April 23, 2009: Issues of Democracy, the United
Nations, and Regime Change: Alternative Strategies.
The News:
- In
Adopting Harsh Tactics, No Inquiry Into Their Past
Use, NYT
April 22, 2009
- Report
Gives New Detail on Approval of Brutal Techniques , NYT April 22, 2009
- Iran
Officially Welcomes Nuclear Talks ,
NYT April 22,
2009
- Naval
Show to Feature Submarines From China ,
NYT April 22,
2009
- Israel
Puts Iran Issue Ahead of Palestinians,
Washington Post, April 22, 2009
- Israeli
Military Says Actions in Gaza War Did Not Violate International
Law, NYT
April 23, 2009
- More
Than 60 Killed in Two Attacks in Iraq,
NYT April 23,
2009
- Taliban
Seize Vital Pakistan Area Closer to the Capital,
NYT April
23, 2009
- Foreign
Money Seeks to Buy Lebanese Votes
NYT April 23,
2009
Two Years Ago:
- Wave
of Bombings Continues in Iraq NYT Apr
19, 2007
- Bombings
Kill at Least 146 Iraqis in Baghdad NYT
April 18, 2007
- Gates
Says Collapse of Iraqi Government Could Harm
Region, NYT April 18, 2007
- Gates
Reassures Israel About Arms Sales in Gulf NYT Apr 19, 2007
- Bush
Threatens New Sanctions on Sudan Over Darfur, NYT April 18, 2007
- Richard Perle,
"The
Case for War: In Defense of Freedom," PBS April 17, 2007
- U.S.
Missile Deals Bypass, and Annoy, European Union, NYT April 18, 2007
US alliances - NATO? EU? UN Security
Council?
- EU-US relations: Middle East focal
point
- Stabilizing the "Greater Balkans"? Russia-NATO
alliance? see map
- The Asian triangle: China, Japan, and US - and
naval rivalries like pre-1914? - the struggle for oil. US to
encourage careful Japanese upgrade to strengthen the
triangle.
- Eurasia's Revenge? - pan-Europeanism and/or
pan-Asianism on the rise?? Or deepening US strategic connections a
la Brzezinski? Toward a G-10 (including China and India along with
Russia for serious world business)?
- G-8 : from "Greater
Middle East Initiative" of Sea Island
GA in 2004 to the "Broader Middle East and North Africa" of
Gleneagles, Scotland in 2005: democratization?: dilemmas! (link to Daniel Neep article in Middle East Policy, Fall
2004, and to Volker
Perthes analyzing US-EU
differences)
- Middle East Partnership Initiative
(MEPI): 2002-
- Success stories? " In many countries
across the region, the burden of fear
is lifting." (Secy of State C.Rice)
- free, fair, and competitive elections in
the Palestinian territories, Iraq, and Lebanon
- Kuwaiti women attaining the right to vote
and run for office
- Lebanese gathering in Martyrs' Square to
demand democracy
- Moroccan women achieving equal status under
a new family law
- Egyptians voting in their first multi-party
presidential elections
- the irony of placing MEPI in Tunis - see
Ben Ali's "Sweet
Little" Regime
- Is US the kiss of death for reformers? - the
case of Saad eddin Ibrahim, Egyptian human rights activist with
NGO: the Ibn Khaldun
Center
- US-based NGOs: Carnegie Foundation,
Arab
Reform Bulletin
- human rights vs. allies: i.e. Egypt's Mubarak
- squaring the circle of national interest:
promote human rights and regime change only for your enemies! i.e.
Iran and Syria, not Saudi Arabia or Egypt?
- $80 million for democracy promotion in Iran
under the Bush Administration! State Dept: "The United States has
had discussions with Iranian representatives on issues of concern.
The United States believes, however, that normal relations are
impossible until Iran's policies change. Nevertheless, the U.S.
State Department is supporting efforts to further the cause of
democracy in Iran. In 2005, the US Congress allocated $66 million
to promote free media, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and
exchange programs to bring Iranian students, athletes,
professionals and others to the United States."
- Multilateral programs:
-
Main page | classes
| syllabus
April 22, 2009
- Department
of Government, College
of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at
Austin.
- Questions, Comments, and Suggestions to
chenry@mail.utexas.edu