Middle East Policy

The Freedom House has released the annual global survey on freedom in the world, Global Survey 2006: Middle East Progress Amid Global Gains in Freedom . The freedom march in the world particularly in the Middle East and the change in the international political realities into new foundations for an international order further acknowledging freedom and democracy are not just rhetoric and hopes we are recurrently talking about. Actually, there is significant information we should contemplate in the Freedom Global Survey this year. This good news is the best for my last post this year; enjoy it and drink freedom's toast tonight. A happy, prosperous and free 2006 I wish for all. Here is the Freedom House's press release in addition to links to the files of charts and explanatory essay: Charts and graphs Explanatory essay Global Survey 2006: Middle East Progress Amid Global Gains in Freedom New York, December 19, 2005 The people of the Arab Middle East experienced a modest but pote...

The forces of the old Middle East, the pre-2003 Middle East, through the totalitarian-terrorist alliance, are fighting to survive. After the consecutive failures in Iraq to restore the totalitarianism there as an indispensable guarantee to the Middle East status quo, which based on the authoritarianism and the interdependent system of despotic regimes to ensure their sustainability, the pursuit now is to encompass the nascent democracy in Iraq regionally and to stop the international pro-democracy effort to spread out in the Middle East. I have frequently said that liberating Lebanon belongs to the same sense of the course of action of liberating Iraq. This course of action represents the international "new deal" in the Middle East through the strategic effort to end the cold-war era in the region besides the Soviet legacy there. The success in Lebanon is important as much as the success in Iraq; it is a requisite for the long-term stability and for the thriving democratic pr...

It is Christmas. I wish you all a merry Christmas and a prosperous and happy New Year. Instead of the Christmas card I planned to post, and in memory of the freedom martyrs Gebran Tueni and Samir Qassir I will post their pictures to honor them in this Christmas. This is the first Christmas they would not celebrate, and it is only 13 days after the assassination of Gebran Tueni in Beirut. They will always be in my heart and their thoughts, courage and struggle until death will always inspire me. Such people make me sure that freedom will prevail. Merry Christmas

Here are some articles of interest on the Iraqi question: Related post: Defining the Iraqi Question How to Exit Iraq At First, Iraqi Soldiers Should Augment U.S. Forces, Not Replace Them By Henry A. Kissinger Washington Post Sunday, December 18, 2005; Page B07 The administration and its critics seem to agree that the beginning of an American withdrawal from Iraq will mark a turning point. What divides them is the speed and extent of the drawdown and whether it should be driven by a timetable or by a strategy that seeks to shape events. Though often put into technical terms, the issue is not the mechanics of withdrawal. Rather, the debate should be over consequences: whether, in the end, withdrawal will be perceived as a forced retreat or as an aspect of a prudent and carefully planned strategy designed to enhance international security. Whatever one's view of the decision to undertake the Iraq war, the method by which it was entered, or the strategy by which it was conducted -- and...

I would like to inform about the new feed of MEP . The new feed is powered by Feed Burner , it enables RSS and ATOM and delivers the suitable format to the news reader or for syndication, and it provides the relevant links to make a web-based subscription to MEP updates or to receive this updates via email, all for your convenience. Best regards, Nassim

I have some criticism on my piece Iraq victory: Middle East salvation posted here . Unfortunately, this criticism was based on a political platform, it works as a political propaganda but it is not for discussing scholarly ideas. I am still waiting for such discussion and critique. Hence, I kindly ask who have any criticism concerning my thoughts to send it to me, to make sure that I have your thoughtful criticism. I have to make something clear that I have nothing to do with the partisan polarization in the United States. The democratic movement in the Middle East has many friends and supporters from both parties. We need and seek to get bipartisan support to our cause. When we express the appreciation to President Bush, that is due to the FACT that he is the first American president who acknowledged the freedom and democracy cause in the Middle East. In searching for something deserves a response in my article's criticism, I have found something interesting; the criticizer – he...

On December 10, I wrote on protecting Arab intellectuals : to Arab liberals, danger is real; fear is legitimate , citing Lebanon particularly in this post. On December 12, a prominent Lebanese journalist and politician, a symbol of the Cedar Revolution, the revolution of Lebanese freedom and independence, Gebran Tueni was assassinated after a long history of struggle against totalitarianism and dictatorship, when the other were silenced, to join his assassinated friend also, Samir Qassir . I have just watched his funeral in an Orthodox church in Beirut and his farewell to his journal and the Lebanese Parliament and to the people of Beirut who elected him a representative. I am heartbroken, although Gebran and Samir freely chose death as brave hearts. Gebran and Samir are alive and absolute free, as Gebran's daughter believes because the freedom does not die so is Gebran Tueni. Gebran, live forever in our hearts, we loved you and we will stay love you forever. You will stay the gui...

I have been told that my article "Iraq victory: Middle East salvation" included in a previous post has appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer . It is also available online at Philadelphia Inquirer's website here . I kindly ask my dear readers to let me know when they find citations from my articles. It is important to me to know how my methodology is perceived and discussed. This is a research necessity. Best regards, Nassim Yaziji

The newest issue of the Middle East Democracy Digest of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies has included interesting articles. I will quote here one of them, a meaningful article in which the writer calls on the international community to establish measures ensure some protection to Arab liberals. He took into account the changing realities of the international conduct towards promoting the international role to heal the human rights and democratic liberties where deteriorated. He found the Security Council Resolution 1559 a milestone of the realistic deal with the pretext of state sovereignty. Liberating Lebanon through unprecedented international effort is a watershed in the Middle East and international relations also. It represents, as I previously said, an international new deal in the Middle East and it indicates a new course of action by the United States. The international community and the U.S. precisely have yet to pay more attention to the importance and necessit...

I said previously that the totalitarianism constitutes one system. The totalitarianism has one nature in many aspects and shapes; it functionally develops a reciprocal structure and unified means under a consistent code of conduct. A comprehensive reading of the current state of the region between the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf will clarify and support this thinking. The totalitarian dictatorships and terrorists are in alliance of convenience. Although they have two different ideologies and agendas, they have mutual basic interest and pursuit is to keep freedom and democracy out of this region. Saddam had known this fact early and began soon after his defeat in the gulf war ΙΙ the Islamization of the state notwithstanding the official totalitarian secular ideology of Ba'ath. And he had a chance of about 12 years to do that without serious pressure – or intention – to end his rule or targeted directly at his regime. Finally, that produced an extraordinary fertile environment t...