Middle East Policy

(Picture: the building of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague) International tribunal for Lebanon killings reaches start-up phase – UN report 18 March 2008 – The international tribunal being set up to try those responsible for political killings in Lebanon, particularly the 2005 attack that killed former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, has moved into its start-up phase, according to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. All actions relating to the tribunal’s preparatory phase have been undertaken, including the signing an agreement with the Netherlands to host the proceedings and the identification of premises there, Mr. Ban says in his latest report to the Security Council, which details the steps taken since he was authorized to establish the Special Tribunal for Lebanon by a Council resolution last year. The selection of the judges, the prosecutor and the registrar has also been completed and a draft budget will be submitted soon to the tribunal’s management committee. In regard to ...

This is the news section of the March issue (latest issue) of Arab Reform Bulletin Published by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Lebanon: Presidential Vote Delay; Sectarian Clashes Palestine: Gaza Escalation; Population Growth; Villages Demolished Arab States: Arab League Summit Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood Arrests; New Torture Cases; Re-conversion Decision Iraq: Legislative Progress Kuwait: Mughniyah Mourning; Segregation Controversy; Internet Law UAE: Cabinet Reshuffle; Green City Bahrain: Calls to Release Activists Libya: Ministries Abolished Tunisia: Comedian Jailed Morocco: Islamist Party Banned; Moroccan Jailed for Impersonating Prince Online Sudan: Cabinet Reshuffle Upcoming Political Events Lebanon: Presidential Vote Delay; Sectarian Clashes On February 25, the Lebanese parliament postponed for the fifteenth time the session to elect a new president. It is now scheduled for March 11. Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa left Lebanon on February 9 after failing to ...

In honor of this occasion, when the wind of change began blowing in the Middle East and when the long aspiration for freedom and dignity started its path into reality despite all huge sacrifices and costs in Iraq, I am reposting excerpts from my previous article, " Iraq Victory: Middle East Salvation, International necessity" , which tries to change the approach of perceiving the Operation Iraqi Freedom through a realistic perspective based on international and regional facts and goals. IRAQ VICTORY: MIDDLE EAST SALVATION, INTERNATIONAL NECESSITY By Nassim Yaziji The U.S. will not abandon Iraq. To me, it means that the U.S. will not abandon the Middle East. Abandoning Iraq means abandoning the new Middle East, a moderate, stable, civilized, modern and prosperous Middle East, and the nascent Middle East democratization movement, for Iranian regime's Islamic Middle East dominated by the Middle East totalitarian axis consisting of Syria's Baath, Hezbullah, Hamas and led ...

The annual release of the report on human rights by the U.S. State Department is mandated by law. The report reviews progress and pitfalls around the world—not including the United States—and highlights major offenders. The world’s most systematic human rights violators according to the report are ten countries including Syria for the first time. Following are some excerpts from the introduction of this report concerning the world’s most systematic human rights violators and Middle East's countries highlighted in the introduction: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2007 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor March 11, 2008 Countries in which power was concentrated in the hands of unaccountable rulers remained the world’s most systematic human rights violators. The repressive North Korean regime continued to control almost all aspects of citizens’ lives, denying freedom of speech, press, assembly, and association, and restricting freedom of movement...

Does the US have a Syria policy finally? Or the U.S. conduct, which is similar to crisis-management, continues with respect to Syria? (Read a previous opinion of mine: The U.S. Syria Democracy Program ) We are finally close to know. Here are some very interesting materials on this question may reflect a serious change in the U.S. Syria policy: The White House Statement by the Press Secretary February 13, 2008 Today the President signed an Executive Order that takes additional steps with respect to the Syrian regime's continued engagement in certain conduct that formed the basis of the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13338 of May 11, 2004. This order expands sanctions to block the property of senior Syrian Government officials and their associates who are determined to be responsible for, to have engaged in, or to have benefited from public corruption. The order also revises a provision in Executive Order 13338 to block the property of persons determined to be respons...

(Picture: the building of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague) Ban Ki-moon names top official for Lebanon tribunal 11 March 2008 – A veteran of numerous international court proceedings has been appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as the Registrar of the tribunal being set up to try those responsible for political killings in Lebanon, particularly the 2005 attack that killed former prime minister Rafiq Hariri. Robin Vincent of the United Kingdom will start his duties on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon at a date yet to be determined, but “the appointment of the Registrar reflects the steady progress being accomplished in establishing the Special Tribunal for Lebanon,” according to a statement issued by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson. From 2002 to 2005, Mr. Vincent served as Registrar of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL). Since then, he has served as the temporary Deputy Registrar of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and ...

This is the news section of the February issue (latest issue) of Arab Reform Bulletin Published by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Syria: Crackdown on Political Activists Lebanon: Presidential Vote Delayed; Official Assassinated: Journalist Threatened Iraq: Flag Change; Justice and Accountability Law; Kurdish Press Law Updates Palestine: Gaza Crisis; Hamas and Fatah Meetings; Crackdown on Journalists Saudi Arabia: Live Programming Banned; Blogger Arrested; Civil Society Law Kuwait: Minister Survives Confidence Vote; Crackdown on Cross-Dressers Bahrain: Crackdown on Protestors; Human Trafficking Law UAE: New Social Assistance Package; Plans for Women Judges Yemen: Websites Blocked Egypt: Brotherhood Arrests; EU Resolution; Torturers Convicted Sudan: Janjaweed Leader Promoted; Southern Ministers Rejoin Government Libya: Human Rights Criticism Tunisia: Journalist Sentenced to Prison Morocco: Polisario Talks; Homosexuals Sentenced Mauritania: Return of Refugees; Attack on Isr...