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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 ...

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Congressmen Seek Conditions on U.S. Aid to Egypt

On Thursday, five Congressmen sent a letter to the House State and Foreign Operation Subcommittee on Appropriations requesting that it "include language to provide specific benchmarks and, moreover, an overall strategy for U.S. foreign aid to Egypt" in its ...

Weekly Wire Headlines – April 22, 2013

House, Senate Hold FY14 Budget Hearings Iraq Holds First Provincial Elections since U.S. Withdrawal Bahrain Hosts F1 Race amid Protests State Dept. Releases 2012 Human Rights Reports UAE Crown Prince Visits DC Amid Concerns from Rights Groups

POMED Notes: “Budget Hearing – Department of State”

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations’ Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs held a budget hearing on the Department of State on Wednesday, April 17. Secretary of State John Kerry was the witness. Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) presided over the hearing. For full event notes, continue reading or click here for a PDF. Representative Granger opened the hearing by noting that “the Arab Spring may last for a very long ...

POMED Notes: “Securing U.S. Interests Abroad: The FY 2014 Foreign Affairs Budget”

On Wednesday, April 17, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing titled “Securing U.S. Interests Abroad: The FY 2014 Foreign Affairs Budget.” Secretary of State John Kerry testified on the Department of State’s budget request. Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) presided over the hearing. For full event notes, continue reading or click here for a PDF. Chairman Ed Royce opened the hearing by saying that “wasteful spending is intolerable” and ...

Photo Credit: AP/J. Scott Applewhite

President’s Budget Released, Includes MENA Incentive Fund

President Barack Obama released his FY2014 budget request on Wednesday and he is requesting $47.8 billion for the State Department and international programs, a six percent decrease from the actual funds that will be appropriated through FY2013. The ...

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Bahrain Overturns 21 Medics’ Convictions

According to the lawyer of a number of Bahraini medical professionals, 21 individuals originally charged with links to anti-government activities have been acquitted.  According to BBC, most of the 28 other medics that had also been

POMED Notes: “Rethinking U.S. Policy Toward Yemen”

On Tuesday, March 26, the Atlantic Council and the Project on Middle East Democracy hosted a discussion titled "Rethinking U.S. Policy toward Yemen." It was held at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The discussion included Hafez al-Bukari, director of the Yemen Polling Center, Steven Heydemann, Senior Adviser for the Middle East Initiatives, U.S. Institute of Peace, Danya Greenfield, Deputy Director of the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, ...

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Thirty-One Experts Call for Reevaluation of US-Yemen Policy

With the inauguration of President Obama’s second term and the commencement of the National Dialogue Conference, now is an opportune moment to reevaluate U.S. policy towards Yemen. In this spirit, the Project on Middle East Democracy has, in collaboration with ...

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New POMED Policy Brief: “Jordan’s Unfinished Journey: Parliamentary Elections and the State of Reform”

In POMED's latest policy brief, "Jordan’s Unfinished Journey: Parliamentary Elections and the State of Reform," Curtis Ryan, associate professor of political science at Appalachian State University in North Carolina, writes, "On January 23, 2013, the Hashemite Kingdom of ...

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Engel Introduces Bill to Arm Syrian Opposition

Representative Eliot Engel (D-NY) previewed legislation Sunday to allow President Obama to arm the Syrian opposition. Indicating last month that he would introduce such a bill, Engel wrote in a statement Monday, "We know who they are. And ...

Video of the Day: U.S. Amb. Robert Ford Addresses the Syrian People

U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford recently released this address to the Syrian people (in Arabic). Ford has served as the Ambassador to Syria since 2010, and served in-country until he was recalled in October 2011 due to safety threats.

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Rubio Proposes New Conditions for Egypt Aid

Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) submitted an amendment to H.R. 933 placing conditions on two forms of U.S. assistance to Egypt unless the country adopts economic reforms and human rights safeguards. The amendment will also begin a comprehensive, long-term reevaluation of ...

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New POMED Policy Brief: Confront or Conform? Rethinking U.S. Democracy Assistance

In POMED's latest policy brief, "Confront or Conform? Rethinking U.S. Democracy Assistance," Sarah Bush, an assistant professor of political science at Temple University, writes, "Despite leadership changes in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia, the pace of democratic change has slowed and ...

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U.S. Congressmen Discuss Bahrain, Aid to Egypt

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke to the Senate this week on his recent trip to Bahrain. He emphasized Bahrain's status as a close ally of the United States and expressed hope that the Government of Bahrain will abide by the ...

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U.S. Encourages Egyptians to “Get Out and Vote”

During Thursday's daily U.S. Department of State press briefing, Acting Deputy Spokesperson Patrick Ventrell, when asked about the National Salvation Front's decision to boycott Egypt's parliamentary elections, said that the U.S. encourages "all political parties and individuals with an ...

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Senate Appropriations Subcommittees Formed

Two weeks ago, the subcommittees for the Senate Appropriations Committee were released to the public. Of note is the State, Foreign Operations subcommittee, which consists of Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senator Mary ...

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Analysis: U.S. Should Show Egypt “Some Tough Love”

In an op-ed by Michele Dunne of the Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center and Bob Kagan of the Brookings Institution, the authors suggest "President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry need to pay attention to Egypt — now." According to ...

POMED Notes: Confirmation Hearing for Secretary of Defense Nominee Chuck Hagel

On Thursday,  January 31, 2013 the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services conducted a confirmation hearing on the expected nomination of Charles T. Hagel to be Secretary of Defense.  Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) presided. Continue reading for full notes, or click here for the PDF.Senator Carl Levin opened the hearing by welcoming Senator Hagel and noting that if confirmed, he would become the first former enlisted man and the first veteran of the ...

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Ros-Lehtinen Seeks to Condition Aid to Egypt

On Thursday, Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) circulated a Dear Colleague letter seeking co-sponsors for H.R.416, a bill she introduced on January 25. The "Egypt Accountability and Democracy Promotion Act" would "condition security assistance and economic assistance to the Government of ...

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