Middle East Policy

Internet now is an essential source for information, and indispensable means for communication. It is well known that there is increasing international wave of people who indispensably depend on Internet with their affairs. The story goes, few days ago, when I was surfing the net and I found out that our internet censorship geniuses have developed the blocking technology. So, my unblocking technology is not working anymore, and I have to use another technology (cgi proxy) which encrypt the address of the blocked page. With hundreds of blocked websites range from news sites to cultural, political and even academic sites in addition to blogs, you have no choice but to unblock them. This is the case of many countries but, in particular, this is the case of the Middle East region ― most of its countries. It is really funny and ridiculous that regimes and governments armed to their teeth in front of armless peoples are fearful of information and clearly and publicly fear the word. Is the wo...

Some good news on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon has been coming that it has begun recruiting announcing many vacancies on its official website . The vacancies are: - Chief of Information Technology Support Section - Senior Computer Systems Technician - Senior Desktop Services Technician - Chief, Security and Safety Section - Chief of Investigations - Senior Investigator - Strategic Analyst/Coordinator - Senior Investigator (Head of Evidence and Information Management) - Senior Legal Officer - Supervisor, Staff Administration Unit - Chief, Public Affairs and Outreach Section - Human Source Coordinator - Head, Beirut Office - Chief of Prosecution - Senior Trial Counsel - Deputy Chief, Security and Safety Section - Detention Officer x 3 - Senior Political Affairs Officer - Press Officer - Chief of Procurement - Security Officer - Finance Assistant - Administrative Assistant - Facilities Management Technician - Facilities Management Assistant For more information see STFL's official...

Terror in Damascus, where the last Baath is located, has no face like other things in this country (the Baath's state as Baath call it). So I think that we should ask petit Sarkozy and his Israeli friends, they may have some faces for us--well-known faces. But if Sarkozy were a little bit busy, the next accident might have some answers. Second Car Bomb in Damascus Since Mughniyeh Killing Naharnet 27 Sep 2008 A car bomb exploded near a Shiite shrine in southern Damascus on Saturday killing 17 people and wounding 14 others in one of the deadliest attacks to hit Syria in a dozen years, state media said. The car packed with 200 kilograms of explosives blew up near a security checkpoint on a road to Damascus international airport. Interior Minister General Bassam Abdel Majid told state television the attack was "a terrorist act" and that all the casualties were civilians. "A counter-terrorist unit is trying to track down the perpetrators... We can't point the finger a...

This is the news section of June issue of Arab Reform Bulletin Published by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Kuwait: New Cabinet Appointed After Elections Saudi Arabia: Human Rights Activist Detained Yemen: Zaidi Rebellion; Local Council Elections Bahrain; Minister Cleared; Bahraini Jewish Ambassador Appointed Iraq: Amnesty; Radio Station Closed Lebanon: Political Deadlock Ended Egypt: State of Emergency Extended; Bread Riots Resurface; Anti-Monopoly Law Palestine: Talks Renewed Syria: U.S. Sanctions Renewed Jordan: Public Gathering Law Deferred Morocco: Al-Jazeera Rabat Broadcast Suspended Algeria: Magazine Issue Banned Libya: Activist Freed Sudan: Newspaper Shutdown; Journalist Arrested Kuwait: New Cabinet Appointed After Elections On May 17, some 361,700 eligible voters (55 percent of them women) went to the polls to elect deputies for the National Assembly's fifty elected seats (appointed cabinet ministers also join the assembly, raising the overall number of seats...

(picture: Prime Minister of Lebanon Fouad al-Saniora) Lebanese independence government got the job done in Lebanon. Yes, the heroic government did it led by an extraordinary statesman, a real hero is Fouad al-Saniora . This government achieved the political independence from the Baath occupation and made Lebanon a free, sovereign and independent country under the sole and exclusive authority of the government of Lebanon after long decades of totalitarian occupation. This government extended the state's control over all Lebanese territory and ended the Iranian canton of Hezbullah armed militia in southern Lebanon, which came back to the Lebanese Republic. This government achieved the international tribunal for Lebanon (Special Tribunal for Lebanon) to protect Lebanon and save the freedom, democracy and independence of Lebanon in spite of all sacrifices and painful costs it had to pay. This government saved Lebanon, maintained the civilization in Lebanon, and protected the diversity...

This is the news section of May issue of Arab Reform Bulletin Published by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: - Egypt: Salary and Price Increases; Local Elections; Brothers Sentenced - Kuwait: Elections; Tribal Demonstration; Anti-demonstration Law Revoked - Bahrain: New Press Bill; Minister Questioned on Naturalization - Yemen: Qatari Mediation; MP Killed; Newspaper License Revoked - Saudi Arabia: Blogger Released - Iraq: Journalists Released - Jordan: Political Party Law; Brotherhood Selects Leaders; Prison Demonstrations - Syria: Economic Initiatives; Activist Sentenced - Lebanon: Political Deadlock Continues; Worker Protests - Tunisia: Opposition Newspaper Seized; Appeals Court Upholds Journalist Sentence - Algeria: Ban on Passport Photos with Veil and Beard Contested - Morocco: Criminalizing Violence against Women; Demonstrators Pardoned - Sudan: Efforts to End Censorship Egypt: Salary and Price Increases; Local Elections; Brothers Sentenced The Egyptian parliament rush...

Following is the most recent UN stance on Lebanon, which represents the international community's stance and international legitimacy in this regard. Ban Urges Immediate Presidential Election, Disarming of Hizbullah 22 April 2008 Naharnet U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon has called for an immediate presidential election in Lebanon without foreign interference, underlining concerns over the political stalemate that has kept the post empty since November. Ban also warned Monday that Lebanon will not be a fully sovereign, democratic state until Hizbullah is disarmed. He told Syria and Iran they must support efforts to disarm the group. The secretary-general's six-month report to the Security Council focused on the implementation of Resolution 1559 that calls for presidential elections under the constitution and the disbanding of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias. "Parliament, which has not met in more than a year, must be allowed to convene urgently to fulfill its constitutional d...

Christians lose their potential presence in the East, and their allies the modernistic Sunnis are humiliated. Yes, it is not believable, but it is true. Beirut under Iranian terrorist occupation. Many many stupid people around the world, especially in Europe, would not believe me when I previously qualified Hezbullah as an Iranian terrorist armed gang. Now, the whole world just needs to look at occupied Beirut. The Iranian terrorist regime with its terrorist Revolutionary Guard's branch in Beirut so-called Hezbullah has occupied Beirut using the Israel-Baath alliance and European Union's stances and policy in the Middle East, especially when they bought the last Baath that occupies Syria. Neither the region nor the world can afford the Iranian-led Middle East totalitarian axis taking control of Lebanon. This would be an ultimate strategic disaster. Now, I am waiting for the international action to say my word. In the meantime, my message to the US, do not wait for some things ...

First official of UN-backed tribunal on Lebanese killings starts work 29 April 2008 – The first official of the United Nations-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon to take up his functions, the registrar Robin Vincent, began his duties yesterday as the court continues to make progress in its start-up phase. In a statement issued today by his spokesperson, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that Mr. Vincent will work closely with the Special Tribunal’s management committee and with the UN Secretariat to take the necessary steps to formally establish the court, in line with Security Council resolution 1757 from last year. “He will initially concentrate his activities on preparing the premises of the Tribunal, coordinating the transition between the International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC) and the Tribunal, recruiting core staff, and finalizing the Tribunal’s budget,” the statement added. The Council asked Mr. Ban last year to set up the court after Lebanese Prime Minister...

This is the news section of the April issue (latest issue) of Arab Reform Bulletin Published by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Egypt: Bread Crisis; Editor Convicted; Ayman Nour to Remain in Prison Arab States: Arab League Summit Lebanon: Presidential Vote Delayed; Tenth Hariri Investigation Report Palestine: Peace Process; Fatah-Hamas Dialogue; Journalist Arrested Syria: Journalist Trial; Attack on Kurdish Celebration Jordan: Journalists Sentenced to Prison; Restrictions on Internet Cafés Iraq: Attacks on Journalists Kuwait: Cabinet Resigns; Parliament Dissolved; Two Ex-MPs Detained Saudi Arabia: King Calls for Dialogue; New Fatwa Condemns Writers Bahrain: Minister Questioning Over Population Controversy Qatar: First Church UAE: First Female Judge; Labor Unrest Yemen: Publications Banned Tunisia: Constitutional Amendment; Comedian Released Libya: Political Prisoner Released to Hospital Algeria: Churches Shut Down; Journalist Interrogated Morocco: Journalist Fined; “Onlin...