Saturday, July 23, 2011
Al-Jazeera Video: Inside Story - Syria: A sign of desperation?
"Thousands have taken to the streets of the flashpoint city of Homs to mourn several protesters reportedly killed by security forces on Friday, as opposition activists call for fresh strikes across the country.
The funeral procession was held a day after a government crackdown on nationwide demonstrations resulted in at least 11 deaths, most of which were in Homs, Ammar Qurabi, the head of the National Organisation for Human Rights, an opposition group, said.
More than one million demonstrators called for an end to the Baathist party's 40-year rule across the country on Friday, which protest organisers dedicated to showing support for the military besieged city of Homs.
Al Jazeera's Tarek Bazley reports."
Puppets in Revolt: Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and the United States
By James Petras
"Empires are built through the promotion and backing of local collaborators who act at the behest of imperial rulers. They are rewarded with the outward symbols of authority and financial handouts, even as it is understood that they hold their position only at the tolerance of their imperial superiors....
Puppets in Action: Between Imperial Subservience and Mass Isolation
Puppets in Action: Between Imperial Subservience and Mass Isolation
The three puppet regimes have provided a fig leaf for the imperial savaging of the colonized people of the countries they preside over. Nouri al Maliki has over the past 5 years, not only justified the US occupation but actively promoted the assassination and torture of thousands of anti-colonial activists and resistance fighters. He has sold billion dollar oil and gas concessions to overseas oil companies. He has presided over the theft (‘disappearance’ or “unaccountable”) of billions of dollars in oil revenues and US foreign aid (squeezed from US tax payers). Hamid Karzai, who has rarely ventured out of the presidential compound without his US Marine bodyguards, has been ineffective in gathering even token support except through his extended family......
The puppet ‘revolts’ neither influence the colonial master nor attract the anti-colonial masses. They signal the demise of a US attempt at colonial revivalism. It spells the end of the illusion of the neo-conservative and neo-liberal ideologists who ferverently believed that US military power was capably of invading, occupying and ruling the Islamic world via shadow puppets projected over a mass of submissive peoples. The colonial example of Israel, a narrow strip of arid coastline, remains an anomaly in a sea of independent Islamic and secular states. Efforts by its US advocates to reproduce Israel’s relative consolidation through wars, occupations and puppet regimes has instead led to the bankruptcy of the US and the collapse of the colonial state. Puppets will be in flight; troops are in retreat; flags will be lowered and a period of prolonged civil war is in the offering. Can a democratic social revolution replace puppets and puppet masters? We in the United States live in a time of profound and deepening crises, in which rightwing extremism has penetrated the highest office and has seized the initiative for now but hopefully not forever. The overseas colonial wars are coming to a close, are domestic wars on the horizon?"
Al-Jazeera Video: What next for Egypt and its neighbours?
AN EXCELLENT PROGRAM
Hosted by Ayman Muhyiddin and includes Hossam El-Hamalawy
Hosted by Ayman Muhyiddin and includes Hossam El-Hamalawy
هل هناك حقا استثناء سوري؟
ميشيل كيلو
"....
أما اليوم فليس الحدث السوري من صنع تنظيم، مسلحا كان أم غير مسلح، بل هو أقرب إلى تمرد شعبي يختلف عن أحداث 78 – 82 بما يلي:
1- مشاركة مختلف القوى الاجتماعية فيه. لسنا اليوم أمام تنظيم يستغل موقفا عدائيا من النظام ويخترق أوساطا هي الأكثر تأخرا في طبقة وسطى مدينية حرمت من التنمية وحجر عليها سياسيا، تمردت في حماه وجزئيا في حلب. اليوم، تشارك قطاعات كبيرة من العلمانيين والمتدينين في تمرد تجمعهما شعارات ومطالب تبدو أقرب إلى العلمانية ومأخوذة من قاموسها كالمواطنة والحرية الفردية والدولة الديموقراطية / المدنية والفرد الحر والمجتمع المدني... الخ، بينما كانت في الحدث السابق دينية صرفة، نفرت المجتمع العلماني واستفزته ووضعته منذ البداية في صف النظام أو حيدته، خاصة بعد أن تبنت مقولات وشعارات طائفية هددت بإشعال حرب أهلية كان السوريون وما زالوا في أغلبيتهم ضدها. هكذا، في الماضي، أخذ التمرد طابعا جعله يبدو كتمرد ضد الدولة والمجتمع، أما اليوم، فالتمرد في جوهره هو تمرد باسم المجتمع ضد سلطة ظلمته وقوضت دولته، التي يريد استعادتها والرضوخ لها كدولة حق وقانون. ثمة إذاً تبدل جذري في كل ما له علاقة بالحدثين، واختلاف في مفرداتهما جميعها: البشرية والمجتمعية والسياسية والقيمية. بما أن الأول كان مسلَّحا وعنيفا، فقد كان من المفهوم أن يجابه بالسلاح والعنف، وإن كان استخدامهما الرسمي مفرطا جعل عدد ضحاياهما كبيرا إلى حد تجاوز كثيرا قمع النواة المسلحة ذاتها إلى قمع المجتمع، الذي ضرب دون تمييز، حتى بدا أن لا هدف للعنف غير سحقه.
2- مشاركة الريف بقسم وازن من النشاط الاحتجاجي، بينما كان الريف معاديا في الحدث الأول، وكان المجتمع الأهلي مشاركا بجزء محدود من قوته في المدينتين، ومحايدا تماما في معظم المدن والبلدات السورية. اليوم، المجتمع الأهلي، مجتمع الريف المديني أوالمدن الريفية، هو حامل الاحتجاج الحقيقي في كل مكان من أرض سوريا. يفسر هذا اتساعه وحدّته وانخراط قطاعات متزايدة الحجم من السكان المهمشين فيه. بارتباط المجتمع المدني الحديث ممثلا في مئات آلاف الشبان والشابات، وعشرات آلاف المثقفين من مختلف المهن والاختصاصات، مع المجتمع الأهلي، الذي تبنى مقولاتهم وأهدافهم السياسية الحديثة. تغير طابع المعركة، فلم تعد بين "سلطة تقدمية وقطاعات اجتماعية محافظة أو رجعية"، كما كان يقال عن معركة 78-82، وإنما صارت بين مجتمع علماني / ديني / مدني / أهلي وسلطة فقدت تواصلها معه وتمثيلها له، اكتسبت طابعا محافظا معاديا لطموحاته، بدافع من رغبتها في الحفاظ على نظام سلطوي أنتج مجتمعه انطلاقا من مصالحه، لا هم له غير منع مجتمعه من كسر الطوق السياسي الشديد الضيق الذي كبله بقيوده، رغم ما عرفه من نمو في جسده الخاص، وعاشه من تحديث جدي وحقيقي في أبنيته ووعيه، خلال نيف وأربعين عاما من عمر النظام. منطقيا، لا يحتاج المجتمع اليوم إلى استخدام العنف، ما دام لن يهزم سلميا، ويرفض أن ينقسم على نفسه، لأن الانقسام يؤذيه ويضعف قضيته وقدراته وقد يفضي إلى هزيمته، خاصة بعد أن بدأ يتبلور تيار داخل النظام يريد ملاقاة مطالبه في منتصف الطريق، تبنى مؤخرا لغة قريبة من لغة معارضي الأمر القائم وخصومه، وبدأ يتحدث عن الانتقال إلى الدولة الديموقراطية المدنية، والتعددية والــنظام التمثيلي وكأنها لم تعد لغة لكسب الوقت، بل هي لغة قناعات راسخة، أملاها عليهم الاقتناع بضرورة تلبية مطالب الشعب في نظام بديل للنظام الحالي، الذي فقد مرجعيته بالنسبة إلى كثير من أنصاره، وغدا من الواضح أن التمرد الاحتجاجي الواسع لن يتوقف دون إجراء تغيير جدي فيه. لا يحتاج المجتمع إلى العنف، ولديه أدلة على قوة النزعة السلــمية وقدرتها تزوده بها تجارب راهنة في تونس ومصر واليمن، بلد الشعب المسلح حتى الأنياب، الذي يرفض الرد بالنار على النار، مع أن بنادقه في متناول يده، التي على الزناد. بينما تعلمه تجربة ليبيا أن النظام هو الذي يلجأ إلى العنف، كي يسد أبواب الحلول السياسية، ويبقي على السلطة.
لسنا في أعوام 78- 82 مكررة ومعدلة. هذا هوالواقع السوري الراهن، الذي حاولت رصد أهم ملامحه بإيجاز، لأصل إلى نتيجة ترى أن تكرار الحل القمعي الذي مورس في الماضي على الحال الراهنة كان هو، وليس المؤامرة، الاستثناء السوري، فلا عجب أنه كان محكوما بالفشل حتى قبل أن يبدأ، وأن ما أدخل عليه من تعديلات تراعي الوضع الحالي لن يجدي نفعا، ما دام يعالج وضعا لا يملك أدوات علاجه، ويعتمد نهجا لا يرد على أسئلته، ويقدم حلا لمشاكله وأزماته يزيدها تعقيدا وتأزما.
عند بدء الأحداث، كان هناك رأي يقول بإعادة إنتاج السياسة انطلاقا من الواقع الجديد، على أن يلتقي في مشروع كهذا جزء من أهل النظام مع المعارضة والشباب والمجتمع الأهلي، فيتم عزل الفتنة ودعاتها والقضاء على أي مؤامرة قد تنشأ أو تكون موجودة. لكن الأحداث سارت في اتجاه معاكس، جعل السلطة ترى في حملة الواقع الجديد العدو الذي يجب القضاء عليه، بالقوة. بذلك دخلنا في الاستثناء السوري، الذي يجعل أسلوب إدارة الأزمة أشد مكوناتها خطورة وتعقيدا، ويأخذنا جميعا، يوما بعد يوم وساعة بعد ساعة، إلى كارثة لم يعد باستطاعة أحد إنكار وقوعها، وربما منعه.
"
"....
أما اليوم فليس الحدث السوري من صنع تنظيم، مسلحا كان أم غير مسلح، بل هو أقرب إلى تمرد شعبي يختلف عن أحداث 78 – 82 بما يلي:
1- مشاركة مختلف القوى الاجتماعية فيه. لسنا اليوم أمام تنظيم يستغل موقفا عدائيا من النظام ويخترق أوساطا هي الأكثر تأخرا في طبقة وسطى مدينية حرمت من التنمية وحجر عليها سياسيا، تمردت في حماه وجزئيا في حلب. اليوم، تشارك قطاعات كبيرة من العلمانيين والمتدينين في تمرد تجمعهما شعارات ومطالب تبدو أقرب إلى العلمانية ومأخوذة من قاموسها كالمواطنة والحرية الفردية والدولة الديموقراطية / المدنية والفرد الحر والمجتمع المدني... الخ، بينما كانت في الحدث السابق دينية صرفة، نفرت المجتمع العلماني واستفزته ووضعته منذ البداية في صف النظام أو حيدته، خاصة بعد أن تبنت مقولات وشعارات طائفية هددت بإشعال حرب أهلية كان السوريون وما زالوا في أغلبيتهم ضدها. هكذا، في الماضي، أخذ التمرد طابعا جعله يبدو كتمرد ضد الدولة والمجتمع، أما اليوم، فالتمرد في جوهره هو تمرد باسم المجتمع ضد سلطة ظلمته وقوضت دولته، التي يريد استعادتها والرضوخ لها كدولة حق وقانون. ثمة إذاً تبدل جذري في كل ما له علاقة بالحدثين، واختلاف في مفرداتهما جميعها: البشرية والمجتمعية والسياسية والقيمية. بما أن الأول كان مسلَّحا وعنيفا، فقد كان من المفهوم أن يجابه بالسلاح والعنف، وإن كان استخدامهما الرسمي مفرطا جعل عدد ضحاياهما كبيرا إلى حد تجاوز كثيرا قمع النواة المسلحة ذاتها إلى قمع المجتمع، الذي ضرب دون تمييز، حتى بدا أن لا هدف للعنف غير سحقه.
2- مشاركة الريف بقسم وازن من النشاط الاحتجاجي، بينما كان الريف معاديا في الحدث الأول، وكان المجتمع الأهلي مشاركا بجزء محدود من قوته في المدينتين، ومحايدا تماما في معظم المدن والبلدات السورية. اليوم، المجتمع الأهلي، مجتمع الريف المديني أوالمدن الريفية، هو حامل الاحتجاج الحقيقي في كل مكان من أرض سوريا. يفسر هذا اتساعه وحدّته وانخراط قطاعات متزايدة الحجم من السكان المهمشين فيه. بارتباط المجتمع المدني الحديث ممثلا في مئات آلاف الشبان والشابات، وعشرات آلاف المثقفين من مختلف المهن والاختصاصات، مع المجتمع الأهلي، الذي تبنى مقولاتهم وأهدافهم السياسية الحديثة. تغير طابع المعركة، فلم تعد بين "سلطة تقدمية وقطاعات اجتماعية محافظة أو رجعية"، كما كان يقال عن معركة 78-82، وإنما صارت بين مجتمع علماني / ديني / مدني / أهلي وسلطة فقدت تواصلها معه وتمثيلها له، اكتسبت طابعا محافظا معاديا لطموحاته، بدافع من رغبتها في الحفاظ على نظام سلطوي أنتج مجتمعه انطلاقا من مصالحه، لا هم له غير منع مجتمعه من كسر الطوق السياسي الشديد الضيق الذي كبله بقيوده، رغم ما عرفه من نمو في جسده الخاص، وعاشه من تحديث جدي وحقيقي في أبنيته ووعيه، خلال نيف وأربعين عاما من عمر النظام. منطقيا، لا يحتاج المجتمع اليوم إلى استخدام العنف، ما دام لن يهزم سلميا، ويرفض أن ينقسم على نفسه، لأن الانقسام يؤذيه ويضعف قضيته وقدراته وقد يفضي إلى هزيمته، خاصة بعد أن بدأ يتبلور تيار داخل النظام يريد ملاقاة مطالبه في منتصف الطريق، تبنى مؤخرا لغة قريبة من لغة معارضي الأمر القائم وخصومه، وبدأ يتحدث عن الانتقال إلى الدولة الديموقراطية المدنية، والتعددية والــنظام التمثيلي وكأنها لم تعد لغة لكسب الوقت، بل هي لغة قناعات راسخة، أملاها عليهم الاقتناع بضرورة تلبية مطالب الشعب في نظام بديل للنظام الحالي، الذي فقد مرجعيته بالنسبة إلى كثير من أنصاره، وغدا من الواضح أن التمرد الاحتجاجي الواسع لن يتوقف دون إجراء تغيير جدي فيه. لا يحتاج المجتمع إلى العنف، ولديه أدلة على قوة النزعة السلــمية وقدرتها تزوده بها تجارب راهنة في تونس ومصر واليمن، بلد الشعب المسلح حتى الأنياب، الذي يرفض الرد بالنار على النار، مع أن بنادقه في متناول يده، التي على الزناد. بينما تعلمه تجربة ليبيا أن النظام هو الذي يلجأ إلى العنف، كي يسد أبواب الحلول السياسية، ويبقي على السلطة.
لسنا في أعوام 78- 82 مكررة ومعدلة. هذا هوالواقع السوري الراهن، الذي حاولت رصد أهم ملامحه بإيجاز، لأصل إلى نتيجة ترى أن تكرار الحل القمعي الذي مورس في الماضي على الحال الراهنة كان هو، وليس المؤامرة، الاستثناء السوري، فلا عجب أنه كان محكوما بالفشل حتى قبل أن يبدأ، وأن ما أدخل عليه من تعديلات تراعي الوضع الحالي لن يجدي نفعا، ما دام يعالج وضعا لا يملك أدوات علاجه، ويعتمد نهجا لا يرد على أسئلته، ويقدم حلا لمشاكله وأزماته يزيدها تعقيدا وتأزما.
عند بدء الأحداث، كان هناك رأي يقول بإعادة إنتاج السياسة انطلاقا من الواقع الجديد، على أن يلتقي في مشروع كهذا جزء من أهل النظام مع المعارضة والشباب والمجتمع الأهلي، فيتم عزل الفتنة ودعاتها والقضاء على أي مؤامرة قد تنشأ أو تكون موجودة. لكن الأحداث سارت في اتجاه معاكس، جعل السلطة ترى في حملة الواقع الجديد العدو الذي يجب القضاء عليه، بالقوة. بذلك دخلنا في الاستثناء السوري، الذي يجعل أسلوب إدارة الأزمة أشد مكوناتها خطورة وتعقيدا، ويأخذنا جميعا، يوما بعد يوم وساعة بعد ساعة، إلى كارثة لم يعد باستطاعة أحد إنكار وقوعها، وربما منعه.
"
Mass Syrian protest against Assad regime adds to death toll
(Syrian anti-regime protesters carry a picture of President Assad that reads, "Leave. We don't trust you. You will leave and we will stay because Syria is ours. Enough of injustice and killing," during a rally in Damascus.)
Hundreds of thousands demonstrate as security forces kill at least 11 people with president rumoured to call elections
Nour Ali in Damascus and Ian Black, Middle East editor
guardian.co.uk, Friday 22 July 2011
"Hundreds of thousands of Syrians turned out for anti-regime demonstrations across the country on Friday with at least 11 people reported killed by security forces and tensions mounting in the runup to the Ramadan holiday.
Casualty figures – collated by two Syrian human rights groups – were down on previous weeks but the numbers of demonstrators appeared to be some of the largest yet seen in the four-month uprising.
In Aleppo, Syria's second city, unarmed military cadets were seen marching with civilian protesters and calling for the overthrow of the regime and the departure of President Bashar al-Assad.....
Activists said that several tank crews this week defected and joined protesters in the eastern town of Albu Kamal bordering Iraq's tribal Sunni heartland....
Syrian activists are warning protesters who imitate slogans from Egypt and Tunisia (where the army changed sides and helped overthrow both presidents) such as "the people and the army are one hand!" that they should not count on the military changing sides. "This is a very different situation here and we know that," said one Damascus activist....."
Nour Ali in Damascus and Ian Black, Middle East editor
guardian.co.uk, Friday 22 July 2011
"Hundreds of thousands of Syrians turned out for anti-regime demonstrations across the country on Friday with at least 11 people reported killed by security forces and tensions mounting in the runup to the Ramadan holiday.
Casualty figures – collated by two Syrian human rights groups – were down on previous weeks but the numbers of demonstrators appeared to be some of the largest yet seen in the four-month uprising.
In Aleppo, Syria's second city, unarmed military cadets were seen marching with civilian protesters and calling for the overthrow of the regime and the departure of President Bashar al-Assad.....
Activists said that several tank crews this week defected and joined protesters in the eastern town of Albu Kamal bordering Iraq's tribal Sunni heartland....
Syrian activists are warning protesters who imitate slogans from Egypt and Tunisia (where the army changed sides and helped overthrow both presidents) such as "the people and the army are one hand!" that they should not count on the military changing sides. "This is a very different situation here and we know that," said one Damascus activist....."
Egypt: too big for its boots
It is time to recognise that the Egyptian army's military, political and social role needs to be reduced, not expanded
A Good Editorial
guardian.co.uk, Friday 22 July 2011
"The Egyptian army has hardly fired a shot in anger since the last of the country's four wars with Israel in 1973. Apart from a marginal role in the coalition which pushed Saddam's troops out of Kuwait in 1991, it has not done anything for a generation which could be called military in any strict sense of the word. It might have played a part, possibly even a leading part, in the intervention in Libya, but, perhaps wisely, the generals in Cairo decided that trying to manage one revolution was enough.
Yet the armed forces account for a quarter of Egyptian government expenditure, run industries and farms and hotels, and are the beneficiaries of huge amounts of American aid. Now that the country is on the way to democratic rule, there would seem to be a powerful case for cutting the army's numbers, costs, perquisites, and privileges. But reports from Cairo suggest that some of the generals are angling for constitutional provisions that will enshrine the military's authority in society, protect its budget, and assign it a formal right of intervention in political affairs. This is a position akin to that which the Turkish armed forces arrogated to themselves in the past and from which both civilian and military institutions in that country are still trying to painfully extricate themselves today.
The army did of course perform the signal service of easing Hosni Mubarak from power. That was an intervention of the first importance, and might be regarded as earning it the right to intervene again in the future. Those in Egypt who fear an Islamist takeover may favour the kind of military protection of the secular state on which the Turkish army prided itself. Yet the Egyptian armed forces acted without any specific constitutional mandate in the spring. Why should they require one now to deal with some notional threat in the future? The problem with any special arrangements for the armed forces is that they would tend to reinforce the unnatural prominence of the officer corps in a country which has been at peace for decades. Nasser, Sadat and Mubarak all in turn trimmed the military's direct political role, but the army's share of national resources and its economic holdings nevertheless grew and grew.
These included the building up of an arms industry, and a range of other enterprises which have a mixed record but which would not in a European country be regarded as in the military ambit at all. They also include infrastructure projects which have helped development, and literacy and vocational programmes for conscripts which have had a positive effect. But the time has surely come to recognise that the Egyptian army's military, political and social role needs to be reduced, not expanded."
A Good Editorial
guardian.co.uk, Friday 22 July 2011
"The Egyptian army has hardly fired a shot in anger since the last of the country's four wars with Israel in 1973. Apart from a marginal role in the coalition which pushed Saddam's troops out of Kuwait in 1991, it has not done anything for a generation which could be called military in any strict sense of the word. It might have played a part, possibly even a leading part, in the intervention in Libya, but, perhaps wisely, the generals in Cairo decided that trying to manage one revolution was enough.
Yet the armed forces account for a quarter of Egyptian government expenditure, run industries and farms and hotels, and are the beneficiaries of huge amounts of American aid. Now that the country is on the way to democratic rule, there would seem to be a powerful case for cutting the army's numbers, costs, perquisites, and privileges. But reports from Cairo suggest that some of the generals are angling for constitutional provisions that will enshrine the military's authority in society, protect its budget, and assign it a formal right of intervention in political affairs. This is a position akin to that which the Turkish armed forces arrogated to themselves in the past and from which both civilian and military institutions in that country are still trying to painfully extricate themselves today.
The army did of course perform the signal service of easing Hosni Mubarak from power. That was an intervention of the first importance, and might be regarded as earning it the right to intervene again in the future. Those in Egypt who fear an Islamist takeover may favour the kind of military protection of the secular state on which the Turkish army prided itself. Yet the Egyptian armed forces acted without any specific constitutional mandate in the spring. Why should they require one now to deal with some notional threat in the future? The problem with any special arrangements for the armed forces is that they would tend to reinforce the unnatural prominence of the officer corps in a country which has been at peace for decades. Nasser, Sadat and Mubarak all in turn trimmed the military's direct political role, but the army's share of national resources and its economic holdings nevertheless grew and grew.
These included the building up of an arms industry, and a range of other enterprises which have a mixed record but which would not in a European country be regarded as in the military ambit at all. They also include infrastructure projects which have helped development, and literacy and vocational programmes for conscripts which have had a positive effect. But the time has surely come to recognise that the Egyptian army's military, political and social role needs to be reduced, not expanded."
Friday, July 22, 2011
Egypt military break-up Alexandria protests
Action further angers protesters in Cairo, who continue to rally against ruling military council.
Al-Jazeera
"Egyptian military police fired shots in the air and beat demonstrators blocking a main road in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, witnesses said, in a move that could further sour relations between the army and civilians.
Friday's events were a rare display of violence in two weeks of largely peaceful protests in Alexandria, Cairo and Suez following a court decision to free on bail 10 policemen accused of killing protesters during the uprising that overthrew President Hosni Mubarak in February.
Witnesses told the Reuters news agency that the clash in Alexandria erupted after hundreds of protesters blocking the coastal road near the army's northern command headquarters refused to leave the area.
Police fired shots in the air and charged demonstrators who responded by hurling stones at them.
"The military police are firing in the air. They are also beating protesters with batons and kicking them hard," a witness said....
Growing mistrust
The standoff continued into the early hours of Saturday, also blocking traffic at a busy square across the city from Tahrir square.
Many protesters have grown mistrustful of the military, accusing it of dragging its feet in bringing former regime officials to trial.
More than five months after mass street demonstrations drove Mubarak from power, many Egyptians worry that their "revolution" has stalled....."
Al-Jazeera
"Egyptian military police fired shots in the air and beat demonstrators blocking a main road in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, witnesses said, in a move that could further sour relations between the army and civilians.
Friday's events were a rare display of violence in two weeks of largely peaceful protests in Alexandria, Cairo and Suez following a court decision to free on bail 10 policemen accused of killing protesters during the uprising that overthrew President Hosni Mubarak in February.
Witnesses told the Reuters news agency that the clash in Alexandria erupted after hundreds of protesters blocking the coastal road near the army's northern command headquarters refused to leave the area.
Police fired shots in the air and charged demonstrators who responded by hurling stones at them.
"The military police are firing in the air. They are also beating protesters with batons and kicking them hard," a witness said....
Growing mistrust
The standoff continued into the early hours of Saturday, also blocking traffic at a busy square across the city from Tahrir square.
Many protesters have grown mistrustful of the military, accusing it of dragging its feet in bringing former regime officials to trial.
More than five months after mass street demonstrations drove Mubarak from power, many Egyptians worry that their "revolution" has stalled....."
Syria Protests July 22, 2011 : A Video Roundup
AN EXCELLENT ROUNDUP
FROM URUKNET.INFO
(Dozens of Videos)
FROM URUKNET.INFO
(Dozens of Videos)
Video: Massive Protest Calling for the Downfall of the Syrian Regime in Hama, Friday July 22, 2011
منظر رائع . حماة ساحة العاصي جمعة احفاد خالد 22 تموز
Pushing Crisis: GOP Cries Wolf on Debt Ceiling In Order To Impose Radical Pro-Rich Agenda
"President Obama and Republican House speaker John Boehner are allegedly close to a $3 trillion deficit-reduction package as part of a deal to raise the federal debt ceiling before an Aug. 2 deadline. But the deal is coming under fire from both Congressional Democrats and Republicans — part of it calls for lowering personal and corporate income tax rates, while eliminating or reducing an array of popular tax breaks, such as the deduction for home mortgage interest. Some Democratic lawmakers expressed outrage on Thursday because the Obama-Boehner agreement appears to violate their pledge not to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits as well as Obama’s promise not to make deep cuts in programs for the poor without extracting some tax concessions from the rich. We’re joined by economist Michael Hudson, President of the Institute for the Study of Long-Term Economic Trends, a Distinguished Research Professor of Economics at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, and author of "Super-Imperialism: The Economic Strategy of American Empire."...."
Al-Jazeera Video: Qatari munition-labelled boxes sent to Libya
"Qatar has sent at least 200 tonnes of aid, including medical supplies, to help Libyan opposition forces since foreign support began to arrive.
The Qatari air force showed Al Jazeera a cargo plane bound for Libya containing computers, printers, rice, milk and sugar.
The main cargo on the plane were a military police unit and some intelligence personnel. Also on the plane were four trucks full of wooden boxes which were clearly marked "munitions".
Al Jazeera was unable to find out if they were for the Qatari security forces to use or the rebels.
But the trucks were driven away by men who told Al Jazeera they had recently joined the pro-democracy fighters.
Al Jazeera's Rosie Garthwaite reports from an air base in Benghazi."
The grumpy diplomats of the rogue state
Ilan Pappe
The Electronic Intifada
22 July 2011
"....So when we come and assess what is ahead of us, we who have been active in the West are entitled to a short moment of satisfaction at a job well done.
The three grumpy ambassadors are also right in sensing that not only has Israeli policy in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip come under attack, but also the very racist nature of the Jewish state has galvanized decent and conscientious citizens — many of them Jewish — around the campaign for peace and justice in Palestine.
Outside the realm of occupation and the daily reality of oppression all over Israel and Palestine, one can see more clearly that history’s greatest lesson will eventually reveal itself in Palestine as well: evil regimes do not survive forever and democracy, equality and peace will reach the Holy Land, as it will the rest of the Arab world.....
Whether it is financial desperation and external Israeli and American pressure that bought Greece’s collaboration against the Gaza Freedom Flotilla or it is the power of intimidation that silences even progressive newspapers like the Guardian in the West, Israel’s immunity is still granted despite its diplomats’ misery.
This is why we should ensure that not only Israeli ambassadors feel uncomfortable in European capitals, but also all those who support them or are too afraid to confront Israel and hold it to account."
The Electronic Intifada
22 July 2011
"....So when we come and assess what is ahead of us, we who have been active in the West are entitled to a short moment of satisfaction at a job well done.
The three grumpy ambassadors are also right in sensing that not only has Israeli policy in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip come under attack, but also the very racist nature of the Jewish state has galvanized decent and conscientious citizens — many of them Jewish — around the campaign for peace and justice in Palestine.
Outside the realm of occupation and the daily reality of oppression all over Israel and Palestine, one can see more clearly that history’s greatest lesson will eventually reveal itself in Palestine as well: evil regimes do not survive forever and democracy, equality and peace will reach the Holy Land, as it will the rest of the Arab world.....
Whether it is financial desperation and external Israeli and American pressure that bought Greece’s collaboration against the Gaza Freedom Flotilla or it is the power of intimidation that silences even progressive newspapers like the Guardian in the West, Israel’s immunity is still granted despite its diplomats’ misery.
This is why we should ensure that not only Israeli ambassadors feel uncomfortable in European capitals, but also all those who support them or are too afraid to confront Israel and hold it to account."
Current Al-Jazeera (Arabic) Online Poll
This brand new poll asks:
Do you support political dialog in Libya while Gaddafi stays in power?
With about 200 responding so far (it is early), 85% said no.
Do you support political dialog in Libya while Gaddafi stays in power?
With about 200 responding so far (it is early), 85% said no.
Real News Video: Why Save the Euro?
Mark Weisbrot : Euro was and is a right-wing project
(Cartoon by Dave Brown)
(Cartoon by Dave Brown)
Sacking Zahi Hawass is a sign of Egypt's ongoing revolution
He may liken himself to Indiana Jones, but the minister of antiquities epitomised all that was wrong with Mubarak's Egypt
Osama Diab
guardian.co.uk, Friday 22 July 2011
"....Since Hosni Mubarak's departure from office, protests that demanded the removal of Hawass from his position as minister of antiquities were uninterrupted. These were held by fellow archaeologists, the guards of heritage sites, or simply Tahrir Square protesters who see him as an antiquity that they have no interest in embalming from the era of Egypt's latest pharaoh, Mubarak. This pressure has yielded results and Hawass did lose the job he was offered during the 18-day revolution in a cabinet shuffle that aimed, but failed, to calm down angry anti-Mubarak protesters.
If Egyptian archaeology was a country, then certainly Hawass would be its Mubarak. Just like his former boss, he is besieged by allegations about his business interests, accusations of turning Egypt's archaeology into a one-man show by claiming credit for scientific findings and being the sole speaker about Egyptology in the local and international media. Of course, he's also committed the unforgivable sin of being one of Mubarak's favourite men....
The sacking of Hawass, Egypt's latest victim of the revolution, shows that the 18-day revolution was only the mother of numerous baby revolutions against little pharaohs or mini-Mubaraks in ministries, universities, factories, political parties and so on, and his departure marks another victory for those trying to clear the country of its deep-rooted authoritarianism."
Osama Diab
guardian.co.uk, Friday 22 July 2011
"....Since Hosni Mubarak's departure from office, protests that demanded the removal of Hawass from his position as minister of antiquities were uninterrupted. These were held by fellow archaeologists, the guards of heritage sites, or simply Tahrir Square protesters who see him as an antiquity that they have no interest in embalming from the era of Egypt's latest pharaoh, Mubarak. This pressure has yielded results and Hawass did lose the job he was offered during the 18-day revolution in a cabinet shuffle that aimed, but failed, to calm down angry anti-Mubarak protesters.
If Egyptian archaeology was a country, then certainly Hawass would be its Mubarak. Just like his former boss, he is besieged by allegations about his business interests, accusations of turning Egypt's archaeology into a one-man show by claiming credit for scientific findings and being the sole speaker about Egyptology in the local and international media. Of course, he's also committed the unforgivable sin of being one of Mubarak's favourite men....
The sacking of Hawass, Egypt's latest victim of the revolution, shows that the 18-day revolution was only the mother of numerous baby revolutions against little pharaohs or mini-Mubaraks in ministries, universities, factories, political parties and so on, and his departure marks another victory for those trying to clear the country of its deep-rooted authoritarianism."
Qatar breaks Arab ranks over Syria
Ian Black: While most Arab states sit on the fence, Qatar is standing up to Damascus over an attack on its embassy
Ian Black, Middle East editor
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 21 July 2011
"Qatar lived up to its reputation as a maverick in Middle Eastern politics this week by suspending the operations of its embassy in Damascus. The emir of the small but fabulously wealthy Gulf state has already gone far beyond the Arab consensus by supporting the Libyan rebels, sending cash and weapons to help them in their fight against Muammar Gaddafi. The United Arab Emirates is doing the same, but in a lower profile way.
Qatari investments in Syria have also reportedly been frozen, but the emirate was not reacting directly to Syrian repression. The measures were taken in response to attacks on its diplomatic mission in the leafy Damascus suburb of Ein Rummaneh, which was pelted with stones, eggs and tomatoes in protest at coverage of the unrest by al-Jazeera TV. The satellite channel is owned by Qatar, based in Doha and watched by millions of Arabs.
Qatar's moves, in the words of analyst Karim Sader, were "more like a shrewdly calculated divorce from the Syrian regime than a fleeting spat".
Other, more discreet action, is afoot. Arab media circles are rife with rumours of financial support from Qatar, the UAE and the Saudis for Syrian opposition groups— paying for conferences, communications and perhaps more......
But Syria's crisis is mainly a problem for Arabs. This week the Arab Writers Union, meeting in Cairo, held heated discussions about the situation in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere in the region, but its final communique managed only to condemn the crushing of peaceful protests "in more than one country" - without daring to name which ones.
As Ahmed Asfahani, commentator for the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat, put it: "If even Arab writers can't protest about what's happening in Syria, what hope is there that their governments will do anything?""
Ian Black, Middle East editor
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 21 July 2011
"Qatar lived up to its reputation as a maverick in Middle Eastern politics this week by suspending the operations of its embassy in Damascus. The emir of the small but fabulously wealthy Gulf state has already gone far beyond the Arab consensus by supporting the Libyan rebels, sending cash and weapons to help them in their fight against Muammar Gaddafi. The United Arab Emirates is doing the same, but in a lower profile way.
Qatari investments in Syria have also reportedly been frozen, but the emirate was not reacting directly to Syrian repression. The measures were taken in response to attacks on its diplomatic mission in the leafy Damascus suburb of Ein Rummaneh, which was pelted with stones, eggs and tomatoes in protest at coverage of the unrest by al-Jazeera TV. The satellite channel is owned by Qatar, based in Doha and watched by millions of Arabs.
Qatar's moves, in the words of analyst Karim Sader, were "more like a shrewdly calculated divorce from the Syrian regime than a fleeting spat".
Other, more discreet action, is afoot. Arab media circles are rife with rumours of financial support from Qatar, the UAE and the Saudis for Syrian opposition groups— paying for conferences, communications and perhaps more......
But Syria's crisis is mainly a problem for Arabs. This week the Arab Writers Union, meeting in Cairo, held heated discussions about the situation in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere in the region, but its final communique managed only to condemn the crushing of peaceful protests "in more than one country" - without daring to name which ones.
As Ahmed Asfahani, commentator for the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat, put it: "If even Arab writers can't protest about what's happening in Syria, what hope is there that their governments will do anything?""
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Amid the Murdoch scandal, there is the acrid smell of business as usual
By John Pilger
21 July 2011
".....Long before it was possible to hack phones, Murdoch was waging a war on journalism, truth, humanity, and succeeded because he knew how to exploit a system that welcomed his rapacious devotion to the “free market”. Murdoch may be more extreme in his methods, but he is no different in kind from many of those now lining up to condemn him who are his beneficiaries, mimics, collaborators, apologists.
As former prime minister Gordon Brown turns on his former master, accusing him of running a “criminal-media nexus”, watch the palpable discomfort in the new, cosy parliamentary-media consensus. “We must not be backward-looking,” said one Labour MP. Those parliamentarians caught last year with both hands in the Westminster till, who did nothing to stop the killing of hundreds of thousands of people in Iraq and stood and cheered the war criminal responsible, are now “united” behind the “calm” figure of opposition leader Ed Miliband. There is an acrid smell of business as usual.....
On 13 July, the Guardian editorialised about “the kowtowing of the political class to the Murdochs”. This is all too true. Kowtowing is an ancient ritual, often performed by those whose pacts with power are not immediately obvious but no less sulphuric. Tony Blair, soaked in the blood of an entire human society, was once regarded almost mystically at the liberal Guardian and Observer as the prime minister who, wrote Hugo Young, “wants to create a world none of us have known [where] the mind might range in search of a better Britain...”. He was in perfect harmony with the chorus over at Murdoch’s Wapping. “Mr. Blair,” said the Sun, “has vision, he has purpose and he speaks our language on morality and family life.” Plus ce change."
21 July 2011
".....Long before it was possible to hack phones, Murdoch was waging a war on journalism, truth, humanity, and succeeded because he knew how to exploit a system that welcomed his rapacious devotion to the “free market”. Murdoch may be more extreme in his methods, but he is no different in kind from many of those now lining up to condemn him who are his beneficiaries, mimics, collaborators, apologists.
As former prime minister Gordon Brown turns on his former master, accusing him of running a “criminal-media nexus”, watch the palpable discomfort in the new, cosy parliamentary-media consensus. “We must not be backward-looking,” said one Labour MP. Those parliamentarians caught last year with both hands in the Westminster till, who did nothing to stop the killing of hundreds of thousands of people in Iraq and stood and cheered the war criminal responsible, are now “united” behind the “calm” figure of opposition leader Ed Miliband. There is an acrid smell of business as usual.....
On 13 July, the Guardian editorialised about “the kowtowing of the political class to the Murdochs”. This is all too true. Kowtowing is an ancient ritual, often performed by those whose pacts with power are not immediately obvious but no less sulphuric. Tony Blair, soaked in the blood of an entire human society, was once regarded almost mystically at the liberal Guardian and Observer as the prime minister who, wrote Hugo Young, “wants to create a world none of us have known [where] the mind might range in search of a better Britain...”. He was in perfect harmony with the chorus over at Murdoch’s Wapping. “Mr. Blair,” said the Sun, “has vision, he has purpose and he speaks our language on morality and family life.” Plus ce change."
Video: The Bloody Syrian Regime's Crackdown and Shelling of Homs
شام - حمص - حي الخضر - إطلاق نار كثيف و العساكر يجلسون...
Israel Draws International Criticism For Sweeping Anti-Boycott Law
"Israel has passed a new law outlawing citizens and organizations from advocating for boycotts against any Israeli person or entity. The law is drawing criticism from around the world as an attack on freedom of speech. Under the new law, any person — including journalists — calling for the boycott or divestment of Israel or the occupied West Bank can be sued by the boycott’s targets, without having to prove that they sustained damage. We’re joined by Gal Beckerman, the Opinion Editor at the Jewish daily newspaper, The Forward, which recently issued an editorial claiming, "a boycott can be a legitimate use of non-violent protest to achieve a worthy goal." The editors of the paper then drew a line through the sentence, along with several others, to illustrate the type of reasonable thoughts that will be punishable under the new law...."
After Thwarting Flotilla, Israeli Navy Seizes Lone Gaza-Bound Ship that Eluded Greek Authorities
"Earlier this week, three Israeli missile ships and seven commando boats intercepted a French ship attempting to reach the Gaza Strip. The ship, Dignite-al Karama, was the sole representative of the original 10-strong international aid flotilla hoping to break the blockade on Gaza and express support for Palestinians living under occupation. At least 150 soldiers were sent to sea early Tuesday morning to prevent the 10 civilian activists, the three crew members and the three journalists on the flotilla from reaching Gaza’s port. Fifteen passengers were arrested, prevented from seeing their lawyers, and sent for deportation. We speak with Ha’aretz correspondent Amira Hass, one of the few journalists who was aboard the ship. Hass is also the one of the only Israeli journalists to have spent several years living in and reporting from Gaza and the West Bank....."
Real News Video: Obama and the "Gang Of Six"
James K. Galbraith: "Gang Of Six" Plan is all about cuts not increased taxes; Obama represents Wall Street faction of Democratic Party
‘One Mubarak Goes, 18 Come In’
By Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani
"CAIRO, Jul 21, 2011 (IPS) - Almost six months after the popular uprising that led to the ouster of former president Hosni Mubarak, the honeymoon between protesters and Egypt's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) - initially portrayed as a "defender of the revolution" - appears to be over.
"The people's confidence in the SCAF, which appears unable or unwilling to address our grievances, has reached an all-time low," Abdel Rahman Abu Zeid, a spokesman for protesters currently camped out in Cairo's Tahrir Square, told IPS.
Since Jul. 8, demonstrators have returned en masse to the iconic square - in the hundreds of thousands on certain days - to protest the ruling council's failure to implement key revolutionary demands.
"If you can't meet the demands of the revolution… then you should step down," the Revolutionary Youth Coalition, which consists of several protest groups that played a major roles in the recent uprising, told the council last week. "The Egyptian people represent the sole source of authority; they impart authority, and they can take it away."...."
"CAIRO, Jul 21, 2011 (IPS) - Almost six months after the popular uprising that led to the ouster of former president Hosni Mubarak, the honeymoon between protesters and Egypt's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) - initially portrayed as a "defender of the revolution" - appears to be over.
"The people's confidence in the SCAF, which appears unable or unwilling to address our grievances, has reached an all-time low," Abdel Rahman Abu Zeid, a spokesman for protesters currently camped out in Cairo's Tahrir Square, told IPS.
Since Jul. 8, demonstrators have returned en masse to the iconic square - in the hundreds of thousands on certain days - to protest the ruling council's failure to implement key revolutionary demands.
"If you can't meet the demands of the revolution… then you should step down," the Revolutionary Youth Coalition, which consists of several protest groups that played a major roles in the recent uprising, told the council last week. "The Egyptian people represent the sole source of authority; they impart authority, and they can take it away."...."
'Bodies on the street' in Homs crackdown
Gunmen on the streets 'shooting randomly' and reports of more deaths and arrests as Syrian security forces move in.
Al-Jazeera
"Human rights activists and residents of Homs, Syria's third largest city, are reporting intense gunfire as security forces conduct raids and arrests.
Shooting was continuing in different parts of Homs, but especially in the Baab al-Sebaa area, on Thursday. Activists claim that more than 50 people have been killed in the city since the weekend.
"Many gunmen on the streets [are] shooting randomly," Al Jazeera's Rula Amin said from Beirut, according to sources in Homs.
"People are telling us some of the injured and people who have been killed are still on the streets. People have not been able to pick them up because there's so much [gunfire]."
A resident of the city says mosque loudspeakers are calling for people to aid Bab al-Sebaa.
The resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of government reprisals, said the neighbourhood had been subjected to heavy machine-gun fire since 4am on Thursday....."
Al-Jazeera
"Human rights activists and residents of Homs, Syria's third largest city, are reporting intense gunfire as security forces conduct raids and arrests.
Shooting was continuing in different parts of Homs, but especially in the Baab al-Sebaa area, on Thursday. Activists claim that more than 50 people have been killed in the city since the weekend.
"Many gunmen on the streets [are] shooting randomly," Al Jazeera's Rula Amin said from Beirut, according to sources in Homs.
"People are telling us some of the injured and people who have been killed are still on the streets. People have not been able to pick them up because there's so much [gunfire]."
A resident of the city says mosque loudspeakers are calling for people to aid Bab al-Sebaa.
The resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of government reprisals, said the neighbourhood had been subjected to heavy machine-gun fire since 4am on Thursday....."
Syrian regime steps up propaganda war amid bloody crackdown on protests
TV, radio and internet campaigns paint glowing picture of president Bashar al-Assad and stir up sectarian tensions
Nour Ali in Damascus
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 20 July 2011
"Brute force has been the main weapon of the Syrian regime as it has sought to crush growing protests, killing at least 1,500 people and torturing hundreds more. But Syrians have also been besieged by relentless propaganda.
In a week that has seen at least 40 die and escalating violence in Homs, the country's third largest city, state radio and private stations owned by regime cronies have been blaring out songs exalting Bashar al-Assad as "Abu Hafez", suggesting his son Hafez could succeed him, or anointing him president for "all eternity".....
But as Assad's use of force has failed to crush the protests, now in their fifth month, propaganda has become a key element of regime efforts to rally support.
"The propaganda is relentless," said one businessman. "The regime has hijacked the idea of national identity and is pushing divisions." Official rhetoric is sectarian and blames foreign and Islamist armed miscreants for the violence. In contrast, the protesters have been keen to portray Syrians as united and peaceful.
Such crude misinformation can be surprisingly effective in a country where there is no independent media, reporting is difficult and news comes mainly from witnesses and amateur film footage...."
Nour Ali in Damascus
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 20 July 2011
"Brute force has been the main weapon of the Syrian regime as it has sought to crush growing protests, killing at least 1,500 people and torturing hundreds more. But Syrians have also been besieged by relentless propaganda.
In a week that has seen at least 40 die and escalating violence in Homs, the country's third largest city, state radio and private stations owned by regime cronies have been blaring out songs exalting Bashar al-Assad as "Abu Hafez", suggesting his son Hafez could succeed him, or anointing him president for "all eternity".....
But as Assad's use of force has failed to crush the protests, now in their fifth month, propaganda has become a key element of regime efforts to rally support.
"The propaganda is relentless," said one businessman. "The regime has hijacked the idea of national identity and is pushing divisions." Official rhetoric is sectarian and blames foreign and Islamist armed miscreants for the violence. In contrast, the protesters have been keen to portray Syrians as united and peaceful.
Such crude misinformation can be surprisingly effective in a country where there is no independent media, reporting is difficult and news comes mainly from witnesses and amateur film footage...."
Killing of Syrian civilians 'crime against humanity', says US ambassador
Stephen Rapp, diplomat in charge of investigating war crimes, believes Damascus officials will be brought to justice
Owen Bowcott, legal affairs correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 20 July 2011
"The killing of Syrian civilians demanding democracy is a "crime against humanity", according to the US ambassador in charge of investigating war crimes.
Stephen Rapp, who has been in London discussing how to bring international pressure to bear on Bashar al-Assad's regime, believes that government officials in Damascus will eventually be brought to justice.
"We are watching the situation in Syria very closely," Rapp told the Guardian.
"We see crimes against humanity. As a former prosecutor [in the special court for Sierra Leone] I can't tell whether it's … systematic attacks against civilians based on a plan.
"But it is clearly violence that has caused more than 1,000 deaths [among] civilians who were asking for democratic rights. It constitutes a crime against humanity. That needs to stop and there needs to be accountability."...."
Owen Bowcott, legal affairs correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 20 July 2011
"The killing of Syrian civilians demanding democracy is a "crime against humanity", according to the US ambassador in charge of investigating war crimes.
Stephen Rapp, who has been in London discussing how to bring international pressure to bear on Bashar al-Assad's regime, believes that government officials in Damascus will eventually be brought to justice.
"We are watching the situation in Syria very closely," Rapp told the Guardian.
"We see crimes against humanity. As a former prosecutor [in the special court for Sierra Leone] I can't tell whether it's … systematic attacks against civilians based on a plan.
"But it is clearly violence that has caused more than 1,000 deaths [among] civilians who were asking for democratic rights. It constitutes a crime against humanity. That needs to stop and there needs to be accountability."...."
Setback for press freedom in Egypt
The Guardian
"In the aftermath of the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak, Egypt may get a freedom of information law - but there are also signs of renewed harassment of the media.
Magda Abu Fadil reports that the country is struggling to build a more democratic state and a freer press.
She writes that "the real power behind the throne" is the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) which sent media organisations a directive in March "not to publish any subjects, news, statements, advertisements, pictures about the armed forces or its leaders before checking with the Morale Division and Military Intelligence and Reconnaissance Administration, given their authority in reviewing such matters in a bid to protect the nation's security."
In May, a leading activist, Hossam el-Hamalawy, was hauled in for questioning by the SCAF for criticising its human rights record.
In early July, SCAF's chief, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, swore in Osama Haikal, former editor of the nominal opposition Al Wafd newspaper, as the new minister of information.
The ministry was considered to be a "ministry of disinformation" under the ousted Mubarak regime....."
"In the aftermath of the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak, Egypt may get a freedom of information law - but there are also signs of renewed harassment of the media.
Magda Abu Fadil reports that the country is struggling to build a more democratic state and a freer press.
She writes that "the real power behind the throne" is the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) which sent media organisations a directive in March "not to publish any subjects, news, statements, advertisements, pictures about the armed forces or its leaders before checking with the Morale Division and Military Intelligence and Reconnaissance Administration, given their authority in reviewing such matters in a bid to protect the nation's security."
In May, a leading activist, Hossam el-Hamalawy, was hauled in for questioning by the SCAF for criticising its human rights record.
In early July, SCAF's chief, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, swore in Osama Haikal, former editor of the nominal opposition Al Wafd newspaper, as the new minister of information.
The ministry was considered to be a "ministry of disinformation" under the ousted Mubarak regime....."
Syria: Mass Arrest Campaign Intensifies
Activists, Witnesses Estimate 2,000 Arrests Since Late June
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
July 20, 2011
"(New York) - Syrian security forces have intensified their campaign of mass arrests in cities across the country that have had anti-government protests, Human Rights Watch said today. The targeted cities include including Hama, Homs, and various suburbs around Damascus.
Reliable activists and witnesses contacted by Human Rights Watch estimate that since late June, 2011, security forces have arrested more than 2,000 anti-government protesters, medical professionals providing aid to wounded protesters, and those alleged to have provided information to international media and human rights organizations.
"President Assad talks reform but continues to practice repression, not only through the widespread killings of demonstrators but also through mass arrests," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Who does President Assad mean to include in his ‘national dialogue' when his security forces are targeting the very people who might have something to say to him?"....."
"(New York) - Syrian security forces have intensified their campaign of mass arrests in cities across the country that have had anti-government protests, Human Rights Watch said today. The targeted cities include including Hama, Homs, and various suburbs around Damascus.
Reliable activists and witnesses contacted by Human Rights Watch estimate that since late June, 2011, security forces have arrested more than 2,000 anti-government protesters, medical professionals providing aid to wounded protesters, and those alleged to have provided information to international media and human rights organizations.
"President Assad talks reform but continues to practice repression, not only through the widespread killings of demonstrators but also through mass arrests," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Who does President Assad mean to include in his ‘national dialogue' when his security forces are targeting the very people who might have something to say to him?"....."
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Murdoch's ambitions in the Middle East
With his media empire under fire in the west, NewsCorp chief eyes the Middle East market.
Dahr Jamail
Al-Jazeera
"Embroiled in a scandal that has global implications, Rupert Murdoch's media empire is under fire due to the ongoing fallout resulting from the News of the World scandal.
But while News Corp remains under heavy scrutiny in the UK, US, and the rest of the West, the launch of Abu Dhabi-based Arabic language news channel Sky News Arabia is still on track.
For someone interested in assisting in starting a television network with a planned initial reach of 50 million viewers across the Middle East, Murdoch has an interesting perspective on regional issues that affect the would-be consumers of the new Arabic channel.
"My own perspective is simple", Murdoch told the Anti-Defamation League on December 13, 2010. "We live in a world where there is an ongoing war against the Jews."
Murdoch emphasised "the importance of good relations between Israel and the United States", stating: "Some believe that if America wants to gain credibility in the Muslim world and advance the cause of peace, Washington needs to put some distance between itself and Israel. My view is the opposite."....."
Dahr Jamail
Al-Jazeera
"Embroiled in a scandal that has global implications, Rupert Murdoch's media empire is under fire due to the ongoing fallout resulting from the News of the World scandal.
But while News Corp remains under heavy scrutiny in the UK, US, and the rest of the West, the launch of Abu Dhabi-based Arabic language news channel Sky News Arabia is still on track.
For someone interested in assisting in starting a television network with a planned initial reach of 50 million viewers across the Middle East, Murdoch has an interesting perspective on regional issues that affect the would-be consumers of the new Arabic channel.
"My own perspective is simple", Murdoch told the Anti-Defamation League on December 13, 2010. "We live in a world where there is an ongoing war against the Jews."
Murdoch emphasised "the importance of good relations between Israel and the United States", stating: "Some believe that if America wants to gain credibility in the Muslim world and advance the cause of peace, Washington needs to put some distance between itself and Israel. My view is the opposite."....."
In Pictures: Egypt's second revolution
Egyptians are continuing to stage protests calling for change in Cairo's Tahrir Square.
Hossam el-Hamalawy
Al-Jazeera
"In what is being described by many Egyptians as the country's "second revolution", tens of thousands are currently staging protests and sit-ins in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and other cities in the biggest wave of protests since the fall of Hosni Mubarak on February 11. The 18-day uprising toppled the former dictator, however, many demonstrators maintain that his legacy is alive and well in the current administration. Anger now is directed toward the ruling military council and caretaker prime minister Essam Sharaf's transitional government.
Since July 8, protesters have been camping out in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the uprising."
Hossam el-Hamalawy
Al-Jazeera
"In what is being described by many Egyptians as the country's "second revolution", tens of thousands are currently staging protests and sit-ins in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and other cities in the biggest wave of protests since the fall of Hosni Mubarak on February 11. The 18-day uprising toppled the former dictator, however, many demonstrators maintain that his legacy is alive and well in the current administration. Anger now is directed toward the ruling military council and caretaker prime minister Essam Sharaf's transitional government.
Since July 8, protesters have been camping out in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the uprising."
مثقفون يمدحون الأنظمة ويشككون بالشعوب
A VERY GOOD PIECE
"...
من خلال الفضائيات وفي مقدمتها الجزيرة، حاز عدد كبير من هؤلاء بعض الحضور السياسي، وصار لهم جمهور لا بأس به (الغريب أن الجزيرة اليوم باتت متآمرة عند بعض أولئك، وهي جزء من التحالف الغربي لتقويض أسس الممانعة والمقاومة في المنطقة)، ويبدو أن بعضهم قد صدقوا أن بوسعهم في ضوء ذلك الحضور أن يرسموا للأمة خياراتها ويحددوا لها مساراتها.
يكتسب المثقف مصداقيته من الانحياز لهموم الجماهير، ومن الإيمان ببوصلتها الأقرب إلى الصواب في تحديد المواقف، ونعلم أن المثقفين هم الذين يُكثرون الحساب ويبيعون المواقف، بينما تحدد الأمة مواقفها دون الدخول في متاهات الأرباح والخسائر.
وحين ينقلب المثقف على خيارات الجماهير لن يلبث أن يغدو منبوذا مهما كان حجم حضوره في السابق.
....
لا خلاف على أن التدخل الغربي في الثورة الليبية كان مشكلة كبيرة أزعجت الكثيرين، بل أدخلت الجماهير العربية فيما يشبه التناقض بين رفضها الحاسم للتدخلات الغربية وقناعتها بالعداء الأميركي والغربي للأمة، وبين عدائها للعقيد معمر للقذافي وممارساته، وإيمانها بأنه رجل لم يعد يمت إلى العروبة والقومية بصلة (اتصالاته الأخيرة مع الكيان الصهيوني دليل على ذلك، وقبل ذلك ما قدمه من مواقف سياسية وما بذله من ثروات بلاده من أجل الحفاظ على نظامه).
....
موقف الغرب الأكثر وضوحا في سياق الثورات العربية هو ميله إلى وقف هذا المسلسل برمته، وهو يلتقي في ذلك مع أكثر الأنظمة التي لم يشملها التغيير بعد
...
من السهل بالطبع التقاط الحوادث من هنا وهناك لتبرير موقف مسبق، لكن الصعب بل المستحيل هو التشكيك بهذه الشعوب وبوصلتها، إلى جانب التشكيك في قدرتها على إزاحة من يتناقضون مع مشاعرها ومواقفها إذا نجحت في التخلص من أنظمة جثمت على صدورها لعقود عبر تحالف السلطة والثروة والأمن بكل ما ينطوي عليه من بشاعة وقمع.
كل ذلك بالطبع ينبغي أن تدركه قوى المعارضة قبل سواها، ذلك أن تقديم التنازلات للغرب، بخاصة فيما يتصل بالعلاقة مع دولة الاحتلال الصهيوني، من أجل الحصول على الاعتراف والدعم سيفقدها الشرعية الشعبية، وهي الأهم بكل المقاييس، من دون أن يجعلها مفضلة على الأنظمة في حال كانت الأخيرة قادرة على الصمود أمام المد الشعبي للاعتبارات التي ذكرناها آنفا.
ولا شك أن هذا الكلام يخص القوى الإسلامية أكثر من سواها تبعا لكونها الأقوى في الشارع هذه الأيام.
"
من خلال الفضائيات وفي مقدمتها الجزيرة، حاز عدد كبير من هؤلاء بعض الحضور السياسي، وصار لهم جمهور لا بأس به (الغريب أن الجزيرة اليوم باتت متآمرة عند بعض أولئك، وهي جزء من التحالف الغربي لتقويض أسس الممانعة والمقاومة في المنطقة)، ويبدو أن بعضهم قد صدقوا أن بوسعهم في ضوء ذلك الحضور أن يرسموا للأمة خياراتها ويحددوا لها مساراتها.
يكتسب المثقف مصداقيته من الانحياز لهموم الجماهير، ومن الإيمان ببوصلتها الأقرب إلى الصواب في تحديد المواقف، ونعلم أن المثقفين هم الذين يُكثرون الحساب ويبيعون المواقف، بينما تحدد الأمة مواقفها دون الدخول في متاهات الأرباح والخسائر.
وحين ينقلب المثقف على خيارات الجماهير لن يلبث أن يغدو منبوذا مهما كان حجم حضوره في السابق.
....
لا خلاف على أن التدخل الغربي في الثورة الليبية كان مشكلة كبيرة أزعجت الكثيرين، بل أدخلت الجماهير العربية فيما يشبه التناقض بين رفضها الحاسم للتدخلات الغربية وقناعتها بالعداء الأميركي والغربي للأمة، وبين عدائها للعقيد معمر للقذافي وممارساته، وإيمانها بأنه رجل لم يعد يمت إلى العروبة والقومية بصلة (اتصالاته الأخيرة مع الكيان الصهيوني دليل على ذلك، وقبل ذلك ما قدمه من مواقف سياسية وما بذله من ثروات بلاده من أجل الحفاظ على نظامه).
....
موقف الغرب الأكثر وضوحا في سياق الثورات العربية هو ميله إلى وقف هذا المسلسل برمته، وهو يلتقي في ذلك مع أكثر الأنظمة التي لم يشملها التغيير بعد
...
من السهل بالطبع التقاط الحوادث من هنا وهناك لتبرير موقف مسبق، لكن الصعب بل المستحيل هو التشكيك بهذه الشعوب وبوصلتها، إلى جانب التشكيك في قدرتها على إزاحة من يتناقضون مع مشاعرها ومواقفها إذا نجحت في التخلص من أنظمة جثمت على صدورها لعقود عبر تحالف السلطة والثروة والأمن بكل ما ينطوي عليه من بشاعة وقمع.
كل ذلك بالطبع ينبغي أن تدركه قوى المعارضة قبل سواها، ذلك أن تقديم التنازلات للغرب، بخاصة فيما يتصل بالعلاقة مع دولة الاحتلال الصهيوني، من أجل الحصول على الاعتراف والدعم سيفقدها الشرعية الشعبية، وهي الأهم بكل المقاييس، من دون أن يجعلها مفضلة على الأنظمة في حال كانت الأخيرة قادرة على الصمود أمام المد الشعبي للاعتبارات التي ذكرناها آنفا.
ولا شك أن هذا الكلام يخص القوى الإسلامية أكثر من سواها تبعا لكونها الأقوى في الشارع هذه الأيام.
"
Al-Jazeera Video: AJE speaks to New Arab League head, Nabil el-Araby
"In this exclusive interview, Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin speaks with the new secretary general of the Arab League, Nabil Al Araby.
He talks about whether the Arab League's No-Fly Zone resolution on Libya was a mistake."
VIDEO: Omar Barghouti on the moral imperative to boycott Israel
By Ali Abunimah
"Omar Barghouti spoke at Socialism 2011 in Chicago on 3 July 2011, to explain why boycotting Israel is the right approach and a moral imperative for people who support justice and universal rights.
Omar Barghouti is one of the founders of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), and author of BDS, The Global Struggle for Palestinian Rights."
"Omar Barghouti spoke at Socialism 2011 in Chicago on 3 July 2011, to explain why boycotting Israel is the right approach and a moral imperative for people who support justice and universal rights.
Omar Barghouti is one of the founders of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), and author of BDS, The Global Struggle for Palestinian Rights."
Haaretz interviews Ali Abunimah about boycotting Israel
By Ali Abunimah
"Israel’s Haaretz interviewed The Electronic Intifada’s Ali Abunimah for an article on American views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His extensive comments, excerpted below, focused on why organized “joint projects” and “dialogues” aimed at normalizing Israel’s relations in the Arab world are being shunned by Palestinian civil society and the logic of the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement....
“So across Palestinian civil society there is now a strong antipathy toward such organized joint projects. They are largely seen as patronizing and offering nothing that changes the power dynamic or advances the struggle to end Israeli occupation and oppression. By way of contrast, pressure and isolation is having a quite dramatic effect on Israel. First, there was an effort to ignore it, but now there is panic. Israel has launched a global campaign against what it calls ‘delegitimization’ and recently we saw the Boycott Law passed. This reminds me of the final years of the apartheid regime in South Africa.”....."
"Israel’s Haaretz interviewed The Electronic Intifada’s Ali Abunimah for an article on American views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His extensive comments, excerpted below, focused on why organized “joint projects” and “dialogues” aimed at normalizing Israel’s relations in the Arab world are being shunned by Palestinian civil society and the logic of the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement....
“So across Palestinian civil society there is now a strong antipathy toward such organized joint projects. They are largely seen as patronizing and offering nothing that changes the power dynamic or advances the struggle to end Israeli occupation and oppression. By way of contrast, pressure and isolation is having a quite dramatic effect on Israel. First, there was an effort to ignore it, but now there is panic. Israel has launched a global campaign against what it calls ‘delegitimization’ and recently we saw the Boycott Law passed. This reminds me of the final years of the apartheid regime in South Africa.”....."
It sure looks and smells like apartheid
By Rami G. Khouri
The Daily Star
"....The various boycotts of Israel have not hurt it very much in material or political terms. They have been symbolic acts that Israel has seemed able to withstand quite easily. So why have Israelis reacted so fiercely, and with such official parliamentary zealotry, through this anti-boycott law? I suspect it is because the sustained boycott effort threatens to place Israel dangerously close to the singularly distasteful place in modern history once occupied by apartheid-era South Africa. When American mainstream churches, British academics, European labor movements, Norwegian investment funds and other respectable institutions around the world formally boycott Israel because of its apartheid-like policies in the occupied Arab territories, and some Israeli officials think twice about traveling abroad for fear of being indicted, a boycott suddenly takes on a much more menacing tone.
Israel is responding with hysterical overkill as it finds itself increasingly assaulted politically by boycott pressures because of the deeper moral challenge that boycotts represent: the de-legitimization of the Israeli state that modern Zionism has created.....
If the Israeli parliament takes such actions that rekindle the Zionism-is-racism debate, which is precisely what is happening, then one has to add sheer stupidity to Israel’s catalogue of shortcomings....."
The Daily Star
"....The various boycotts of Israel have not hurt it very much in material or political terms. They have been symbolic acts that Israel has seemed able to withstand quite easily. So why have Israelis reacted so fiercely, and with such official parliamentary zealotry, through this anti-boycott law? I suspect it is because the sustained boycott effort threatens to place Israel dangerously close to the singularly distasteful place in modern history once occupied by apartheid-era South Africa. When American mainstream churches, British academics, European labor movements, Norwegian investment funds and other respectable institutions around the world formally boycott Israel because of its apartheid-like policies in the occupied Arab territories, and some Israeli officials think twice about traveling abroad for fear of being indicted, a boycott suddenly takes on a much more menacing tone.
Israel is responding with hysterical overkill as it finds itself increasingly assaulted politically by boycott pressures because of the deeper moral challenge that boycotts represent: the de-legitimization of the Israeli state that modern Zionism has created.....
If the Israeli parliament takes such actions that rekindle the Zionism-is-racism debate, which is precisely what is happening, then one has to add sheer stupidity to Israel’s catalogue of shortcomings....."
Ministry of investments to be dissolved, privatization to end, says deputy PM
By Hossam El-Hamalawy
"The newly appointed deputy prime minister, Ali el-Selmy, has announced today “an end to the privatization program, and the dissolution of the ministry of investments.” He also promised to work on returning the privatized companies back to the public sector in a “civilized manner.”
This is a historic day. Such statements wouldn’t have been uttered if there wasn’t such strong opposition to the neoliberal policies of the former regime and if it wasn’t for the strike actions in the privatized firms.
Let’s keep up the pressure…"
"The newly appointed deputy prime minister, Ali el-Selmy, has announced today “an end to the privatization program, and the dissolution of the ministry of investments.” He also promised to work on returning the privatized companies back to the public sector in a “civilized manner.”
This is a historic day. Such statements wouldn’t have been uttered if there wasn’t such strong opposition to the neoliberal policies of the former regime and if it wasn’t for the strike actions in the privatized firms.
Let’s keep up the pressure…"
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Current Al-Jazeera (Arabic) Online Poll
This brand new poll asks:
Do you support Arab revolutions spreading to new regions in the Arab world?
With about 600 responding, 77% said yes.
Do you support Arab revolutions spreading to new regions in the Arab world?
With about 600 responding, 77% said yes.
Real News Video: Suez protesters march to revive revolution demands
Al-Masry Al-Youm: Hundreds of Suez residents organized a march to reassert the revolution's demands
Do not speak, do not resist - Israel rules out non-violence
By Jonathan Cook
The National
"It was an Arab legislator who made the most telling comment to the Israeli parliament last week as it passed the boycott law, which outlaws calls to boycott Israel or its settlements in the occupied territories. Ahmed Tibi asked: "What is a peace activist or Palestinian allowed to do to oppose the occupation? Is there anything you agree to?"
The boycott law is the latest in a series of ever-more draconian laws being introduced by the far-right. The legislation's goal is to intimidate those Israelis who have yet to bow down before the majority-rule mob.
Look out in coming days for a bill to block the work of Israeli organisations trying to protect Palestinian rights; and another draft law investing a parliamentary committee, headed by the far-right, with the power to appoint supreme court judges. The court is the only, and already enfeebled, bulwark against the right's ascendancy....
Israel's siege mentality asserted itself again days later as international activists staged another show of solidarity - this one nicknamed the "flytilla". Hundreds tried to fly to Israel on the same day, declaring their intention to travel to the West Bank.
Israel threatened airlines with retaliation if they carried the activists and it massed hundreds of soldiers at Ben Gurion Airport to greet arrivals. About 150 peaceful protesters who reached Israel were arrested moments after landing.....
Mr Netanyahu and the Israeli right appear to understand this point. They are carefully dismantling every platform on which dissident Israelis, Palestinians and solidarity activists hope to stage their protests. They are making it impossible to organise joint peaceful and non-violent resistance, whether in the form of boycotts or solidarity visits. The only way being left open is violence.
Is this what the Israeli right wants, believing it offers a justification for entrenching the occupation? By generating the very terror he claims to be trying to defeat, does Mr Netanyahu hope he can safeguard the legitimacy of the Jewish state and destroy hopes for a Palestinian state?"
The National
"It was an Arab legislator who made the most telling comment to the Israeli parliament last week as it passed the boycott law, which outlaws calls to boycott Israel or its settlements in the occupied territories. Ahmed Tibi asked: "What is a peace activist or Palestinian allowed to do to oppose the occupation? Is there anything you agree to?"
The boycott law is the latest in a series of ever-more draconian laws being introduced by the far-right. The legislation's goal is to intimidate those Israelis who have yet to bow down before the majority-rule mob.
Look out in coming days for a bill to block the work of Israeli organisations trying to protect Palestinian rights; and another draft law investing a parliamentary committee, headed by the far-right, with the power to appoint supreme court judges. The court is the only, and already enfeebled, bulwark against the right's ascendancy....
Israel's siege mentality asserted itself again days later as international activists staged another show of solidarity - this one nicknamed the "flytilla". Hundreds tried to fly to Israel on the same day, declaring their intention to travel to the West Bank.
Israel threatened airlines with retaliation if they carried the activists and it massed hundreds of soldiers at Ben Gurion Airport to greet arrivals. About 150 peaceful protesters who reached Israel were arrested moments after landing.....
Mr Netanyahu and the Israeli right appear to understand this point. They are carefully dismantling every platform on which dissident Israelis, Palestinians and solidarity activists hope to stage their protests. They are making it impossible to organise joint peaceful and non-violent resistance, whether in the form of boycotts or solidarity visits. The only way being left open is violence.
Is this what the Israeli right wants, believing it offers a justification for entrenching the occupation? By generating the very terror he claims to be trying to defeat, does Mr Netanyahu hope he can safeguard the legitimacy of the Jewish state and destroy hopes for a Palestinian state?"
Pirates of the Mediterranean Strike Again: Israeli navy surrounds Gaza-bound boat
Marines tell crew on French yacht they will take control of the boat if it does not change course and leave the area.
Al-Jazeera
"Israeli naval vessels have told a French yacht carrying pro-Palestinian activists intending to sail to the Gaza Strip to leave the area, according to an Al Jazeera correspondent.
He said a communication from an Israeli vessel told the yacht on Tuesday that marines would take control of the boat if it did not heed their instructions.
"The boat is surrounded by at least three Israeli ships and since 9.06am (0706 GMT) all the communications have been jammed. We can't get in touch with them by phone or by internet," Julien Rivoire, an organiser, said by phone from Paris......
Israeli commandos killed nine Turkish activists when they stormed a Gaza-bound flotilla in the Mediterranean last year."
Al-Jazeera
"Israeli naval vessels have told a French yacht carrying pro-Palestinian activists intending to sail to the Gaza Strip to leave the area, according to an Al Jazeera correspondent.
He said a communication from an Israeli vessel told the yacht on Tuesday that marines would take control of the boat if it did not heed their instructions.
"The boat is surrounded by at least three Israeli ships and since 9.06am (0706 GMT) all the communications have been jammed. We can't get in touch with them by phone or by internet," Julien Rivoire, an organiser, said by phone from Paris......
Israeli commandos killed nine Turkish activists when they stormed a Gaza-bound flotilla in the Mediterranean last year."
Monday, July 18, 2011
Syria recognizes Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital
Syria will recognize a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, the foreign ministry said Monday.
"Syria recognizes a Palestinian state within the June 4, 1967 borders and East Jerusalem as its capital, and on the basis of the preservation of Palestinian legitimate rights," a statement said.
YES YES YES !! LONG LIVE 22% of Historic Palestine !!
Syrian army decided to start the celebration by imitating their enemies/idols the Israeli army:
Real News Video: Israeli MK: "anti-Boycott Law Threatens Democracy"
Parliament member Dov Khenin and many on Israeli left warn new anti- Boycott law violates freedom speech
Real News Video: SHOULD PEOPLE BOYCOTT ISRAEL?
Omar Barghouti explains the aims of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement
Egypt Embraces Oil Monarchs, Dubiously
By Cam McGrath
"CAIRO, Jul 18, 2011 (IPS) - With the nation's economy in tatters from the uprising that ousted its dictator of 30 years, Egypt's transitional government has turned its back on the Western lending institutions that once propped the Mubarak regime. But its decision to accept the massive aid packages dangled by the oil-rich Arab Gulf states has raised suspicions about their intentions, as well as its own.....
Disillusioned activists who participated in the 18-day uprising that led to Mubarak's ouster see the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) as an obstacle to change. Some charge that the military, headed by long-time Mubarak ally Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, is corrupt and unwilling to implement reforms, making just enough concessions to mitigate the wrath of protesters......"
"CAIRO, Jul 18, 2011 (IPS) - With the nation's economy in tatters from the uprising that ousted its dictator of 30 years, Egypt's transitional government has turned its back on the Western lending institutions that once propped the Mubarak regime. But its decision to accept the massive aid packages dangled by the oil-rich Arab Gulf states has raised suspicions about their intentions, as well as its own.....
Disillusioned activists who participated in the 18-day uprising that led to Mubarak's ouster see the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) as an obstacle to change. Some charge that the military, headed by long-time Mubarak ally Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, is corrupt and unwilling to implement reforms, making just enough concessions to mitigate the wrath of protesters......"
America’s Disappeared
By Chris Hedges
"Dr. Silvia Quintela was “disappeared” by the death squads in Argentina in 1977 when she was four months pregnant with her first child. She reportedly was kept alive at a military base until she gave birth to her son and then, like other victims of the military junta, most probably was drugged, stripped naked, chained to other unconscious victims and piled onto a cargo plane that was part of the “death flights” that disposed of the estimated 20,000 disappeared. The military planes with their inert human cargo would fly over the Atlantic at night and the chained bodies would be pushed out the door into the ocean. Quintela, who had worked as a doctor in the city’s slums, was 28 when she was murdered.......
Most of the disappeared in Argentina were not armed radicals but labor leaders, community organizers, leftist intellectuals, student activists and those who happened to be in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Few had any connection with armed campaigns of resistance....
We Americans have rewritten our laws, as the Argentines did, to make criminal behavior legal. John Rizzo, the former acting general counsel for the CIA, approved drone attacks that have killed hundreds of people, many of them civilians in Pakistan, although we are not at war with Pakistan.....
We know of at least 100 detainees who died during interrogations at our “black sites,” many of them succumbing to the blows and mistreatment of our interrogators. There are probably many, many more whose fate has never been made public. Tens of thousands of Muslim men have passed through our clandestine detention centers without due process. “We tortured people unmercifully,” admitted retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey. “We probably murdered dozens of them …, both the armed forces and the C.I.A.”.......
The only way the rule of law will be restored, if it is restored, is piece by piece, extradition by extradition, trial by trial. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, former CIA Director George Tenet, Condoleezza Rice and John Ashcroft will, if we return to the rule of law, face trial....."
"Dr. Silvia Quintela was “disappeared” by the death squads in Argentina in 1977 when she was four months pregnant with her first child. She reportedly was kept alive at a military base until she gave birth to her son and then, like other victims of the military junta, most probably was drugged, stripped naked, chained to other unconscious victims and piled onto a cargo plane that was part of the “death flights” that disposed of the estimated 20,000 disappeared. The military planes with their inert human cargo would fly over the Atlantic at night and the chained bodies would be pushed out the door into the ocean. Quintela, who had worked as a doctor in the city’s slums, was 28 when she was murdered.......
Most of the disappeared in Argentina were not armed radicals but labor leaders, community organizers, leftist intellectuals, student activists and those who happened to be in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Few had any connection with armed campaigns of resistance....
We Americans have rewritten our laws, as the Argentines did, to make criminal behavior legal. John Rizzo, the former acting general counsel for the CIA, approved drone attacks that have killed hundreds of people, many of them civilians in Pakistan, although we are not at war with Pakistan.....
We know of at least 100 detainees who died during interrogations at our “black sites,” many of them succumbing to the blows and mistreatment of our interrogators. There are probably many, many more whose fate has never been made public. Tens of thousands of Muslim men have passed through our clandestine detention centers without due process. “We tortured people unmercifully,” admitted retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey. “We probably murdered dozens of them …, both the armed forces and the C.I.A.”.......
The only way the rule of law will be restored, if it is restored, is piece by piece, extradition by extradition, trial by trial. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, former CIA Director George Tenet, Condoleezza Rice and John Ashcroft will, if we return to the rule of law, face trial....."
Poem which led to a savage beating...
Bahrain’s protesters had a figurehead –Ayat al-Gormezi, but the poet paid a high price for her bravery
Patrick Cockburn reports
"Hers was the voice of a revolution. Released from prison last week, the 20-year-old poet Ayat al-Gormezi, a symbol of resistance for pro-democracy protesters, claims she was tortured in prison by a female member of Bahrain’s royal family. In an interview with i,MsGormezi said she was beaten with a baton by a woman whom prison guards identified as a member of the ruling al- Khalifa family.
She said while her interrogators had tried to blindfold her, she was able to see “a woman of about 40 in civilian clothes who was beating me on the head with a baton”. Ms Gormezi later described her interrogator to guards, who, she said, promptly named the woman as being one of the al-Khalifas with a senior position in the Bahraini security service. Ms Gormezi added: “I was taken many times to her office for fresh beatings. She would say: ‘You should be proud of the al-Khalifas. They are not going to leave this country. It is their country’.”
The guards explained it was not the woman’s regular job, but she had volunteered to question political detainees.....
Ms Gormezi described how in captivity she was beaten across the face with electric cables, kept in a tiny, freezing cell and forced to clean lavatories with her bare hands. She said she was most terrified by continuing threats from her interrogators that she would be sexually assaulted or raped. All the while, she was beaten on the head and the body until she lost consciousness. “Many of the guards were Yemenis and Jordanians,” she said.....
International protests and ensuing bad publicity for the Bahraini monarchy led to her treatment improving, according to her family.
Ms Gormezi was brought before a court on 12 June and sentenced to one year in prison. Last week she was called to an office in the prison and told she was to be released on the condition that she would not take part in any other protests."
Patrick Cockburn reports
"Hers was the voice of a revolution. Released from prison last week, the 20-year-old poet Ayat al-Gormezi, a symbol of resistance for pro-democracy protesters, claims she was tortured in prison by a female member of Bahrain’s royal family. In an interview with i,MsGormezi said she was beaten with a baton by a woman whom prison guards identified as a member of the ruling al- Khalifa family.
She said while her interrogators had tried to blindfold her, she was able to see “a woman of about 40 in civilian clothes who was beating me on the head with a baton”. Ms Gormezi later described her interrogator to guards, who, she said, promptly named the woman as being one of the al-Khalifas with a senior position in the Bahraini security service. Ms Gormezi added: “I was taken many times to her office for fresh beatings. She would say: ‘You should be proud of the al-Khalifas. They are not going to leave this country. It is their country’.”
The guards explained it was not the woman’s regular job, but she had volunteered to question political detainees.....
Ms Gormezi described how in captivity she was beaten across the face with electric cables, kept in a tiny, freezing cell and forced to clean lavatories with her bare hands. She said she was most terrified by continuing threats from her interrogators that she would be sexually assaulted or raped. All the while, she was beaten on the head and the body until she lost consciousness. “Many of the guards were Yemenis and Jordanians,” she said.....
International protests and ensuing bad publicity for the Bahraini monarchy led to her treatment improving, according to her family.
Ms Gormezi was brought before a court on 12 June and sentenced to one year in prison. Last week she was called to an office in the prison and told she was to be released on the condition that she would not take part in any other protests."
Bahrain: Systematic Attacks on Medical Providers
Stop Targeting Medics, Patients, Health Facilities
July 18, 2011
"This report documents serious government abuses, starting in mid-February 2011. These include attacks on health care providers; denial of medical access to protesters injured by security forces; the siege of hospitals and health centers; and the detention, ill-treatment, torture, and prosecution of medics and patients with protest-related injuries.
The government violations were part of the violent response by authorities to largely peaceful pro-democracy and anti-government demonstrations that began in February and continued months after military and security forces began a massive crackdown in mid-March, which led to the armed occupation of Bahrain’s main public hospital, the Salmaniya Medical Complex, on March 16.....
"The attacks on medics and wounded protesters have been part of an official policy of retribution against Bahrainis who supported pro-democracy protests," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Medical personnel who criticized the severe repression were singled out and jailed, among the more than 1,600 Bahrainis facing solitary confinement and ill-treatment in detention and unfair trials before a special military court."......"
Download Report (pdf, 60 pages)
Sunday, July 17, 2011
CIA veteran: Israel to attack Iran in fall
(Cartoon by Carlos Latuff)
The Israeli security establishment is increasingly worried by Netanyahu's bellicose stance towards Iran.
MJ Rosenberg
Al-Jazeera
"A longtime CIA officer who spent 21 years in the Middle East is predicting that Israel will bomb Iran in the fall, dragging the United States into another major war and endangering US military and civilian personnel (and other interests) throughout the Middle East and beyond.
Earlier this week, Robert Baer appeared on the provocative KPFK Los Angeles show Background Briefing, hosted by Ian Masters. It was there that he predicted that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is likely to ignite a war with Iran in the very near future.
Robert Baer has had a storied career, including a stint in Iraq in the 1990s where he organized opposition to Saddam Hussein. (He was recalled after being accused of trying to organize Saddam's assassination.) Upon his retirement, he received a top decoration for meritorious service.
Baer is no ordinary CIA operative....
Baer was especially impressed by the unprecedented warning about Netanyahu's plans by former Mossad chief Meir Dagan. Dagan left the Israeli intelligence agency in September 2010. Two months ago, he predicted that Israel would attack and said that doing so would be "the stupidest thing" he could imagine....
In short, while Congress dutifully gives Netanyahu 29 standing ovations, the Israelis who know the most about both Netanyahu and Israel's strategic situation think he is a dangerous disaster.
But according to Baer, we ain't seen nothing yet.
There is almost "near certainty" that Netanyahu is "planning an attack [on Iran] ... and it will probably be in September before the vote on a Palestinian state. And he's also hoping to draw the United States into the conflict", Baer explained.
The Israeli air force would attack "Natanz and other nuclear facilities to degrade their capabilities. The Iranians will strike back where they can: Basra, Baghdad", he said, and even Afghanistan. Then the United States would jump into the fight with attacks on Iranian targets. "Our special forces are already looking at Iranian targets in Iraq and across the border [in Iran] which we would strike. What we're facing here is an escalation, rather than a planned out-and-out war. It's a nightmare scenario. We don't have enough troops in the Middle East to fight a war like that." Baer added, "I think we are looking into the abyss"....."
MJ Rosenberg
Al-Jazeera
"A longtime CIA officer who spent 21 years in the Middle East is predicting that Israel will bomb Iran in the fall, dragging the United States into another major war and endangering US military and civilian personnel (and other interests) throughout the Middle East and beyond.
Earlier this week, Robert Baer appeared on the provocative KPFK Los Angeles show Background Briefing, hosted by Ian Masters. It was there that he predicted that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is likely to ignite a war with Iran in the very near future.
Robert Baer has had a storied career, including a stint in Iraq in the 1990s where he organized opposition to Saddam Hussein. (He was recalled after being accused of trying to organize Saddam's assassination.) Upon his retirement, he received a top decoration for meritorious service.
Baer is no ordinary CIA operative....
Baer was especially impressed by the unprecedented warning about Netanyahu's plans by former Mossad chief Meir Dagan. Dagan left the Israeli intelligence agency in September 2010. Two months ago, he predicted that Israel would attack and said that doing so would be "the stupidest thing" he could imagine....
In short, while Congress dutifully gives Netanyahu 29 standing ovations, the Israelis who know the most about both Netanyahu and Israel's strategic situation think he is a dangerous disaster.
But according to Baer, we ain't seen nothing yet.
There is almost "near certainty" that Netanyahu is "planning an attack [on Iran] ... and it will probably be in September before the vote on a Palestinian state. And he's also hoping to draw the United States into the conflict", Baer explained.
The Israeli air force would attack "Natanz and other nuclear facilities to degrade their capabilities. The Iranians will strike back where they can: Basra, Baghdad", he said, and even Afghanistan. Then the United States would jump into the fight with attacks on Iranian targets. "Our special forces are already looking at Iranian targets in Iraq and across the border [in Iran] which we would strike. What we're facing here is an escalation, rather than a planned out-and-out war. It's a nightmare scenario. We don't have enough troops in the Middle East to fight a war like that." Baer added, "I think we are looking into the abyss"....."
Real News Video: The History of Military Dictatorship in Egypt
TRNN Replay - Gilbert Achcar: Military rule in Egypt began with Nasser's overthrow of King Farouk and increasing independence from the US
Why must Britain always try to 'punch above her weight'?
World View: Getting sucked into America's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq was the result of our delusions of influence. Now we're repeating the mistakes in Libya
By Patrick Cockburn
"The horrible Foreign Office cliché, used for decades by diplomats and politicians to justify Britain's military alliance with the US, claims that "it enables Britain to punch above her weight internationally". A moment's reflection on this dictum should lead to the conclusion that a boxer who persists in getting into the ring with bigger opponents is likely to end up in hospital.
Britain has become involved in wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya over the past decade and none has gone well politically or militarily. The Iraq war divided Britain far more and for longer than almost any conflict, including the Suez crisis. The British Army spent years failing to get control of Basra and the area around it. For all this commitment, Britain never had much influence on US policy in Iraq or the rest of the Middle East.
Afghanistan has seen a repeat of the pattern...."
By Patrick Cockburn
"The horrible Foreign Office cliché, used for decades by diplomats and politicians to justify Britain's military alliance with the US, claims that "it enables Britain to punch above her weight internationally". A moment's reflection on this dictum should lead to the conclusion that a boxer who persists in getting into the ring with bigger opponents is likely to end up in hospital.
Britain has become involved in wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya over the past decade and none has gone well politically or militarily. The Iraq war divided Britain far more and for longer than almost any conflict, including the Suez crisis. The British Army spent years failing to get control of Basra and the area around it. For all this commitment, Britain never had much influence on US policy in Iraq or the rest of the Middle East.
Afghanistan has seen a repeat of the pattern...."
Troops crackdown on Syria protests
By Bassem Mroue
The Independent
"Syrian troops backed by tanks stormed a town near the border with Lebanon as security forces rounded up more than 500 people, including a leading opposition figure, across the country over the past two days, activists said.
Syria-based rights activist Mustafa Osso said government forces entered the town of Zabadani, some 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Damascus, early Sunday after surrounding it a day earlier. Zabadani has witnessed a string of protests calling for the downfall of President Bashar Assad's regime since the uprising began against the Assad family's more than 40-year rule in mid-March.
The Local Coordinating Committees, which help organize and track the protests, said some 2,000 members of the military and security agencies stormed Zabadani after cutting the town's telephone services, Internet connections and electricity.
Activists say the government crackdown has killed some 1,600 people since March, most of them unarmed protesters...."
The Independent
"Syrian troops backed by tanks stormed a town near the border with Lebanon as security forces rounded up more than 500 people, including a leading opposition figure, across the country over the past two days, activists said.
Syria-based rights activist Mustafa Osso said government forces entered the town of Zabadani, some 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Damascus, early Sunday after surrounding it a day earlier. Zabadani has witnessed a string of protests calling for the downfall of President Bashar Assad's regime since the uprising began against the Assad family's more than 40-year rule in mid-March.
The Local Coordinating Committees, which help organize and track the protests, said some 2,000 members of the military and security agencies stormed Zabadani after cutting the town's telephone services, Internet connections and electricity.
Activists say the government crackdown has killed some 1,600 people since March, most of them unarmed protesters...."
Egypt FM resigns ahead of cabinet shuffle
Mohammed el-Orabi, who served for less than a month, set to be one of many ministers to go in bid to satisfy protesters.
Al-Jazeera
"Mohammed el-Orabi, the foreign minister of Egypt, has resigned in a move seen one of the first steps in a broad cabinet shuffle aimed at appeasing protesters.
Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, who leads a caretaker cabinet formed after President Hosni Mubarak stepped down in February, is expected to unveil a new roster of ministers on Monday.
Sharaf hopes the new line up will help to end a week-long sit-in in central Cairo's Tahrir Square.....
'Only the beginning'
Sharaf, who himself was appointed premier after demonstrations persuaded the military to sack Mubarak's cabinet in March, pledged on Friday that "the new ministerial changes are simply the beginning".
"I am working hard to achieve your aspirations," he wrote on his Facebook page.....
On Saturday, a member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces was forced to cut short a visit to Tahrir Square after protesters drowned out his speech with booing and anti-military chants."
From Hossam El-Hamalawy:
VIDEO – Crowd boos member of Egypt’s ruling military council as he visits Tahrir
Al-Jazeera
"Mohammed el-Orabi, the foreign minister of Egypt, has resigned in a move seen one of the first steps in a broad cabinet shuffle aimed at appeasing protesters.
Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, who leads a caretaker cabinet formed after President Hosni Mubarak stepped down in February, is expected to unveil a new roster of ministers on Monday.
Sharaf hopes the new line up will help to end a week-long sit-in in central Cairo's Tahrir Square.....
'Only the beginning'
Sharaf, who himself was appointed premier after demonstrations persuaded the military to sack Mubarak's cabinet in March, pledged on Friday that "the new ministerial changes are simply the beginning".
"I am working hard to achieve your aspirations," he wrote on his Facebook page.....
On Saturday, a member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces was forced to cut short a visit to Tahrir Square after protesters drowned out his speech with booing and anti-military chants."
From Hossam El-Hamalawy:
VIDEO – Crowd boos member of Egypt’s ruling military council as he visits Tahrir
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