Egypt: How U.S. Military Aid Hurts Human Rights
December 10th, 2010 by Evan
Writing at the Huffington Post, Joscelyn Jurich, New York University professor and journalist, criticizes the U.S. approach to Egypt: “The Obama administration has consistently spoken in favor of democracy in Egypt, but has done less and less about it.” According to Jurich, the White House has been remarkably soft on the Mubarak regime, at most expressing “disappointment” and in other cases failing to respond at all. Moreover, the Obama administration has maintained military funding to Egypt, disregarding how these funds strengthen Mubarak’s grip. Jurich concludes by calling for greater oversight of U.S. assistance to Egypt to ensure that the money is not used to fund human rights abuses.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Foreign Aid, Human Rights | Comment »
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Calls for Spending Cuts
December 8th, 2010 by Evan
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), the new chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee,
pledged to make significant cuts to the State Department and to U.S. foreign operations funding in a statement laying out her agenda Wednesday. The Cable’s
Josh Rogin reports that Ros-Lehtinen said “As Chairman of this Committee, I will work to restore fiscal discipline to foreign affairs, reform troubled programs and organizations, exercise vigorous oversight to identify waste, fraud, and abuse, and counter the threats posed to our nation by rogue states and violent extremists.” Rogin adds that while Ros-Lehtinen does not have direct control over spending,
Kay Granger (R-TX), the incoming chairwoman of the House Appropriations State and Foreign Operations subcommittee, does and likely shares the Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman’s views.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Foreign Aid | Comment »
Egypt: EMHRN Calls for Increased EU Criticism of Elections
December 6th, 2010 by Evan
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) issued a statement calling on the European Union (EU) to “take a strong position on the parliamentary elections in Egypt.” Thus far, the EU’s response has been limited to a statement from Parliament President Jerzy Buzek criticizing the “violent and tense climate during elections.” EMHRN executive director Marc Schade-Poulsen said that the EU must do more: “Egypt has disrespected its association agreement with the EU according to which respect of human rights and democratic principles is an essential element. Egypt also disrespected the EU Egypt Action Plan agreement to cooperate on strengthening the participation of Egyptians in political life including participation in elections. […] It is important that the EU breaks its silence and expresses strong disapproval of the way in which the Egyptian authorities handled the election processes. The credibility of the EU’s foreign policy is at stake.”
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Elections, Foreign Aid | Comment »
Egypt: White House Misses Opportunity to Speak Out
December 6th, 2010 by Evan
The Washington Post criticized the Obama administration’s response to Egypt’s parliamentary election in a new editorial. Calling the statements from the State Department and the White House “timid and painstakingly balanced,” the author writes that the Administration missed an opportunity to make a forceful statement for democracy and human rights: “Other countries watching this exchange will marvel at Washington’s weakness. A nominal U.S. ally that receives $1.5 billion in annual aid makes a mockery of democratic rights — and is answered with mild and low-level expressions of regret and promises to do nothing other than ‘raise concerns where appropriate.’ The Obama administration appears to be thoroughly intimidated by Hosni Mubarak - when what it ought to be worried about is who or what will succeed him.”
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt | Comment »
Bahrain: Clinton Addresses Political Reform in the Gulf
December 6th, 2010 by Evan
During her recent trip to Bahrain for the Manama Dialogue, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a number of statements on political reform in the Middle East. In her keynote address, Clinton emphasized that the “opportunity to participate in the decisions that shape one’s life and future, and the freedom to develop and express one’s point of view” are essential to maintaining security in the Gulf. In response to a question on America’s approach to democracy promotion, Clinton said “the United States remains committed to democratic process and to the democratic enterprise, because we believe that ultimately, it is the most stable form of government. But we know that different countries have taken different paths, and so we want to emphasize the broad array of actions that can lead to democratization. So elections are part of it, but it is not the only part, and too great an emphasis on it can lead to having one election and no more as people don’t fully invest themselves in what it takes to build the institutions of democracy.”
Earlier in the day, Clinton participated in a forum hosted by Bahrain TV. Matar Ibrahim Matar, an Al Wefaq party parliamentarian and alumnus of a Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) exchange program, asked Clinton about the tension between America’s commitment to promoting democracy and its strategic relationship with Bahrain. Clinton responded that she sees Bahrain as a glass “half full” country. “I think the changes that are happening in Bahrain are much greater than what I see in many other countries in the region and beyond.”
Posted in Bahrain, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy | Comment »
Egypt: U.S. Must Push Harder for Political Reform
December 3rd, 2010 by Evan
Ellen Bork, the Director of Democracy and Human Rights at the Foreign Policy Initiative, writes that the Obama administration, like those before it, has ignored Egypt’s democrats and bought the Egyptian argument that stability is more important than political reform. With the presidential transition on the horizon, Bork urges both the President and Congress to “should push harder for democratic reforms in their contacts with Egyptian leaders” and calls on the Senate to “only approve a new ambassador to Cairo who is committed to an energetic, principled American policy in support of a transition to democracy brought about by Egypt’s people.”
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Elections, Foreign Aid | Comment »
Egypt: State Department Says Election’s Failed Egyptian People
December 2nd, 2010 by Evan
In response to questions about Egypt’s parliamentary elections, State Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley emphasized that fraud and violence threaten the legitimacy of the outcome in the eyes of the Egyptian people: “The real issue here is the relationship between Egypt and its own people and we believe that the election fell short of the expectations that the Egyptian people have for what they want to see in terms of an open political process, a chance to play a more – or a significant role in the future of their country, a chance to participate more fully in a political process.” In a separate statement, Crowley once again called on the Egyptian government to “meet the desires of the Egyptian people.” Crowley, however, downplayed the possibility that the U.S. would use aid as leverage to motivate Egypt to reform.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Elections, Foreign Aid | Comment »
Egypt: Egypt’s Election a Critical Test for Obama’s Democracy Rhetoric
December 2nd, 2010 by Evan
In a new opinion piece, The Christian Science Monitor’s editorial board criticizes the Obama Administration for failing to make good on its rhetorical commitment to promoting democracy in Egypt. Instead, the White House has placed other short-term objectives ahead of encouraging long term stability through political reform. “If Obama wants repressed people to stand up for their freedom, he could do better at standing up for them,” the authors write.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Elections, Foreign Aid | Comment »
Egypt: EU Parliament Urges Reform Ahead of Presidential Election
November 30th, 2010 by Evan
Jerzy Buzek, President of the European Parliament, called on Egyptian authorities to “relax the conditions for political participation,” and allow “dissenting voices” in the press to be heard. “A democratic Egypt is in the interests first and foremost of its citizens. For the EU a democratic Egypt is as important as a stable Egypt,” Buzek said, adding “if one claims that the time is not ripe for democracy, people might start thinking that the right time shall never arrive.”
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Elections | Comment »
Egypt: White House Says Egyptian Election Fell Short
November 30th, 2010 by Evan
The White House released a statement Tuesday expressing “disappointment” with the process of Egypt’s recent parliamentary election. National Security Council Spokesman Mike Hammer said that “numerous reported irregularities at the polls, the lack of international monitors and the many problems encountered by domestic monitors, and the restrictions on the basic freedoms of association, speech and press in the run-up to the elections are worrying.” Hammer also reiterated that the U.S. is committed to work with both the Egyptian government and civil society organizations to help the country achieve its “political, social, and economic aspirations.”
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Elections | Comment »
Egypt: U.S. “Dismayed” by Egyptian Election
November 30th, 2010 by Evan
On Monday, the U.S. State Department issued a statement criticizing Egypt’s parliamentary election. Widespread irregularities “call into question the fairness and transparency of the process,” State Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley said, citing “election-day interference and intimidation by security forces” and crackdowns on opposition parties and independent media prior to the vote. “Egyptians will only have full confidence in their elections when the government is able to address existing flaws, and ensure full and transparent access by independent civil society monitors and candidate representatives to all phases of the electoral process.”
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Elections | Comment »
Egypt: Too Late for International Monitors?
November 24th, 2010 by Evan
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy’s David Schenker suggests that Egypt should follow Jordan’s example and allow international organizations to monitor its elections on Sunday in a new piece for The Weekly Standard. “Absent international monitors, it is all but certain that Cairo’s perennially fraudulent elections will continue,” Schenker writes, adding “Rather than return to the customary practice of sending out the troops on November 28, Cairo should send in the monitors — both independent domestic observers and international ones. Should Egyptian elections be assessed as free and fair, Egypt — like Jordan — will win international praise.”
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Elections | Comment »
The Decline of USAID
November 19th, 2010 by Evan
Jerry Hyman, President of the Hills Program on Governance at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, recently published a new article describing the decline of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) over the past four administrations. Hyman describes the fundamental tension between foreign policy and development policy and how USAID has lost much of its independence, especially since development was enshrined as a pillar of U.S. national security policy during the second Bush Administration.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Foreign Aid | Comment »
Egypt: U.S. “Has More to Gain” by Supporting Democracy
November 19th, 2010 by Anna
At World Politics Review, former Wall Street Journal foreign correspondent James Dorsey contends that it is in Washington’s long-term interests to promote democratic reform in Egypt, rather than “turn a blind eye to flagrant human-rights violations and measures that stymie democratic development.” He highlights the Egyptian regime’s “repression of the opposition, intimidation and control of the media, and electoral restrictions” all but ensure that the National Democratic Party (NDP) will remain in power. Dorsey calls fear that democracy promotion efforts would benefit Egypt’s Islamists “exaggerated,” adding that the Obama administration could shape the debate in Egypt prior to the parliamentary elections by publicly focusing on the matter. He concludes: “[a]ll in all, the United States has more to gain by nudging the Egyptian and Arab debate toward an embrace of democracy and human rights — and more to lose by maintaining a policy that so far has primarily identified Washington with repressive, corrupt regimes, significantly tarnishing its image.”
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Elections, Foreign Aid | Comment »
Hamid and Gause Debate Democracy in the Muslim World
November 19th, 2010 by Evan
Shadi Hamid, Director of Research at the Brookings Doha Center and Fellow at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, and
Gregory Gause, Professor of Political Science at the University of Vermont, recently participated in video debate on democracy in the Muslim world. Over the course of the conversation, Hamid and Gause discuss whether democracy in the Middle East is in Washington’s interests, what Islamists would do if they came to power, and the durability of authoritarian rule across the Arab world. View the full discussion
here.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Foreign Aid, Islam and Democracy | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Voicing Dissent: Inside the Fight for Democracy and Human Rights”
November 16th, 2010 by Evan
On Tuesday, the Foreign Policy Initiative hosted a panel discussion titled “Voicing Dissent: Inside the Fight for Democracy and Human Rights” as part of its “Restoring America’s Leadership of a Democratic World” conference. The Washington Post’s Jackson Diehl moderated a panel composed of Ambassador Michael Kozak, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Win Min, a Burmese activist, and Michele Dunne Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Editor of the Arab Reform Bulletin.
To read full notes, continue below or click here for a pdf copy.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Event Notes, Human Rights | Comment »
Reaffirming America’s Commitment to Democracy Promotion
November 16th, 2010 by Evan
In the fall issue of the Harvard International Review, Kenneth Wollack, President of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), argues that critics of democracy promotion present a “false dichotomy” between America’s values and interests. Wollack acknowledges that the Bush administration’s military intervention in Iraq and the United States’ inconsistent approach to dealing with autocrats have caused doubts, but contends that popular calls for “dignity and representation” from across the Middle East should form the foundation for a reinvigorated democracy assistance policy. According to Wollack, American policy makers must “set the tone” and create space for American nongovernmental groups like NDI and the International Republican Institute (IRI) to help governments and activists make democracy work.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Foreign Aid | Comment »
Egypt: The Cost of Pushing for Democracy
November 15th, 2010 by Jason
Addressing criticisms resulting from an earlier post, the Council on Foreign Relations’ Steven Cook responded today by listing a number of “plausible (not possible) risks and their probability” should the U.S. pressure Egypt on democratic reforms. Cook describes the risks of democracy promotion as “likely manageable,” and suggests that the U.S., and in particular President Obama, take the most direct route by making a statement “either the week before or the day after the Egyptian election,” directly criticizing the Egyptian governments failure to live up to their promises of reform.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Elections, US foreign policy | 1 Comment »
“Islamic Feminism and Beyond”
November 15th, 2010 by Jason
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Middle East Program released a new paper (pdf) today, titled “Islamic Feminism and Beyond: The New Frontier.” The introduction is written by Haleh Esfandiari and Margot Badran, and the paper includes six sections covering a range of topics and countries. The articles include “Feminist Activism for Change in Family Laws and Practices: Lessons from the Egyptian Past for the Global Present” by Margot Badran, “Recent Amendments in the Turkish Civil and Criminal Codes and the Role of Feminist NGOs” by Binnaz Toprak, “Women and the Politics of Reform in Morocco” by Souad Eddouada, “Beyond Islamic Feminism: Women and Representation in Iran’s Democracy Movement” by Nayereh Tohidi, “The Personal Status Code and Women’s Celibacy in Tunisia” by Lilia Labidi, and “Analyzing Reform Successes and Failures: The Personal Status Regime in the Arab World” by Amaney Jamal.
Posted in Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Human Rights, Iran, Morocco, Reform, Tunisia, Turkey, Women | Comment »
Egypt: Clinton Fails to Publicly Raise Domestic Issues with Egyptian Delegation
November 12th, 2010 by Evan
The Washington Post published a new editorial today criticizing the Obama administration’s failure to publicly address Egypt’s human rights and democracy record during Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit’s visit to Washington, DC this week. “Ms. Clinton had an opportunity to send a vital message; wrongly, she chose not to,” the author writes. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley recently told reporters that the U.S. addressed domestic issues with the Egyptian delegation “directly and forcefully” behind closed doors. The Post responds that while it is “good to hear […] chances are that the private words were lost on Mr. Aboul Gheit.”
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Elections, Foreign Aid | Comment »
