Tag: Iran

Tweets Of Iranian President Elections & The Green Elections

  1. Was it fraud? Or does Ahmadinejad’s “win” reflect his ability to cast himself a champion of the poor in a state where the majority is poor? 3:51 PM Jun 13th
  2. If fraud was involved in the elections, then Ahmadinejad and clique, with Khamenei’s backing, must have already planned for a showdown. 6:06 PM Jun 13th
  3.  Should Ahmadinejad emerge emboldened and unscathed from the current showdown, then our eyes should immediately turn back to Lebanon and Gaza 6:20 PM Jun 13th
  4. Fraud or no fraud, the world now has to deal with a more defiant Ahmadinejad and a troubling N. Korea. The “Axis of Evil” is fighting back. 6:38 PM Jun 13th
  5. Terminologies notwithstanding, the current situation in Iran argues for more sustained support for democracy activists in our region. 6:42 PM Jun 13th Continue reading “Tweets Of Iranian President Elections & The Green Elections” →

Activists honored by President George W. Bush

On July 24, I was invited to attend President George W. Bush speech on his Freedom Agenda, an event hosted by USAID. Prior to the speech, and alongside a number of colleagues from Belarus, Cuba, Burma, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Zimbabwe, we had a brief encounter with the President. One the most memorable aspect of the meeting was when the President whispered in my ear that he was sorry for not doing enough about Syria. Continue reading “Activists honored by President George W. Bush” →

THE STATE OF SYRIA UNDER THE ASSADS & PROSPECTS FOR CHANGE

On April 24, 2008, I became the first Syrian citizen to deliver a testimony in the U.S. Congress. My co-panelists included my colleagues from the Brookings Institution: Martin Indyk and Peter Rodman. In the testimony I try to set the record straight on the deteriorating internal situation in Syria focusing on Assad’s weakening grip and signs of growing popular discontent. The text of the testimony can be found below, and also on the House Foreign Affairs Committee website. Continue reading “THE STATE OF SYRIA UNDER THE ASSADS & PROSPECTS FOR CHANGE” →

Rosy Scenarios & Regional Realities!

The Saudis, led by prince Bandar, seems to be doing a really great job trying to break up the HISH Alliance. They are doing this by engaging both the weakest and strongest links in the Alliance. Indeed, and rather than trying to wean the proven hopeless Assads off of their dependence on Iran and Hezbollah, as the pro-engagement crowd in the US was want to do, the Saudis went straight to the source, to the puppet-masters themselves, and showed them the wisdom of divesting themselves from the pesky and troublemaking Assads. In the meantime, they managed to sponsor an important summit in Mecca in which they sponsored a deal between the warring factions in Gaza, and reestablished their patronage over the weakest link in the Alliance – Hamas. Continue reading “Rosy Scenarios & Regional Realities!” →