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groups banded together in October to campaign against the succession of Gamal Mubarak, the Kefaya movement has already withdrawn its support.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 »
Afghanistan: MP Mistakenly Killed by Police
December 23rd, 2009 by Zack
Time reports that Mohammad Yunos Shirnagha, a member of the Afghan parliament, was mistakenly killed in a shoot-out with police who were attempting to ambush a Taliban transport. The New York Times reports that President Karzai has called for an investigation into the murder of his 18 year-old cousin Waheed Karzai. Waheed’s family believe he was murdered by another Karzai family member as part of an old family feud, leading President Karzai to cover up the incident for political reasons.
Mark Major in Foreign Policy discusses Lt. Gen. William Caldwell’s new strategy to whip the Afghan army into shape by focusing on the quality of the army, rather than the quantity of troops.
Gregg Carlstrom at The Majlis rebuffs Ann Friedman’s argument (see our previous post) that the mission in Afghanistan has never been about humanitarianism, especially concerning the liberation of women. Carlstrom argues that even though the military does not work toward humanitarian goals, the greater stability brought by a troop increase will engender more protection and freedom for Afghan women. He also asks that the media stop using activist Malalai Joya as the representative voice “of everyone with ovaries between Herat and the Khyber Pass.”
Lastly, Der Spiegel carries an editorial by Olaf Ihlau about Germany’s defense minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg’s change of heart and his new willingness to engage moderate Taliban elements. Ihlau argues that engaging the Taliban is the only way to adequately start a German exit strategy.
Posted in Afghanistan, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Freedom, Islam and Democracy, Military, Reform, Taliban, US foreign policy, Women | Comment »
Afghanistan: Who Will Head the U.N. Mission?
December 22nd, 2009 by Jason
Laura Rozen explores who will replace Kai Eide as the head of the U.N. mission in Afghanistan. She reports rumors that Swedish diplomat Staffan de Mistura is the “top contender” for the position and is an American favorite. At the same time, there are reports that French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner has expressed interest in the job, but other sources explain Kouchner is looking to serve as an E.U. envoy equivalent to Richard Holbrooke. In a follow up post, Rozen discusses the idea to have a “dual-hatted U.N./NATO chief in Afghanistan.”
Ann Friedman observes the difference in opinion between Afghan and U.S.-based women’s rights groups. While Afghan-based groups tend to call for an American withdrawal, U.S.-based groups believe that military intervention can be used to promote women’s rights. But for Friedman, “it doesn’t matter whether U.S. military intervention can be a force for humanitarianism because, in Afghanistan, it never has been and won’t become one.”
Max Boot responds to a video from Guardian films that “presents a dire picture of the Afghan National Army.” According to Boot, the video has been overblown because “we can’t expect many Third World militaries to meet the standards of the 21st century US. armed forces.” In short, “the Guardian clip presents a slice of reality, not all of reality. It should not be dismissed, nor should it be given the last word.”
M.J. Rosenberg of TPMCafe points to an Al Jazeera English video about the difficult choices U.S. soldiers face in delivering medical care to Afghan nationals. Finally, Doctors Without Borders lists Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Yemen among its annual list of the year’s worst humanitarian crises.
Posted in Afghanistan, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Human Rights, Military, Taliban, US foreign policy, United Nations, Women | Comment »
Women: Struggle for Rights Continues
December 21st, 2009 by Jason
Paul Handley in Middle East Online reports on a new survey of Saudi university students. While the majority of male graduates believe women should enter the workplace, only 22 percent agree that female graduates should compete with men directly. However, 80 percent of graduate women seek to enter the same professional fields as men.
Josie Ensor explores the “modern-day slavery” endured by many female domestic workers in the Middle East. She observes “up to 30 women have committed suicide, or died trying to escape intolerable working conditions in the last few weeks alone.”
Finally, an Egyptian administrative court has annuled a decree from the education minister banning the niqab in dormitories on the Ain Shams University campus. The judge declared the niqab a “personal freedom” so long as it did not threaten public order.
Posted in Egypt, Freedom, Human Rights, Judiciary, Legislation, Saudi Arabia, Women | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Saudi Arabia: The New Dynamics”
December 20th, 2009 by Jason
The Middle East Institute hosted a lecture by Thomas Lippman entitled “Saudi Arabia: The New Dynamics.” Lippman, who has been traveling to Saudi Arabia for over thirty years, recently returned from a month-long trip to the desert kingdom. While Lippman admitted there have been some “really bad books” written about Saudi Arabian history since September 11th, he is currently writing a new book that will focus on the country’s future.
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, Diplomacy, Elections, Islam and Democracy, Lebanon, Oil, Reform, Saudi Arabia, US foreign policy, Women | Comment »
Lebanon: Sleiman Returns from U.S. Trip
December 17th, 2009 by Jason
President Michel Sleiman has returned to Beirut after a week of meetings with U.S. officials in Washington. Among other topics, Sleiman urged the U.S. to help Lebanon enhance its ability to defend itself with advanced weaponry and emphasized the Palestinian refugees’ right of return. While President Obama promised to help empower the Lebanese Army, he also urged Sleiman to take a stronger role in stemming weapons smuggling and enforcing U.N. Security Resolution 1701.
According to Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeffrey Feltman, Hezbollah is “a strong institution, but at the same time a militia that is violating international resolutions and subjecting the Lebanese people to dangers.” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal has also accused Hezbollah’s arsenal of undermining Lebanese sovereignty.
AFP reports that a Lebanese woman has for the first time opened a bank account in the name of her underage children after the country’s bank association changed its discriminatory regulations.
Posted in Diplomacy, Freedom, Hezbollah, Human Rights, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Military, Reform, Saudi Arabia, US foreign policy, United Nations, Women | Comment »
Egypt: Brotherhood Members Released
December 17th, 2009 by Jason
al-Masry al-Youm reports that nine Muslim Brotherhood members were released Wednesday after completing jail sentences handed down by a military court in 2008. Meanwhile, a Cairo Criminal Court also ordered the release of ten other MB members who were recently detained in Beheira.
The editorial staff at al-Masry al-Youm criticizes the state-run media’s recent attacks on Mohamed elBaradei after he announced his potential presidential candidacy, a sentiment also shared by Hamdi Kandil.
Bikya Masr reports that the ministry of interior has for a third time ignored a court’s order to release the Egyptian-Christian blogger Hani Nazeer Aziz. They also report that the Under-Secretary of the Egyptian National Council for Human Rights, Dr. Mona Zou El Fokar, has called for the abolition of the death penalty and warned against the overcrowding of Egypt’s prisons.
An Egyptian MP for al-Shaab party has filed a lawsuit against a journalist who purportedly has promoted vice for publishing an article asking why women can’t practice polygamy given that men can marry more than one woman.
Finally, residents facing eviction in a Cairo neighborhood clashed violently with police, causing one death and injuring 28 people, including 17 policemen.
Posted in Egypt, Freedom, Human Rights, Journalism, Judiciary, Muslim Brotherhood, NGOs, Political Parties, Protests, Reform, Women | Comment »
Iran: Gasoline Sanctions Counterproductive?
December 17th, 2009 by Jason
Debate still continues over the House passage of the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act (IRPSA). Jeff Bergner argues the U.S. must “compel” Iran to negotiate through some combination of a naval embargo, targeted military action, a free leash for Israel, or crippling sanctions.
However, Suzanne Maloney of the Brookings Institution argues against IRPSA. Instead, if the U.S. imposes enhanced sanctions, it must delineate clear and limited objectives, continue negotiations while imposing sanctions, seek international consensus, focus on direct and immediate costs, and target those responsible for human rights abuses, not the Iranian people.
Matt Duss agrees with Maloney, calling IRPSA not only “ineffective” but “counterproductive” as well. It offers “Iran’s hardliners a powerful propaganda lifeline, and would likely facilitate greater regime consolidation right at the moment that the conservative consensus around Ahmadinejad is starting to crack up.” Therefore it’s no wonder why the Green movement is against IRPSA and the administration is attempting to “put the brakes” on the Senate version.
Meanwhile, Eric Anderson urges to apply some “pragmatism to engaging with Iran” and realize that there is little the U.S. can do to stop an Iranian nuclear weapon. But Roger Cohen contends there is a lot the Iranian people can do. Therefore, when he is asked “where the ’stick’ is in Iran, [his] response is the stick is Iranian society - the bubbling reformist pressure now rising up from Iran’s highly educated youth and brave women.” Therefore, Cohen argues “the time has come to do nothing in Iran.”
Much of the push for enhanced sanctions stems from Iran’s failure to negotiate in good faith. Ray Takeyh in the Boston Globe explains how Ayatollah Khamenei created a new committee to oversee foreign affairs, comprised by members of Khamenei’s staff, the intelligence community and the head of the Revolutionary Guards. Takeyh argues it was this committee formed in October that scuttled the nuclear deal, not external dissent from opposition leaders and the Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani.
Babylon and Beyond offers further detail on the new trend of Iranian men posing in pictures wearing the veil out of solidarity with Majid Tavakoli, a student leader arrested for his activism. niacINsight reports that the government’s head of university affairs approximates 70 percent of university students oppose Ahmadinejad and has called for a stronger response against students and professors who are purportedly “weakening the regime.”
AFP reports that Iran’s judiciary also warned opposition leaders that it has accumulated enough evidence to try them, comparing them to “the regime’s most despised enemy, the People’s Mujahedeen.” Iason Athanasiadis observes that while the abuses of Evin Prison are well known, Iranians truly fear the “string of hidden detention sites” throughout Tehran.
Finally, niacINsight expresses its disappointment with Time Magazine over its decision to not include the Iranian people on their shortlist for Person of the Year, even though balloting showed greater support for the Iranian people compared to the second and third choices combined.
Posted in Congress, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Legislation, Military, Multilateralism, Oil, Protests, US foreign policy, US politics, Women, sanctions | Comment »
Yemen: Southern Protests
December 16th, 2009 by Zack
While unnamed intelligence sources report that Houthi rebels along Yemen’s northern border have held secret meetings with Iran, Human Rights Watch has presented a report accusing government forces of using inappropriate force to quell largely non-violent secession protests in the south. According to The Christian Science Monitor, the report accuses the government of creating a humanitarian crisis and feeding “the secessionists’ narrative that they are marginalized.” The paper also observes that eight newspapers were banned in May for reporting on the secessionists. Michael Horton at the CSM has a piece explaining the southern Yemeni tensions between the central government’s need to retain the region for its natural resources and public opinion in the south that unification has only brought inflation and no sense of political representation.
In an interview with Al-Arabiya, General David Patraeus has confirmed that the U.S. is supplying military support to the Yemeni government. Waq al-Waq is reporting that Houthi rebels are using the general’s statement to claim the U.S. is helping the government select military targets, which threatens to expand the war.
Lastly, Babylon and Beyond reports that Nujood Ali, the ten-year-old Yemeni girl that demanded a divorce from her husband more than 20 years her age, is using her fame to help 12-year-old Sally Sabahi file for divorce from her 21-year-old husband. The article goes on to explain: “Although the legal age of consent in Yemen is 15, a 2006 study conducted by Sana University reported that 52% of girls were married by 18.”
Posted in Human Rights, Journalism, Military, Protests, Public Opinion, US foreign policy, Women, Yemen | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Democratization as a Source of Tension between the U.S. and Egypt”
December 15th, 2009 by Jason
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars hosted a lecture Monday by Heba el-Koudsy about American democracy promotion in Egypt and its effectiveness. According to the Center’s Middle East Program Director Haleh Esfandiari, every year the Center brings in an Arab journalist to conduct research as a resident scholar. This year’s scholar is el-Koudsy, who has over 15 years experience in Arab journalism and currently works for the Egyptian paper al-Masry al-Youm.
For POMED’s full PDF version of the notes, click here. Otherwise, keep reading below the fold.
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Posted in DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Journalism, Judiciary, Legislation, NGOs, Political Parties, Protests, Reform, Secularism, US foreign policy, Women | Comment »
Secretary Clinton: Major Human Rights Speech at Georgetown
December 14th, 2009 by Jason
Secretary Clinton delivered an important address (PDF transcript) on the Obama administration’s approach to human rights today at Georgetown University.
Reinforcing the message of President Obama’s Nobel speech, Clinton affirmed “the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are not only the source of our strength and endurance, they are the birthright of every woman, man, and child on earth.” As such, Clinton defined America’s mission as “expanding the circle of rights and opportunities to all people - advancing their freedoms and possibilities.”
Furthermore, a just society must not only respect civil and political freedoms, but also protect its citizens from the “oppression of want - want of food, want of health, want of education, and want of equality in law and fact.” In fact, “democracies that deliver on rights, opportunities, and development for their people are stable, strong, and most likely to enable people to live up to their potential.” As such, Clinton asserted “supporting democracy and fostering development are cornerstones of our 21st century human rights agenda.”
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Posted in Afghanistan, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, EU, Egypt, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, Iran, Iraq, Journalism, Judiciary, Multilateralism, NGOs, Technology, US foreign policy, Uncategorized, United Nations, Women | 3 Comments »
Iran: Protests Continue
December 14th, 2009 by Zack
AP reports that Iran intends to try the three American hikers jailed in Iran after crossing the border. Tehran Bureau reports that student protests are continuing at the University of Tehran and the website gives an account of the violence and confrontation that has led to the cancellation of classes.
Ali Akbar Dareini writes that the Iranian regime has arrested protesters who they accuse of destroying a picture of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini; however the protesters denied the government’s claims and accuse the government of staging a video of the crime to discredit the opposition movement. The NY Times reports that Iranian television has been broadcasting images of the damaged pictures and that opposition leaders are denying t the possibility that protesters could have done such an “antirevolutionary” thing. Meanwhile, Al Arabiya states that “Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned opposition leaders on Sunday to distance themselves from protesters he accused of acting against the Islamic regime’s late founder.”
Andrew Sprung at The Daily Dish writes that this new development comes, according to Scott Lucas, as the regime contemplates arresting opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi and Mohamad Khatami. Sprung also draws comparisons between Khamenei’s denunciations now and those of Khomenei against the Shah in 1963. Dana Goldstein illustrates the regime’s efforts to silence the women’s rights movement, including the exile of activists, banning makeup for TV newswomen, and a new documentary slamming feminism.
Analyzing these developments, Abbas Barzegar in The Guardian argues that the regime has broken the back of the opposition. The movement has been fenced in politically by former president Rafsanjani, its religious legitimacy is losing ground, and it has not been able to muster enough support to overwhelm the regime. Ultimately, the clashes have devolved into apathy and return to the status quo before the elections.
In the realm of sanctions, The NY Times reports that days ahead of a U.S. meeting to discuss possible sanctions, Iran has announced a willingness to exchange most of its uranium for foreign nuclear fuel. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has an opinion piece arguing that the U.S. must be prepared to act alone against Iran with “every weapon in its political and economic arsenal. The Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act is one such tool.” Along with sanctions, she believes the U.S. must:
reject Iran’s claim to an inalienable right to produce nuclear fuel […] strengthen existing laws to prevent the transfer of prohibited materials […] impose a ban on travel by senior Iranian regime officials and their families to Europe and the U.S […] strengthen bilateral and multilateral efforts to shut down accounts of those doing business with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps […] deny Tehran access to euros and U.S. dollars; and freeze the assets of those who violate U.N. sanctions on Iran. Concurrently, we should offer our full support to the Iranian people and increase funding for Iran democracy programs.
Laura Rozen cites a Newsweek piece that insists President Obama intends to identify dozens of IRGC front companies and then pressure the suppliers and trading partners to cut off ties. Tony Karon argues that since Obama will never commit to military strikes against Iran and sanctions will only lead towards hawkish action, the U.S. needs to recommit to a diplomatic solution that, while not likely securing an agreement to forego enrichment entirely, could produce agreements on measures in the NPT framework, which “remains a highly desirable goal, even if getting there would involve a long and painstaking process.” While Robert Dreyfuss argues the regime is fundamentally flawed and that Obama needs to step back to allow discontent to rise and threaten the regime from within.
Posted in Congress, Diplomacy, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Protests, Public Opinion, Reform, US foreign policy, Women, sanctions | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Future of US-Egypt Relations: A View from the Next Generation”
December 13th, 2009 by Zack
The Hollings Center, in coordination with the Woodrow Wilson Center, hosted a panel to present findings from a conference hosted over the summer by the Hollings Center and Egypt’s International Economic Forum in Istanbul that convened a select group of 25 Egyptians and Americans from their late 20s to early 40s for a unique dialogue on how each country perceives the other and how to strengthen the relationship in the coming decade. The panel featured Amy Hawthorne, Executive Director, Hollings Center for International Dialogue, Ashraf Swelam, Acting Director General, Egypt’s International Economic Forum, Lara Friedman, Director of Policy and Government Relations, Americans for Peace Now, and Norann Zaghloul, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and former Vice President, Egyptian American Cultural Association. The event was moderated by former ambassador Nicholas Veliotes, Chair of the Hollings Center Board of Directors.
Follow the break to read POMED’s Notes
Or click here to download a .pdf version
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Posted in DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Elections, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Islamist movements, Israel, Mideast Peace Plan, Muslim Brotherhood, NGOs, Political Parties, Reform, Turkey, US foreign policy, US politics, Women | 2 Comments »
Report: Human Rights on the Decline Part II
December 12th, 2009 by Jason
As we reported earlier, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) has released a comprehensive and thorough report, called “Bastion of Impunity, Mirage of Reform,” on the state of human rights throughout the Arab world. The full report in Arabic spans 254 pages and chronicles in detail the backsliding on human rights in the region while also identifying a few points of optimism. In addition to the full report, CIHRS has released a translation of the report’s introduction written by their general director, Bahey eldin Hassan, as well as a 21-page summary of the report in English.
According to Hassan’s introduction, while there have been important strides to “ease repressive measures” in the Middle East under the Forum of the Future regional initiative, in no country were there “real constitutional, legislative, or institutional gains that could upset the balance of power between authoritarian regimes and the forces of reform.” Hassan blames this failure on the narrow focus on electoral reform at the expense of human rights, the contradictory actions of the G-8 countries, attempts by the Arab League to co-opt reform with their own homegrown initiatives, and the European and American fear of Islamist electoral victories. Finally, Hassan contends “the last spark in the initiatives was quashed once and for all with the arrival of a new US administration” apparently unwilling to support democracy rhetorically.
Now, Hassan warns that the minor gains made over the past five years are under a “counterattack by Arab governments. Among other examples of backtracking, the Arab league disabled the Arab Charter on Human Rights, which only had 10 of 22 signatory countries to begin with. As with the CIHRS report last year, Hassan concludes that “lack of political will on the part of most regimes in the Arab region was the key to understanding and explaining chronic human rights problems in the region.”
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Posted in Algeria, Arab League, Bahrain, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, EU, Egypt, Elections, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Gulf, Hamas, Hezbollah, Human Rights, Iraq, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Israel, Jordan, Journalism, Judiciary, Kurds, Lebanon, Legislation, Military, Morocco, Multilateralism, Muslim Brotherhood, NGOs, Palestine, Political Islam, Political Parties, Protests, Public Opinion, Publications, Reform, Saudi Arabia, Sectarianism, Syria, Tunisia, US foreign policy, United Nations, Western Sahara, Women, Yemen | 1 Comment »
Egypt: Election Speculation
December 4th, 2009 by Zack
The Middle East Online reports that former IAEA chief Mohamed ELBaradei announced he would consider running for the Egyptian presidency if the election process were democratic. He is calling for “the establishment of a national independent body to organise all matters related to the election process,” judicial and international review to create transparency, and a lifting of restrictions on who may run. He also stresses the need for a new constitution “based on freedoms and human rights agreed upon internationally.”
In a similar vein, The Daily News Egypt reports that the coalition of opposition forces put forth seven demands to ensure a free presidential and parliamentary elections. These demands include: a two-term limit for the presidency, ending the emergency law, allowing judicial monitoring of elections, allowing groups to run multiple candidates, creating a computerized national ID for voting, allowing all parties access to government media to campaign, campaign budget disclosures, and lifting restrictions on opposition candidates that limits communication between candidates and the public. The coalition intends to present draft laws to parliament to address these concerns.
An AFP article elucidates further on the report on Egyptian human rights prepared for the U.N. High Commission on Human Rights (see our previous post). The article stresses the systematic use of torture, transforming Egypt into a police state, as well as the “prevalence of a policy of exception in which those responsible for violations usually escape punishment.” Egypt’s emergency laws make no provision to protect Egyptians against torture, “a systematic, routine practice” of the police.
BikyaMasr reports on the Coptic community’s request for “all media, journalists, Egyptian and international human rights activists, to attend the first International Conference to Stop the Violence Against Copts” that will seek to address continued state restrictions and outright aggression against Coptic worship. In addition, BkyaMasr reports on continued calls from social activists for the government to adopt a sexual harassment law. Activists argue that Egypt’s inability to address this issue illustrates “the deterioration of moralities in the society.” According to a recent report, 98% of foreign women and 80% of Egyptian women are subjected to daily sexual harassment, fostered by the police’s decision not to intervene.
Posted in Egypt, Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Legislation, Political Parties, Reform, Women | Comment »
Afghanistan: Administration Testifies on Hill
December 3rd, 2009 by Jason
As the first of the 30,000 new U.S. troops prepare to deploy within two to three weeks, debate at home continues over President Obama’s new Afghan strategy. Notably, Secretary Clinton, Secretary Gates, and Admiral Mullen testified before Congress yesterday on the new Afghan strategy and will continue their testimony today.
Juan Cole relays reactions to Obama’s Afghan strategy from the region. In short, Kabul is content, the Taliban are indignant, the Indians are satisfied, the Russians are concerned about heroin and religious radicalism, and Pakistan wants greater military coordination. The Christian Science Monitor provides a more detailed reaction of Afghan leaders, with mixed reviews centered around the timeline for withdrawal.
Citing Admiral Mullen’s emphasis on governance during his testimony, Patrick Barry of Democracy Arsenal questions what will the Obama administration do when governance does not improve after several months. In a second post, Barry urges the U.S. to consider how to use incentives to create leverage in Afghanistan and Pakistan, as opposed overly relying on coercion and conditions. However, former Ambassador to Afghanistan Ronald E. Neumann warns that while Afghanistan needs “more efficient, more honest government,” the United States must be “sensitive” about how hard it pushes President Karzai.
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Posted in Afghanistan, Congress, Diplomacy, Elections, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Human Rights, Iraq, Military, Pakistan, Reform, Taliban, Technology, US foreign policy, Women, al-Qaeda | Comment »
POMED Notes: USAID Administrator Confirmation
December 3rd, 2009 by Jason
The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing on Tuesday to consider the nomination of Rajiv Shah to be Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). In his opening remarks, Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) declared the mission of USAID “near the top of our list of priorities” and highlighted the committee’s efforts to reform foreign assistance through the Foreign Assistance and Revitalization and Accountability Act (S. 1524). Then, Ranking Member Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) reiterated the stated goal of Secretary Clinton to revitalize USAID into the “premier development agency in the world.” He also highlighted the “modest” bill S.1524 while recognizing the administration is also reviewing foreign assistance through both the State Department and the National Security Council.
To see POMED’s PDF notes of the event, please click here. Otherwise, continue reading below the fold.
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Posted in Afghanistan, Congress, Congressional Hearing Notes (Senate), Democracy Promotion, Foreign Aid, Lebanon, Pakistan, US politics, Women | Comment »
Iraq: Elections Can’t be Held in January
November 30th, 2009 by Zack
Babylon and Beyond reports that, as a result of the ongoing election law impasse, Iraqi election officials have announced it is already too late to hold parliamentary elections, constitutionally mandated to be held before January 31. The NY Times reports that parliament is actively searching for a compromise, but despite mixed messages of reconciliation from VP Tariq al-Hashimi who said his concerns could be addressed by adjustments to the parliament’s seat allocation rather than by changing the law itself, a new law is unlikely to be passed before December. VP Joe Biden pressed government officials over the weekend and the administration is hopeful that a tentative deal will allow a parliament to be elected and seated by March 15.
John Hughes writes that Arab women are seizing their freedom as fifty Iraqi women were sworn in as senior officers of the national police force. Al-Arabiyya is carrying a profile of a judge in Mosul and the constant threats on his life that plague his work. Lastly, IraqPundit contends that a NY Times dismal portrayal of Iraqi society overshadows the country’s vibrant culture and history and he questions the Time’s motives for painting such a bleak picture.
Posted in Diplomacy, Elections, Freedom, Iraq, Judiciary, Legislation, Political Parties, Reform, Women | Comment »
Egypt: Women’s Rights and Violence
November 25th, 2009 by Zack
As part off the Stop Violence Against Women campaign, Bikya Masr has published a series of articles discussing the continuing struggle to protect women and secure their rights in Egypt. Dalia Ziada writes that shocking incidents of sexual harassment are common on the streets of Cairo. Before a particularly cruel incident in 2006, sexual harassment “was one of the biggest taboos in society” that was never discussed. But despite an increase in discussion of the subject and even in light of Noha Roushdy’s recent case, which resulted in a prison sentence for her assailant, Ziada argues the culture of harassment continues because religious extremism has corrupted the police and made women out to be causes, rather than the victims, of harassment. Joseph Mayton writes about the litany of problems Egyptian women face in society, including sexual harassment, physical violence and harmful stereotyping against unmarried women. Mayton then notes that negative incidents have sparked a debate among lawmakers about the need to legislate against these practises, but he questions the effectiveness of any law to change social norms. Lastly, Mayton has an op-ed arguing that women have always been the “catalyst toward the betterment of society” and as such activists and opposition leaders need to make women’s rights an integral part of their political and social campaigns.
In other news, Bikya Masr reports that Minister of State for Family and Population Moshita Khatab has made a statement at the conference “20 years on the Convention of the Rights of the Child and Islamic Shariah,” claiming that Egyptian social problems are cause not by a lack of public unity, but by the Muslim Brotherhood’s anti-government influence.
In the Guardian, Mayton has a third piece that argues the violence following the Egypt-Algeria match (see our post) is not a symptom of deeper social ills, but “thuggery cynically fomented by President Mubarak” as a means to channel the frustrations of the dispossessed onto the “other,” in this case Algeria.
Posted in Egypt, Legislation, Muslim Brotherhood, Public Opinion, Reform, Women | Comment »
World’s Most Influential Muslims
November 19th, 2009 by Jason
The Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University has released a detailed list of the “The 500 Most Influential Muslims.” While the report (PDF) admits defining influence is “tricky,” it seeks to identify “people whose influence is derived from their practice of Islam or from the fact that they are Muslim.” The report provides profiles for the top 50 individuals, as well as a detailed overview of Islam.
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia edges out Grand Ayatollah Khamenei of Iran for the most influential Muslim in the world. They are followed by Morocco’s King Hassan, Jordan’s King Abdullah, and Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan.
In The Guardian, Riazat Butt identifies several anomalies in the list, such as comedian Dave Chapelle. She also expresses her discontent that so few women are identified, and those that do make the list are given a separate category. Furthermore, she observes that many of the top 50 Muslims are heads of state who inherited their position, citing the report’s distinct category of Muslims who are influential because of their lineage.
Posted in Egypt, Gulf, Iran, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Kuwait, Morocco, Political Islam, Publications, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Women | Comment »
