Topic: International Republican Institute

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Israeli ties with Egypt strained by transition?

Though Egypt and Israel insist the decision to end a gas sales contract wasn't political, it's hard to see annulling the largest ever contract between the two countries as anything but.
Egypt's rulers face backlash after lifting travel ban on Americans

Egypt had portrayed its case against American NGOs as necessary to thwart foreign agents intent on harming the country. Now angry Egyptians say their rulers have caved to US pressure.
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Egypt moves to defuse crisis over NGO trials

What exactly is happening isn't clear yet. But it seems fairly certain that Egypt's ruling junta is backing away from the prosecution of NGO workers that led to the worst US-Egypt diplomatic crisis in decades.
Americans on trial: a convenient distraction for Egypt's rulers?

The trial of 16 Americans and 27 other democracy workers opened today in Egypt in a case that has riveted the Egyptian public and deflected their frustrations onto foreigners.
McCain: Egypt and US 'must remain friends'

Sen. John McCain tried to smooth over tensions with Egypt following the country's decision to prosecute 16 American democracy workers
Outrage over Egypt's arrest of NGO workers, but US would have done the same

The outrage over Egypt's arrest of 43 NGO workers, at least 16 of whom are American, is understandable and well deserved. But it also speaks to a little acknowledged paradox: These organizations are conducting democracy-building work that would never be tolerated in the US.
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Despite $1.5 billion in US aid, Egypt threatens prosecution of Americans

Egypt said yesterday it will prosecute a large number of people, including 19 Americans, involved in democracy promotion in the country, putting the country's US aid in extreme jeopardy.
Americans face prosecution as Egypt ignores Clinton, Congress

Egypt is bringing criminal charges against at least 40 people, including some Americans, in a move that puts $1.3 billion in US military aid to Egypt at risk.
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With Americans holed up in Cairo embassy, Egypt's lobbyists in DC quit

It takes a lot to get K Street to distance itself from a regime. Egypt's ruling military junta has manged the feat by investigating a group of American NGO workers for criminal prosecution.
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Egypt bars Americans from leaving: What's going on here?

Egypt's military rulers escalated a dispute over US-funded NGOs by barring some American employees from leaving the country, including the son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
Why won't Egypt let Americans return to US?

Sam LaHood, son of US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, heads the International Republican Institute in Egypt and was recently kept from boarding a flight out of Egypt.
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US democracy NGOs in Egypt still shuttered

Making life hard for NGOs, particularly foreign ones, has long been a sport in Egypt.
US 'deeply concerned' after Egypt raids NGO offices

The US said it was 'deeply concerned' after a series of raids by Egypt's ruling military today on nongovernment organizations promoting democracy and human rights, some US-funded.
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Egypt's military rulers crack down on democracy groups

Egypt's military junta raided independent civil society groups today, including the United States' premier democracy promoters.
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Eastern Libya poll indicates political Islam will closely follow democracy

If Libya manages to forge a political system where majority views are taken into account it's clear that political Islam is set to play a major political role.
Pakistan appoints new ambassador to US

Pakistan's civilian government taps Sherry Rehman, a human rights campaigner living under Islamist threats, as the new ambassador to the US. Leaders hope she can soothe strained ties.
Why Egypt is angry over $65 million in US democracy grants

Amid a US campaign to support democratic transition in Egypt, a state-run magazine derided the US 'ambassador from hell' and officials are investigating groups who accepted funding.
Osama bin Laden killed near Pakistan's West Point. Was he really hidden?

The world’s most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden, was not hiding in a cave along the lawless border with Afghanistan, as many believed. Instead, US forces killed him 75 miles north of Pakistan's capital, Islamabad.
What should Obama do with Libya's Qaddafi? Tell him to go to Belarus.

The Obama administration should encourage its allies to influence Qaddafi to flee to Belarus. Its brutal Lukashenko regime is Qaddafi's closest military and political ally. Qaddafi's departure to Belarus would be the best and fastest way to stop the bloodshed that he is unleashing in Libya.
Expected backlash against US troops in Pakistan yet to erupt

One day after three US soldiers were killed in the north, the response to US troops operating on Pakistani soil has been surprisingly muted.
Massive car bomb targets more civilians in Pakistan

The attack at a market in Peshawar, which killed at least 74 people, came as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived for a three-day visit.
Pakistan on Nobel Peace Prize: Why now when war isn't over?

Reaction President Barack Obama's Nobel was largely negative, with fear over an expanding US presence and anger over Islamabad's military cooperation with the US along the Afghanistan border.
Zardari's popularity sags - will it undermine Pakistan's fight with Taliban?

One year after becoming president, the widower of Benazir Bhutto has been battered by economic crises and political missteps – despite some military successes.
Karzai, Abdullah both claim victory in Afghan election

Preliminary results are days away. All the campaigns have complained of fraud.
Helicopters, crowds, and cash as Afghan campaign heads into home stretch

Enthusaistic Afghans are greeting presidential candidates on the campaign trial, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're winning over supporters.