The Weekly Wire

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Greetings from the Project on Middle East Democracy!

Last week, violence continued across Syria as the Arab League monitoring mission came to a conclusion and the Emir of Qatar called for direct military intervention to stop the violence. Recent raids on NGOs in Egypt prompted a number of Congressional letters on Egypt’s military aid, and a direct phone call to Field Marshall Tantawi from President Obama. Al-Qaeda activity in Yemen may cause a delay in elections as Saleh refuses to leave the country. Look for next week to be dominated by the January 25th anniversary of protests that led to the overthrow of former president Mubarak in Egypt, and the release of the Arab League Report on Syria.

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The Weekly Wire

January 23, 2012

Legislation

Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) joined 20 other cosponsors by signing on to H.J. Res. 80, which calls for “limiting the issuance of a letter of offer with respect to a certain proposed sale of defense articles and defense services to the Kingdom of Bahrain,” originally introduced by Rep. James McGovern (D-MA).

Committee Hearings There were no relevant committee hearings this week.

From Washington

World Leaders Call for U.N. Security Council Action on Syria, Russia Rejects: President Barack Obama said the U.S. would work with Jordan’s King Abdullah II to put international pressure on President Bashar Al-Assad to step down. The State Department is considering closing down the U.S. embassy, and requested the Syrian government increase protection for U.S. embassy personnel. Comments came after officials voiced concerns over recent suicide car bombings. British Prime Minister David Cameron said he would seek a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the violence in Syria. Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and French Minister of Foreign Affairs Alain Juppe echoed similar sentiments. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia would not support sanctions against Syria and would veto any U.N. proposal that entailed military intervention. Russia proposed to mediate between opposition and the regime. In regards to the Arab League mission in Syria, State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland stressed the need for the Arab League to develop its own observation report and U.S. would work in the Security Council so to “have a strong resolution that reflects the experience that the monitors have had.” Hillary Clinton said the monitoring should not continue indefinitely. Human Rights Watch sent a letter to Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby, urging him to publicly release the report.

U.S Aid to Egypt Questioned after NGO Raids, Election Observation Statements Released: A Washington Post editorial recommended that the U.S. government withhold military aid until all the NGOs raided by Egyptian police are reinstated. Eleven U.S. senators co-signed a letter to Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, criticizing the raids and saying restriction on NGO activities will be “looked at with great concern, particularly in light of Egypt’s considerable assistance.” Twenty-eight members of the U.S. House of Representatives issued a similar bipartisan letter. Following up a phone call that was made several months ago, President Barack Obama called Tantawi again to reaffirm U.S. support of the democratic transition. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also made a phone call to Egypt’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Amr, to discuss the country’s economic and political situation, and events in Syria. The International Republican Institute (IRI) released its assessment of the final round of voting for Egypt’s lower house of parliament, and the Carter Center posted an executive summary of its observations as well. In response to Mohamed ElBaradei’s withdrawal from the presidential race in Egypt, Matt Bradley argued it wouldn’t alter existing power balance. David Kirkpatrick said ElBaradei’s exit could result in his endorsement of former Muslim Brotherhood leader Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh.

Clinton meets with Algerian Foreign Minister: Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci met with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for talks regarding economic ties, military co-operation and political issues for the upcoming parliament elections. Clinton renewed U.S. commitment to working with Algeria through their upcoming election, and reports emerged she may travel to Algeria in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Mourad Dhina was arrested by French police at the request of the Algerian authorities. Web news Alkarama sent appeals to the U.N. requesting his immediate release.

Presidential Candidate Perry Claims Turkey Ruled by Terrorists: Despite backlash, Perry’s foreign policy adviser Victoria Coates said Perry didn’t think an apology was warranted. Perry also questioned Turkey’s NATO membership, and stated the U.S. should review all foreign aid to Turkey. State Department Spokesman Mark Toner dismissed Perry’s statements and affirmed Turkey as an ally.

White House Denies Letter to Iran: The White House denied the existence of a secret letter to Iran. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said the U.S. is still open to a diplomatic solution with Iran. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland concurred, but said that the choice to talk would be left to Iran. Panetta clarified that no special military preparations are underway to deal with Iran. U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey arrived in Israel for a series of talks with Israeli leaders about how the two countries should respond to Iran’s nuclear program.

World Leaders Criticize Saleh, Kuwait Elections Upcoming: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made it clear that Saleh’s efforts to delay elections were a direct violation of the Gulf Cooperation Council agreement. Amnesty International’s interim Director for the Middle East and North Africa Philip Luther declared that the immunity draft law was “a smack in the face for justice.” U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay expressed disagreement with amnesty law. On Kuwait, Nathan Brown suggested it is “moving in the direction of a constitutional monarchy."

Also Worth Reading

Human Rights Watch released a report, The Road Ahead: A Human Rights Agenda for Egypt’s New Parliament” on the framework of repressive laws that underpinned the regime of former President Hosni Mubarak and its recommendations for reform.

Freedom House released a report, Freedom in the World Report 2012, which details the events and developments of the Arab Spring and the monumental impact the uprisings had across the world.

IREX & The Centre for Law and Democracy released a report detailing five pieces of legislation affecting the freedoms of assembly and expression in Iraq.

From the Middle East

Emir of Qatar Calls for Military Intervention in Syria: The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani called for military intervention in Syria, the first time an Arab leader has done so. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé stated that the situation is intolerable, while Syria “absolutely rejected” any plan to send Arab troops into the country. Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed Syria is proud of its sovereignty and rejects foreign interference. Tariq Alhomayed stated an Arab intervention “must be made under the umbrella of the Security Council.” The Arab League’s month-long observation efforts ended last week, amid serious concerns raised about the credibility of the monitors’ report. New observers will most likely be deployed after the Arab League holds their ministerial meetings, according to an Arab League source. Nabil Elaraby expressed concerns about potential civil war. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights agreed to offer observers training before deployment. Mohammad Shaqfa, leader of Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood, called for international isolation of Bashar al-Assa . A brief ceasefire within the town of Zabadani was broken. The Syrian Emergency Task Force condemned the Syrian army’s attacks on students at Aleppo University. The Syrian National Council (SNC) requested that the Arab League refer the situation to the Security Council. The League’s Deputy Chief of Operations, Ali Jarush said the mission could be extended by another month.

Iraq Suspends Sunni Bloc: The Sunni bloc of the Cabinet, Iraqiya, was suspended for boycotting sessions. Ali al-Dabbagh stated Sunni ministers will not be “allowed to manage ministries, and all decisions that will be signed by them are invalid.” Ali al-Moussawi said, ministers could return if they ceased boycotting. Iyad Allawi, former Prime Minister of Iraq, urged U.S. diplomatic intervention. Recent sectarian violence killed 53, and there have been more than 150 deaths in the past three weeks.

Tunisia Celebrated Anniversary of Revolution: Tunisians gathered to celebrate the revolution. Protesters demanded the extradition of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his wife Leila Trabelsi in front of the Saudi Embassy. Newly-elected President Moncef Marzouki gave a speech; Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, head of Libya’s interim government Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, and the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani commemorated the anniversary. Opposition movements criticized the celebrations due to the absence of representatives of leading democracies. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg stated the Tunisian uprising experience was more of an “exception” than a “model.”

New NGO Law Proposed in Egypt, ElBaradei Withdraws from Presidential Race: The Egyptian Ministry of Insurance and Social Affairs proposed a law governing the activities of NGOs, while Mohammed Al Demerdash, legal advisor to the ministry, said the law was not finalized. A coalition of human rights organizations criticized the law as "more despotic" than the current rules and said it was being driven by “followers of the ousted dictator Hosni Mubarak” like Fayza Aboul Naga, the minister of International Cooperation. Former IAEA chief Mohammed ElBaradei withdrew from Egypt’s presidential race. Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi appointed 10 members of parliament, including five Copts.

Al Qaeda Activity Could Delay Yemen Elections: Yemen’s Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirb said presidential elections may be delayed due to unrest, which may anger opposition leaders and activists. A ruling official said Ali Abdullah Saleh made a request to parliament to delay the elections. Fighters of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) who swore allegiance to Ayman al Zawahiri, their leader, captured the town of Rada’a. The forces raised the al Qaeda flag over the city. The opposition Joint Meeting Parties blamed Saleh’s family for letting al Qaeda militants take the city of Radda. A draft immunity law was amended to limit the protection that Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s aides would enjoy. The draft was proposed to the President if he agreed to step down after elections held in February 2012. Four people protesting the draft law were killed by security forces. Saleh finally gave a farewell speech before preparing to leave the country for good. Iran Cracks Down on Internet Freedom, Reaches out to Syrian Muslim Brotherhood: The Iranian Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of Web site designer Saeed Malekpour. Iranian officials have arrested and prosecuted violators of “Internet crimes.” Prosecutor-General Legal Assistant Abdosamad Khoramabadi introduced legislation of a list of “Internet crimes” which will govern the March 2012 elections. E.U. officials spoke out against the use of surveillance and urged Western governments to support grassroots activity in Iran. Reporters Without Borders continued to support H.R. 3605, the Global Internet Freedom Act (GOFA), and wrote to the U.N. Office of High Commissioner to intercede in the recent cases of crackdowns. Iranian lawmaker Ali Motahari claimed an alleged letter from the U.S. warned Iran not close the Strait of Hormuz, and called for talks. Iranian officials attempted but failed to mediate a power deal with Syrian Muslim Brotherhood leaders. Brotherhood Secretary General Tayfour Farouq said that the Brotherhood would refuse to meet with Iranian mediators.

Violence Continues Between Libyan Militias: Nine victims were killed in a clash between militias around Gharyan. Chairman of the National Transitional Council (NTC) Mustafa Abdel Jalil expressed concerns about a potential civil war if the militias were not brought under control. NTC Spokesman Abdelhafiz Ghoga was escorted away after being mobbed by students in Benghazi. Protesters stormed a government office in Benghazi, where Jalil was inside. Though the NTC has Western support, many Libyans believe the NTC members are too closely tied to the Gaddafi regime. Following the storming, Ghoga has resigned, and Jalil has suspended six members of the transitional government.

Protests Broken Up in Bahrain: Demonstrators rallied in Manama after Al Wefaq was denied permission; Bahraini police broke up the protests. Protesters met a Bahrain airshow with black smoke in the skies, attempting to embarrass government officials. Racing champion Damon Hill supported Formula One returning to Bahrain.

Kuwait Scheduled Parliament Elections in February: Kuwait prepared for parliament elections, to be held on February 2. Elections followed a dissolution decreed after the resignation of Prime Minister Nasser Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah. Former MPs called for an election boycott in response to the Interior Ministry’s decision to disqualify 14 candidates. For the first time, an election monitoring committee and 30 international observers will monitor the voting process. Meanwhile, Riot police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters demanding citizenship and rights.

Anwar Malek, former observer shares experience: A former observer Algerian journalist Anwar Malek volunteered to discuss his experience in an interview with NPR.