Middle East Policy

Max Boot from the CFR wrote an interesting op-ed on the U.S. efforts to promote democracy after 9/11. I don't agree with all points of this piece, but it still spotlights some good and important points. Some related articles of mine: - The Neo-Internationalism After 9/11 - The End of International Isolationism - Defining the Iraqi Question - U.S. Foreign Aid and Democracy Promotion - Bush, Americans and Spreading Democracy Here is Boot's piece: Democracy, Our Best Protector Max Boot September 13, 2006 Los Angeles Times For the last five years the standard critique of Bush administration foreign policy has run as follows: The president did a great job of rallying the nation after 9/11 and of toppling the Taliban. But then he blundered by invading Iraq and trying to spread democracy at gunpoint. He should have concentrated on working with other countries to track down terrorists. The reality—or so it seems to me—is nearly the opposite. Bush has done a good job of capturing or ki...

The White House released a fact sheet concerning the United States' new Middle East strategy which was included in a presidential speech. Here is the fact sheet: Fact Sheet: Winning the Struggle Between Freedom and Terror in the Middle East President Bush Addresses American Legion National Convention Today, President Bush Discussed The Struggle Between Freedom And Terror In The Middle East – Including The Battle In Iraq, The Central Front In The War On Terror. In the coming days, the President will deliver a series of speeches describing the nature of our enemy in the War on Terror, the insights we have gained about their aims and ambitions, the successes and setbacks we have experienced, and our strategy to prevail. As we approach the fifth anniversary of 9/11, there is a tendency to believe the terrorist threat is receding – that feeling could not be more wrong. Our Enemies Come From Different Places And Take Inspiration From Different Sources – But They Form The Outlines Of A S...

This is the news section of the September issue of Arab Reform Bulletin Published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Egypt: Cabinet Reshuffle; Arrests of Muslim Brothers Continue President Hosni Mubarak carried out a limited cabinet reshuffle on August 28. Former Chairman of the Supreme Constitutional Court Mamdouh Marai was appointed Minister of Justice, a development some observers expect to herald a new round of conflicts between the government and the Judges Club. Mubarak broke up the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (seen as a vestige of Egypt's socialist days) into Ministries for Economic Development (Othman Mohammed Othman) and a Ministry for Local Development (Abdel Salam Mahgoub, formerly governor of Alexandria). Observers believe more sweeping changes in the cabinet might follow the ruling National Democratic Party's annual conference on September 19-21. The Party has promised to preview amendments to the constitution related to the bala...

FREE AND UNITED WE STAND

The war on Iran has already begun and the Iranian people are under severe attack. Indeed, the terrorist thugs of the Iranian regime have been waging the war on the Iranian people to maintain and sustain their imposed totalitarian theocratic system on the Iranian people. Reminding of related earlier posts: Iran's Waning Human Rights About Iran Regime Middle East Totalitarians and Existential Choice Here is additional related information: Ban of Legal Aid Center Raises Concern over Iran's Human Rights Tehran outlaws Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi's Center for Defense of Human Rights By Lea Terhune Washington File Staff Writer Washington - When the Iranian government notified the Center for Defense of Human Rights (CDHR) that it was illegal and that if its activities continued, members risked arrest, co-founder Shirin Ebadi responded with an international e-mail appeal for support. Ebadi, a well-known lawyer, is the first Iranian and first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Pri...

I will spotlight the various academic and scholarly views on Middle East democratization policy in Middle East policy blog to serve eventually as an open source on this topic. Here is an excerpt from Amy Hawthorne's article "Can the United States Promote Democracy in the Middle East?" appeared in the Current History , January 2003: TOWARD A STRATEGY There is no “one size fits all” answer for Middle East democracy promotion. The approach must be tailored for each country, taking into consideration local conditions. The following four basic recommendations should inform at least the initial stages of a serious United States effort, building on much of what the administration has already devised for beyond Iraq and the PA, but giving it more teeth. First, democracy promotion is a very long-term effort, requiring a consistent series of steps to demonstrate United States sincerity over many years. Toward this end, the United States must shift from zero-sum thinking—that the o...

It is extremely important, in my view, to make distinction between what is "pragmatic" and what is "existential" in political choices in the Middle East. This will explain and clear so much the occurrences and enlighten the Middle East policy This is an excerpt from the latest press conference by PM Blair and President Bush in Washington followed with an indispensable question of mine: Q Thank you. Mr. President, and Prime Minister Blair, can I ask you both tonight what your messages are for the governments of Iran and Syria, given that you say this is the crisis of the 21st century? PRESIDENT BUSH: Want me to start? My message is, give up your nuclear weapon and your nuclear weapon ambitions. That's my message to Syria -- I mean, to Iran. And my message to Syria is, become an active participant in the neighborhood for peace. PRIME MINISTER BLAIR: The message is very, very simple to them. It is that, you have a choice. Iran and Syria have a choice. And they may ...

As usual, Dr. Rice proves again her statecraft, scholarship and insight. Here is an op-ed by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice published in the August 16 edition of The Washington Post followed by the text of UNSC Resolution 1701. A Path To Lasting Peace By Condoleezza Rice For the past month the United States has worked urgently to end the violence that Hezbollah and its sponsors have imposed on the people of Lebanon and Israel. At the same time, we have insisted that a truly effective cease-fire requires a decisive change from the status quo that produced this war. Last Friday (August 11) we took an important step toward that goal with the unanimous passage of U.N. Resolution 1701. Now the difficult, critical task of implementation begins. The agreement we reached has three essential components: First, it puts in place a full cessation of hostilities. We also insisted on the unconditional release of the abducted Israeli soldiers. Hezbollah must immediately cease its attacks o...

My website NEOINTERNATIONALISM is available now. Its main objectives so far are to promote the neo-internationalism and advocate the Middle East democratization focusing on the Middle East democratization policies, especially the relevant international policies. This is the first step. I eventually intend this website to serve as a think thank on the themes of Middle East democratization policy and international politics of democracy promotion. Any collaboration, help and suggestion are solicited and welcome. My personal page can be found here . My perspective can be found here . The campaign for promoting freedom and democracy, ending totalitarianism can be found here .

As the liberation of Lebanon goes on by liberating Lebanon from the foreign regional determination concerning the Lebanese affairs including war and peace through some Lebanese surrogates, the Lebanese people are restoring their right to self-determination. The international community is responsible for the high cost because every thing was obvious and perceived by the international community through the UNSCR 1559 and the following UN reports and resolutions. To explain all those elements including the context I just need to repost an article of mine I wrote earlier this year, in which I warned of risking the regional security and stability, and nothing was late to become a reality. Lebanon's Independence and Democracy 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 as an indispensable guarantee to the Middle East stagnancy, which...