Maria Otero, Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs, spoke at event at the National Press Club commemorating World Press Freedom Day. "Today we recognize the ongoing struggle of journalists across the globe who underwrite the strength of democracy. By keeping the public informed and officials accountable, the role of an active, vibrant media is crucial in the pursuit of responsive governance", she said. She presented the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom prize ...

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi to step down "for the future of Libya, its peace and prosperity." Turkey initially opposed military action in Libya, but led aid efforts and participated in the arms embargo as part of its NATO responsibilities. Prior to the uprising, Turkish companies had billions of dollars invested in Libya's commercial construction boom. United Nations High Commission for Refugees  spokesman Adrian ...

The Babylon & Beyond blog at the LA Times website spoke with an Iranian foreign ministry official about the continued government crackdown in Syria.  The official stated that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was "an educated and soft spoken politician.  At the end of the day, people in Syria will appreciate the wise role of the incumbent regime."  Hardliner members of the Iranian parliament have also reiterated their support for the ...

POMED's Weekly Wire for April 11th is now available. Last week the international community debated how to respond to the human rights violations taking place in Bahrain and Syria. Meanwhile, unrest in Yemen continued as the opposition rejected offers by the Gulf Cooperation Council to mediate Saleh’s departure and they reiterated their call for his immediate removal. NATO airstrikes and ground battles have continued in Libya, where the opposition rejected an ...

The European Union is seeking U.N. approval for a plan to send 1,000 troops to Libya to undertake the delivery of aid supplies to besieged civilians.  The plan, dubbed "Eufor Libya", was decided on at the beginning of April by all 27 member states of the union.  The 61-page "Concept of Operations" document outlines the humanitarian role of troops and states that forces would not be engaged in combat.  However, ...

On Thursday, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) warned President Bashar Al Assad to refrain from using violence against protesters. He urged that Assad "should insist that his police and military refrain from using violence against peaceful demonstrators and instead he should seize the opportunity to open a process of real discussion to address the aspirations of the Syrian people" and warned, "the world will be watching very closely." ...

An image from the Wall Street Journal showing up close a police crackdown on a student demonstration in Algiers on Tuesday. Source: Associated Press  

Daniel W. Drezner, posting at Foreign Policy, considers whether a government shutdown would, "tarnish the brand image of democracy in general and America in particular across the globe."  Drezner cites Nicholas Kristoff's argument that a shutdown would actually make a powerful case for autocracy in places where activists are fighting for democratic change, but questions if this is really so.  He speculates that whether or not American foreign policy is ...

The rebels in Libya are struggling to advance past Brega and Al Dabiya in the absence of sufficient air support from NATO. While critics are talking of a stalemate, one analyst argues that the Gadhafi regime's self-implosion is close at hand. Another claims that public ambiguity over the mission's end game is necessary to maintain US domestic support while holding the international coalition together.

The International Crisis Group released a new report entitled "Popular Protests in North Africa and the Middle East (III): The Bahrain Revolt." It offers a concise overview of Bahraini political history, political actors and recent events. It calls for a political compromise, not only on humanitarian grounds but argues that protracted confrontation is exacerbating the conflict from an internal democracy movement to a a regional sectarian one.

Brian Whitaker, writing at his blog, discusses whether Syrian President Bashar Al Assad will be able to convince Syrians that "the reforms on offer will be far-reaching and genuine and not just a ploy to quieten discontent." One indication of how genuine his desire for reform will be the announcement of the new cabinet.  Whitaker argues, however, that such tactics were previously employed by Tunisian President Zine Ben Ali, Egyptian ...

On Tuesday, Bahrain's parliament announced that they had accepted the resignation of 11 lawmakers from the Shiite opposition; according to the Associated Press this is "a sign that the political and sectarian crisis in the island nation is deepening."

Photo Courtesy of The New York Times

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) posted a video response to the speech, stating that Obama failed to address questions about the constitutionality of the intervention in Libya.  Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) stated that "the speech failed to provide Americans much clarity" on U.S. involvement in Libya.  Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Roy Blunt (R-MO) along with Representatives Bruce Braley (D-IA), Candice Miller (R-MI), and Mike Honda (D-CA) reiterated this ...

President Ali Abdullah Saleh promised to step down, but only to hand over power to "to capable, responsible hands." He also declared that he was ready to meet with protesters, as they gathered to prepare for Friday's planned "Day of Departure" rallies. On Thursday night, opposition groups rejected Saleh's previous offer to step down after a presidential election by the end of the year and continue to call for "a ...

The Libyan Transitional National Council is demanding immediate surgical attacks on Gadhafi forces. According to Mohmammad Bin Ras Ali, the official spokesman of Misrata, also on the front lines, civilians and hospitals are being targeted. Further, there have been reports of prohibitive weapons being used on the people in Misrata.  An Al Jazeera correspondent confirmed gunfire and heavy artillery clashes between civilian fighters and Gaddafi forces at Southern entrance of Ajdabiya.  ...

Following the massacring of over 40 protesters in San'a, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a statement condemning the violence and called for Yemeni security forces to "exercise maximum restraint, refrain from violence, and permit citizens to freely and peacefully express their views." Clinton asserted: "The Yemeni people, like people everywhere, have the universal rights to demonstrate peacefully, to freely assemble, and to express themselves without fear of ...

In response to continued unrest across the country, King Al Khalifa declared a state of emergency for the next 3 months. A statement read on television, "authorized the commander of Bahrain's defense forces to take all necessary measures to protect the safety of the country and its citizens." Al Jazeera reports that the city of Manama has effectively been shut down for the past few days amidst major ...

On Sunday, tens of thousands of supporters of former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri rallied in Beirut's Martyr Square calling for Hezbollah to disarm.  Hariri stated, "It is impossible for weapons to stay raised against the will of a democratic people and against the truth...We want to put under the control and authority of the state because it's the army which protects us all."  Ghaleb Abu Zeinab, member of ...