Democracy Promotion: A New Approach
November 25th, 2009 by Jason
Michael Allen at Democracy Digest cites Tara McKelvey, who argues the Obama administration is pursuing a more “culturally sensitive” method of democracy promotion, compared to the Bush administration’s “cowboy” style. Allen observes many democracy advocates are pleased with the new approach “given the apparent absence of likely candidates for democratization,” but he also warns that “a developmental approach should not become an excuse for political timidity or conflate incrementalism with the perpetual postponement of democratic reform.”
Meanwhile, the confirmation hearing for Rajiv Shah to be USAID Administrator has been scheduled for Tuesday, December 1st in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Posted in Articles, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Human Rights, Jordan, US foreign policy | Comment »
Palestine: Building a State and Religious Tolerance
November 25th, 2009 by Zack
Ha’aretz reports Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing to announce that the country will institute a 10-month freeze on settlement building. At the same, time the paper reports that Marwan Barghouti intends to run in the next Palestinian election. He also stated that the abduction of Gilad Shalit has brought Hamas more political progress than any negotiations could ever achieve, commenting “maybe Israel will finally understand that Hamas’ demands cannot be ignored.”
In an editorial for The Washington Times, Louis Rene Beres argues that the Palestinian attempts to declare a state are “absurd” and any state would negatively impact U.S. strategic interests, particularly the development of a comprehensive nuclear strategy and a conventional war strategy, ultimately impacting unfavorably on world peace and security.
Lastly, the Daily News Egypt has two pieces on reducing religious prejudices. The first, by Fr. Jamal Khader, tells of Bethlehem University’s religious education program designed to allow students to express their faiths while educating them about other traditions in the hope of creating greater tolerance. Muli Peleg argues that freedom of religion in “Israel and Palestine is not merely a democratic perk or a liberal indulgence but a prerequisite for the survival of both peoples in this troubled land.” While the Israeli-Palestinian conflict stemmed from politics, religion has come to dominate and fuel the situation. Peleg argues the two groups must “defuse the ticking bomb by legitimizing greater choice of religious convictions” within their territories.
Posted in Diplomacy, Hamas, Israel, Mideast Peace Plan, Palestine, Reform, US foreign policy | Comment »
Afghanistan: Troop Increase of 34,000?
November 25th, 2009 by Jason
There is an increasing consensus that President Obama has decided to announce an increase of 34,000 troops next Tuesday. In a recent press conference, Obama insisted “it is my intention to finish the job.”
Matthew Cooper at Atlantic’s Politics blog offers suggestions for what the President should say next week. Among them, he urges the President to avoid promises of creating a “perfect democracy” in Afghanistan, but instead seek to create “relative” stability to ward off Al Qaeda. Juan Cole expresses his doubts that the U.S. will be able to achieve anything but minimal objectives in Afghanistan. He observes the Afghan National Army turn-over rate currently sits at 25% and twelve of President Karzai’s cabinet ministers are currently under corruption investigation. Meanwhile, Seumas Mine criticizes the Community Defense Initiative that pays tribes to buy their support against the Taliban, arguing the tactic will not be as effective in Afghanistan as it was in Iraq.
Last week, a pair of scholars from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Gilles Dorronsoro argued the fraud and low-turnout in the election has undermined Kabul’s legitimacy. Therefore, the U.S. should focus on shifting its focus to the more peaceful northern part of the country and avoid taking on too much responsibility while allowing Afghan institutions to strengthen. Ashley J. Tellis urged the U.S. to rebuild its relationship with Karzai, commit to staying for the long-term, and foster a stronger civil-military partnership.
Finally, Foreign Affairs has republished a collection of articles about Afghanistan dating back over 25 years, giving an interesting background to the current situation in the country.
Posted in Afghanistan, Congress, Elections, Iraq, Military, Taliban, US foreign policy, US politics, al-Qaeda | Comment »
Iran: Wholesale Crackdown on Students
November 25th, 2009 by Jason
The Huffington Post reports that the P5+1 countries have prepared a resolution criticizing Iran’s nuclear program expressing their frustration with Iran’s inability or unwillingness to make a deal. Such unified measures have led Michael Crowley to ask whether Russia is “finally getting serious about Iran” and will cooperate with sanctions. Meanwhile, George Friedman analyzes the general concept of sanctions. He posits, “the ultimate virtue of sanctions is that they provide a platform between acquiescence and war.”
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, led by human rights activist Hadi Ghaemi, has condemned the “wholesale crackdown on Iranian students.” The government has arrested over 60 students in the past month in an attempt to preempt planned opposition protests on Student Day next month. Edith Novy at insideIran contends that the growing influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) “shows that Iran’s leadership is seriously threatened by the opposition and plans an unlimited crackdown for the foreseeable future.” Nonetheless, the opposition is not intimidated, as Mir Hossein Moussavi has declared, “This movement will continue and we are ready to pay any price.”
Many opposition members are paying a price in Iran’s multiple prisons. Muhammad Sahimi at Tehran Bureau explores the “long undistinguished history of prisons” in Iran and especially the emergency of a particularly harsh prison called Kahrizak. A doctor working at Kahrizak, Dr. Ramin Pourandarjani, recently died under suspicious circumstances after he came out publicly against the wretched conditions in the prison.
Meanwhile, the government has lifted the ban on the popular newspaperthat published a picture of a templing belonging to the illegal Baha’i religion. The government has arrested seven alleged members of Jundallah, the militant group that bombed a high-level meeting of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Sistan-Baluchestan province in October.
Posted in Freedom, Hezbollah, Human Rights, Iran, Journalism, Judiciary, Multilateralism, NGOs, Terrorism, US foreign policy, sanctions | Comment »
Turkey: Democracy and the Kurds
November 24th, 2009 by Zack
The Washington Post has written an editorial criticizing Turkish PM Recep Erdogan for backsliding on his commitment to democratic principles. Despite the fact that Erdogan is pushing through Kurdish reforms, the dimming prospects of Turkey joining the E.U. has led Turkey to adopt an unwanted stance on Israel and a coziness with Iran, Syria and Sudan, as well as cracking down on Turkish media. The editorial concludes that Erdogan must stop “coddling Muslim dictators — and stop following their practice of silencing domestic opposition.”
The New York Times on the other hand has published an editorial focusing on the courage of Erdogan’s Turkish reforms. While the editorial notes the same worrying trends, it argues Turkey is responding to U.S. efforts to push democracy and that Europe “must finally make clear that if Turkey bolsters its democracy and respects the rights of its minorities, it will be welcome in the European Union.”
Posted in Diplomacy, EU, Elections, Foreign Aid, Kurds, PKK, Reform, Turkey, US foreign policy | Comment »
Lebanon: Withdrawal from Ghajar?
November 24th, 2009 by Jason
UNIFIL admitted that it has yet to be officially notified by Israel about any plan to withdraw from the northern half of the contested village of Ghajar. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will hold a cabinet vote tomorrow to decide the matter.
Writing on the MESH blog, David Schenker explores the implications of Lebanon’s new position on the U.N. Security Council. Schenker explains that Washington is rightly worried that Hezbollah, along with its allies Syria and Iran, could use the seat to their advantage and strain the bilateral relationship between the U.S. and Lebanon. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch and the Lebanese Center for Human Rights urged an investigation into the detention and disappearance of Syrian opposition figure Nawar Abboud. Last December, plainclothes members of the Lebanese Military Intelligence took Abboud into custody from his office in Tripoli. He has not been seen since.
Finally, The Daily Star reports that the fifth Beirut Media Forum convened on Friday “to discuss the interaction between media, web use and social, political and religious mobilization in the Middle East.” According to political scientist Donatella Della Ratta, “the social Arab web is empowering citizen journalism and civic participation by giving voice to ‘ordinary people.’”
Posted in Hezbollah, Human Rights, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, NGOs, Political Parties, Syria, Technology, US foreign policy, United Nations | 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 »
Palestine: Questioning a Future State
November 24th, 2009 by Zack
With Mahmoud Abbas’ confirmation that the Palestinian vote will be postponed, commentators are questioning the validity of an independent Palestine as well as the entire peace process. Daoud Kuttab argues the lack of discussion around an Abbas successor indicates the “presidency of the Palestinian Authority (PA) has become irrelevant” and that ”Palestinian frustration with the political process has rendered suspect the entire rationale behind the PA.” Kuttab goes on to list a few possible candidates, but he feels the coming months will show if Palestine is moving into an era of post-Oslo politics. In another article, Kuttab argues that the situation has changed since Oslo and that a universal declaration of Palestine statehood should go much farther to “best reflect minimal Palestinian requirements” and it could create a new dynamic within the peace process.
Ha’aretz has an article discussing Abbas’ support for a popular resistance to occupation along the lines of the Na’alin and Bil’in protests as a means to progress negotiations with Israel. Fadi Elsalameen argues that Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has raised the bar of competent leadership in Palestine, changing the entire style of leadership, and that the international community needs to directly support this shift that will eventually deliver a Palestinian state.
Lastly, Ha’aretz reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is downplaying expectations of transfer deal for Gilad Shalit. The report claims that Hamas is preparing to conduct the exchange after Eid al-Adha, but that Fatah worries that any deal between Israel and Hamas will “irreversibly undermine Fatah in its domestic rivalry with Hamas.”
Posted in Diplomacy, Hamas, Israel, Palestine, US foreign policy | Comment »
Afghanistan: Strategy Decision Coming Soon
November 24th, 2009 by Jason
Marc Ambinder reports President Obama conducted his ninth and final war cabinet meeting last night. According to Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, “President Obama has the information he wants and needs to make his decision and he will announce that decision within days.” It is increasingly expected the President will announce a troop increase somewhere between 20,000 and 40,000. Meanwhile, Ambassador Holbrooke announced that Obama has nearly tripled the number of civilian personnel in Afghanistan since coming into office and he assured that “the civilian effort is going quite well.” The civilian effort, as well as Ambassador Holbrooke, have been receiving criticism recently (see our previous post).
Fred Kaplan at Slate throws his support behind bolstering the role of the Afghan tribes in fighting the Taliban. Kaplan argues that “the United States’ approach of the last seven years - focusing on Kabul and the buildup of Afghanistan’s national army and police force - is wrongheaded and doomed.” Among other benefits, a tribal solution would not rely so heavily on “the political fortunes of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.” But Michael Crowley at The Plank wonders whether the U.S. has the resolve to stay long enough to see an Afghan Awakening succeed.
Alexander Benard urges President Obama to mend his relationship with Karzai so that he will be “in a better position to push and prod” Karzai. According to Benard, “a strong partnership with Karzai is critical if the United States is going to make any progress in improving Afghan governance, rooting out corruption, and succeeding against the Taliban insurgency.” Finally, Juan Cole cites Saleem Safi writing in Pakistan’s The News who explains that the U.S. is failing in Afghanistan because of its “ignorance about the social, religious and cultural values of Afghan people.” He also points to an Al Jazeera English debate over how much authority Karzai actually wields in Afghanistan.
Posted in Afghanistan, Iraq, Reform, Taliban, US foreign policy | Comment »
MCC: Yohannes Confirmed as CEO
November 24th, 2009 by Jason
Last week, the Senate confirmed Daniel W. Yohannes as the new CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation. During his confirmation hearing, Yohannes expressed the necessity and difficulty of replacing “patronage with partnership to deliver smart aid that matters.” Among many other positions, Yohannes formerly served as Vice Chairman of U.S. Bank.
Next month, the Board of Directors of the MCC will convene to select which countries are eligible to apply for funding for the next fiscal year. It will mark the seventh round of MCC funding.
Posted in Congress, Democracy Promotion, Foreign Aid, US foreign policy, US politics | Comment »
Lebanon: Working Towards Ending Confessionalism
November 23rd, 2009 by Jason
This weekend, President Sleiman called for the creation of a committee to work towards the abolition of confessional politics in Lebanon. He also urged for “changing the electoral law relating to general elections in order to obtain better representation and restore to expatriates their rights.” Meanwhile, the Lebanese Forces-Phalange Party alliance beat the Free Patriotic Movement-Marada alliance in a landslide, securing 29 of 33 seats in the Notre Dame University student elections. University elections are largely viewed through the lens of sectarian power struggles in Lebanon.
Rami Khouri urges the new Lebanese cabinet to address the issue of Palestinian-Lebanese relations. The dialogue between Lebanese and Palestinians largely stalled after the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, the subsequent political paralysis, and the fighting in Nahr al-Bared. However, Khouri argues now the time is ripe to settle outstanding issues of Lebanese sovereignty and Palestinian dignity.
Finally, Peter Berkowitz in the Weekly Standard contends that, for Hezbollah, resistance does not just refer to Israel, but “a fight to the death against the claims of liberty and democracy in Lebanon.” Therefore, the U.S. should deemphasize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, support civil society, limit Iran’s ability to finance Hezbollah, and engage Syria to convince them to stop serving as a supply line between Iran and Hezbollah.
Posted in Elections, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Hezbollah, Iran, Islam and Democracy, Israel, Lebanon, Mideast Peace Plan, Political Parties, Sectarianism, Syria, US foreign policy | Comment »
Afghanistan: U.S. Softer on Karzai
November 23rd, 2009 by Jason
According to The Washington Post, U.S. officials are ”abandoning for now their get-tough tactics with [President Hamid] Karzai and attempting to forge a far warmer relationship. They recognize that their initial strategy may have done more harm than good, fueling stress and anger in a beleaguered, conspiracy-minded leader whom the U.S. government needs as a partner.” Now, the U.S. is trying to balance pushing Karzai to undertake necessary reforms while not cornering him into forging alliances with warlords and drug kingpins.
In response, Rich Lowry at National Review Online argues that the administration “went way too far in pressuring, haranguing, and basically alienating” Karzai. He asserts there must be a balance between “holding his hand and pushing him.” Jennifer Rubin at Commentary agrees, contending “we actually need to bolster the native government if we hope to defeat our mutual enemy.” As does Michael Crowley, who postulates that that Ambassador Holbrooke’s ”hard-driving style simply wasn’t suited for our Karzai problem.”
For this reason and others, William Kristol and Frederick Kagan argue that the political team in Afghanistan has been “weak […] ineffective and even counterproductive.” At the same time, Maureen Callahan at The New York Post profiles one former member of that political team, Matthew Hoh, who resigned two months ago because he believes the mission, not American civilians, is counterproductive.
Andrew Sullivan suggests this shift in tone with Karzai ”sets up the U.S. as not just a counter-terrorism, counterinsurgency force, but a long-term partner in building Afghan government and civil society. It suggests out [sic] mission in Afghanistan will be as much or more focued on Afghan governance and political stability as on finding and killing the Taliban.” But Stephen Kinzer in The Guardian warns against imposing Western values upon Afghanistan. He contends, “blinded to cultural differences and wedded to the one-size-fits-all, ‘world is flat’ concept, the West has pushed competitive elections onto Afghanistan […] Elections, however, have helped rob Afghans of democracy.” In agreement with Kinzer, George Gavrilis in Foreign Affairs cites the example of Tajikistan to argue that “rather than forcing free and fair elections, throwing out warlords, and flooding the country with foreign peacekeepers, the intervening parties [should opt] for a more limited and realistic set of goals.” Both Kinzer and Gavrilis prescribe a return to Afghanistan’s traditional decentralization of government.
Meanwhile, both The New York Times and The Guardian report that Afghan militias under the Community Defense Initiative have begun battling the Taliban across Afghanistan. This development coincides with the observation by David Ignatius that “the U.S. approach in Afghanistan now is a mix of national and local, government and tribe, top-down and bottom-up.” He argues this mixed approach requires a commitment by the White House that “the fight in Afghanistan is worth the human, economic and political price.” Abe Greenwald at Commentary concurs, arguing the prospects of an “Afghan Awakening” is stymied by the uncertainty over whether the U.S. intends to stay the course.
However, others are not only against a troop increase, but for a troop withdrawal all together. The Congressional Progressive Caucus’ Afghanistan Taskforce has sent a letter to President Obama urging a new course that would: institute a timeline for troop withdrawal, prohibit funding for more troop surges, demand 80% of all U.S. resources be devoted to economic and political development, and more generally prioritize diplomacy and development over the use of force. William Polk goes even further at Informed Comment, arguing for a complete troop withdrawal and the necessity of a loya jirga, or grand assembly of tribes, that will help the Afghans “find their way back to their traditional way of governing themselves.”
Juan Cole asks “where is NATO going to get 400,000 well trained police and troops in a country with a 28% literacy rate? At the moment, 10% of the Afghan National Army is said to be literate.” Furthermore, Cole cites a USA Today article that reports the majority of Bagram’s detainees are mercenaries and not ideologically-driven, putting into question the notion that the Taliban and Al Qaeda are inexorably aligned. Finally, Sam Zarifi of Amnesty International contends ”when the Kabul government seeks accommodations with the very same human rights abusers - the warlords, the drug dealers, the corrupt local officials, and now, increasingly, even the Taliban - who’ve preyed on entire provinces for years, ordinary Afghans are entitled to feel betrayed and view both their government and international forces with a sceptical eye.”
Posted in Afghanistan, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, Iraq, Military, Multilateralism, NGOs, Reform, Taliban, Terrorism, US foreign policy, United Nations, al-Qaeda | 1 Comment »
Senate and U.N. Condemn Iran
November 23rd, 2009 by Jason
Iran launched a series of war games this weekend as the international community expressed their frustration over troubled nuclear negotiations.
The Senate passed a resolution (S.R. 355) by unanimous consent condemning Iran for its multiple human rights violations. The bill was cosponsored by Carl Levin, John McCain, Bob Casey, Lindsey Graham, Bill Nelson, Bob Corker and Joe Lieberman. In response, the head of the National Iranian American Council, Trita Parsi, welcomed the resolution, explaining that “a U.S. approach to Iran that is singularly focused on the nuclear issue and neglects the human rights abuses in Iran will have limited success.” The United Nations also passed a resolution condemning Iran for its human rights abuses. While similar resolutions have passed for 15 consecutive years, this resolution focused the crackdown since the election this summer.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Islam and Democracy, Journalism, Judiciary, Kurds, Legislation, Mideast Peace Plan, Military, Multilateralism, NGOs, Oil, Terrorism, US foreign policy, US politics, United Nations, sanctions | Comment »
Iraq: Election Law Fails to Move Forward
November 23rd, 2009 by Zack
Reuters is reporting that the Iraqi Parliament has failed to address VP Tareq al-Hashemi‘s veto regarding a new election law. There are only few days left to do so as the law must be passed 60 days before January 23, which the Shi’ite majority has established as the last possible day to hold elections. The article explains any delay in elections past the constitutionally mandated January 30th deadline “could set a dangerous precedent that might be exploited in the future by a would-be strongman, disinclined to hold a scheduled election.”
The Democratic Piece has published a post explaining the power-sharing structure in Iraq that allowed the presidential council to veto the bill and argues that entire drama is a game of political brinksmanship that will continue to delay the consolidation of Iraqi democracy. Juan Cole relates an Al-Hayat article that reports one issue the parliament discussed was the constitutionality of the veto itself, given that the Iraq constitutional court overturned the veto on the grounds that al-Hashemi is attempting to favor expatriots in the elections.
Ryan Lucas with AP reports that Sheikh Abdel-Mehdi al-Karbalaie, a representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, spoke out against the impasse at Friday prayers and called for “political blocs to reach a reasonable solution” in order to avoid a “constitutional vacuum.” As a result of the political back-and-forth, IraqPundit tells a story of the disdain local Iraqis have for parliamentarians and the sense that “change is coming, and everyone knows it.”
Fears about insurgents and violence grow as the Washington Post reports that Al-Qaeda has regrouped and changed its tactics from inciting sectarian violence to focusing on high-profile attacks designed to cripple the Iraqi government ahead of elections and the U.S. withdrawal. The At War blog at the NY Times argues that the recent attacks are political maneuvers designed to weaken PM Nouri al-Maliki whose campaigns rest largely on his ability to restore and maintain security. Juan Cole points to a recent confession from Baathist insurgents behind the October 25 bombing that killed 125 people to argue that the U.S. is deliberately blaming Al-Qaeda for all violence because to do otherwise “would be an admission that the US has been fighting Iraqi citizens all along, and because it is also an implicit confession that the war on the Baath was never completely won.” Cole sees al-Maliki’s stresses on Baathist culpability as a propaganda tactic against a revived Arab nationalist trend.
Posted in Elections, Iraq, Islam and Democracy, Legislation, Political Parties, Reform, Sectarianism, US foreign policy, al-Qaeda | Comment »
Losing Patience
November 20th, 2009 by Jason
Members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany met today to discuss how to move forward concerning Iran. The IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei rejected the use of sanctions, arguing they would make Iran more intransigent. Speaking in Asia, President Obama explained “we’ve seen indications that for internal political reasons or perhaps because they are stuck in some of their own rhetoric” Iran has been unable to agree to any nuclear deal.
One source of Iran’s intransigence, according to Meir Javedanfar, is that Ayatollah Khamenei no longer has “time, patience or sympathy for those who may question him.” For example, Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour, the Iranian who founded Hezbollah in Lebanon, is no longer “treated like a hero” as would be expected. Javedanfar explains “the reason is simple: he is a reformist.”
In response to Geneive Abdo’s prediction that Ayatollah Khamenei will be the last Supreme Leader, niacINsight worries that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would seek to assume full political control in that scenario, converting Iran into a military dictatorship.
Mark Tooley in the Weekly Standard observes that American evangelical Southern Baptists “are pushing for more U.S. pressure against Iran’s nuclear program while also offering solidarity to Iran’s suppressed domestic opposition.” In a recent joint Jewish-Evangelical resolution, they call for “strict sanctions” while reserving military action as a “last resort.” The editorial staff of The Washington Times, however has lost its patience. They clamor for getting “ready to bomb Iran” as the “last best chance for peace,” calling the case for using force a “slam-dunk.”
Freedom House offers another method of supporting the Iranian opposition. It has urged the U.N. to pass a resolution sponsored by Canada condemning Iran’s human rights abuses, mirroring similar calls from Iranian pro-reform activists. In a press release, they call the human rights situation in Iran “particularly egregious.”
Finally, Tehran Bureau has posted their documentary “A Death in Tehran” online about Neda Agha-Soltan, the woman shot and killed during the post-election protests.
Posted in Diplomacy, EU, Freedom, Hezbollah, Human Rights, Iran, Islam and Democracy, Military, Multilateralism, Oil, US foreign policy, US politics, sanctions | Comment »
Troops in Aghanistan
November 20th, 2009 by Zack
The Financial Times is calling upon Afghan President Hamid Karzaito move beyond “good speeches” and to change his government’s corrupt ways and for the international contingency to decentralize the Afghan government. The editorial argues that while this is not a perfect solution, “Afghanistan is still largely a feudal society hostile to any form of central government.” Foreign Policy reports that former presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani has rejected any participation or power-sharing with the Karzai government.
In regards to the U.S. military commitment, The Hill reports that “additional troop deployments to Afghanistan likely would happen at a slower pace than the surge in Iraq because of the lack of infrastructure in Afghanistan,” according to Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Daily Kos has published a post arguing that corruption in Afghanistan is both endemic and tacitly supported by the U.S. occupation. Given America’s tattered reputation for fighting domestic corruption, the article argues that any Afghan surge would be a “snare and a delusion.”
In the National Interest Online, Jerry Silverman argues against the domino theory that losing in Afghanistan would lead to further “loss” in South Asian. Instead, he believes the region is stable enough to handle a U.S. withdrawal and that the greater threats to U.S. intersts ”are likely to be attempts by erstwhile regional allies to leverage American military involvement in support of their own parochial interests.” Lastly, Paul Pillar writes that the Afghan war is not making Americans safer, with the original threat of al-Qaeda being replaced by the broader violent jihadist movement coalesced against the U.S. mission in Afghanistan.
In a related story, Reuters is reporting on a State Department effort to ramp up the number of U.S. civilians working in Afghanistan through a simulation training complex operating in Indiana.
Posted in Afghanistan, Democracy Promotion, Elections, Legislation, Political Parties, Taliban, US foreign policy | Comment »
Middle East Democracy Promotion
November 20th, 2009 by Jason
Marina Ottaway of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace has released a new policy brief entitled, “Middle East Democracy Promotion Is Not a One-way Street.”
Ottaway enumerates three factors that have changed the political landscape of democracy promotion in the Middle East. One, Islamist movements, who represent the strongest opposition forces, are both losing the ability and interest in participating in political processes. Two, Arab citizens remain politically active, especially in the use of new media, but have failed to leverage their energy on traditional political institutions. Three, Arab governments are increasingly unable to adapt to new challenges while a few states have a hard time governing at all.
So far, President Obama has necessarily focused on Afghanistan and Iran, as well as the Middle East Peace Process, as opposed to pushing for democratic reform. But given the unlikelihood of near-term solutions on any of these issues, Ottaway contends “the issue of political reform must be addressed” as well. She proposes that the Obama administration should follow the example of the Helsinki process by creating a comprehensive two-way dialogue between Arab states and the United States that delineates universal principles agreeable to both sides.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Foreign Aid, Islamist movements, Mideast Peace Plan, Multilateralism, Reform, US foreign policy | Comment »
Luke-warm Responses to a Palestinian State
November 20th, 2009 by Zack
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has confirmed that January elections will be postponed as the Palestine Liberation Organization attempts to receive U.N. recognition for a Palestinian state along the pre-1967 border. However, Daniel Levy argues that this effort will not significantly affect the peace process. He notes that by mid-week some Palestinian officials were already backing away from the “statehood now” plan, but he does hold out that the effort shows an important “new fluidity and questioning of assumptions” in the “Israeli-Palestinian arena.” Victor Kattan similarly argues that a unilateral declaration of independence will not constitute a Palestinian state because it certainly would not be recognized by Israel, it only speaks for half the Palestinian population, it is not a novel approach to the problem, and the declaration lacks “independence and sovereignty, and effective control over its territory.”
David Ignatius puts forth a prescription for Palestinian statehood that follows PM Salam Fayyad’s plan for an administrative transition to statehood. Ignatius contends that “[Fayyad’s] nation-building program is the only ray of light I can see in the Palestinian morass, and it deserves American support.”
Al-Arabiyya is reporting that jailed Palestinian activist Marwan Barghouti has released a statement that the peace negotiations have failed, calling for Palestinians to “launch popular and diplomatic campaigns to achieve statehood” and for Hamas to accept the Egyptian agreement for reconciliation with Fatah.
Ha’aretz reports on a BBC interview in which Abbas claims Israel is currently in negotiations with Hamas and that “Washington isn’t pushing Israel enough to advance the peace process.” Hamas officials have denied the accusation. In another story, Fatah officials have decided to declare a third intifada in response to failed peace talks. The Fatah leadership stressed that this new movement would not endorse an armed struggle. Abbas reportedly agreed to the resolution in principle.
Posted in Diplomacy, Elections, Hamas, Islam and Democracy, Israel, Mideast Peace Plan, Palestine, Political Parties, Public Opinion, US foreign policy | Comment »
Iraq Parliament Pushes Back
November 20th, 2009 by Zack
Following Iraq’s Sunni Arab vice president Tareq al-Hashemi’s decision to veto the new election law, Reuters is reporting that the Iraqi parliament has scheduled a session for Saturday to vote on whether they would accept Hashemi’s veto. A law must be passed within the next few days to avoid further delaying the January elections.
Ahmed Ali has written a piece explaining the changes put forth by the proposed election law as well as analyzing the strengths of coalitions that have formed throughout the country. He argues that any election delay “could have serious long-term implications for Iraq, the region, and the United States unless a political compromise is found soon.” Joost Hilterman has recorded a podcast discussing public opinion and the state of Iraqi politics ahead of the election; he believes PM Nouri al-Maliki will fair well in the election, but that the people are disenchanted with the coalition government’s ability to make change.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace has posted an analysis of the 2010 Iraqi elections, including the tensions that pushed the presidential council to call for greater minority representation and the Kurdish opposition to population counts that sparked the need for a compromise election law in the first place. A New York Times editorial is positive about the fact that these disagreements are being carried out in the legislature and that the U.S. must keep its withdrawal timetable on track to pressure new compromises and prevent this battles from crippling the democratic system. Special representative for the U.N. secretary-general in Iraq, Ad Melkert, gave a speech at the New America Foundation expressing cautious optimism over Iraq’s security and the country’s ability to draw international investment, despite rampant corruption.
In related news, Myriam Benraad at Project Fikra warns that Al-Qaeda still poses a threat to Iraq as the group shifts its tactis and evolves into a more Iraqi force. The NY Times is also reporting that Sunni Awakening Council leader Adil al-Mashhadani was sentenced to death for kidnapping, sparking claims that the Shiite government is attempting to weaken Sunni leadership.
Posted in Diplomacy, Elections, Iraq, Journalism, Political Parties, Reform, US foreign policy | Comment »
Future of Foreign Assistance
November 19th, 2009 by Jason
Laura Rozen reports that the new pick for USAID chief, Dr. Rajiv Shah, met with congressional leaders today, including Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.). According to Rozen, Shah’s appointment was largely positively received, however some question whether his appointment augurs a diminished role for USAID in the longterm.
Daniel Kaufmann at the Brookings Institution argues for the necessity of debating foreign assistance reform in light of Transparency International’s recent report on global corruption. Currently, there are three reform efforts underway via the National Security Council, the State Department’s Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review and the Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act in the House. According to Kaufmann, there is an “evident” correlation between the amount of U.S. assistance a country receives and its perceived level of corruption. While addressing corruption should not be the only purpose of foreign assistance, it should play a “key part of a development aid effectiveness review.”
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