Middle East Policy

These are some excerpts from the latest Weekly Wire by the Project on Middle East Democracy . November 26, 2007 Questioning the US Approach to Lebanon: Andrew Exum and POMED's director of advocacy, Stephen McInerney argue that the U.S. tendency to view Lebanon only " through the lens of confrontation with Iran " prevents effective, coherent policy toward Lebanon. Moreover, another pundit says that " the US position doesn't carry much weight with the Lebanese these days mostly because of its role in Israel's invasion last year, when American officials did little or nothing to stop the incursion." Also, according to one observer " Lebanon remains the one bright hope in the Bush administration's waning attempts to promote democracy in the Middle East," but "If the opposition prevails, then Syria and Iran will have gained extra regional leverage at the expense of the US losing its Levantine toehold." Others ask "Is this deadl

This is the news section of the latest issue of Arab Reform Bulletin (October 2007) Published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Headlines: Lebanon: Presidential Elections; Anti-Syrian MP Assassinated Egypt: Media and Human Rights Crackdown; Brotherhood Leaders Released Yemen, Morocco: New Millennium Challenge Corporation Agreements; Fact Sheet Syria: Blogger Sentenced Jordan: Ex-Legislator Sentenced; IAF to Contest Elections; Publication Restrictions Tunisia: Pressure on Newspaper; Activists’ Hunger Strike Algeria: FIS Leader Arrested Morocco: New Cabinet; Journalist Sentenced to Jail Saudi Arabia: Succession Law; Judicial Reforms; Women Driving Campaign Oman: Run-up to Shura Elections United Arab Emirates: Jail Sentence for Journalists Abolished Kuwait: TV Producer Charged with Insulting Shi’a Bahrain: NDI Returns; Cabinet Change; Anti-Corruption Efforts Upcoming Political Events Contents: Lebanon: Presidential Elections; Anti-Syrian MP Assassinated Parliament adjou

Torture in Egypt…criminals escaping punishment The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) on Wednesday 8th August 2007 issued its report Torture in Egypt…criminals escaping punishment issued as part of EOHR’s continued campaign to put an end to this horrific crime. The report describes cases of torture and mistreatment inside police stations which occurred between 1993 and July 2007 and which were documented by EOHR’s fieldwork unit using victims’ testimonies, complaints presented by victims’ relatives, the records of public prosecution office investigations, forensic and other medical records which confirm that injuries are the result of torture. More than 567 cases of torture inside police stations are documented, including 167 deaths which EOHR strongly suspects were the result of torture and mistreatment. These cases are merely a limited sample amongst hundreds of other cases received by EOHR in which documentation was has to achieve whither by EOHR or by the victims. The c

United States Sets Sanctions Against Iranian Revolutionary Guard Revolutionary Guard, Quds Force targeted for proliferation, terrorist support By David McKeeby USINFO Staff Writer 25 October 2007 Washington -- Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is the target of a new set of U.S. sanctions against its support for international terrorism and role in proliferating weapons of mass destruction. “These actions will help to protect the international financial system from the illicit activities of the Iranian government and they will provide a powerful deterrent to every international bank and company that thinks of doing business with the Iranian government,” Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said October 25. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, who accompanied Rice, said the Iranian regime's ability to develop nuclear and ballistic missile programs relies on access to money from international commercial and financial systems. “Iran also funnels hundreds of millions of dollars each ye

Here are the recent developments concerning the political life, reform and democratic movement in Egypt gathered from the Egypt Monitor . Previous " Egypt Democracy Watch " on Middle East Policy : June 2007 April 2007 December 2006 October 2006 July 2006 Egypt's Constitutional Amendments Egypt Democracy Watch: (Covers the latest two months) Source: The Egypt Monitor Newspapers Protests On October 7, 2007, Twenty-two independent and opposition party newspapers boycotted publishing their papers in protest of government violations of freedom of speech. The day has been declared an international solidarity day with Egyptian journalists. In September, five editors of major newspapers received two-year jail sentences for criticizing the Egyptian regime. The Journalists Syndicate issued a statement highlighting the message of solidarity from Egyptian NGOs and human rights activists. Muslim Brotherhood Leader Released On October 4, 2007, the Cairo Criminal Court decided to rel

This is the news section of the latest issue of Arab Reform Bulletin (September 2007) Published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Headlines: Morocco: Nationalists Win Parliamentary Elections; Journalists on Trial Tunisia: Political Prisoners Released Egypt: Four Editors Convicted; Brotherhood Members Arrested Palestine: Electoral Law Amendments; Hamas Crackdown on Journalists Lebanon: Run-Up to Presidential Elections; Army in Control of Refugee Camp Jordan: Coming Legislative Elections; Municipal Election Results; Prisoners Abuse Syria: Municipal Election Results; Political Prisoner Released Saudi Arabia: Calls for Reform; Suspension of al-Hayat; Demonstrators Charged Kuwait: First Female Minister Resigns; Blogger Arrested; TV Series Banned United Arab Emirates: Website Closed, Administrator Sentenced to Prison Yemen: Editor Abducted, Severely Beaten Mauritania: Slavery Criminalized Upcoming Political Events Contents: Morocco: Nationalists Win Parliamentary Elections

Report of the Secretary-General submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 1757 (2007) of 30 May 2007 4 Sebtember 2007 I. Introduction 1. The present report is submitted pursuant to paragraph 3 of resolution 1757 (2007) of 30 May 2007, by which the Security Council requested me to undertake, in coordination, when appropriate, with the Government of Lebanon, the steps and measures necessary to establish the Special Tribunal in a timely manner and to report to the Council on the implementation of the resolution within 90 days of its adoption and periodically thereafter. 2. By resolution 1757 (2007), the Security Council decided, acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, that the provisions of the document annexed thereto (the “Annex”) on the establishment of the Special Tribunal, including the statute attached thereto (the “Statute”), would enter into force on 10 June 2007, unless the Government of Lebanon had notified the United Nations in writing that the le