By Celia Canon-Talk Radio News Service

Lebanon has undergone a period of transition as it moves toward a more democratic political system.

As witnessed by the June 7th presidential elections that propelled the Pro-Western Party to power, the impulse to draw a line between the past and the present has brought over 50% of the population to vote.

Graeme Bannerman, MEI adjunct scholar, discussed the positive changes that took place in Lebanon this weekend.

Bannerman said that “The enthusiasm of the Lebanese cannot be underestimated,” later adding that “There was enthusiasm throughout the country for the elections even in areas where there was not stiffed race.”

In 2005, Lebanon underwent a domestic revolution which led to the expulsion of the Syrian military and intelligence, following the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Ongoing investigations have pointed to Syria as the executioner. 

Syrian was in control of Lebanese politics for over 30 years.

This year’s elections were significant to Lebanon in that they reflected a more stable environment to vote for a new government, one that would have seen candidates lead actual campaigns instead of being appointment out of urgency.

On the many points of democratic impulse, Bannerman said “In areas where there was competition and that was mainly in the christian regions, there was very stiff competition and it was very spirited competition: there were long line, there were people who cared about it,  and people showed up and voted.”

In addition to more options, Bannerman spoke of a change in the role of the army, an institution often assumed to be authoritative, saying that “The security was provided by the army and the police, but it was not intimidating security, it was present, it was there it was efficient… The election as a whole went well.”

However Bannerman also mitigated his words, warning that “25% of the districts did not have government candidates” and there were “people with election shirts inside the polling space.”

“There were clearly things they need to improve but everybody gives credit for this being a good election to the minister of the interior,” said Bannerman.

In fact, says Bannerman, even “The opposition… said it was a good election.”

“Where in the Arab world do you actually have an election where people honestly believe that they can affect the outcome of their lives and their government and everything else?,” Bannerman said.

Graeme Bannerman, a Middle East Institute adjunct scholar, warns that the Western world should not jump to conclusions and assume that the victory of the Pro-Western Party implies an overall shift in the Middle East in favor of the West. Bannerman says that the Lebanese insist they did not receive any influence from abroad but solely voted on the basis of their national interests. (0:49)

 

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By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service

America must invest more time, money, and human resources to help those displaced by the ongoing Iraq War, according to human rights advocates from the Washington, D.C.-based Refugees International.

The presence of 2.6 million displaced Iraqis persons is overwhelming to neighboring Middle East countries and is “undermining” to the social fabric of Iraq, said Ken Bacon, President of Refugees International, at a speech made today at the National Press Club.

President Barack Obama talked about displacement with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during his surprise visit to Iraq on Tuesday.

Bacon is happy at what is being seen as a distinct change from the “little attention” that the Bush Administration paid to Iraqi displacement.

It is estimated that since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, 2.6 million Iraqi’s have lost their homes and have fled other parts of the country. An additional 2 million have fled to neighboring countries, including Syria, Jordan and Egypt.

Bacon said that greater American and international support in receiving refugees and providing financial-aid can help stop the crisis.

Displacement of that many people “affects the whole region”, said Bacon, which results in educated citizens and specialized workers fleeing the country.

There are only 18,000 practicing doctors in Iraq, down from 32,000 doctors in 2002. There are more Iraqi doctors in Jordan than in Iraq’s capitol city of Baghdad, Bacon said.

Last year Democratic Senators Robert Casey (PA) and Benjamin Cardin (MD) introduced a bill to increase aid to Iraqi refugees and allow more of them to enter the United States. Since the FY2010 Budget has been approved by Congress, any appropriated funds to help Iraqi citizens would have to come through additional legislation, Bacon said.

A spokesman for Senator Cardin said it has not been decided yet if similar legislation would be introduced in this Congress.

Refugee International’s Field Report on the Iraqi refugee situation said that the Iraqi government is trying to keep more of its citizens from fleeing their homeland. It is feared by the Iraqi government that the existence of so many refugees tarnishes the image of overall security within the country.

The report also said Iraq violated international refugee laws in 2007 by asking Syria not to accept any more Iraqi refugees.

Many refugees have fears of returning home, the report says, because many of those that returned already have been killed.

Kristele Younes, an advocate with Refugees International, says that security is a major issue in Iraqi neighborhoods, with each little borough acting as its own walled off “fiefdom”.

Younes said that the United Nations is trying to place a tourniquet on the flow of persons out of the country by the end of the year, but significant challenges remain in Iraq, including budgetary shortcomings due to low oil prices, corruption within the government and sectarianism.

The Refugees International’s report on Iraq can be found here.

by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

By August 31, 2010 the U.S. combat mission in Iraq will end.

Today at a Press Conference held at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, President Obama addressed his new strategy to end the war in Iraq.

President Obama said that his new strategy would end the war by working on transitioning Iraqis to full responsibility. “To achieve that goal, we will work to promote an Iraqi government that is just, representative, and accountable, and that provides neither support nor safe-haven to terrorists…America’s men and women in uniform, so many of you, fought block by block, province by province, year after year, to give the Iraqis this chance to choose a better future. Now, we must ask the Iraqi people to seize it.”

The first part of Obama’s strategy is to responsibly remove our combat brigades from Iraq. “As we carry out this drawdown, my highest priority will be the safety and security of our troops and civilians in Iraq.” Obama said that once the U.S. has removed combat brigades the next mission is to change from combat to supporting the Iraqi government and its security forces. “As I have long said, we will retain a transitional force to carry out three distinct functions: training, equipping, and advising Iraqi security forces as they remain non sectarian; conducting targeted counter-terrorism missions; and protecting our ongoing civilian and military efforts within Iraq.”

The second part of the strategy is to sustain diplomacy between U.S. and Iraq but Obama stated that since Iraq is a sovereign country, America cannot, and should not, take their place. “Diplomacy and assistance is also required to help the millions of displaced Iraqis. These men, women and children are a living consequence of this war and a challenge to stability in the region, and they must become a part of Iraq’s reconciliation and recovery.”

The third part of the strategy would be to help establish productive and normalized relationships with the Middle East region. “Going forward, the United States will pursue principled and sustained engagement with all of the nations in the region, and that will include Iran and Syria.”

Obama also spoke about working on the United States’ relationship with Iraq as well. “Our nations have known difficult times together. But ours is a bond forged by shared bloodshed, and countless friendships among our people. We Americans have offered our most precious resource, our young men and women, to work with you to rebuild what was destroyed by despotism…The United States pursues no claim on your territory or your resources…Going forward we can build a lasting relationship founded upon mutual interests and mutual respect as Iraq takes its rightful place in the community of nations.”

Obama went on to honor U.S. soldiers for their sacrifice and talked about implementing a 21st century GI Bill, and identifying and treating wounds of the war like post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury that many soldiers endure after. “Your sacrifice should challenge all of us, every single American, to ask what we can do to be better citizens.”

Yoram Peri, head of the Chaim Herzog Institute for Media, Politics and Society at Tel Aviv University gave a lecture today at the Library of Congress titled, “A New Administration Israel and the U.S.: A New Hope for Peace?” He focused on the results of the recent Israeli election and what the likely repercussions will be concerning the peace process.

One outcome of this election is an apparent shift to the right in Israeli voting, with the right-wing and center parties gaining the most seats, and the left-wing party lagging behind. Peri believes that this is based on a philosophy started by Ariel Sharon, that the Israeli government’s first priority should be security and tranquility within Israel, and peace talks should come as a secondary outcome. Therefore people vote for the parties that they believe will keep Israel’s safety first. This shift, therefore, does not mean that Israelis do not want to pursue peace, as public opinion polls show more people than ever supporting a two-state solution with the Palestinians.

Peri was not optimistic that the new Israeli administration will be able to bring about peace with the Palestinians because of Hamas’ control in Gaza, and the lack of national unity within the Palestinian territories. However, Peri believes that peace talks with Syria are highly likely within the next two years, and that this could change the dynamic of power in the entire Middle East. He views Syrians as a good candidate for peace negotiations because the border disputes are not tied to religion, and because the Syrian government presents a united front and can stand by their word. Peri believes that Syria wants to pursue peace with Israel so that they can improve their relation with the United States. He sees this as changing the relations of Syria and Iran, meaning that Syria will also no longer support Hamas. Peri called this possibility “the silver lining” in the prospects for peace in the upcoming years.

Martin Indyk, Senior Fellow and Director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, states that under U.S. pressure to make political moves in advancing neogtiations with the Palestinians, Netanyahu is likely to “deflect American pressure by seeking a deal with the Syrians.” (00:38)

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Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani spoke on a conference call to discuss recent allegations made against Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) that one of his advisers met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is rumored to sponsor terrorism. Giuliani feels that the lack of disclosure on the part of the Illinois senator shows his inexperience.

Giuliani also said that the adviser offered information to Assad on how to effectively negotiate with the Bush administration, but upon returning to the United States did not disclose this meeting to the public. He concluded by saying that Obama is one of the least experienced presidential candidates in the last 100 years, if not all time. Randy Scheunemann, Senior Foreign Policy Adviser to John McCain, added that Obama’s commitment to negotiate with leaders of nations who work with terrorists, as was stated in a debate during the Democratic primaries, also shows Obama’s inexperience.

At a discussion hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, former Iraqi Prime Minister and current member of Parliament, Ayad Allawi, describes the failures of the Parliament to create democracy. He says millions of Iraqis would not be fleeing their country if it was a free democracy. He says fourteen-year-old Iraqi girls fled the country to be prostitutes in Syria rather than remain in unstable Iraq. (1:03)

 

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Senator John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) presidential campaign held a conference call on the one-year anniversary of Senator Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) declaration that he would hold diplomatic meetings with various dictators “without preconditions” once he becomes President. (more…)

 

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David Albright, the president of the Institute for Science and International Security, talks about the Israeli-an attack on Syria’s supposed nuclear facility. Albright says that the U.S. needs to pay more attention to illicit nuclear trading to prevent nations like Syria from being able to create nuclear facilities. He also says that diplomacy is very important, explaining that Syria probably wouldn’t have been able to complete construction of the facility due to what was being said at the Six Party talks. (0:42)

 

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