Turkey Project. The discussion was moderated by Stephen McInerney, POMED’s Director of Advocacy.
For POMED’s full notes on the discussion, click here.
Posted in DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Event Notes, Events, Events, Political Islam, Turkey | Comment »
POMED Notes: Islamist Parties and Democracy
July 22nd, 2008 by Sarah
Yesterday, the International Forum for Democratic Studies and the National Endowment for Democracy invited Hillel Fradkin, Amr Hamzawy, Laith Kubba, and Tamara Cofman Wittes to assess the rise of Islamist parties and its implications for democracy in the region. All of the speakers agreed with Wittes’ statement that Islamist parties “are not evolving in a vacuum. The U.S. is part of this, and rather than just sitting here, we must take responsibility for what happens next.”
Marc Plattner of the International Forum for Democratic Studies and Vice President at the National Endowment for Democracy moderated the event.
For POMED’s full notes, click here.
Posted in Event Notes, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Political Islam, Political Parties, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: “The Implications of the Opening Steps for a Diplomatic Path Between the United States and Iran”
July 22nd, 2008 by Adam
On Tuesday, the Center for Strategic & International Studies held a discussion regarding the recent developments in the negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program and what implications these developments could have on U.S. policy. Panelists included Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter, Gen. Brent Scowcroft (Ret.), former National Security Advisor to Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, and David Ignatius, Associate Editor and Columnist for the Washington Post. Bob Schieffer, CBS News’ Chief Washington Correspondent and host of Face the Nation served as moderator.
For POMED’s complete notes on this discussion, click here.
Posted in DC Event Notes, Diplomacy, Event Notes, Iran, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Egypt’s Coptic Christians: The Experience of the Middle East’s Largest Christian Community During a Time of Rising Islamization”
July 18th, 2008 by Adam
The Center for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute held a discussion with Bishop Thomas of the El-Qussia and Mair Diocese in Upper Egypt. The discussion dealt with experiences of Egypt’s Coptic Christian community. The Bishop talked about important issues facing the Copts, including religious freedom, the growth of Islamic identity, and tensions between the Muslim and Coptic communities.
For POMED’s full notes on this discussion, click here.
Posted in Egypt, Event Notes, Sectarianism | Comment »
POMED Notes: The Crisis in Turkey
July 15th, 2008 by Adam
On Tuesday, the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) held a discussion regarding the current political crisis in Turkey. The discussion focused on the latest developments in the Constitutional Court case to ban the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), and the potential consequences this crisis could have on Turkey’s domestic politics, economic development, and international standing. The two featured speakers were Bulent Aliriza, Director and Senior Associate of CSIS’ Turkey Project and Mark Parris, former ambassador to Turkey (1997-2000) and Visiting Fellow on Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution.
For POMED’s complete notes on the discussion, click here.
Posted in Event Notes, Political Islam, Turkey | Comment »
POMED Notes: Opportunities and Challenges in Pakistan’s Foreign Policy
July 11th, 2008 by Adam
On Friday, the Brookings Institution held a discussion with Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Foreign Minister of Pakistan, to discuss the latest developments in Pakistan’s foreign policy. Qureshi also addressed the future course of Pakistan’s foreign policy and its impact on U.S.-Pakistan relations, the war in Afghanistan, and domestic turmoil within Pakistan. Stephen Cohen, Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution, provided commentary. The discussion was moderated by Bruce Riedel, Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings’ Saban Center for Middle East Policy.
For POMED’s complete notes on the discussion, click here.
Posted in Diplomacy, Event Notes, Events, Pakistan | Comment »
POMED Notes: Understanding Khamenei: The Writings of Iran’s Supreme Leader
July 10th, 2008 by Adam
On Thursday, the Center for Strategic and International Studies hosted a discussion with Karim Sadjadpour, an associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and author of Reading Khamenei: The Worldview of Iran’s Most Powerful Leader. The discussion focused on the political, philosophical, and religious worldview of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. Sadjadpour was interviewed by Sally Quinn of the Washington Post.
For POMED’s complete notes on the discussion, click here.
Posted in Event Notes, Events, Iran | Comment »
POMED Notes: Religious Freedom in Turkey
July 9th, 2008 by Sarah
The Congressional Human Rights Caucus Task Force on International Religious Freedom invited Ziya Meral, a Turkish researcher, and Patricia Carley, Policy Director for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to lead a staff briefing on the current political and social scene within Turkey and the status of religious freedom in the country. Both speakers agreed that banning the AKP party could be disastrous for democracy in Turkey. All comments were made off the record.
For POMED’s full notes, click here.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Event Notes, Freedom, Human Rights, Political Islam, Political Parties, Secularism, Turkey | Comment »
POMED Notes: Stories from the Frontlines of the Civil Liberties Struggle in the Middle East
July 3rd, 2008 by Adam
On Thursday, the American Islamic Congress (AIC) featured a presentation by Dalia Ziada, Director of AIC’s Egypt Office and prominent Egyptian reformer. She discussed the appalling condition of human rights in Egypt and relayed her own personal experiences regarding restrictions on women’s rights and press freedoms. She also briefly discussed her perceptions of the United States and efforts for democratic reform.
For POMED’s complete notes on this event, click here.
Posted in Event Notes, Human Rights, Journalism, Women | Comment »
POMED NOTES: Does the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict Still Matter
July 1st, 2008 by Sarah
The Saban Center for Middle East Policy invited Shibley Telhami, a Senior Fellow at the Saban Center and Steven Kull, Director of WorldPublicOpinion.org, to discuss polls from the Arab world and beyond on attitudes towards the Israeli-Palestianian conflict. Both speakers agreed that public opinion supports a more even-handed approach by the U.S. to resolving the conflict. Martin S. Indyk, Senior Fellow and Director of The Saban Center, introduced the speakers and moderated the event.
For POMED’s full notes, click here.
Posted in Arab media, Event Notes, Hamas, Mideast Peace Plan, Public Opinion, US foreign policy | Comment »
