Blogging in Iran is a high-risk activity, and it is getting ever more so by the day. As the Iranian regime feels the pressure from abroad growing and threatens to flex its muscles by closing the Strait if Hormuz, internal repression in Iran has intensified, and the Internet is a top-priority target. Writes Nir Boms, co-founder of CyberDissidents.org: Apparently, to some in Iran, an American warship or a pro-American blog entry both represent perilous threats that necessitate action. And, like their allies in Syria, they are determined to act. If …
Last year, Egyptians overthrew the Mubarak regime in the name of freedom and democracy. Yet, the transitional government’s recent taking of hostages—foreign nongovernmental staff—reveals that authoritarian tendencies remain a major problem. On Monday, Egypt’s public prosecutor published a list of 43 workers, including 19 Americans, who will be put on trial for violating foreign funding laws. Egypt’s interim government claims that the foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) illegally funded political groups in Egypt’s parliamentary election. The NGOs insist that they provided Egyptians with only technical assistance to help them take part …
You can tell how serious the situation in Syria is getting by looking at the recent actions taken by its neighbors. Earlier this week, the Gulf Cooperation Council—a regional intergovernmental grouping consisting of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—released a condemning proclamation against the Assad Regime and recalled their ambassadors from Damascus. Yesterday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an stated that Turkey is preparing a new initiativewith countries that oppose the current Syrian regime. Although the announcement was vague, the message was serious. Turkey has …
Thousands are dead in Syria, with more blood spilled each day. Iran is within arm’s reach of a nuclear weapon, threatening Israel’s very existence. And in Egypt, 19 Americans are banned from leaving the country, making them veritable hostages in an unfriendly land. All indications are that the Middle East is crumbling, and President Barack Obama’s foreign policy is collapsing right along with it. First look toward Homs, Syria — ground zero in the 11-month-old uprising against the brutal government of Bashar al-Assad, which is unleashing death upon its people …
Relations between Egypt and the United States reached a new low yesterday when Egyptian officials published a list of 43 people, including 19 Americans, accused of interfering in Egypt’s internal politics. The Americans, including Sam LaHood (son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood), who is the country director for the International Republican Institute, have been banned from leaving the country and could soon be brought to trial. Egypt’s transitional government claims that they illegally funded political groups in Egypt’s parliamentary elections, while the non governmental organizations (NGOs) insist that they provided …
Many Americans will not recognize the name Abu Qatada. Qatada is a radical Muslim cleric currently behind bars in the United Kingdom waiting deportation to Jordan for terrorism-related charges. It has been widely reported that he is also wanted by authorities in Belgium, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, and Algeria and has been once described by a Spanish judge as “Osama bin Laden’s right-hand man in Europe.” The British government claims that Qatada provided religious and spiritual advice to extremist groups almost immediately after arriving in Britain in the mid-1990s. Qatada …
In a historic first, Josefina Vazquez Mota was chosen on Sunday to be the presidential candidate for Mexico’s National Action Party (PAN). Vazquez Mota’s primary win makes her the first woman in Mexico’s history to be chosen to run for president by one of the country’s three main parties. The road to Los Pinos, the Mexican equivalent of the White House, will be a difficult one. The lineup is now set. Currently leading in the polls is Revolutionary Institutional Party (PRI) candidate Pena Nieto. With the PRI party, however, comes …
Anyone hoping to see serious changes to Cuba’s ruling system was again disappointed on January 28 when Raul Castro spoke. In a speech marking a critical conference, the Cuban leader promised change, term limits, economic reform, and a willingness to move younger party members to a more elevated status. Yet, as Raul Castro made many promises to his people during his 48-minute address, one could not help but notice the disparity between his words and the reality of Cuban life and politics. At one point, he boasted that Cuba is …
President Obama and President of the Republic of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili recently announced that the two countries should start free-trade negotiations. Let’s hope both presidents are serious. Presidents Obama and Saakashvili should instruct the appropriate government agencies to expedite preparation of the agreement. The most recentU.S.trade agreements, with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea, each took more than five years to get from inception to implementation. This deal could get done in a fraction of that time. Both countries are already relatively open to international trade and investment, and the volume …
With the crisis in Syria escalating, CNN reports that the U.S. State Department has closed its embassy there, pulling out all remaining staff due to security concerns. With the regime’s systematic attacks growing more violent and the potential for sectarian civil war to unfold, the United States should help ease the suffering of the Syrian people and speed the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime by increasing sanctions, providing humanitarian relief to Syrian refugees, and providing diplomatic and economic support—all while holding back from direct military intervention. The decision to close …
