Excerpt from USG Open Source Center translation of remarks reported in the pan-Arab daily, al-Sharq al-Awsat [The Middle East] of Egyptian democracy activist Asma Mahfouz on her disappointment in President Obama’s speech. Mahfouz’s video calling for the Jan. 25 demonstration in Tahrir Square went viral and contributed to its success. ‘ Report by Abd-al-Sattar Hutaytah, […]
Obama and the Dilemmas of US Middle East Policy
President Obama’s major policy address on the Middle East got many things right. He pointed to al-Qaeda and terrorism, which targets civilians, as a dead end. He sided rhetorically with the grassroots movements for greater democracy in the region. He condemned outright the longstanding regimes, like that of Hosni Mubarak, that had been US allies, […]
President Obama’s Address on Change in the Middle East
May 19, 2011 Remarks of President Barack Obama – As Prepared for Delivery “A Moment of Opportunity” U.S. Department of State May 19, 2011 As Prepared for Delivery – I want to thank Hillary Clinton, who has traveled so much these last six months that she is approaching a new landmark – one million frequent […]
Syria Sanctions target al-Asad ahead of Obama Speech
The Obama administration is now targeting Bashar al-Asad and other top Syrian officials with financial sanctions. The US Treasury Department has extensive abilities to freeze assets and to influence financial institutions. Likely the European Union will follow suit soon Obama came into office wanting better relations with Syria and sending an ambassador. The Arab Spring […]
12 Killed in Big Anti-NATO Demonstration in Afghanistan
The LAT reports that a night-time raid by NATO forces that left 4 dead provoked a big demonstration in Taloqan in northern Afghanistan, the repression of which killed 12 and wounded 70. Taloqan is the capital of Takhar Province, population about 200,000 and people of Uzbek ethnicity are the single largest group. The area was […]
Salaita: Dressing like a Terrorist
Steven Salaita writes in a guest column for Informed Comment Dressing Like a Terrorist Like many others, I was dismayed to learn of the two imams wearing traditional Muslim garb who were forcibly removed a couple of weeks ago from an airplane that was to carry them to a conference on Islamophobia (the irrational fear […]
Drake the Heroic Whistleblower
Is Thomas Drake, the National Security Agency whistleblower a hero or a criminal? A hero, obviously. Drake revealed to the Baltimore Sun how how the NSA abandoned a legal and promising data mining program for an intrusive, unconstitutional and ultimately useless one. For telling the public how its rights had been violated and its money […]
Tripoli’s Gradual Collapse: ICC Indictment of Qaddafi and Ghanem’s Defection
Libyan Oil Minister Shukri Ghanem has defected from the Qaddafi regime and fled to Tunisia. This defection is a big deal. Ghanem had been at OPEC when Libya was under economic sanctions, and his return to Libya as prime minister and head of the ruling party in 2003 was intended to signal Muammar Qaddafi’s return […]
Shihade: A New Era for Palestinians
Magid Shihade writes in a guest column for Informed Comment The Palestinian Unity Agreement and the Beginning of New Era The agreement of reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas, ending years of Palestinian political divisions and paralysis, was signed last week. The reasons for signing the unity agreement at this point are many including local, regional […]
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