Middle East Policy

This is the news section of the latest issue of Arab Reform Bulletin (February 2007) Published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Headlines: Egypt: Authorities Intensify Crackdown on Muslim Brothers; Journalists Arrested Palestine: Hamas and Fatah Sign Accord Syria: Upcoming Elections Jordan: Parliament Approves New Municipalities Law; Debate Over Press Law Bahrain: Political Activists Arrested Saudi Arabia: Human Rights Watch Denied Access to Prisons UAE: Government Appoints Members of Advisory Council Qatar: Run-Up to Elections Morocco: Crackdown on Press Upcoming Political Events Contents: Egypt: Authorities Intensify Crackdown on Muslim Brothers; Journalists Arrested In a continuation of the Egyptian government's crackdown on the Muslim Brothers, authorities referred the cases of 40 members arrested over the past two months to a military tribunal on February 6. Decisions by the military courts cannot be appealed; the authorities had not referred any Brotherho...

The Struggle for the New Middle East: A Domestic Perspective By Nassim Yaziji In the context of the international and regional struggle for the new Middle East, where freedom, democracy and peace have the chance for the first time in the Middle East's history to replace totalitarianism, authoritarianism and violence which came from the pre-2003 regional regimes' interdependent authoritarian system. The remnants of this system represented by the totalitarian regimes and entities are fighting to survive after the Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and the semi-liberation of Lebanon in 2005 aiming to restore their previous stability through deliberate instability in the region. Methodology through Essential Facts 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 ge...

The United Nations has signed an agreement with Lebanon setting up a Special Tribunal to prosecute the suspected killers of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. It is now just waiting for the final ratification by Lebanon. In spite of the deadly efforts performed by the suspected killers and their associates and proxies in Lebanon to preclude this special tribunal as we saw in the latest months, it is obvious that the process of setting up this tribunal is going ahead. Apparently, that those parties are willing and able to ruin Lebanon and even to wage local or regional wars not to mention the wide wave of political crimes and killings to stop this process and finally preclude the tribunal and therefore the long-awaited justice and international protection for Lebanon and Lebanese cadres. Those threats by the anti-tribunal forces are serious and may jeopardize Lebanon and the region, so they should be taken seriously by the international community. However, I can say that establishing ...

Following is an interesting article on the geopolitical and strategic changes of Iraq's liberation; some articles of mine related to this subject can be found at: - Iraq Victory: Middle East Salvation - Lebanon's Independence and Democracy - Defining the Iraqi Question The Strategic Waves of Iraq's Liberation By Walid Phares World Defense Review May 1, 2006 In a previous analysis of the War in Iraq, I argued that in the middle of a conflict, one cannot pronounce the final verdict yet, but detect the trends of successes and failures. Between 2003 and 2006, the U.S. led coalition, was winning by points while al Qaida wasn't able to reverse the process, yet. The ending of Saddam's regime, the rise of a political consensus, the deployment of new Iraqi forces and the three popular votes is a string of coalition victories. The Salafists and Khumeinists weren't yet able to crumble the Sistani-backed Iraqi consensus. Hence in Iraq itself, and despite the all-out war by ...

The UN Arab Human Development Report 2005: Toward the rise of women in the Arab world argues that women in the Arab world are not realizing their full potential and are still denied equality of opportunity. The report affirms that some achievements have been secured; most Arab countries now have a parliament, a cabinet or a local council in which at least one woman participates. However, Arab women must be given greater access to education, employment, health care and public life. The report also contends that Islamic movements have been in many cases at the vanguard of women's empowerment. Following is an introduction to The UN Arab Human Development Report 2005: Arab Human Development Report Launch 06 December 2006 Women in the Arab world are not realizing their full potential and are still denied equality of opportunity, says the Arab Human Development Report 2005: Toward the rise of women in the Arab world, arguing that this represents not just a problem for women, but a barri...

Naharnet Beirut, 14 Feb 07 Lebanon's majority leaders told a sea of supporters marking the second anniversary of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination in Beirut that agreeing on the international tribunal to try his murderers is the only gateway to dialogue and unity. Hundreds of thousands of March 14 supporters streamed from north, east, central and south Lebanon to Martyrs' Square in cars, busses, and boats raising Lebanese flags and chanting slogans against Syrian President Bashar Assad. The March 14 majority coalition accuses the Assad regime of masterminding the Hariri assassination on Feb. 14 2005 and the serial assassinations, the latest of which killed three civilians and wounded 23 in a twin bombing that targeted commuting buses northeast of Beirut on Tuesday. Lebanese Forces Leader Samir Geagea said the international tribunal, which Syria reportedly rejects, "will certainly be created." He stressed that "whoever fights against what is right will b...

This is an interesting article on a reality of Arab authoritarian states. It helps in demonstrating one of the main problems and obstacles to Arab reform and democratization. Arab Security Services and the Crisis in Democratic Change By Amr Hamzawy The Daily Star , June 9, 2006 The lack of democratic breakthroughs worthy of mention in Arab countries has spurred debate about barriers to change. Much of this debate has focused on economic, social, and cultural factors, or on the fragility of political forces demanding democracy. The debate would be incomplete, however, without a discussion of the means by which authoritarian Arab regimes control their societies, particularly the critical roles performed by security services with their quasi-military and intelligence components. First, the security services restrict opposition political mobilization with a mixture of pre-emptive and repressive practices. Opposition groups often cannot hold mass meetings, demonstrations or get their suppor...

This is the news section of the latest issue of Arab Reform Bulletin (December 2006) Published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Headlines: Egypt: Constitutional Amendments; Muslim Brothers Released; Blog Writers Arrested Bahrain: New Cabinet and Consultative Council after Elections Syria: Human Rights Trials Saudi Arabia: Human Rights Watch Visit Yemen: Anti-Corruption Draft Law; Editors Imprisoned Palestine: Debate over Early Elections Jordan: Cabinet Reshuffle; New Public Opinion Poll; Anti-Corruption Law Libya: Another Critic Detained; U.S. Call for Al Jahmi Release Reiterated Morocco: Party of Justice and Development Prepares for Elections Upcoming Political Events Contents Egypt: Constitutional Amendments; Muslim Brothers Released; Blog Writers Arrested Egypt’s Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif announced on December 4 an 18-month timetable for constitutional amendments. According to Nazif, the government will present proposed changes to parliament in the coming month...

There is an important regional dimension in the U.S. new Iraq strategy as I explained before. Here are two related analyses by the Council on Foreign Relations . Some related posts and articles: - U.S. Middle East strategy - The U.S. New Iraq Strategy - Explaining Bush's Plan to Secure Baghdad - The Neo-Internationalism After 9/11 and Middle East Democratization - Defining the Iraqi Question - Totalitarianism, Violence and Terror - Iraq Victory: Middle East Salvation - Middle East Totalitarians and Existential Choice - Middle East Totalitarian Axis - Middle East Salvation - Lebanon's Independence and Democracy - The International 'New Deal' of the Middle East On Course for Iran January 16, 2007 Prepared by: Michael Moran Nearly a week since President Bush’s vow to “ surge ” U.S. forces into Baghdad, a surge of a different kind got underway in the direction of Iran. The carrier Stennis (NYT) and its battle group will join the USS Eisenhower and its escorts in the Arab...

The Middle East totalitarian axis represented by the Iranian terrorist armed gang of Hezbullah , is attacking Lebanon's freedom and democracy. Meanwhile, the international community continues its support to Lebanon and its legitimate and democratically-elected independence government and assures the achievements of the Cedar Revolution which kicked out the totalitarian occupation in 2005. Nevertheless, as I frequently said before, the essential problem was diagnosed and the prescription was and still obvious and stated in the historic UNSC resolution 1559. I frequently warned of not fully implementing this resolution that it would cause Lebanon to be held as a hostage on behalf of some regional totalitarian regimes. So, the international community should do more with the concerned totalitarian regimes to save Lebanon and the democratic project in the Middle East. Here are some related reports. Some related posts and articles: - Lebanon's Independence and Democracy - Lebano...