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Showing posts with the label New Middle East

Israel Spring and Middle East's Order: The geopolitics of Democracy and Peace

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Islamic Jihad's only success was cancelling the week 19 Tel Aviv pro-democracy demonstrations. Just add democracy before the resistance axis and you will discover the real war in the Middle East. Seemingly, democracy has to win here to prevail in the Middle East. Only democracy and dignity will achieve peace in the region, which is one region and will always be. So, it is one war with multiple battles. The war for democracy and freedom is pertaining to human dignity, so it can never be sectarian, ethnic or divisive. Rather, it is unifying, pluralistic, philanthropic and pacifying struggle. So, let us unify and pacify our Middle East with democracy, freedom and human rights, and let us start from a real democratic Israel.  Here are my explanatory comments: - Abolishing the judiciary's independence in Israel will put it under government's authority and eventually will turn it into a part of the executive authority, and this will definitely destroy Isra

Syria in Reality: Iran's Power and Israel's Policy

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  Israel army chief has made a statement about his country's achievements in preventing "Hizbollah 2" project in Syria. Apart from the motives behind this misleading or self-deluded statement, there are key facts should be stated and clarified concerning Iran, Israel and Syria's war and crisis.  - Iran is the most powerful actor in the regime-held part of Syria in terms of military and economic resources and associated parties. Territories deemed vital for Iran in there are under direct and explicit control of Iran, especially the region that extends from Qalamoon to Deir ezzor.   - Iran invested in a complex infrastructure in Syria consisting of military forces, paramilitary militias, economic networks, military and security personnel, and religious and social institutions. - Iran is working to strengthen its on-ground presence in SDF-held region and even in factions and Turkish-controlled areas. - Iran has a real presence and influence in the southern Syria neighbo

The Middle East is Heading East: Ending the Western Era?

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This may be the beginning of the end for the West's supremacy in the Middle East, especially for the United States. It is actually the harvest season for what the US policies has planted in the region, in particular the #Obama administrations' policies. We can't understand the current developments in the Middle East without getting back to Obama's policies there. Obama was the ultimate sponsor of the region's terror organizations, especially #ISIS and #al-Qaeda, which controlled northern Iraq and the most of Syria during his terms, and in the same time he was also the ultimate supporter of the Iranian regime, which controlled four Arab countries and Gaza strip as they publicly claim. #Biden administration is staying the course of course. Now we know that this is a natural policies of the US #Democrats and expect these results from Democratic administrations by default. In general, they betray their values and norms, particularly the liberal democracy and human right
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After so many years, and with much excitement, the Middle East Policy is back. I will resume posting to the renovated weblog by the end of year. It is definitely a new Middle East with much of chaos, violence and authoritarian abuse. My advocated values-based Neo-Internationalism has been overrun by standard pragmatic and opportunistic national interests by the Western states, especially after their Libya and Syria policies, which resulted in the death of the 'Responsibility to Protect' (R2P) once promising international norm, and in more chaotic international order and security. 

Press Release: New Book by Nassim Yaziji

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Change and Democracy in the Middle East: Middle Eastern Researcher Defends the New Middle East Aleppo ― March 25, 2009 ― In one basic center of the old Middle East, Nassim Yaziji the Syrian researcher specialized in international relations and the Middle East defends and advocates, through a new book, the new Middle East with an empirical, realistic and modern perspective, originated in and from the Middle East itself. His research on the Middle East and international Middle East policies has contributed to producing a significant and unique book. Mr. Yaziji's second book " In Defense of the New Middle East: A Neo-Internationalist Perspective " has been published, advocating the new Middle East as a domestic and international necessity through the due change and democracy, and explaining this change through the Middle East's key realities and political developments the book analyzes. This 264-page book includes more than 100 articles classified into several themes

Lebanon Gains Recognition from Syria Formalizing Independence

Lebanon and Syria formally reached an agreement to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries for the first time since independence. Finally, Lebanon could formally gain the recognition of its existence as an independent sovereign country from Syria for the first time in Lebanon's history. This, actually, constitutes a historic moment for Lebanon. From the beginning of independence, Syria considered many parts of Lebanon as deducted parts of its territory, not to mention the Lebanese suspicion that Syria does not recognize Lebanon as independent country, and intends to 'regain' its authority over it. In this regard, Lebanon always cites the absence of diplomatic relations between the two countries since independence as an indicator of this thinking. Furthermore, the Syrian military presence in Lebanon for about 30 years during and after the Lebanese civil war, including about 15 years of Syrian regime's dominance over Lebanon after the Gulf War II and foll

Registrar of Special Tribunal for Lebanon Begins Duty

First official of UN-backed tribunal on Lebanese killings starts work 29 April 2008 – The first official of the United Nations-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon to take up his functions, the registrar Robin Vincent, began his duties yesterday as the court continues to make progress in its start-up phase. In a statement issued today by his spokesperson, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that Mr. Vincent will work closely with the Special Tribunal’s management committee and with the UN Secretariat to take the necessary steps to formally establish the court, in line with Security Council resolution 1757 from last year. “He will initially concentrate his activities on preparing the premises of the Tribunal, coordinating the transition between the International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC) and the Tribunal, recruiting core staff, and finalizing the Tribunal’s budget,” the statement added. The Council asked Mr. Ban last year to set up the court after Lebanese Prime Minister

Special Tribunal for Lebanon Is Ready ― UN Report

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(Picture: the building of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague) International tribunal for Lebanon killings reaches start-up phase – UN report 18 March 2008 – The international tribunal being set up to try those responsible for political killings in Lebanon, particularly the 2005 attack that killed former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, has moved into its start-up phase, according to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. All actions relating to the tribunal’s preparatory phase have been undertaken, including the signing an agreement with the Netherlands to host the proceedings and the identification of premises there, Mr. Ban says in his latest report to the Security Council, which details the steps taken since he was authorized to establish the Special Tribunal for Lebanon by a Council resolution last year. The selection of the judges, the prosecutor and the registrar has also been completed and a draft budget will be submitted soon to the tribunal’s management committee. In regard to

Operation Iraqi Freedom and the New Middle East

In honor of this occasion, when the wind of change began blowing in the Middle East and when the long aspiration for freedom and dignity started its path into reality despite all huge sacrifices and costs in Iraq, I am reposting excerpts from my previous article, " Iraq Victory: Middle East Salvation, International necessity" , which tries to change the approach of perceiving the Operation Iraqi Freedom through a realistic perspective based on international and regional facts and goals. IRAQ VICTORY: MIDDLE EAST SALVATION, INTERNATIONAL NECESSITY By Nassim Yaziji The U.S. will not abandon Iraq. To me, it means that the U.S. will not abandon the Middle East. Abandoning Iraq means abandoning the new Middle East, a moderate, stable, civilized, modern and prosperous Middle East, and the nascent Middle East democratization movement, for Iranian regime's Islamic Middle East dominated by the Middle East totalitarian axis consisting of Syria's Baath, Hezbullah, Hamas and led

Registrar of Special Tribunal for Lebanon Is Appointed, Tribunal Is Ready

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(Picture: the building of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague) Ban Ki-moon names top official for Lebanon tribunal 11 March 2008 – A veteran of numerous international court proceedings has been appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as the Registrar of the tribunal being set up to try those responsible for political killings in Lebanon, particularly the 2005 attack that killed former prime minister Rafiq Hariri. Robin Vincent of the United Kingdom will start his duties on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon at a date yet to be determined, but “the appointment of the Registrar reflects the steady progress being accomplished in establishing the Special Tribunal for Lebanon,” according to a statement issued by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson. From 2002 to 2005, Mr. Vincent served as Registrar of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL). Since then, he has served as the temporary Deputy Registrar of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and

Special Tribunal for Lebanon Gets Base, Judges

UN, Netherlands sign accord to base Lebanon Special Tribunal in The Hague UN News 21 December 2007 – The United Nations and the Netherlands today signed an agreement to base in The Hague the court to judge recent assassinations in Lebanon, including that of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. The Headquarters Agreement for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon was signed in New York by UN Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Larry D. Johnson and Dutch Ambassador Frank Majoor. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has already accepted the recommendations of the selection panel on judges for the Tribunal and will announce the names “at an appropriate time in the future,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said in a statement [see below]. According to the Tribunal’s statute, the chambers will consist of one international pre-trial judge; three judges to serve in the trial chamber (one Lebanese and two international); five judges to serve in the appeals chamber (two Lebanese and three internatio

UN Report on the Establishment of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon

Report of the Secretary-General submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 1757 (2007) of 30 May 2007 4 Sebtember 2007 I. Introduction 1. The present report is submitted pursuant to paragraph 3 of resolution 1757 (2007) of 30 May 2007, by which the Security Council requested me to undertake, in coordination, when appropriate, with the Government of Lebanon, the steps and measures necessary to establish the Special Tribunal in a timely manner and to report to the Council on the implementation of the resolution within 90 days of its adoption and periodically thereafter. 2. By resolution 1757 (2007), the Security Council decided, acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, that the provisions of the document annexed thereto (the “Annex”) on the establishment of the Special Tribunal, including the statute attached thereto (the “Statute”), would enter into force on 10 June 2007, unless the Government of Lebanon had notified the United Nations in writing that the le