Middle East Policy

Muslim-American Scholars Issue Fatwa Condemning Terrorism Dozens of Muslim-American organizations endorse the ruling By David Shelby Washington File Staff Writer Washington – A group of top Muslim-American scholars issued a fatwa, or religious ruling, July 28 condemning all acts of terrorism and religious extremism as being fundamentally un-Islamic. Reading the text of the fatwa at a press conference, Chairman of the Fiqh Council of North America Muzammil Siddiqi said, “Islam strictly condemns religious extremism and the use of violence against innocent lives. There is no justification in Islam for extremism or terrorism. Targeting civilians’ life and property through suicide bombings or any other method of attack is haram – or forbidden – and those who commit these barbaric acts are criminals, not ‘martyrs.’” The Fiqh Council is a body of 18 Muslim scholars who have been trained in Islamic jurisprudence and are deemed qualified to interpret Islamic law as it is revealed in the Quran

Iraqi Leaders From Babil Province Meet with President Bush Delegation visits U.S. to study methods of local governance Washington -- President Bush welcomed a delegation of Iraqi leaders from Babil province to the White House July 26 as part of the officials’ visit to the United States to study the operation of state and local governments. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said the visit was organized by Representative Chris Cannon (Republican from Utah) and University of Utah professor emeritus James Mayfield. Speaking to the press July 26, McClellan said that during their meeting with the president, Bush “talked to them about his strong belief in freedom and how free societies are peaceful societies and how free societies are committed to the betterment of the people in those societies.” According to press reports and information provided by the office of Representative Cannon, the Iraqi delegation was led by the chairman of the Babil Provincial Council and included the Bab

Israeli Withdrawal from Gaza Wolfensohn Reviews Gaza Development Plans after Israeli Withdrawal Special envoy tells Congress early progress essential to peace process By Phillip KurataWashington File Special Correspondent Washington -- James Wolfensohn, the special envoy of the international community to facilitate the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and four settlements in the northern West Bank, says the six months following the Israeli evacuation will be crucial in laying a foundation for future success in the peace process. Wolfensohn testified before the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs of the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives July 26. "It is absolutely essential that the Palestinians see that after the withdrawal there is a difference in their lives," he said. Israel is planning to start evacuating 8,000 settlers from Gaza and four settlements in the northern West Bank in mid-August. The operation is expecte

Officials Report to Congress on Funding for Iraqi Insurgents Assessments, views from Defense Intelligence Agency, Treasury, Defense By Phillip Kurata Washington File Special Correspondent Washington -- A senior U.S. intelligence officer says that some terrorist and insurgent groups in Iraq have enough financing to continue "indefinitely" their current level of anti-Coalition violence. Caleb Temple, senior intelligence officer of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), presented his assessment of the Iraqi insurgency's financial resources in testimony July 28 before a joint congressional panel consisting of members of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities and the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Temple added that groups linked to the former regime of Saddam Hussein control enough assets to finance increased levels of insurgent violence. "We believe terrorist and insurgent expens

Report: Suicide Bombs Potent Tools of Terrorists Deadly Attacks Have Been Increasing and Spreading Since Sept. 11, 2001 Washington Post By Dan Eggen and Scott Wilson Washington Post Staff Writers Sunday, July 17, 2005; Unheard of only a few decades ago, suicide bombings have rapidly evolved into perhaps the most common method of terrorism in the world, moving west from the civil war in Sri Lanka in the 1980s to the Palestinian intifada of recent years to Iraq today. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, suicide attacks in the United States, suicide bombers have struck from Indonesia to India, from Russia to Morocco. Now governments throughout the West -- including the United States -- are bracing to cope with similar challenges in the wake of the deadly July 7 subway bombings in London, which marked the first time that suicide bombers had successfully mounted an attack in Western Europe. The pace of such attacks is quickening. According to data compiled by the Rand Corp., about three-quarters of

Public Diplomacy Chief-Designate Seeks Dialogue and Advocacy Karen Hughes says if considered fairly, freedom will prevail over tyranny In reaching out to publics around the world, the United States is seeking both a dialogue with other cultures and faiths and the opportunity to create “the connections and conditions that allow people to make up their own minds,” says Karen Hughes, President Bush’s choice for under secretary of state for public diplomacy. Following is the text of Under Secretary-designate Hughes’ opening statement: Opening Statement of Karen Hughes Nominee forUnder Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Senate Foreign Relations Committee July 22, 2005 Thank you Chairman Lugar, Ranking Member Biden and distinguished members of this committee. I thank Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Senator John Cornyn for their friendship and support, and for the outstanding job they do representing our beloved state of Texas. My husband, Jerry, is with me today, and

Strong International Consensus Backs Two-State Solution in Mideast State's Brencick expresses U.S. concern over closure of Syria-Lebanon border A strong international consensus has developed behind President Bush's vision for the establishment of a Palestinian state existing in peace and security alongside Israel, according to William Brencick, political counselor at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. "Right now, the focus of our efforts, as well as those of the international community, is on working toward a successful implementation of the Gaza disengagement plan," Brencick added in his statement to the U.N. Security Council July 21. He said the central challenge facing the Israeli plan to withdraw from Gaza is improving the security situation. "[O]verall Palestinian performance confronting terrorism has been far from satisfactory, and this remains an area of concern for us," Brencick said in his statement. Brencick also expressed deep U.S. concern ab

Rice Conveys U.S. Support to New Lebanese Government Calls on Syria to remove intelligence forces, open border to trade Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made an unannounced visit to Lebanon July 22 to convey the United States' support to the newly selected government of Prime Minister-designate Fouad Seniora and to urge all parties to implement the provisions of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559 that call for the removal of all foreign forces from Lebanese territory and the disbanding of all militias. After meeting with Seniora, Rice told reporters she traveled to Lebanon “to support the new Lebanon, and the new Lebanon is one that is democratic, the new Lebanon is one that should be free of foreign influence.” She stressed that Resolution 1559 calls for the removal of all Syrian forces, including intelligence forces. She also urged Syria to open its borders for trade. Rice said that the United States is prepared to support the new Lebanese government as it undertakes econo

The Core of U.S. Foreign Policy In 2003, the undersecretary of state for global affairs Paula J. Dobriansky defended the administration's pro-democracy policies in response to Thomas Carothers’ article "Promoting Democracy and Fighting Terror" in the foreign affairs journal . The outcomes of the latest two years are in favor of undersecretary Dobriansky but this issue-the contradiction between the war on terrorism and democracy promotion is still in debate. I see an equation of three elements in the U.S. international relations and policies, which we must consider seriously when approaching this debate, the power and assets of the U.S. (sticks and carrots), the engagement with the undemocratic states, and the U.S. package of demands concerning the war on terror and the democratic reform. The existence of these three elements in every single policy is necessary to its effectiveness and successfulness. Hence, every single policy for every situation or country has its own e

Research: “pacted transitions” to democracy in Arab states In “ Democracy in the Arab Region: Getting There from Here ” ( Middle East Policy , vol. 12, no. 2, Summer 2005, 28-35) Alan Richards discusses prospects for “pacted transitions” to democracy in Arab states. My realistic approach and methodology put me away from adopting the “pacted transitions” term of this article, but it is useful to highlight the diversity of thoughts in this domain. The following is the text of this article: Democracy in the Arab Region: Getting There from Here Alan Richards Dr. Richards is professor of economics and environmental studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz.1 For a printable pdf version of this article, click here . Successive Arab Human Devel- opment Reports have extensively documented the "freedom and good-governance deficit" in the Arab region. There is likewise consensus that a "democracy deficit" both exists and contributes to the other deficits that

Countries at the Crossroads 2005: A Survey of Democratic Governance A new Freedom House study, “ Countries at the Crossroads 2005: A Survey of Democratic Governance ,” assesses governance in 30 countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, and Tunisia. The report evaluates countries according to four broad categories: rule of law, transparency and anti-corruption, governmental accountability, and civil liberties. The Freedom House description: “Countries at the Crossroads: A Survey of Democratic Governance evaluates government performance in 60 strategically important countries from across the globe, including emerging market countries and at-risk states. The in-depth, comparative analysis and quantitative ratings--examining Accountability and Public Voice, Civil Liberties, Rule of Law, and Anticorruption and Transparency--serve as a valuable tool for policy analysts, educators and students, government officials, and the business community. Countries at the Crossroads covers