You are in the 210th Witness Revolution diary, bearing witness to pro-democracy movements in North Africa, the Middle East and beyond. We aim here to simply report, from as many reliable worldwide resources as possible, on the successes, challenges or failures of the brave people striving against oppression for representative democracy with civil and human rights. One small bit of assurance that they do not strive in obscurity. Please see the 200th edition where participants shared what this series means to them.
TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
BAHRAIN
Mr. Mohamed Issa Al Tajer
The Observatory recalls that since his arrest on April 15, 2011 (see Background information), Mr. Al Tajer is detained incommunicado and is being denied the access to his lawyer and family. Mr. Al Tajer appeared before the Lower National Safety Court on June 12, June 16 and June 23, 2011 and could only meet with his family and lawyer on these occasions. According to some information, Mr. Al Tajjer would be detained in Gurain military prison but, to date, the authorities have refused to confirm this information.
The Observatory firmly denounces the continued detention incommunicado and judicial harassment faced by Mr. Mohamed Issa Al Tajer, which seems to merely aim at sanctioning his peaceful and legitimate human rights activities as a defence lawyer, and moreover condemns the lack of due process in his trial.
Abbas Alnaflees from Alsihla
#Bahrain photo of Abbas Alnaflees from Alsihla, lost his eye after the attack on the financial harbor on 13march,was released
posted Sunday, July 3
YEMEN
GRAPHIC: 13 year old Abeer Kamal Mahdi Al-Makrob from Solman, Arhab. She was killed by mortar shelling fragments that were launched from Al-Sama’a camp on Arhab villages.
The story of Arhab via the
Yemen Rights Monitor:
(WARNING: this is the least graphic photo at the story. Proceed with caution)
One of Arhab tribe leaders said “In April we received information on some military movements from the guards in Al-Sama’a and Fareja camps towards the capital. Friday of Dignity Massacre, what was before it and what is happening after it from killing the peaceful youth protesters made us feel that the President and his sons are ready to kill people for the sake of the chair –power-. This is why we gathered the people in Arhab and our sons that are protesting in Change Square of Sana’a and called them to protest in front of the camps to prevent them from any try by the troops to enter Sana’a to kill the people there.”
On April 27th civilian Hazim Al-Marani was killed by Republican Guards bullets, however, tribes decided to control themselves and think of it as an accident to prevent war from happening and decided to stick to what they called an agreement. [please read the whole thing. they continue to think there is a ceasefire agreement and continue to be attacked....]
Tribes made a new agreement with Republican Guards to cease-fire, it lasted until June 25th when the Republican Guards broke the agreement and started shelling Haqban and Yahees villages using heavy and medium weapons. The shelling continued for three days straight and used more than 250 artillery and missile shelling on different regions in Arhab. The result of that shelling resulted in the destruction of 150 houses, 15 artesian wells, 20 tribal members killed and 64 injured civilians 32 of those are in critical conditions.
...
A child less than a year old was killed and her mother was seriously injured in the heavy shelling that took place on July 1st evening by Republican Guards on Arhab.
...
Bombardement is still taking place until this day in Arhab.
LIBYA
Call for rallies across Libya in support of Tripoli
People of Tripoli hate Gaddafi the most, not just today or yesterday but for 42 years. Because 50-60 years ago before there was even oil, Tripoli was organized, there was mail, there were buses. We didn’t have the G lookalikes, who came in the 70’s during “the home is for whoever lives in it” [a law the permitted people to live in other people’s property] so they took our homes and land.
People of Tripoli demonstrated but he planned for its people. If you look at Benghazi, a city of about 1 million people, he had only one battalion, in Tajura, one area of Tripoli he has 27 places between battalions and military bases.
...
People from Tubrok to Ajdabyia, all people abroad should protest, we need to show the world that people of Libya are 95% against Gaddafi. We acknowledge he has some supports, they are uneducated people, we can’t forget that Gaddafi purposely destroyed education, he destroyed it since 1976 and he killed and killed the students that told him not to destroy education, and he made people ignorant and when people are ignorant they will not know better, they will think anything you will tell them is right.
A message to people with him, we are fighting for freedom and dignity, and you are fighting for one man, a tyrant, a psycho, who destroyed you and destroyed the country.
Please read the full transcript at the link.
SYRIA
Too many martyrs in Syria:
http://www.youtube.com/...
http://www.youtube.com/...
http://www.youtube.com/...
https:
/www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QibUifGkkE&feature=player_embedded#at=21
https:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=65t2KrHAXnw&feature=player_embedded
They are coming from scenes such as this:
This video really captures both the fact that these are NOT armed people on the streets who are being shot at and the ensuing chaos as they try to help the wounded.
ABOUT OUR GROUP
Eyes on Egypt and the Region produces a different series of diaries which provide background and analysis on the region in general and on individual countries. We hope those provide context for you as you read about current events. The published diaries in that series are:
Eyes on Egypt and the Region Background Resources
See the group stream for even more diaries.
DO YOU KNOW OF GOOD READING MATERIAL?
We collect suggested readings for background reference materials in support of the Eyes on Egypt and the Region group. These may be non-fiction or fiction, general to the region or specific to a country or issue. If there are resources which you believe could aid our understanding of the events and processes we are witnessing, please either a) post a comment in the Liveblog with the title "Suggested reading:" and a brief description of the reading in the body of the comment, or b) send your suggestions via the dKos internal message to angry marmot.
Libyan Doctors for Hospitals in Libya is an impressive new aide organization launched by one of our own: StepLeftStepForward.
NEWS UPDATES
(country names in bold are updated from the previous diary.)
GENERAL ANALYSIS
(h/t Dibsa 7/1)-
Recognizing Reality in the Middle East
It appears the U.S. government may finally be getting smarter after decades of failure to develop a coherent approach to the phenomenon of political Islam in the Middle East. Speaking in Budapest, Hungary, on Thursday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States was seeking “limited contacts” with members of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood ahead of elections later this year, as well as with Tunisia’s Islamist Ennahda
ALGERIA
(h/t JustJennifer 6/24)-Algeria responds to social protests
Algeria has witnessed unprecedented unrest in the past few months. Resident doctors, postal workers, students and the unemployed all have axes to grind. To placate the protestors, the authorities have adopted a raft of new measures.
BAHRAIN
(h/t Dibsa 7/5) -
Bahrain : Unions Call for Reinstatement of Sacked Workers and End to Anti-Union Attacks
5 July 2011: In an interview published by the ITUC today, senior Bahraini trade union officials have called for the reinstatement of some 2,000 workers sacked for supporting the country’s pro-democracy movement, and an end to violent attacks on tradeunions
(h/t Dibsa 7/5) - Bahrain: Authorities employ foreigners in security institutions to suppress the protests
The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) expresses its deep concern in regards to the actions of the Bahraini Authorities that brings foreigners to be employed in security institutions (the National Guard and Riot Police) to suppress protests that demand democracy, human rights and political reform
(h/t Dibsa 7/1) - Leader of Bahrain's human rights probe vows transparency
(CNN) -- The head of the independent commission assigned by King Hamad bin Is al-Khalifa with investigating charges of human rights abuses during recent government crackdowns on pro-reform protesters in Bahrain vowed Thursday to carry out a fair, methodical and transparent investigation
(h/t Dibsa 7/1) - Protestors doubt Bahrain dialogue will end crisis
(Reuters) - Bahrain launches a national dialogue on Saturday but majority Shi'ites are skeptical the ruling Sunni monarchy is willing to offer the sort of concessions that could heal wounds caused by a crackdown on pro-democracy protests
BURKINA FASO
(h/t Dibsa 6/24 ) -
Burkina Faso Considers Reforms to Change Constitution
June 24 (Bloomberg) -- Burkina Faso is considering changing its constitution after a series of army mutinies and protests against the government, Bongnessan Arsene Ye, the country's minister of political and parliamentary reforms, told reporters yesterday in Ouagadougou, the capital
COTE D'IVOIRE
(h/t Dibsa 7/5 ) -
Security, recovery top list for Ivory Coast's Ouattara
Reuters) - Restoring security and basic services topped the to-do list for Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara on Tuesday as he outlined his new government's priorities
(h/t Dibsa 7/1) - I. Coast issues arrest warrants for Gbagbo allies
ABIDJAN — Ivory Coast has issued international arrest warrants for firebrand youth leader Charles Ble Goude and other close aides of former president Laurent Gbagbo, the Abidjan prosecutor said Friday
DJIBOUTI
(h/t Dibsa 6/22 ) - Djibouti Will Intensify Fight Against Poverty, Prime Minister Dileita Says
Djibouti’s government will intensify its fight against poverty, improve governance and implement renewable-energy projects to help spur economic growth, Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed Dileita said
EGYPT
(h/t Dibsa 7/5) - Egyptian court acquits 3 ex-ministers, convicts 1
CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian court acquitted three Hosni Mubarak-era ministers of corruption charges on Tuesday while finding a fourth guilty in absentia — a decision likely to stoke anger among protesters calling for more accountability for ousted regime officials
(h/t Dibsa 7/1) - Thousands in Cairo Protest Slow Pace of Change
CAIRO — Thousands of protesters returned to Tahrir Square here on Friday to voice frustration with what they called the slow pace of change five months after the revolution. The demonstration came just days after renewed clashes between protesters and the police left hundreds injured and underscored the lingering distrust between Egyptians and a police force long seen as a pillar of the former government
IRAN
(h/t Dibsa 7/1) -
INTERVIEW - Opposition to Iran's rulers growing - Nobel laureate
LONDON (Reuters) - Iranian Nobel peace prize winner Shirin Ebadi believes Iran's rulers will one day be overthrown even though a crackdown there has prevented the kind of uprising seen in the Arab world
(h/t Dibsa 7/1) - UK condemns arrest of Iranian female activists
LONDON—Britain says Iran's government has recently arrested several female activists as part of a campaign to stifle dissent
IRAQ
(h/t JustJennifer 6/24)-New Wave of Iraqi Bloggers Cover Stories Ignored in the West
When thousands in Sulaymaniyah, the second biggest city in the Kurdish region of Iraq, rose up in protests daily for two months this year, American and European media gave the movement and its results only minimal coverage. This was despite security forces having shot numerous protestors, injuring hundreds and killing at least 10.
ISRAEL
(h/t Dibsa 6/28) -
Israel should not intimidate reporters covering flotilla
New York, June 27, 2011--The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Israeli authorities to allow journalists covering a Gaza-bound humanitarian aid flotilla to do their work without interference or reprisals
(h/t Dibsa 6/27) - Israel backs away from threat to flotilla reporters
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel backtracked on Monday on a threat to bar foreign journalists from entering the country for 10 years if they board a new international aid flotilla that plans to challenge the Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip
(h/t Dibsa 6/27) - Germany: Israel accepted swap with Hamas
JERUSALEM – Germany says Israel accepted a proposal by a German mediator to free a soldier captured by Hamas-linked militants in Gaza five years ago, but Hamas did not sign off on it
(h/t Dibsa 6/27 ) - Activists: Israel presses Greece to halt flotilla
ATHENS, Greece – Organizers of a flotilla to challenge Israel's sea blockade of the Gaza Strip say they'll sail any day now, but are struggling to overcome delays that they blame on Israeli pressure
(h/t Dibsa 6/27 ) - Israel approves plan to repel new Gaza flotilla
JERUSALEM (AFP) – Israel's security cabinet on Monday ordered the navy to stop an international aid flotilla from breaching a naval blockade on the Gaza Strip, but also to avoid clashes with activists on board
JORDAN
(h/t JustJennifer 6/24)-Economic woes could drag Jordan into Middle East unrest
Arab royal families have been feeling the heat during the protests sweeping the Middle East and North Africa, though Jordan may be better placed than others to manage change, argues one of the Hashemite dynasty's senior figures.
(h/t Dibsa 6/24) - Jordanians demand 'incorruptible' government
AMMAN (AFP) – More than 500 Jordanians demonstrated on Friday outside the prime minister's office in Amman, demanding speedy reforms and a corruption-free government
KUWAIT
(h/t Dibsa 6/27) - Kuwait arrests duo over Twitter comments
Kuwait will put two citizens on trial for criticising Gulf Arab ruling families on social media site Twitter, a security official said
LEBANON
(h/t JustJennifer 6/17)-Lebanese PM sends in troops as Syrian situation sparks clashes
Lebanon dispatched troops Friday to quell clashes that arose in the city of Tripoli over the Syrian crisis.
LIBYA
(h/t Dibsa 7/1) - Defiant Gadhafi threatens attacks in Europe
TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — A defiant Moammar Gadhafi threatened Friday to carry out attacks in Europe against "homes, offices, families," unless NATO halts its campaign of airstrikes against his regime in Libya
RESOURCES:
A vision of a democratic Libya an 8-point plan from the National Transitional Council
The full text of UN Resolution 1970 on Libya.
The full text of UN Resolution 1973 on Libya.
President Obama's letter to Congress regarding commencement of operations in Libya. (h/t greenbird)
Al Jazeera Libyan live blog. (h/t jnhobbs)
UK Telegraph Libyan live blog. (h/t bee tzu)
BBC Libyan live blog found here. (h/t greenbird)
The New Yorker Dispatches from Libya. (h/t suejazz)
BBC's Libyan crisis mapped. (h/t phil S 33)
revolutionology is a blog from an American in Benghazi
MAURITANIA
(h/t Dibsa 6/16) - Mauritania opposition says October vote not possible
NOUAKCHOTT — A Mauritanian opposition leader said Wednesday elections due in October could not go ahead without reforms, accusing President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz's government of abuse of power
MOROCCO
(h/t Dibsa 7/5 ) -
Morocco’s important constitutional vote
Morocco took last Friday in approving constitutional changes. The vote was symbolic and substantive, and both characterizations are important. The United States should take note and show support for the changes and how they were brought about. The European Union has already weighed in affirmatively
(h/t Dibsa 7/1 ) - The Monarchy Model
The lesson Arab autocrats seemed to learn from Egypt and Tunisia was almost the exact opposite of what democracy advocates were hoping for. Instead of using less force, leaders across the region have been using more of it, reaching unusual levels of brutality
(h/t Dibsa 7/1 ) - Will Morocco Be the Arab Spring's Great Success—Or Great Failure?
Morocco, they say, is different. When post-World WarII independence movements across North Africa were toppling European-imposed monarchies, Morocco's independence party declared its allegiance to the king, Mohamed V. When colonial-era France deposed the king and replaced him with a puppet, the puppet, apparently unable to bear betraying the beloved monarch, quickly abdicated, recognizing Mohamed V as the true leader
OMAN
(h/t Dibsa 6/28) - Oman sentences 15 protesters for unrest
MUSCAT, Oman (AP) — Judicial authorities in Oman say 15 protesters have been sentenced to jail terms for taking part in violent demonstrations calling for more jobs and other reforms from the Gulf nation's rulers
PALESTINE
(h/t Dibsa 7/1 ) - Palestinian passport art cries freedom
Ramallah, West Bank (CNN) -- When you pass through a country's borders, what does it mean to have immigration issue that authoritative stamp in your passport?
(h/t Dibsa 7/1 ) - The Battle Over the Gaza Flotilla
On Thursday, the passengers of the Audacity of Hope, the US boat in the “Freedom Flotilla 2” to Gaza—a convoy of ten boats, two cargo ships and some 300 civilians—emerged from their hotel on the edge of an Athens turned upside down. The air was heavy from the stench of garbage and tear gas, after two days of a general strike and fighting between police and demonstrators protesting the latest austerity measures. But the dramatic urban landscape barely caught the passengers’ attention as they boarded a chartered bus to a distant Athenian port, kept secret until then due to security concerns
SAUDI ARABIA
(h/t Dibsa 7/1) - Basu: Saudi women are driving change
Americans may not be driving as much this holiday because of high gas prices. But in Saudi Arabia, where the price of gas is about half what it is here, one group of adults is not supposed to be driving anywhere, ever: Women
(h/t Dibsa 7/1) - Saudi Arabia's clerics challenge King Abdullah's reform agenda
On a Friday at one o'clock, Sheikh Saad Bin Naser al-Shethri is leading prayers in a small mosque in an upmarket neighbourhood of Riyadh, the Saudi capital. The faithful fill two floors, listening to the cleric's sermon on the true sense of the traditional greeting "salaam aleikum" – peace be upon you. This, Shethri says, means love thy neighbour
SYRIA
(h/t Dibsa 7/5) -
Syrians resist advancing army in Hama; 3 killed
BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian troops fired Tuesday on residents who set up makeshift roadblocks to prevent the advance of tanks ringing the city of Hama, which has become a flashpoint of the uprising against autocratic President Bashar Assad, activists said. At least three people were killed, they said
(h/t Dibsa 7/5) - Syrian tanks 'pull back from Hama'
Syrian tanks and armoured vehicles deployed at the entrances to the city of Hama have pulled back, residents said. They headed north on Sunday after moving close to the city of 650,000 people
(h/t Dibsa 6/28) -
Syrian opposition tells Russia: Make Assad resign
Exiled Syrian opposition figures urged Russia on Tuesday to persuade Syria's President Bashar al-Assad to resign, warning that Moscow risked being left behind by history unless it withdrew its support for the leader
(h/t Dibsa 6/28) - Syria is ready to accept Reforms
DAMASCUS- the Syrian government accepts it has to embrace reform and move towards democracy, a key advisor has told Sky News. Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban, senior advisor to President Bashar al Assad, said it wanted change because otherwise the country itself would be at risk
(h/t Dibsa 6/28) - U.S. lawmaker on fact-finding mission to Syria
Damascus, Syria (CNN) -- U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the Ohio Democrat who's long been an outspoken anti-war voice in Congress, is visiting volatile Syria to explore whether there is a resolution to the violence spiraling across that country
(h/t Dibsa 6/27) - Syrian opposition meet in Damascus
BEIRUT – Critics of Syria's authoritarian regime, at a rare gathering in Damascus, called Monday for a peaceful transition to democracy and an end to the Assad family's 40-year-old monopoly on power. Otherwise, they said, Syria's current chaos might destroy the country
(h/t Dibsa 6/27) - Syria dissidents vow 'peaceful uprising' for democracy
DAMASCUS (AFP) – Syrian dissidents meeting in Damascus on Monday pledged to press ahead with a "peaceful uprising for freedom" until the creation of a "democratic state."
(h/t Dibsa 6/27) - Syrian refugees in Turkey homesick, but returns rare
YAYLADAGI, Turkey (AFP) – Syrian refugees sheltering in Turkish camps say they are grateful to Turkey for offering them refuge from bloody unrest, but many also miss their homes and some are starting to return
TUNISIA
(h/t Dibsa 7/1) - Drug charges against Ben Ali are 'irrational'
TUNIS — Accusations that ousted Tunisian president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali possessed and planned to sell marijuana are "irrational", his lawyer said Friday as the exiled leader faces another trial on drug trafficking charges during his rule
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
(h/t Dibsa 6/15 ) - UAE urged to release five activists on trial
DUBAI — Human Rights Watch on Wednesday urged Emirati authorities to drop charges against five activists, including a blogger and a lecturer, facing trial for "criticising" the government
WESTERN SAHARA
(h/t Dibsa 6/23) -
The latest round of U.N.-sponsored talks to resolve the conflict over Western Sahara foundered recently. In an email interview, Yahia H. Zoubir, a professor of international relations and international management and the director of research in geopolitics at Euromed Management in Marseilles, France, discussed the Western Sahara talks
YEMEN
(h/t Dibsa 7/5) -
Yemeni opposition given stern warning
SANAA, Yemen, July 5 (UPI) -- Civil war would erupt in Yemen if opposition leaders agree to form a council aimed at vetting a transitional government, a presidential aide said
(h/t Dibsa 7/5) - Yemen arrests head of Shiite opposition party
Yemeni authorities arrested the head of a Shiite opposition party, Hassan Zaid, at Sanaa airport on Tuesday as he was headed for the Saudi city of Jeddah, his son said
(h/t Dibsa 6/28 ) - Yemen bombs anti-government tribal area
SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Yemeni government warplanes and artillery pounded several villages of anti-government tribes north of the capital on Tuesday, killing at least three people, a senior tribal leader said
(h/t Dibsa 6/28) - Saleh to speak on TV to 'reassure' Yemenis
President Ali Abdullah Saleh is to speak on television within days to reassure Yemenis on his health, three weeks after being hospitalised in Riyadh with bomb blast wounds, a senior official said on Tuesday
It bears repeating -
Please Rec this diary.
Our Egyptian brethren articulated what people around the region are fighting for, though variations to the theme may exist from country to country. banner held by protesters and translated to English:
1 The departure of Mubarak
2 An end to the current Parliament
3 An end of the state of emergency
4 The creation of a national united government
5 A parliament elected by the people to modify the constitution and run the presidential elections
6 Put those responsible for the killings on trial
7 Put those responsible for stealing the country's money and other acts of corruption on trial
Will you help us gather updates?
Many hands make light work and we rely on teamwork for timely posting.
Here's how it works:
1. we invite you to join our wiki. (we'll need an email address from you)
2. you choose 1 or more countries you wish to gather citations for
3. go to the page of that country, click EDIT,
4. copy the mini template and fill in what the red text prompts
5. click SAVE
We're working on a publication schedule: Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday. Ideally we would see fresh citations in the wiki by late evening the day before. That is, posts from late Monday evening would be published in Tuesday morning's diary. (If you'd like produce a diary on a different day of the week, we'd love to show you how to update the template and paste it into your diary!)
It's really that simple! Please join us.
Resources:
Note: The old Mothership Diary has good list of resources.
Al Jazeera English - Watch Live (the Youtube link below should work for Mac users unable to load this.)
Al Jazeera live also available on: Dish Network channel 9410 OR DirecTV Channel 375 Link
Al Jazeera on Facebook: - http:// www.facebook.com/aljazeera
Al Jazeera Live on YouTube
English Stream http://www.youtube.com/...
Arabic Stream http://www.youtube.com/...
BBC Middle East reporting
BBC Middle East and Arab Unrest
WorldWideTahrir{NEW} : Worldwide protests being organized to coincide with the upcoming ones in Egypt.
bicycle Hussein paladin - Why Iran 1979 Went to the Islamists and This One Won't
People to follow on twitter: - please suggest people for specific countries. Thank you!
@ArabRevolution - Region
@Dima_Khatib - Region
@March15Syria - Syria
@JNovak_Yemen - Yemen
@WomanfromYemen - Yemen
@Gheblawi - Libya
@ShababLibya - Libya
@feb17voices - Libya
@DrsForLibya - Libya
@libyanexpat - Libya
@lissnp - Iran
@prsianbanoo - Iran
@sandmonkey - Egypt
@JRamyRaoof - Egypt
@Elazul - Egypt
@Ssirgany - Egypt
@sharifkouddous
@monasosh
@ioerror
@ElBaradei
@SultanAlQassemi
@evanchill
@glcarlstrom
@nolanjazeera
@3arabawy
@shadihamid
@bencnn
@arabist
@speaktotweet: Egyptian Voice Tweets on Twitter
Previous Child Diaries:
Egypt and the Region Liveblog Archive by unaspenser
NOTE: We renamed the original "Egypt Liveblog" to "Witnessing Revolution". From Egypt the pro-democracy fire spread rapidly. It's not clear that it will be limited by geography or ethnicity. So, we wanted a name which states what is happening yet allows us to grow with the movement, wherever that will be. The number sequence will be continuous. The group name will remain the same. Only this particular diary series within the group changed names.
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