Amnesty International released (Arabic) its annual report charting the surge in executions carried out internationally in 2011. According to Foreign Policy, a surge in executions can be attributed to the Middle East, which saw a 50% in confirmed executions for the year 2011, bringing the total number to 558. Iraq saw an estimated 68 executions, Saudi realized 82 deaths, and Iran, the top-placer in the report, saw 360. The U.S. ...

On Thursday, the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University hosted the second panel of its two-day annual symposium “The People want the fall of the Regime: The Arab Uprisings and the future of Arab Politics.” The panel featured Mohammed Bamyeh, professor of Sociology at the University of Pittsburgh, and Asli Bali, professor of international law at the University of California Los Angeles. Osama Abi-Mershed of Georgetown University chaired ...

On Wednesday, the U.N. Security Council put aside its differences, agreeing on a draft resolution that demands Syria immediately implement Kofi Annan’s proposed six-point plan. The statement from the president, which carries less weight than an official resolution, gave a “veiled warning of future international action.” The Security Council statement urged the Syrian government and opposition to work in good faith with Annan towards a peaceful settlement of the Syrian crisis and to implement ...

On Monday, the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings hosted a discussion on U.S. policy options in Syria. Panelists included Senior Fellow Daniel Byman, director of research for the Saban Center For Middle East Policy; Senior Fellow Michael Doran; Senior Fellow Kenneth Pollack; and Fellow Salman Shaikh, director of the Brookings Doha Center who appeared live from Doha Via video feed. Senior Fellow Tamara Cofman Wittes moderated the ...

Dimi Reider wrote an entry in a series of posts in the New York Review of Books blog concerning the fate of democracy in Israel. The article discusses several legislative proposals, some passed and some pending ratification that are largely in opposition to basic democratic principles including freedom of assembly, speech, asylum, association and the right to an independent judiciary. Reider lists examples of such laws including a new amendment to a 50-year-old law targeting ...

According to a copy of a speech from the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, John McCain (R-AZ) has become the first U.S. senator to openly call for U.S.-led air strikes to halt the violence committed by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The ultimate goal of the strikes, says McCain, would be to “establish and defend safe havens in Syria,” in order to create “safe-zones”  where opposition forces “can organize and plan their ...

On Friday, Human Rights Watch published an article condemning the U.A.E.'s recent action of expelling Syrian nationals that participated in a protest outside of the Syrian Consulate in the emirate of Dubai. After participating in a peaceful protest, Emirati authorities made a decision to cancel the residency permits of dozens of Syrians living in the Emirates. "The U.A.E calls on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to respect the right of peaceful protesters, ...

On Monday, Arab League Chief, Nabil Al Araby told reporters that former U.N. Chief, and current U.N.-Arab League Envoy, Kofi Annan will head to Damascus attempting to engage in face-to-face talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Nasser Al-Qudwa, Palestinian foreign minister and representative to the Arab League will accompany Annan. Details of his mission have not been revealed, but Annan will attempt to “ease the path” to political dialogue. “The first ...

On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the Mujahidin-e Khalq’s (MEK) removal from the U.S. terrorism blacklist would be contingent on the group helping close its camp in Ashraf. Also known as the People’s Mujahedeen Organization of Iran (PMOI), the MEK’s activities surfaced in the 1970’s as they carried out military operations against the U.S. –backed Shah of Iran and U.S. targets.  According to Reuters, the groups “is no longer welcome,” as ...

On Wednesday, Israeli soldiers raided two Palestinian news stations in the occupied West Bank seizing transmitters the military said were “interfering with air traffic communications.” Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad visited Watan TV, one of the raided TV stations, called the Israeli offensive “oppressive and monstrous” and “violated all international laws.” Spokesman for the Palestinian Authority Ghassan Khatib stated that the Palestinian communications ministry determined that they had complied with ...

Israel agreed to release alleged Islamic Jihad operative Khader Adnan who, at the onset of  his detention, began a hunger strike that he continued for 66 days--the longest hunger strike in Palestinian prisoner history. Adnan's legal representation reported that he had agreed to end the hunger strike after reaching an agreement with Israeli authorities guaranteeing his release in April, should "no new additional substantial evidence" emerge against him. Adnan, a baker by profession, is alleged to be ...

On Tuesday, The American University International Law Review hosted a symposium discussing “The Impact of the Arab Spring throughout the Middle East and Northern Africa: Building the Rule of Law and the Role of the International Community in Domestic Conflicts.” The fourth of a series of five consecutive panels addressed legal reforms and democratization in the wake of the Arab Spring. The panel featured Simon Adams, executive director of the ...

On Tuesday, The American University International Law Review hosted a symposium discussing “The Impact of the Arab Spring Throughout The Middle East and Northern Africa: Building the Rule of Law and the Role of the International Community in Domestic Conflicts.” The fourth of a series of five consecutive panels addressed legal reforms and democratization in the wake of the Arab Spring. The panel featured Rosa Brooks, professor at Georgetown University ...

On Tuesday, the American University International Law Review hosted a symposium discussing “The Impact of the Arab Spring throughout the Middle East and Northern Africa: Building the Rule of Law and the Role of the International Community in Domestic Conflicts.” The first of a series of five consecutive panels addressed the social and legal origins of the Arab Spring. The panel featured Jonathan Brown, assistant professor at Georgetown University, Stephen ...

On Wednesday, Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) introduced S.2058 barring companies "who engage in business or trading activity with Iran from buying oil from America's Strategic Petroleum Reserve." The "Iran Certification and Reporting Bill," co-sponsored by 16 other senators, was introduced in an attempt to "close loopholes, increase transparency, and improve effectiveness" of current sanctions. In order to take effect, the bill needs to be passed by the full Senate, incorporated with the existing legislation ...

In defiance of an international effort to end the violence which has continued to ravage Syria for 11 months, Rosoboronexport, the Russian state arms trader has reportedly contracted to sell Syrian Authorities 36 Yak-130 fighter jets. The Yak-130 is a "twin-engined combat trainer jet that can also be used to attack ground targets." If true, Russia would be entrenching it's position against the desires international community by defying a E.U. embargo ...