Tag: Pakistan

This week’s peace picks

1. Crisis in Syria: What are US Options? Middle East Policy Council, 9:30am-12:00pm, July 23

The Middle East Policy Council invites you and your colleagues to our 69th Capitol Hill Conference. Live streaming of this event will begin at approximately 9:30am EST on Monday, July 23rd and conclude around noon. A questions and answers session will be held at the end of the proceedings. Refreshments will be served. If you are watching the livestream and want to submit a question for one of the speakers, email MEPCQuestions@gmail.com. Please be sure to be concise and specify the speaker you are addressing.

 

Speakers:  

RADWAN ZIADEH

Spokesperson, Syrian National Council 

MARK N. KATZ

Professor, George Mason University; Author,Leaving without Losing

STEVEN HEYDEMANN

Senior Adviser, Middle East Initiatives, USIP; Adjunct Professor, Georgetown

LEON HADAR

Senior Analyst, Wikistrat


Moderator:

THOMAS R. MATTAIR

Executive Director, Middle East Policy Counci

Location: Rayburn House Office Building, Room B338/9
RSVP Acceptances only: (202) 296-6767 or info@mepc.org

Website: http://mepc.org/hill-forums/crisis-syria

 

 

2.  Police Reform in Pakistan, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 3:00-5:00 pm July 25

Pakistan’s police force faces formidable challenges, ranging from rising crime rates and sustained terrorist campaigns, to limited resources, inadequate training, and poor management. Despite this reality, policymakers have yet to include the law enforcement sector as a top priority for investment and reform.

In this context, Asia Society Senior Advisor Hassan Abbas and experts from both Pakistan and the United States have collaborated to provide a framework for law enforcement reform throughout the country. The culminating report by the Independent Commission on Pakistan Police Reform is the result of extensive interviews conducted throughout Pakistan with experienced police officials, security analysts, and legal experts, in addition to articles contributed by experts in the field. The report is also informed by Dr. Abbas’s service in Pakistan’s police force in the 1990s and his subsequent research and work on counterterrorism during his academic career in the United States.

In conjunction with the launch of the report, Commission members will discuss the current state of Pakistan’s police force and offer recommendations for enhancing the capacity of police to check the growth of organized crime and conduct critical counterterrorism operations throughout the country.

This event is being held in partnership with the Middle East Institute.

SPEAKERS: 
Hassan Abbas is a Senior Advisor and Bernard Schwartz Fellow at Asia Society and Professor of International Security Studies at National Defense University’s College of International Security Affairs. As a former government official in Pakistan, he served in the administrations of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto (1995–1996) and President Pervez Musharraf (1999–2000).

Aitzaz Ahsan is a Barrister-at-Law and a Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He is a former Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Interior, Narcotics Control, and Education. Elected to the Senate of Pakistan in 1994, he then served as the leader of the House and the leader of the Opposition. He was previously the President of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

Arif Alikhan is Deputy Executive Director for Law Enforcement and Homeland at Los Angeles World Airports and a former Distinguished Professor of Homeland Security and Counterterrorism at National Defense University. He previously served as Assistant Secretary for Policy Development at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and as Deputy Mayor for Homeland Security and Public Safety for the City of Los Angeles.

Wendy Chamberlin (moderator) is President of the Middle East Institute. She previously served as Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees from 2004 to 2007. A 29-year veteran of the U.S. Foreign Service, she was Ambassador to Pakistan from 2001 to 2002.

Location:
1779 Massachusetts Avenue Northwest  Washington, DC 20036

Website: http://asiasociety.org/calendars/polic…

 

3. Bearing Witness to Syria’s Tragedies, New America Foundation, Tuesday, July 24, 2012, 12:15pm-1:45pm

The New America Foundation’s Middle East Task Force and the Syrian American Council invite you to a discussion with Rev. Paolo Dall’Oglio on the situation inside Syria and future prospects for the country.

A month ago, Father Paolo, an Italian Jesuit priest, was expelled by the Syrian government for his work on behalf of the opposition and his outspoken criticism of the government’s repression. Father Paolo left behind a 30 year long legacy of promoting interfaith dialogue, having helped to restore a 1,000 year old monastery in Nebek, north of Damascus, which became a site of Christian and Muslim understanding and welcomed all faiths.

What are the prospects for political and religious unity among the opposition? What is the likely impact of a new Syrian government with much broader ethnic and religious representation should the current Regime fall? What avenues for action does the international community have so long as Russia and China remain opposed to pressure? Father Paolo will speak about the dynamics between different minority groups, the current state of play on the ground, and focus especially on what lies ahead.

PARTICIPANTS

Featured Speaker
Father Paolo Dall’Oglio
Italian Jesuit Priest

Moderator
Leila Hilal
Director, Middle East Task Force
New America Foundation

Location:  1899 L Street NW Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036

Website: http://www.newamerica.net/events/2012/bearing_witness_to_syria_s_tragedies

 

4. IISS-US Roundtable Discussion-Iran’s Ballistic Missile Capabilities, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Tuesday July  24th, 2-3pm

Michael Elleman is Senior Fellow for Regional Security Cooperation at the IISS-Middle East, located in Bahrain. He previously worked at Booz Allen Hamilton, where he supported Department of Defense, Department of Energy and Defense Threat Reduction Agency programs. Prior to that, he worked for the United National Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission as a missile expert for weapons inspection in Iraq and Lockheed Martin’s Research and Development laboratory. He is a graduate of physics from the University of California, Berkeley. 
This meeting was moderated by Andrew Parasiliti, Executive Director, IISS-US and Corresponding Director, IISS-Middle East.

IISS-US events are for IISS members and direct invitees only. For more information, please contact events-washington@iiss.org or (202) 659-1490.

Location:   IISS-US, 2121 K Street NW, Suite 801, Washington, DC 20037

Website:  http://www.iiss.org/about-us/offices/washington/iiss-us-events/irans-ballistic-missile-capabilities

 

5.  Israel and Egypt: In-Depth Reports from a Changing Region, July 25th,  The Washington Institute, 12:30pm-2:00pm

Egypt and Israel, whose chilly peace has long provided an anchor of stability in a troubled area, are responding politically and strategically to powerful forces within their countries and from abroad. Egypt’s new government is a dynamic work in progress. Israel’s broad new coalition government confronts domestic tensions as well as potential threats from the north, south, and east.

During his recent visit to Israel and Ramallah in the Palestinian Authority, David Makovsky interviewed top political and military leaders who shared their thoughts on the Arab Spring, Syria, Iranian nuclearization, and peacemaking. Eric Trager spent the past month in Egypt, where he met with the emerging leadership of the Egyptian government, opposition members, diplomats, and academics.

Makovsky and Trager will provide a detailed account of evolving events and highlight potential hotspots for U.S. policymakers on July 25, 2012, in Washington DC. The discussion begins at 12:30 p.m.

Request an invitation to this event.

Location: 1828 L Street NW Suite 1050, Washington, DC 20036

Website: http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/israel-and-egypt-reports-from-a-changing-region-makovsky-trager

 

6.  The Obama and Romney Foreign Policy Agendas: A Discussion with the Candidate’s Leading Advisors, Brookings Institution, 2:00pm-3:30pm, July 25th, 2012

On July 23 and July 24, President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will address the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention, laying out their foreign, defense and national security agendas just weeks before the national political conventions. Following his speech, Governor Romney will depart on a multi-country overseas trip, with stops in Britain, Israel, and other possible destinations in Europe. These campaign events come as the crisis in Syria dissolves into civil war, the European economic crisis continues to unfold, and U.S. troops prepare to leave Afghanistan.

On July 25, Foreign Policy at Brookings will host a discussion examining the foreign policy, defense and national security agendas of candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, featuring Michele Flournoy, co-chair of the National Security Advisory Committee for Obama for America and Rich Williamson, senior adviser for foreign and defense policy for Romney for President, Inc. Vice President Martin Indyk, director of Foreign Policy, will provide introductory remarks. Brookings Guest Scholar Marvin Kalb will moderate the discussion.

After the program, speakers will take audience questions.

EVENT AGENDA

  • Introduction

Martin S. Indyk

Vice President and Director

Foreign Policy

View Bio

  • Moderator

Marvin Kalb

Guest Scholar

Foreign Policy

View Bio

  • Featured Speakers
  • Michele Flournoy

Co-Chair, National Security Advisory Committee

Obama for America

  • Rich Williamson

Senior Adviser for Foreign and Defense Policy

Romney for President, Inc.

Location: Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW

Website:  http://www.brookings.edu/events/2012/07/25-obama-romney-adviser

 

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This week’s peace picks

1. Syria: What Lies Ahead, Woodrow Wilson Center, 12-1 pm July 16

July 16, 2012 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm

What if the Syrian opposition doesn’t unite? Are the Alawites preparing for a separate state? Are the Kurds? What is the likely impact of a Sunni dominated Syrian government on the region? How much U.S. intervention is the right amount? Joshua Landis discusses these questions and the future of Syria.

Location:
6th Floor, Woodrow Wilson Center
Event Speakers List:
  • Associate Professor and Director, Center for Middle East Studies, University of Oklahoma and author of “Syria Comment,” daily newsletter on Syria
2. War and Protest in Sudan, Center for American Progress, 1-2:30 pm July 16
The one-year anniversary of South Sudan’s independence is fast approaching. South Sudan and Sudan have seemingly stepped back from the brink of all-out war, but they have yet to resolve many outstanding issues within the context of the ongoing North-South negotiation process. Meanwhile, conflict is deepening in a number of Sudan’s regions, while the pro-democracy movement – led by youth, civil society organizations, and opposition political parties – is protesting Sudan’s dictatorship. This violence and unrest poses significant implications for South Sudan and the region at large.Join us for a discussion that will address these multiple and interconnected challenges and explore ways to build peace and security within and between the two Sudans.The Enough Project will also debut a short video – shot in South Sudan – highlighting the reflections of South Sudanese and Sudanese on the occasion of South Sudan’s first anniversary of independence.Featured speakers:
Sarah Cleto Rial, Program Director, My Sister’s Keeper
Francis Deng, Former U.N. Special Advisor for the Prevention of Genocide
Omer Ismail, Senior Advisor, Enough Project
John Prendergast, Co-founder, Enough Project

Moderated by:
John C. Bradshaw, Executive Director, Enough Project

Refreshments will be served at 12:30 p.m.

RSVP

RSVP for this event
For more information, call 202-682-1611

Location

Center for American Progress
1333 H St. NW, 10th Floor
Washington, DC 20005

Map & Directions external link icon
Nearest Metro: Blue/Orange Line to McPherson Square or Red Line to Metro Center

3. The U.S. & the Greater Middle East, Center for a New American Security, 12-2 pm July 17

Event Time and Location

Tuesday, July 17, 2012 – 12:00pm – 2:00pm

Constitution Ballroom-Grand Hyatt Washington

1000 H Street NW Suite 400

Washington, DC 20001

See map: Google Maps

The U.S. and the Greater Middle East

Election 2012: The National Security Agenda

This event has been moved to the Constitution Ballroom Grand Hyatt Washington.  Event registration is now closed.  You can view the live event webcast on this page. 

On Tuesday, July 17, join the New America Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute, and the Center for a New American Security for an in-depth discussion of the opportunities and challenges posed to the United States by events in the Greater Middle East. Panelists will discuss electoral transitions following the Arab Spring, the changing role of Turkey, and Iran’s regional and international profile.  Ambassador Dennis Ross will provide introductory remarks.

This event continues a unique collaboration among these institutions in the presidential campaign season, “Election 2012: The National Security Agenda.” Past conversations covered the U.S. role in the world, policy in East Asia, and the national security budget.
Schedule:
12:00 p.m. — Registration and Lunch
12:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m. —Panel Discussion and Q&A
Featured Speaker
Ambassador Dennis Ross
Counselor, Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Former Special Assistant to President Obama
Former National Security Council senior director for the Central Region
Former Special Advisor to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
Panelists
Dr. Marc Lynch
Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Center for a New American Security
Danielle Pletka
Vice President, Foreign and Defense Policy Studies
American Enterprise Institute
Douglas Ollivant
Former Director for Iraq on the National Security Council under Bush and Obama administrations
Senior National Security Studies Fellow, New America Foundation
Moderator
Peter Bergen
Director, National Security Studies Program
New America Foundation
CNN will livestream this event on the Opinion page. On Twitter? Follow #natsecurity2012 for updates throughout the series.
About the Series:
This fall’s presidential election comes at a critical moment for the United States and the world.  The demands for U.S. leadership are substantial–particularly in the dynamic Middle East and Asia-Pacific–yet fiscal challenges are forcing reductions in defense spending, sparking new thinking about American engagement with the world. In this important election season, many Americans will look to the next U.S. president to repair the economy, but he will nonetheless inherit complicated military and diplomatic engagements and govern as commander-in-chief of the globe’s most powerful nation. As a result, the discussion of national security issues must take a central role in the 2012 presidential election.
This event is the fourth in a series of campaign-season seminars on the critical issues of U.S. foreign and defense policy, sponsored by AEI, the Center for a New American Security and the New America Foundation.

4. Electoral Reform in Lebanon: What’s in Store for 2013, Aspen Institute, 12:30 pm July 17

The U.S.-Lebanon Dialogue Program will host “Electoral Reform in Lebanon: What’s in Store for 2013” to launch Dr. Ekmekji’s new policy paper exploring the complexities of Lebanon’s confessional society and avenues for reform in its electoral system. During this conversation, experts will discuss Dr. Ekmekji’s paper in light of the debate on democratic representation and the rights of minorities in Lebanon, Syria, and the region. The panelists will also offer actionable recommendations for lasting reform that reflects Lebanon’s democratic prospects, leading up to the parliamentary elections in 2013.

Dr. Arda Arsenian Ekmekji is the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Haigazian University in Beirut, Lebanon. She is professor of intercultural studies and a member of various non-governmental organization boards in Lebanon, such as World Vision and the Middle East Council of Churches. She was the only female member on the National Commission for a New Electoral Law (2006) and on the Supervisory Commission for the Electoral Campaign (2009).

We hope you will join us for what will be an interesting and informative discussion on:

July 17, 2012 at 12:30PM

The Aspen Institute

One Dupont Circle

Suite 700

Washington, D.C.

Please contact Sarah Harlan at sarah.harlan@aspeninst.org or 202-736-2526 to RSVP. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Featuring
Dr. Arda Ekmekji, Dean of Arts and Sciences, Haigazian University – Beirut, Lebanon; Author, “Confessionalism and Electoral Reform in Lebanon”
Mr. Hassan Mneimneh, Senior Transatlantic Fellow, German Marshall Fund of the United States
In a moderated discussion with
Mr. Leslie Campbell, Senior Associate and Regional Director, Middle East and North Africa (MENA),
National Democratic Institute

5. Democratization in the Arab World, Carnegie, 12:15-1:45 pm July 18

Wednesday, July 18, 2012 – Washington, D.C.
12:15 PM – 1:45 PM EST

Based on the democratization experiences of other countries, what are the chances that the Arab Spring will lead to a flowering of democracy? In a new book, RAND Corporation experts extensively analyze past democratization examples over nearly four decades and analyze the Arab revolutions that up-ended longstanding authoritarian regimes.

Laurel Miller and Jeffrey Martini of the RAND Corporation will discuss what the successes and setbacks of other transitions from authoritarianism suggest about the problems ahead for Egypt, Tunisia, and elsewhere, and how they might be overcome. Carnegie’s Thomas Carothers will discuss and Marina Ottaway will moderate.

6.  Can Pakistan Grow Again? Atlantic Council, 3:30-5 pm July 18

Karachi stock exchange trader

Please join the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center on July 18 for a public discussion entitled, “Can Pakistan Grow Again?” with deputy chairman of the Planning Commission of Pakistan Nadeem Ul Haque.

In the face of major domestic, regional, and international political and economic difficulties, Pakistan’s growth rate has suffered in recent years, falling well behind the growth of its population. Unemployment is rampant, especially among the burgeoning youth population. Rising urbanization is creating new challenges for policymakers. A low tax-to-GDP ratio is often cited as a major hindrance to growth. Yet, there are many other underlying economic issues behind Pakistan’s problem. Dr. Haque will offer his views on how growth may be regenerated in Pakistan and the potential pitfalls that lie ahead.

A discussion with

Nadeem Ul Haque
Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission
Government of Pakistan

Moderated by

Shuja Nawaz
Director, South Asia Center
Atlantic Council

DATE: Wednesday, July 18, 2012
TIME: 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Atlantic Council
1101 15th Street, NW, 11th Floor,
Washington, DC 20005

To attend, RSVP with your name and affiliation (acceptances only) to southasia@acus.org.

Nadeem Ul Haque

Dr. Nadeem Ul Haque is the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission of Pakistan, the agency responsible for managing growth and development policies in the country. As a key member of the economic management team of Pakistan, he has led the country-wide research and consultative effort for the development of the “framework for economic growth,” which emphasizes economic reform for sustained long-term productivity.  The framework has been approved by all levels of the government of Pakistan and has been implemented into policy.

Dr. Haque has over twenty-four years of wide-ranging operational and research experience from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), including leading technical assistance missions, and policy and research teams. With a strong background in economic analysis and policy development, Dr. Haque has published numerous publications including books and papers in academic and policy journals. Dr. Haque holds a PhD in economics from the University of Chicago.

7. Oslo: Twenty Years Later, IIACF, 9 am-12 pm July 19

Oslo – Twenty Years Later

Oslo – Twenty Years LaterCapitol Hill – Washington, D.C.
July 19th, 2012
9:00am – 12:00pm

No meaningful negotiations have taken place in almost two years, yet the death of the peace process remains a taboo topic in Washington.  Recently, both Palestinian and Israeli voices have bemoaned the lack of progress.  Mahmoud Abbas is rumored to be, once again, flirting with the idea of dissolving the Palestinian Authority.  Yossi Beilin, considered one of the architects of the Oslo Peace Accords, has said it is time to move on.

After 20 years and little positive progress, the time has come to reevaluate our thinking and try a new approach – it is the only hope of moving towards a lasting peace.

Join the IIACF on Thursday, July 19th from 9:00am to noon as we bring together journalists, policy experts and government officials who are shaping the future of peace in the Middle East.

Download event flyer here.

Event Details

  • Date: 07/19/12
  • Location: Longworth House Office Building, Room 1539
  • Address: 45 Independence Avenue SW, Washington D.C.

8. Diplomacy in Syria: U.S.-Russia Relations and International Intervention, Center for National Policy, 12-1 pm July 19

Please join CNP President Scott Bates and an expert panel for a discussion on the current state of the U.S.-Russia relationship, Russia’s evolving foreign policy posture, and the corresponding implications for the crisis in Syria.

Featuring:

Jeff Mankoff
Adjunct Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Program,
Center for Strategic and International Studies

Mark Adomanis
Contributor, The Russia Hand, Forbes Magazine

*A light lunch will be served*

Where
Center for National Policy
One Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Suite 333

Washington, DC  20001
202-682-1800

Map
Click here

When
Jul 19   12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

9. Can Libya Really Become a Democracy?, SAIS, 2-3:30 pm July 19

“Can Libya Really Become a Democracy?”
Hosted By: Conflict Management Program and the Middle East Institute
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Location: Room 417, The Nitze Building (main building)
Summary: Christopher Blanchard, research manager at the Congressional Research Service, will discuss this topic. For more information and to RSVP, contact itlong@jhu.edu.

10. Assad’s Coming Downfall?, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, 9:30 am July 20

Event
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Middle East & North Africa
Date / Time
Friday, July 20 / 9:30am Register with host
Location
1726 M Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036
Speakers David Enders, Ammar Abdulhamid, John Hannah, Reuel Marc Gerecht

Unbeknownst to most Americans, reports suggest that the rebels fighting Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad may have taken control of a growing portion of the country, and may now be closer to wresting it away from him altogether. While some Syrian soldiers have defected to Turkey, many more are deserting, or simply refusing to fight. Is Assad’s central authority breaking down? Are new power brokers emerging? If so, how can the United States and its allies prevent further humanitarian catastrophe?

To assess these questions and others, FDD is pleased to host a breakfast conversation with:

David Enders, a Pulitzer Center grantee on Crisis Reporting, recently returned from a month of reporting alongside the rebels fighting Bashar Assad’s government in Syria. Author of Baghdad Bulletin, a firsthand account of the U.S. occupation of Iraq, he has reported from the Middle East for news outlets ranging from The Nation to The National, Al-Jazeera, Vice, and the Virginia Quarterly Review.

Ammar Abdulhamid, a fellow at FDD, is a leading Syrian human rights and democracy activist, and also director of the Tharwa Foundation, a grassroots organization that works to break the Assad government’s information blockade by enlisting local activists and citizen issues to report on developments inside Syria. Before founding Tharwa, Mr. Abdulhamid served as a fellow with the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution. He has briefed the President of the United States and testified before the U.S. Congress, and has appeared in many media outlets, including the New York Times.

John Hannah is a senior fellow at FDD, before which he served as national security advisor to Vice President Richard B. Cheney. Mr. Hannah has served in a range of senior policy positions in both Democratic and Republican administrations, as a senior member of Secretary of State James A. Baker’s Policy Planning staff during the presidency of George H.W. Bush, and later as a senior advisor to Secretary of State Warren Christopher under President William J. Clinton. Mr. Hannah’s articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and the Wall Street Journal, and he blogs regularly at ForeignPolicy.com and National Review Online.

Reuel Marc Gerecht is a Senior Fellow at FDD and a former Iran analyst at the CIA’s Directorate of Operations. He focuses on the Arab Revolt, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, terrorism, and intelligence. Mr. Gerecht is the author of The Wave: Man, God, and the Ballot Box in the Middle East, Know Thine Enemy: A Spy’s Journey into Revolutionary Iran, and The Islamic Paradox: Shiite Clerics, Sunni Fundamentalists, and the Coming of Arab Democracy. He is a contributing editor for The Weekly Standard and a correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, as well as a frequent contributor to The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and other publications.

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Pakistani media highs and lows

Ilona Gerbakher wasn’t entirely happy with the earlier draft of her piece, which I posted prematurely.  So I am posting a rewrite:

Pakistan’s lively but undisciplined media sector was the focus of a Tuesday panel at the United States Institute of Peace on “Pakistani Media: Getting Beyond the Hype.”

Steve Inskeep, the moderator and a host on NPR’s Morning Edition opened the discussion by asking the panelists how they would describe the Pakistani media today. Asma Shirazi, a protégé of Imran Aslam and a senior anchor/producer of SAMAA TV (a Pakistani satellite news channel), used the word “maturing” to describe the emergence of an independent media corps in Pakistan over the last two decades:

Our media is not very mature, but…our journalists are working day and night. They get threats from the…Taliban, and it’s a very different and difficult society…I think it will take some time, but I think we should be hopeful.

She referenced her experience of death threats and being followed by the ISI as one of the first female anchors to work during the Musharraf era and called for a media lobbying group or press council to help protect journalists.

She also underlined the ability of the independent Pakistani media to speak “truth to power,” particularly where women’s rights are concerned.  When Shirazi started working on public Pakistani television, nobody was willing to talk to her, in part because of gender. Now women’s attitudes about their own rights are changing.  They want to live like human beings in a society where girls are not being killed just because of something said in the media.

Wendy Chamberlain, President of the Middle East Institute and former US Ambassador to Pakistan, shifted the discussion to a comparison between the American and Pakistani media, describing both as “info-tainment, driven by audience ratings, profit and the bottom line.”  This has led to immaturity in the American media, making it more like the media in Pakistan today, as in both countries the emphasis is on giving the audience what they want to hear rather than what they need to hear.  Ambassador Chamberlain urged both to take a close look at themselves and to remember that accuracy and educating the public are serious responsibilities.  Imran Aslam agreed, noting that “commercialism is as great a censor of free thought in Pakistan” as the army.

Cyril Almeida, assistant editor at DAWN (Pakistan’s oldest English language newspaper), characterized Pakistani media as open. He claimed that there is nothing in Pakistan that you cannot discuss in media or print anymore and asked if that might be too much.  Imran Aslam, president and chief content officer of GEO TV (one of Pakistan’s leading independent media outlets) replied with the words “maddening, vibrant, diversified.” He was ambivalent about the current multiplicity of narratives available to media consumers in Pakistan. Official state television once had the important function of creating a uniform public narrative and a (possibly false) sense of nationhood, where dissenting voices were not heard.  Now electronic media have fallen into the trap of commercialization, fracturing the unity of the national narrative.

Cyril Almeida and Imran Aslam described the 2009 lawyers’ movement as the apex of electronic media power.  Today the Pakistani media is coming to terms with its own limitations after getting a taste of real power for a few years at the end of the last decade. Aslam added, “the 2009 lawyers’ movement really went to the media’s head, like cocaine—the anchors became rock stars…” He suggested that the word “cocaine” be added to the list of words describing the Pakistani media.

Imran Aslam emphasized that the Pakistani media is not anti-America but opposes American policies. He noted that the greatest ambition of the average Pakistani child is an American education. Despite objections to American policies in the region, America’s cultural capital in Pakistan is still strong.

This rather rosy picture was immediately belied by a disagreement between Ambassador Chamberlain and Asma Shirazi, who said that Pakistanis feel abandoned by America. She remarked with some heat, “You had one 9/11. We are having daily 9/11’s just because of the US.” Ambassador Chamberlain quickly denied responsibility.  As the argument about 9/11 became more heated, what emerged from the panel was a sense of what Imran Aslam called “mutual incomprehension:” even a panel of experts in Pakistani-American relations could not seem to come to an accord.

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This week’s peace picks

Not a slow week, but one with a bit longer term focus than some:

1. Persian subversion: Can America withstand an Iranian oil shock? AEI 10-11:30 June 12.

In Conjunction with Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE)
AEI, Twelfth Floor
1150 Seventeenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
(Two blocks from Farragut North Metro)

In recent months, Iranian saber rattling has shaken energy markets. Although sanctions targeting Iran may raise the price at the pump, inaction is also costly: allowing Tehran to pass its nuclear threshold will endanger security in the Persian Gulf and may lead to even greater oil price hikes.

Against the backdrop of the Iranian nuclear crisis, American policymakers are increasingly considering ramping up domestic oil production and alternative energy. How much can shale oil, new pipelines and offshore oil production shield the U.S. economy from instability in the Persian Gulf and Iran’s leverage over world oil prices? How do the recent bankruptcies of U.S. solar energy firms affect American alternate energy strategy? Join a panel of foreign policy, national security, energy and transportation experts for an open discussion.

If you cannot attend, we welcome you to watch the event live on this page. 

Agenda

9:45 AM
Registration

10:00 AM
Panelists:
Elliott Abrams, Council on Foreign Relations
Gen. (ret.) James T. Conway, 34th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps
Sam Gilliland, Sabre Holdings
Daniel Yergin, IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates

Moderator:
Michael Rubin, AEI

11:30 AM
Adjournment

2. Japan-Korea-China Economic Relations, 9-10:30 June 12

Japan-Korea-China Economic Relations
Location:
KEI Conference Room

1800 K ST NW Suite 1010

Washington 20006

Speakers:
Joshua Meltzer, Fellow Global Economy and Development, The Brookings Institution
Mireya Solis, Associate Professor American University
Derek Scissors, Senior Research Fellow, The Heritage Foundation
Description:

As Korea strives to be a global leader, the country has concluded several bilateral and multilateral Free Trade Agreements since 2003 and is currently negotiating additional agreements while laying the groundwork for a Korea-Japan-China FTA and considering the resumption of negotiations with Japan. Japan’s trade strategy also continues to evolve as it develops a new growth strategy after the natural disasters of 2011. Both Korea and Japan are carefully watching the developments around TPP. In the meantime, China has become the largest trading partner of Korea and Japan and the three countries recently signed a trilateral investment agreement as a potential first step toward a trilateral trade accord.

The seminar will assess the current status of the Korean and Japanese trade policies in light of the implementation of the KORUS FTA and the continued discussion of the TPP, Korea-China FTA and Korea-Japan-China FTA.

Light refreshments will be served.
Seating is limited, RSVPs are required.
To RSVP, please email events@keia.org

3.   2012 GPI Launch: How Can Global Peace Metrics Inform Foreign Policy? CSIS, 9-10:30 June 12

Please join us for the results of the sixth annual Global Peace Index and inaugural Positive Peace Index:Tuesday, June 12, 2012
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
B1 Conference Center, CSIS
1800 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20006

A Panel Discussion With

Amb. William Garvelink, Senior Adviser, U.S. Leadership in Development, Center for Strategic and International Studies (Moderator)

Anne-Marie Slaughter
, Bert G. Kerstetter ’66 University Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Princeton University (Opening Remarks)

Lawrence Wilkerson, Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Government and Public Policy, William and Mary College

Josh Rogin, Staff Writer, Foreign Policy

Emily Cadei, Foreign Policy Reporter, Congressional Quarterly

Michael Shank
, U.S. Vice President, Institute for Economics and Peace (GPI Results Presentation)

In a world often described by crisis and conflict, which countries are the most peaceful? How do we measure peace and its economic value? How can peace metrics inform U.S. foreign policy?

The Global Peace Index (GPI) is the first-ever analysis to methodically rank countries on their peacefulness and identify potential determinants of peace. Comprised of a range of indicators measuring the absence of violence in society, the GPI takes into consideration both internal and external factors, and measures 99% of the world’s population.

For the first time, this year’s report includes a Positive Peace Index (PPI), highlighting the key institutional factors associated with creating peaceful and resilient societies. The PPI ranks countries by their institutional capacity to move away from violence and towards peace.

The GPI is produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), guided by an international panel of independent experts and supported by the Economist Intelligence Unit, which collates the data and calculates the rankings in conjunction with the IEP.

Please RSVP to achang@csis.org

4.  Culturally-Based Approaches to Peacebuilding in Pakistan, SAIS (Kenney) 9:30-11:30 June 12

Hosted By: Conflict Management Program
Location: Kenney Auditorium, The Nitze Building (main building)
Summary: Ali Gohar, founder and rebar (leader) of Just Peace Initiatives; Samar Minallah, documentary filmmaker and human rights activist for Ethnomedia; and Leena El-Ali (moderator), director of Muslim-Western Relations and Middle East and North Africa Programs for Search for Common Ground, will discuss this topic. For more information and to RSVP, visit http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/6060/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=36079.
5.  Libya on the Eve of Elections: Examining the Challenges of Political and Economic Development, Carnegie Endowment, 10-11:30 June 12

With Libya’s first nationwide democratic election quickly approaching, serious progress on political and institutional development is essential as the country proceeds with its transition. While re-establishing security remains vital in the short term, many long-term development challenges also require immediate attention, including building effective, accountable institutions at the national and local levels; developing an independent and diverse civil society; establishing and protecting a free, professional press; and reforming the military, police, and other security forces. Meanwhile, Libyans must engage in a national dialogue on how to ensure adequate representation in government for women, youth, and and various tribal and ethnic groups. By smartly leveraging domestic resources and international assistance, the Libyan people could be well-positioned to build a prosperous and free country.

What will the assembly elections – originally slated for June 19th but now expected to be delayed until July – look like?  What are the major political forces emerging in the country and how are they preparing for the elections?  How will the election of a national assembly affect the role of the National Transitional Council (NTC)? What are the top priorities for the Libyan government, particularly regarding institutional reform? How can Libyans develop a robust civil society and ensure freedom of opinion, press, and assembly?  Which best practices from other state-building efforts would be most appropriate for the Libyan case?  In particular, how might various models of federalism and decentralization be useful? And what is the most constructive role for international actors to play in supporting capacity-building, among other needs?

Please join us for a discussion of these issues with:
Manal Omar
Director of Iraq, Iran, and North Africa Programs, Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations, U.S. Institute of Peace
Stephen McInerney
Executive Director, POMED
Fadel Lamen
President, American-Libyan Council
Moderator: Sarah Margon
Associate Director, Sustainable Security and Peacebuilding Initiative, Center for American Progress

Click here to RSVP for the event.

We’ll also be live-tweeting from the event, so follow the conversation at #POMEDLib. If you’d like us to ask one of your questions, we’ll try to include a few from our virtual audience.

Please contact Anna Newby at anna.newby@pomed.org with any questions, or call (202) 828-9660, ext 23.

6.  The State of Health in Afghanistan: Implications for Economic Stability, Security and Women, USIP, 3:30-4:30 June 12

Despite the number of negative trends in Afghanistan, tremendous achievements have been gained in the health sector. Most notable is the programming on maternal health, which has contributed to a significant decline in infant and child mortality rates.  The percentage of female healthcare worker has risen dramatically in USAID-funded healthcare facilities.

How has the health sector improved the overall health of a country? What can we learn from the Ministry of Health that might be applied to other sectors? How has the sector supported economic stability and security? What are the country’s health goals as Afghanistan prepares for its security and political transitions in 2014?

Please join USIP’s Center for Gender and Peacebuilding, in collaboration with the Afghan Embassy, the Department of State and USAID, for a panel discussion on the health sector’s contribution to economic stability and security in Afghanistan leading to 2014. The minister of Public Health of Afghanistan, Honorable Dr. Soraya Dalil, will discuss the “state of health” in Afghanistan. She will be joined by U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer and Michele Schimpp, deputy director for USAID’s Afghanistan and Pakistan Task Force.

Panelists

  • The Honorable Dr. Soraya Dalil
    Minister of Public Health
  • Ambassador Melanne Verveer
    Ambassador at Large for Global Women’s Issues, U.S. Department of State
  • Michele Schimpp
    Deputy Director for Afghanistan and Pakistan Task Force,  USAID
  • William Byrd, Discussant
    Senior Expert in Residence, U.S. Institute of Peace
  • Kathleen Kuehnast, Moderator
    Director, Center for Gender and Peacebuilding, U.S. Institute of Peace

7.   The Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR)Complementarity or Cooperation between State, USAID and the NGO Community, USIP, 9-4:30 June 15

After Secretary of State Hillary Clinton introduced the QDDR as a major step in elevating development alongside diplomacy as a key pillar of American foreign policy, many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) welcomed the QDDR as the beginning of a better coordinated and more effective approach to global development. USIP and Webster University will host a day of discussion about how the QDDR complements NGO efforts in development, humanitarian relief and conflict management as well as the current challenges and opportunities that result from the QDDR.

This discussion will be built around presentations from senior United States government officials from the Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development and from leaders in the NGO community. These will be followed by panel discussions that combine the perspectives of policymakers and NGOs on the topics of economic development, public health, education, human security, and human rights.

USIP was among the organizations that contributed ideas to the development of the QDDR, particularly in the areas of stabilization and conflict prevention. Discussion of the QDDR and its goals will enhance the effectiveness of both NGOs and the U.S. Government in global development and conflict prevention efforts, particularly in building local capacity and promoting innovation.

Conference Themes:
  • What in the QDDR is relevant to the work of NGOs and private voluntary organizations (PVOs)?
  • How will the objectives of the QDDR affect NGOs and PVOs?
  • Where is there complementarity in the following areas?
    • Conflict Prevention
    • Capacity building
    • Development of effective civil society
    • Humanitarian aid
    • Contributions of new technology

Download Conference Agenda

Speakers

  • Nancy Lindborg 
    Assistant Administrator, USAID
  • Melanie Greenberg 
    President and CEO, Alliance for Peacebuilding
  • Lindsay Coates 
    Executive Vice President, Interaction
  • Ambassador Robert Loftis 
    Former Acting Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, the Department of State
  • David Wilson 
    Dean of Humanities, Webster University
  • Jeff Helsing 
    Dean of Curriculum, U.S. Institute of Peace
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Trouble in Balochistan

Eric Shu reports on the National Endowment on Democracy event May 2 on “Threats to Democracy in Balochistan”:

Malik Siraj Akbar, a Pakistani journalist and current Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy, presented an overview of the human rights threats in his native Balochistan, the largest province in Pakistan. It was not until February 2012 that Balochistan gained attention in the United States, largely due to a Congressional briefing and a House resolution in favor of self-determination drafted by California Congressman Dana Rohrbacher. Immediate backlash from the Pakistani government ensued, but the fallout has been limited.

Akbar’s presentation focused on the background of the region, the threats to the area’s defenders of democracy, and ended with a set of recommendations for both domestic and international players.

Akbar described Balochistan as a “richly-poor” Texas-sized province in southwest Pakistan with immense but little recognized geo-political importance. Annexed in 1948, Balochistan contains one of the region’s largest reservoirs of natural gas and an abundance of gold and copper. However, it is also a region with the lowest literacy rates in Pakistan and a severe lack of human rights protections.

There are three primary threats to democracy in Balochistan: political assassinations, enforced disappearances, and limited press coverage.

Political leaders and individuals who have advocated for an independent Balochistan are the assassination victims.  The Pakistani military has denied responsibility.  Non-existent communication between the federal and provincial governments has exacerbated tensions in the region and led to increasing calls for independence through violent means.

The victims “enforced disappearances” are predominantly ethnic Baloch as young as 12 and as old as 80. Estimates gathered from local sources suggest they number in the hundreds.  They are picked up off the street or plucked from their homes and subjected to torture, solitary confinement, and warned of retaliation if they speak out. The military has denied responsibility.

These problems are compounded by the fact that local media and press networks are severely underdeveloped in Balochistan. Coverage of the  area is limited not only internationally, but also domestically.  Pakistani press do not cover Balochistan well.  Foreign journalists are routinely denied access, making it difficult for human rights violations to be documented and publicized abroad.

Akbar concluded his presentation with recommendations for stakeholders.

To the Pakistani government, Akbar advocated ensuring freedom of the press by providing access to international journalists.  He also pushed for fair Baloch representation in the region’s security structures (army, police, frontier corps) and called for the military and intelligence services to be brought under civilian control.

Akbar’s suggestions to the United States focused on implementation of the Leahy Amendment prohibitng U.S. foreign assistance to foreign military units that commit human rights violations.  Although Human Rights Watch reported violations in 2010 and 2011, there has not been an investigation into these cases and U.S. aid to Pakistan has continued.

The Congressional hearing in February 2012 on Balochistan drew short-lived attention to the region and its challenges. Continued attention on the issue of human rights in Pakistan from brave individuals such as Akbar will help keep the discussion in focus and hopefully bring badly needed change to the region.

 

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Is Al Qaeda Inc. bankrupt?

It is hard for me to imagine adding anything original to the flood of commentary on the Letters from Abbottabad, as West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center calls them. As the New York Times put it,

The frustrations expressed by Bin Laden as he issued instructions sometimes in vain might be familiar to any chief executive trying to keep tabs on a multinational corporation that had grown beyond its modest origins.

Osama even worried about which currencies to keep ransom proceeds in. Mario Draghi will be pleased to learn that Al Qaeda’s reserves were kept in euros as well as dollars.  I guess its only a matter of time before they add Chinese renminbi.

In what I’ve read so far, which is not much, Bin Laden’s advice on leadership stands out:

As you well know, the best people are the ones most agreed on by the people, and the key attributes that bring people together and preserve their staying behind their leader are his kindness, forgiveness, sense of fairness, patience, and good rapport with him, as well as showing care for them and not tax them beyond their ability.

What must always be in the forefront of our minds is:  managing people at such times calls for even greater wisdom, kindness, forgiveness, patience and deliberation, and is a complex task by most any measure.

This is quoted from the last of the letters, labelled no. 19 in the translations.

Getting people to do what Al Qaeda does obviously requires much more kindness than portrayed in American movies.  This is an important lesson.  The evil groups of people do is almost always done for some purpose the members of the group regard as good, not evil.  Leadership is what convinces them that they are acting for a good purpose, so it needs to behave well towards those it wants to rally.  At other points in the letters, it is clear that Bin Laden was unhappy with Al Qaeda and affiliated attacks on Muslims.  He wanted his cadres to focus on Americans, because they are the real enemy.

Americans hope to defeat Al Qaeda.  Certainly it has suffered a good deal of damage, self-inflicted as well as drone and special forces-inflicted in the last few years.  But it is unlikely to disappear entirely, any more than homegrown right-wing terrorism, much reduced from its heyday, has disappeared entirely from the United States.  The real question the Bin Laden papers pose is how much more effort we should put into what the Bush administration called the Global War on Terror, which we are still fighting in Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan and other places.

Only a closer examination of the entire trove of letters and other documents could enlighten us as to the answer.  I doubt the American public will ever get that privilege.  The published letters have presumably been carefully chosen.  They can give us only an incomplete picture of Al Qaeda.  We’ll have to rely on the assessments of our (not always) intelligence  community and the wisdom of our elected leaders to make the decision on whether Al Qaeda Inc. is bankrupt.

 

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