Thursday, March 24, 2011
Thousands Protest in Syria After Gov’t Forces Kill Scores of Demonstrators
"An estimated crowd of more than 20,000 has turned out for the funerals of victims killed in a Syrian government attack on a mosque housing protesters in the city of Daraa, which in recent days has seen some of Syria’s largest demonstrations in decades. Twenty-five people have been confirmed dead, but witnesses say the toll could be far greater. Daraa is under curfew and the Syrian government has reportedly issued announcements telling residents they will be shot if they leave their houses. We speak with prominent human rights attorney Haitham Maleh in Damascus and with his son Iyas Maleh, in Brussels......"
Palestine and the Egyptian revolution: a view from Gaza
(Egyptian riot police sprays water cannons at Palestinians trying to cross into Egypt through the destroyed section of the border wall between the Gaza Strip and Egypt January 25, 2008.)
(Egyptian border guards prevent Palestinians from crossing from the southern Gaza Strip.)
A GOOD PIECE
Haidar Eid, The Electronic Intifada, 23 March 2011
"When I was asked by a solidarity activist about the impact of the end of the Mubarak regime on the Gaza Strip, my immediate answer was that it would definitely mean the end of the deadly siege that has been imposed on Gaza since 2006. Yet, we in Gaza are still waiting.
The deposed Egyptian regime made it its duty to make sure that the Palestinians of Gaza be kept within the walls of the Israeli-guarded concentration camp. The foreign minister of the former regime, Ahmed Abou Elgheit, in whose presence Israel's winter December 2008-January 2009 war on Gaza was symbolically declared by the presence in Cairo of his then Israeli counterpart Tzipi Livni just days before the attack, became obsessed with "breaking the bones of those who trespass against Egypt's national security."
He was referring to the starving children, men and women of Gaza who, in an act of unprecedented heroism in January 2008, tore down the wall on the Egypt-Gaza border and flooded the streets of the Egyptian town of al-Arish to buy food, milk and medicine, and then went peacefully back to their homes. The old regime's spokespersons and political analysts shamelessly made it their duty to demonize Gazans in order to justify the closure of the Rafah Crossing, the only official border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. Accusations of "terrorism,""vandalism" and "threats to national security" were thrown around.
So fearful of his Gazan neighbors was Egypt's ex-minister of interior Habib el-Adly, who is now behind bars, that he indulged in the hysterical charge that the recent popular Egyptian revolution was caused by "some Hamas infiltrators." The same ruthless minister had also accused Palestinians from Gaza of being behind the bombing of a Coptic church in Alexandria on New Year's Eve, which killed 21 persons. Indeed now it is el-Adly himself, and Egypt's state security police, who are under suspicion and investigation of carrying out that and other sectarian attacks....
Now the question that begs for an answer is about the future of the Egyptian-Palestinian relationship. The Rafah Crossing is "partially" open for a few passengers but no goods, food or medicine are allowed. Some Palestinians are turned back every day, and the decision taken by the previous government not to grant Gazans entry via Cairo airport is still in force. The sentiment on the streets of Palestine has, naturally, been supportive of the revolutions in the Arab world and this is in spite of the position taken by the two controlling parties in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to ban all solidarity demonstrations.
Radical change in Egypt should mean radical change in Palestine as well: a pro-Palestine Egypt should mean the end of the siege. But when will we see that? Is it too much to ask? Do we have to "understand" the difficulties the new rulers of Egypt have to deal with, while we are starving and still besieged in Gaza? If this is the case, why do we, Palestinians of Gaza, have to pay the price? Are all other Egyptian crossings and border posts "partially" open like the Rafah gate? And are we, by posing such questions, still considered "a threat to Egypt's national security?""
Haidar Eid, The Electronic Intifada, 23 March 2011
"When I was asked by a solidarity activist about the impact of the end of the Mubarak regime on the Gaza Strip, my immediate answer was that it would definitely mean the end of the deadly siege that has been imposed on Gaza since 2006. Yet, we in Gaza are still waiting.
The deposed Egyptian regime made it its duty to make sure that the Palestinians of Gaza be kept within the walls of the Israeli-guarded concentration camp. The foreign minister of the former regime, Ahmed Abou Elgheit, in whose presence Israel's winter December 2008-January 2009 war on Gaza was symbolically declared by the presence in Cairo of his then Israeli counterpart Tzipi Livni just days before the attack, became obsessed with "breaking the bones of those who trespass against Egypt's national security."
He was referring to the starving children, men and women of Gaza who, in an act of unprecedented heroism in January 2008, tore down the wall on the Egypt-Gaza border and flooded the streets of the Egyptian town of al-Arish to buy food, milk and medicine, and then went peacefully back to their homes. The old regime's spokespersons and political analysts shamelessly made it their duty to demonize Gazans in order to justify the closure of the Rafah Crossing, the only official border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. Accusations of "terrorism,""vandalism" and "threats to national security" were thrown around.
So fearful of his Gazan neighbors was Egypt's ex-minister of interior Habib el-Adly, who is now behind bars, that he indulged in the hysterical charge that the recent popular Egyptian revolution was caused by "some Hamas infiltrators." The same ruthless minister had also accused Palestinians from Gaza of being behind the bombing of a Coptic church in Alexandria on New Year's Eve, which killed 21 persons. Indeed now it is el-Adly himself, and Egypt's state security police, who are under suspicion and investigation of carrying out that and other sectarian attacks....
Now the question that begs for an answer is about the future of the Egyptian-Palestinian relationship. The Rafah Crossing is "partially" open for a few passengers but no goods, food or medicine are allowed. Some Palestinians are turned back every day, and the decision taken by the previous government not to grant Gazans entry via Cairo airport is still in force. The sentiment on the streets of Palestine has, naturally, been supportive of the revolutions in the Arab world and this is in spite of the position taken by the two controlling parties in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to ban all solidarity demonstrations.
Radical change in Egypt should mean radical change in Palestine as well: a pro-Palestine Egypt should mean the end of the siege. But when will we see that? Is it too much to ask? Do we have to "understand" the difficulties the new rulers of Egypt have to deal with, while we are starving and still besieged in Gaza? If this is the case, why do we, Palestinians of Gaza, have to pay the price? Are all other Egyptian crossings and border posts "partially" open like the Rafah gate? And are we, by posing such questions, still considered "a threat to Egypt's national security?""
Endgame: Divide, rule and get the oil
By Pepe Escobar
Asia Times
"......Regime change or balkanization?
Asia Times
"......Regime change or balkanization?
So Western moral uprightness may be summed up like this. If you sell us a lot of oil, buy our weapons, and smash al-Qaeda, that's fine with us. You may even kill your own people, provided it's just dozens, not thousands.
That's how Saudi Arabia can get away with anything in the current counter-revolution climate, with the House of Saud pulling all stops to crush any measure of democratic aspirations in the Persian Gulf.
As for those regimes that kill perhaps thousands of their own people - and have oil, and threaten to sell the oil to the Russians or the Chinese, their destiny is to fight a UN/Tomahawk resolution.
The forces of counter-revolution are now joined at the hip with the West. Saudi Arabia's military will remain inside Bahrain. The GCC legitimizes the Western war in Libya. The favorite Western endgame in Libya is divide and rule, and roll with the oil. Is the great 2011 Arab revolt about to crash-land in the desert sands?"
That's how Saudi Arabia can get away with anything in the current counter-revolution climate, with the House of Saud pulling all stops to crush any measure of democratic aspirations in the Persian Gulf.
As for those regimes that kill perhaps thousands of their own people - and have oil, and threaten to sell the oil to the Russians or the Chinese, their destiny is to fight a UN/Tomahawk resolution.
The forces of counter-revolution are now joined at the hip with the West. Saudi Arabia's military will remain inside Bahrain. The GCC legitimizes the Western war in Libya. The favorite Western endgame in Libya is divide and rule, and roll with the oil. Is the great 2011 Arab revolt about to crash-land in the desert sands?"
عزمي بشارة: للثورات العربية منطق
حاوره في الدوحة: حسين جلعاد
AN EXCELLENT, LONG INTERVIEW
With Azmy Bishara
Don't miss it if you read Arabic.
"يقف المفكر العربي عزمي بشارة في صف الثورات العربية، منطلقا من أن المثقف العضوي مرتبط بطموحات الجماهير خصوصا جيل الشباب الذي فجر الربيع العربي. ورافق بشارة هدير الجماهير، ليس فقط عبر إطلالته الإعلامية في تحليل الثورات، بل -وقبل ذلك- من خلال تطوير خطاب ديمقراطي ثوري وعقلاني في الوقت نفسه، استطاع فيه أن يعمل المبضع في التراكيب الاجتماعية السياسية والفكرية العربية.
وليس غريبا والحالة هذه أن من تابع الثورات العربية يستطيع أن يلمس أن كتبه الأخيرة مثل "أن تكون عربيا في أيامنا" و"المسألة العربية"، إضافة الى مقالاته وخطابه المعروف منذ نهاية التسعينيات مما روج لفكرة "دول المواطنين"، كانت في العديد من الحالات مراجع وبيانات للتغيير استند لها المنتفضون في تحليل الأوضاع التي ثاروا عليها.
الآن، والعيون شاخصة إلى ليبيا واليمن والبحرين، والثورات المحتملة في البلدان العربية الأخرى، يبدو الحوار مع بشارة ضرورة ملحة، خصوصا أنه اشتبك مع الشؤون العامة من خلال التثوير الفكري ضد أنظمة ترى أي تحليل نقدي عملا تحريضيا ضد سيادتها.
كما أن اشتباك بشارة في نقد الفكر اليومي يضعه في دائرة الضوء ويجعله مادة خصبة للتحليل، وحتى الخصومة من قبل أنصار الوضع القائم ربما، وهذا ما يجعل هذا الانحياز لقضايا الناس بالعمل اليومي تورطا وتضحية من المفكر لهما ثمن. فمن الأسهل للمثقف العربي البارز أن يجلس ويكتب وينشر فقط، ويتعالى على الخصومات، ولكن كيف يستقيم ذلك مع التنظير للديمقراطية ودور المثقفين.
وإذا اختار المثقف ألا يقف على الحياد في هذه اللحظة التاريخية ولو كلفه الأمر ثمنا، فلا بد أن تتوالى الأسئلة، كيف يستقيم مثلا أن يحمل هذا المفكر لواء العروبة، ثم ينحاز للثورة على القذافي "أمين القومية العربية"، وكيف يدعو بشارة إلى دولة مدنية ديمقراطية لجميع المواطنين، وهو يدرك قبل غيره أن دولا عربية عدة تتكون من فسيفساء إثنية وطائفية ستنفجر إذا أرخت الدولة العربية قبضتها أمام "خطاب الأماني"، فتتهم الأنظمة الفكر الديمقراطي بالتخريب، تخريب التوازنات التي لا يحرسها الا الاستبداد. وتاليا الحوار
....
...."
AN EXCELLENT, LONG INTERVIEW
With Azmy Bishara
Don't miss it if you read Arabic.
"يقف المفكر العربي عزمي بشارة في صف الثورات العربية، منطلقا من أن المثقف العضوي مرتبط بطموحات الجماهير خصوصا جيل الشباب الذي فجر الربيع العربي. ورافق بشارة هدير الجماهير، ليس فقط عبر إطلالته الإعلامية في تحليل الثورات، بل -وقبل ذلك- من خلال تطوير خطاب ديمقراطي ثوري وعقلاني في الوقت نفسه، استطاع فيه أن يعمل المبضع في التراكيب الاجتماعية السياسية والفكرية العربية.
وليس غريبا والحالة هذه أن من تابع الثورات العربية يستطيع أن يلمس أن كتبه الأخيرة مثل "أن تكون عربيا في أيامنا" و"المسألة العربية"، إضافة الى مقالاته وخطابه المعروف منذ نهاية التسعينيات مما روج لفكرة "دول المواطنين"، كانت في العديد من الحالات مراجع وبيانات للتغيير استند لها المنتفضون في تحليل الأوضاع التي ثاروا عليها.
الآن، والعيون شاخصة إلى ليبيا واليمن والبحرين، والثورات المحتملة في البلدان العربية الأخرى، يبدو الحوار مع بشارة ضرورة ملحة، خصوصا أنه اشتبك مع الشؤون العامة من خلال التثوير الفكري ضد أنظمة ترى أي تحليل نقدي عملا تحريضيا ضد سيادتها.
كما أن اشتباك بشارة في نقد الفكر اليومي يضعه في دائرة الضوء ويجعله مادة خصبة للتحليل، وحتى الخصومة من قبل أنصار الوضع القائم ربما، وهذا ما يجعل هذا الانحياز لقضايا الناس بالعمل اليومي تورطا وتضحية من المفكر لهما ثمن. فمن الأسهل للمثقف العربي البارز أن يجلس ويكتب وينشر فقط، ويتعالى على الخصومات، ولكن كيف يستقيم ذلك مع التنظير للديمقراطية ودور المثقفين.
وإذا اختار المثقف ألا يقف على الحياد في هذه اللحظة التاريخية ولو كلفه الأمر ثمنا، فلا بد أن تتوالى الأسئلة، كيف يستقيم مثلا أن يحمل هذا المفكر لواء العروبة، ثم ينحاز للثورة على القذافي "أمين القومية العربية"، وكيف يدعو بشارة إلى دولة مدنية ديمقراطية لجميع المواطنين، وهو يدرك قبل غيره أن دولا عربية عدة تتكون من فسيفساء إثنية وطائفية ستنفجر إذا أرخت الدولة العربية قبضتها أمام "خطاب الأماني"، فتتهم الأنظمة الفكر الديمقراطي بالتخريب، تخريب التوازنات التي لا يحرسها الا الاستبداد. وتاليا الحوار
....
...."
The resistance has foundered on its own indiscipline and farcical ineptitude
Kim Sengupta
The Independent
"The pervading feature of the conflict in Libya has been the ineptitude of the main rebel force. Time and again they have failed to take advantage of weaknesses among Muammar Gaddafi's troops and, just as frequently, they have fled in the face of fire.
The most glaring example was the opportunity offered by the air strikes carried out by the West which destroyed the regime's tanks and artillery outside Benghazi and forced its soldiers into a terrified retreat to the next city, Ajdabiya.
Rather than press home their advantage and retake Ajdabiya, the rebel fighters – known as the Shabaab – were too busy having their pictures taken with the wreckage or looting anything left intact from the supply trucks. A desultory attack late in the day was easily repulsed by the regime's forces which then dug in around the city......
The rebels' operations are further undermined by an absence of command and control. On Monday two men standing within a hundred yards of each other, "Captain" Jalal Idrisi and "Major" Adil Hassi, claimed to be in charge of the fighters who were meant to be attacking Ajdabiya. A brief advance soon turned into a chaotic retreat. Major Hassi then claimed that the misjudgement in going forward had been Captain Idris's idea. But why didn't they liaise? "We haven't got communications equipment" he responded. But the Captain is standing just over there, journalists pointed out. "I don't talk to him," said Major Hassi."
The Independent
"The pervading feature of the conflict in Libya has been the ineptitude of the main rebel force. Time and again they have failed to take advantage of weaknesses among Muammar Gaddafi's troops and, just as frequently, they have fled in the face of fire.
The most glaring example was the opportunity offered by the air strikes carried out by the West which destroyed the regime's tanks and artillery outside Benghazi and forced its soldiers into a terrified retreat to the next city, Ajdabiya.
Rather than press home their advantage and retake Ajdabiya, the rebel fighters – known as the Shabaab – were too busy having their pictures taken with the wreckage or looting anything left intact from the supply trucks. A desultory attack late in the day was easily repulsed by the regime's forces which then dug in around the city......
The rebels' operations are further undermined by an absence of command and control. On Monday two men standing within a hundred yards of each other, "Captain" Jalal Idrisi and "Major" Adil Hassi, claimed to be in charge of the fighters who were meant to be attacking Ajdabiya. A brief advance soon turned into a chaotic retreat. Major Hassi then claimed that the misjudgement in going forward had been Captain Idris's idea. But why didn't they liaise? "We haven't got communications equipment" he responded. But the Captain is standing just over there, journalists pointed out. "I don't talk to him," said Major Hassi."
The road from Sidi Bouzid to Algiers
The profound disillusionment of Algerians makes following in Tunisia's footsteps difficult, but activists believe change will come
Karima Bennoune
(Karima Bennoune is professor of law and Arthur L Dickson scholar at Rutgers University school of law in Newark, New Jersey)
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 24 March 2011
".....However, the big question for Chitour is not whether change will come or when, but how. "Will it be by peaceful means or not?" She says Algerians are terrorised by the idea that blood could flow in the streets again. And so she and the other members of the National Co-ordination for Change and Democracy will keep organising their peaceful protests every Saturday trying to make sure that grievances are channelled nonviolently.
Meanwhile, the Committee of the Unemployed will meet soon to assess its next move as well. My fervent hope is that the leaders of Algeria will heed the calls of the peaceful protesters, while that is possible. Among other things, change will require responsiveness to the youth, unity in the opposition and a seizing by all of this "moment of grace" as Tunisian human rights activist Alya Chamari described this spring across north Africa.
Is there a road that leads from Sidi Bouzid, the birthplace of the Tunisian revolution, to Algiers? That remains to be seen. Still, I cannot forget what Chamari says when I ask her if there is a message for Algerians, and others, from the Tunisian revolution: "You must never lose hope. And you must count on your youth.""
Karima Bennoune
(Karima Bennoune is professor of law and Arthur L Dickson scholar at Rutgers University school of law in Newark, New Jersey)
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 24 March 2011
".....However, the big question for Chitour is not whether change will come or when, but how. "Will it be by peaceful means or not?" She says Algerians are terrorised by the idea that blood could flow in the streets again. And so she and the other members of the National Co-ordination for Change and Democracy will keep organising their peaceful protests every Saturday trying to make sure that grievances are channelled nonviolently.
Meanwhile, the Committee of the Unemployed will meet soon to assess its next move as well. My fervent hope is that the leaders of Algeria will heed the calls of the peaceful protesters, while that is possible. Among other things, change will require responsiveness to the youth, unity in the opposition and a seizing by all of this "moment of grace" as Tunisian human rights activist Alya Chamari described this spring across north Africa.
Is there a road that leads from Sidi Bouzid, the birthplace of the Tunisian revolution, to Algiers? That remains to be seen. Still, I cannot forget what Chamari says when I ask her if there is a message for Algerians, and others, from the Tunisian revolution: "You must never lose hope. And you must count on your youth.""
Video: Syrian soldiers attack protesters in Deraa
Video posted on a social media website shows bloody scenes on streets of the southern Syrian city of Deraa as Syrian forces appear to open fire on hundreds of demonstrators. At least 15 were shot dead
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 24 March 2011
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 24 March 2011
Yemen: Emergency Law Does Not Trump Basic Rights
Government Obliged to Respect International Obligations
March 23, 2011
"(New York) - Yemen's new emergency law does not override the government's obligation to respect fundamental human rights under international law, Human Rights Watch said today.
Yemen's parliament on March 23, 2011, approved sweeping emergency legislation authorizing 30 days of expanded powers of arrest, detention, and censorship. President Ali Abdullah Saleh had declared a state of emergency on March 18, hours after pro-government gunmen opened fire on anti-government protesters in Sanaa, the capital. The attack killed at least 52 people and wounded hundreds.
"Emergency laws are no excuse to use unlawful force to quash peaceful protests," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "The world is watching to see whether President Saleh will respect the basic rights of his citizens."
The legislation, which effectively suspends the constitution, allows media censorship, bars street protests, and gives security forces sweeping powers to arrest and detain suspects without judicial process....."
March 23, 2011
"(New York) - Yemen's new emergency law does not override the government's obligation to respect fundamental human rights under international law, Human Rights Watch said today.
Yemen's parliament on March 23, 2011, approved sweeping emergency legislation authorizing 30 days of expanded powers of arrest, detention, and censorship. President Ali Abdullah Saleh had declared a state of emergency on March 18, hours after pro-government gunmen opened fire on anti-government protesters in Sanaa, the capital. The attack killed at least 52 people and wounded hundreds.
"Emergency laws are no excuse to use unlawful force to quash peaceful protests," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "The world is watching to see whether President Saleh will respect the basic rights of his citizens."
The legislation, which effectively suspends the constitution, allows media censorship, bars street protests, and gives security forces sweeping powers to arrest and detain suspects without judicial process....."
Al-Jazeera Video: Inside Story - Syria's 40-year rule challenged
"Protests which rocked the Arab world in recent months are now hitting Syria - a country ruled with an iron grip on security.
Emergency laws, in place since 1963, ban all forms of demonstrations.
But the protesters are not backing down.
Bashar al Assad, whose family has ruled the country for 40 years, is facing challenges like never before.
So what sparked the protests in Syria and why did they start off in Daraa?
Inside Story presenter Laura Kyle is joined by guests: Ghias Al-jundi, a Syrian author and human rights activist, Samir Ai-ta, Chief Editor of the Arab edition of Le Monde Diplomatique and Jawad Al An-ani, a political analyst for the Jordanian based think-tank Al-baseera.
This episode of Inside Story aired on Wednesday, March 23, 2011."
'Dozens killed' in Syria crackdown
Hospital in Daraa town received the bodies of "at least 25 protesters" who died in confrontations with security forces.
Al-Jazeera
"The Syrian People Love Me and WILL DIE for Me." -- The Rabbit.
"The main hospital in the Syrian town of Daraa has received the bodies of at least 25 protesters who died in confrontations with security forces, according to a hospital official.
"We received them at 5pm local time on Wednesday (1500 GMT). They all had bullet holes," the official told Reuters on Thursday.
Earlier, human rights activists said at least 15 people have been killed in Daraa, the focal point of almost a week of anti-government protests.
Residents said security forces shot and killed six people including a doctor who was giving aid to the injured at the Omari mosque, where most of the protests took place.
A rights activist also told AFP news agency that security forces had opened fire on mourners attending the funeral of those killed in Daraa.
Meanwhile, pro-democracy demonstrators in Syria have called for mass protests across the country on Friday after security forces stormed a mosque leaving many dead.
Activists used social-networking sites to call for massive demonstrations across the country on Friday, a day they dubbed as "Dignity Friday."
Al Jazeera's Rula Amin, reporting from Damascus, said that fighting broke out when residents from other towns clashed with security forces as they tried to enter Daraa to help residents there......"
Al-Jazeera
"The Syrian People Love Me and WILL DIE for Me." -- The Rabbit.
"The main hospital in the Syrian town of Daraa has received the bodies of at least 25 protesters who died in confrontations with security forces, according to a hospital official.
"We received them at 5pm local time on Wednesday (1500 GMT). They all had bullet holes," the official told Reuters on Thursday.
Earlier, human rights activists said at least 15 people have been killed in Daraa, the focal point of almost a week of anti-government protests.
Residents said security forces shot and killed six people including a doctor who was giving aid to the injured at the Omari mosque, where most of the protests took place.
A rights activist also told AFP news agency that security forces had opened fire on mourners attending the funeral of those killed in Daraa.
Meanwhile, pro-democracy demonstrators in Syria have called for mass protests across the country on Friday after security forces stormed a mosque leaving many dead.
Activists used social-networking sites to call for massive demonstrations across the country on Friday, a day they dubbed as "Dignity Friday."
Al Jazeera's Rula Amin, reporting from Damascus, said that fighting broke out when residents from other towns clashed with security forces as they tried to enter Daraa to help residents there......"
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Syrian Gestapo in Action
Courtesy of 3arabawy. ... We have see this before in Cairo , Tunis and Sanaa ....
Daraa protests are the spark Syria needed
The security forces' violent clampdown on protesters in Daraa will inspire repressed Syrians to finally break their silence
A GOOD COMMENT
By Maher Arar
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 23 March 2011
".....Furthermore, Syria's human rights situation steadily deteriorated under the new ruler, especially after the unofficial alliance with the Unites States to fight al-Qaida, a historically common enemy. For instance, it became clear around 2001 that Syria was a preferred rendition destination for terror suspects. The cases of Hydar Zammar, Ahmed El-Maati, Abdullah El-Malki and my own are only a few examples . Bob Baer, a former CIA official, stated at the time: "If you want a serious interrogation, you send a prisoner to Jordan. If you want them to be tortured, you send them to Syria," something to which I can personally attest.
Last year, Human Rights Watch published an extensive report about the human rights situation in Syria in which the organisation concluded that Assad's decade in power was marked by repression.
This may explain why the majority of Syrians have preferred to remain silent, at least for now. One need look no further than the scandalous five-year sentence the blogger Tal al-Mallohi, 19, received recently because she "was found to be spying for a foreign entity". Countless other activists, such as the 80-year-old veteran Haitham al-Maleh, who was released two weeks ago because of his age, have been jailed simply because they voiced their opinions on matters related to good governance and social justice.....
.....These ethnic divisions make it extremely challenging to have a unified popular voice, but what is encouraging is the fact that the Syrian youth who are leading this nonviolent reform movement have made it clear that it is purely secular in nature and they will not allow it to be hijacked by any opportunist ethnic group or opposition party.
It is too early to ascribe the "revolution" label to this Syrian youth movement. But what is clear from the Tunisian example is that revolutions need a spark and it seems Assad has already ignited it in Daraa."
A GOOD COMMENT
By Maher Arar
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 23 March 2011
".....Furthermore, Syria's human rights situation steadily deteriorated under the new ruler, especially after the unofficial alliance with the Unites States to fight al-Qaida, a historically common enemy. For instance, it became clear around 2001 that Syria was a preferred rendition destination for terror suspects. The cases of Hydar Zammar, Ahmed El-Maati, Abdullah El-Malki and my own are only a few examples . Bob Baer, a former CIA official, stated at the time: "If you want a serious interrogation, you send a prisoner to Jordan. If you want them to be tortured, you send them to Syria," something to which I can personally attest.
Last year, Human Rights Watch published an extensive report about the human rights situation in Syria in which the organisation concluded that Assad's decade in power was marked by repression.
This may explain why the majority of Syrians have preferred to remain silent, at least for now. One need look no further than the scandalous five-year sentence the blogger Tal al-Mallohi, 19, received recently because she "was found to be spying for a foreign entity". Countless other activists, such as the 80-year-old veteran Haitham al-Maleh, who was released two weeks ago because of his age, have been jailed simply because they voiced their opinions on matters related to good governance and social justice.....
.....These ethnic divisions make it extremely challenging to have a unified popular voice, but what is encouraging is the fact that the Syrian youth who are leading this nonviolent reform movement have made it clear that it is purely secular in nature and they will not allow it to be hijacked by any opportunist ethnic group or opposition party.
It is too early to ascribe the "revolution" label to this Syrian youth movement. But what is clear from the Tunisian example is that revolutions need a spark and it seems Assad has already ignited it in Daraa."
Syrian police shoot nine people dead in attack on area sheltering protesters
• Six die in assault on mosque in southern city of Deraa
• Activists call for mass demonstration on 'Dignity Friday'
Associated Press in Deraa
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 23 March 2011
"Syrian police launched an assault on a neighbourhood sheltering anti-government protesters, fatally shooting at least nine in an operation that lasted nearly 24 hours, witnesses said.
At least six were said to have been killed in an early morning attack on the al-Omari mosque in the southern agricultural city of Deraa, where protesters have taken to the streets to calls for reform and political freedoms. An activist in contact with people in the city said police shot three other protesters in the city centre after dusk.
Inspired by the wave of pro-democracy protests around the region, the uprising in Deraa and at least four villages nearby has become the biggest domestic challenge since the 1970s to the Syrian government, one of the most repressive in the Middle East. Security forces have responded with water cannon, teargas, rubber bullets and live ammunition. The total death toll now stands at 16.
Democracy activists used social-networking sites to call for massive demonstrations across the country on Friday, a day they dubbed Dignity Friday....."
• Activists call for mass demonstration on 'Dignity Friday'
Associated Press in Deraa
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 23 March 2011
"Syrian police launched an assault on a neighbourhood sheltering anti-government protesters, fatally shooting at least nine in an operation that lasted nearly 24 hours, witnesses said.
At least six were said to have been killed in an early morning attack on the al-Omari mosque in the southern agricultural city of Deraa, where protesters have taken to the streets to calls for reform and political freedoms. An activist in contact with people in the city said police shot three other protesters in the city centre after dusk.
Inspired by the wave of pro-democracy protests around the region, the uprising in Deraa and at least four villages nearby has become the biggest domestic challenge since the 1970s to the Syrian government, one of the most repressive in the Middle East. Security forces have responded with water cannon, teargas, rubber bullets and live ammunition. The total death toll now stands at 16.
Democracy activists used social-networking sites to call for massive demonstrations across the country on Friday, a day they dubbed Dignity Friday....."
Yemeni protesters call for march on palace
Opposition groups vow to oust Ali Abdullah Saleh from power as parliament approves emergency laws after weeks of unrest.
Al-Jazeera
"Opposition groups in Yemen have called on protesters to march on president Ali Abdullah Saleh's palace in the capital Sanaa on Friday as th country's parliament approved emergency powers which have been used by security forces to crack down on dissent.
"Friday will be the 'Friday of the March Forward', with hundreds of thousands of people... We will arrive where you are and we will remove you," opposition spokesman Mohamed Qahtan told Al Jazeera on Wednesday.
The announcement also comes after thousands of protesters gathered in front of Sanaa University, as parliament approved a request by Saleh to impose emergency law for 30 days.
Nearly 3,000 demonstrators chanted outside the university, and some painted their body in the red, white and black colours of the national flag, as they voiced their opposition to the law....."
Al-Jazeera
"Opposition groups in Yemen have called on protesters to march on president Ali Abdullah Saleh's palace in the capital Sanaa on Friday as th country's parliament approved emergency powers which have been used by security forces to crack down on dissent.
"Friday will be the 'Friday of the March Forward', with hundreds of thousands of people... We will arrive where you are and we will remove you," opposition spokesman Mohamed Qahtan told Al Jazeera on Wednesday.
The announcement also comes after thousands of protesters gathered in front of Sanaa University, as parliament approved a request by Saleh to impose emergency law for 30 days.
Nearly 3,000 demonstrators chanted outside the university, and some painted their body in the red, white and black colours of the national flag, as they voiced their opposition to the law....."
Watch Out for a Cornered Rabbit With Sharp Teeth! 'Many dead' in Syrian crackdown
At least 13 dead, human rights activists say, as security forces open fire on protesters in southern town of Daraa.
Al-Jazeera
"Human rights activists say at least 13 people have been killed in the Syrian town of Daraa, the focal point of a week of anti-government protests.
Activists and residents said security forces opened fire on protesters outside the Omari mosque early Wednesday, after hundreds of people had gathered overnight to prevent police from storming it, and that shooting had continued sporadically over the course of the day.
A rights activist also told AFP news agency that security forces had opened fire on mourners attending the funeral of those killed in Daraa.
Al Jazeera's Rula Amin, reporting from Damascus, said that fighting broke out when residents from other towns clashed with security forces as they tried to enter Daraa to help residents there.
A youth activist in the Syrian capital, who remains anonymous, told Al Jazeera that his contacts in Daraa said that "dozens of people" had died in clashes.
"Many there want to take down the government, and want more freedoms." he said.
Our correspondent said there was a heavy security presence in Daraa, with the army, anti-terror police and riot police all deployed in the city. Journalists are not being allowed to visit the city, and several of those who attempted to do so last night had their equipment confiscated by authorities.
Checkpoints have been set up by security forces at all entries to the city......"
Al-Jazeera
"Human rights activists say at least 13 people have been killed in the Syrian town of Daraa, the focal point of a week of anti-government protests.
Activists and residents said security forces opened fire on protesters outside the Omari mosque early Wednesday, after hundreds of people had gathered overnight to prevent police from storming it, and that shooting had continued sporadically over the course of the day.
A rights activist also told AFP news agency that security forces had opened fire on mourners attending the funeral of those killed in Daraa.
Al Jazeera's Rula Amin, reporting from Damascus, said that fighting broke out when residents from other towns clashed with security forces as they tried to enter Daraa to help residents there.
A youth activist in the Syrian capital, who remains anonymous, told Al Jazeera that his contacts in Daraa said that "dozens of people" had died in clashes.
"Many there want to take down the government, and want more freedoms." he said.
Our correspondent said there was a heavy security presence in Daraa, with the army, anti-terror police and riot police all deployed in the city. Journalists are not being allowed to visit the city, and several of those who attempted to do so last night had their equipment confiscated by authorities.
Checkpoints have been set up by security forces at all entries to the city......"
Al-Jazeera Video: Libyan council forms government
"The Benghazi-based National Transitional Council has taken the step of declaring a government, to be headed by former foreign envoy Mahmoud Jibril.
Nisan Gouriani, spokesman for the council, speaks to Al Jazeera's James Bays about the political development."
Al-Jazeera Video: Yemen conflict - civil war or Saleh out?
"There have been mixed messages from President Ali Abdullah Saleh. On the one hand, he has offered to step down by the start of next year, on the other, he's warning of "grave repercussions" over any dissent.
He has dispatched his foreign minister to Saudi Arabia to seek mediation, but the demonstrators still out in the capital Sanaa and across the country remain defiant and galvanised with military generals offering them protection.
But the defense minister has declared the army is sticking by the president and tanks have manouvered to guard the presidential palace.
Inside Story presenter Laura Kyle is joined by guests: Mohamed Qubaty, a former adviser to the Yemeni prime minister; Joseph Kechichian, columnist for Gulf News newspaper and Bernard Haykel, a professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University."
Al-Jazeera Video: Libya's rebels under fire
"Anti-Gaddafi fighters have found themselves outgunned on the road from Benghazi to Ajdabiya. With no communication facilities and little structure to their forces, they are left to run sporadic raids against Gaddafi's troops, before coming under fire and returning.
Al Jazeera's James Bays reports from the front line and comes under fire himself to describe the scene on the road to Ajdabiya."
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