March 28, 2011

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Legislation
 
There was no relevant legislation, as Congress was in recess last week.
 
 
Committee Hearings
  
There were also no relevant committee hearings, as Congress was in recess last week.
 

From Washington

 

Congress Split on Libya: Senators Jim Webb (D-VA), Richard Lugar (R-IN), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Mike Lee (R-UT) criticized the Obama administration’s decision to intervene in Libya without Congressional approval. Lugar asked for a hearing on the issue, which will be held this week. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Senators Al Franken (D-MN), Richard Lugar (R-IN), and Mark Begich (D-AK) asked the administration to specify the costs of the operation and a concrete military objective. Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) made it clear that “we must not have American boots on the ground.” In contrast, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), John Kerry (D-MA), Carl Levin (D-MI) and Jeff Sessions (R-AL) defended the intervention. Senator John Thune (R-SD) argued that President Barack Obama did not need the consent of Congress. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Jack Reed (D-RI) voiced support for the President’s actions in Libya and believed Senators would support the mission in Libya if it is put to a vote. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and John McCain (R-AZ) called on the administration to expand the military mission to include removing Moammar Gadhafi from power. McCain also hopes that Gadhafi will be tried for war crimes and that the U.S. will begin to arm the Libyan rebels.      

 
Obama Briefs Congress on Libya: President Barack Obama defended U.S. involvement in Libya and briefed congressional leaders on the U.S. military intervention, including the full transfer of enforcement of the no-fly zone to NATO. He plans to deliver a speech on Monday to update the American people on the situation in Libya. Gene Cretz, U.S. Ambassador to Libya, also held a special briefing on the situation.
 
Analysts Debate Libyan Intervention: Steve Hynd points to claims that rebel military leaders had greatly exaggerated their capabilities, leading him to conclude that the situation in Libya can easily become a quagmire for the coalition. Fareed Zakaria discussed the Obama administration’s multilateral approach to Libya, called for the arming of the Libyan rebels, and for Barack Obama to keep America’s military involvement limited. The U.S. State Department commended the African Union meeting that convened to discuss the situation in Libya.
 
Egypt Holds Referendum, U.S. Leaders Visit Cairo: Analyst Issandr El Amrani asserted the ruling military council should not get the “benefit of the doubt,” but the council seems committed to a transfer to civilian government. Gary C. Gambill argued that support for the referendum may actually signify the military's success in manipulating the transition process to stall political reform. Elizabeth Arrott stated that the results pave the way for the proposed timetable of elections, which many fear will benefit the Muslim Brotherhood and the remnants of the former ruling party, the NDP. Yasmine El Rashidi discussed the Brotherhood’s negative role in the referendum.  Senator John Kerry (D-MA) traveled to Cairo for talks with Egypt’s military leadership, Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, Foreign Minister Nabil El-Arabi and Arab League chief Amr Moussa to discuss the latest political developments in Egypt and Libya, and stated his optimism about prospects for democracy. Defense Secretary Robert Gates also traveled to Cairo last week to urge Egyptian leaders to remain committed to a “calm transition” and the peace process. The New York Times asserts in an editorial that Libya and other events in the Middle East must not take precedent over the important “unfinished revolution” in Egypt.

Syrian Protests Turn Violent: Steven Cook questioned whether revolution is possible in Syria, and Steven Starr cautioned that the unrest is not a unified "revolutionary" movement.  Ammar Abdulhamid asserted that the size of demonstrations is limited partly in response to fears that a Gadhafi victory in Libya would make Syria’s revolutionary cause more difficult.  State Department Spokesman Mark C. Toner condemned violence and civilian deaths in Deraa and called for restraint. Ahed Al Hend discusses the Syrian’s cries for freedom.
 
Protests in the Gulf: In Bahrain, Salman Sheikh states that the situation is exposing longstanding regional tensions between the Saudis and Iranians and could draw the two countries into a regional or proxy war in Bahrain. Daniel L. Byman cautioned that the fall of President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Yemen could make the country even more unstable, with the possibility of civil war and increased risk of terrorism.

Click the image above to see an interactive timeline of protests in the Middle East.
 

 
Reshaping U.S. Policy Toward the Middle East: Analyst Ray Takeyh argued that the U.S. should actively work to fortify the “political center” against Islamist fringe parties who will seek to manipulate democratic transitions in the region. Matt Duss criticized Takeyh, stating that the focus should be on assisting in the creation of strong, accountable and transparent processes and institutions, not on selecting the people who should run them. Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner discussed how the slogans from Tahrir Square echo President Franklin D. Roosevelt‘s “Four Freedoms” and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Senator John Kerry (D-MA) in an op-ed declares: “What is happening in the Middle East could be the most important geostrategic shift since the fall of the Berlin Wall.” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates discussed and defended U.S. policy in Libya. 

Tunisia Plans for New Constitution and Elections:  Tara Bahrampour discussed Tunisians' eagerness for a successful democratic transition and the security and economic challenges they face. Tunisia’s election commission chairman Yad Ben Achour stated that the body will draft  a new electoral code by the end of the month and a new constitution by June, which will be presented to an elected constituent assembly.  The constituent assembly will elect temporary leaders and continue work on the constitution ahead of new elections. The U.S. State Department announced that it will give $20 million in assistance to Tunisia to aid democracy building efforts.  U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon announced that the U.N. will send a panel of experts to help organize elections in July. 
 
U.N. Special Rapporteur on Iran Created and Applauded: The National American Iranian Council and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton applauded the creation of a Special Rapporteur to Iran by the U.N. Human Rights Council, as proposed by the U.S. and Sweden. The vote passed 22-7 with 14 countries abstaining.  
  

From the Middle East

Violence Against Protests in Syria, Reforms Announced: Protests in Syria spread and escalated after security forces opened fire on demonstrators in the southern city of Deraa, killing at least 47 people over the course of the week.  Syrian security forces also made an early morning raid on a mosque in Deraa that killed six people, claiming they were fighting "gang members" inside the mosque.  About 200 people had gathered in Damascus after Friday prayers to demonstrate in support of Deraa, but were quickly dispersed by police who arrested dozens.  Reports also indicated that hundreds of people took to the streets in Homs, with smaller rallies in Duma, Latakia, and Al Raqqa.  In response to the growing unrest, Bouthaina Shaaban, an advisor to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, said the government would prepare new laws on media and political parties and pursue job growth, and is considering lifting  the state of emergency.
 

Leaders Withdraw Support for Saleh in Yemen: Several Yemeni army commanders, including Major General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, defected and declared their support for anti-government protesters following the resignation of several government ministers, prompting President Ali Abdullah Saleh to fire his cabinet.  Yemeni ambassadors to the U.N. and several nations resigned from their posts, joining others who resigned from Saleh’s ruling party.  Saleh's own tribe also declared its support for the protesters. Defense Minister Mohammed Nasser Ahmed announced on state TV that the military would remain loyal to the government.  Saleh had pledged  to step down from power by the end of the year, promising a constitutional transfer of power.  However, Yemen’s parliament enacted an emergency law which granted the government new powers of arrest, detention, and censorship.  Reports last week also indicated that Saleh planned to resign from his position "within days" to pave the way for a civilian-led transitional government. The opposition rejected Saleh's proposal and thousands took to the streets of Sana’a demanding his immediate resignation and an increase in political freedom.
 

Egypt Referendum: Last week, the Egyptian Association for Supporting Democratic Development (EASD) and the Egyptian Association for Community Participation Enhancement (EACPE), both issued reports and offered recommendations on the referendum. The reports showed that despite some irregularities, the referendum, which had relatively high turnout, was fair.  Pope Shenouda III, head of Egypt’s Coptic Christian Church, suggested modifying Article 2 of the constitution, which declares Islamic law as the main source of civil legislation in Egypt.

 
Mubarak, Former Officials Charged: Deposed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has been charged, along with Former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly, with ordering the murder of protesters. Al-Adly was referred to the courts, along with four of his aides, for his role in ordering protesters to be shot.  Four security chiefs were also indicted.
 
Muslim Brotherhood Reconsiders Candidate Quota:The Muslim Brotherhood reconsidered the previously stated goal of only fielding candidates for 35% of seats in parliament. Some analysts believe that the decision came as a result of the criticisms the Brotherhood faced for their actions during the constitutional referendum.

Human Rights Violations in Libya, As Opposition Advances: With the help of coalition air strikes, the Libyan opposition has retaken Bin Jawad, Ras Lanuf, Uqayla, Brega and Ajdabiya as they continue to march against Gadhafi's forces. As the fighting continued across Libya, the foreign press captured video of a Libyan woman, Iman Al-Obaidi, who attempted to tell of her brutal rape by numerous Gadhafi militiamen, while Libyan officials attempted to silence her and the press from leaking the story. The Libyan Interim Transitional National Council released a statement condemning the violence against Ms. Al-Obaidi and demanded her release as well as immediate indictments of those who have perpetrated war crimes in Libya by the International Criminal Court. 
    

 

In Case You Missed It
 

On Tuesday (3/21) the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) held an event focused on electoral reform in Jordan entitled, “Next Steps for Electoral Reform in Jordan: A presentation with Jordan’s Director of Elections.” Michael Svetlik, Vice President of Programs for the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, moderated and introduced the speaker, Saad Shehab, the Director of the Elections Department at the Jordanian Ministry of Interior.

 
On Tuesday (3/21), the Stimson Center hosted a discussion, entitled, “Resilient Authoritarianism and the Future of Democracy Promotion in the Middle East – Lessons from Syria and Iran” on the future of non-democratic regimes in the Middle East and the policy implications of the unprecedented uprisings in the region. Ellen Laipson, President and CEO of the Stimson Center made opening remarks and introduced Steve Heydemann, Senior Vice President and Special Adviser to the Center for Conflict Management at the US Institute of Peace and a Research Associate at Georgetown University who then introduced his co- panelists: Reinoud Leenders, lecturer in International Relations and Comparative Politics at the University of Amsterdam, and Kevan Harris, an advanced doctoral candidate in the Department of Sociology at the John Hopkins University.
 
On Wednesday (3/23), the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brooking Institute hosted Moroccan Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri, at an event, entitled “Embracing Reform: A Message from King Mohammed VI of Morocco” Fihri delivered King Mohammed VI‘s message of reform and discussed the challenges facing the wider Arab world today. Vice President Martin Indyk, director of Foreign Policy at Brookings, provided introductory remarks and moderated the discussion.
 
On Wednesday (3/23), The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace hosted a discussion entitled “The Arab Uprisings: A View from the University on Tahrir Square”  with Lisa Anderson, President of the American University of Cairo. Marwan Muasher, vice president for studies at The Carnegie Endowment moderated the event.
 
On Thursday (3/24), the Brookings Institution hosted a discussion, "The Role of Civil Society in a New Egypt" over the role civil society can play in supporting the country’s development in its democratic transition. John Page, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution made opening remarks and introduced the following panelists: Shadi Hamid, Director of Research at the Brookings Doha Center; Hisham Fahmy, CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt; Jackie Kameel, Managing Director of Nahdet El Mahrousa; Awais Sufi, Vice President of the International Youth Foundation; and Amira Maaty, Program Officer for Middle East and North Africa at the National Endowment for Democracy