Shashank Bengali: Struggle in Bahrain over economic justice, not religion
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Libyans and Bahrainis sheikh, rattle and roll
By Pepe Escobar
Asia Times
"The "enlightened" West has just sent a message to the rebelling Libyan people; Muammar Gaddafi's forces will have to dissolve you into a sea of blood before we decide to do anything. And even if we do, it may be too late. Sorry.
As for the African king of kings, he just had to slightly step on the gas to overtake those stone pillars of bureaucratic inertia - the United Nations, the European Union, the Arab League; now he's on a roll, after Ajdabiya has practically fallen, only 150 kilometers away from Benghazi along a virtually empty desert road. Liberated eastern Libya is sheikh, rattled and rolled.
Gaddafi called the West's bluff - and he's winning...."
Asia Times
"The "enlightened" West has just sent a message to the rebelling Libyan people; Muammar Gaddafi's forces will have to dissolve you into a sea of blood before we decide to do anything. And even if we do, it may be too late. Sorry.
As for the African king of kings, he just had to slightly step on the gas to overtake those stone pillars of bureaucratic inertia - the United Nations, the European Union, the Arab League; now he's on a roll, after Ajdabiya has practically fallen, only 150 kilometers away from Benghazi along a virtually empty desert road. Liberated eastern Libya is sheikh, rattled and rolled.
Gaddafi called the West's bluff - and he's winning...."
Bahrain: Martial Law Does Not Trump Basic Rights
All Forces Obliged to Respect International Standards
March 16, 2011
"(Manama) - Bahrain's declaration of martial law and deployment of armed forces from Saudi Arabia does not override its obligations to respect fundamental human rights under international law, Human Rights Watch said today.
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa decreed a three-month state of emergency on March 15, 2011, a day after military convoys from its Gulf Cooperation Council allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates entered Bahrain following that country's request for military assistance amidst continuing anti-government protests. Early on March 15, prior to the king's decree, riot police were involved in violence in several Shia villages, which left at least two people dead and hundreds injured, some seriously.
"King Hamad's decree does not give the authorities a blank check to commit abuses," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "The world is watching to see whether Bahrain will respect the basic rights of all its citizens."....."
March 16, 2011
"(Manama) - Bahrain's declaration of martial law and deployment of armed forces from Saudi Arabia does not override its obligations to respect fundamental human rights under international law, Human Rights Watch said today.
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa decreed a three-month state of emergency on March 15, 2011, a day after military convoys from its Gulf Cooperation Council allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates entered Bahrain following that country's request for military assistance amidst continuing anti-government protests. Early on March 15, prior to the king's decree, riot police were involved in violence in several Shia villages, which left at least two people dead and hundreds injured, some seriously.
"King Hamad's decree does not give the authorities a blank check to commit abuses," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "The world is watching to see whether Bahrain will respect the basic rights of all its citizens."....."
In Latest Diatribe, Gadhafi Threatens to Ally With Bin Laden
Libyan Ruler Also Blamed Bin Laden for Revolt
Antiwar.com
"Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi continues to struggle with remaining internally consistent in his interviews, simultaneously blaming Osama bin Laden for the revolt against him and suggesting he might ally with bin Laden against the US if they invaded.
Gadhafi has been blaming al-Qaeda in general and bin Laden in particular for the popular uprising against him, though he has also blamed alcohol and drug-laced Nescafe instant coffee for the uprising, often in the same speeches....."
Antiwar.com
"Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi continues to struggle with remaining internally consistent in his interviews, simultaneously blaming Osama bin Laden for the revolt against him and suggesting he might ally with bin Laden against the US if they invaded.
Gadhafi has been blaming al-Qaeda in general and bin Laden in particular for the popular uprising against him, though he has also blamed alcohol and drug-laced Nescafe instant coffee for the uprising, often in the same speeches....."
Inside the Saif house
The UK home of Colonel Gaddafi’s son is in the hands of Libyan exiles. This is what it’s like from within.
The New Statesman
""My family had to leave Libya just to survive," says a young bearded man in spectacles, perching awkwardly on a white leather sofa. We are in the front room of Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi's mansion in Hampstead Garden Suburb, recently expropriated by activists working in alliance with Libyan exiles. An hour earlier, I had passed through an open window near some ugly imported ferns belonging to Muammar al-Gaddafi's son, having been invited to meet the members of the new Free Libyan Embassy.
We drink stewed tea from Saif's best china and eat cheese sandwiches using his silver cutlery, while the young man, Abdulla, tells me about how his uncle was "disappeared" by Saif's father. "In Libya, people disappear all the time. There was a prison massacre where 1,200 people died. They poured cement over the bodies." Abdulla nervously adjusts his glasses. "It's important that people know we're not creating a civil war for no reason.".....
Fuelling anger
The New Statesman
""My family had to leave Libya just to survive," says a young bearded man in spectacles, perching awkwardly on a white leather sofa. We are in the front room of Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi's mansion in Hampstead Garden Suburb, recently expropriated by activists working in alliance with Libyan exiles. An hour earlier, I had passed through an open window near some ugly imported ferns belonging to Muammar al-Gaddafi's son, having been invited to meet the members of the new Free Libyan Embassy.
We drink stewed tea from Saif's best china and eat cheese sandwiches using his silver cutlery, while the young man, Abdulla, tells me about how his uncle was "disappeared" by Saif's father. "In Libya, people disappear all the time. There was a prison massacre where 1,200 people died. They poured cement over the bodies." Abdulla nervously adjusts his glasses. "It's important that people know we're not creating a civil war for no reason.".....
Fuelling anger
Fearing the spectacle of bailiffs dragging Libyans out of the private property of a Gaddafi, at a time when the UK government is desperately downplaying its erstwhile support for the dictator, the authorities have kept their distance. But that doesn't mean that there have been no attempts to get the occupiers to leave..... "
Video: Bahrain military attack protesters' camp
Focal point of demonstrations in capital Manama overrun by riot police as part of crackdown aimed at crushing anti-government uprising
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 16 March 2011
Bitch Alert: Stray Bitch in Tahrir Square!
Clinton tours Cairo's Tahrir Square
Al-Jazeera
"Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, has visited Cairo's Tahrir [Liberation] Square on the final day of her visit to the country.
Her visit on Wednesday was the first by a high-ranking US official to the focal point of Egypt's revolution that ended Hosni Mubarak's three-decades-old rule last month....."
Al-Jazeera
"Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, has visited Cairo's Tahrir [Liberation] Square on the final day of her visit to the country.
Her visit on Wednesday was the first by a high-ranking US official to the focal point of Egypt's revolution that ended Hosni Mubarak's three-decades-old rule last month....."
Bahrain forces attack protesters
Casualties reported as security forces drive out pro-democracy protesters from capital''''s Pearl Roundabout.
Al-Jazeera
"Security forces in Bahrain have driven out pro-democracy protesters from the Pear Roundabout in the capital Manama.
Helicopters hovered overhead as troops backed by tanks stormed the site - the focal point of weeks-long anti-government protests in the tiny kingdom - early on Wednesday, an Al Jazeera correspondent said.
Multiple explosions were heard and smoke was seen billowing over central Manama.
Our correspondent said the police backed by the military attacked the protesters from all sides and used tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd.
Protesters, intimidated by the shear numbers of security forces, retreated from the roundabout, he said.
Hospital sources said two protesters had been killed and hundreds of others injured in the offensive. The Reuters news agency said two policemen had also been killed.
Ali Al Aswad, a member of the opposition Wefaq party, told Al Jazeera that the government used Apache helicopters to shoot at peaceful protesters.
He said the situation was very bad and Bahrain was heading towards a disaster.
"The security forces are killing the people, we call upon UN to help us," Aswad said.
State of emergency
The move by the security forces came a day after a state of emergency was declared on the island and at least two people were killed in clashes in the Shia suburb of Sitra outside Manama......"
ريما: حماس خدعت الناس
مصطفى ابراهيم
كاتب وناشط في مجال حقوق الإنسان - غزة
"ريما لم تصدق ما شاهدته عيناها وما سمعته أذناها، قالت لي: "عمو أخجل أن أقول لك ما سمعته من ألفاظ نابية.. هل هؤلاء هم رجال الشرطة؟ هل هؤلاء هم المكلفين بحمايتنا؟ وهل هؤلاء الذين رفعوا شعار كرامة المواطن وهيبة الشرطي؟ هل هؤلاء هم أعضاء حماس المتدينين؟ وهل هيبة الشرطي تأتي بضرب الناس؟".
أمسكوا أمي من كتفها ودفعوها، وخالد ابن 6 سنوات أخذ يصرخ، وجمانة ابنة 12 عاماً هربت منهم، واستنجدت بمصور صحافي واختبأت خلفه، ولكنه لم يستطيع ان يحميها أو يحمي نفسه، لأنهم اعتدوا عليه بالضرب، ضربوا غسان بشدة، آثار الضرب واضحة على ذراعه وظهره، وهو يتألم.. ضربوا الفتيات والنساء الكبار في السن، من بينهن أمهات الأسرى، لم نستطيع مساعدتهن هربنا.
ريما في الصف التاسع، قالت غادرنا أنا ووالدتي وخالتي وشقيقتي جمانة وشقيقي خالد، وابتعدنا عن مكان الاعتصام في ساحة الكتيبة بمدينة غزة عدة أمتار، وانتظرنا أن يلحق بنا غسان، لكنهم فاجأونا وهم يصرخون الله أكبر، كانوا يرتدون زي الشرطة، وبعضهم يرتدي الزي المدني، ويحملون بأيديهم، الأسلحة الرشاشة والعصي والخراطيم البلاستيكية، هجموا علينا وعلى خيمة النساء، وقاموا بضربهن بالعصي وبالخراطيم وبالكراسي وهدموا الخيمة، وأسمعوهن كلمات نابية، أمسكوا فتاة لا ترتدي منديلا على رأسها وألقوها أرضا، واعتدوا عليها بالضرب المبرح، وهم يسبونها ويوجهون لها ألفاظا نابية قبيحة.
لم أصدق ما شاهدته، منذ أول أمس قام أعضاء من حماس بالسيطرة على حديقة الجندي المجهول، ووضعوا مكبرات للصوت مزعجة للتشويش على تجمع الشباب من 15 آذار، وأمس كان من بدايته متوتر، رفعوا رايات حماس، لم يلتزموا بشعار الشعب يريد إنهاء الانقسام، واعتدوا على بعض الشباب بالضرب وبالصعق الكهربائي.
خرجت مع والدتي وأشقائي للتظاهر ضد الانقسام والتعبير عن رأينا، والدي طمأننا، وقال إن حكومة حماس سمحت للناس بالتظاهر، وستقوم بتوفير أجواء ملائمة للمتظاهرين ولن تعتدي على الناس، وبالرغم من كل ما قامت به حماس وعدم التزامها برفع شعارات وحدوية، كانت الأجواء إيجابية، إلا أنها خدعت الناس، وقامت بالتشويش على المتظاهرين لإحباط محاولة الشباب للضغط على فتح وحماس لإنهاء الانقسام، وانتهى اليوم بشكل مأساوي وهجوم همجي والاعتداء بالضرب على كل المعتصمين، وتعميق الانقسام، وزيادة حدة الكراهية.
ريما تضيف وهي حزينة وغاضبة، وتتحدث بصوت مرتفع، سمعت من والدي ووالدتي أن الناطقين الإعلاميين باسم حركة حماس قالوا إن الذين قاموا بالاعتداء علينا وعلى المعتصمين بالضرب هم من المدنيين، ولم تتواجد الشرطة في مكان الاعتصام، وأن المعتصمين هم من أفراد الأجهزة الأمنية السابقين، كيف يكذبون أنا شاهدتهم، أفراد الشرطة هم من ضربونا، وكان معهم رجال بزي مدني، أنا مستغربة وغير مصدقة، كيف يقولون ذلك؟ كل ذلك شاهدته، لم ينقل لي أحد، أنا كنت موجودة هناك، ماذا تريد حماس؟
حماس غير معنية بإنهاء الانقسام، صدقناهم عندما قالوا لنا سنحمي المعتصمين، إلا أنهم لم يفوا بوعدهم للناس، ضربونا وأخافونا، ولماذا يدعون أن المعتصمين هم من أفراد الأجهزة السابقين، هل النساء أمهات الأسرى والفتيات الصحافيات والمدونات وطالبات الجامعة، وأنا وجمانة ووالدتي وخالتي وغسان ووشقيقي خالد ابن 6 سنوات من أفراد الأجهزة الأمنية؟
حتى لو كان من بين المعتصمين هم من أفراد الأمن السابقين ومن حركة فتح! هل هؤلاء ليسوا فلسطينيين، ولا يجوز لهم الاعتصام والتظاهر، والتعبير عن رأيهم؟ هل التجمع السلمي تهمة، ومسموح لناس وناس غير مسموح لهم، وكيف يسمحون لأعضائهم برفع رايات حماس، ويمزقون رايات فتح، وكاد أعضاء حماس أن يفتكوا بالفتاتين اللتين حملتا رايات فتح.
حماس خدعت الناس، وأنا غير مصدقة رواية الناطقين باسمها، حتى لو قاموا بالتحقيق في الحادث واعتذروا، أنا لن أقبل اعتذارهم، يجب أن يكونوا صادقين مع أنفسهم ومع الناس، ومحاسبة المسؤولين عن الاعتداء ورجال الشرطة الذين ضربونا، وضربوا الصحافيين والصحافيات، ومنعوهم من التصوير، وكسروا كاميراتهم، واعتقلوا بعضهم، ومنعونا من حقنا في التعبير عن آرائنا وحقنا في التجمع السلمي والتظاهر.
"
كاتب وناشط في مجال حقوق الإنسان - غزة
"ريما لم تصدق ما شاهدته عيناها وما سمعته أذناها، قالت لي: "عمو أخجل أن أقول لك ما سمعته من ألفاظ نابية.. هل هؤلاء هم رجال الشرطة؟ هل هؤلاء هم المكلفين بحمايتنا؟ وهل هؤلاء الذين رفعوا شعار كرامة المواطن وهيبة الشرطي؟ هل هؤلاء هم أعضاء حماس المتدينين؟ وهل هيبة الشرطي تأتي بضرب الناس؟".
أمسكوا أمي من كتفها ودفعوها، وخالد ابن 6 سنوات أخذ يصرخ، وجمانة ابنة 12 عاماً هربت منهم، واستنجدت بمصور صحافي واختبأت خلفه، ولكنه لم يستطيع ان يحميها أو يحمي نفسه، لأنهم اعتدوا عليه بالضرب، ضربوا غسان بشدة، آثار الضرب واضحة على ذراعه وظهره، وهو يتألم.. ضربوا الفتيات والنساء الكبار في السن، من بينهن أمهات الأسرى، لم نستطيع مساعدتهن هربنا.
ريما في الصف التاسع، قالت غادرنا أنا ووالدتي وخالتي وشقيقتي جمانة وشقيقي خالد، وابتعدنا عن مكان الاعتصام في ساحة الكتيبة بمدينة غزة عدة أمتار، وانتظرنا أن يلحق بنا غسان، لكنهم فاجأونا وهم يصرخون الله أكبر، كانوا يرتدون زي الشرطة، وبعضهم يرتدي الزي المدني، ويحملون بأيديهم، الأسلحة الرشاشة والعصي والخراطيم البلاستيكية، هجموا علينا وعلى خيمة النساء، وقاموا بضربهن بالعصي وبالخراطيم وبالكراسي وهدموا الخيمة، وأسمعوهن كلمات نابية، أمسكوا فتاة لا ترتدي منديلا على رأسها وألقوها أرضا، واعتدوا عليها بالضرب المبرح، وهم يسبونها ويوجهون لها ألفاظا نابية قبيحة.
لم أصدق ما شاهدته، منذ أول أمس قام أعضاء من حماس بالسيطرة على حديقة الجندي المجهول، ووضعوا مكبرات للصوت مزعجة للتشويش على تجمع الشباب من 15 آذار، وأمس كان من بدايته متوتر، رفعوا رايات حماس، لم يلتزموا بشعار الشعب يريد إنهاء الانقسام، واعتدوا على بعض الشباب بالضرب وبالصعق الكهربائي.
خرجت مع والدتي وأشقائي للتظاهر ضد الانقسام والتعبير عن رأينا، والدي طمأننا، وقال إن حكومة حماس سمحت للناس بالتظاهر، وستقوم بتوفير أجواء ملائمة للمتظاهرين ولن تعتدي على الناس، وبالرغم من كل ما قامت به حماس وعدم التزامها برفع شعارات وحدوية، كانت الأجواء إيجابية، إلا أنها خدعت الناس، وقامت بالتشويش على المتظاهرين لإحباط محاولة الشباب للضغط على فتح وحماس لإنهاء الانقسام، وانتهى اليوم بشكل مأساوي وهجوم همجي والاعتداء بالضرب على كل المعتصمين، وتعميق الانقسام، وزيادة حدة الكراهية.
ريما تضيف وهي حزينة وغاضبة، وتتحدث بصوت مرتفع، سمعت من والدي ووالدتي أن الناطقين الإعلاميين باسم حركة حماس قالوا إن الذين قاموا بالاعتداء علينا وعلى المعتصمين بالضرب هم من المدنيين، ولم تتواجد الشرطة في مكان الاعتصام، وأن المعتصمين هم من أفراد الأجهزة الأمنية السابقين، كيف يكذبون أنا شاهدتهم، أفراد الشرطة هم من ضربونا، وكان معهم رجال بزي مدني، أنا مستغربة وغير مصدقة، كيف يقولون ذلك؟ كل ذلك شاهدته، لم ينقل لي أحد، أنا كنت موجودة هناك، ماذا تريد حماس؟
حماس غير معنية بإنهاء الانقسام، صدقناهم عندما قالوا لنا سنحمي المعتصمين، إلا أنهم لم يفوا بوعدهم للناس، ضربونا وأخافونا، ولماذا يدعون أن المعتصمين هم من أفراد الأجهزة السابقين، هل النساء أمهات الأسرى والفتيات الصحافيات والمدونات وطالبات الجامعة، وأنا وجمانة ووالدتي وخالتي وغسان ووشقيقي خالد ابن 6 سنوات من أفراد الأجهزة الأمنية؟
حتى لو كان من بين المعتصمين هم من أفراد الأمن السابقين ومن حركة فتح! هل هؤلاء ليسوا فلسطينيين، ولا يجوز لهم الاعتصام والتظاهر، والتعبير عن رأيهم؟ هل التجمع السلمي تهمة، ومسموح لناس وناس غير مسموح لهم، وكيف يسمحون لأعضائهم برفع رايات حماس، ويمزقون رايات فتح، وكاد أعضاء حماس أن يفتكوا بالفتاتين اللتين حملتا رايات فتح.
حماس خدعت الناس، وأنا غير مصدقة رواية الناطقين باسمها، حتى لو قاموا بالتحقيق في الحادث واعتذروا، أنا لن أقبل اعتذارهم، يجب أن يكونوا صادقين مع أنفسهم ومع الناس، ومحاسبة المسؤولين عن الاعتداء ورجال الشرطة الذين ضربونا، وضربوا الصحافيين والصحافيات، ومنعوهم من التصوير، وكسروا كاميراتهم، واعتقلوا بعضهم، ومنعونا من حقنا في التعبير عن آرائنا وحقنا في التجمع السلمي والتظاهر.
"
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Mid-East unrest: Syrian protests in Damascus and Aleppo
Hundreds of Syrians have staged a rare protest in the capital, Damascus, calling for democratic reforms and the release of all political prisoners.
Six protesters were reportedly detained by the security forces, a witness told the BBC Arabic Service.
The AP news agency said government supporters later broke up the rally by punching and attacking the protesters.
A Facebook group, The Syrian revolution against [President] Bashar al-Assad 2011, is said to have called the march.
A similar appeal on Facebook last month failed to bring protesters to the streets, but critics blamed a heavy security presence for the failure of that campaign.
For every Yemeni death, President Saleh digs his grave a little deeper
By Jody McIntyre
The Independent
"When the President of a country and the head of his security forces have the same surname, you know there is a problem. When the Yemeni police attacked demonstrators camped out in Tagheer Square on Saturday, they signed the resignation papers of Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Yesterday, the killing continued with police firing live ammunition into demonstrators in Sanaa, the capital. This came only a day after the police had used Nerve Gas, an illegal weapon under international law in such circumstances. But Yahya Saleh, the President’s namesake and General of the Yemeni Security Forces, was not secretive or embarassed about where such weapons come from. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Saleh proudly proclaimed:
“We are using tear gas canisters we imported from countries that promote human rights. These are not not homemade weapons,”
Ironically, Saleh’s inadvertent summarising of the hypocrisy of Western governments, criticising other governments for using the weapons they have sold them, could not have been more apt.....
The wave of uprisings across the Arab world continues, as does the hypocrisy. Expect Saleh’s exit speech, coming soon to a screen near you."
The Independent
"When the President of a country and the head of his security forces have the same surname, you know there is a problem. When the Yemeni police attacked demonstrators camped out in Tagheer Square on Saturday, they signed the resignation papers of Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Yesterday, the killing continued with police firing live ammunition into demonstrators in Sanaa, the capital. This came only a day after the police had used Nerve Gas, an illegal weapon under international law in such circumstances. But Yahya Saleh, the President’s namesake and General of the Yemeni Security Forces, was not secretive or embarassed about where such weapons come from. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Saleh proudly proclaimed:
“We are using tear gas canisters we imported from countries that promote human rights. These are not not homemade weapons,”
Ironically, Saleh’s inadvertent summarising of the hypocrisy of Western governments, criticising other governments for using the weapons they have sold them, could not have been more apt.....
The wave of uprisings across the Arab world continues, as does the hypocrisy. Expect Saleh’s exit speech, coming soon to a screen near you."
Could Hizbullah Save the Libyan Revolution?
A COMMENT
By Tony Sayegh
(Scroll down for more new posts)
It is clear by now that a no-fly zone over Libya, supported by the Arab League, will not be imposed real soon. The reason is simple: The Arab regimes themselves, who are capable of imposing such ban are not going to do it. Instead the Arab League decision will only be used by the US/NATO if and when their narrow calculations would indicate possible imperial gains. On the other hand, if the imperialists sense that their reformed despot is gaining ground, as he is, then they will give him time and would continue to do business with him after they shed a few crocodile tears for the tens of thousands of slaughtered Libyans.
The new Egypt is too timid and preoccupied with its internal situation to contemplate a bold move to impose a no-fly zone on Libya and to come to the aid of the Libyan revolutionaries, as Azmi Bishara has been wistfully wishing. Besides, restrictions imposed on the Egyptian military by its US arms suppliers would prevent such step.
Notice the timidity towards aiding the Libyan revolution as contrasted with the aggressive and outrageous invasion of Bahrain by Saudi Arabia and its cohorts in the Gulf Cooperation Council to crush the peaceful uprising by the majority in Bahrain.
The Libyan revolution lacks a good leadership and I am very afraid that this critical lack of leadership could prove fatal. After relaxing and betting on Western intervention and a no-fly zone as a done deal, the Libyan revolutionaries now see almost all their gains are being reversed by the tyrant's troops. Benghazi itself will soon be under attack.
It is pathetic to see the provisional revolutionary council in Libya reduced to begging the West to assassinate Gaddafi as the solution! It smacks of desperation.
Here is a bold and crazy idea. Just as Saudi Arabia, at the behest of Washington, sent its US-supplied tanks into Bahrain, to protect their fellow puppet regime of Al-Khalifa, Hizbullah can boldly declare that it has a moral authority to help the Libyan revolutionaries at a critical time of need.
There is self-interest, in addition. Some believe that the Lebanese Imam Sadr, who was kidnapped and disappeared by the Libyan dictator, is still alive in Libya. What could be a more noble mission for Hizbullah than to find his whereabouts and to rescue Imam Sadr, if he is alive?
Iran would throw a major monkey wrench into the imperial works and support this Hizbullah mission. It would be Iran's answer to the imperial challenge in Bahrain.
I have no doubt that as few as a thousand disciplined and well-trained Hizbullah fighters could turn the tide and send the Libyan tyrant running.
Who knows, the reward could be a live Imam Sadr kept in a dungeon in Tripoli.
What a coup would that be for Hizbullah (and for Iran) throughout the Arab world.
I urge Sayyed Nasrallah to consider this bold idea. These are critical times which are full of potentialities and the courageous and bold decisions would be immensely rewarded.
By Tony Sayegh
(Scroll down for more new posts)
It is clear by now that a no-fly zone over Libya, supported by the Arab League, will not be imposed real soon. The reason is simple: The Arab regimes themselves, who are capable of imposing such ban are not going to do it. Instead the Arab League decision will only be used by the US/NATO if and when their narrow calculations would indicate possible imperial gains. On the other hand, if the imperialists sense that their reformed despot is gaining ground, as he is, then they will give him time and would continue to do business with him after they shed a few crocodile tears for the tens of thousands of slaughtered Libyans.
The new Egypt is too timid and preoccupied with its internal situation to contemplate a bold move to impose a no-fly zone on Libya and to come to the aid of the Libyan revolutionaries, as Azmi Bishara has been wistfully wishing. Besides, restrictions imposed on the Egyptian military by its US arms suppliers would prevent such step.
Notice the timidity towards aiding the Libyan revolution as contrasted with the aggressive and outrageous invasion of Bahrain by Saudi Arabia and its cohorts in the Gulf Cooperation Council to crush the peaceful uprising by the majority in Bahrain.
The Libyan revolution lacks a good leadership and I am very afraid that this critical lack of leadership could prove fatal. After relaxing and betting on Western intervention and a no-fly zone as a done deal, the Libyan revolutionaries now see almost all their gains are being reversed by the tyrant's troops. Benghazi itself will soon be under attack.
It is pathetic to see the provisional revolutionary council in Libya reduced to begging the West to assassinate Gaddafi as the solution! It smacks of desperation.
Here is a bold and crazy idea. Just as Saudi Arabia, at the behest of Washington, sent its US-supplied tanks into Bahrain, to protect their fellow puppet regime of Al-Khalifa, Hizbullah can boldly declare that it has a moral authority to help the Libyan revolutionaries at a critical time of need.
There is self-interest, in addition. Some believe that the Lebanese Imam Sadr, who was kidnapped and disappeared by the Libyan dictator, is still alive in Libya. What could be a more noble mission for Hizbullah than to find his whereabouts and to rescue Imam Sadr, if he is alive?
Iran would throw a major monkey wrench into the imperial works and support this Hizbullah mission. It would be Iran's answer to the imperial challenge in Bahrain.
I have no doubt that as few as a thousand disciplined and well-trained Hizbullah fighters could turn the tide and send the Libyan tyrant running.
Who knows, the reward could be a live Imam Sadr kept in a dungeon in Tripoli.
What a coup would that be for Hizbullah (and for Iran) throughout the Arab world.
I urge Sayyed Nasrallah to consider this bold idea. These are critical times which are full of potentialities and the courageous and bold decisions would be immensely rewarded.
Bahrain under state of emergency
King announces emergency powers for three months amid reports of more deaths as protests continue in the country.
Al-Jazeera
"The king of Bahrain has declared a state of emergency for three months on the island following weeks of anti-government protests, state television said.
An order by the king "authorised the commander of Bahrain's defence forces to take all necessary measures to protect the safety of the country and its citizens," a statement read out on television on Tuesday said.
The development comes a day after a Saudi-led military forces arrived to help prop up the government, which is facing pressure from the Shia majority to implement reforms.
Al Jazeera's correspondent in the capital, Manama, who we are not naming for security reasons, said the declaration of a state of emergency appears to have been deliberated upon for some time now.
"The last few days Manama has effectively been shut down. So there was a sense that something was going to happen. Then yesterday we had the GCC troops come in," he said.
"I'm standing now in and amongst a demonstration. There are tens of thousands of people streaming past me to the Saudi embassy. There is a great sense of change here."....."
Yemen Expands Crackdown on Pro-Democracy Movement, Deports Journalists
"Anti-government protests are swelling in Yemen amidst U.S.-backed President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s refusal to step down after more than 32 years in power. On Monday, dozens were wounded after state forces opened fire on demonstrators in Marib province. As unrest grows, the Yemeni government is cracking down on international media coverage of the protests. Four journalists, including two U.S. citizens, were arrested and deported on Monday. We speak with Yemeni activist and blogger in Sana’a, Atiaf Alwazir, and to Gregory Johnsen, a Near Eastern studies scholar at Princeton University currently in Cairo..."
“Bahrain is No Longer An Independent Country, It Is Occupied by Saudi Forces”: Activist Says Pro-Democracy Protests Will Continue
"The King of Bahrain has declared a state of emergency for three months following weeks of pro-democracy protests. The king’s announcement comes one day after about 1,000 Saudi troops crossed into Bahrain to help defend Bahrain’s ruling family. Pro-democracy protesters have described the Saudi presence on the island as a declaration of war. We speak to journalist Yana Kunichoff reporting from Manama and to Husain Abdulla of Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain. “For the White House not to condemn such an invasion makes a clear statement that the United States knew very well this was going to happen,” Adbulla says....."
The Return of Pan-Arabism Amidst Upheaval: An end to Balkanization?
The Changing Winds in Iraq and the Growing Threat to Lebanon
A VERY GOOD FEATURE ARTICLE
A VERY GOOD FEATURE ARTICLE
by Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya
Global Research, March 14, 2011
"Protests and revolts have swept across the whole of Arabdom, from the Atlantic coastline of Morocco to the shores of the petro-sheikhdoms of the Persian Gulf. In this regard, U.S. and E.U. double-standards are being applied to these events. There is a selective focus and condemnation by the White House and the European Union at play in regards to which Arab protests and protest leaders they support.
Regardless of the direction of these revolts and protests and the reaction of outside players, a new dynamic is taking shape. Democracy has not yet emerged, what is beginning to emerge is a new wave of pan-Arabism. This re-invigorated pan-Arabism will prove a challenge to the ongoing efforts to further fragment and weaken the Arab World.
The Categories of Protest and Revolt in The Arab World
In regards to the mass protests and popular revolts, today the states of the Arab World can be categorized into five groupings or categories. These categories are the following:
Group 1 - Arab countries that are in a state of civil war;
Group 2 - Arab countries that have populations that have revolted;
Group 3 - Arab countries where the people are currently protesting and are on the verge of revolt;
Group 4 - Arab countries where the groundwork for revolts are taking shape;
Group 5 - Arab countries where there are no revolts.
Each category will be discussed and summarized. It must be cautioned that these groupings are not static either and likely to evolve.....
Pan-Arabism versus the Yinon Approach
Tel Aviv, Washington, and Brussels all oppose Arab unity. Historically, they have worked to divide the Arabs. In the past, the British separated Kuwait and Iraq, Palestine and Jordan, and Egypt and Sudan from one another, while the French separated Algeria and Tunisia in the Maghreb and Lebanon and Syria in the Levant from one another. The Yinon Approach is a continuation of this project.
U.S. policy is part of this continuum. The White House has worked with Israel and the House of Saud to divide and isolate the Palestinians through a Hamas-Fatah split. In Iraq the process of national estrangement has been a major endeavour for Washington and its allies. Sudan has been fractured and now a civil war is being fuelled in Libya. Arab League member Somalia has also been divided into Puntland, Somaliland, and South Somalia. South Somalia has also been divided to an even greater extent.
The interests of the U.S. government, Brussels, and Israel are to keep the Arabs divided in separate “feeble states.” There is, however, a new dynamic that is emerging in the Arab World. This new dynamic emerging from the upheavals and protests potentially challenges the Yinon Approach, which is being applied against the Arab people.
Pan-Arabism is a new dynamic, which constitutes a potent force. The trend of decades of divisions can eventually be reversed. Nor will the issue of Palestine be left in the hands of outside powers for much longer.
The plurality of Arabdom was constructed on the basis of inclusiveness and multi-culturalism. The Arab identity is a very open and inclusive one that has a wide embrace. According to the Arab League’s 1946 definition or description: “An Arab is a person whose language is Arabic, who lives in an Arabic speaking country, [and] who is in sympathy with the aspirations of the Arabic speaking peoples.” [5] This has brought different civilizations, ethnicities, creeds, traditions, and lands together and united them under one roof, from the pre-Arabized Levantine peoples to the pre-Arabized Egyptians, Nubians, and Berbers.
Pan-Arabism gives a political will to this inclusive Arab identity and paves the way for a political project amongst the Arab peoples. Thus, regardless of the initial successes or failures of these revolts, the Arab march towards unity as a political and popular project is an eventual assurance. Nor can its tides be contained for long as a new geo-political and sociological reality begins to take shape for the Arab Nation."
Global Research, March 14, 2011
"Protests and revolts have swept across the whole of Arabdom, from the Atlantic coastline of Morocco to the shores of the petro-sheikhdoms of the Persian Gulf. In this regard, U.S. and E.U. double-standards are being applied to these events. There is a selective focus and condemnation by the White House and the European Union at play in regards to which Arab protests and protest leaders they support.
Regardless of the direction of these revolts and protests and the reaction of outside players, a new dynamic is taking shape. Democracy has not yet emerged, what is beginning to emerge is a new wave of pan-Arabism. This re-invigorated pan-Arabism will prove a challenge to the ongoing efforts to further fragment and weaken the Arab World.
The Categories of Protest and Revolt in The Arab World
In regards to the mass protests and popular revolts, today the states of the Arab World can be categorized into five groupings or categories. These categories are the following:
Group 1 - Arab countries that are in a state of civil war;
Group 2 - Arab countries that have populations that have revolted;
Group 3 - Arab countries where the people are currently protesting and are on the verge of revolt;
Group 4 - Arab countries where the groundwork for revolts are taking shape;
Group 5 - Arab countries where there are no revolts.
Each category will be discussed and summarized. It must be cautioned that these groupings are not static either and likely to evolve.....
Pan-Arabism versus the Yinon Approach
Tel Aviv, Washington, and Brussels all oppose Arab unity. Historically, they have worked to divide the Arabs. In the past, the British separated Kuwait and Iraq, Palestine and Jordan, and Egypt and Sudan from one another, while the French separated Algeria and Tunisia in the Maghreb and Lebanon and Syria in the Levant from one another. The Yinon Approach is a continuation of this project.
U.S. policy is part of this continuum. The White House has worked with Israel and the House of Saud to divide and isolate the Palestinians through a Hamas-Fatah split. In Iraq the process of national estrangement has been a major endeavour for Washington and its allies. Sudan has been fractured and now a civil war is being fuelled in Libya. Arab League member Somalia has also been divided into Puntland, Somaliland, and South Somalia. South Somalia has also been divided to an even greater extent.
The interests of the U.S. government, Brussels, and Israel are to keep the Arabs divided in separate “feeble states.” There is, however, a new dynamic that is emerging in the Arab World. This new dynamic emerging from the upheavals and protests potentially challenges the Yinon Approach, which is being applied against the Arab people.
Pan-Arabism is a new dynamic, which constitutes a potent force. The trend of decades of divisions can eventually be reversed. Nor will the issue of Palestine be left in the hands of outside powers for much longer.
The plurality of Arabdom was constructed on the basis of inclusiveness and multi-culturalism. The Arab identity is a very open and inclusive one that has a wide embrace. According to the Arab League’s 1946 definition or description: “An Arab is a person whose language is Arabic, who lives in an Arabic speaking country, [and] who is in sympathy with the aspirations of the Arabic speaking peoples.” [5] This has brought different civilizations, ethnicities, creeds, traditions, and lands together and united them under one roof, from the pre-Arabized Levantine peoples to the pre-Arabized Egyptians, Nubians, and Berbers.
Pan-Arabism gives a political will to this inclusive Arab identity and paves the way for a political project amongst the Arab peoples. Thus, regardless of the initial successes or failures of these revolts, the Arab march towards unity as a political and popular project is an eventual assurance. Nor can its tides be contained for long as a new geo-political and sociological reality begins to take shape for the Arab Nation."
House of Saud 'liberates' Bahrain
By Pepe Escobar
Asia Times
"....Moreover, this walks like an invasion, talks like an invasion, but it's not really an invasion, as White House spokesman Jay Carney confidently reassured world public opinion. It helps that said opinion happened to be conveniently narcotized, transfixed by the heartbreaking post-tsunami drama in Japan to the point of ignoring some distant rumblings in a tiny Gulf kingdom.....
Invading you softly with my tanks
While the pro-government daily al-Ayyam talked about hundreds of Bahrainis "welcoming the Saudi forces", Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, Bahrain's answer to Saif al-Gaddafi (the relative "modernizer") still talks of dialogue, including electoral reform, "a government representing popular will", investigations on corruption and the end of "political naturalizations" (Bahrain naturalizes scores of Sunnis to dilute the Shi'ite political representation).
The absolute majority of the population doesn't believe a word of it anymore. Not with the Medieval House of Saud having supported Mubarak to the end, welcoming Tunisia's Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali as an exile, supporting Ali Abdullah Saleh in Yemen and now invading Bahrain - with the White House virtually begging Riyadh to pump just a little more oil to make up for the shortfall in Libya.
Everything one needs to know about the House of Saud is in these words by Minister of Interior Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz, King Abdullah's half-brother and the de facto Minister of Pain. On the oily family hacienda having survived this past Friday's "Day of Rage", Prince Nayef said, "Some evil people wanted to spread chaos in the kingdom and called for demonstrations that have dishonorable goals." But in the end the House of Saud managed to thwart this "deeply nefarious plot". They certainly did; just in time to invade a neighbor....."
Asia Times
"....Moreover, this walks like an invasion, talks like an invasion, but it's not really an invasion, as White House spokesman Jay Carney confidently reassured world public opinion. It helps that said opinion happened to be conveniently narcotized, transfixed by the heartbreaking post-tsunami drama in Japan to the point of ignoring some distant rumblings in a tiny Gulf kingdom.....
Invading you softly with my tanks
While the pro-government daily al-Ayyam talked about hundreds of Bahrainis "welcoming the Saudi forces", Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, Bahrain's answer to Saif al-Gaddafi (the relative "modernizer") still talks of dialogue, including electoral reform, "a government representing popular will", investigations on corruption and the end of "political naturalizations" (Bahrain naturalizes scores of Sunnis to dilute the Shi'ite political representation).
The absolute majority of the population doesn't believe a word of it anymore. Not with the Medieval House of Saud having supported Mubarak to the end, welcoming Tunisia's Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali as an exile, supporting Ali Abdullah Saleh in Yemen and now invading Bahrain - with the White House virtually begging Riyadh to pump just a little more oil to make up for the shortfall in Libya.
Everything one needs to know about the House of Saud is in these words by Minister of Interior Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz, King Abdullah's half-brother and the de facto Minister of Pain. On the oily family hacienda having survived this past Friday's "Day of Rage", Prince Nayef said, "Some evil people wanted to spread chaos in the kingdom and called for demonstrations that have dishonorable goals." But in the end the House of Saud managed to thwart this "deeply nefarious plot". They certainly did; just in time to invade a neighbor....."
A conflict with modest beginnings which is threatening to escalate out of control
The Wahhabi Saudi regime acting as guardian for Bahrain's Sunni monarchy wants to maintain the status quo both at home and in Bahrain
By Mai Yamani
The Independent
".....The Saudis have already suppressed a potential domestic uprising on 11 March with the biggest carrots and sticks available in the Arab world: through money, $37bn for spending on the population; ideologically, by saying that demonstrations are un-Islamic; and by unleashing the security forces on the streets.
And now it will not tolerate the country next door talking about a constitutional monarchy. For the main aim of the Saudi force will be to ensure that the Bahrain royal family survives in its current form – in the minds of the Saudi rulers, real democracy in Bahrain must be stopped at all costs.
We only have to look at what happened in Saudi Arabia itself: When the Saudi rulers were presented with a petition in 2003 by university professors and professionals calling for constitutional monarchy, the petitioners were put in jail. The subject of constitutional monarchy or any form of representative government is taboo in Saudi Arabia....
Now the stakes are higher and there is fear that there will be more bloody confrontations because the Saudi army is much more brutal than in Bahrain. They are outsiders. After confrontations they can go back across the causeway.....
The irony is that the GCC – which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia – was established in 1981 after the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war to protect the states from outside threats. It was never meant to be used for internal repression of its people or for neighbourly repression."
By Mai Yamani
The Independent
".....The Saudis have already suppressed a potential domestic uprising on 11 March with the biggest carrots and sticks available in the Arab world: through money, $37bn for spending on the population; ideologically, by saying that demonstrations are un-Islamic; and by unleashing the security forces on the streets.
And now it will not tolerate the country next door talking about a constitutional monarchy. For the main aim of the Saudi force will be to ensure that the Bahrain royal family survives in its current form – in the minds of the Saudi rulers, real democracy in Bahrain must be stopped at all costs.
We only have to look at what happened in Saudi Arabia itself: When the Saudi rulers were presented with a petition in 2003 by university professors and professionals calling for constitutional monarchy, the petitioners were put in jail. The subject of constitutional monarchy or any form of representative government is taboo in Saudi Arabia....
Now the stakes are higher and there is fear that there will be more bloody confrontations because the Saudi army is much more brutal than in Bahrain. They are outsiders. After confrontations they can go back across the causeway.....
The irony is that the GCC – which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia – was established in 1981 after the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war to protect the states from outside threats. It was never meant to be used for internal repression of its people or for neighbourly repression."
Bahrain's regime talks softly while bringing the big guns in
The Bahraini government claims to listen to protesters yet mobilises armed thugs and now a Saudi army against them
A GOOD COMMENT
A GOOD COMMENT
Tahiyya Lulu
(Tahiyya Lulu is the pen-name of a Bahraini woman and independent commentator.)
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 15 March 2011
"The international community is taking weeks to decide whether to impose a no-fly zone over Libya. Meanwhile, in the eerie quiet of a Bahraini afternoon a deployment of 1,000 soldiers from the Saudi Arabia who are part of the Pensinsula Shield Force entered the country....
....the regime has implemented a soft-talk big-stick strategy. Its security personnel killed two protesters, and the king appeared on national television to speak of his regret, promising an independent investigation to hold those responsible accountable. Two days later, government security personnel stormed the encampment of protesters at the now-famous Pearl roundabout, killing four more. Later the same day, the crown prince appeared on TV urging calm, while the Bahraini army opened fire on unarmed demonstrators, killing another two......
Sure enough, almost immediately after announcing the invitation to dialogue, top figures in the government held talks with their counterparts in Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the US, and the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC). In 1965 the British RAF helped the regime oppress its population; today that dishonour belongs to Saudi Arabia and other GCC states.....
Presumably to impress an international audience, protesters are now being described as "terrorists", "gangsters" and "foreign elements" among government officials and loyalists on web forums......
But for all the talk and big tanks, the regime's strategy has one major failing; its stubborn myopia. The Bahraini youth it criminalises with false talk and disingenuous action are not terrorists: they are educated, open-minded children of a time in which information is free.
They do not want sweet words, they do not want foreign military intervention, nor a system of Makramah and privileges. What they want is what they know they were born with: rights. And the Bahraini regime would do well to rethink its strategy of good PR and bad policies, because for now the voices of their youthful opposition resonate louder than the rumble of foreign tanks destroying Bahrain's sovereignty and threatening the lives of Bahraini dissenters, because it seems they too have said "kefaya" – enough."
(Tahiyya Lulu is the pen-name of a Bahraini woman and independent commentator.)
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 15 March 2011
"The international community is taking weeks to decide whether to impose a no-fly zone over Libya. Meanwhile, in the eerie quiet of a Bahraini afternoon a deployment of 1,000 soldiers from the Saudi Arabia who are part of the Pensinsula Shield Force entered the country....
....the regime has implemented a soft-talk big-stick strategy. Its security personnel killed two protesters, and the king appeared on national television to speak of his regret, promising an independent investigation to hold those responsible accountable. Two days later, government security personnel stormed the encampment of protesters at the now-famous Pearl roundabout, killing four more. Later the same day, the crown prince appeared on TV urging calm, while the Bahraini army opened fire on unarmed demonstrators, killing another two......
Sure enough, almost immediately after announcing the invitation to dialogue, top figures in the government held talks with their counterparts in Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the US, and the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC). In 1965 the British RAF helped the regime oppress its population; today that dishonour belongs to Saudi Arabia and other GCC states.....
Presumably to impress an international audience, protesters are now being described as "terrorists", "gangsters" and "foreign elements" among government officials and loyalists on web forums......
But for all the talk and big tanks, the regime's strategy has one major failing; its stubborn myopia. The Bahraini youth it criminalises with false talk and disingenuous action are not terrorists: they are educated, open-minded children of a time in which information is free.
They do not want sweet words, they do not want foreign military intervention, nor a system of Makramah and privileges. What they want is what they know they were born with: rights. And the Bahraini regime would do well to rethink its strategy of good PR and bad policies, because for now the voices of their youthful opposition resonate louder than the rumble of foreign tanks destroying Bahrain's sovereignty and threatening the lives of Bahraini dissenters, because it seems they too have said "kefaya" – enough."
Monday, March 14, 2011
Yemen expels four foreign journalists amid fears of clampdown
Two British and two American journalists were taken from their house in Sana'a shortly after dawn and told to leave Yemen
Tom Finn and WL Webb in Sana'a
guardian.co.uk, Monday 14 March 2011
"Yemen has begun a clampdown on western media, arresting and deporting four foreign journalists who had been covering government attacks on protesters in which seven people were killed over the weekend.
The journalists were taken from their house in Sana'a shortly after dawn, when police from the interior ministry forced their way into the building and confiscated their mobile phones and passports.
They were held for three hours at the immigration centre in Sana'a before being told to pack their bags and leave the country immediately.
The four, all young freelancers for American newspapers, included two US citizens – Haley Sweetland Edwards, who writes for the Los Angeles Times, and Joshua Maricich, a photographer – and two Britons – Portia Walker, who writes for the Washington Post, and Oliver Holmes, who writes for the Wall Street Journal and Time magazine.
Speaking from Sana'a airport, Holmes, 24, said he had not been given an explanation for the deportation but suspected it was because of their recent reporting of the attacks on protesters....."
Tom Finn and WL Webb in Sana'a
guardian.co.uk, Monday 14 March 2011
"Yemen has begun a clampdown on western media, arresting and deporting four foreign journalists who had been covering government attacks on protesters in which seven people were killed over the weekend.
The journalists were taken from their house in Sana'a shortly after dawn, when police from the interior ministry forced their way into the building and confiscated their mobile phones and passports.
They were held for three hours at the immigration centre in Sana'a before being told to pack their bags and leave the country immediately.
The four, all young freelancers for American newspapers, included two US citizens – Haley Sweetland Edwards, who writes for the Los Angeles Times, and Joshua Maricich, a photographer – and two Britons – Portia Walker, who writes for the Washington Post, and Oliver Holmes, who writes for the Wall Street Journal and Time magazine.
Speaking from Sana'a airport, Holmes, 24, said he had not been given an explanation for the deportation but suspected it was because of their recent reporting of the attacks on protesters....."
Iran slams Saudi invasion of Bahrain
Iran's Foreign Ministry Director General for the Persian Gulf and Middle East Affairs has criticized the invasion of Bahrain by Saudi Arabian forces, saying it only makes the situation more complicated.
Press TV
"Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Monday that the Islamic Republic has urged the Bahraini government to respect the demands of the people and to refrain from using violence, Fars News Agency reported.
More than 1,000 Saudi Arabian troops arrived in Bahrain on Monday to help intensify the crackdown on anti-government protesters.
“It is surprising to see that immediately after the recent trip of the US Defense Secretary [Robert Gates] we see the intensified use of violence against the people of Bahrain,” Amir-Abdollahian said.
Gates made an unannounced visit to the Bahraini capital, Manama, on Friday. Bahrainis have been camping in Pearl Square since February 14th, demanding King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa's ouster and constitutional reforms.
Amir-Abdollahian said it is expected of Bahraini officials to take the demands of the Muslim people of Bahrain seriously and prevent the meddling of other countries.
On Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast called on the US to respect democracy instead of sending military officials to the region and repressing the people.
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Sunday warned the Bahraini government against the use of force and violence against anti-government protesters. "
Press TV
"Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Monday that the Islamic Republic has urged the Bahraini government to respect the demands of the people and to refrain from using violence, Fars News Agency reported.
More than 1,000 Saudi Arabian troops arrived in Bahrain on Monday to help intensify the crackdown on anti-government protesters.
“It is surprising to see that immediately after the recent trip of the US Defense Secretary [Robert Gates] we see the intensified use of violence against the people of Bahrain,” Amir-Abdollahian said.
Gates made an unannounced visit to the Bahraini capital, Manama, on Friday. Bahrainis have been camping in Pearl Square since February 14th, demanding King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa's ouster and constitutional reforms.
Amir-Abdollahian said it is expected of Bahraini officials to take the demands of the Muslim people of Bahrain seriously and prevent the meddling of other countries.
On Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast called on the US to respect democracy instead of sending military officials to the region and repressing the people.
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Sunday warned the Bahraini government against the use of force and violence against anti-government protesters. "
The Arab spring is brighter than ever
Crackdowns on protest merely postpone the day of reckoning – Arabs now have a shared, unstoppable drive for freedom
A VERY GOOD PIECE
Brian Whitaker
guardian.co.uk, Monday 14 March 2011
""The Arab world's much-heralded collective push toward democracy is now in jeopardy," an article for McClatchy newspapers in the US informed its readers at the weekend.
The fact that autocratic regimes in Libya, Bahrain and Yemen are fighting back with lethal force should surprise no one. The more surprising thing is that Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt – two leaders previously regarded as firmly entrenched – were toppled after such a short struggle.
Nor does the fightback mean, as the article's headline suggests, that the outlook for democracy is dimming across much of the Middle East. Looking at the region as a whole, the prospects have never been brighter......
Arabs don't talk much about democracy as such, and they tend to be cynical about elections. They do talk increasingly about "freedom", though what they mean by it is not quite what Bush meant. They want freedom from corruption and political cronyism, and the freedom to make their own choices – an end to repression and government attempts to control the minutiae of people's lives.
Democracy may be one way of working towards that but it is rarely seen as a goal in itself, and while regime change is certainly an important part of the revolt, its younger activists (at least) have their eyes set on changing whole systems, not just the political leaders......
Meanwhile, as the ruling elites have grown old and clung greedily to power, the gap between governments and the governed has widened. It is partly a generational gap but the political elite has also been increasingly regarded as a privileged class whose members were in it purely for themselves and to whom the normal rules, including the rule of law, did not apply......
Along with this resentment and small-scale activism came a sense of hopelessness, a feeling that nothing was ever going to change. But in Tunisia last December the dam finally burst, altering the picture dramatically. Two new elements came into play: an awareness of possibilities and a sense of empowerment. Tunisia signalled that change is possible after all if sufficient numbers of people get together and organise themselves.
There are two ways that regimes can respond to this: by cracking down harder (as in Libya), which merely postpones the day of reckoning and may make it worse in the end, or by offering concessions (Morocco, Jordan, Oman), which in due course will lead to further demands. Either way, it's a no-win situation for them.
Even if Gaddafi does succeed in quelling the Libyan uprising, it will be no more than a temporary setback for the wider Arab revolution: battles are being fought in too many places and on too many different fronts for anyone to stop it now.
An important factor in this is Arabs' sense of a common identity: they are aware of what is happening in neighbouring countries and draw inspiration from it with regard to their own situation. The sight of grandees from the old regimes in Tunisia and Egypt being arrested on sundry charges of corruption, money laundering and murder gives them hope and encouragement. Similarly, the opening up of free media in those countries is having an effect elsewhere: in Jordan last week, 600 journalists demonstrated against government interference and censorship. This kind of cross-fertilisation (or infection, as the regimes see it) is happening in many areas.
Toppling two of the Middle East's tyrants in little more than two months is no mean achievement, and all the other regimes have been severely shaken – even those that claim to be secure. Initially, that raised hopes extraordinarily high and the regimes' fightback has injected a dose of realism. It does not mean the revolution is failing or fizzling out but it does show that many people were expecting too much too soon.
The far-reaching changes that the Arab countries need are social as much as political – and that will take time. Even in Tunisia and Egypt there are protracted struggles ahead. But the old regimes cannot survive indefinitely. A few years from now most of them will be gone or transformed beyond recognition."
A VERY GOOD PIECE
Brian Whitaker
guardian.co.uk, Monday 14 March 2011
""The Arab world's much-heralded collective push toward democracy is now in jeopardy," an article for McClatchy newspapers in the US informed its readers at the weekend.
The fact that autocratic regimes in Libya, Bahrain and Yemen are fighting back with lethal force should surprise no one. The more surprising thing is that Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt – two leaders previously regarded as firmly entrenched – were toppled after such a short struggle.
Nor does the fightback mean, as the article's headline suggests, that the outlook for democracy is dimming across much of the Middle East. Looking at the region as a whole, the prospects have never been brighter......
Arabs don't talk much about democracy as such, and they tend to be cynical about elections. They do talk increasingly about "freedom", though what they mean by it is not quite what Bush meant. They want freedom from corruption and political cronyism, and the freedom to make their own choices – an end to repression and government attempts to control the minutiae of people's lives.
Democracy may be one way of working towards that but it is rarely seen as a goal in itself, and while regime change is certainly an important part of the revolt, its younger activists (at least) have their eyes set on changing whole systems, not just the political leaders......
Meanwhile, as the ruling elites have grown old and clung greedily to power, the gap between governments and the governed has widened. It is partly a generational gap but the political elite has also been increasingly regarded as a privileged class whose members were in it purely for themselves and to whom the normal rules, including the rule of law, did not apply......
Along with this resentment and small-scale activism came a sense of hopelessness, a feeling that nothing was ever going to change. But in Tunisia last December the dam finally burst, altering the picture dramatically. Two new elements came into play: an awareness of possibilities and a sense of empowerment. Tunisia signalled that change is possible after all if sufficient numbers of people get together and organise themselves.
There are two ways that regimes can respond to this: by cracking down harder (as in Libya), which merely postpones the day of reckoning and may make it worse in the end, or by offering concessions (Morocco, Jordan, Oman), which in due course will lead to further demands. Either way, it's a no-win situation for them.
Even if Gaddafi does succeed in quelling the Libyan uprising, it will be no more than a temporary setback for the wider Arab revolution: battles are being fought in too many places and on too many different fronts for anyone to stop it now.
An important factor in this is Arabs' sense of a common identity: they are aware of what is happening in neighbouring countries and draw inspiration from it with regard to their own situation. The sight of grandees from the old regimes in Tunisia and Egypt being arrested on sundry charges of corruption, money laundering and murder gives them hope and encouragement. Similarly, the opening up of free media in those countries is having an effect elsewhere: in Jordan last week, 600 journalists demonstrated against government interference and censorship. This kind of cross-fertilisation (or infection, as the regimes see it) is happening in many areas.
Toppling two of the Middle East's tyrants in little more than two months is no mean achievement, and all the other regimes have been severely shaken – even those that claim to be secure. Initially, that raised hopes extraordinarily high and the regimes' fightback has injected a dose of realism. It does not mean the revolution is failing or fizzling out but it does show that many people were expecting too much too soon.
The far-reaching changes that the Arab countries need are social as much as political – and that will take time. Even in Tunisia and Egypt there are protracted struggles ahead. But the old regimes cannot survive indefinitely. A few years from now most of them will be gone or transformed beyond recognition."
Saudi Arabian troops enter Bahrain as regime asks for help to quell uprising
Move which sees soldiers called in to protect strategic sites likely to inflame tensions between rulers and Shia majority
Share25 Martin Chulov
guardian.co.uk, Monday 14 March 2011
"Saudi Arabian troops have crossed into Bahrain after the tiny Gulf state's rulers asked for help from neighbouring Sunni Arab states to quell a two-month uprising that threatens their 200-year-old political dynasty.
Riyadh said it had responded to a "security threat" by deploying its military in the streets of its tiny near-neighbour. The Saudi troops have been asked to protect strategic sites, such as bridges and government buildings. Bahrain's rulers said the Saudi forces had crossed the 16-mile causeway linking Saudi Arabia with the Arab world's smallest state as part of a contingent of troops from the Gulf Co-operation Council.
Saudi authorities did not give details on the size of the force, which some reports estimate to be about 1,000-strong.
The move is likely to inflame tensions between the regime and Bahrain's Shia majority, which has laid siege to central Manama since mid-February and has, in recent days, marched on key government buildings and palaces....."
Share25 Martin Chulov
guardian.co.uk, Monday 14 March 2011
"Saudi Arabian troops have crossed into Bahrain after the tiny Gulf state's rulers asked for help from neighbouring Sunni Arab states to quell a two-month uprising that threatens their 200-year-old political dynasty.
Riyadh said it had responded to a "security threat" by deploying its military in the streets of its tiny near-neighbour. The Saudi troops have been asked to protect strategic sites, such as bridges and government buildings. Bahrain's rulers said the Saudi forces had crossed the 16-mile causeway linking Saudi Arabia with the Arab world's smallest state as part of a contingent of troops from the Gulf Co-operation Council.
Saudi authorities did not give details on the size of the force, which some reports estimate to be about 1,000-strong.
The move is likely to inflame tensions between the regime and Bahrain's Shia majority, which has laid siege to central Manama since mid-February and has, in recent days, marched on key government buildings and palaces....."
Al-Jazeera cameraman chased and shot dead by Gaddafi regime supporters
Arabic station says cameraman was shot dead in ambush near Benghazi after reporting on Libya protests
The Guardian
"An al-Jazeera cameraman who died in eastern Libya was hunted down and ambushed by forces loyal to the Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, according to sources at the broadcaster.
Ali Hassan al-Jaber was among a team from the network's Arabic station attacked as they returned to the rebel-held city of Benghazi on Saturday.
In an official statement, al-Jazeera said the group were ambushed, and it condemned "the cowardly crime, which comes as part of the Libyan regime's malicious campaign targeting al-Jazeera and its staff".
It said the group had been returning from a nearby town after reporting on an opposition protest. Sources at al-Jazeera told the Guardian that Gaddafi loyalists followed the journalists from the protest scene and sprayed their vehicle with bullets. Al-Jazeera discounted earlier reports that they were lured to an interview under false pretences.
Jaber, a Qatari national, was rushed to hospital but died from his injuries. Another al-Jazeera journalist was wounded....."
The Guardian
"An al-Jazeera cameraman who died in eastern Libya was hunted down and ambushed by forces loyal to the Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, according to sources at the broadcaster.
Ali Hassan al-Jaber was among a team from the network's Arabic station attacked as they returned to the rebel-held city of Benghazi on Saturday.
In an official statement, al-Jazeera said the group were ambushed, and it condemned "the cowardly crime, which comes as part of the Libyan regime's malicious campaign targeting al-Jazeera and its staff".
It said the group had been returning from a nearby town after reporting on an opposition protest. Sources at al-Jazeera told the Guardian that Gaddafi loyalists followed the journalists from the protest scene and sprayed their vehicle with bullets. Al-Jazeera discounted earlier reports that they were lured to an interview under false pretences.
Jaber, a Qatari national, was rushed to hospital but died from his injuries. Another al-Jazeera journalist was wounded....."
Saudi Arabia admits invading Bahrain
Saudi Arabia says it has responded to a "security threat" in neighboring Bahrain by staging a 1,000-troop invasion in an attempt to quell escalating anti-government protests.
Press TV
"“The council of ministers has confirmed that it has answered a request by Bahrain for support,” Riyadh said in a statement carried by SPA state news agency.
It said that under an agreement of the six-country [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council, "any harm done to the security of a member state is considered a harm done to the security of all members."
A Saudi official said Monday that more than 1,000 troops, part of the Persian Gulf countries' Peninsula Shield Force, had entered Bahrain.
This came as Bahrain's opposition said it considered any foreign military intervention to be an occupation.
“We consider the arrival of any soldier, or military vehicle, into Bahraini territory.... an overt occupation of the kingdom of Bahrain and a conspiracy against the unarmed people of Bahrain,” said an opposition statement.
It called on the international community to act to ensure the “protection of the people of Bahrain from the danger of foreign military intervention.”
Meanwhile, Bahraini protesters are gathering in Pearl Square to protest against the occupation.
The Saudi intervention comes two days after US Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited Manama and held talks with King Hamada bin Isa Al Khalifa......"
Press TV
"“The council of ministers has confirmed that it has answered a request by Bahrain for support,” Riyadh said in a statement carried by SPA state news agency.
It said that under an agreement of the six-country [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council, "any harm done to the security of a member state is considered a harm done to the security of all members."
A Saudi official said Monday that more than 1,000 troops, part of the Persian Gulf countries' Peninsula Shield Force, had entered Bahrain.
This came as Bahrain's opposition said it considered any foreign military intervention to be an occupation.
“We consider the arrival of any soldier, or military vehicle, into Bahraini territory.... an overt occupation of the kingdom of Bahrain and a conspiracy against the unarmed people of Bahrain,” said an opposition statement.
It called on the international community to act to ensure the “protection of the people of Bahrain from the danger of foreign military intervention.”
Meanwhile, Bahraini protesters are gathering in Pearl Square to protest against the occupation.
The Saudi intervention comes two days after US Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited Manama and held talks with King Hamada bin Isa Al Khalifa......"
Al-Jazeera Video: Pitched street battle in Yemeni capital
"Two more people have been killed and scores injured in the latest anti-government protests in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, bringing the number of deaths to more than 30 in just two months.
According to medical sources, the latest violence erupted when police fired live rounds and tear gas.
Claims that riot police are using excessive force and suspected prohibited nerve gas have been denied by General Yahya Saleh, the head of the Yemeni security forces.
Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra reports from a makeshift clinic set up by protesters near University Square, the scene of ongoing protests."
Real News Video with Transcript: Canadian Military Sales to Israel
Canada's political support of Israel is well known; its military, intelligence and arms trade with Israel are not
Mummies and models in the new Middle East
By Pepe Escobar
Asia Times
"Egypt, previously a moribund land of "stability" and bosom buddy of whoever was in power in Washington, has been hurled into the Middle East's New Great Game. Possible models for transition range from Turkey's modern, Islamic ideal to Muslim-majority Indonesia's flourishing democracy and Latin America's path of total independence. Either way, it's enough to make Western diplomatic circles tremble....."
Asia Times
"Egypt, previously a moribund land of "stability" and bosom buddy of whoever was in power in Washington, has been hurled into the Middle East's New Great Game. Possible models for transition range from Turkey's modern, Islamic ideal to Muslim-majority Indonesia's flourishing democracy and Latin America's path of total independence. Either way, it's enough to make Western diplomatic circles tremble....."
Libya: End Violent Crackdown in Tripoli
Disappearances and Torture Major Concerns
Human Rights Watch
March 13, 2011
"(New York) – Libyan security forces controlled by Muammar Gaddafi have launched a wave of arrests and disappearances in Tripoli that has gripped the city with fear, Human Rights Watch said today.
According to credible and consistent accounts given by Tripoli residents to Human Rights Watch, security forces have arrested scores of anti-government protesters, suspected government critics, and those alleged to have provided information to international media and human rights organizations. Some detainees have apparently been subjected to torture.
“Gaddafi and his security forces are brutally suppressing all opposition in Tripoli, including peaceful protests, with lethal force, arbitrary arrests, and forced disappearances,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “Given Libya’s record of torture and political killings, we worry deeply about the fate of those taken away.”....."
Human Rights Watch
March 13, 2011
"(New York) – Libyan security forces controlled by Muammar Gaddafi have launched a wave of arrests and disappearances in Tripoli that has gripped the city with fear, Human Rights Watch said today.
According to credible and consistent accounts given by Tripoli residents to Human Rights Watch, security forces have arrested scores of anti-government protesters, suspected government critics, and those alleged to have provided information to international media and human rights organizations. Some detainees have apparently been subjected to torture.
“Gaddafi and his security forces are brutally suppressing all opposition in Tripoli, including peaceful protests, with lethal force, arbitrary arrests, and forced disappearances,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “Given Libya’s record of torture and political killings, we worry deeply about the fate of those taken away.”....."
Yemen: Suspend Aid After Attacks on Protesters
President Saleh Breaks Promise to End Attacks on Peaceful Demonstrators
March 12, 2011
"(New York) - A pre-dawn attack on March 12, 2011, by Yemeni security forces and assailants on peaceful protesters in Sanaa killed at least two people and injured more than 100, Human Rights Watch said today.
Human Rights Watch called on countries that support President Ali Abdullah Saleh's government to immediately make any further military or security assistance contingent on the government ending the use of lethal force against peaceful protests. Human Rights Watch said the government should also take concrete steps to hold accountable officials at all levels responsible for the continued unlawful use of force.
March 12, 2011
"(New York) - A pre-dawn attack on March 12, 2011, by Yemeni security forces and assailants on peaceful protesters in Sanaa killed at least two people and injured more than 100, Human Rights Watch said today.
Human Rights Watch called on countries that support President Ali Abdullah Saleh's government to immediately make any further military or security assistance contingent on the government ending the use of lethal force against peaceful protests. Human Rights Watch said the government should also take concrete steps to hold accountable officials at all levels responsible for the continued unlawful use of force.
"President Saleh has once again broken his promise to end attacks on peaceful protesters, and those who supply his government with weapons risk complicity in this bloodshed," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "Yemen's donors in the region and beyond need to make clear that financial and security assistance is contingent on ending these attacks."......"
Mummies and Models in the New Middle East
(Photo courtesy of Hossam El-Hamalawy)
A GOOD PIECE
by Pepe Escobar and Tom Engelhardt, March 14, 2011
"They can’t help themselves. Really, they can’t. Like children, the most monstrous of secret police outfits evidently come to believe themselves immortal. They lose all ability to imagine that they might ever go down and so keep records to the very moment of their collapse. Those records, so copious, damning, and unbearably detailed (which doesn’t make them accurate), provide something like a composite snapshot of the rotting innards of oppressive and brutal regimes—of their torture practices and their informers, of every citizen who knowingly or unknowingly crossed some line and many who didn’t, and of the corrupt doings of the leaders who gave the secret police free rein.
And so it was bound to happen, as it did in East Germany and elsewhere in the former Soviet bloc after 1989, that the innards of the hated Egyptian state security agency Amn al Dawla (“Mubarak’s Gestapo,” as it’s now being called) would finally see the light of day. The Tahrir Square demonstrators demanded that it be disbanded. Now, its torture chambers have been photographed and you can take a tour of the suite of former Interior Minister Habib el-Adly (at present under arrest) in its Cairo headquarters on YouTube. Some activists have had the startling experience of reading their own files; others were able to revisit the cells where they had once been tortured.
All this happened because thousands of protesters recently stormed that notorious headquarters and other of the agency’s offices, liberating secret files by the bushel-load, thousands upon thousands of them, even though security officials tried to destroy them. After decades of such record-keeping, there were undoubtedly simply too many to destroy. (At the moment, 67 state security figures suspected of being involved in the destruction of those files are being detained for investigation.)
Really, it’s a glorious moment and a strange one as well. After all, in 2006 when WikiLeaks first began leaking documents, it seemed a novel, even one-of-a-kind organization. That turned out to be a misapprehension. It was merely a pioneer in a new age of anti-state-secrecy sunshine activism. We are now, it seems, plunged into a WikiLeaks world. While the Egyptian army pleads for the return of the documents, even as it threatens prosecution, and demands that they not be made public, they are already appearing (along with possible fakes) on their own Facebook pages, being tweeted about and discussed, written about, shown on television, and reproduced in newspapers as if all of Egypt were a giant WikiLeaks machine....."
by Pepe Escobar and Tom Engelhardt, March 14, 2011
"They can’t help themselves. Really, they can’t. Like children, the most monstrous of secret police outfits evidently come to believe themselves immortal. They lose all ability to imagine that they might ever go down and so keep records to the very moment of their collapse. Those records, so copious, damning, and unbearably detailed (which doesn’t make them accurate), provide something like a composite snapshot of the rotting innards of oppressive and brutal regimes—of their torture practices and their informers, of every citizen who knowingly or unknowingly crossed some line and many who didn’t, and of the corrupt doings of the leaders who gave the secret police free rein.
And so it was bound to happen, as it did in East Germany and elsewhere in the former Soviet bloc after 1989, that the innards of the hated Egyptian state security agency Amn al Dawla (“Mubarak’s Gestapo,” as it’s now being called) would finally see the light of day. The Tahrir Square demonstrators demanded that it be disbanded. Now, its torture chambers have been photographed and you can take a tour of the suite of former Interior Minister Habib el-Adly (at present under arrest) in its Cairo headquarters on YouTube. Some activists have had the startling experience of reading their own files; others were able to revisit the cells where they had once been tortured.
All this happened because thousands of protesters recently stormed that notorious headquarters and other of the agency’s offices, liberating secret files by the bushel-load, thousands upon thousands of them, even though security officials tried to destroy them. After decades of such record-keeping, there were undoubtedly simply too many to destroy. (At the moment, 67 state security figures suspected of being involved in the destruction of those files are being detained for investigation.)
Really, it’s a glorious moment and a strange one as well. After all, in 2006 when WikiLeaks first began leaking documents, it seemed a novel, even one-of-a-kind organization. That turned out to be a misapprehension. It was merely a pioneer in a new age of anti-state-secrecy sunshine activism. We are now, it seems, plunged into a WikiLeaks world. While the Egyptian army pleads for the return of the documents, even as it threatens prosecution, and demands that they not be made public, they are already appearing (along with possible fakes) on their own Facebook pages, being tweeted about and discussed, written about, shown on television, and reproduced in newspapers as if all of Egypt were a giant WikiLeaks machine....."
‘Libya’ Does Not Exist
It was a fake country from the beginning
by Justin Raimondo, March 14, 2011
".....In any case, the fiction of “Libya” is falling by the wayside. What will succeed it remains an open question. However, Western intervention, if and when it occurs, cannot bring stability to a “nation” that never really existed in the first place.
The great Arab Awakening now sweeping North Africa and the Middle East is not only bringing down the old order of Western-supported dynasties, and tinpot dictators of Gadhafi’s ilk – it is also erasing arbitrary borders drawn by Western colonizers and Ottoman caliphs, and redrawing them to reflect underlying realities more accurately. Any attempt by the West to intervene, and favor one outcome over another, is bound to draw the ire of indigenous peoples – and redirect their anger away from local despots, and towards us.
That is why it’s in our interests to stand aside and let the upsurge play out, without aiding the rebellion in Cyrenaica or standing in its way. Let the recent arrest and expulsion of a British “diplomatic” delegation, which landed in the Eastern region in the dead of night, serve as a lesson and a warning to the West. The sign clearly says: “No Trespassing.” We defy it at our peril."
by Justin Raimondo, March 14, 2011
".....In any case, the fiction of “Libya” is falling by the wayside. What will succeed it remains an open question. However, Western intervention, if and when it occurs, cannot bring stability to a “nation” that never really existed in the first place.
The great Arab Awakening now sweeping North Africa and the Middle East is not only bringing down the old order of Western-supported dynasties, and tinpot dictators of Gadhafi’s ilk – it is also erasing arbitrary borders drawn by Western colonizers and Ottoman caliphs, and redrawing them to reflect underlying realities more accurately. Any attempt by the West to intervene, and favor one outcome over another, is bound to draw the ire of indigenous peoples – and redirect their anger away from local despots, and towards us.
That is why it’s in our interests to stand aside and let the upsurge play out, without aiding the rebellion in Cyrenaica or standing in its way. Let the recent arrest and expulsion of a British “diplomatic” delegation, which landed in the Eastern region in the dead of night, serve as a lesson and a warning to the West. The sign clearly says: “No Trespassing.” We defy it at our peril."
Current Al-Jazeera (Arabic) Online Poll
This new poll asks:
Do you believe that the reforms being enacted by some Arab governments will spare those governments from popular protests?
With about 1,000 responding so far, 77% said no.
Do you believe that the reforms being enacted by some Arab governments will spare those governments from popular protests?
With about 1,000 responding so far, 77% said no.
Arab League call for a no-fly zone may be too little, too late
By Patrick Cockburn
"....Much will depend on whether or not pro-Gaddafi troops can keep up the momentum of their initial advance and move on Benghazi. If they do, then events may outpace action by the US, Nato and European leaders. If, on the other hand, the rebels hold on to the east of Libya, then the broadly-based but confused international backing for them may jell and lead to action.
The significance of the move by the Arab League is that it gives US or Nato a cloak of Arab support and intervention will not look like a rerun of Iraq. It underlines the degree to which Gaddafi is isolated internationally, though he will present a no fly-zone or any other action against him, as an imperialist venture to be resisted.
The lesson of the Libyan rebellion so far is that both Gaddafi and his enemies command few forces they can wholly rely on. It will not take much to tip the balance, but a no-fly zone may no longer be enough to save the rebels."
"....Much will depend on whether or not pro-Gaddafi troops can keep up the momentum of their initial advance and move on Benghazi. If they do, then events may outpace action by the US, Nato and European leaders. If, on the other hand, the rebels hold on to the east of Libya, then the broadly-based but confused international backing for them may jell and lead to action.
The significance of the move by the Arab League is that it gives US or Nato a cloak of Arab support and intervention will not look like a rerun of Iraq. It underlines the degree to which Gaddafi is isolated internationally, though he will present a no fly-zone or any other action against him, as an imperialist venture to be resisted.
The lesson of the Libyan rebellion so far is that both Gaddafi and his enemies command few forces they can wholly rely on. It will not take much to tip the balance, but a no-fly zone may no longer be enough to save the rebels."
Video: Clashes filmed in Bahrain
The Independent
Police in Bahrain mounted a crackdown on thousands of demonstrators after they blocked off a central highway.
The Despicable Stooge Speaks: عباس يتعهد بالمساعدة في التحقيق في عملية مستوطنة "إيتمار"
عــ48ـرب
"قال رئيس السلطة الفلسطينية إنه اتفق مع رئيس الحكومة الإسرائيلية على تقديم المساعدة لأجهزة الأمن الإسرائيلية في التحقيق في عملية مستوطنة "إيتمار" التي قتل فيها 5 مستوطنين. كما اقترح أن تقوم لجنة فلسطينية إسرائيلية أمريكية بفحص الكتب الدراسية الفلسطينية.
وفي مقابلة مع إذاعة "صوت إسرائيل"، أجريت صباح اليوم الإثنين، قال رئيس السلطة الفلسطينية، محمود عباس إن "عملية مستوطنية إيتمار حقيرة وغير أخلاقية وغير إنسانية". وبحسبه فإن "الإنسان لا يستطيع التحدث عن ذلك، فمشهد قتل رضيع وأطفال وذبح امرأة، يجعل كل إنسان يتألم ويبكي".
وقال عباس إنه اتفق مع رئيس الحكومة الإسرائيلية، بنيامين نتانياهو، على تقديم المساعدة في التحقيق في العملية، وشدد على أنه لو كان لدى السلطة الفلسطينية معلومات مسبقة حول التخطيط لتنفيذها لكان قد بذل كل ما بوسعه لمنعها.
ونقل عنه قوله إنه اتفق مع نتانياهو على إجراء تحقيق مشترك، وأنه يرغب في معرفة من يقف وراء تنفيذ العملية بهدف القبض عليه وتقديمه للمحاكمة.
وتطرق عباس خلال المقابلة إلى الادعاءات الإسرائيلية بشأن التحريض من قبل السلطة الفلسطينية الأمر الذي مهد الأرضية لتنفيذ العملية، وقال إن السلطة قامت بتوحيد نصوص الصلاة في المساجد، بحيث لا تتضمن أي تحريض. كما طالب عباس بأن تجتمع لجنة "فلسطينية – إسرائيلية – أمريكية" لتدرس الادعاء بشأن وجود تحريض في الكتب الدراسية.
وقال: "تعالوا.. وأحضروا الولايات المتحدة معكم.. لنقرر سوية: المواد الدراسية التي تتضمن تحريضا سنوقفها"
وقالت مصادر إسرائيلية إن عباس قد هاتف نتانياهو، السبت الماضي، بعد شهور من القطيعة، وأدان العملية. ومن جهته فإن نتانياهو قال إن "الإدانات وحدها لا تكفي، وإنه يجب وقف التحريض، وتربية الشعب الفلسطيني على السلام".
وقال نتانياهو إنه "يجب إدانة العنف ليس فقط لأنه يتناقض مع المصالح السياسية للسلطة الفلسطينية، وإنما لأنه غير مقبول من الناحية الأخلاقية". وأضاف أنه "يتوقع أن تقوم السلطة بوقف التحريض في المدارس وفي الكتب الدراسية وفي المساجد، وتثقيف أبناء الشعب الفلسطيني على السلام مثلما تفعل إسرائيل"."
"قال رئيس السلطة الفلسطينية إنه اتفق مع رئيس الحكومة الإسرائيلية على تقديم المساعدة لأجهزة الأمن الإسرائيلية في التحقيق في عملية مستوطنة "إيتمار" التي قتل فيها 5 مستوطنين. كما اقترح أن تقوم لجنة فلسطينية إسرائيلية أمريكية بفحص الكتب الدراسية الفلسطينية.
وفي مقابلة مع إذاعة "صوت إسرائيل"، أجريت صباح اليوم الإثنين، قال رئيس السلطة الفلسطينية، محمود عباس إن "عملية مستوطنية إيتمار حقيرة وغير أخلاقية وغير إنسانية". وبحسبه فإن "الإنسان لا يستطيع التحدث عن ذلك، فمشهد قتل رضيع وأطفال وذبح امرأة، يجعل كل إنسان يتألم ويبكي".
وقال عباس إنه اتفق مع رئيس الحكومة الإسرائيلية، بنيامين نتانياهو، على تقديم المساعدة في التحقيق في العملية، وشدد على أنه لو كان لدى السلطة الفلسطينية معلومات مسبقة حول التخطيط لتنفيذها لكان قد بذل كل ما بوسعه لمنعها.
ونقل عنه قوله إنه اتفق مع نتانياهو على إجراء تحقيق مشترك، وأنه يرغب في معرفة من يقف وراء تنفيذ العملية بهدف القبض عليه وتقديمه للمحاكمة.
وتطرق عباس خلال المقابلة إلى الادعاءات الإسرائيلية بشأن التحريض من قبل السلطة الفلسطينية الأمر الذي مهد الأرضية لتنفيذ العملية، وقال إن السلطة قامت بتوحيد نصوص الصلاة في المساجد، بحيث لا تتضمن أي تحريض. كما طالب عباس بأن تجتمع لجنة "فلسطينية – إسرائيلية – أمريكية" لتدرس الادعاء بشأن وجود تحريض في الكتب الدراسية.
وقال: "تعالوا.. وأحضروا الولايات المتحدة معكم.. لنقرر سوية: المواد الدراسية التي تتضمن تحريضا سنوقفها"
وقالت مصادر إسرائيلية إن عباس قد هاتف نتانياهو، السبت الماضي، بعد شهور من القطيعة، وأدان العملية. ومن جهته فإن نتانياهو قال إن "الإدانات وحدها لا تكفي، وإنه يجب وقف التحريض، وتربية الشعب الفلسطيني على السلام".
وقال نتانياهو إنه "يجب إدانة العنف ليس فقط لأنه يتناقض مع المصالح السياسية للسلطة الفلسطينية، وإنما لأنه غير مقبول من الناحية الأخلاقية". وأضاف أنه "يتوقع أن تقوم السلطة بوقف التحريض في المدارس وفي الكتب الدراسية وفي المساجد، وتثقيف أبناء الشعب الفلسطيني على السلام مثلما تفعل إسرائيل"."
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Saudi Arabian forces prepare to enter Bahrain after day of clashes
Saudi forces are preparing to intervene in neighbouring Bahrain, after a day of clashes between police and protesters who mounted the most serious challenge to the island's royal family since demonstrations began a month ago.
The Crown Prince of Bahrain is expected to formally invite security forces from Saudi Arabia into his country today, as part of a request for support from other members of the six-member Gulf Co-operation Council.
Thousands of demonstrators on Sunday cut off Bahrain's financial centre and drove back police trying to eject them from the capital's central square, while protesters also clashed with government supporters on the campus of the main university.
Amid the revolt Bahrain also faces a potential sectarian conflict between the ruling minority of Sunnis Muslims and a majority of Shia Muslims, around 70% of the kingdom's 525,000 residents.
Al-Jazeera Video: Libya rebels battle Ghaddafi forces
"There is concern on the streets of Benghazi but no panic. There is talk of spies and infiltrators of pro Gadaffi sleeper cells waiting to be activated.
Eastern Libya is awash with rumors and uncertainty. What happens here really depends on what happens in the battle zones less than 400kms away.
The mood of the opposition, remains one of confidence. It may be that the rebellion is settling in for the long haul. "
Saudi Arabian forces prepare to enter Bahrain after day of clashes
Crown Prince of Bahrain expected to invite Saudi support following anti-government demonstrations in capital
The Guardian
"Saudi forces are preparing to intervene in neighbouring Bahrain, after a day of clashes between police and protesters who mounted the most serious challenge to the island's royal family since demonstrations began a month ago.
The Crown Prince of Bahrain is expected to formally invite security forces from Saudi Arabia into his country today, as part of a request for support from other members of the six-member Gulf Co-operation Council.
Thousands of demonstrators on Sunday cut off Bahrain's financial centre and drove back police trying to eject them from the capital's central square, while protesters also clashed with government supporters on the campus of the main university....."
The Guardian
"Saudi forces are preparing to intervene in neighbouring Bahrain, after a day of clashes between police and protesters who mounted the most serious challenge to the island's royal family since demonstrations began a month ago.
The Crown Prince of Bahrain is expected to formally invite security forces from Saudi Arabia into his country today, as part of a request for support from other members of the six-member Gulf Co-operation Council.
Thousands of demonstrators on Sunday cut off Bahrain's financial centre and drove back police trying to eject them from the capital's central square, while protesters also clashed with government supporters on the campus of the main university....."
'Nerve gas' used on Yemen protesters
Doctors from the scene of violent anti-government protests in Yemen's capital said that what was originally thought to be tear gas fired by government forces on demonstrators might instead have been a form of nerve gas, which is forbidden under international law.
Military personnel opened fire on Tuesday night and used what was originally assumed to be tear gas to disperse a group of demonstrators who were trying to bring additional tents into the protest area outside Sanaa University.
According to witnesses, the soldiers fired warning shots into the air before shooting gas - and in some cases live bullets - into the crowd, killing one and injuring at least 50.
Earlier reports indicated that the gas used was tear gas, but doctors who have been treating the wounded refuted that claim today.
"The material in this gas makes people convulse for hours. It paralyses them. They couldn't move at all. We tried to give them oxygen but it didn't work," said Amaar Nujaim, a field doctor who works for Islamic Relief.
"We are seeing symptoms in the patient's nerves, not in their respiratory systems. I'm 90 per cent sure its nerve gas and not tear gas that was used," said Sami Zaid, a doctor at the Science and Technology Hospital in Sanaa.
Mohammad Al-Sheikh, a pathologist at the same hospital, said that some of the victims had lost their muscular control and were forced to wear diapers.
"We have never seen tear gas cause these symptoms. We fear it may be a dangerous gas that is internationally forbidden," Al-Sheikh said.Is The Libyan Revolution Unraveling?
A COMMENT
By Tony Sayegh
It is happening so fast, it makes your head spin. Just 4 days ago, it appeared that the Libyan revolution was very close to total victory. The revolutionaries were at the gates of the tyrant, demonstrations were taking place in Tripoli itself, most major cities were in the hands of the rebels and the despot was on the run. Around 75% of the country was in the hands of the revolutionaries.
And then, the revolution stalled. Instead of storming the Bastille and keeping the momentum, it hesitated. This gave the despot a chance to organize, regroup and to launch a ferocious attack. Now, even an attack on Benghazi is a matter of time. The rebels appear to be in full retreat.
What went wrong? Is this going to be a repeat of Assad's bloodbath in the Syrian city of Hamma? Or a repeat of the Algerian bloodbath against the Islamists who had won the election? If Gaddafi has a clear win he will no doubt slaughter tens (if not hundreds) of thousands.
This has been a lesson in the importance of momentum, organizing and strategy. Similar to what happened in Syria and Algeria before, it illustrates the grave risks of taking on a murderous dictator militarily, unless you are prepared and you have a clear strategy.
The success of the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, was in part due to the fact that from beginning to end those were unarmed, peaceful protests. They relied on mass mobilization and civil disobedience. But in both countries the organizers kept the discipline and refused to be dragged into armed confrontations, even when hundreds of protesters were killed by the police and the regime's thugs.
I am not saying that armed struggle should always be out of the question. However, when adopted it should be a part of a deliberate, meticulously planned guerrilla struggle against a much better armed regime. That was not the case in Libya. The resistance was spontaneous, unplanned and almost chaotic. The youth, while possessing a lot of courage and motivation, are untrained and undisciplined.
The Tunisian and Egyptian armies have a history of cohesion and in both cases refused to crack down on the demonstrators. In contrast, the tyrant of Libya always kept the army weak, because he never trusted it. Instead, he relied on his well-trained and well-armed militias and mercenaries, commanded by his own sons. Thus, even though some units of the Libyan army deserted the despot and joined the revolution, they were not sufficient and did not have the time to train and organize the resistance.
The fear now is that too much hope is being placed on the Arab League, the Security Council and the no-fly zone. The tyrant knows that he has the momentum and the no-fly zone will need time to implement. This is why he is unleashing his counterattack at full speed. He knows that if he bombs Benghazi into submission in a matter of days, then the no-fly zone will be too little, too late.
This is a critical time for the revolution. Having lost the momentum it should be using the precious time left to prepare for a secret and long-term struggle against the despot. Arms should be stored in safe places, secret cells organized and scattered throughout the country, etc.
In a struggle like this, there is no stasis: you either attack and advance or you are attacked.
Let us hope for the best and long live the brave Libyan people.
By Tony Sayegh
It is happening so fast, it makes your head spin. Just 4 days ago, it appeared that the Libyan revolution was very close to total victory. The revolutionaries were at the gates of the tyrant, demonstrations were taking place in Tripoli itself, most major cities were in the hands of the rebels and the despot was on the run. Around 75% of the country was in the hands of the revolutionaries.
And then, the revolution stalled. Instead of storming the Bastille and keeping the momentum, it hesitated. This gave the despot a chance to organize, regroup and to launch a ferocious attack. Now, even an attack on Benghazi is a matter of time. The rebels appear to be in full retreat.
What went wrong? Is this going to be a repeat of Assad's bloodbath in the Syrian city of Hamma? Or a repeat of the Algerian bloodbath against the Islamists who had won the election? If Gaddafi has a clear win he will no doubt slaughter tens (if not hundreds) of thousands.
This has been a lesson in the importance of momentum, organizing and strategy. Similar to what happened in Syria and Algeria before, it illustrates the grave risks of taking on a murderous dictator militarily, unless you are prepared and you have a clear strategy.
The success of the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, was in part due to the fact that from beginning to end those were unarmed, peaceful protests. They relied on mass mobilization and civil disobedience. But in both countries the organizers kept the discipline and refused to be dragged into armed confrontations, even when hundreds of protesters were killed by the police and the regime's thugs.
I am not saying that armed struggle should always be out of the question. However, when adopted it should be a part of a deliberate, meticulously planned guerrilla struggle against a much better armed regime. That was not the case in Libya. The resistance was spontaneous, unplanned and almost chaotic. The youth, while possessing a lot of courage and motivation, are untrained and undisciplined.
The Tunisian and Egyptian armies have a history of cohesion and in both cases refused to crack down on the demonstrators. In contrast, the tyrant of Libya always kept the army weak, because he never trusted it. Instead, he relied on his well-trained and well-armed militias and mercenaries, commanded by his own sons. Thus, even though some units of the Libyan army deserted the despot and joined the revolution, they were not sufficient and did not have the time to train and organize the resistance.
The fear now is that too much hope is being placed on the Arab League, the Security Council and the no-fly zone. The tyrant knows that he has the momentum and the no-fly zone will need time to implement. This is why he is unleashing his counterattack at full speed. He knows that if he bombs Benghazi into submission in a matter of days, then the no-fly zone will be too little, too late.
This is a critical time for the revolution. Having lost the momentum it should be using the precious time left to prepare for a secret and long-term struggle against the despot. Arms should be stored in safe places, secret cells organized and scattered throughout the country, etc.
In a struggle like this, there is no stasis: you either attack and advance or you are attacked.
Let us hope for the best and long live the brave Libyan people.
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