Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs

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The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA), headed by Assistant Secretary C. David Welch, deals with U.S. foreign policy and U.S. diplomatic relations with Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Regional policy issues that NEA handles include Iraq, Middle East peace, terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, and political and economic reform. Clickable Map

Middle East and North African Students Train To Become Active Leaders (Aug. 11)
Today the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) graduated over 100 students from across the Middle East and North Africa who completed training in civil society, democratic participation, and leadership as part of the MEPI 2008 Student Leaders Program. The program commenced in Washington, D.C. on June 31, attracting some of the most highly motivated and academically outstanding students from throughout the MENA region. Full Text

U.S. Policy Toward Iran
Under Secretary Burns (July 9): "... The behavior of the Iranian regime poses as serious a set of challenges to the international community as any problem we face today. Iran's nuclear ambitions; its support for terrorism; and its efforts to undermine hopes for stability in Iraq and Afghanistan, including lethal backing for groups attacking American troops, are all deeply troubling. So are its destructive actions in Lebanon, its longstanding rejection of a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, and the profoundly repugnant rhetoric of its leaders about Israel, the Holocaust, and so much else. Compounding these concerns is Iran's deteriorating record on human rights. Ten years ago, we saw signs of opening in Iran's political and social systems. Today, sadly, Iranian citizens are subjected to increasingly severe restrictions on basic rights, and increasingly blatant manipulation of the electoral process." Full Text | View Video

Middle East Digest
The "Middle East Digest" is a collection of excerpts from the U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefings that are related to U.S. foreign policy interests in the Middle East.