Tag: Egypt
Peace picks June 24-28
Summer doldrums have not yet arrived:
1. The Chinese Cyber Challenge: How to Address the Growing Threat, Atlantic Council, Monday, June 24 / 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Venue: Army & Navy Club
901 17th St, NW, Washington, DC 20006
Speakers: Dmitri Alperovitch, James Mulvenon, Gregory J. Rattray, Jason Healey
In recent months, the United States has gone public in a series of speeches by senior officials about Chinese cyber espionage. In an address in March to the Asia Society, outgoing national security adviser Thomas E. Donilon said “sophisticated, targeted” thefts of confidential information and technology were coming from China “on an unprecedented scale.” US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel also accused Beijing of involvement in cyber espionage in a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, openly blaming the Chinese government and military for “cyber intrusions” into sensitive US information systems. A summit meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Barack Obama last week brought cybersecurity to the center of US-China relations, but failed to result in any agreement. Cyber espionage destabilizes every facet of the US-China relationship, and how the United States addresses these problems will be a harbinger of its overall approach to the challenge China poses to the global commons.
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Jon Stewart turns up
Our leader takes us back to Egypt:
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A Wolf in sheep’s clothing?
As the Arab uprisings continue to unfold, it is unclear how countries in the Middle East will act on issues of plurality and human rights. On Monday, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars hosted a talk on the Future of Religious Minorities in the Middle East. Congressman Frank Wolf, co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, delivered a presentation on religious minorities in the region, based on a series of visits to the Middle East.
Wolf reminded that oppression of religious minorities is not new in the region. The Iranian government repressed its Baha’i minority since 1979, killing hundreds of its leaders and dismissing tens of thousands from jobs. The recent uprisings in the region have exacerbated the situation. The Arab Spring “devolved into Winter for many of the most vulnerable in these societies—foremost among them the ancient Christian communities,” according to the Congressman.
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Bouazizi’s lament
Two years into the Arab uprisings, the economic situation in the Middle East remains challenging. This week Adnan Mazarei, Deputy Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), presented the economic outlook for the MENAP region (Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan), based on an IMF report released in May. Afshin Molavi, Senior Research Fellow at the New America Foundation, moderated the discussion. Leila Hilal, Director of the Middle East Task Force at New America, introduced the speakers.
Molavi started by reminding the audience that when Mohammed Bouazizi’s vegetable cart was confiscated, he did not ask for liberty or the downfall of the regime. Instead, Bouazizi wondered how he was supposed to make a living without his cart. Economics have been vital since the beginning of the Arab uprisings. It is essential to examine the future economic outlook in the region. The IMF report attempts to do just that. Read more
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Peace Picks, June 10-14
1. Drones and the Future of Counterterrorism in Pakistan, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Monday, June 10 / 5:00pm – 6:30pm
Venue: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036
Speakers: Frederic Grare, Samina Ahmed
The future use of drones in Pakistan is uncertain after President Obama’s recent speech on national security. Washington has now satisfied some of the demands of Pakistan’s incoming prime minister, Nawaz Sharif. But while drone strikes were seen in Islamabad as a violation of the country’s sovereignty, they were also arguably an effective counterterrorism mechanism. Samina Ahmed will discuss the future use of drones in Pakistan. Frederic Grare will moderate.
Register for the event here:
http://carnegieendowment.org/2013/06/10/drones-and-future-of-counterterrorism-in-pakistan/g7f0
2. Tyranny of Consensus: A Reception with Author Janne E. Nolan, Century Foundation, Monday, June 10 / 5:00pm – 6:30pm
Venue: Stimson Center, 1111 19th Street Northwest, 12th Floor, Washington D.C., DC 20036
Speakers: Janne E. Nolan
In “Tyranny of Consensus,” Nolan examines three cases-the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the proxy war with the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, and the 1998 embassy bombings in East Africa-to find the limitations of American policy-makers in understanding some of the important developments around the world. Assisted by a working group of senior practitioners and policy experts, Nolan finds that it is often the impulse to protect the already arrived at policy consensus that is to blame for failure. Without access to informed discourse or a functioning “marketplace of ideas,” policy-makers can find themselves unable or unwilling to seriously consider possible correctives even to obviously flawed strategies.
Register for the event here:
http://tcf.org/news_events/detail/tyranny-of-consensus-a-reception-with-author-janne-e.-nolan
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Why Israel needs a Palestinian state
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, speaking at the McCain Institute Wednesday, tried to remain diplomatic about his opinions versus the policies of the current Israeli government. It was obvious however, that he held divergent views on the future of Israel.
Olmert’s opposition to the occupation of the Palestinian Territories is the basis of his label as “centrist” or “leftist” in Israeli politics. This surprised Olmert, who considered himself right wing at the beginning of his career. He fears that occupation of Palestinian territories has become the issue that determines left-wing or right-wing. This is one sign of increased polarization within Israeli politics. “I disagree with the occupation of the territories,” Olmert explained, “but I am not a socialist.”
The rest of the discussion was centered on leadership. Olmert explained how his belief regarding the territories came from his ten years as mayor of Jerusalem, when he built 100 Arab schools. But that did nothing to build sustainable peace. The Palestinians want their own state. The face of Israel must change if it is to remain both Jewish and democratic. Morbidly, Olmert explained that to save the life of a person, sometimes you have to cut off a part of the body. To save the Jewish and democratic character of Israel, it must cut off the Palestinian territories. Giving up the dream of greater Israel is heartbreaking. But stubbornly holding onto to that dream is a prescription for endless confrontation. Read more
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