Middle East Policy

In the last day in this year, 2006 I want to repost the Freedom House's Worst of the Worst , which is a special report detailing the world's most repressive societies, drawn from Freedom in the World 2006 , Freedom House's annual global survey on political rights and civil liberties. This is for reminding the world of the Suffering of many peoples in the authoritarian and totalitarian countries by one of totalitarianism's victims in one of the most repressive states. Let us hope that 2007 will be better than this year, and let us stand up for that. Happy New Year! Here is the Freedom House report: Worst of the Worst: The World's Most Repressive Societies 2006 Freedom House, Special Report A special report detailing the world's most repressive societies, drawn from Freedom in the World 2006, Freedom House's annual global survey on political rights and civil liberties. September 6, 2006 Introduction Methodology Table of Independent Countries Table of Related ...

It is really a new Middle East is emerging. The symbol of Arab dictatorship has gone to the place he deserves, the history dustbin. There was no international tribunal for his crimes against humanity, against his people. It is the Iraqi people, his victims who tried and executed their criminal Nazi Ba'athist dictator. It is the first time in the Arab history and will not be the last. Although I am definitely not a supporter of death penalty, I can not at this time but to congratulate the Iraqi people on recovering their freedom, dignity and self-determination. It is really a very clear message ringing from Tehran to Beirut that freedom and dignity will prevail. Honor and glory to our martyrs and prisoners of freedom from Iraq to Lebanon and elsewhere and shame and disgrace to criminal dictators in this region and elsewhere. Today, I ask all free Arabs and the free world to toast freedom and human dignity with me. Cheers and.... NEXT.

I want to spotlight the heroic action by Iranian students at the Amir Kabir technical university. They gave a freedom lesson to the world and to the "fascist dictator." Is the world listening? And is the free world assuming its responsibility toward them? Reminding the free world: - Iran's Waning Human Rights - About Iran Regime - War on Iran Under Way - Iranian Regime's Tyranny: Ethnic Question - Middle East Totalitarians and Existential Choice - Middle East Totalitarian Axis - Totalitarianism, Violence and Terror Here are two related BBC reports: Iranian students heckle president BBC News 11 December 2006 Iranian students have disrupted a speech President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was giving at a university by lighting fireworks and burning his portrait. Mr Ahmadinejad responded calmly to protesters' shouts of "Death to the dictator", an official spokesman said. The president reportedly described the hecklers as an "oppressive minority" and contin...

Here is a recent briefing by the U.S. Institute of Peace on Syria's role in Lebanon. Although this briefing misses many essential points and misses, in my view, the right language to make a transparent and empirical evaluation of this topic (the problem of many US-based studies on the Middle East), it is somehow useful in terms of the general lines. Syria's Role in Lebanon USIPeace Briefing By Mona Yacoubian November 2006 This is the third in a series of USIPeace Briefings on Syria published by USIP's Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention . Written by Mona Yacoubian, it is based on discussions at a recent seminar held at USIP as well as insights gained during a research trip to Syria. The views expressed do not reflect those of USIP, which does not take policy positions. Recent days have witnessed increasing tensions between the United States and Hezbollah and its Syrian and Iranian backers. Citing "mounting evidence," the United States accused Hezbollah, S...

To understand the recent unjustifiable blow by some Lebanese proxies occupying the downtown Beirut we should search for the international tribunal and keep our attention to the international probe into ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination and to the Iranian nuclear program. Here is a report on the latest report of the International Independent Investigation Commission to the Security Council followed by the latest Security Council presidential statement on the Lebanese situation supporting the legitimate independence government and calling for the disbanding and disarmament of all militias and armed groups in Lebanon: Suspects Identified in U.N. Probe into Hariri Assassination Naharnet 12 Dec 2006 The U.N. probe into ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination has now identified suspects and witnesses and found possible links to 14 other murders or attempted killings in Lebanon over the past two years, chief investigator Serge Brammertz said. Brammertz, a Belgian prosecutor, sai...

TO THE LEBANESE SKY-HIGH CEDAR TO THE ABSOLUTELY-FREE PHOENIX TO THE EVER-ALIVE HERO GEBRAN TUENI WE WILL STAY THE COURSE, YOUR COURSE AND YOUR WAY THE FREE SYRIANS WHO STILL MOURN YOU AND MISS YOU 12-12-2006 ------------------------------ First Anniversary of Tueni's Murder: Honors and Praise Naharnet, 10 Dec 06 The editor-in-chief of the Yemen Times Nadia Al-Saqqaf was on Sunday awarded the 2006 Gebran Tueni prize on the occasion of the first anniversary of An Nahar General Manger's assassination. Al-Saqqaf, who is the first woman ever to be appointed an editor in Yemen, received the award Sunday during the opening ceremony of the "Press Under Siege" conference at the Beirut International Exhibition and Leisure Center (BIEL). The new prize from the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) aims at honoring an editor or publisher from the Arab region. More than 5,000 people, including journalists, Tueni's family members and friends, and politicians attended the cere...

When some theocratic totalitarian Iranian tyrant promises the "Islamic" Middle East (according to his perception of Islam) against the new Middle East of freedom, democracy and human dignity believe him and take it seriously and do not forget to tell Mr. Baker so. Actually, our suffer from totalitarianism is complemented with our suffer from stupid, ignorant and irresponsible people should they become in charge. Those had neither believed nor taken Hitler seriously in the past and everyone knows what the consequences were. The Iranian armed gang of Hizbullah is armless occupying the downtown Beirut in an attempt to attack Lebanese freedom, democracy and independence achieved by the Cedar Revolution's long and expensive struggle, and the foremost of all to preclude the international tribunal. My say is that abandoning Beirut is a betrayal of freedom and civilization by the free world. We should always be aware that – as PM Blair says – IT IS NOT A CLASH BETWEEN CIVILISATIO...

Continuing my effort to research the Middle East status quo with empirical approach, I will continue to spotlight the Iranian theocratic totalitarian regime, the leader of the Middle East totalitarian axis , starting with the Iranian state of affairs to the Iranian regime's regional role from Iraq to Gaza including its battle in Beirut squares against freedom, democracy, justice and civilization. The empirical approach with a comprehensive geopolitical perspective, in my view, is indispensable to find out the basic relations and rules controlling the Middle East political occurrences and then to develop the appropriate policy to cope with them in the comprehensive geopolitical scene, apart from some funny studies which missed their time of pre-9/11 and their world of Cold-War. Actually, Mr. Baker maybe (apparently) forgot to study this Middle East and instead he studied the old Middle East when he was the secretary of state. I will post a backgrounder on Iran's ethnic question ...

This is the news section of the November issue of Arab Reform Bulletin Published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Headlines: Lebanon: Government Talks Collapse Palestine: Progress in Hamas-Fatah Talks Jordan: Pending Cabinet Reshuffle Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood-NDP Tensions; Liberal MP Sentenced Bahrain: Run-Up to Elections Saudi Arabia: New Succession Rules Kuwait: Debate on Electoral Violations Continues United Arab Emirates: Improvement in Labor Rights Morocco: Justice and Charity Leader Imprisoned; Yassine Trial Postponed Algeria: Referendum Delayed Libya: National Security Council Established New Transparency International Corruption Index Upcoming Political Events Lebanon: Government Talks Collapse Talks aimed at easing political tensions in Lebanon collapsed on November 11 after the anti-Syrian governing majority rejected demands from Hezbollah and its allies to be granted one-third of cabinet positions. Six ministers (five from Shiite political parties Hezbol...