Syrian Rebel Chief Sets Precondition to Peace Talks
In a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry obtained by The Cable, General Salim Idris, commander of the Syrian opposition fighting force, reiterated his request that the United States provide the opposition with weapons and ...
May 23, 2013
Category: Conflict, Diplomacy, Featured, Hezbollah, Jordan, Lebanon, Political transition, Sectarianism, Syria, US foreign policy
Summary of FY2014 State Department Congressional Budget Justification Volume I: Department of State Operations
The State Department requested $47 billion for State and Foreign Operations in FY2014 and in the recently released Congressional Budget Justification (CBJ) Volume 1, Secretary of State John Kerry states, "This budget strikes the balance between fiscal discipline and sustaining and advancing America's global leadership - and is six percent less than in FY 2012." In the Secretary's opening statement for the CBJ, he says "the United States must actively engage the people and ...
May 23, 2013
Category: Democracy Promotion, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, Reports, US foreign policy, US politics
POMED Notes: Senate Discusses Syria Transition Act
On Tuesday, May 21, 2013 the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a business meeting to discuss S.960, a bill relating to the situation in Syria, and S.Res.143, World Press Freedom Day. Senators Corker (R-TN), Boxer (D-CA), Risch (R-ID) Casey (D-PA), Rubio (R-FL), Shaheen (D-NH) Johnson (R-WI), Coons (D-DL), Flake (R-AZ), Udall (D-NM), McCain (R-AZ), Murphy (D-CT), Barrasso (R-WY), Kaine (D-VA), and Paul (R-KY) were present. Chairman Menendez (D-NJ) ...
May 22, 2013
Category: Committee Meetings, Conflict, Event Notes, Legislation, Political transition, Syria, US foreign policy, US politics
POMED Notes: “The Call for Economic Liberty in the Arab World”
On Tuesday, May 21, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing titled “The Call for Economic Liberty in the Arab World.” Mr. Hernando de Soto, President of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy, and the Honorable Madeleine K. Albright, Chair of the Albright Stonebridge Group, testified. The committee’s chairman, Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), presided. For the full event notes continue reading or click here for the PDF. In his opening statement, Chairman ...
May 21, 2013
Category: Congressional Hearing Notes (House), Democracy Promotion, Economics, Egypt, Foreign Aid, Political transition, US foreign policy
Jordanian PM Discusses Freedom of Press, Expression
At a meeting of the International Press Institute, Jordan's Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour discussed Jordanians' increased demand for freedoms of expression and press. Ensour stated that "the Arab Spring has opened new horizons and created more demands” for broadening ...
Sec. Kerry to Travel to the Middle East
From May 21 to May 27, Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to the Middle East. His visit will begin in Oman, and then he will move to Jordan, Israel, the West Bank. In Jordan, Kerry will ...
POMED Notes: “Building a Brighter Future in Syria”
On Friday, May 17, Freedom House hosted a panel discussion titled “Building a Brighter Future in Syria.” Panelists included Kinda Kanbar, a Syrian journalist; Mohammed Aly Sergie, Senior Editor at Syria Deeply; Omar Hossino, a Syria analyst; and Oubab Khalil, Chief of Staff for the National Coalition of Syrian Opposition Forces. Daniel Calingaert, Freedom House Executive Vice President, moderated the discussion. For the full event notes continue reading or click here for ...
May 17, 2013
Category: Civil Society, Conflict, Democracy Promotion, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, Political transition, Sectarianism, Syria, US foreign policy, Women, Youth
Home of Top Shia Cleric Raided in Bahrain
Bahraini authorities raided the home of a prominent Shia cleric, Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim on Friday. Opposition group al-Wefaq said Qassim was not home at the time of the raid but there were women and children present. A leading human rights activist ...
May 17, 2013
Category: Bahrain, Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Featured, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Saudi Arabia, Sectarianism, US foreign policy
Obama Rebuffs Intervention in Syria in Erdoğan Visit
In a White House press briefing Thursday with visiting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President Barack Obama reiterated his calls for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down but offered no new details on the administration's approach to hastening ...
Kerry, Lavrov Optimistic About Syria Talks; UN Passes Resolution
Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed optimism Wednesday that the peace talks on the Syrian conflict they're organizing will be successful. After a meeting with Lavrov in Sweden, Kerry said, "Both of ...
May 16, 2013
Category: Conflict, Diplomacy, Featured, Political transition, Syria, United Nations, US foreign policy
Upcoming Event: Iran’s Presidential Election and U.S. Policy
Join POMED for our upcoming event, "Iran's Presidential Election and U.S. Policy," on Friday, May 24 from 10-11:30am at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Choate Room. The panel will include Nazila Fathi, former NYT Tehran correspondent; Ambassador John Limbert, former Deputy Secretary of State for Iran; Mariam Memarsadeghi of Tavaana E-Learning Institute for Iranian Civil Society; and Stephen McInerney, executive director of POMED. Click here to RSVP, and see below for ...
May 16, 2013
Category: Civil Liberties, Featured, Journalism, Kuwait, Political transition, Reform, US foreign policy, Yemen
POMED Notes – “U.S. Policy Toward Iran”
On Wednesday, May 15, 2013, the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing titled "U.S. Policy Toward Iran." Wendy Sherman, State Department Under Secretary for Political Affairs, and David Cohen, Treasury Department Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, testified. Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ) presided. For full event notes continue reading or click here for the PDF. In Chairman Menendez's opening statement, he said the United States needs to "double ...
May 15, 2013
Category: Democracy Promotion, Elections, Freedom, Hezbollah, Human Rights, Iran, US foreign policy
U.S., Russia to Sponsor Conference on Syria Conflict
During a visit to Russia last week Secretary of State John Kerry announced that Russia would participate in a conference dedicated to the issue of Syria. Russia is among Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's staunchest international allies and has regularly
POMED Notes: “American Foreign Policy in Retreat? A Discussion with Vali Nasr”
The Brookings Institution held a discussion titled “American Foreign Policy in Retreat? A Discussion with Vali Nasr” to explore the future of American power and foreign policy engagement. Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow Vali Nasr contributed thoughts from his new book. Robert Kagan, Brookings Senior Fellow, contributed to the discussion and Martin Indyk, Vice President and Director for Foreign Policy at Brookings, moderated. For full event notes continue reading or click here for ...
US: Ahmed Maher Arrest “Step Backward” for Egypt
The U.S. State Department has called last week's arrest of April 6 co-founder Ahmed Maher a "step backward" for Egypt's democratic transition. The U.S. has expressed concern about what it sees as a growing trend of arrests against political ...
May 14, 2013
Category: Egypt, Featured, Freedom, Political Islam, Political transition, US foreign policy
Libyan Militias End Gov Siege; Protests Prompt Diplomatic Withdrawal
This weekend saw the end of the nearly two week siege of the foreign and justice ministries by armed militias in Tripoli. The armed groups had besieged the ministries beginning in late April demanding the passage of a ...
May 13, 2013
Category: Conflict, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Featured, Legislation, Libya, Parliament, Political transition, Protests, US foreign policy
Moroccan Party Withdraws from Government; Obama Calls King
Morocco's second largest political party, Istiqlal, is withdrawing from the coalition government. Istiqlal spokesman Adil Benhamza said, “The party can never remain in a government that continues to pursue policies targeting the buying power of the citizens by raising prices ...
Additional Demands from Libyan Militias; U.S. Responds
The political stand-off in Libya's capital continued after armed militias, who were demanding passage of a political isolation law, refused to leave their posts after the law was passed by parliament. Instead, after having their demands met, the militias formed an ...
May 9, 2013
Category: Conflict, Democracy Promotion, Featured, Human Rights, Libya, Political transition, Protests, Reform, US foreign policy
Sen. Menendez Proposes “Syrian Stabilization Act”
Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced legislation that would significantly increase the U.S.'s involvement in the Syrian conflict. The Syria Stabilization Act of 2013 has five components: the authority to provide weapons, training, and non-lethal supplies to ...
May 8, 2013
Category: Conflict, Featured, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, Legislation, Political transition, Syria, US foreign policy, US politics