You are in the the 175th entry of the Witness Revolution diaries, 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 as brave people strive against oppression for representative democracy with civil and human rights. One small bit of assurance that they do not strive in obscurity.
TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
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Women filled the streets of Yemen, in protest, yesterday. As Bahrainian bloggers and YouTubers continue to be arrested there is a cry for help via that very same new media. Meanwhile, is "war" a new norm in Libya?
YEMEN
Though I can't find any reports on the professional news media, unprecedented numbers of women protested in Sanaa yesterday.
Mohmeed_nasser Apr 13, 5:45pm via Facebook
#yemen#sanaa#Ibb The largest demonstrations for women cities of Ibb and Sana'a with PIC"S and VIDEO http://fb.me/...
see more photos posted at
Yemen4All.com.
The images of masses of people filling the streets captures our imaginations. The faces of individuals grab at our hearts.
Mohmeed_nasser Apr 13, 12:18am via Facebook
#yemen sad mother in change square pic http://fb.me/...
BAHRAIN
Bahrainians use new media to reach out for support:
LIBYA
UprisingLive 1 day 4 hours ago
Great #Libya picture: anti #Gaddafi fighter escorts his son away from the front line http://yfrog.com/... (alj) @wheelertweets @changeinlibya @shabablibya
May father and son both be able to talk about this photo years from now. Insha'Allah.
More news listed country by country below the fold...
This group produces a series of diaries which provide background and analysis on the region in general and on individual countries. We hope these provide context for you as you read about current events. The published diaries in the series are:
Eyes on Egypt and the Region Background Resources
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Libyan Doctors for Hospitals in Libya is an impressive new aide organization launched by one of our own: StepLeftStepForward.
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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.
GENERAL ANALYSIS
(h/t Dibsa 4/12)No concessions to media as indiscriminate repression continues in countries with pro-democracy protests
BAHRAIN
Reporters Without Borders strongly condemns netizen Zakariya Rashid Hassan’s death in detention on 9 April, six days after his arrest on charges of inciting hatred, disseminating false news, promoting sectarianism and calling for the regime’s overthrow in online forums
LIBYA
Reporters Without Borders has learned that three MBC journalists were arrested in Ajdabiya on the afternoon of 6 April as they were heading to the front at Brega
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Ahmed Mansoor, a blogger and human rights activist who had reported receiving death threats in recent days, was finally arrested on 8 April
SYRIA
Zine Cherfaoui, an Algerian journalist working for the daily El-Watan who was denied entry on arriving at Damascus international airport on 7 April, was asked by the Syrian authorities to leave on 10 April, after spending three days at the airport
YEMEN
Oussama Ghalib, the editor of the independent newspaper Al-Nass, and the reporter Mansour Al-Jaradi received death threats by telephone on 10 April about a report that the authorities were unable to control Sanhan, the region President Ali Abdullah Saleh is from.
ALGERIA
(h/t Dibsa 4/13) - Dozens of injured in Algerian student protest
Clashes in Algeria between student protesters and police have left dozens of injured on both sides.
Several thousand students took to the streets yesterday for the latest of a number of demonstrations over poor conditions in higher education and unpopular reforms.
They want the government to scrap a new law they argue devalues their qualifications.
“We’ve had enough of those in power”, they chanted.
One student said: “people are here because they feel the ministry has let them down and the only hope they still have is the President. He is the only one who can save Algerian students.”
The students tried to march on the presidential palace, but were kept well away while Abdelaziz Bouteflika hosted an African Union meeting on Libya.
Unemployment especially among young people is rampant in Algeria, where the largest employer is the state.
Graduates argue the few opportunities that exist are being diluted by the new law that gives equal status to lesser qualifications
(h/t JustJennifer 4/12) - Thousands of students demonstrate in Algiers
Between 2,000 and 3,000 students held a march Tuesday in central Algiers in defiance of a government ban on demonstrations in the Algerian capital.
The students gathered in front of the central post office and ran up against several cordons of police deployed in downtown Algiers from the early hours of the morning, journalists at the scene reported.
The students shouted slogans such as "There's been enough of the ministry, enough poverty." They also called on Superior Education Minister Rachid Harroubia to resign.
BAHRAIN
(h/t Dibsa 4/14) - Bahrain orders biggest Shiite party dissolved
Bahrain's official news agency says authorities have ordered the Gulf nation's biggest Shiite party to be dismantled. The party, Al Wefaq, has led anti-government protests against the island kingdom's Sunni rulers.
A report Thursday on the state-run news agency says Bahrain's justice minister has taken "legal action" to disband Al Wefaq "for threatening peace."
The decision is part of Bahrain's wide-ranging crackdown on the kingdom's Shiite opposition after its supporters staged weeks of street protests and sit-ins against the Sunni royal family.
Bahrain declared martial law last month to quell the revolt, detaining prominent opposition leaders, hundreds of protesters and political activists.
At least 30 people have died since the protests began Feb. 14
(h/t Dibsa 4/14) - Bahrain: Suspicious Deaths in Custody
Bahrain's public prosecutor should investigate three deaths in custody reported since April 3, 2011, and hold accountable anyone found responsible for torture, ill-treatment, or denial of medical care, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch observed the body of one of the three men, Ali Isa Ibrahim Saqer, which bore signs of horrific abuse.
Human Rights Watch also called on the government to disclose the whereabouts of detainees, permit them to contact their families and lawyers, and open detention centers to independent inspection. As of April 6, the opposition Wifaq National Islamic Society had collected names of 430 people who relatives say have been arrested since demonstrations began on February 14.
(h/t Dibsa 4/14) - Concerned at violence in Bahrain, Ban calls for restraint and dialogue
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today voiced his concern to Bahrain’s Foreign Minister about the violence in the country in which demonstrators have been killed or injured, and called for maximum restraint and caution.
During their meeting in Doha, Qatar, on the margins of the Libya Contact Group meeting, Mr. Ban was briefed by Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa on recent developments in Bahrain.
The country is one of several in the Middle East and North Africa that has been rocked this year by protests calling for increased freedoms and democratic reforms. The Government’s crackdown on protesters has draw criticism from UN officials, including the High Commissioner for Human Rights
(h/t Dibsa 4/13) - Bahrain continues to detain protestors: Further information
The crackdown on activists continues in Bahrain, with the detention of a prominent Bahraini human rights activist and his two sons-in-law on April 9 2011. They join over 400 activists currently held for their participation in and support for protests that began on 14 February.
(h/t Dibsa 4/13) - "I Am Willing to Give My Life": Bahraini Human Rights Activists Risk Lives to Protest U.S./Saudi-Backed Repression
The Gulf nation of Bahrain is intensifying its crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. On Saturday, masked police offers broke into the home of Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, a prominent Bahraini human rights activist. He was beaten and detained. We speak to his daughter, Zainab Alkhawaja, who witnessed the attack and is now on a hunger strike. Her husband and brother-in-law were also beaten and arrested in the pre-dawn raid. We also speak to Nabeel Rajab, the president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights. He is facing a possible military trial for publishing the photograph of Ali Sager, a protester who died while in Bahraini custody. [includes rush transcript]
(h/t Dibsa 4/13)
Barack Obama must speak out on Bahrain bloodshed
Three days after Hosni Mubarak resigned as the long-standing dictator in Egypt, people in the small Gulf state of Bahrain took to the streets, marching to their version of Tahrir: Pearl Square, in the capital city of Manama. Bahrain has been ruled by the same family, the House of Khalifa, since the 1780s – more than 220 years. Bahrainis were not demanding an end to the monarchy, but for more representation in their government
(h/t JustJennifer 4/12) - Daughter of jailed Bahraini goes on hunger strike
A daughter of a prominent Bahraini human rights activist went on hunger strike on Tuesday to protest the arrest of several family members — including her father and her husband — for their connection to anti-government protests.
Zainab al-Khawaja told The Associated Press that she will refuse food until her father, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, is released, along with her husband, brother-in-law and uncle.
The 27-year-old mother of a baby girl first announced her hunger strike in a letter addressed to President Barack Obama that she posted on her blog on Monday.
(h/t JustJennifer 4/12 ) - Opposition businessman dies in Bahrain prison - group
A Shi'ite businessman and member of Bahrain opposition group Wefaq died in police custody on Tuesday, the group said, and the daughter of an arrested activist said she was on a hunger strike.
There was no immediate reaction by state media to the reported death and officials were not available to comment.
Bahrain's Sunni Muslim rulers quelled weeks of protests led by mostly Shi'ite demonstrators last month by spreading security forces throughout the capital and calling in troops from Sunni-led Gulf Arab states, including oil giant Saudi Arabia.
(h/t Dibsa 4/12)Back Human Rights in Bahrain
The United States has struggled to balance human rights principles and strategic concerns in responding to protests across the Middle East, from Tunisia to Iran. Too often, it has been behind the curve.
Principles have been given short shrift in Bahrain, home port of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet. Its Sunni-led monarchy, backed by Saudi tanks, has cracked down on largely peaceful protests by the country's Shiite majority - to a muted U.S. response.
President Barack Obama calls Syria's response to its protesters "abhorrent," but he loses his voice when it comes to Bahrain. He is apparently conceding to Saudi Arabia, whose rulers seem determined to stamp out any uncontrollable democracy -one perhaps under Iranian influence - in the neighborhood.
The Obama administration must do all it can so that the people protesting for freedom do not view Washington as the monarchy's enabler, particularly because the monarchy is losing legitimacy with a majority of its people
COTE D'IVOIRE
(h/t mimi 4/12 ) - Côte d’Ivoire: Ban warns against retribution towards Gbagbo’s supporters
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged Côte d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara to ensure that there is no retaliation against supporters of his predecessor Laurent Gbagbo, who surrendered yesterday after months of defying the outcome of the election he lost.
In telephone discussions with Mr. Ouattara late yesterday, the Secretary-General stressed the expectation that since Mr. Gbagbo is now in the hands of the President’s forces, any further bloodshed will be avoided.
Mr. Gbagbo’s refusal to step down after losing the United Nations-certified presidential runoff poll in November plunged the West African country into violence, with his forces pitted against soldiers loyal to Mr. Ouattara, the internationally recognized President.
(h/t Dibsa 4/13)
Ouattara versus Gbagbo: Good versus evil?
Alassane Ouattara aspired to be president of Ivory Coast for decades. Now, after four long months of post-election turmoil and the capture of his political rival, the job is indisputably his.
"Finally, we have reached the dawn of a new era of hope," Ouattara said in a televised address.
But by even the most optimistic assessments, Ouattara faces a daunting task in forging a peaceful and stable path forward.
Chief among his challenges, said longtime observers, will be to unite a severely divided nation and ensure justice for those who committed grave human rights violations in the nation's political vacuum
(h/t Dibsa 4/13) - Ivory Coast: Alassane Ouattara says Laurent Gbagbo 'will be tried in his own country'
As he began the task of reconciling the divided west African nation, Alassane Ouattara announced “legal proceedings” were under way against Mr Gbagbo, his wife and political allies.
Mr Ouattara dismissed calls for Mr Gbagbo, who is accused of atrocities against civilians, to be swiftly deported for trial and said “all measures” were being taken to protect him after his dramatic capture.
“I ask you to remain calm and show restraint,” Mr Ouattara said in a televised address, in which he hailed “the dawn of a new era of hope”.
A UN-backed attempt to move Mr Gbagbo descended into farce on Tuesday evening, as officials admitted the deposed strongman had simply refused to budge from his room at Abidjan's Golf Hotel.
Farhan Haq, the UN Secretary-General's deputy spokesman, said earlier that Mr Gbagbo had been moved to a secret location, presumed to be in the north where Mr Ouattara’s support is based
(h/t dibsa 4/13) - All sides in Ivory Coast to face justice, Ouattara says
Ivory Coast's new President Alassane Ouattara has said all sides in the country's conflict must face justice.
He said he would ask the International Criminal Court to probe massacres in which both his forces and those of his rival Laurent Gbagbo were suspected.
Mr Gbagbo was captured on Monday by Mr Ouattara's forces after he refused to accept he lost elections in November.
He will now face charges at a "national level and an international level", Mr Ouattara said.
At a news conference in the main city of Abidjan, Mr Ouattara said Mr Gbagbo had been moved to a secure location
DJIBOUTI
(h/t Dibsa 4/13 ) -
Djibouti validates presidential poll results
Djibouti's constitutional council on Wednesday validated results of last week's presidential poll which showed that incumbent Ismael Omar Guelleh won 80 percent of votes in a contest boycotted by the opposition.
The 63-year-old Guelleh faced a single independent candidate, Mohamed Warsama Ragueh, who took 19 percent in last Friday's elections.
Opposition groups had stayed out of the polls in protest at constitutional changes overseen by Guelleh that allowed him to run for a third term, but which he said would be his last.
Turnout from the 152,000 registered voters was 75 percent.
Guelleh has ruled the small but strategic country since 1999.
Djibouti hosts the largest oversees French military base as well as the only US army base in Africa
(h/t JustJennifer 4/12 ) - Djibouti: President Ismael Omar Guelleh wins third term
The president of Djibouti has secured a third term in office after a landslide election victory, despite recent protests against his rule.
Ismail Omar Guelleh has won 80% of the votes cast, according to the country's electoral commission.
The opposition had urged a boycott of Friday's polls, alleging irregularities.
EGYPT
(h/t Dibsa 4/14) - Egypt army reconsiders cases of jailed protesters
Egypt's military rulers promised Thursday to review the cases of young protesters jailed in the aftermath of Hosni Mubarak's ouster, a gesture aimed at easing spiraling tension between the pro-reform movement and the generals overseeing the country's transition.
The announcement followed Wednesday's stunning detention of the ex-president and his two powerful sons in an investigation into corruption, abuse of power and the killing of protesters, acting on the central demand of the protest camp since Mubarak was toppled on Feb. 11.
The military council that took control of the country from Mubarak after 18 days of massive protests is using greater and more frequent concessions to try to reverse the discord and mistrust between it and the groups pushing for a genuine transition to democracy
(h/t Dibsa 4/13) - Egypt's Mubarak detained for investigation
Egypt's ousted President Hosni Mubarak was put under detention in his hospital room Wednesday for investigation on accusations of corruption, abuse of power and killings of protesters in a dramatic step Wednesday that brought celebrations from the movement that drove him from office.
Mubarak's two sons, Gamal and Alaa, were also detained for questioning and taken to Cairo's Torah prison where a string of former top regime figures — including the former prime minister, head of the ruling party and Mubarak's chief of staff — are already languishing, facing similar investigations on corruption.
The move reflected the enormous pressure from the public on the ruling military, which was handed power when Mubarak stepped down on Feb. 11. On Friday tens of thousands protested in Cairo's central Tahrir Square demanding Mubarak and his family be put on trial, and many in the crowds accused the military of protecting the former president.
The detention came hours after the 82-year-old Mubarak was hospitalized Tuesday evening with heart problems in Sharm el-Sheikh, the Red Sea resort where he and his family have been living since his fall from power.
Early Wednesday, the public prosecutor announced Mubarak was ordered put under detention for 15 days for investigation. He was to be flown later in the day to a military hospital outside Cairo, where he would remain in detention, a security official in Sharm el-Sheikh said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the press
(h/t JustJennifer 4/12 ) - Egyptian army clears Cairo's Tahrir Square
Soldiers and police have moved into Cairo''s iconic Tahrir Square to end a five-day sit-in by protesters demanding that the country''s ruling military council step down and that Hosni Mubarak, the country''s former president, and his allies be prosecuted more swiftly.
Traffic began flowing in the central Cairo thoroughfare by early Tuesday evening.
Earlier, hundreds of soldiers took positions in the middle of the square, and military vehicles were seen at every entrance to the normally busy thoroughfare.
Protesters had earlier closed the square to traffic by setting up barricades.
(h/t JustJennifer 4/12 ) - Prime Minister expresses regret for Tahrir violence and encourages police return
Egypt’s Prime Minister Essam Sharaf expressed in a speech given on Monday his regret with regards the violence that erupted in Tahrir Square on 9 saying that “all of us people, army and government regret the Saterday events." He added that he has deep faith in the revolution’s youth and their intentions as well as for the role of Egypt’s army and the latter's keenness to protect the country. Sharaf stressed the importance of avoiding conflict between people and army.
While Sharaf stressed the “purity” of the revolution’s youth, he added that those who obstruct people’s work by blocking traffic and roads should not be tolerated. He said that each citizen should have the right to express himself in a peaceful manner.
IRAN
(h/t Dibsa 4/13) - US welcomes EU sanctions on 32 Iranian officials
The US has welcomed the European Union's sactions on 32 Iranian officials who were allegedly involved in human rights abuses.
The European Union yesterday had imposed assets freezes and travel bans on the Iranian officials, saying they had been involved in human rights violations.
"These designations are an important reminder to Iran that the international community will continue to hold accountable those responsible for abuses against the Iranian people," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.
In a statement, Carney asked Iran to respect and protect the universal rights of its citizens.
"We will continue to work closely with the EU and other like-minded partners to ensure that the cause of human rights remains at the forefront of our efforts in support of the Iranian people," he said.
IRAQ
(h/t Dibsa 4/14) - Iraqi Youths’ PoliticalRise Is Stunted by Elites
On the streets, the voices of young demonstrators and journalists have been muted by the batons and bullets of elite security units that answer only to a prime minister who officials say personally sends orders by text message.
An Iraq spring it is not.
In a country where the demographics skew even younger than in places like Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, the wave of political change in the region has laid bare a generation gap here split by old resentments nurtured by dictatorship and war and a youthful grasping for a stake in the new Iraq. “The younger generation is ready to go forward; they are carrying less resentments,” said Rawaz M. Khoshnaw, 32, a Kurdish member of Parliament, in a recent interview
(h/t Dibsa 4/13) - Iraqi authorities must halt attacks on protesters
The Iraqi authorities must stop attacks on peaceful protesters calling for an end to unemployment, poor services, and corruption and demanding political reforms, Amnesty International said today in a new report.
Days of Rage: Protests and Repression in Iraq documents how Iraqi and Kurdish forces have shot and killed protesters, including three teenage boys, threatened, detained and tortured political activists, as well as targeting journalists covering the protests.
“The Iraqi authorities must end the use of intimidation and violence against those Iraqis peacefully calling for political and economic reforms,” said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s director for the Middle East and North Africa.
“Eight years on from the end of Saddam Hussain’s long and grossly oppressive rule, it is high time that Iraqis are allowed to exercise their rights to peaceful protest and expression free from violence at the hands of government security forces. The authorities in both Baghdad and the Kurdistan region must cease their violent crackdowns.”
JORDAN
(h/t JustJennifer 4/12) - Jordan releases 4 jailed members of radical Islamist group in effort to stave off protests
Jordan has released four jailed members of a radical Islamist group that had threatened to stage a mass demonstration over their detentions, the group's leader said Tuesday.
Abed Shihadeh al-Tahawi said the four were released late Monday under a deal between the security forces and his ultraconservative Salafi group, which is banned in Jordan.
"We warned that we will hold a large demonstration today, which was seen as a security risk for the government," al-Tahawi said. "The government knows that we mean business and that we do not get intimidated by security forces."
KUWAIT
(h/t UnaSpenser 04/06 ) - Rally against Kuwait PM's reappointment sees poor turnout
A protest against the prime minister this week failed to attract a large crowd after Sheikh Nasser Mohammed al Sabah was appointed to the post for the seventh consecutive time.
Sheikh Nasser was reappointed by the emir, Sheikh Sabah al Ahmed al Jaber al Sabah, on Tuesday, five days after the government resigned to prevent ministers from facing questions in parliament.
"We can't accept this. We didn't expect it," said a member of the youth group Kafi, requesting anonymity, at the protest in the "Square of Change" on Tuesday. Kafi is one of several organisations, supported by opposition members of parliament, which have called for a new prime minister at public rallies since March.
"They're taking a big chance by appointing him for the seventh time," the protester said. The groups want a new prime minister to put a stop to the country's economic decline, he said. Some of the protests have attracted several hundred supporters, but on Tuesday, just two dozen Kuwaitis gathered in the square. "We have a low turnout because this wasn't planned," another member of Kafi, who also asked to remain anonymous, said, adding that the media's critical treatment of protesters has put people off.
LEBANON
(h/tUnaSpenser 04/06) - Protests in Lebanon Spread Southward
Tyre and Sidon, South Lebanon's largest cities, are both witnessing open protests in their centers. The protests which started in the capital Beirut on February 27th have now reached the south.
Hundreds of protesters in these cities are demanding an end to the countries' current political power-sharing system. Demonstrators say that this system has done nothing but strengthen the roots of religious discrimination in the community and at the same time has failed to provide them with the most basic needs such as education, employment and medical care.
Although the majority of these protestors believe, there is little chance that their demands will be met by government officials, the recent popular uprisings in other parts of the Arab World have given them hope.
On the other hand, some believe that this system which goes a long way back in history, was first formed to preserve the rights of the minorities in the country.
LIBYA
(h/t Dibsa 4/14) - Libyan-American describes harrowing escape from Misrata
A Libyan-American woman, her husband and 18-month-old daughter are among the lucky few to have escaped the “ghost town” of the besieged Libyan city of Misrata, where increasingly desperate rebels and citizens have been besieged for weeks by forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.
“It was horrible, it was a nightmare,” Iman, a 29-year-old Libyan-American from Torrance, Ca., told msnbc.com on Tuesday, shortly after arriving in Malta after a 24-hour voyage from Misrata with other refugees on an overloaded fishing boat that she thought “was going to overturn in the middle of the night.”
US jets strike Libya sites overnight for NATO
The strike — on portable anti-aircraft launchers — was the third time in the past week in which U.S. fighter jets have attacked Libyan air defenses, the sources added.
Detailing Wednesday's bombings, a NATO official confirmed a strike on at least one ammunition bunker outside the Libyan capital, Tripoli. He asked that his name not be used because the military alliance was not yet releasing the information publicly.
Libya's official JANA news agency reported airstrikes Wednesday in three other places: Misrata, Libya's third-largest city; Sirte, a Gadhafi stronghold and home to the Libyan leader's tribe; and Aziziyah, about 22 miles (35 kilometers) south of Tripoli. Jana said the strike in Misrata was in an area "populated with residents."
2 blasts heard outside Libyan capital
NATO launched new airstrikes Wednesday on targets held by Moammar Gadhafi as the rebel movement urged a stronger air campaign that will allow them to advance on Gadhafi's territory.
A NATO official confirmed a strike on at least one ammunition bunker outside the Libyan capital, Tripoli. He asked that his name not be used because the military alliance was not yet releasing the information publicly. A Tripoli resident said there were two blasts on the outskirts of the city.
"Over the past days, we didn't hear any explosions except for planes flying in the sky, but no raids," said the resident, who asked that his name not be used for fear of reprisals by the government
(h/t Dibsa 4/13) - Libya contact group discusses funds for opposition
Arab and western leaders are discussing creating an international fund to help the Libyan opposition in the east of the country, amid renewed demands that Muammar Gaddafi step down at once.
In the Qatari capital, Doha, William Hague, Britain's foreign secretary, and the Qatari prime minister, Hamed bin Jassem, chaired a first session of the international Libya "contact group" to explore ways ahead in the face of military impasse between the Gaddafi regime and the rebels – and a sense that the crisis has turned into a long haul. Diplomats said the group would meet once a month, with the next session due in Italy.
Plans for what Hague called a temporary financial mechanism to channel cash to the Benghazi-based opposition are being discussed, although officials shied away from comparisons with the UN oil-for-food programme used to alleviate sanctions against Iraq under Saddam Hussein
(h/t Dibsa 4/13) - Qatar confirms helping Libyan rebel sell oil
Qatar is confirming it sold oil from Libya's rebel-held areas earlier this month and says it has also shipped fuel into the rebel stronghold of Benghazi.
The Gulf nation says it has delivered four shipments of fuel to Benghazi, the main opposition-held city in eastern Libya, including diesel, propane and gasoline. It also says it marketed a million barrels of oil loaded in the eastern Libyan city of Tobruk last week.
Qatar was believed to be involved in the deal, but previously had not confirmed its role. The statement was carried by the official Qatar News Agency on Tuesday
(h/t Dibsa 4/12) - New battles in Libya, France urges NATO to do more
Moammar Gadhafi's forces fired rockets along the eastern front line and shelled the besieged city of Misrata on Tuesday as France and Britain said NATO should be doing more to pressure the Libyan regime.
Several rockets struck Ajdabiya, the main point leading into the rebel-held east, and witnesses also reported shelling in Misrata, the only major city in the western half of Libya that remains under partial rebel control.
Weeks of fierce government bombardment of Misrata have terrorized the city's residents, killing dozens of people and leaving food and medical supplies scarce, according to residents, doctors and rights groups. International groups are warning of a dire humanitarian crisis in Libya's third-largest city
(h/t Dibsa 4/12) - Moussa Koussa leaving Britain for Doha
An international contact group is due to hold talks on Libya's future in the Qatari capital on Wednesday. Moussa will not participate in the meeting but is expected to hold talks on the sidelines, British sources said.
Mr Koussa, the most prominent Libyan defector, sought refuge in Britain on March 30. A friend said he quit in protest at attacks on civilians by Gaddafi's forces.
The former spy chief was later questioned by Scottish police over the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, which killed 270 people, but the British government said he was now free to travel.
"We understand he is travelling today to Doha to meet with the Qatar government and a range of Libyan representatives to offer insight in advance of the contact group meeting," a Foreign Office spokesman said.
"Moussa Koussa is a free individual who can travel to and from the United Kingdom as he wishes," the spokesman said
(h/t dibsa 4/13)Gadhafi military hurt, but prospect of stalemate looms, official says
After weeks of U.S. and NATO bombardment, about one-third of Moammar Gadhafi's ground armor has been destroyed, as well as most of the fixed air defense sites and aircraft, but a stalemate between government and rebel forces is emerging and could last for some time, according to a senior U.S. official with direct knowledge of the latest military assessments.
The official agreed to speak Monday only on background because of the sensitive nature of the information.
The official said the latest U.S. and NATO view is that both sides essentially remain in their fixed positions -- the rebels near Ajdabiya and the pro-government forces near al-Brega.
Rebels say no to African Union-brokered deal
"Neither side has the wherewithal to move," the official said
(h/t Dibsa 4/12)Why a Cease-Fire Looms in Libya
"From the very beginning we have been asking that the exit of Gaddafi and his sons take place immediately," said Mustafa Abdul Jalil, leader of Libya's rebel National Council on Monday, rejecting an African Union 'roadmap' to peace that had supposedly been accepted by Colonel Gaddafi. "We cannot consider this or any future proposal that does not include this peoples' requirement. He leaves on his own or the march of the people will be at his doorstep." Earlier, Council member Ahmed al-Adbor told the Guardian that "the sons and the family of Gaddafi cannot participate in the political future of Libya."
But the grim reality confronting the rebel leadership in Benghazi is that they may not have the leverage to enforce their "non-negotiable" demands. Parties to an armed conflict rarely achieve at the negotiating table that which they had little hope of achieving on the battlefield. And after nearly six weeks of fighting, it has become abundantly clear that "the people's march" is not likely to reach Gaddafi's doorstep any time soon. And nor are the Western powers showing any inclination to provide the air support for a rebel offensive. The "people's march", in fact, appears to have reached a dead end somewhere between the eastern port of Brega and the rebel capital of Benghazi; despite NATO air strikes preventing them from using heavy weaponry, the regime's forces appear to have the upper hand in the ground war.
Read more: http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/...
(h/t Dibsa 4/12)Libya and the African Union: Right in Principle, Wrong in Practice
News that Colonel Gaddafi had accepted a proposed peace plan by the African Union (AU) on Sunday may have raised a few circumspect eyebrows in some quarters. The news that the Libyan opposition had rejected the plan out of hand yesterday evening certainly did not.
In actuality, the AU’s proposal, coming at the time and in the manner that it did, was always going to be the more attractive option for Gaddafi. The “immediate cessation of all hostilities”? Not bad, if that means an end to NATO airstrikes and the opportunity to buy time. The “delivery of humanitarian assistance to the needy populations”? Nobody can argue with that, and civilians on both sides are in desperate need of humanitarian aid at the present time. The “protection of foreign nationals” in Libya? Again, not a problem. And finally, “dialogue between the Libyan parties and the establishment of an inclusive transition period”. Well, that could mean just about anything
(h/t Dibsa 4/12)Future for Libya only possible if Colonel Gaddafi leaves, William Hague says
Arriving for talks in Luxembourg with fellow EU foreign ministers, he said those fighting to enforce UN resolutions had to ''maintain and intensify'' their efforts through Nato – something the UK had already done by deploying extra aircraft to contribute to the policing of the no-fly zone.
''Events in the Middle East are the most important events so far in the 21st century in the world, and the responsibility of the European Union is commensurate with the historic nature of those events,'' said Mr Hague.
He said it was crucial for Europe, through bold and positive policies, to be ''a magnet for positive change''.
He went on: ''There is always more to do, but we must remember that thousands of lives have been saved, including the population of Benghazi. A huge amount has been achieved, but there is a huge amount to be done.''
RESOURCES:
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 UnaSpenser 04/06 ) - Mauritania Opposition Wants Senatorial Election Postponed
The polls should only take place once “an agreement between the political parties to assure the transparency and the regularity of the ballot” is secured, the Coordination of the Democratic Opposition said in an e-mailed statement today from Nouakchott, the capital.
MOROCCO
(h/t Dibsa 4/14 ) - Moroccan king pardons prisoners
Morocco's Justice Ministry says the king has granted pardons or lightened sentences for 190 prisoners in response to a request from an official human rights body.
King Mohammed VI took the step as this country is seeing small-scale but regular protests by activists demanding greater democratic freedoms, amid demonstrations around the Arab world.
The ministry said in a statement carried by the MAP news agency that the king's decision meant 190 people had their sentences commuted, had death penalties converted to limited prison terms, or had prison terms reduced. The statement did not say what they were convicted for.
Independent activists have said suspects detained under Morocco's counterterrorism laws are routinely subjected to human rights violations
(h/t JustJennifer 4/12) - Is Morocco next in line for mass uprisings?
Pro-democracy activists in Morocco are gearing up for more mass demonstrations this month, unsatisfied with the king's pledge to carry out "comprehensive" constitutional reform.
Inspired by the success of protesters elsewhere in North Africa, tens of thousands of Moroccans took to the streets on 20 February.
King Mohammed VI responded three weeks later, promising changes that would dilute his absolute hold on power.
The prime minister calls it a "peaceful revolution". But the protest leaders insist the proposals fall far short of their demands.
OMAN
(h/t JustJennifer 4/12) - Two Omani activists abducted by masked men
Two prominent democracy activists in Oman were abducted and abused by masked men in what they say was an effort to stop their protest activities, a newspaper reported on Tuesday.
“We were heading to Rusayl (district of Muscat) when a group of masked men waylaid us. They came in two vehicles — one was a saloon taxi and the other was a van,” Saeed Al-Hashmi was quoted as saying in the English-language Times of Oman.
He said he and colleague Basma Al Rajhia were roughed up in a remote area before being released.
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 Dibsa 4/12)Why the United States should push Saudi Arabia toward democracy
For the sake of both countries, the United States should press for democratic reforms in Saudi Arabia, rather than looking the other way.
This story was originally covered by PRI's The Takeaway. For more, listen to the audio above.
The democracy protests that have broken out across the Middle East have not toppled the ruling family in Saudi Arabia, but it has many of them scared. "Essential you've got a gerontocracy that doesn't function very well at the moment," Martin Indyk, former US Ambassador to Israel and Director of Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution told PRI's The Takeaway, "and when it looks out at its borders, it sees the flames of revolt licking at every one of them."
"In Yemen, you've got a revolt," Indyk points out, "the country is imploding, probably to the benefit of al Qaeda." Protests have broken out in neighboring Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq. And the King's ally, Honsi Mubarak, has already fallen from power. On top of that, King Abdullah is "in his mid 80s, he's not well," according to Indyk, and "his crown prince could well die before he does."
(h/t Dibsa 4/12) - Saudi Arabia sees fresh protests
Protesters staged fresh demonstrations in Saudi Arabia on Friday, calling on the government to release Shiite prisoners and grant more rights, human rights activists said.
The protests, which were peaceful, also called for the withdrawal of regional forces from neighboring Bahrain, according to the activists, who requested their names not be used because they had concerns for their safety.
All the protesters were Shiite. The protests took place in the city of Qatif and the village of Awamiyya, both in the country's Eastern Province, and each the scene of similar protests in March
SYRIA
(h/t Dibsa 4/14) - Syrian president orders release of detainees
Syria's state-run television says President Bashar Assad has ordered the release of hundreds of detainees involved in the month-long pro-reform protests.
The report says most of those arrested in the protests, except those involved in "criminal acts," will be released.
Thursday's announcement is the latest concession by Assad to try to calm anti-government protests that began a month ago in the tightly controlled Middle Eastern country.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
BEIRUT (AP) — Syria's state-run TV says the prime minister has formed a new Cabinet.
President Bashar Assad sacked his Cabinet two weeks ago in one of a series of concessions in the face of anti-government protests. Assad appointed Prime Minister Adel Safar, who formed the new government on Thursday.
Protests erupted in Syria a month ago and have steadily grown, with tens of thousands calling for sweeping political reforms in one of the most authoritarian regimes in the Middle East. More than 200 people have been killed during the unrest, according to Syria's leading pro-democracy group
(h/t Dibsa 4/14) - Syria announces new Cabinet
Syria's state-run TV says the prime minister has formed a new Cabinet.
President Bashar Assad sacked his Cabinet two weeks ago in one of a series of concessions in the face of anti-government protests. Assad appointed Prime Minister Adel Safar, who formed the new government on Thursday.
Protests erupted in Syria a month ago and have steadily grown, with tens of thousands calling for sweeping political reforms in one of the most authoritarian regimes in the Middle East. More than 200 people have been killed during the unrest, according to Syria's leading pro-democracy group
(h/t Dibsa 4/13) - In new protest, Syrian women block main highway
Thousands of Syrian women and children holding white flags and olive branches blocked a coastal highway Wednesday, demanding authorities release people detained during a crackdown on opponents of the regime, witnesses said.
The crowd — unusual because it was dominated by women and young children — demanded release of hundreds of men who have been rounded up in the northeastern villages of Bayda and Beit Jnad and surrounding areas in recent days.
"We will not be humiliated!" the crowd shouted Wednesday, according to witnesses who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. They were gathering along the main road between the coastal cities of Tartous and Banias.
(h/t UnaSpenser 4/12) - Syrian soldiers shot for refusing to fire on protesters
Syrian soldiers have been shot by security forces after refusing to fire on protesters, witnesses said, as a crackdown on anti-government demonstrations intensified.
Witnesses told al-Jazeera and the BBC that some soldiers had refused to shoot after the army moved into Banias in the wake of intense protests on Friday.
Human rights monitors named Mourad Hejjo, a conscript from Madaya village, as one of those shot by security snipers. "His family and town are saying he refused to shoot at his people," said Wassim Tarif, a local human rights monitor.
(h/t Dibsa 4/12) - Syrian forces storm Sunni town after protest say activists
Syrian security forces stormed a town near the city of Banias on Tuesday, activists said, in a further move to quell unrest that has spread across the country, challenging the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.
Assad has faced down the mass protests, now in their fourth week, with force, pledges for reform and attempts to appease minority Kurds and conservative Sunnis. But the unprecedented calls for more freedoms have yet to abate.
The activists said Syrian secret police and soldiers had surrounded the town of Baida, 10 km (six miles) south of Banias, which security forces had sealed off on Sunday after pro-democracy protests and an attack by irregular forces loyal to Assad on people guarding a Sunni mosque
TUNISIA
(h/t Dibsa 4/14) - Prominent member of Tunisian old guard arrested
Tunisian authorities have jailed a prominent ally of the longtime president who was ousted earlier this year.
The state news agency TAP said Thursday that Abderrahim Zouari was jailed after questioning by an investigating judge in the capital's main courthouse. It is unclear what charges he faces.
Zouari headed different government ministries and for several years led the country's ruling party, the RCD or Constitutional Democratic Assembly.
The RCD under President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali quashed dissent and imprisoned political opponents.
Ben Ali was ousted by a popular revolt in January. Tunisia's protest sparked uprisings around the Arab world.
The RCD has since been dissolved. Zouari is the latest of several Ben Ali allies to have been arrested.
(h/t dibsa 4/13) - Ben Ali ordered air strikes on Tunisia, says probe
Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali ordered air strikes on a city involved in an uprising that led to his toppling in January, according to an investigator quoted by the media on Wednesday.
Ben Ali ordered strikes on the Ezzouhour area of the western city of Kasserine days before he quit on January 14 after weeks of protests, the head of a commission probing abuses during the revolt said in various reports.
The "intention was clearly to break the region and bring its people to their knees through collective and premeditated murder," commission head Taoufik Bouderbala was quoted as saying.
The order came days before Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia, ending 23 years in power, and was never carried out. The army had reportedly refused some orders from Ben Ali to crack down on protesters
(h/t Dibsa 4/12) - Tunisian ex-president's brother arrested
Slah Ben Ali was detained on Sunday evening in Sousse, to the south of the capital Tunis. He had been the subject of three arrest warrants, although their contents have not been revealed.
The former president, who has taken refuge in Saudi Arabia since he was forced from office on January 14 by a nationwide uprising, has three brothers who are still alive.
The interim authorities in Tunisia have also demanded the former president's extradition, along with his second wife Leila Trabelsi
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
(h/t Dibsa 4/13 ) - UAE blogger is in prison, but is being treated well, wife says
An Emirati blogger who has called for reform in the United Arab Emirates is being held in Al Wathba prison in Abu Dhabi, his wife said Wednesday
Ahmed Mansoor is being treated well, according to wife Nadia, who said she spoke to him Tuesday evening.
Mansoor's attorney, Abdul Hamid Al Kumity, said he is not aware of any charges against his client, but will meet with the prosecutor's office Wednesday.
Dubai police have told Al Kumity that two bottles of whiskey were found in Mansoor's house. Alcohol is available at hotels and select stores in the UAE, but Muslims are not allowed to buy or possess it
(h/t Dibsa 4/12 ) - Arrested UAE blogger accused of possessing alcohol
A prominent blogger and activist who called for democratic reform in the United Arab Emirates has been charged with possession of alcohol after being arrested last week, his lawyer said on Tuesday.
Ahmed Mansoor had received death threats online, which he said were for joining a petition demanding wider political representation and legislative powers for the Federal National Council, a parliamentary-style body
WESTERN SAHARA
(h/t Dibsa 4/14) - Morocco court frees Sahara activists after two years
A Casablanca court released from jail Thursday three activists for the independence of Western Sahara detained for more than two years and on trial for undermining Morocco's internal security.
Ali Salem Tamek, Ibrahim Dahhane and Ahmed Naciri were released just before they were to announce a hunger strike, their lawyer Mohamed Sadqo said.
Their trial has been postponed several times since they were arrested in October 2009 at Casablanca airport on their return from Algeria's western town of Tindouf, a base for the Western Sahara independence movement, the Polisario Front.
"We submitted the request for provisional liberty a long time ago. This decision of the court shows that there is not enough evidence to convict them," Sadqo said
YEMEN
(h/t Dibsa 4/14)Analysis: Yemen's Saleh hangs on, still hopes to outwit foes
Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh is clinging to power despite daily protests demanding his departure. Implausibly, he may still believe he can survive.
Handing out funds and favors, the 69-year-old leader of the poorest Arab country has skillfully juggled complex military, tribal and political networks to stay in office for 32 years.
But more than two months ago, young Yemenis inspired by popular revolts in Egypt and Tunisia began demanding Saleh's removal, blaming him for rampant corruption and mismanagement of an aid-dependent economy overwhelmed by rapid population growth, fast-shrinking oil reserves and an apocalyptic water crisis.
Many army officers, tribal sheikhs, clerics and ruling party politicians have defected to the opposition. Pro- and anti-Saleh military units face off in the capital, Sanaa, where one soldier from each side was killed in a gunbattle on Wednesday.
(h/t dibsa 4/13) - Rebel soldier killed amid clashes between military factions in Yemeni capital
Forces loyal to the pro-democracy movement marched down the city’s main road toward the airport, setting up checkpoints as they continued to seize territory, and government forces were ordered to stop the rebel advance.
Demonstrators have been rallying across Yemen since February, demanding the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. But the fighting Wednesday was the first outbreak of violence between rival military factions since the defection last month of Yemeni Gen. Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, a political rival of Saleh’s. The embattled president has threatened “mutinous” military commanders that he would drag the country into a “long, bloody civil war” if they continue to support pro-democracy protesters
(h/t JustJennifer 4/12) - Yemenis decry immunity for president
Tens of thousands of Yemenis have held protests against a mediation proposal by Gulf nations aimed at ending the political crisis in the country.
Demonstrations were held across Yemen on Tuesday objecting to the proposal because it offers Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen's president, immunity from prosecution.
Protesters in Yemen have for months been calling for Saleh to step down over the country's lack of freedoms and extreme poverty.
The mediation proposal, which was put forward by the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), called on Saleh to transfer power to his deputy, but gives no specific timeframe for him to leave office.
(h/t dibsa 4/12) - WRAPUP 1-Yemen opposition seeks details on Gulf plan
Yemen opposition parties on Tuesday urged Gulf mediators to spell out whether President Ali Saleh would hand over power early under their proposal to end a two-month crisis over leadership and political reforms.
Gulf Arab foreign ministers said this week they would invite Saleh and the opposition coalition to mediation talks in Riyadh, a key financier of Sanaa who analysts say Saleh trusts, on a transition of power.
The opposition said on Monday they rejected the Gulf Cooperation Council statement on the framework for the talks because it appeared to offer Saleh a waiver from any future prosecutions, demanded by the protest movement in the streets of Sanaa since February.
Opposition spokesman Mohammed Qahtan said on Tuesday the parties also had concerns over the phrase "transfer of power", which does not specify the timeframe for Saleh to step down. Protesters and the opposition are demanding an immediate exit.
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:
we invite you to join our wiki. (we'll need an email address from you)
you choose 1 or more countries you wish to gather citations for
go to the page of that country, click EDIT,
copy the mini template and fill in what the red text prompts
click SAVE
We're working on a publication schedule: Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday. Ideally we would see fresh citation 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
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