Middle East Policy

Lebanon Bids Gemayel Farewell as Father Announces 'Countdown' for New President Naharnet 23 Nov 2006 Hundreds of thousands of mourners Thursday bid slain Christian politician Pierre Gemayel farewell as his father announced that the "countdown for the election of a new president has started." "Independence can only be achieved through the election of new president," said former President Amine Gemayel, father of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel who was gunned down along with a bodyguard Tuesday. The young politician was the sixth outspoken opponent of Syria to be assassinated in the past two years. Anti-Syrian leaders have been calling for the resignation of Syrian protégé President Emile Lahoud whose mandate was extended for three years through a controversial Syrian-inspired constitutional amendment in 2004. Prominent Lebanese leaders and ambassadors packed the St. George Cathedral as the casket was placed on the altar along with the coffin of his bodyguar...

A list of 13 "enemies of the internet" has been released by human rights group Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ). As usual, it is mostly the same countries with five Middle Eastern countries but with an unexpected surprise this time with Egypt added to the list. Egypt unexpectedly is moving back as regards the freedom of expression despite some previous improvements of political and democratic rights thanks to external and domestic pressures. See Egypt Democracy Watch here and here . I think that Mr. Mubarak knows that he got too old and his days became few, so he is really worried about inheriting power by his son. And as usual, the Egyptian democratic intellectuals and activists are paying for his concerns. I hope that Mr. Mubarak will clearly understand that Egypt is not Syria and he should show some respect for his country and people and for a great civilization which unfortunately was attacked and hurt by a band of authoritarian thugs. On other listed regime, I warmly c...

This is the news section of the October issue of Arab Reform Bulletin Published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Headlines: Iraq: Parliament Passes Federalism Bill Yemen: Presidential and Local Election Results Bahrain: Run-Up to Elections UAE: First Elections Coming; Crackdown on Human Rights Activists Kuwait: MPs Blame Government for Electoral Violations Jordan: King Pardons MPs; Parliament Approves Laws Syria: Human Rights Developments Libya: Verdicts by Abolished Courts Upheld; Prison Clashes Upcoming Political Events Iraq: Parliament Passes Federalism Bill After months of deadlock, the Iraqi parliament passed a law on October 11 setting up a mechanism to implement a constitution provision allowing the formation of federal regions in Iraq, despite vehement opposition by the Sunni coalition and two Shiite parties. The bill was submitted by the largest Shiite bloc, the United Iraqi Alliance, with the aim of creating a Shiite autonomous state in southern Iraq with ...

The White House had released a fact sheet summarizing President Bush's address to the UN General Assembly last September. I will post this fact sheet because of its importance since it reflects the White House's ideology on the key Middle East affairs, and it complements another recent important fact sheet on the U.S. Middle East strategy I have already posted. As we, the liberal intellectuals and scholars, cheered the long-awaited U.S. new deal and strategy in the Middle East after 9/11, I, for my part, still stress the regional dimension, and in many places and meanings, the regional nature of the entire Iraqi question and issue. I still do not know how much the American government perceives this fact, and if so, we need this perception to take shape in the U.S. Middle East policy. This policy should deal regionally with the Iraqi issue, and should include besides dialogue, where applicable, all kinds of pressure and force, where needed and productive, starting with the weak...