http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/index/ en U.S. Department of State 2012-02-11T15:54:03+00:00 Editor's Note: This entry appeared first on the U.S. Embassy Syria Facebook page. You can find additional satellite imagery of Syrian military movements here.

The violence is not equal.

Yesterday I put out a note about the situation in Syria as I've witnessed it from the ground and since leaving the country. A terrible and tragic development in Syria is the use of heavy weaponry by the Assad regime against residential neighborhoods. For those unfamiliar with military equipment, the artillery used by the regime is designed for full scale warfare, and the regime is using it to pound civilian apartment buildings and homes from a distance. There is no evidence that the opposition -- even those opposition members who have defected from the military -- has access or has employed such heavy weapons. Those who defect from the military are often lucky to leave with only the rifle in their hands, fearful that those loyal to the regime will hunt them down for refusing to kill unarmed civilians. It's also important to note the opposition began as a peaceful movement and it is still mostly a peaceful protest movement that has been met by the regime with imprisonment, torture and killing.

I mention this because some try to equate the violence perpetrated by the regime with the violence perpetrated by the opposition -- it is unfair to do so when one side is using such heavy weaponry. Satellite photos have captured both the carnage and those causing it -- the artillery is clearly there, it is clearly bombing entire neighborhoods, and it marks a new low for the Assad regime. We are intent on exposing the regime's brutal tactics for the world to see.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/syria_2012_02_11/ 2012-02-11T15:54:03+00:00 entrepreneurial spirit of the Arab Spring with Jordanian entrepreneurs in Washington, D.C., I experienced that same spirit energizing the halls of the Ryad Mogador Agdal in Marrakech, Morocco.

I recently participated in the second U.S.-Maghreb Entrepreneurship Conference, initially launched one year ago in Algiers just weeks before the uprisings in Tunisia that sparked the Arab Spring. The conference was the annual partnership meeting of the North Africa Partnership for Economic Opportunity (NAPEO), part of the global alliance Partners for a New Beginning (PNB) initiated by Secretary Clinton in April 2010.

This year the conference was hosted by the PNB-NAPEO local advisory board in Morocco. The 450 conference participants were almost entirely from the private sector, including Maghreb and U.S. entrepreneurs, early-stage investors, prominent business leaders, Maghreb diaspora leaders, job trainers, academics and professors, members of civil society, and youth. The creativity, ambition, and know-how of the people gathered were awe-inspiring; these are truly the people who will catalyze economic growth in their countries and throughout the region.

The three winners of the PNB-NAPEO TechTown Detroit start-up competition, selected on our recent entrepreneurship delegation to the Maghreb, provide an excellent example. Youghourta Benali of Algeria started an electronic payment system that could help address the gap in e-commerce in the region. Dr. Souad Rouis of Tunisia launched the first medical biotechnology company of its kind there. Yassine El Kachchani of Morocco developed an innovative mobile phone application for the restaurant industry in Morocco. These three are perfect examples of the creative minds and innovative spirits who represented the Maghreb at the Conference in Marrakech.

My role as a government official -- and as the U.S. government partner in the PNB-NAPEO inititative -- is to listen and observe that creative process, and to help encourage policies that enable entrepreneurs and young job-seekers to create and grow businesses. In discussions with my counterparts from the governments of Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria, I came away with the impression that we are all in alignment in the desire to support youth and entrepreneurs to the fullest extent possible.

This is a critical feature of PNB-NAPEO -- to provide a public-private conversation that transcends borders in the United States and the Maghreb. PNB-NAPEO represents a new paradigm of public-private partnerships in foreign policy. Partnerships will play an increasingly important role as public budgets continue to shrink and private leaders, as we heard recently from Davos, are under pressure to respond to the imperative of job creation, especially for youth.

We have come a long way since PNB-NAPEO was launched in December 2010. The more than 20 locally-owned and locally-driven projects created in the past year are a testament to the positive impact PNB-NAPEO is having in the region. Like the local PNB-NAPEO board in Morocco that organized the Conference, we have established local advisory boards to support the partnership's work in Algeria and Tunisia, with a new board in Mauritania just launched and a board in Libya is in the works. It was thrilling to see members of the local boards representing the new voices of the region come together to share ideas for promoting job creation and entrepreneurship in the Maghreb. The current global economic situation has proven the need for innovation in job creation and for economic integration to boost growth. I am certain that the creative minds and entrepreneurial spirit of PNB-NAPEO can help accomplish this.

I look forward to the conference's third installment -- 2013 in Tunisia!

Learn more about the North Africa Partnership for Economic Opportunity here, and more about Partners for a New Beginning here.

Stay connected with the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs on Facebook and Twitter.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/economic_growth_north_africa/ 2012-02-11T14:28:12+00:00 Editor's Note: This entry appeared first on the U.S. Embassy Syria Facebook page. You can find additional satellite imagery of Syrian military movements here.

First, like people around the world, my colleagues and friends are watching the video coming out of Homs and some of the other Syrian cities in the last days with horror and revulsion. I hear the devastating stories about newborns in Homs dying in hospitals where electricity has been cut and when we see disturbing photos offering proof that the regime is using mortars and artillery against residential neighborhoods, all of us become even more concerned about the tragic outcome for Syrian civilians. The Arab League protocol, which received wide support from the international community, called for the Syrian military to withdraw from residential areas, to stop firing at peaceful protests and to release prisoners arrested due to the unrest. The film coming out of Homs and elsewhere in Syria shows the Syrian government's real response. And we have never heard of the armed opposition firing artillery for example. It is odd to me that anyone would try to equate the actions of the Syrian army and armed opposition groups since the Syrian government consistently initiates the attacks on civilian areas, and it is using its heaviest weapons.

I also want to say a word about our suspending the work of the American Embassy in Damascus. I can say without exaggeration that February 6 was the most emotionally taxing day of my career as a Foreign Service Officer. Due to the elevated security risks we confronted in Syria, the government of the United States had to suspend operations at our embassy in Damascus, and I had to depart with my American colleagues and say goodbye to our Syrian colleagues and friends who face a very uncertain future.

I left Damascus with immense sadness and regret -- I wish our departure had not been necessary, but our embassy, along with several other diplomatic missions in the area, was not sufficiently protected, given the new security concerns in the capital. We and those other embassies requested extra protection measures from the Syrian government, given the danger to both our citizens and the Syrian citizens that worked with and near us. Our concerns were not addressed.

As the United States' Ambassador to Syria -- a position that the Secretary of State and President are keeping me in -- I will work with colleagues in Washington to support a peaceful transition for the Syrian people. We and our international partners hope to see a transition that reaches out and includes all of Syria's communities and that gives all Syrians hope for a better future. My year in Syria tells me such a transition is possible, but not when one side constantly initiates attacks against people taking shelter in their homes.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/recent_events_in_syria/ 2012-02-10T11:16:21+00:00 statement, State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland said:

"We, along with several other diplomatic missions, conveyed our security concerns to the Syrian government but the regime failed to respond adequately. Ambassador Ford has left Damascus but he remains the United States Ambassador to Syria and its people. As the President's representative, he will continue his work and engagement with the Syrian people as head of our Syria team in Washington. Together with other senior U.S. officials, Ambassador Ford will maintain contacts with the Syrian opposition and continue our efforts to support the peaceful political transition which the Syrian people have so bravely sought."

The United States warns U.S. citizens against travel to Syria and recommends that U.S. citizens in Syria depart immediately. The Department continues to reach out to U.S. citizens we believe remain in Syria. Please direct inquiries regarding U.S. citizens in Syria to SyriaEmergencyUSC@state.gov. Callers in the United States and Canada may dial the toll free number 1-888-407-4747. Callers outside the United States and Canada may dial 1-202-501-4444. Go to travel.state.gov for the latest information.

Effective immediately, the Polish government, acting through its embassy in Damascus, serves as protecting power for U.S. interests in Syria. Only emergency services for U.S. citizens are available. Neither U.S. passports nor visas to the United States are issued in Damascus. For emergency assistance, U.S. citizens should contact the Polish Embassy at 963 954 666 693 or damaszek.usint@msz.gov.pl.

In a statement, U.S. Ambassador to Poland Lee Feinstein said, "I thank our trusted Polish allies and friends for assuming this important responsibility in support of America and its citizens. On behalf President Obama and Secretary Clinton, I thank President Komorowski, Prime Minister Tusk, Foreign Minister Sikorski, and the people of Poland for this act of friendship and solidarity."]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/embassy_operations_in_syria/ 2012-02-06T13:46:05+00:00 statement:

"This week, Egypt achieved several historic milestones in its transition to democracy. Yesterday, democratically-elected representatives of the People's Assembly met for the first time since Egypt's revolution, and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces transferred legislative authority to them. Today, Field Marshal Tantawi took steps to lift the state of emergency that has existed in Egypt for several decades. And tomorrow, Egyptians will commemorate the anniversary of the revolution that made Egypt's transition to democracy possible.

"We congratulate the Egyptian people and their government on these important steps toward fulfilling the promise of Egypt's revolution, which has inspired the world. While many challenges remain, Egypt has come a long way in the past year, and we hope that all Egyptians will commemorate this anniversary with the spirit of peace and unity that prevailed last January. The United States will continue to stand with the Egyptian people, and those across the region, as they defend universal values and work toward a better future for all Egyptians."]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/egypts_transition_to_democracy/ 2012-01-25T13:23:46+00:00
As venture capitalist Craig Hanson so aptly stated in the San Jose Mercury News, "Entrepreneurship is the next phase of the Arab Spring."

We talked about Craig's message a great deal yesterday when we hosted the 25 entrepreneurs from Jordan who accompanied His Majesty King Abdullah II on his visit to meet with President Obama this week. At a luncheon here at the State Department, we connected these entrepreneurs to angel investors and venture capitalists from the U.S. private sector, in an effort to catalyze potential collaboration between these groups. Senior government officials from Jordan and the U.S. government were on hand to support the prospective partnerships, and from the feedback we've received via e-mail, there are already several deals being discussed.

U.S. investment in Jordan isn't only good for American companies and investors, who will develop new markets that will lead to jobs at home, but it can also empower individuals and create new opportunities.

The gathering began with remarks by Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Bob Hormats, who spoke about the need to support the next generation of great ideas. Under Secretary Hormats was followed by Jordanian Minister for Planning and International Cooperation Jafar Hassan, who emphasized that "The U.S. government has walked the talk when it comes to entrepreneurship. When it comes to delivering on the possibilities for the youth in the region, what is more important than government is the private sector, and so our public-private partnerships must succeed."

We've seen this firsthand across the region, from the Jordan-U.S. Business Forum last May, to the Tunisia Partnerships Forum we hosted just three weeks after their democratic elections, to the U.S.-Maghreb Entrepreneurship Conference going on right now in Marrakech. For examples of how entrepreneurship is flourishing, look no further than the many efforts by the Partners for a New Beginning local chapters or many other stories that have been covered by The New York Times and Reuters just today. Giving priority to entrepreneurship has been a theme that the Obama Administration has been touting at home and abroad, and our work to bolster the entrepreneurial spirit of the Arab Spring is a recurring theme.

Last spring, President Obama pointed this out when he said, "Throughout the region, many young people have a solid education, but closed economies leave them unable to find a job. Entrepreneurs are brimming with ideas, but corruption leaves them unable to profit from those ideas. The greatest untapped resource in the Middle East and North Africa is the talent of its people."

Similarly, Vice President Joe Biden said this at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Istanbul last month: "democratic revolutions like the ones in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya -- and the ones still unfolding in Syria and Yemen -- are imbued, literally imbued with entrepreneurial spirit, a spirit that requires risk and initiative, steadfast determination, and a unifying idea."

And private sector leaders have added to the chorus. Earlier today, Hernando De Soto, President of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy, addressed the same theme when speaking at the U.S.-Maghreb Entrepreneurship Conference. Moroccan blogger Hind Touissate tweeted this quote: "Bouazizi had the DNA of an entrepreneur but his dreams were shuttered on the 17th of December 2010."

Through our Global Entrepreneurship Program and our flagship partnership with Partners for a New Beginning, the United States will continue to support the entrepreneurs who are coming up with the ideas that could change our world, wherever they may be. In doing so, we have the opportunity to advance economic development for nations across the Middle East, North Africa, and around the world.

As Secretary Clinton explained long before the Arab Spring began, "Entrepreneurship is a way of looking at the world and seeing not just obstacles, but opportunities; not just the world as it is, but the world as it could be, and then having the confidence, the determination, and the resources to move those worlds closer together."]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/entrepreneurial_spirit_of_arab_spring/ 2012-01-19T03:01:47+00:00
Foreign diplomats cynically nicknamed Tunisia, "Syria with a smile": like Syria, the state was managed as if it were a mafia family business, with the denial of basic political rights to its citizens; but, unlike Syria, the smell of jasmine, beach resorts, growth of middle-class home ownership and genuine progress in the role of women soften the edges of harsh political realities.

Yes, the United States and Tunisia had a long history of cooperative relations, rooted in strong U.S. support for Tunisia's independence. But by the time I served in Tunisia, the once robust bilateral friendship had by and large become paralyzed by the suspicions and fears cultivated by the Ben Ali regime. "Stability," in this case, meant frozen connections and lost potential, and, as Mohammed Bouazizi demonstrated, "stability" turned out to be an illusion.

Today, Tunisia is a far different place, thanks to the courageous Tunisian people. I had the privilege to visit Tunisia just a week after Ben Ali's departure and to join our Ambassador in openly meeting some of the same activists who had faced arrest there earlier. Even in those early days of the Jasmine Revolution, it was obvious that something fundamental had changed: people were no longer afraid to demand basic rights and economic opportunities. What started in Tunisia has spread elsewhere in the Arab world, with people insisting that their governments respect them and reflect their political and economic aspirations.

For the United States, which pursues a complex set of foreign policy objectives globally, the transformation of the Arab world poses opportunities and challenges. Many of the overarching goals we pursued a year ago remain the same today: pursuit of genuine Arab-Israeli peace; promotion of global energy stability and freedom of navigation; countering violent extremism and the risk of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear; promotion of human rights and the development of democracy; and economic growth. But in the Arab world, the context in which we pursue these goals has changed dramatically in the past year.

The U.S. recognizes that, in a region where public opinion matters more than ever before, we need to increase our efforts to reach out beyond the traditional government and business elites not only to articulate clearly our own goals but to listen to a wide spectrum of views. This includes reaching out to Islamist parties, who now play an important role in the political transformation of many countries in the region. We are less concerned what a political party or organization calls itself than what it does in practice, and we will reach out to those who act according to democratic principles, respect their fellow citizens' rights, and do not use force or violence to impose their views.

The United States is aligning our policies and programs with the legitimate aspirations of the region's new democracies. New emerging leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and, yes, even Syria will undoubtedly be far more attuned to the nuances of public opinion than their authoritarian predecessors. They will face enormous challenges in trying to meet the political and economic demands of their citizens.

As President Obama and Secretary Clinton have made clear, we are inspired to see people stand up for their rights and for better lives, from Sidi Bouzid, to Alexandria, to Taiz. A diversity of views expressed openly and peacefully is inherently healthy, even if we do not agree in all matters. Over time, a government that respects the rights of all its citizens and rules with their consent will be better placed to serve the needs of its people and also a better partner for the United States.

The United States is working in many ways to help support the transitions to democracy underway in the Middle East and North Africa. The success of these transitions and of democratic and economic reforms across the region is in the interest of the United States as well as of the region's people.

The Arab Spring has shown us that people's legitimate demands for respect and dignity cannot permanently be denied, and it is inevitable that the Syrian people, too, will achieve the end of dictatorship. Until then, we will continue to work with the Arab League, U.N. Security Council partners, and others to find ways to stop Bashar al-Asad's killing machine and to help the Syrian people realize their dream of a united, democratic Syria where the rights of all are respected.

Across the region, economic success will be vital to political progress, and U.S. private-sector companies will have a positive role to play in supporting growth and helping to create jobs. In Egypt, for example, we are working with our Congress to channel a $1 billion debt swap into job creation, and supporting new partnerships between American and Egyptian educational institutions. The United States is using our assistance funds in new and innovative ways, such as by developing Enterprise Funds to foster private-sector development. In Tunisia, we have been pleased to see major U.S. corporations, including Pfizer, Marriott, and Microsoft, make new investments, hirings, and donations to grow business and aid economic recovery.

We would like to see the same investment in the success of reforms across the region, and are working to bolster economic investment and growth. However, for that to happen, inclusive, pluralistic and resilient political systems will need to take root. Without such responsive democratic governments, the stability and sustainability businesses seek to assure the viability of investments will be missing and a shadow will be cast over the dignity and pride that has empowered people to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges.

Although none of this will be easy, the United States and our international partners will continue to engage and offer our support in the months and years to come. I remain optimistic that 2012 can bring the kind of positive and enduring change that this region has needed and deserved for so long.

Editor's Note: This entry first appeared in Dar Al Hayat.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/nea_opportunities_change/ 2012-01-12T20:57:07+00:00
I had the privilege of joining our Ambassador Anne Patterson in attending two Christmas services on January 6. First, we went to a moving celebration at the Evangelical Presbyterian Church near Tahrir Square. Then, in the evening, we attended a Coptic Christmas ceremony at Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral.

In both churches, there were celebrations of the joy of the season alongside somber moments of remembrance for those who lost their lives over the past year, including in the tragic and terrible terrorist attack on a Coptic church in Alexandria one year ago, as well as the unrest that followed. In the Presbyterian service, worshippers gave a standing ovation to a young man blinded in the unrest.

As I looked around the two churches, I was struck by Egypt's great religious and political diversity. At a time when the intersection of religion and politics is on the minds of many, it was encouraging to see many Muslims from across the political spectrum attend these services to show their respect for their fellow citizens. Just as Egyptians came together in a spirit of tolerance and unity last January in Tahrir Square, so, too, were the attendees of these Christmas celebrations affirming a respect for the principles of religious freedom that are essential to a democratic system. President Obama, in a statement a few days ago, rightly pointed out that, "freedom of religion, and the protection of people of all faiths, and the ability to worship as you choose are critical to a peaceful, inclusive, and thriving society."

Egypt's mainstream political parties have promised to respect the rights of religious minorities to worship freely. As Egypt's newly-elected lower house of parliament prepares to be seated for the first time this month, these parties will soon be in a position to ensure these promises come to fruition.

In this same spirit of tolerance, I spent my time this Christmas in Cairo speaking to Egyptian leaders and civil society activists about the importance of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as a pillar of any healthy democracy. NGOs, in Egypt and around the world, play an integral role in ensuring government accountability, providing much-needed services to needy communities, and offering protections for our most fundamental rights.

I was inspired by the commitment to unity, tolerance, and mutual respect evident at the Christmas services I attended. I hope this same spirit will be evident as Egyptians launch their new democratic parliament, write their new constitution, find ways to strengthen and protect equal rights for all citizens, and build a more prosperous nation.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/egypt_coptic_christmas/ 2012-01-09T00:34:42+00:00