Yemen police massacre 45 protesters

Death toll rises as government forces start to use live rounds in increasingly violent crackdown on nationwide protests

Tom Finn in Sana'a
guardian.co.uk, Friday 18 March 2011

"Yasir Saeed was the first casualty dragged into the mosque. Blood was still trickling from the gaping bullet wound in the back of the 32-year-old English teacher's head as doctors lowered his mangled body on to a blanket, muttering a short prayer before closing the lids of his eyes.

Gradually, his corpse was joined by others lined up in a row alongside him. One by one, miniature Qur'ans were placed on their chests as their blood soaked through the carpet beneath them.

The scene was desperate and chaotic. It followed the worst day of violence in Yemen since protests against president Ali Abdullah Saleh began in earnest over a month ago. At least 45 people were killed and hundreds of others wounded as security forces and plainclothes government loyalists opened fire on protesters trying to march through the capital, Sana'a....."

General Petraeus 'offered training to Yemeni forces'

WikiLeaks diplomatic cables claim US general offered counter-terrorist training and facilitated provision of tanks from Jordan

Robert Booth
guardian.co.uk, Friday 18 March 2011

"A top American general was involved in supplying Yemeni forces with counter-terrorist training in order to help the regime "independently conduct counter terror operations", according to US diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks.

General Petraeus, President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Yemeni military agreed to increase the tempo of cooperation and training at a meeting in Sana'a in August 2009. Petraeus also facilitated the provision to Yemen's military of 25 M-113 armored personnel vehicles from Jordan.

The general then sent the head of the US military's special operations command centre to Sana'a to discuss their counter-terror cooperation in detail and he advised on training opportunities with US allies in the region, the cables reveal....."

Saudi Arabia Invades Bahrain

Bloodshed Follows

By RANNIE AMIRI
CounterPunch

".....One of Saudi Arabia’s pretexts for entering Bahrain was to prevent the proverbial foreign elements (re: Iran) from meddling in its internal affairs. This was dismissed by Gates and WikiLeaks cables reveal alleged Iranian interference to be an unsubstantiated claim. Indeed, the only interference has come from the GCC in general and Saudi Arabia in particular in a last-ditch effort to preserve dynastic rule.

It comes too late, for the genie is out of the bottle and it will not return. Many will continue to pay with their lives, but the days of monarchy are numbered. In the Persian Gulf, it will start with Bahrain, making it the most important revolution of all."

Videos: Uprising in Syria

Courtesy of Angry Arab

17th march آذار 17 إنتفاضة سوريا جمعة الكرامة الأموي



Baniyas Syria - Protests - March 18, 2011



Daraa , Syria - Protests - March 18, 2011



In Homs انتفاضة سوريا : جمعة الكرامة حمص ابن الوليد

What Cease Fire ? Misrata still under attack

West overzealous on Libya

Al Jazeera's senior political analyst discusses the risks and opportunities inherent in UNSC Resolution 1973.

Marwan Bishara

"Now that the United Nations Security Council resolution for a no-fly zone has been passed, how will it be implemented?

....However, the overzealousness of certain Western powers like Britain, France and, as of late, the US, to interpret the resolution as an open-ended use of force, is worrisome. With their long history of interference and hegemony in the region, their political and strategic motivation remains dubious at best....

This sounds like 'damned if they do, damned if they don't'?

Well, the onus is on these Western powers to prove that their next move and actions are based on a strictly humanitarian basis and are not meant as a down payment for longer-term interference in Libyan and regional affairs....

What then should Libyans, Arabs and other interested global powers do to help Libya avoid a terrible escalation to violence or a major humanitarian disaster?

Now that the international community has given the Libyan revolutionaries a protective umbrella that includes a full range of military and humanitarian actions, it is incumbent upon the Libyan opposition to mobilise for mass action in every city and town both in the east and west and challenge the regime's militias.

As the Libyan regime loses its civilian, tribal and international legitimacy, so will his security base be shaken over the next few days and weeks.

In fact, if the Libyan revolutionaries avoid complacency and exploit their newly gained legitimacy and protection in order to work more closely with their Arab neighbours and to demonstrate their political and popular weight in the country, the regime could very well implode from within.

The most effective and constructive way to use the newly mandated use of force by the UN Security Council is to use as little of it, as accurately, as selectively as possible, and ideally not use it at all. It is still possible for the threat of the use of international force, coupled with domestic popular pressure, to bring down the weakened regime.

An escalation to an all out war is in no one's interest, especially Libya's."

Taking Stock of the Arab Revolutions

Ninety Days of Popular Uproar

A VERY GOOD PIECE
By ESAM AL-AMIN
CounterPunch

"....It is remarkable how in a relatively short period of time- three months- the entire Arab World has been transformed from a static and bleak political status quo to a dynamic and lively force for far-reaching change. Hence, it is prudent to take the time to assess the political sea change across the Arab world in the past few months.....

The February 17 Libyan revolution against the vicious forty-one year rule of the regime of Muammar Gaddafi was as popular as the other Arab uprisings. Although it started as massive peaceful protests, it quickly turned to an armed struggle because of the nature of the regime. Gaddafi built his power base around the establishment of several armed battalions controlled by (and even named after) his sons and close relatives. In addition, he also imported thousands of mercenaries to fight his people and spread terror to crush the revolution....

But the primary challenge for the opposition is in maintaining the real goals of the revolution, namely the establishment and insistence of an independent, free and democratic Libya, despite all foreign interference and regional pressures.....

Similar to Libya’s Gaddafi, the Saleh regime has been sustained by two major power bases, the security and army units led by his son, nephews, and other close relatives, as well as by the fierce loyalty of major leaders of his tribe. But despite hundreds of casualties, the protesters are determined to continue their peaceful demonstrations and sit-ins until the regime collapses....

Bahrain, the tiny island in the Persian Gulf, has been in turmoil since February 14. The popular protests against King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifah have been led by the major opposition groups of the repressed Shi’ite majority. If the Egyptians were tired of Mubarak’s thirty-year rule, the Bahraini majority has been suffocated by the Al-Khalifa family’s 230-year tenure.

The peaceful protests by tens of thousands were met initially by security, then army, crackdowns. As casualties mounted, the demands of the protesters escalated from calling for a change of government, to a constitutional monarchy, and then to demanding total regime change (from a monarchy to a republic).....

But the sectarian system created in the aftermath of the U.S. invasion in Iraq is less than eight years old. People in Iraq of all ethnic backgrounds and religious affiliations have taken to the streets to challenge the government’s sectarian-based composition and protest the widespread corruption of the political parties. They have been met with deadly force by the security apparatus of the American-backed government without a whiff from their patrons in Washington, London, or other Western capitals....

But throughout these spectacular revolutions and popular protests the only consistent policy of the West has been its inconsistency.....

The speedy downfall of the Tunisian and Egyptian regimes have raised the hopes of millions across the region (and even worldwide) that the demise of the remaining autocratic regimes across the Arab world was imminent. But the slowdown in the progress or frustrations in tangible achievements of the various protests, uprisings, and revolutions should be put into perspective.

Great revolutions that bring genuine political change are historical episodes that demand enormous efforts and sacrifices, but above all necessitate patience and perseverance, and take months, and sometimes even years, to achieve their goals....."

Massacre in Yemen: and the deal on Libya

A GOOD POST
By Angry Arab

"Yemen is a different story, I guess. I don't see the Western crocodile tears being shed. I don't see sudden indignation and the sudden discovery--was in Libya--that the leader there is a dictator. US/Saudi Arabia want Salih in power no matter what. Notice that the story is being played down in US media.

Notice that it was US that requested that Arab countries (Qatar, UAE and Jordan) play a role in Libya. I mean, what do you think of a resolution that requires the intervention of the likes of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, and Jordan to secure "democracy" for Libya? This is a sham.

Don't buy that Saudi Arabia is acting without US support in Bahrain. Who are they fooling. Saudi Arabia is not Israel: it does not act without prior knowledge, nay request from, of the US. This is all coordinated. I wish to revise something I said about the shameful coverage of Aljazeera (or lack there of) in the case of Bahrain. I don't believe that the decision on Bahrain was purely a deal between Saudi Arabia and Qatar: i strongly believe that it was a US-Qatar deal as well. Yesterday, the narrator reported a story on Bahrain on Aljazeera: it concluded bizarrely by calling for "dialogue" between government and opposition. That makes one wonders: why does not Aljazeera hold the same stance on Libya?

The plot thickens. Saudi Arabia and US and Israel are trying to abort the Arab uprisings one by one: the charade in Libya is not to enhance the Arab change movement: it is aimed at undermining it everywhere."

Daniel Ellsberg Joins Peace Activists Risking Arrest at Protest Marking Iraq War Anniversary, Nader Calls for Impeachment of Obama

"Ralph Nader and Daniel Ellsberg plan to participate in a major protest on Saturday in Washington, D.C., to mark the eight-year anniversary of the U.S-led invasion of Iraq. Ellsberg will risk arrest by participating in nonviolent civil disobedience actions by Veterans for Peace, among others, to protest the ongoing military occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. "We’re just slaughtering innocents," Nader says. "Why don’t we say what is on the minds of many legal experts? The Obama administration is committing war crimes. If Bush should have been impeached, Obama should be impeached."...."

Al-Jazeera Video: Deadly crackdown in Yemen

"Yemeni security forces have opened fire at a protest in the capital Sanaa, killing at least 30 people.It is the highest death toll in a single day after weeks of demonstrations calling for Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Yemeni president, to stand down.

Witnesses say armed men opened fire from nearby buildings as protesters gathered in Sanaa's University Square after Friday prayers

Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher reports."

Al-Jazeera Video: Inside Story - Is it too late for a "no-fly" zone over Libya?

Al-Jazeera Video: Implementing the no-fly zone

"The United Nations Security Council has voted for a no-fly zone over Libya.

This means if Libyan military aircraft take to the skies, the international community will take action and become involved in this conflict.

But Muammer Ghaddafi, the Libyan leader, will still be in charge on the ground.

Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker explains how the no-fly zone could be implemented."

Al-Jazeera Video: Violence continues across Bahrain

NOTICE AL-JAZEERA'S CHOICE OF WORDS WHEN IT COMES TO BAHRAIN:
"CLASHES", "VIOLENCE",....AS IF IT IS A CLASH BETWEEN EQUALS.
THE DEMONSTRATORS ARE 100% PEACEFUL! THEY ARE BEING MOWED DOWN USING LIVE AMMO!



"Bahrain's largest opposition group has urged Saudi Arabia to withdraw its forces and called for a UN inquiry into the the government's on-going crackdown.

Clashes between security forces and anti goverment protesters continue, spilling into villages across the country.

Our special correspondent, whom we are not naming for security reasons, filed this report."

Real News Video with Transcript: Gaddafi: From Popular Hero to Isolated Dictator

Ali Ahmida: History of Gaddafi's rise from a hero of national resistance to a hated dictatorial regime

The Club Med war

By Pepe Escobar
Asia Times

".....So the question is inevitable. Would the UN vote with the same zeal to impose a no drive zone on Saudi Arabia - to prevent it from sending tanks and troops across the causeway to repress people in Bahrain, a country it has already invaded?

Time for Hypocrisy Alert number 3. Washington, according to the brand new Obama administration doctrine, applies "US outreach" to rebels when dealing with "evil" dictators" such as Gaddafi. The rebels eventually get full UN support. Then Washington preaches "regime alteration" when dealing with "our" bastards, such as Bahrain's al-Khalifas and the House of Saud. The dictators get away with murder......"

Bahrain: Injured People Denied Medical Care

Health Personnel Targeted, Prevented From Providing Services

March 17, 2011

"(Manama) - Bahraini authorities refused to let injured people reach the country's largest public health facility on March 16, 2011, and interfered with medical services at other facilities as well, Human Rights Watch said today. Security forces prevented ambulances transporting injured people from reaching the hospitals.

The security forces prevented access to medical care after they used teargas, rubber bullets, gunshot pellets, and live ammunition rounds to disperse protesters at the Pearl Roundabout in Manama early in the morning and established control over surrounding Shia areas. The security operation on March 16 and operations in several other Shia villages on March 15 resulted in the deaths of at least six civilians and three members of Bahrain's security forces, and hundreds of injuries, according to media reports.

"There can be no justification for denying critical medical care," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "King Hamad, as the commander of Bahrain's army, bears responsibility for this flagrant violation of the right to health and potentially the right to life...."

Saif Gaddafi and the democracy project – audio

In a 2004 interview, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi says democracy in Libya is a personal project – it doesn't sound like the man urging a fight 'to the last bullet'

Brian Whitaker

guardian.co.uk, Friday 18 March 2011

"As British and French war planes prepare to launch air strikes on Libya, another western military visit to the country comes to mind. In January 2004, a US navy plane made the first recorded visit by an American military aircraft since President Reagan ordered the bombing of Tripoli and Benghazi in 1986. This time, though, the plane was carrying six members of Congress on a goodwill mission and, along with several other British journalists, I was there to witness the event......

Looking back at Saif's words in 2004, it's difficult to imagine that this is the same person who was pictured recently waving a gun in Tripoli and urging the regime's supporters to fight until "the last bullet". What to make of it? I don't know...."

Yemen protest turns deadly

Thirty killed and scores wounded as government security forces open fire on anti-government protests in the capital.

Al-Jazeera

"At least 30 people have been killed and scores wounded after Yemeni security forces opened fire on protesters at University square, in the capital Sanaa.

Security forces opened fire on Friday, in attempts to prevent protesters from marching out of the square where they were gathered, sources said. Medical sources said the death toll was likely to rise.

Pro-government "thugs" also opened fire on protesters from houses close to University square, witnesses told the AFP news agency.

Friday's attack came as tens of thousands gathered across the country, continuing to demand that president Ali Abdullah Saleh - the country's ruler of 32 years - step down.

Al Jazeera correspondents in Sanaa reported that many protesters were shot in the head and neck; most of the injured were shot with live ammunition.

Medics at a nearby medical centre told Al Jazeera almost 200 people were injured; many were in critical condition. One medic called the attack a "massacre". ...."

Breaking News: At least 14 killed and more than 100 injured by the dictator's forces in San'a, Yemen

Breaking News From Al-Jazeera:

At least 14 killed and more than 100 injured by the dictator's forces in San'a, Yemen.

مراسل الجزيرة: 14 قتيلا على الأقل ونحو 100 جريح في إطلاق النار على متظاهرين بصنعاء



THE TWO NEXT IN LINE.....

Phyllis Bennis on Libya and No-Fly Zones

A good video by Phyllis Bennis. Pay special attention to the last minute or so of the video.

"As violence escalates in Libya, Phyllis Bennis comments on the choices facing the West, the historical record of how No-Fly zones really work, and why this is not all about oil."

War in Libya: a scramble to action

A race is now on to put the UN security council's words into effect before it is too late

By Julian Borger
The Guardian

"....But the Obama administration, which tried very hard to avoid this moment, is insistent that the Arabs and Europeans must at least be seen to take the lead, and that will take more time. There is a trade-off between speed and making it look right.

First of all, the matter has to go to Nato, where contingency planning has been underway for a couple of weeks, but where Turkey has been resisting military intervention. Any decision to act requires unanimity....

These Arab volunteers have yet to come forward, but diplomats quoted in the New York Times suggested that Qatar and the United Arab Emirates would play a leading role, with Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia also considering taking part. Egyptian participation could make air bases close to the Libyan border available, making the whole operation a lot easier......"

The footage that reveals the brutal truth about Bahrain's crackdown

Seven protest leaders arrested as video clip highlights regime's ruthless grip on power

By Patrick Cockburn

"The unarmed, middle-aged man in the video seems to pose no threat to the Bahraini security forces. He gesticulates at a group of soldiers or policemen, dressed in blue jumpsuits and white helmets, just a few feet away.

One of them gestures as if to wave away a nearby protester filming the incident. Then the civilian is shot.

He sinks to his knees. He stands. He is shot again. And this time he does not get up.

The footage of the incident leaves many questions unanswered. There is no evidence of when it was filmed, or of whether the man was shot with rubber bullets, tear gas or live bullets. The victim's name is unknown. And there is no word whether he lived or died.

But as it spread around the world online yesterday, at the same time as the government arrested seven top opposition leaders and kept injured protesters away from the country's main hospital, it seemed to emblematise the lengths to which the authorities were prepared to go to maintain their grip on power....."

مرتزقة يطلبون التجنيد بليبيا عبر إسرائيل

Al-Jazeera

"مشاركة المرتزقة الأفارقة في القتال إلى جانب كتائب الزعيم الليبي معمر القذافي ضد ثوار 17 فبراير ما زالت تتوالى فصولها.

هذه المرة لم تكن ساحات القتال في ليبيا هي ميدان العثور على هؤلاء، بل أبواب سفارات إسرائيل التي تلاحق خبراءها العسكريين المتقاعدين منذ زمن شبهات الانخراط في عمليات قذرة في مناطق ساخنة عدة على امتداد العالم.

القصة بدأت بمعلومات في خبر نشره الموقع الإلكتروني لـ"يديعوت أحرونوت" أبرز الصحف الإسرائيلية، مفاده أن أفواجا من الشباب في السنغال يحيطون بالسفارة الإسرائيلية طالبين الاسترزاق ضمن الكتائب التي يستوردها القذافي لمحاربة الثوار الليبيين.

خبر الموقع المعروف اختصارا بـ"واي نت" جاء بعد نشر صحيفة سنغالية تقريرا يفيد بقيام إسرائيليين بالسفر لأفريقيا من أجل تجنيد مرتزقة، بناءً على طلب القذافي.

والمشعوذون أيضا
وأشارت الصحيفة السنغالية إلى أن سيف الإسلام القذافي لا يكتفي بتجنيد المرتزقة، بل إنه يبحث عن مشعوذين أيضا، مضيفة أن "القذافي قام بتحويل مبالغ مالية كبيرة لقائد محلي في السنغال بغية تجنيد المرتزقة أملا في الانتصار على الثورة".

وفي إسرائيل تفاعل الموضوع كما هو متوقع، حيث أكدت الخارجية الإسرائيلية للجزيرة نت نبأ تدفق أعداد كبيرة من شباب السنغال على سفارتها في داكار، طالبين العمل مرتزقة لحماية نظام القذافي، بعد نشر أنباء عن تدخل جهات إسرائيلية لإحباط الثورة الليبية
...."

To have an impact, this kind of intervention needs clear objectives

By Patrick Cockburn

"....The Americans, the British and the French have come to understand that establishing a no-fly zone is not enough. Colonel Gaddafi's main strike force consists of tanks and infantry, so inability to use aircraft might not be sufficient to stop him capturing Benghazi and eastern Libya.....

There is less clarity with Libya. Is the aim to defend the rebels in the eastin the east of the country?

Will it extend to any surviving rebel strongholds in the west, such as Misurata, where there has been street fighting? Is the aim to get rid of Colonel Gaddafi? No-fly zones on their own are difficult to make work effectively.....

.....The problem is that it is not clear who the US and Europe will be aiding. The most surprising development in this uprising is that it began with the defection of military units but these, until the last few days, have not appeared on the battlefield. Hillary Clinton says what really changed her mind about intervening in Libya was the Arab League's statement calling for action. But the members of this somewhat discredited body are mostly autocracies which may dislike Gaddafi, but whose methods of government are no less repressive. "

UN security council resolution 1973 (2011) on Libya – full text

Read the full text of the resolution passed at UN headquarters in favour of a no-fly zone and air strikes against Muammar Gaddafi

guardian.co.uk, Thursday 17 March 2011

".....
......
Protection of civilians

4. Authorizes Member States that have notified the Secretary-General, acting nationally or through regional organizations or arrangements, and acting in cooperation with the Secretary-General, to take all necessary measures, notwithstanding paragraph 9 of resolution 1970 (2011), to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, including Benghazi, while excluding a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory, and requests the Member States concerned to inform the Secretary-General immediately of the measures they take pursuant to the authorization conferred by this paragraph which shall be immediately reported to the Security Council;

5. Recognizes the important role of the League of Arab States in matters relating to the maintenance of international peace and security in the region, and bearing in mind Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, requests the Member States of the League of Arab States to cooperate with other Member States in the implementation of paragraph 4;
....."

ثورة الشعب في ليبيا .. اليوم الـ 29 .. د. عزمي بشاره

ثورة الشعب في اليمن .. اليوم الـ 35 .. د. عزمي بشاره

Witnesses: Saudi Shiites rally for Bahrainis

Hundreds of Saudi Shiites rallied late on Thursday in the east of the kingdom to show solidarity with their fellow Shiites at the centre of protests in Bahrain, witnesses said.

"Free Bahrain! Peninsula Shield out!" chanted the demonstrators, taking up the slogans of Bahraini Shiite pro-democracy demonstrators.

The witnesses said Saudi security forces fired tear gas at demonstrators in the city of Qateef where shots also rang out. Marches were also held in the mainly Shiite Eastern Province of Tarut, Safwa and Awamiya.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The UN to the Rescue in Libya: Is it too Late?

The United Nations Security Council has just authorized a no-fly zone over Libya and implicitly allowed the United States, France and Britain to bomb military forces and facilities loyal to Muammar Qadddafi.

Aljazeera live is covering the session and is showing enormous, delirious crowds celebrating in downtown Benghazi, which Qaddafi had threatened to occupy earlier on Thursday. They are deploying celebratory fire, which I’d advise them against, since Qaddafi’s forces are near and the more activist elements of NATO likely to intervene on their behalf rather farther away. They may yet need the bullets.

A note: The resolution was co-sponsored by the Lebanese government, in which the Shiite party Hizbullah (Hezbollah) is a leading element. In part, Lebanon was representing the Arab League, which in some ways was the major political force (along with Britain and France) pushing for world action. But in other ways something more personal was going on.

When I was working for a newspaper in Beirut in 1978, I translated wire service reports on the disappearance of the great Shiite leader Mousa al-Sadr while on a trip to Libya. He was likely murdered by Qaddafi and put in a grave somewhere there. I once attended a lecture by Sadr in Beirut. He was a great man, charismatic and a force for uplift in his community and for outreach to other communities. He probably went to Libya in an attempt to convince Qaddafi not to send any more weapons to the factions there (such arms shipments and factionalization contributed to the long Lebanese Civil War). Lebanese Shiites, including Hizbullah, still lionize Mousa al-Sadr and despise Qaddafi.

Payback is a bitch.

Al-Jazeera Video: Bahraini blogger talks to Al Jazeera

A MEDIOCRE INTERVIEW, TO SAY THE LEAST. IS THIS THE BEST THE "NEW AL-JAZEERA" CAN DO?



"Global Voices Online editor Amira Al Hussaini talks to Al Jazeera about the protests in Bahrain."

كلينتون طلبت شن غارات من مصر

Al-Jazeera

"ذكر موقع ديبكا الإسرائيلي أن وزيرة الخارجية الأميركية هيلاري كلينتون طلبت خلال زيارتها لمصر أمس الأربعاء من رئيس المجلس العسكري الأعلى الحاكم المشير محمد حسين طنطاوي الموافقة على استخدام قواعد جوية مصرية في إطار حظر الطيران فوق الأراضي الليبية، ولتوجيه ضربات جوية ضد أهداف في ليبيا.

ونقل الموقع القريب من الاستخبارات الإسرائيلية عن مصادر عسكرية أميركية أن الوزيرة الأميركية قالت لطنطاوي إنها تأمل موافقة مجلس الأمن الدولي على منطقة لحظر الطيران بليبيا في جلسته الطارئة اليوم الخميس.

لكنها أوضحت أن ذلك قد لا يكون كافيا لوقف تقدم قوات العقيد معمر القذافي وأن واشنطن قد تلجأ لعمليات عسكرية ضد الكتائب التابعة للعقيد الليبي.

ولم تدل كلينتون بمزيد من التفاصيل، لكن المصادر التي تحدثت لموقع ديبكا قالت إن البيت الأبيض يرجح خيار طلعات عسكرية أميركية لوقف تقدم قوات القذافي تجاه بنغازي ثانية المدن الليبية الكبرى ومعقل الثوار الرئيسي.

وبحسب هذه المصادر، فإن هذه العمليات هي أقل ما يمكن القيام به للحفاظ على سيطرة الثوار على المدينة، وأكثر من ذلك لمنع القذافي من إعلان نصره على المعارضة والأطراف الخارجية المناصرة لها.

وتشمل الخطة أيضا -كما يضيف ديبكا- جانبا آخر تجري دراسته في واشنطن تقضي بتنفيذ طلعات جوية ضد حكومة القذافي ومراكز عسكرية في العاصمة طرابلس.

ومن جانبه وعد طنطاوي -وفق الموقع الإخباري- الوزيرة الأميركية بالعمل على إقناع المجلس العسكري الأعلى اليوم الخميس قبل جلسة مجلس الأمن وإبلاغها بقرار المجلس قبل مغادرتها الشرق الأوسط.

وبحسب المصادر، فإن البنتاغون ينوي استخدام قاعدة المنصورة وهي أكبر قاعدة جوية مصرية لتنفيذ الحظر الجوي والقيام بغارات جوية على ليبيا
...."

Libya resolution: UN security council air strikes vote - live

• UN security council expected to pass Libya resolution
• US and Britain support air strikes to protect civilians
• France ready to launch first missions within hours
• Gaddafi declares: 'There will be no mercy' in Benghazi
• Qatar and UAE governments may add forces

Richard Adams
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 17 March 2011

"Here's the result: 10 in favour, zero against, five abstentions. So the vote went exactly as predicted. "The resolution 1973/2011 is adopted.," says the chairman....."

Libya crisis: Military action against Gaddafi 'within hours' of UN vote

Security council resolution calls for states to protect Libyan civilians, with Britain, France and US confident bill will pass

Ewen MacAskill in Washington and Nicholas Watt
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 17 March 2011

"Britain, France and the US, along with several Arab countries, are to join forces to throw a protective ring around the Libyan rebel stronghold of Benghazi as soon as a UN security council vote on military action is authorised, according to security council sources.

A source at UN headquarters in New York said military forces could be deployed "within hours" of a new security council resolution calling for states to protect civilians by halting attacks by Muammar Gaddafi's forces by air, land and sea.

The resolution would impose a no-fly zone over Libya – but a no-fly zone was no longer enough, the source said. "The resolution authorises air strikes against tank columns advancing on Benghazi or engaging naval ships bombarding Benghazi," he said.

Britain, France and Lebanon sponsored the new resolution, which provides the moral and legal basis for military action.

British and French forces are understood to have been placed on standby after the US said it was prepared to support the measure if Arab countries agreed to take an active role.

The security council was scheduled to vote on the new resolution this evening, and its backers expressed confidence it would pass after hours of negotiation......"

Full house: Playing Bahrain's sectarian card

Saudi Arabia's intervention in Bahrain's pro-democracy protests could leave the island bleeding for years to come.

Mark LeVine
Al-Jazeera

"Almost eight years to the day after the United States invaded Iraq, I never thought I'd see this sight: Saudi troops rolling through the capital of Bahrain the way Americans rolled through Baghdad.

Rhetorically, the difference between the two invasions couldn't be greater. The goal of "Operation Iraqi Freedom" was to liberate Iraq from the "grip of the dictator Saddam Hussein", while the stated reason for the Saudis entering Bahrain was to "safeguard security and stability".

But the reality of the two occupations are, at base, the same – as will be their results. The Saudis occupying Bahrain under cover of the "GCC" is like US invading Iraq under cover of the "Coalition of the Willing" – both will end in disaster, as is becoming more evident by the minute.

Whatever the intentions or rationales, when you bring foreign troops onto another country's soil, "freedom", "security" and "stability" almost always turn into violence, oppression, and chaos.....

The ends of mercenary power

Sadly, it seems that in order to achieve their goals, Bahrain's democracy forces will have to pass through a test of fire closer to Libya's than to Egypt or Tunisia's.

Protesters in Cairo or Tunis safely bet that young Egyptian and Tunisian conscripts would not commit large scale violence against them even if ordered to by superiors. In Bahrain, however, the security and armed forces are almost entirely foreign.

Pakistanis (particularly Baluchis), Yemenis, Jordanians, Syrians and now Saudis and GCC troops seconded to the kingdom – Bahrain's geography of repressive power is a confusing maze of nationalities, tribes and ethnic groups.

What unites them is the fact that they are entirely Sunni and have no compunction about harming and even killing Bahraini protesters at the command of their Bahraini paymasters (indeed, many receive Bahraini citizenship as a reward for their services).

Indeed, representatives from both local and major international human rights organisations specifically pointed out to me how Bahrain's state controlled media has been putting out messages to the Sunni minority that "any democracy will be a danger for you because you'll be killed by Shia."

They have incited them against their Shia fellow citizens in a manner that one senior activist compared to the propaganda on Rwandan radio during the genocide.

Even social media like Facebook have been coopted to this task.

A friend called me as I drove through Manama to warn that he was receiving "vicious" Facebook messages declaring that soon "the Shia would get what they deserved", while a group had formed, in his words, to prepare for the "end of time".

At base, such fear are based on a vision of the country falling into a fratricidal civil war in which Tehran and Riyadh use Bahrain's Shia and Sunnis as proxies in a war for control over the Persian/Arabian Gulf.

Such a scenario remains, we can hope, highly unlikely.

But with the Bahraini king abandoning any pretence of reform and the US, and other Western countries either powerless or uninterested in stopping the Saudi power play, Bahrain could well bleed for years to come, putting yet another stain on the inexorable if increasingly painful progress towards democratisation in the Arab world."

Al-Jazeera Video: The nature of Yemen's uprising

"Abdulghani al-Iryani, a Yemeni political researcher and analyst, breaks down the challenges facing his country, describes the nature of the uprising taking place there and shares his views on the prospects for change."

Al-Jazeera Video: Bahrain update

"Al Jazeera's correspondent in the capital Manama has the latest on the situation in Bahrain a day after the brutal crackdown. "

Al-Jazeera Video: Inside Story - Foreign troops in Bahrain

Al-Jazeera Video: Latest update from Bahrain's Salmaniya Hospital

"Many people were wounded in Wednesday's crackdown, and rushed to hospital, but doctors at one facility have told Al Jazeera it is now being run by the military, and is low on supplies.

Hassan Qamber, a staff member at Manama's Salmaniya Hospital, speaks to Al Jazeera."

Al-Jazeera Video: Bahrain violence escalates

"Protests in Bahrain have spread from the capital Manama towards other towns, including Sitra and Karrana.

Several members of the country's opposition are said to have been arrested, and at least six people were killed after security forces moved in to crush anti-government demonstrations.

The recent violence in the Gulf state has brought international condemnation, with countries as far apart as the US and Iran expressing concern.

Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher reports."

Al-Jazeera Video: People & Power - Yemen: A tale of two protests

AN EXCELLENT PROGRAM!



"As demonstrations advance across Yemen, People&Power follows activist Tawakkol Karman. "

Al-Jazeera Video: Latest update on Libyan uprising

Al-Jazeera Video: Benghazi rebels stay defiant

"In Benghazi - Libya's rebel-controlled second largest city - opposition protesters are buoyed by news that fighters in a nearby town have beaten back an offensive by Muammar Gaddafi's forces.

While some in the city are apprehensive that the war may still come to their door step, they remain defiant, vowing to fight on to defeat Gaddafi's troops.

Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley reports from Benghazi."

Real News Video with Transcript: Egyptian Democracy Movement Expected to Reject New Constitution

Shashank Bengali: Egypt holds referendum on new constitution

Libyan Rebels Maintain Benghazi Media Center to Battle Gadaffi Regime Through the Internet and Airwaves

"Reporting from the rebel-held city of Benghazi in eastern Libya, Democracy Now! correspondent Anjali Kamat visits a new media center established by anti-government forces to report on their struggle against forces loyal to Col. Muammar Gaddafi...."

You Bet Your Sweet Gas! By Mr. Fish.

(Click on cartoon to enlarge)

The Arab counter-revolution is winning

(Cartoon by Dave Brown)

A VERY GOOD PIECE

By Pepe Escobar
Asia Times

"The current Arab counter-revolution is brought to you by the House of Saud - and enabled by the Pentagon. The Gulf has been plunged into pre-emptive war. After the initial euphoria of the great 2011 Arab revolt, the message of the Gulf kingdoms and sheikhdoms to Washington has been unambiguous - and effective; if we "fall", your strategic game is in pieces. Once more, "stability" trumps democracy....

Saudi media may slam Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and his lethal strategy against his own people. But Libya and Saudi Arabia are equals. Gaddafi has laid out the counter-revolution playbook; bomb the fight out of the protesters. His winning strategy is the same as Bahrain's, with crucial Saudi help....

So "outreach" means talking to pro-democracy "rebels", while "regime alteration" means endorsing brutal crackdowns against pro-democracy protesters. The proof that the policy is official is that Jeffrey Feltman, the assistant US secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, has been at the US Embassy in Manama since Monday - where he oversaw, live, the Saudi invasion and the subsequent bloody repression of the Pearl/Lulu roundabout (50 tanks, heavy armored vehicles, several helicopters). This is the fourth time Feltman visited Bahrain in one month.....

It's never enough to repeat that Bahrain's youth movement - at the forefront of the protests - is basically composed of students, liberal professionals and masses of unemployed. Young Bahrainis - taking their cue from the Egyptians - are saying, once again, Kefaya! (That's enough.)

History is coming to get you

Judging by the way it is covering Bahrain - especially when compared to its wall-to-wall Libya coverage - al-Jazeera regrettably is now aligning itself with the Arab counter-revolution. That is, Qatar is also an accomplice. al-Jazeera insists what's going on in Bahrain is just a "confrontation".....

Bahrainis now have not only a dictator to overthrow but a foreign army to throw out....

The pre-emptive war in Manama is the battle that the House of Saud, the emir of Qatar, the sultan of Oman and the wealthy Emirates fear having to fight at home. They have already proved they are on the wrong side of history. Their crackdown - blessed by Washington's "regime alteration" policy - may work, for now. But sooner or later history will vacuum-clean them to oblivion."

Current Al-Jazeera (Arabic) Online Poll

This brand new poll asks:

Does the imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya help the revolution?

With over 1,100 responding so far, 74% said yes.

Bahrain's uprising is about power not religion

A GOOD COMMENT
Adrian Hamilton
The Independent

"Sunni. Shia. Every time the protests in Bahrain are mentioned, they are made into a battle between these two branches of Islam, as if this was a war of religions.

It's not about religion, it's about power and the desire for political change. Of course, in terms of power, it matters that 65 per cent of the population of Bahrain is Shia but 95 per cent of authority and most of the wealth belongs to the Sunni royal family and its close circle.

But to put it in terms of a religious division is not only misleading, it also plays into the hands of those in Washington, as in Riyadh, who want to see everything through the prism of the confrontation with Iran and the fear of a so-called "Shia arc" emerging through the Gulf......"

Bahrainis cannot be subdued for ever

The Saudi intervention has sectarianised the conflict even more, and thus may well have sealed the Bahrain regime's fate

Brian Whitaker
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 17 March 2011

"While much of the world has been preoccupied with questions about a no-fly zone over Libya, Arab Gulf states have been busy establishing what might be called a "no-protest zone" in the Arabian peninsula....

The effect of the Saudi intervention is to sectarianise the conflict more than it need have been and, in effect, to prevent any accommodation between the rulers of Bahrain and the protesters.

"We're not going in [to Bahrain] to shoot people, we're going in to keep a system in place," a Saudi official was quoted as saying in the Washington Post. An official from the UAE put it even more bluntly: "We and the Saudis will not accept a Shi'ite government in Bahrain."

In other words, as far as the GCC countries are concerned, democracy or majority rule can never be allowed there.

This is unbelievably short-sighted. The majority of Bahrain's population cannot be kept marginalised for ever, and the sooner change gets under way the better it will be for everyone. Instead, the regime is being pushed into an intransigent stance which, in the longer term, may well seal its fate.

The Saudis, meanwhile, continue to store up trouble for themselves in their treatment of the Shia communities back home.....

As always, the US continues to fret about stability among its allies but increasingly it seems to be recognising – unlike Gulf rulers themselves – that radical change is inevitable and that the wisest course is not to stand in its way but to try to minimise the turmoil when it happens."

Bahrain arrests opposition leaders after crackdown

Leaders of hardline parties among those held as troops take control of Pearl roundabout amid rising fear of regional conflict

The Guardian

"Bahrain has arrested at least six opposition leaders, a day after its crackdown on protests by the Shia Muslim majority drew rare US criticism and raised fears of a regional conflict.

Bahraini forces used tanks and helicopters to drive protesters off Manama's streets and clear a camp that had become a symbol of their demand for more democratic rights in the Sunni-ruled kingdom.

Three police and three protesters died in the crackdown. It prompted sympathy protests from Shias across the region and analysts said it might provoke a response from Iran, which supports Shia groups in Iraq and Lebanon.

Pearl roundabout was a scene of devastation....."

UN security council to vote on Libya no-fly zone resolution

Draft reflects shift by Washington since it would not only introduce a no-fly zone but would authorise use of air strikes

Ewen MacAskill in Washington
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 17 March 2011

"The United Nations security council is planning to vote on Thursday on a draft resolution that would not only introduce a no-fly zone over Libya but would authorise the use of air strikes to stop the advance of forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.

The draft, supported by the US, Britain, France and Germany, reflects a shift by Washington, which has become alarmed by the speed at which the uprising is collapsing and concerned at the possibility of a massacre in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi.

The US until this week had been totally opposed to becoming involved militarily in Libya.

The US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, told reporters on Wednesday night after a day of intensive negotiation: "We need to be prepared to contemplate steps that include, but perhaps go beyond, a no-fly zone at this point, as the situation on the ground has evolved, and as a no-fly zone has inherent limitations in terms of protection of civilians at immediate risk."...."

Saudi or Israeli, which regime is worse?

Political observers have compared the crimes committed by Saudi Arabia to those of Israel amid Riyadh's military invasion of Bahrain to help quell the anti-government protests.

Press TV

"On March 13, Saudi Arabia dispatched troops to Bahrain to crush Bahraini protesters who have been demanding the downfall of the al-Khalifa dynasty in the small Persian Gulf kingdom.

The move has prompted political observers to look back at the crimes of the Saudi regime throughout history and pose the question, “How different are the Saudi and Israeli regimes?”

Israel invaded Palestine and changed its name to “Israel,” and the Saudi dynasty invaded Hijaz and put its family name on the territory, calling it “Saudi Arabia.”

Israeli regime invaded Lebanon and Gaza under the pretext of establishing security; Saudis launched an onslaught on Bahraini civilians to prevent anti-government protests from spreading to their territory.

Israel violated international rules of engagement and used non-conventional weapons against the Lebanese and Gazans; Saudis used live ammunition and nerve gas in their attacks on defenseless Bahraini protesters.

Israel targeted residential areas, hospitals and schools during its assaults; Saudis hit ambulances and raided hospitals in crisis-hit Bahrain.

Israel resorts to kidnapping, bombing and other terrorist operations in other countries to maintain its hegemony; Saudis have set up al-Qaeda to continue their dominance and sent terrorist groups to Iraq to massacre innocent people in the war-ravaged country.

Now the question remains: “Between Israeli and Saudi regimes, which one is more criminal and which one enjoys more US support?” "

Syrians march against Assad’s regime بداية المظاهرات المطالبة بسقوط بشار الأسد فى سوريا

AN IMPORTANT VIDEO
Courtesy of Hossam El-Hamalawy

(Scroll down for more new posts)

ثورة الشعب في ليبيا .. اليوم الـ 28 .. د. عزمي بشاره

The fate of the Arabs will be settled in Egypt, not Libya

If Egyptians can build a genuinely popular democratic system, all the dominoes in the region will eventually fall

A VERY GOOD PIECE
Seumas Milne
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 16 March 2011

"Barely two months since the triumphant overthrow of the Tunisian dictator that detonated the Arab revolution, a western view is taking hold that it's already gone horribly wrong. In January and February, TV screens across the world were filled with exhilarating images of hundreds of thousands of peaceful demonstrators, women and men, braving Hosni Mubarak's goons in Cairo's Tahrir square while Muslims and Christians stood guard over each other as they prayed.

A few weeks on and reports from the region are dominated by the relentless advance of Colonel Gaddafi's forces across Libya, as one rebel stronghold after another is crushed. Meanwhile Arab dictators are falling over each other to beat and shoot protesters, while Saudi troops have occupied Bahrain to break the popular pressure for an elected government....

But Saudi Arabia's dangerous quasi-invasion of Bahrain is a reminder that Libya is very far from being the only place where hopes are being stifled. The west's closest Arab ally, which has declared protest un-Islamic, bans political parties and holds an estimated 8,000 political prisoners, has sent troops to bolster the Bahraini autocracy's bloody resistance to democratic reform....

Considering that both Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, home to the United States fifth fleet, depend on American support, the crushing of the Bahraini democracy movement or the underground Saudi opposition should be a good deal easier for the west to fix than the Libyan maelstrom.....

Arab League support for a no-fly zone has little credibility, dominated as it still is by despots anxious to draw the US yet more deeply into the region; while the three Arab countries lined up to join the military effort – Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the UAE – are themselves among the main barriers to the process of democratisation that intervention would be supposed to strengthen.....

In any case, the upheaval now sweeping the Arab world is far bigger than the struggle in Libya – and that process has only just begun. Any idea that all the despots would throw in the towel as quickly as Zin al-Abidine Ben Ali and Mubarak was always a pipedream. They may well be strengthened in their determination to use force by events in Libya. And the divisions of ethnicity, sect and tribe in each society will be ruthlessly exploited by the regimes and their foreign sponsors to try to hold back the tide of change.

But across the region people insist they have lost their fear. There is a widespread expectation that the Yemeni dictator, Ali Abdallah Saleh, will be the next to fall – where violently suppressed street protests have been led by a woman, the charismatic human rights campaigner Tawakul Karman, in what is a deeply conservative society....

The key to the future of the region, however, remains Egypt. It is scarcely surprising if elements of the old regime try to provoke social division, or attempts are made to co-opt and infiltrate the youth movements that played the central role in the uprising, or that the army leadership wants to put a lid on street protests and strikes.

But the process of change continues. In the past fortnight demonstrators have occupied and closed secret police headquarters, and the Mubarak-appointed prime minister has been dumped – and Egyptians are now preparing to vote on constitutional amendments that would replace army rule with an elected parliament and president within six months.

There is a fear among some activists that the revolution may only put a democratic face on the old system. But the political momentum remains powerful. A popular democratic regime in Cairo would have a profound impact on the entire region. Nothing is guaranteed, but all the signs are that sooner or later, the dominoes will fall."

Bahrain troops retake Pearl Square - in pictures

Soldiers and riot police stormed a landmark square in Bahrain's capital where anti-government protesters had set up a camp

guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 16 March 2011

Rare public protest quashed in Syria

Protesters in Damascus call for release of political prisoners in second public display of dissent in as many days.

Al-Jazeera

"Anti-government protesters have taken to the streets of the Syrian capital Damascus for a second day running but their demonstration was quickly quashed by security forces, witnesses said.

Around 100 people, mainly relatives of political prisoners, gathered in Marjeh Square on Wednesday calling for the release of their loved ones and an end to emergency laws.

Government supporters and police armed with batons urged the demonstrators to go home, before arresting four people, witnesses told the Reuters news agency.

On Tuesday some 40 to 50 people gathered after midday prayers in the Al Hamidiya area near the city's Umayyad Mosque in a rare show of dissent against Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Al-Assad, who succeeded his father as president in 2000, has said there is no chance of unrest elsewhere in the region spreading to Syria. The country has been ruled by al-Assad's Baath Party since 1963.

A YouTube video (posted above) purportedly showing Tuesday's protest showed dozens of people clapping and chanting "God, Syria, freedom -- that's enough", and "Peaceful, peaceful", a chant heard elsewhere in weeks of protests that have swept through the Arab world.

A voice in the background says: "The date is (March) 15 ... This is the first obvious uprising against the Syrian regime ... Alawite or Sunni, all kinds of Syrians, we want to bring down the regime".

The protest was quickly broken up by government supporters, the AP news agency reported.

A Facebook page in favour of a "Syrian revolution" has amassed about 42,000 fans, promoting demonstrations "in all Syrian cities"."

Video Bahrain : Pro-King Thugs Attacked Nurses and Killed Citizens in Sitrah

البحرين الهجوم على ممرضات وقتل المواطنين في ستره

WARNING: Video contains images of extreme violence

Posted March 15, 2011

Exclusive Scenes (Videos) of Bahraini Massacres

Al Manar Website displays seven exclusive scenes (Videos) showing how brutal the monarchy acts against peaceful and unarmed civilians of Bahrain.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards: US Will Pay Heavy Price

Al-Manar

"Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned on Wednesday that Washington would pay a heavy price for supporting the repression of people in Bahrain, the Middle East and North Africa.

DISPATCHING TROOPS CARRIED OUT WITH US SUPPORT

General Yadollah Javani, a Guards deputy commander in charge of political affairs, said on Wednesday that Washington will pay a heavy price for supporting the policies of repression against the Bahraini nation.

"Dispatching troops by Saudi Arabia and the UAE into Bahrain has been carried out with the support and coordination of the United States," General Javani said, in remarks published by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

"The escalation of protests in Bahrain endangers the interests of Washington," he said, before adding that the United States will lose an "important base" in the region if the Bahraini dynasty is overthrown.....

BAHRAIN MADE STRATEGIC MISTAKE

Meanwhile, Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said Bahrain had made a "strategic mistake" in asking Gulf troops to help quell pro-democracy protests. He told the official IRNA news agency the Gulf kingdom had committed a "strategic and political" blunder that would cost its "legitimacy."

"Such actions will increase tensions and undermine regional stability and security. And if such inconsiderate and illegal actions become routine, the region will become a hotbed of hostility and conflict," Vahidi said."

Dissolving through direct action

A VERY GOOD PIECE
By Jody McIntyre
The Independent

"Yesterday, Egypt’s State Security Investigation Service, or the “SS” as it has been locally named, was dissolved, as announced by Interior Minister Mansour al-Issawi. This comes just a week after Egyptian activists demonstrated at State Security buildings across Alexandria and Cairo, including its headquarters in Nasr City, in the north of Cairo, which was occupied and searched by the demonstrators, who discovered huge piles of documents which had been shredded in an attempt to cover up evidence of torture and human rights abuses under the Mubarak regime.

What the outcome of dissolving the state security will be is still unclear; reports suggest that the government want to create a replacement, ominously titled as the “National Security Force”. However, the SSIS has been one of the main instruments of terror for decades of Mubarak rule, and it’s disbandment will bring jubilation to thousands of ordinary Egyptians. But, as Egyptian journalist and political activist Hossam el-Hamalawy observes, the SSIS is not the only culprit of recent crimes:

“Of course this is a great thing and we are happy, but the state security are not the only institution involved in trying to create this counter-revolution. There is the mukhabbarat intelligence services, there are the remnants of Mubarak’s NDP party and there are the local governors of municipalities. Even the Generals of the army are blaming the state security for certain abuses on occasion, but they are also a part of the counter-revolution.”

El-Hamalawy described the distinction between the mukhabbarat and the SSIS as “that of the CIA and the FBI in the US”. Both Egyptian security agencies work hand-in-hand in illegally detaining citizens, with the former allegedly involved in the interrogation process of the victims of US rendition flights to Egypt.

“The dissolving of the state security is a victory,” el-Hamalawy continues, “but it does not mean there will be no more torture in Egypt. There were many different elements of the security forces implicated in crimes under the previous regime, right down to the traffic police. The dissolving of the state security comes as a direct response to the pressure on the streets, and we are sending a clear message to the heads of all elements of the security forces; if you are responsible for the torture of citizens, you will face similar demonstrations and your offices will be occupied. The people will not be silent any longer.”

It seems that the Egyptian revolution has come to a tipping point; as el-Hamalawy predicts, only continued pressure can ensure sustainable change....."

عباس: سأزور غزة لأنهي الانقسام

1 LOSER + 1 LOSER (Bigger Loser) = WINNER ?

NO WAY!

هنية أضفى عليه لقب "رئيس السلطة"

"أبدى رئيس السلطة الفلسطينية محمود عباس استعداده ليزور غدا غزة التي لم يدخلها منذ نحو أربع سنوات، في استجابة مباشرة لدعوة وجهها إليه رئيس الحكومة المقالة إسماعيل هنية، في وقت استشهد فيه فلسطينيان في قصف إسرائيلي على موقع عسكري في القطاع.

وقال عباس في لقاء بالمجلس المركزي لـمنظمة التحرير الفلسطينية في رام الله "أنا مستعد للقاء هنية لطي صفحة الانقسام الأسود البغيض، تحت رعاية الأمم المتحدة والجامعة العربية ومنظمة المؤتمر الإسلامي وغيرهم".
...."

Abbas ready for 'reconciliation' with Hamas

'Gaddafi funded Sarkozy's election bid' Is This a Scandal for Sarkozy or for the Despot??

The son of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi claims Tripoli funded the election campaign of French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007.

Press TV

"Saif al-Islam Gaddafi says the Libyan regime has details of the 2007 transfer.

"We funded it and we have all the details and are ready to reveal everything," he said, threatening to publicize the details.

Gaddafi's son made the remarks while expressing outrage over Sarkozy's recent stance against the Libyan regime, demanding that the French president return the money.

"But he's disappointed us," Saif al-Islam said.

"Give us back our money. We have all the bank details and documents for the transfer operations and we will make everything public soon."

The move seems aimed at punishing Sarkozy for throwing his weight behind revolutionary forces in Libya......"

Al-Jazeera Video: Inside Story - Saudi intervention in Bahrain

Al-Jazeera Video: Police crackdown against Bahrain protesters

Aljazeera: or Al-Arabiyyah II?

By Angry Arab

"The coverage of Aljazeera has become a joke. Yesterday, I made a point of following their coverage of Bahrain. What a joke and what a loss of credibility. They had a minute--ONE MINUTE--about Bahrain, while they devoted more time in the newscast to the developments in Syria, where--according to the New York Times--some 40 people demonstrated in Damascus. Of course, I am all for covering protests in Syria and Libya, but the flawed coverage of Bahrain is an unfunny joke. In the segment of Syria, they interviewed a Syrian dissident who spoke for several minutes. In the coverage of Bahrain, the story was that some people were killed in "clashes." The other words used to cover Bahrain is "confrontation." Also, Aljazeera does not refer to Saudi troops in Bahrain: it refers to "Peninsula Shield" forces. (And by the way, can the GCC be a little more subtle about the US control over its affairs? I mean, the Peninsula Shield is clearly a name coined by US military command.) Aljazeere suffered a great blow to its credibility at a time when it beat the competition hands down."

"There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia has engineered the Arab counter-revolution with full US support. Only Libya will be allowed to change but in favor of a Saudi-controlled regime staffed by Qadhdhafi stooges, like Mustafa Abd-Al-Jalil. And it pains me to say this but I will say it: Aljazeera has officially joined the Arab counter-revolution, their silly obsessive coverage of Libya notwithstanding."