On Wednesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, held a hearing entitled “Axis of Abuse: U.S. Human Rights Policy toward Iran and Syria, Part 1.”  Congressman Steve Chabot (R-OH) chairs the committee with Congressman Gary Ackerman (D-NY).  Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman and Assistant Secretary of State of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and ...

On Saturday, Bahraini protesters stood in solidarity with the female detainees despite the attacks from security forces.  Protester Hassan AlEskafi was shot in the head during the protests.  AlEskafi was taken to a clinic set up by Doctors without Borders  however, security forces stormed the clinic and arrested the man running the clinic, Saeed Ayyad, and also took AlEskafi's body. On Friday, the biggest demonstration since March was held where protesters ...

Tribal leaders announced on Saturday the creation of a coalition to further emphasize their demands for President Ali Abdullah Saleh's removal.  According to the statement, the coalition's purpose is "to protect and defend... the popular and peaceful revolution" of youths who since January have been holding sit-ins or protesting across Yemen against Saleh's rule.  Any aggression or threat against the (protest) venues... will be considered an attack against the tribes." The "Alliance ...

A group of 26 political parties and movements announced that they will temporarily terminate their sit-ins in Tahrir Square during Ramadan, emphasizing that they will return once the month is over.  They released a joint statement on Sunday that said they will use "diverse methods to put pressure towards achieving the rest of the goals of the revolution, starting with the demands of the families of the martyrs and the ...

Nearly 121 people have been killed in Syria as a result of the military crackdown on protesters and 95 individuals were killed in Hama on Sunday as Syrian tanks stormed the city.  Security forces also used machine-guns.  Reports were made that the city of Badr, al-Horani and Hikmeh hospitals had received 19 people, three and two of the bodies were dead.  There were high numbers of wounded people and a ...

On Friday, Turkey attempted to downplay the crisis caused by the resignations of it's top military officials and staff, by naming the military police chief as the acting chief-of-staff and the commander of land forces. Soner Cagaptay argues that the military is making an effort to show the AKP that it is on its own and that Turkey has two options in it's effort to respond well to the crisis: either operate ...

A senior Libyan opposition figure admitted that rebel soldiers were responsible for the senior army commander, General Abdel Fatah Younis, who was shot down on Thursday.  According to the transitional government's oil minister, Younis was killed by Islamist militia that were linked to anti-Gadhafi forces.  His assassination sprouts fears of future unrest and instability, and further raises doubts over whether the British government's decision last week to officially recognize the ...

Thousands of protesters gathered in downtown Cairo on Friday in one of the largest Islamist demonstrations, which was an effort to show political unity among Muslim groups.  Islamist groups participating in the demonstration called for the establishment of Islamic law in Egypt and protested against secularist politicians that have been working to prevent them from participating in the drafting of the new constitution.  Protesters chanted, “The people want to implement ...

According to Syrian officials, the month of Ramadan, which ends August 29, is expected to include an increase in protests in Syria.  Protesters are waiting for official start of Ramadan to call for President Bashar al-Assad's overthrow.  On Friday, protesters were chanting, "Our God, help us to fast and pray... and topple the regime." On Friday, the Syrian government reported that an oil pipeline had been hit by a bomb by ...

According to officials, clashes between government forces and militants have killed at least 16 people and injured many on Saturday.  Government troops fought with tribes outside the capital in Sanaa and other surrounding cities both on Friday and Saturday.  The clashes between government troops and militants have increased before the start of Ramadan. Government airstrikes against Islamist militants accidentally killed 14 pro-government tribesman in southern Yemen east in the town of Zinjibar, ...

Last week, Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA), with Congressmen Walter Jones (D-NC), John Conyers (D-MI), and Keith Ellison (D-MN) introduced H.R.2643, the Medical Neutrality Protection Act "to provide for medical neutrality and to establish accountability for violationsof the principle of medical neutrality, and for other purposes" partly in response to the recent targeting of medical personnel in the Arab Spring uprisings. This bill will require the Secretary of State to maintain, at least annually, a ...

The Washington Institute released a report today detailing the mass resignation of Turkey's Chief of Staff, General Isik Kosaner and force commanders. The Turkish military is the second largest force in NATO, and is reportedly 'snapping' under the pressure of the ruling AKP party. Soner Cagaptay writes that "the military and the AKP never saw eye-to-eye on many issues, the most important of which was the firewall between religion, piety ...

On Friday, tens-of-thousands of people protested in Cairo's Tahrir Square in a day some are calling "The Friday of Unity and the People's Will." These protests are designed to show a united front and united demands to the country's leadership. Some of the demands are: "ending military trials for civilians, seeking justice for families of those killed during the revolution, raising the minimum wage, and ensuring quick trials for former government officials." The ...

On Thursday, the Center for International Private Enterprise and Charney Research released the 2011 Iraqi Business Survey "Iraqi Business Attitudes on the Economy,  Government, and Business Organizations." The survey provides insight into the current business environment in Iraq and highlights positive trends in Iraqi business owners’ perceptions of the overall economy and future growth, attitudes towards the value of business associations, and underscores the costs of corruption in Iraq.

Gunfire exploded after Friday morning prayers in the southern city of Deraa, where tens of thousands took to the streets in protest. One witness commented, " are firing at demonstrators in alleyways and people are running for cover." Tear gas was also dispersed into crowds of protesters, al-Jazeera reports. No casualties or injuries have been reported. Additionally, Syrian security forces carried out an arrest sweep overnight in the Damascus suburb of Qatana. Activists ...

CNN reported that the new leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahri',  has slammed the Syrian president, calling Bashar al-Assad "the leader of criminal gangs, the protector of traitors," and has commended the efforts on behalf of the protesters. Al-Zawahri' claimed that the protesters were 'examples' who 'explained lessons to the Syrian nation in sacrifice, steadfastness and struggle'. However, most young protesters are concerned with securing greater freedoms from dictatorial regimes. In the video he ...

Reuters reported that today Yemeni security forces fired upon a group of protesters in the southern city of Taiz. Also, there were clashes between tribesmen and army troops outside the capital of Sanaa. Central security forces rained fire upon a square in Taiz where many protesters have been camped out and demonstrating for months. "The attack began after a group of protesters marched outside of the sit-in area into the streets," the ...