Algerian President Bouteflika Seeks Constitutional Amendments
Photo Credit: Reuters A set of proposed constitutional amendments may allow Abdelaziz Bouteflika to seek a fourth term. Although details of the reform package are not yet known,”Bouteflika’s allies say...
View ArticleSFRC Passes Egypt Assistance Reform Act
Photo Credit: Christian Stork The Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed the Egypt Assistance Reform Act out of committee this week in a bipartisan vote of 16-1. The bill, introduced by chairman of...
View ArticleTurkey Tops CPJ’s List of Jailing Journalists
Photo Credit: Reuters The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released their annual prison report and for the second consecutive year Turkey ranked as the world’s leading jailer of journalists with...
View ArticleMorsi Accused of Espionage; Ahmed Maher Speaks Out
Photo Credit: Reuters Egypt’s deposed President Mohamed Morsi will stand trial on charges of conspiring to commit “terrorist acts” in Egypt, according to Al Jazeera. Morsi has been previously accused...
View ArticleTWQ Report: Bringing the U.S. Back Into MENA
Photo Credit: PPI The Washington Quarterly published a new report titled “Bringing the United States Back Into the Middle East” by Shadi Hamid and Peter Mandaville. Shadi Hamid is a POMED board...
View ArticlePOMED Notes: “Egypt’s New Constitution: Fulfilling the Revolution’s Goals?”
Photo Credit: The Atlantic Council The Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East held a panel discussion on December 11 titled, “Egypt’s New Constitution: Fulfilling the Revolution’s...
View ArticleSaudis Pass New Anti-Terror Law
Photo Credit: AP/Hassan Ammar The Associated Press’s Aya Batrawy reports that Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet approved a new anti-terrorism law criminalizing acts that “disturb public order, defame the...
View ArticleAnne Patterson Confirmed By US Senate
Photo Credit: Reuters Anne Patterson has been confirmed as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs after a 78-16 vote. Patterson has previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to Egypt and...
View ArticleYemen’s Parliament in Non-Binding Vote Against Drone Strikes
Photo Credit: Mohammed Huwais/Getty Images Following a U.S. drone strike last week that reportedly killed 14 and injured 22 in a wedding convoy, Yemen’s parliament voted to end drone strikes in Yemen....
View ArticleTunisia Selects Interim PM; Opposition Parties Voice Concerns
Photo Credit: Associated Press According to the New York Times Tunisia’s political parties have successfully reached a consensus on an interim prime minister on late Saturday. The agreed upon...
View ArticleLibyan Oil Ports To Remain Closed
Photo Credit: AFP According to Al Jazeera, Ibrahim Jodhrane, the head of the security guards at the closed ports, said they had not reached an agreement with the Libyan government for more autonomy...
View ArticleSaudi Activist Sentenced; Prince Criticizes US Mideast Policy
Photo Credit: The Guardian Saudi Arabian judge Issa al-Matrudi sentenced Omar al-Saeed, a leading human rights activist and the fourth member of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association...
View ArticleAmnesty Calls on Bahrain to Halt Abuse of Children
Photo Credit: Amnesty Amnesty International released a report titled, “Bahrain: Children in a Maze of Injustice.” The report accuses Bahraini security officers of arresting scores of children ”on...
View ArticleTunisia Interim-PM Agreement Reportedly Falls Apart
Photo Credit: AFP / Fethi Belaid After initially reporting Tunisia’s political parties reached a deal for interim prime minister, the agreement reportedly fell apart on Friday after the agreed upon...
View ArticlePOMED Notes: U.S. House Joint Subcommittee Hearing – “Human Rights Abuses in...
Photo Credit: Matt Ford/Human Rights Watch On Tuesday, December 10, 2013 the United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International...
View ArticleTurkey Releases MP from Prison; Closes Syrian Border
Photo Credit: EMİN AKDAĞ According to Reuters, Mustafa Balbay, a journalist and Turkish member of Parliament, was released from prison after more than four years this week. Balbay, a member of the...
View ArticleUS, UK Suspend Non-Lethal Aid to Northern Syria
Photo Credit: Al Jazeera A new alliance of Islamist rebel groups, the Islamic Front, seized headquarters and warehouses belonging to the Syrian opposition’s Supreme Military Council, including...
View ArticleGulf Cooperation Council Forms Union
Photo Credit: AN photo by Khaled Al-Khamees The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) agreed to form a unified military command structure and unified police force after the annual Gulf summit held in Kuwait...
View ArticleMoroccan Police Clash with Sahrawi Protesters
Photo Credit: AP/Paul Schemm Paul Schemm, of the Associated Press, reported that Moroccan police clashed with Sahrawi protesters in Western Sahara. The demonstrations were reportedly over a new...
View ArticleLibya, US Sign Declaration of Intent
Photo Credit: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images The U.S. Department of Justice and the Libyan Ministry of Justice signed a declaration of intent that stipulates both countries desire “to facilitate...
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