Guest Commentary

Last week in Strasbourg, France, the European Parliament awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2012 to Nasrin Sotoudeh, a jailed Iranian lawyer and human-rights advocate, and to Jafar Panahi, a celebrated film director who has also been imprisoned for his views. Read more...

Secretary of State Clinton has removed the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) from the U.S. list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO), fifteen years after Secretary Madeleine Albright first listed the group.  Administration officials have explained that this is not a signal of political support for the MEK against the regime in Tehran, merely an acknowledgement that there is no factual or legal justification for keeping the group on the list. Read more...

As much of the world economy struggles to find firm footing, it is an important time to remember that foreign direct investment and commercial development work best when rule of law is placed front and center, especially in developing countries.

Without proper safeguards and the enforcement of treaties, foreign investors often find themselves marginalized to the benefit of domestic industries. When this occurs, other investors frequently pull out of the host country, taking with them valuable capital, expertise, training and improvements in infrastructure.

The result can be devastating to the host country’s economy, and a blow to the standard of living of its people.

One country that currently is heading down this perilous path is Ecuador. In recent months, the country has set several dangerous precedents against free trade and the rule of law.

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Although I just arrived in Washington, D.C., as the new Greek ambassador, America makes me feel right at home. This is not only because I have served in the United States twice in my career ― in Boston and in Los Angeles ― but also because there are so many things here that remind me of my home country’s heritage and radiant culture, bringing out the deep affinities of our two nations, our shared values and our strong ties of friendship and alliance. Read more...

HAIFA, Israel — Whether intended or not, the perception here in Israel is that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hitched our wagon well and truly to the Mitt Romney Republican presidential campaign — for better or worse.

Last month’s release of a campaign video funded by Secure America Now in which Netanyahu is seen unequivocally spelling out the dangers of waiting too long to take action against Iran’s nuclear weapons program is widely seen as an appeal to Jewish voters in key swing states such as Florida to desert President Obama and his policy of sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

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It was a sight not often seen these days in Washington. In an emotional ceremony in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol last month, Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi brought together members of both chambers and of both political parties for a momentous and rare gathering to cheer a hero and most remarkably, to honor the aspirations of people on the other side of the world. 

"This is one of the most moving days of my life, to be here in a house undivided, a house joined together to welcome a stranger from a distant land,” Suu Kyi said. Yet, Suu Kyi and Myanmar, by all accounts, are no strangers to the United States or international development financial institutions like the Asian Development Bank. 

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The outlook in Syria is becoming increasingly grim. Turkish, Saudi and Qatari intervention has transformed the conflict into a protracted civil war. The limited intervention by Western powers isn’t changing much on the ground, but neither would a quick collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime necessarily bring stability. For all we know, Assad’s fall could mark the beginning of a longer war, as we experienced in Iraq. There seem to be no good option for ending the conflict: the U.N. efforts are stymied by Russian and Chinese opposition, and Gulf states and Turkey are seen as biased and opportunistic. Perhaps the time has come to start thinking outside of the box.

What about Iraq? The challenge in Syria is a chance for Iraq and the United States to work together for a common goal and test Iraq’s viability as a partner in promoting stability and freedom in a region vital to U.S. interests.

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We are on the brink of closing a successful chapter in the strong and productive relationship between El Salvador and the United States. In October 2012, we will celebrate the completion of the Millennium Challenge Corporation´s (MCC) first compact in El Salvador. Between 2007 and 2012, the MCC invested nearly $460 million in the northern part of El Salvador to help reduce poverty, reaching more than 900,000 people.

I would like to thank the people and the government of the United States for their generosity.

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Recent events unfolding across the Islamic world underscore the fact that we live in challenging and unpredictable times. Governments can fall in weeks. Embassy compounds built like fortresses can be breached in hours. With the third-largest population of Muslims in the world, Nigeria has a stake in these wide-reaching developments.  Read more...

Dear Members of the United States Congress,

I am writing to you regarding the case of my husband, Bahraini human-rights defender and pro-democracy activist Nabeel Rajab. As you may know, on July 9, Nabeel was sentenced to three months in prison for an “insulting” tweet that he wrote, and on Aug. 16, he was sentenced to a further three years for participating in so-called “illegal gatherings.”