Dear Friends,
Greetings from the Project on Middle East Democracy!
A new law to allow political parties to form in Syria was passed, while several Egyptian political parties and activists continued their protests in Tahrir Square against actions of the military council. The royally-appointed fact-finding committee in Bahrain began its work, while analysts noted increasing anti-Americanism in the Gulf monarchy. In Congress, the State and Foreign Operations spending bill was passed by the related House subcommittee, which dramatically decreased funding to the U.S. State Department, USAID, the United Nations, and other foreign assistance. Next week, look for the bill to be debated by the House Appropriations Subcommittee in Washington. In the Middle East, expect increased protests throughout the region as Ramadan begins.
For more detailed coverage of the debates surrounding U.S. foreign policy and the prospects for democracy in the Middle East, be sure to check out our blog, the POMED Wire
Also, POMED's Weekly Wire is now available in Arabic - to register to receive the Arabic version by email, please click here.