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Al-Jazeera reports that the court trials for former President Hosni Mubarak and ex-Interior Minister Habib al-Adly have been merged. The Egyptian cabinet announced the decision today in an effort to further placate protesters who have accused the interim ruling military of retaining the former regime’s practices. Additionally, six other high-ranking officials had trial dates set for August 3.
Former Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif was also charged and ordered detained for 15 days today for “squandering public money and seizing state-owned land,” the official MENA news agency reported. The trial was televised and broadcast to millions of Egyptians, many of whom ”haven’t felt that [the trials] have been very transparent” until now.
According to a report by Reuters, a U.N. envoy to Libya discussed plans to resolve the civil war, but no definite initiative had taken shape. Despite continued NATO strikes, Gadhafi and his family remain clinging to power in the embattled country. Senior rebel official Mahmoud Jibreel informed Reuters that, “his side would reject any initiative that did not involve the removal of Gadhafi from power…”
However, the Libyan government has said that official members are ready to partake in open dialogue with the U.S. and rebel forces, but Gadhafi himself is unwilling to negotiate and will not relinquish power.
Additionally, an arrest warrant has been placed on Gadhafi by The Hague for alleged crimes that he and his forces committed against humanity, thus complicating Gadhafi’s departure from Libya and ability to seek refuge in another foreign country. Some members of the rebel forces have given word that it would be acceptable for Gadhafi and his family to remain in Libya if he agrees to step down from power.
Yemen’s opposition rejected government plans for peace talks on Monday claiming that they “had not heard of any such roadmap for peace” thoughVice President Abd-Rabbu Hadi Mansour claimed that a roadmap toward peace would be launched within a week. The opposition said that they would not engage in peace talks until President Ali Abdullah Saleh signs a transition plan introduced by the Gulf Arab states, which Saleh has backed out of three times.
Despite efforts aimed toward peace, violence still continues within Yemen. A booby-trapped car exploded in a suicide attack outside Yemen’s southern port city of Aden ,killing at least six people and injured 15 on Sunday.
The Syrian government has adopted a draft law permitting the formation of political parties besides the ruling Baath party, although banning those based on religious, tribal, or ethnic affiliation. The bill was approved by the Cabinet late on Sunday, but still requires parliamentary approval. Today, the state news agency SANA announced the passage of the draft law, and noted that ”the establishment of any party has to be based on … a commitment to the constitution, democratic principles, the rule of law and a respect for freedom and basic rights.”
The formation of a multi-party system is one of the key demands of the protest movement. But opposition figures have condemned the law. Yasser Saadeldine, a Syrian opposition figure in exile, said the new law “is designed to show on paper that the regime tolerates dissent while continuing killings and repression.” He continued, “every time the regime comes under international pressure it takes more false reform measures to try and appear as having democratic credentials. But arrests of activists continue and the crackdown deepens.”
The committee tasked with investigating the events of the uprising in February and March began its inquiry into the crackdown on Sunday, launching its website and hosting a news conference. At the conference, chairman Cherif Bassiouni announced that the committee will investigate the role of the army, the deaths of 33 and the 400 reported injuries, and the accusations of torture, including cases involving medical workers. The committee will also visit hundreds of prisoners and look at 30 police officers under investigation by the government for allegedly failing to follow orders. Bassiouni noted that “the army is not above the law and not beyond the law,” and many of the incidents being investigated occurred while the military was in charge. While the government has denied accusations of systematic abuse, Bassiouni said that the committee’s mandate encompasses “a number of allegations of torture including that of the offences which occurred against medical personnel, which are well documented by international human rights groups.”
The committee is expected to present its findings to the king in October. But Bassiouni acknowledged the risk of high expectations for what the panel can accomplish. He said, ”it becomes a matter of internal significance to act on the recommendations … this crisis had a traumatic effect on the people of Bahrain.”
Meanwhile, the final session of the National Dialogue ended on Sunday. According to the state news agency, participants proposed expanding the legislative and monitoring powers of the elected lower council of parliament. Yet opposition complains that the upper Shura council, appointed by the king, limits the power of the lower council.
In an interview with The Cable, Rep. Howard Berman discussed the negative implications of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s markup last week of H.R.2583, a State Department and foreign assistance authorization bill. Rep. Berman argued that the bill was a “waste of time” to begin with, and the over 100 amendments added by GOP Congressmen sent a negative signal to the international community. He criticized his GOP counterparts for throwing “a series of tantrums” and failing to consider the consequences of the legislation.
While the bill has no chance of becoming law, the HFAC markup nevertheless has real and negative impacts on U.S. influence internationally, since outside observers assume the debate has real implications. He said, “It was a waste of time, but people around the world in other countries and other governments don’t know that it’s a total waste of time and will never become law and they think this is where U.S. policy is heading and they are going to react.” Rep. Berman concluded, “So even the act of doing this hurt American interests, because it creates anger and hostility and makes all the things we need to do more difficult.”
On Wednesday 7/20, the House Foreign Affairs Committee convened a Committee markup for consideration of H.R. 2583, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2012. The markup hearing concluded on the evening of Thursday 7/21, authorizing $48.3 billion in international affairs spending (at the FY11-enacted level) and passed by a recorded vote of 23-20.
For POMED’s full summary and highlights of the Foreign Relations Authorization bill for FY12 continue below, or click here for a PDF.
An authorization bill for the U.S. Department of State and other expenses related to foreign affairs has not been signed into law since 2002. Technically, foreign assistance programs and the State Department budget require authorization before funding, but this provision has largely been ignored by appropriators in practice. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee have, over the years, introduced and periodically succeeded in passing individual authorization legislation out of their respective committees or chambers, but such legislation is generally viewed more as a statement of policy rather than a bill that is binding on the appropriations committees, which actually write the annual appropriations bill which becomes law and fund foreign assistance.
The likelihood of H.R.2583 becoming law is extremely low, as any potential Senate authorization bill would have vastly different priorities not likely to be reconciled, and the President would almost certainly veto the bill. Nonetheless, some language incorporated into this bill may be adopted by the House State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee in the markup of its spending bill. That markup is currently scheduled for Wednesday, July 27th, but it could likely be delayed until September due to continued negotiations over broader budget and debt ceiling issues. Any language passed by the House Appropriations Committee could be included in the final FY12 spending bill, or as freestanding measures introduced in the future.
In addition to the specific language introduced and voted on over the past few days, the markup of H.R.2583 on Wednesday and Thursday also provides an unusual opportunity for debate on foreign affairs issues and to hear many members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee weigh in on a variety of topics. Below we have tried to identify all sections of the bill directly related to U.S. engagement with the Middle East and North Africa and issues of democracy and human rights in the MENA region, accompanied by relevant quotes from the markup session as well as background information and context. We have also described many of the amendments offered, either to existing sections of the bill, or those which would constitute new sections.
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, maintained overall international affairs spending at FY11 levels, saying, “My legislation protects and advances our national security interests and priorities while rejecting the notion that it takes more government and more spending to do so.” Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), Ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, encouraged the effort to pass an authorization bill, but expressed concern with the low levels of foreign assistance funding and suggested the bill had little chance of success: “what I already consider to be a bad bill is going to get much worse in this markup and on the floor. That will simply ensure that this is a one-house bill.”
Title I – Authorization of Appropriations
In section 101 on “Administration of foreign affairs,” $21,416,000 is authorized for the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL). This level of funding is equal to that finally granted in FY11, which was $2.3 million less than had been requested by the administration. These funds are the operational and administrative costs for DRL and are separate from the funds programmed by the bureau to support democracy and governance abroad. DRL programming funds are authorized under the President’s Democracy Fund, authorized in section 408, described below.
In section 102 on “Contributions to International Organizations,” Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) introduced an amendment to cut 25% of funding to UN regular funds. The amendment was passed by a vote of 23-17. A second-degree amendment was introduced by Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO) to add a national security waiver for activities in Iraq and Afghanistan; the amendment failed by a vote of 16-23.
Section 103 on “Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities” declares, “funds authorized to be appropriated for contributions for international peacekeeping activities shall not be available for the payment of the United States assessed contribution for a United Nations peacekeeping operation in an amount that is greater than 25 percent of the total of all assessed contributions for such operation.” Of the current UN peacekeeping operations in the region, this would potentially affect funding to: the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights in Syria, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS), and the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) in the Middle East. Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO) introduced an amendment to strike the section entirely; the amendment failed by a vote of 18-23. Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ) introduced an amendment to exempt peacekeeping operations in Sudan and South Sudan from the 25% limitation; the amendment failed by a vote of 18-21.
In section 106 on the bill authorizes $118 million for the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a level consistent with FY11-enacted funding.
Title II – State Department Authorities and Activities, including statements of policy on inspection authority, Israel, and Tibet.
In section 208 on the “Sense of Congress regarding Turkey,” Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA) and Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) introduced an amendment to urge Turkey to protect its Christian heritage and end all forms of religious discrimination, a move supported by Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA). The amendment was approved by a vote of 43-1, with Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) as the dissenting vote.
Title IV – Foreign Assistance, including the goals of U.S. Assistance, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Bilateral Economic Assistance, Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), and the President’s Democracy Fund
In section 401 on the “Goals of Unites States assistance,” Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA) introduced an amendment to expand on the “goals of assistance” identified in the bill to include, among other provisions, to “support human right and democracy.” His amendment described foreign assistance as essential to “achieving United States foreign policy, economic, and national security objectives.” In contrast to the legislation as written, which emphasizes the goal of “graduating United States aid recipients into a trade-based relationship with the United States,” his amendment designated the findings of the committee with regard to U.S. assistance as to “build and sustain an international community composed of states […] that meet basic human needs, resolve conflicts peacefully, respect fundamental freedoms […] and work toward the achievement of economic well-being for all people.” The amendment was approved by unanimous consent.
In section 401(a) on the findings of the “Goals of United States assistance,” Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) introduced an amendment to recommend a reduction of tariffs for Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact-eligible countries to “more closely align United States trade and development policies.” After debate, Rep. Schwartz withdrew her amendment.
In an earlier draft version of the bill, section 401, which restricted funding to international organization led by Iran, declared “None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act may be used by the Secretary of State as a contribution for any organization, agency, or program within the United Nations system in which Iran holds a position of leadership.” Also in the draft version, section 402 on the U.N. Human Rights Council declared “None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act may be used by the Secretary of State as a contribution for the United Nations Human Rights Council.” Finally, the draft version also included a statement in section 403 on the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which declared, “None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act may be used by the Secretary of State as a contribution for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.” None of these sections were included in the final draft of H.R.2583 in the markup hearing, although the inclusion of them in earlier draft discussions of the bill deserves attention as an indicator of the views of some members on U.S. funding and participation in international organizations.
Section 403 of the bill on “Bilateral Economic Assistance” authorizes approximately $21.2 million to the President for Bilateral Economic Assistance for FY12. Section 406 on the Millennium Challenge Corporation authorizes $900 million for the Millennium Challenge Corporation. Both amounts are consistent with FY11-enacted levels.
Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) introduced an amendment to strike section 407, which as it stands would prohibit all bilateral economic assistance to the government of a country that fails to meet the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s “Corruption Performance” indicator, under the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003. The President may waive this prohibition on the basis of national security. Based on the FY11 MCC scorecards, this provision would disallow any economic assistance to Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Sudan, and Yemen. It would not trigger a limitation on assistance to Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia, which passed the corruption indicator in FY11. Rep. Schwartz noted that the corruption indicator used by the MCC, is based on a median ranking, and would therefore automatically disqualify half of the world’s countries from U.S. economic assistance every year. Rep. Berman asked his Republican colleagues if they were prepared to cut assistance to countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Honduras, Armenia, and Haiti, as those countries do not currently pass the MCC corruption indicator. Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (R-NY) said resistance to the provision “flies in the face” of transparency in U.S. aid, and questioned how members could continue allocating money to corrupt governments. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) vowed to work with Rep. Connie Mack (R-FL) to request a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review how MCC indicators are developed. The amendment to strike Section 407 failed by a vote of 13-23.
Section 408 of the bill authorizes $115 million to the President’s Democracy Fund, which is consistent with the FY11-enacted level. These are funds used to support democracy and governance worldwide, and they are divided between the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) and the USAID Office of Democracy and Governance. These funds supplement bilateral assistance funds that are designated to support democracy and governance programming in the country in question.
Section 411 of the bill seeks to “reduce the replication” of U.S. foreign assistance programs by eliminating the funds for the USAID Office of Budget and Resource Management, and consolidating budget authorities and policy planning for all U.S. foreign assistance “within one office at the Department of State that shall complete both budgets for the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development.” Rep. Berman proposed an amendment to strike the section, and replace it with language to institutionalize the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) starting in 2014. For background on the QDDR initiated by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2010, please click here. Rep. Berman has previously said the recommendations of the QDDR should be the basis for effective foreign assistance spending, in contrast to the Republican appropriations budget for FY11, which he said cut aid to reach a reduction amount that was “arbitrarily decided.” The amendment failed by a vote of 18-24.
Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) introduced an amendment to establish guidelines regarding the performance of foreign assistance programs, and define and require monitoring and evaluation of such programs. Rep. Poe noted the support of Rep. Berman’s staff in drafting the requirements, as USAID, under current policy is not requiring monitoring and evaluation of its programs until FY13. The amendment passed by voice vote.
Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) introduced an amendment to prohibit bilateral economic assistance to the government of a country that opposes the position of the United States in the United Nations, as defined by the country’s recorded votes in the U.N. General Assembly or U.N. Security Council as “the same as the position of the United States less than 50 percent of the time.” The amendment also includes a Presidential waiver to the limitation on the basis of national security. Based on the U.S. State Department Bureau of International Organization’s “Voting Practices in the United Nations, 2010” report on votes in the UN General Assembly, this provision would prohibit bilateral economic assistance to every country in the Middle East and North Africa, with the exception of Israel and Turkey. Rep. Berman and Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-VA) criticized the amendment as “trying to bribe” countries into agreeing with the United States, while Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY) dismissed the measure as it “encompasses two-thirds of the world by a mathematical formula.” Rep. Ackerman also raised alarm at the possibility of cutting economic assistance to Jordan and Egypt under the proposed formula, which would jeopardize the security of Israel. The amendment was passed 21-18 by the committee.
Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) and Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) introduced an amendment to establish an internet website to “make publicly available comprehensive, timely, comparable, and accessible information on United States foreign assistance programs” including detailed program-by-program and country-by-country reports by federal departments or agencies that administer foreign assistance. The amendment was agreed to by voice vote.
Rep. Donald Manzullo (R-IL) introduced an amendment to prohibit funds to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to carry out its Development Innovation Ventures Fund (DIV) program or any successor program. Rep. Manzullo argued that USAID “should not be in the business” of research and development; the amendment was agreed to by voice vote.
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) introduced an amendment that declared, “no funds made available to carry out this Act or any amendment made by this Act may be used to provide assistance to Pakistan.” The amendment also eliminated security assistance to Pakistan in Title IX. Rohrabacher described aid to Pakistan as “foolishness” at a time that the U.S. is trying to avoid default on its debt: “The time has come for us to stop subsidizing those who actively oppose us. Pakistan has shown itself not to be America’s ally.” The amendment failed by a vote of 5-39: Republican members Rohrabacher, Manzullo, Royce, Poe, and Democrat member William Keating (D-MA) voted for the measure.
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) introduced another amendment that declared:
“None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or any amendment made by this Act may be used to provide assistance to Iraq unless the President certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that the Government of Iraq agrees to reimburse the United States Government fully for expenses incurred since March 19, 2003, to liberate Iraq and to provide security and reconstruction assistance to Iraq.
The amendment failed by a vote of 5-39: Republican members Rohrabacher, Royce, Poe, Duncan, and Democrat member Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) voted for the measure.
Title VIII – Miscellaneous Provisions, including Rights of Religious minorities in Egypt, assistance to the Palestinian Authority, and the Designation of and Assistance to the Muslim Brotherhood
Section 811 of the bill expresses Congressional concern “about the state of religious freedom in Egypt and the plight of religious minorities in the country, including Coptic Christians.” The section urges the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor to “dedicate all appropriate resources to promoting the rights of religious minorities in Egypt.” Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) introduced an amendment expressing the sense of Congress that the Administration should include the protection of Coptic Christians and respect for their human rights as a priority in diplomacy with the Government of Egypt. Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN) stressed that “no funds” should go to Egypt unless religious freedoms are recognized, including the significant economic and military assistance Egypt has received since the signing of the Camp David Accords in 1979. The amendment was agreed to by voice vote.
Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) introduced an amendment to limit assistance to the Palestinian Authority (PA) unless the President certifies the PA has “not unilaterally declared independence in 2011 or thereafter, are engaged in peace negotiations with the State of Israel, and are not pursuing recognition of Palestinian statehood at the United Nations.” The amendment allows for the President to waive the limitation on the basis of national security. Rep. Engel referred to the United Nations as a “kangaroo court” that is consistently against the interests of Israel. The amendment passed by a vote of 44-0.
Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) introduced an amendment demanding that the Secretary of State designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization. Duncan described the Muslim Brotherhood as a group that had been engaged in terrorist activities, such as the assassination of former President Anwar Sadat, and referenced sections of the charter of Hamas that includes quotes from Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna. He pointed to historical connections through the mujahideen in Afghanistan between the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda, and that money from the Muslim Brotherhood “occasionally went to al-Qaeda.” Rep. Berman said the Muslim Brotherhood has “despicable” anti-American and anti-Israeli views but that he was “unaware of any information in the past 25 years that links them to terrorist acts.” He urged Chairwoman Ros-Lehtinen to organize a classified briefing from defense officials to further investigate any claims of recent, documented terrorist activity. Berman argued that designating the group as a terrorist organization would help to “ensure the Muslim Brotherhood wins the next election in Egypt” as Congressional support to such a measure would be “worth five percentage points” in the election, and would “play right into their hands.” Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) agreed with Berman, saying it was okay to put the group on the “despicable list” but that it went too far to categorize the group as a terrorist organization without any evidence. Rep. Eni F.H. Faleomavaega (D-American Samoa) noted the “many positive things the Muslim Brotherhood does for the community” in Egypt, as well. In response to a comparison between Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, Berman stressed that Hamas has engaged in recent, documented acts of violence while the Muslim Brotherhood has not. Rep. Duncan agreed to withdraw his amendment pending a classified briefing from defense officials to investigate further claims of terrorist activity by the Muslim Brotherhood.
Rep. Ted Duncan (R-SC) also introduced an amendment to limit the Secretary of State from using “any funds available under this Act for direct or indirect assistance to the Muslim Brotherhood.” The amendment was agreed to by voice vote.
Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA) introduced an amendment to be considered en bloc for the promotion of the private sector in Egypt and Tunisia, commonly referred to as the “Enterprise Funds” for Egypt and Tunisia. This is the same bill introduced by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) as H.R. 2237, and a bill introduced by Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) as S.618. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) urged Rep. Berman to withdraw the amendment for a “fuller discussion” on the House floor that would be needed for the “serious and complex issues” associated with the funds, to which Berman agreed. In previous statements, Rep. Ros-Lehtinen has said, “we must keep in mind that the performance of such funds in Eastern Europe and South Africa has been mixed. If approved, I will seek to require a portion of the profits generated be returned to the U.S. Treasury.”
Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO) and Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ) introduced an amendment to direct the Secretary of State to “encourage exchanges between women legislators and civil society leaders in politics and decision-making processes” with a focus on, among other countries, Afghanistan, Iraq, and South Sudan. The goals of the exchanges include: “promote the advancement of women leaders in national parliaments and civil society” and “promote the human and civil rights of women.” The amendment was included in a larger block of amendments agreed to by voice vote.
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH) introduced an amendment to “strongly condemn the Government of Syria’s suppression of pro-democracy protests and its extensive and systematic violations of and denial of the human rights of the Syrian people” and encourage the implementation of the “full range” of U.S. sanctions against Syria to address the situation.
Chabot also introduced an amendment to direct the Secretary of State to “immediately engage with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” to resolve outstanding commercial claims first raised in a 1992 subcommittee hearing entitled, “Problems Confronting U.S. Businesspersons in Saudi Arabia.” Former Chairman Lee Hamilton (D-IN) had declared the purpose of the hearing to develop “a better, quicker and more fair dispute resolution mechanism […] to put the plight of several American companies higher on the bilateral agenda we have with Saudi Arabia.” Former Senator John Glenn (D-OH) had testified on Bucheit International, an engineering and construction firm:
“There simply are no effective and accessible judicial or administrative mechanisms which U.S. Businesses can use to resolve contractual claims against royal family members within Saudi Arabia. The problem is exacerbated when, as in the Bucheit case, the Saudi party to the dispute is a senior royal family member who refuses to cooperate in the dispute resolution proceedings spelled out in the contract.”
The Chabot amendment seems to especially focus on an unsettled commercial claim by Gibbs and Hill, Inc., resulting from a desalinization project built in Saudi in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Both of Chabot’s amendments were included in a larger block of amendments approved by voice vote.
Title IX – Security Assistance
In section 911 on the U.S. “Foreign Military Financing program,” Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO) introduced an amendment to withhold 25 percent of the funds available for the Foreign Military Financing Program in Iraq until the Secretary of State submits a plan “to manage large-scale contracts under the program and certifies to Congress that sufficient management and oversight practices are in place.” The amendment was included in a larger block of amendments agreed to by voice vote.
Section 924 recommends a provision to establish a $300 million, joint State Department and Defense Department “Global Security Contingency Fund” to “provide a pooled resources approach for responding to crises that require range of military assistance and other assistance in the security sector.” The fund would be used to “strengthen a foreign country’s national and regional security interests consistent with United States foreign policy” and would initially be established as a 3-year pilot program.
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) defended the increased certification requirements on U.S. security assistance to Pakistan, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, and Yemen “to ensure that such assistance is halted if it jeopardizes U.S. security interests or is benefiting or being manipulated by extremist groups.” Ros-Lehtinen said that her bill would put Islamabad on notice “that it is no longer business as usual” when it comes to the U.S.-Pakistan relationship. Berman countered, “I agree that we need to get tough with Pakistan on security assistance, but I fundamentally disagree with your approach on economic aid. The key to long-term stability in Pakistan, and the only way we’ll ever get Pakistan to change its behavior, is by strengthening its civilian institutions – not weakening them as this bill will do.”
Egypt
Section 951 prohibits security assistance to the Government of Egypt unless the President submits a report certifying that:
“(1) the Government of Egypt is not directly or indirectly controlled by a foreign terrorist organization, its affiliates or supporters; (2) the Government of Egypt is fully implementing the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty; and (3) the Government of Egypt is detecting and destroying the smuggling network and tunnels between Egypt and the Gaza strip.”
The President may waive the limitation on the basis of national security, while certifying compliance with end-use monitoring mechanisms and comprehensive anti-terrorism vetting procedures. This section also requires a report from the Secretary of State that requires, among other elements, a description of actions the Government of Egypt is taking to “adopt and implement legal reforms that protect the religious and democratic freedoms of all citizens and residents of Egypt.” Rep. Schwartz introduced an amendment to section 952(a)(4)(D), which describes the elements the Secretary of State must include in her report to Congress on actions of the Government of Egypt, to include “legal and political reforms.” The amendment was passed by voice vote. Section 953 of the bill defines the Government of Egypt as “any person, agent, instrumentality, or official of, is affiliated with, or is serving as a representative of the Government of Egypt.”
The language of the bill reflects previous statements of Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), who has called for “the unequivocal rejection of any involvement by the Muslim Brotherhood and other extremists who may seek to exploit and hijack these events to gain power.” She has indicated in previous hearings her view that “only responsible actors who meet certain basic standards participate in Egypt’s future;” the U.S. role was to facilitate a post-Mubarak transition and guard against the “nefarious” Muslim Brotherhood. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) also argued (before the fall of Mubarak) that with regard to the Muslim Brotherhood, the U.S. should look to the events of the 1979 Revolution in Iran to see what an Islamist party is capable of. Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH) has said the Muslim Brotherhood has openly declared its desire to “impose Shar’ia in Egypt” and the U.S. must prevent the Muslim Brotherhood from taking power, a sentiment echoed by Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) and Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (R-NY). After the fall of Mubarak, Rep. Ros-Lehtinen has also said the U.S. should:
“not rule out providing aid to Egypt if the Muslim Brotherhood is part of the government. The U.S. should only provide assistance to Egypt after we know that Egypt’s new government will not include the Muslim Brotherhood and will be democratic, pro-American, and committed to abiding by peace agreements with Israel.”
In contrast, Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA) has been more cautious, and argued (before the fall of Mubarak) that the U.S. “cannot choose Egypt’s future,” but should support an orderly process of change that supports relations with the U.S., democracy, human rights, a secular-oriented government and the Egypt-Israeli Peace Treaty.
Lebanon
Section 961 prohibits security assistance to the Government of Lebanon unless the President submits a report certifying that, among other elements, “no member of Hezbollah or any other a foreign terrorist organization serves in any policy position in a ministry, agency, or instrumentality of the Government of Lebanon” and the government of Lebanon is “is fully cooperating with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.” Similar to the conditions on Egypt, the President may waive the limitation on the basis of national security.
The language of the bill reflects previous statements of Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), who has openly questioned whether a Hezbollah-dominated government would “qualify Lebanon as a state sponsor of terrorism” and how that might affect the administration’s position on aid to Lebanon. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY) has called for the suspension of all assistance programs to Lebanon until there is “clear evidence that Beirut is free of foreign influence.”
Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA) introduced an amendment to replace sections 961-964 on limitation of security assistance to Lebanon, with language from the Hezbollah Anti-Terrorism Act (HATA) H.R.2215. He described the amendment as “a better way” to distinguish between pro-American and anti-American groups in Lebanon, rather than punishing the country as a whole. He cited support from Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), who described HATA as the best tool which “surgically targets” the cancer of Hezbollah. Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH) questioned the “cost-effectiveness” of U.S. assistance to Lebanon to both pro-American and anti-American governments, as Lebanon refuses to publicly disclose its national budget. The amendment failed by a vote of 22-22; Republican members Dan Burton (R-IN) and Elton Gallegly (R-CA) broke ranks with the majority to support the measure.
Palestinian Authority
Section 971 prohibits security assistance to the Palestinian Authority unless the President submits a report certifying that, among other elements, “no member of Hamas or any other foreign terrorist organization serves in any policy position in a ministry, agency, or instrumentality of the Palestinian Authority.” Similar to the conditions on Egypt, the President may waive the limitation on the basis of national security. Section 973 of the bill defines the Palestinian Authority as “any agency or instrumentality of the Palestinian Authority, including any entity that is controlled by the Palestinian Authority, or any successor Palestinian governing entity, including the Palestinian Legislative Council.”
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) has previously called for “a pledge from the President to cut off U.S. funding to a Palestinian Authority now aligned with Hamas.” Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) have also questioned continued aid to Palestine given their failure to “enter substantive negotiations in the last two years” and pursuit of statehood at the United Nations.
Yemen
Section 991 prohibits security assistance to the Government of Yemen unless the President submits a report certifying that, among other elements,
“no ministry, agency, or instrumentality of the Government of Yemen is controlled by a foreign terrorist organization or is directly or indirectly affiliated with a foreign terrorist organization; (2) no member of a foreign terrorist organization serves in any policy position in a ministry, agency, or instrumentality of the Government of Yemen; […] (5) the Government of Yemen is not complicit in human rights abuses.”
Similar to the conditions on Egypt, the President may waive the limitation on the basis of national security.
End of bill amendments
Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) introduced an amendment to ensure “standing for fundamental freedoms and against human rights abuse abroad” should be given equal attention to the economic and political factors in U.S. bilateral relationships, with particular attention to religious and sexual minorities. The amendment was agreed to by voice vote.
Nearly two dozen political parties, coalitions and movements released a joint statement that condemned the attacks on the Abbasiya March on July 23, calling it the “Second Battle of the Camel.” The original Battle of the Camel took place on February 2 when “anti-government thugs” rode camels and attacked the protesters in Tahrir Square. The statement said that the organizations “strongly condemn the attacks on the peaceful march which started from Tahrir Square toward the ministry of defense to submit their demands to the Supreme Council of Armed Forces.” In addition, it said that these attacks occurred without “any interference” from military police or national security, which raises suspicion on how involved security forces are in the attacks. The statement also called on all specific parties in Egypt, including the ruling military council and government of Prime Minister Essam Sharaf to “accept their share of accountability for these crimes which will not be forgiven by history and not forgotten by the Egyptian people.”
Former Chief of Arab League and presidential Amr Moussa called on Sharaf to investigate the violent clashes that took place on Saturday.
Egyptian presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei released a statement on Sunday encouraging the government and ruling military council to prevent violence against peaceful protests.
Health Minister Amr Helmy denied that a protester died from his wounds during the clashes in Abbasseya Square. Adel al-Adawy, the deputy health minister, said that currently, the total number of injured protesters is at 309. According to al-Adawy 208 were treated on the top, 101 injured were transferred to hospitals and thus far, 84 patients have been released from the hospitals.
Many activists are concerned that former President Hosni Mubarak’s trial will be postponed. According to activists, “setting the trial date was just an element of political theater, part of the ritual of superficial concessions that the military-led transitional government has made after each big new demonstration in Tahrir Square.” Activists are already planning protests in response to Mubarak’s potentially postponed trial. Mubarak’s trial is in ten days.
“The signs show that there is no intention to try him,” said Mahmoud el-Khodeiry, a former senior judge who participated in a mock trial of Mubarak in the square.
Alternatively, former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly’s trial will be broadcasted live on Monday. He is facing charges of murder of pro-democracy protesters during Egypt’s January 25 revolution.
About 1.2 million Syrians staged an anti-government protest on Friday where at least 11 people were gunned down by government troops, human rights groups reported on Saturday. Human rights groups also said that security forces used tanks and gunfire in Damascus and other cities on protesters. President Bashar al-Assad has denied access to almost all foreign journalists and according to activists, communication was completely cut in Syria on Friday.
In the city of Hom, 100 miles form Damascus, at least five people were killed by security forces who were reported to have used tear gas and tanks. Six deaths were reported in two Damascus suburbs. Additionally, a twelve year old boy watching the peaceful demonstrators outside his home on July 15 was targeted by security forces and shot in the head.
On Saturday, a passenger train derailed and caught fire in central Syria, killing the driver and injuring about 14 passengers. According to Syrian officials, the train derailed because “saboteurs” tore out part of the tracks. Authorities used the accident to blame the uprisings against Assad claiming that gunmen and criminals were taking advantage of the demonstrations to engage in violence against innocent people.
Lee Smith argues that it is unlikely Assad maintain much of his power through Ramadan, which begins the first week of August. He writes, “Maybe Assad will survive Ramadan. But it is unlikely he can outlast an opposition that shows few signs of fatigue or fear after almost five months of rebellion.”
UPDATE: According to activists, the Syrian army took control of several neighborhoods in Homs on Sunday while security forces increased arrests near Damascus.
UPDATE: President Bashar al-Assad replaced the governor of the eastern tribal province of Deir al-Zor on Sunday after the biggest protests were held denouncing Assad’s presidency.