You are in the the 165th diary of the liveblog bearing witness to the 2011 populist uprisings. We stand with our international friends and their courageous struggle for dignity, self-determination and human rights. (see more about the other work or our group below)
PLS REC this diary to maximize how many people bear witness. PLS UNREC the previous liveblog diary.
Libya is, justifiably, capturing our attention. Will the intervention help without taking ownership of the revolution from the Libyan people? Will it even help turn the tide or will there be a long, drawn out stalemate of a civil war? How long will international forces be there? What exactly will they and won't they do? It's all very anxiety-ridden and we will continue to bear witness. While doing so, please remember to give some of your witnessing time to Syria, Bahrain, Yemen, Egypt, etc. We post updates for them all when we can. Syria is particularly worrisome today....
Libya-new
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 the commencement of operations in Libya found here. (h/t greenbird)
Al Jazeera Libyan live blog found here. (h/t jnhobbs)
UK Telegraph Libyan live blog found here. (h/t bee tzu)
BBC Libyan live blog found here. (h/t greenbird)
The New Yorker Dispatches from Libya found here. (h/t suejazz)
Diary by DK's SpecialKinFlag on NATO assuming responsibility for NFZ herel
(h/t jnhobbs 3/28)
Rebels take Back Oil Centers as Tripoli suffers Gasoline Crisis
Irregulars of the Libyan liberation movement rapidly advanced along the coastal road going West on Sunday, reestablishing control over Brega, Ra’s Lanuf, Ben Jawad and, they say, going all the way to Sirt (no independent source confirms that they actually reached the latter by mid-morning Monday). The path was paved by British Tornado fighter jets that took out armor and artillery all along the road from Ajdabiya going west to Sirt. Though there were some military encounters, for the most part the rebel forces did not so much reconquer the cities as just drive unopposed into them, since allied bombing raids had softened them up, pro-Qaddafi forces had fled, and local people appear to have accepted the liberation movement soldiers without resisting them.
(h/t MartyM)
Libyan rebels advance on Muammar Gaddafi's home town
Libyan rebels are advancing on Muammar Gaddafi's home city, Sirte, after retaking all the ground lost in earlier fighting as government forces broke up and fled under western air strikes.
Revolutionary forces rapidly moved more than 150 miles west along Libya's coastal road, seizing several towns without resistance, as the first witness accounts emerged of the devastating effect on Gaddafi's army and militia of the aerial bombardment that broke their resistance at Ajdabiya on Saturday.
(h/t bee tzu 3/26) -
Libya: No arms for rebels, UK's Liam Fox says
Coalition countries attacking targets in Libya will not supply arms to anti-Gaddafi rebels, UK Defence Secretary Liam Fox has told the BBC.
There are reports in the Sunday Times claiming plans to supply weapons to rebels are being drawn up.
But Dr Fox said there was a UN arms embargo across the entire country, adding "we have to accept that".
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(h/t Claudius Bombarnac) - Timeline of the 2011 Libyan uprising
The 2011 Libyan uprising began on 15 February 2011 as a civil protest and has since become a widespread uprising. On 25 February 2011, most of Libya was reported to be under the control of the Libyan opposition and not the government of Muammar al-Gaddafi Gaddafi remained in control of Tripoli, Sirt and Sabha.
More regional tidbits after the fold....bold section names indicate fresh content...
The liveblog is primarily for witnessing, for other activities see the group stream.
We are in the process of collecting suggested readings for background reference materials in support of the Eyes on Egypt and the Region group. These readings may be either non-fiction or fiction, general to the region or specific to a country or issue. If there are resources which you believe 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 mailer to angry marmot.
Libyan Doctors for Hospitals in Libya an impressive new aide organization launched by one of our own: StepLeftStepForward.
Please place links and info for intervention ideas (humanitarian and beyond) in comments titled "Intervention". We encourage you to provide information without imploring, disrespecting those who might not pursue the intervention, or engaging long debates about the merits. With uniform content labeling, those interested can readily find them and those who want to produce intervention diaries can gather the data efficiently. Please post the link if you do produce an intervention resource diary. We'll include it in the next updated liveblog. Thank you.
The group is producing a series of diaries that provide background and analysis on the region in general and on individual countries. We hope to provide a context for interpreting current events in the news. The published diaries in the series are:
Eyes on Egypt and the Region Background Resources
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NOTE: We have renamed the liveblog "Witnessing Revolution". What started in Egypt has 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 will have a name change.
GENERAL ANALYSIS
(h/t lotlizard 3/28) -
Brutal crackdowns chill the Arab Spring
The Arab Spring, which began with an exuberant burst in Tunisia and Egypt and swept up protesters from North Africa to the Persian Gulf, is running into a brutal counter-revolution by hard-line regimes.
Syria was the latest country to respond to demands for political reform with a lethal crackdown last week. In Libya, Moammar Gadhafi's regime is still using deadly force to hold on to power despite a weeklong U.S.-led military campaign.
In Bahrain, a minority-led government invited its Arab neighbors to join a violent crackdown on demonstrators that has inflamed sectarian tensions. In Yemen, talks over replacing a U.S.-backed dictator who has pledged to resign stalled over the weekend, with the regime warning that chaos would ensue if he leaves.
(h/t suejazz 3/28) - Unrest in Syria and Jordan Poses New Test for U.S. Policy
Even as the Obama administration defends the NATO-led air war in Libya, the latest violent clashes in Syria and Jordan are raising new alarm among senior officials who view those countries, in the heartland of the Arab world, as far more vital to American interests.
Deepening chaos in Syria, in particular, could dash any remaining hopes for a Middle East peace agreement, several analysts said. It could also alter the American rivalry with Iran for influence in the region and pose challenges to the United States’ greatest ally in the region, Israel.
In interviews, administration officials said the uprising appeared to be widespread, involving different religious groups in southern and coastal regions of Syria, including Sunni Muslims usually loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. The new American ambassador in Damascus, Robert Ford, has been quietly reaching out to Mr. Assad to urge him to stop firing on his people.
As American officials confront the upheaval in Syria, a country with which the United States has icy relations, they say they are pulled between fears that its problems could destabilize neighbors like Lebanon and Israel, and the hope that it could weaken one of Iran’s key allies.
ALGERIA
(h/t suejazz 3/24 ) - In Algeria, Popular Protests Still Simmer Beneath Surface
Algeria is simmering with the same toxic mix of economic and political discontent that has exploded into revolts across the Arab world. But another effort to stage an anti-government protest in front of the main post office in downtown Algiers failedIt was announced on Facebook as a youth march that would rally thousands. But only a few dozen showed up, quickly dispersed by riot police who easily outnumbered them.
Nalia Hamish, 31, vented her frustration. She said every time the protesters try to gather, the police break them up. They want the freedom to express themselves politically - starting with the right to protest.
BAHRAIN
(h/t suejazz 3/28 ) - Bahrain shuns Kuwait's mediation offer
Bahrain's Foreign Minister has denied reports that Kuwait would mediate to resolve Bahrain's political crisis.
Wefaq, the island's leading Shia opposition group, said on Sunday it would accept an offer by Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, Kuwait's Emir, to mediate between Bahrain's ruling Sunni Muslim al-Khalifa family and the Shia opposition groups.
The Gulf Cooperation Council, a regional political and economic bloc made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, had welcomed the mediation move on Sunday.
The oppositon party is hoping to re-open a dialogue with the government in an effort to end the political crisis in Bahrain.
A British newspaper report says the opposition is no longer insisting on certain conditions for talks, including the sacking of the cabinet, or a new assembly to rewrite the constitution.
Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Khalifa, Bahrain minister of foreign affairs said on his Twitter page there were no plans for a Kuwaiti-led dialogue.
"Any talk about Kuwaiti mediation in Bahrain is completely untrue, there were previous efforts that were not answered, but these were ended by the act of National Safety (martial law)."
(h/t suejazz 3/28) - Bahrain opposition moderates demands
Bahrain’s main opposition party has moderated its demands as it seeks to open a dialogue with the government in an effort to end the political crisis engulfing the kingdom.
The climbdown comes less than two weeks after the government launched a crackdown on largely Shia pro-democracy demonstrations that had rocked the country since mid-February. Members of the opposition say they have dropped previous preconditions to dialogue, which included the resignation of the cabinet and a constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution.
The government, which has called for a national dialogue, has yet to respond to the initiative, which has come as the result of contacts between the Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, the Kuwaiti emir, and the opposition.
Officials declined to comment on the potential external mediation but have previously said dialogue remains possible if there is “stability and security”.
Joe Biden, the US vice-president, on Sunday spoke to Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s Crown Prince, and both agreed that “only a political solution would give Bahrain long-term stability”.
(h/t suejazz 3/28) - Bahrain rulers see slow return to normal
Citing an easing of turmoil, Bahrain Sunday shortened a curfew on a major road and said middle schools will reopen Monday.
The curfew at a highway leading from the capital, Manama, to the country's second city, Muharraq, will now run from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., Gulf News quoted the army saying.
The news service also cited unconfirmed reports that the largest opposition party, Al Wefaq, has welcomed an offer from Kuwait to mediate talks with the monarchy. Kuwaiti Parliament Speaker Jassem Al Khorafi said the emir would mediate only if the opposition drops preconditions.
Bahrain's foreign minister, Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmad al-Khalifa, told Indian, Pakistani and Filipino expatriates the government would guarantee their safety.
See lotlizard's diary
Bahrain after "Tien An Manama"
COTE D'IVOIRE
(h/t suejazz 3/28) - Battle Erupts For Key Ivory Coast Town
Intense fighting has erupted in western Ivory Coast, where fighters loyal to two rival presidents are battling for control of Duekoue, a strategic town.
Residents of Duekoue reported hearing explosions and heavy weapons being fired on Monday.
Witnesses say fighters backing internationally-recognized president Alassane Ouattara launched an attack to capture the town from forces of incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo.
Pro-Ouattara rebels have been making gains in western Ivory Coast, seizing at least five towns from pro-Gbagbo troops in recent weeks.
Gbagbo has defied intense international pressure to turn over power to Ouattara, who the United Nations and African Union recognize as the winner of last November's presidential election.
The town of Duekoue is located at a crossroads that leads to either Liberia in the west or Guinea in the north.
(h/t suejazz 3/28) - Britain announces emergency aid for Ivory Coast refugees
The British government has announced an emergency aid package for refugees fleeing violence in Ivory Coast amid concerns that the fighting could spread and destabilise west Africa.
The Department for International Development said it would provide £16m to humanitarian agencies to provide emergency aid to Ivory Coast and Liberia.
On Friday, the UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency, estimated that between 700,000 and 1 million people could now be displaced following Ivory Coast's disputed presidential election last November. More than 100,000 people are estimated to have crossed the border into Liberia, around 62,000 of them arriving between 24 February and the middle of last week.
"Most refugees are seeking safety in Nimba County [in Liberia]. However, since this week, we have been seeing many more cross into Grand Gedeh County, further south. On Tuesday alone, more than 6,000 Ivorians entered the region and settled in remote areas in and around Janzon, Tuzon and Sweaken, including in villages that are inaccessible by car. The new arrivals fled from Blolequin," said spokeswoman Melissa Fleming.
The news comes as Alassane Ouattara, the internationally recognised winner of last year's election, rejected the representative chosen by the African Union to negotiate a settlement to the presidential crisis with incumbent Laurent Gbagbo, further raising the prospect of civil war in the country.
(h/t suejazz 3/28) - Ouattara rejects AU envoy for Ivorian crisis
Alassane Ouattara, Ivory Coast's internationally recognized president, has rejected the African Union's nomination of an envoy due to negotiate an end to the crisis in the country, questioning his impartiality.
The AU on Saturday appointed Jose Brito, Cape Verde's former foreign minister, as its diplomat charged with overseeing talks meant to result in incumbent Laurent Gbagbo stepping down in favor of Ouattara leading a government of unity to end a crisis that has pushed the top cocoa producer to the brink of war.
But Ouattara's camp overnight complained that it had not been consulted on the AU nomination, adding that Brito was unsuitable as he had personal and professional relations with Gbagbo and was not a former president, as was expected.
"As a result, the president of the republic of Ivory Coast rejects Mr Jose Brito as the AU's High Representative," Ouattara's office said in a statement.
decembersue has an excellent diary here. Good reading for those interested in this story.
DJIBOUTI
(h/t suejazz 3/24 ) - Djibouti asks opposition to 'refrain' from rally
The Djibouti government Thursday asked opposition parties to "refrain" from holding a meeting they had planned for Friday to coincide with the start of the electoral campaign.
The Horn of Africa country will hold presidential elections, which the opposition plans to boycott, on April 8. The only two candidates are outgoing president Ismael Omar Guelleh and independent candidate Mohamed Warsama Ragueh, the former head of the Constitutional Council.
EGYPT
(h/t angry marmot 3/28) - Beni Suef security head indicted on charges of killing protesters
A public prosecutor indicted the security chief and other officials of a governorate south of Cairo, charging them with murdering protesters during the 25 January Revolution.
Major General Ahmed Abu Zeid, Colonel Mohamed Abdel Maqsoud and Colonel Mohamed Othman all face charges of murder and attempted murder, according to judicial sources.
Their governorate, Beni Suef, witnessed 19 deaths and more than 300 injuries as a result of police gunfire on 28 January.
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(h/t angry marmot 3/28) - Egypt's emergency law will be lifted before parliamentary elections
Egypt's military has announced that the emergency law will be lifted before parliamentary elections are held.
The emergency law has been in place since the assasination of President Anwar Sadat in 1981.
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(h/t angry marmot 3/28) - Presidential election date yet to be set, says military
It has not yet been decided when Egypt's presidential election will be held, a member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) confirmed on Monday.
At a press conference, Major General Mamdouh Shahin said the constitutional declaration will be issued within a maximum of two days and that parliamentary elections will be conducted in September, as previously announced.
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(h/t lotlizard 3/28) - Egypt’s Revolution: Falling Flat.
t’s been a little over 2 years since I authored anything thing on this site or my own despite so much going on around me, I’ve been content in my retirement. Even the events of Egypt’s “Jan 25th” Revolution didn’t quite awaken my urges to write again which I’m sure surprises a lot of people who have grown accustomed to my writing. It’s not that the Revolution wasn’t news worthy to me, quite the opposite. I watched the revolution in the same way that I watch sports events and this was like watching your favorite team in the final half of the Championship game, it was a nail bitter! Still I sat patiently waiting because I knew the biggest challenges to our freedom was yet to come.
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See Richard Lyon's diary
Egypt: Revolution Or Reaction?
IRAN
(h/t JustJennifer ) - Iran 'frees 80-year-old opposition head'
Ebrahim Yazdi, the 80-year-old head of a banned liberal party who was arrested last October 1, was released from prison on Sunday, state news agency IRNA reported.
Yazdi, a former foreign minister, was arrested in the city of Isfahan along with several other members of the Freedom Movement of Iran.
He was also detained in June 2009 during a wave of unrest which followed the disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that the opposition in the Islamic republic said was the result of massive fraud.
IRAQ
(h/t JustJennifer ) - Police officer killed in N. Iraq demonstration
The mayor of a town in Iraq's Kurdish self-ruled region says one policeman was fatally shot and ten others wounded during a demonstration.
JORDAN
(h/t suejazz 3/27 ) - At least 1,000 attend burial of Jordan protester
Around 1,000 people gathered on Sunday for the burial of a Jordanian protester who died after clashes with government supporters, an AFP photographer said.
Mourners chanted "God is greater," and 'There is no God but God and the martyr is the beloved of God," as they laid to rest Khairy Jamil Saad, in Sahab cemetery, southeast of Amman.
The chants also included: "We sacrifice our souls and blood for you."
Islamist leaders, trade unionists and members of the March 24 youth movement attended the burial, as police deployed around the cemetery.
On Friday, Saad, 55, died and 160 people were injured as police broke up a pro-reform protest camp set up near the interior ministry after 200 government supporters threw stones at 2,000 young demonstrators.
On Saturday his family said it will not bury him unless they receive "an official apology."
"But we decided to bury him today after contacts with the authorities," his son Nasser, 34, told AFP without elaborating.
He has said his father died after "receiving several blows to his body" but the state coroner said an autopsy proved he died of heart failure.
KUWAIT (note: this update relates to Kuwait's involvement in Bahrain)
(h/t suejazz - 3/23) - Libya action: Arab support very strong, Cameron says
Arab support for the military operation over Libya is "very strong", Prime Minister David Cameron has said.
He told the House of Commons Kuwait and Jordan would take part, and that Qatar already had planes in action.
Mr Cameron was speaking as British forces resumed patrols in the skies over Libya, with Tornado and Typhoon jets seen taking off from their bases.
The coalition operation to protect civilians from Col Muammar Gaddafi's forces is in its fifth day.
'Saving lives'
The RAF's commander of the air operation, Air Vice Marshal Greg Bagwell, said on Wednesday that the Libyan air force "no longer exists as a fighting force", and the allies could operate "with near impunity".
LEBANON
(h/t suejazz - 3/23) - Bahrain suspends flights to Lebanon amid strained relations
Beirut - Bahrain's state-run Gulf Air on Wednesday suspended all flights to Lebanon in a move to protest statements made by the leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement against authorities in the kingdom.
'We were informed that Gulf Air will suspend all flights to Lebanon starting March 23,' a source at Beirut's international airport told the German Press Agency dpa.
Authorities in Bahrain on Tuesday asked citizens not to travel to Lebanon. Earlier this month, the Gulf Air suspended flights from Manama to Iran and Iraq, in similar moves.
Hezbollah leader Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, speaking at a rally in Beirut Saturday, referred to events in Bahrain as a 'special injustice'.
MAURITANIA:
(h/t mali muso) - Mauritania protesters want better salaries, lower food prices
Hundreds of people took to the streets after Friday afternoon prayers, demanding more jobs and decent food prices. What was initially meant as a peaceful protest, ended with protesters throwing stones at security forces and setting fire to car tires.
...
Protesters distributed bottles of fresh water to security forces surrounding them, while the authorities continued to deny any access to Blokat square. Demonstrators prevented Mauritania TV from covering the protests, fearing the station would use the footage for political propaganda. Protesters earlier complained about police women pretending to be journalists. The videos were reportedly used by intelligent forces to identify youth leaders and facilitate future arrests.
MOROCCO
(h/t greenbird 3/26) -
Moroccan Monarchy’s Sacredness
An Obstacle to Democracy
Yes, Mohammed VI’s March 9 speech was indeed historic. But no, it is not because it announced a major constitutional reform. If this speech is to be marked, it is because, by delivering it, a Moroccan King surrendered to popular pressure – a spectacular first since the country’s independence in 1956. This alone demonstrates that history, in Morocco, is already in the making.
(h/t JustJennifer 3/26)- Morocco teachers say beaten by police during rally
Moroccan police clashed with teachers demonstrating for better benefits on Thursday, seriously injuring several people in the capital Rabat, participants said.
Various groups have stepped up protests in recent weeks, emboldened by successful uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. Tens of thousands gathered in cities across the kingdom on Sunday in one of the largest anti-government protests in decades.
(h/t JustJennifer3/26) - Moroccan King’s Speech Long on Reform Promises, Short on Details?
King Mohamed VI has sometimes been called “the King of the Poor” for the reforms he has instituted in that country since inheriting the throne from his father, King Hassan II, in 1999. He instituted wider media freedoms and allowed media to report on corruption; he released political prisoners and amended the country’s penal code to ban torture; he acknowledged the government’s responsibility for thousands of so-called disappearances and other past human rights abuses; and he compensated victims and their relatives.
However, these gestures were not enough to guarantee Morocco’s immunity to the wave of discontent that has swept through North Africa since the beginning of the year. Inspired by Tunisia and Egypt, Moroccan youth began February 20 to stage street protests of their own.
OMAN
(h/t suejazz - 3/23) - Protesters in Oman camp out at a government complex, demand 'corrupt' ministers resign
MUSCAT, Oman - Protesters in Oman have set up a tent camp at a government complex in the capital Muscat, saying they will not leave until several ministers they accuse of corruption leave.
Hundreds of demonstrators Wednesday demanded the ouster of the justice, housing and labour ministers and the attorney general.
Oman's ruler Sultan Qaboos bin Said has made sweeping Cabinet shake-ups since the start of strikes and sit-ins, staged by thousands of workers and pro-reform activists in the strategic Gulf nation.
Protests for jobs, pay hikes, and a greater public role in politics started last month. They were inspired by anti-government demonstrations in Tunisia and Egypt.
Oman shares control of the Gulf waterway that carries 40 per cent of the world's oil tanker traffic with Iran.
QATAR
(h/t lotlizard 3/26 ) -
Why Qatar seems immune from the Arab world's revolutionary fever
Qatar, which has a population of around 1.5 million, approximately 200,000 of whom are Qatari citizens, has an unemployment rate of half a percent. Its GDP per capita of $145,300 is the highest in the world and its 2010 growth rate was 19.4 percent, also ranking it No. 1 in 2010.
Its comparably small, docile population allows Sheikh al-Thani to operate a rentier state: Qataris don't pay income tax, and they're provided with free utilities and health care. Education is also heavily subsidized, with Qatari students often receiving full scholarships to attend universities. In exchange for these perks, Qataris allow Sheikh al-Thani to rule unopposed.
The country's migrant laborers, primarily from Southeast Asia, are frequently underpaid and abused. The controversial Sponsorship Law, which other Gulf countries have recently abolished, prohibits them from leaving the country without permission from their sponsor, essentially dictating a relationship of indentured servitude. Southeast Asian laborers have virtually no political voice in Qatar. If they were to take to the streets and protest, they'd be deported
SAUDI ARABIA
(h/t JustJennifer 3/26) -
Saudi protesters stage fresh rallies
Shia protesters have staged rallies in two villages near Qatif in the oil-rich eastern province of Saudi Arabia, renewing demands for the release of prisoners and the withdrawal of Saudi forces in Bahrain in spite of requests from senior Shia clerics to halt protests.
About 400 people marched in al-Rabiya after Friday prayers, while 600 took to the streets of al-Awwamiya after mid-afternoon prayers carrying Saudi and Bahraini flags, residents told the Financial Times.
(h/t JustJennifer 3/26) -
Saudi Shi'ites Protest for Reforms
Hundreds of Shi'ites in Saudi Arabia rallied in two towns in the kingdom's eastern province of Qatif, where they demanded the release of prisoners and the withdrawal of Saudi troops from Bahrain.
Some demonstrators waved Bahraini flags on Friday as they took to the streets in a show of solidarity with Bahrain's Shi'ite majority, which has been demanding reforms from the country's Sunni-led government.
See lotlizard's diary
The situation of Shiites in Saudi Arabia
SYRIA-new
Al Jazeera Syrian live blog found here.
(h/t suejazz 3/28 ) - Syrian troops fire teargas at protesters in Deraa
Security forces in Syria are reported to have fired teargas and fired shots in the air as anti-government protests flared again in the southern city of Deraa.
The unrest followed clashes in Latakia over the weekend in which at least 12 people died, and promises by the authorities to lift emergency laws restricting public gatherings and allowing arrests on the grounds of national security.
A witness told Associated Press that forces had fired teargas as up to 4,000 people protested in Deraa. He said security forces fired teargas at first. He also heard gunfire, although it appeared guns were being fired in the air.
A witness told Reuters news agency demonstrators had converged on a main square in the city, chanting "We want dignity and freedom" and "No to emergency laws".
(h/t suejazz 3/28) - Syria Tries to Ease Deep Political Crisis
The Syrian government tried to ease a grave political crisis on Sunday by blaming armed gangs for killing 12 people in the northwestern port city of Latakia in previous days and promising to soon lift a draconian emergency law that allows the government to detain people without charges.
Despite an announcement that the president, Bashar al-Assad, would address the nation on Sunday night, he stayed out of sight, as he has during more than a week of unrest that is threatening his own 11-year presidency and more than 40 years of his family’s iron-fisted rule. At least 61 people have died during crackdowns on protesters in several cities.
The capital, Damascus, was quiet throughout the day, offering a veneer of calm at a time of great uncertainty. Speculation over high-level conflicts swirled as Syrians retreated to their homes, fearful of more protests and more bloodshed. There were rumors of cracks within the insular and opaque leadership of the nation, while the government sent out competing messages of compromise and crackdowns.
There was also confusion over what, if anything, the government was planning regarding the emergency law. A government official told reporters in Damascus that it would soon be repealed. But the official did not explain what it would mean to remove the emergency law, in place since 1963, given that so many other laws restrict freedoms and grant immunity to the secret police.
(h/t suejazz 3/28) - Clinton rules out U.S. Syria involvement
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday appeared to rule out the United States intervening militarily in Syria in the same way it has in Libya, saying in a TV interview that each Arab uprising was unique.
Speaking in an interview taped on Saturday, Clinton said she deplored the violence in Syria but the circumstances were different in Libya, where Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had used his air force and heavy armor against civilians.
Bordering Israel, Lebanon and Iraq and an ally to Iran, Syria has long had a vexed relationship with the United States, which accuses it of backing Palestinian militants, meddling in Lebanon and allowing anti-U.S. insurgents to cross into Iraq.
The United States, which already has extensive sanctions on Syria, has few levers to influence Damascus and only restored an ambassador there in January after a nearly six-year gap.
(h/t suejazz 3/28) - Syria arrests US national for sedition: reports
Syria has arrested an American national for inciting protests against the regime, official media reported Sunday.
State-run television ran footage of a young man it said was an Egyptian carrying a United States passport, who had been working in Syria after a secret visit to Israel.
The man said on camera that he had "received foreign money for transmitting images and videos about Syria".
He said he had been contacted by a Colombian national and had received 100 Egyptian pounds (17 dollars, 12 euros) for each photo sent, and more per video.
He added that he had received "e-mails sent from abroad asking if it was possible to transmit video on the (situation) in Syria", where unprecedented protests against the regime have been spreading across the country since March 15.
He further stated he had travelled to Israel via Jordan, visiting Jerusalem before returning to Syria.
A source at the US embassy in Damascus told AFP they "were aware of reports concerning the arrest of US citizens" and "had contacted the relevant authorities" in Syria.
(h/t suejazz 3/28) - Tension and Grief in Syria After Protests and Deadly Reprisals
Violence continued to plague Syria on Saturday, as government forces killed more demonstrators in Latakia, protesters burned offices of the ruling party in the south and west, and mourners throughout the country buried the dozens of unarmed protesters killed a day earlier.
President Bashar al-Assad of the ruling Baath Party began the day in what appeared to be a gesture intended to ease the crisis, when he announced the release of as many as 200 political prisoners. But by sunset, Baath Party offices were burning in at least two cities, the military was deployed in Latakia and once again government forces opened fire with live rounds, witnesses said.
TUNISIA
(h/t suejazz 3/28 ) - Tunisian president names new interior minister-TAP
Tunisia's interim president Fouad Mebazza has named a new interior minister, the official TAP news agency said on Monday.
It said Habib Sid will replace Farhat Rajhi as interior minister. It said Mebazza made the move on "the proposition of the prime minister" Beji Caid Essebsi
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (note: relates to the situation in Libya)
(h/t suejazz 3/25 ) - UAE commits 12 planes to Libya despite Bahrain
The United Arab Emirates, a key US ally, said it has committed six F-16 and six Mirage fighters to help enforce the no-fly zone over Libya, despite reservations linked to unrest in Bahrain.
"UAE participation in the patrols will commence in the coming days," Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan announced, quoted by state news agency WAM late on Thursday.
"In support of UN Resolution 1973, the UAE is fully engaged with humanitarian operations in Libya," he said.
"As an extension of those humanitarian operations, the UAE air force has committed six F-16 and six Mirage aircraft to participate in the patrols that will enforce the no-fly zone now established over Libya."
A former UAE air force commander said earlier this week that his country had delayed its military deployment because of disagreements with the West over the unrest in Bahrain.
Major General Khaled al-Buainnain, quoted in Abu Dhabi's The National newspaper, said the disagreement stemmed from the conviction of Arab states in the Gulf that Iran had stirred the troubles in Bahrain.
WESTERN SAHARA
(h/t suejazz ) - Western Sahara: ‘We only want our country’
Western Sahara is the last country in Africa awaiting decolonisation.
Invaded by Spain in the late 19th century, mass mobilisations in the early 1970s heralded the birth of the modern independence movement.
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YEMEN
(h/t jnhobbs 3/28) -
Blasts at Yemen bullet factory kill at least 110
A series of blasts at a bullet factory in south Yemen killed at least 110 people on Monday when residents broke in to steal ammunition a day after clashes between militants and the army in the town, doctors said.
(h/t JustJennifer 3/28) -
Is it 'game over' in Yemen?
Since snipers killed 52 Yemeni protesters a little over a week ago, events in the country have been progressing at a rapid rate. The shootings after Friday prayers drew nationwide condemnation and triggered a series of high profile defections – all of which served to increase the pressure on Ali Abdullah Saleh, the president.
But the most dramatic development in the unfolding Yemeni saga has been the defection of Major General Ali Mohsin, the head of the northwestern military zone and the first armoured division. In a recorded speech aired on Al Jazeera, he declared that he was deploying army units to protect the protesting youth.
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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
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Resources:
Note: The Mothership Diary is the place to go for a complete 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
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
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