POMED Notes: “A Reawakened Rivalry: the GCC vs. Iran”
On Friday, the Middle East Policy Council hosted an event entitled "A Reawakened Rivalry: the GCC vs. Iran." The panel was moderated by Omar Kader, Chairman of the board at the Middle East Policy Council, and featured Thomas Lippman, former reporter, editor, and Middle East correspondent at the Washington Post, Thomas R. Mattair, executive director at the Middle East Policy Council, and Alex Vatanka, a scholar at the Middle East ...
October 10, 2011
Category: Bahrain, Events, Gulf, Gulf Cooperation Council, Iran, Iraq, Political transition, Saudi Arabia, US foreign policy
POMED Notes: “NIAC Policy Briefing on the Impact of Sanctions on Iran, the U.S., and the Global Economy”
Today NIAC held a policy briefing at the House of Representatives to discuss the impact of sanction on Iran and their potential repercussions for both the United States and the world economy. Barbara Slavin, a senior fellow at The Atlantic Council specializing in Iran moderated the discussion. The panel consisted of three participants, including: Bijan Khajehpour, chairman and co-founder of the Atieh Group of Companies, Robert Pape, political scientist and ...
October 6, 2011
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Category: Democracy Promotion, Event Notes, Freedom, Government, Iran, POMED, sanctions
CFR Launches Online Interactive Iran “Crisis Guide”
The Council on Foreign Relations launched a new online interactive "Crisis Guide" to Iran. The portal features a timeline of Iranian history, traces its "evolution as an Islamic republic," and outlines "the controversial nuclear program." The resource also offers information on Iran's role in the region as well as internal dynamics. Finally, the Crisis Guide presents multimedia illustrations of policy options, including sanctions, opposition support, public diplomacy, covert action, and ...
Iran: Activist for Religious Minorities Faces New Charge
Abdolfatah Soltan, a prominent Iranian lawyer who was arrested September 10th, is reportedly facing a new charge for accepting the Nuremberg International Human Rights Award in 2009, which the government deemed "unlawful." Soltan has represented a number of well-known Iranian political ...
September 27, 2011
Category: Bahrain, Diplomacy, Featured, Freedom, Government, Human Rights, Iran, Multilateralism, Political transition
Iran: Mousavi Likens Circumstances to “Hostage” Situation
Green Movement leader Mir Hossein Mousavi likened his house arrest to a hostage situation, comparing his circumstances to those found in Gabriel Marcia Marquez’s book, News of a Kidnapping. Mousavi made the analogy during a brief and heavily guarded ...
September 27, 2011
Category: Civil Society, Featured, Freedom, Government, Iran, Media, Political transition, Reform
POMED Notes: “Axis of Abuse: U.S. Human Rights Policy toward Iran and Syria, Part II”
On Thursday, the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia held a hearing about U.S. approaches to human rights policy in Syria and Iran. The panel included Michael Singh of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Mehdi Khalaji, a Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Alireza Nader of the RAND Corporation, Tony Badran, a Research Fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, ...
September 23, 2011
Category: Event Notes, Events, Government, Human Rights, Iran, Political transition, Syria, US foreign policy, US politics
Q&A: “Rivals: Iran vs. Saudi Arabia”
In a question and answer session with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Middle East Program, Christopher Boucek and Karim Sadjadpour discussed what they called a proxy war between the region's two major players: Saudi Arabia and Iran. Boucek ...
Analysis: Focus on “Iran’s Record of Abuse”
Writing in the Huffington Post, Hadi Ghaemi, the Executive Director of the International Campaign for Human Rights, asks for the U.S. to "challenge Iran's record of abuse and to support the Iranian people's aspirations for rule of law, democratic ...
“Release of U.S. Hikers in Iran Delayed”
The release of the two jailed American hikers in Iran,Shane Bauer and Joshua Fattal, was delayed Sunday because one of the judges was on vacation. The lawyer, Masoud Shafiei, said "when he attempted to get the two signatures required for the ...
State Dept. Releases International Religious Freedom Reports
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton introduced the State Department's annual International Religious Freedom Report, stating that "it is our core conviction that religious tolerance is one of the essential elements not only of a sustainable democracy but of ...
September 16, 2011
Category: Algeria, Bahrain, Civil Society, Egypt, Freedom, Iran, Iraq, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, US politics
Oman to Be “Honest Broker” in Hiker Negotiations
As the U.S. seeks to free the last two hikers held in Iran, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, Oman has assumed the role as the "honest broker" between the two countries. After playing a role in releasing American hiker Sarah Shourd in ...
September 16, 2011
Category: Featured, Human Rights, International Law, Iran, Iraq, Multilateralism, Oman
Iran: Opposition Journalist Faces “Inhumane Treatment”
According to Radio Farda, the family of jailed Iranian journalist Isa Saharkhiz, a member of the central council of the Association for the Defense of Press Freedom, wrote to Iran's judiciary chief to complain that he is being ...
September 15, 2011
Category: Featured, Human Rights, International Law, Iran, Reform, US foreign policy, US politics
Kirk: “Standing for Human Rights” in the Senate
Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) published the first edition of his newsletter entitled "Standing for Human Rights," in which he outlines his efforts, through various programs and legislation, to champion human rights through the United States Senate. Among his initiatives ...
September 15, 2011
Category: Congress, Democracy Promotion, Featured, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Iraq, Legislation, sanctions, Syria, US foreign policy, US politics
Rubio: America Must Champion Democracy Abroad
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations delivered a speech Tuesday at the Jesse Helms' Center emphasizing the need for America to "champion the cause of freedom—not only with the power of our example but also ...
September 14, 2011
Category: Bahrain, Congress, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Iran, Libya, Military, Reform, Syria, US foreign policy
POMED Notes: “The Arab Uprisings and the United Nations”
On Tuesday, the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) and the National Security Network (NSN) hosted a panel discussion with Dr. James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, Geneive Abdo, fellow at the Century Foundation and the National Security Network, and Ted Piccone, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. The event was moderated by Heather Hurlburt, executive director at NSN, with a welcome by Stephen McInerney, executive director ...
September 14, 2011
Category: Bahrain, Egypt, Events, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, Iran, Israel, Political transition, Reform, Syria, United Nations, US foreign policy
Syria: U.S. Amb. Ford Discusses Policy on Facebook
As violence rages in Syria, U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford has utilized his personal Facebook page to communicate with fellow users critical of U.S. policy in the country. Critics note that Ford's freedom in expressing his views on behalf of ...
September 9, 2011
Category: Featured, Iran, Political transition, Syria, US foreign policy, US politics
Iran: Ahmadinejad Urges Assad to End Violence
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad adjured Bashar al-Assad to end his violent response to Syrian unrest and open talks with the opposition. Ahmadinejad stated "a military solution is never the right solution," and added that "other countries in the ...
September 9, 2011
Category: Featured, Freedom, Government, Iran, Political transition, Protests, Syria