You are in the the 180th Witness Revolution diary, bearing witness to pro-democracy movements in North Africa, the Middle East and beyond. We aim here to simply report, from as many reliable worldwide resources as possible, on the successes, challenges or failures 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
:
Syria sends out tanks against its own people. Rocks versus guns in Yemen. A revolutionary history of Libya...
WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO FROM YEMEN
Yemen
As the formally organized political opposition groups have agreed to a plan giving Saleh immunity, the protesters are angry. Here's why:
Uploaded by Yemen4All today.
Libya
from @libyans_revolt
Net_Anon Apr 24, 11:31pm via TweetDeck
RT @libyans_revolt: a pic of Bab -Alaziziya #Tripoli after Tonight strike April25. #Libya http://yfrog.com/...
a history of Libya:
SYRIA
This already wounded man is yelling: "We are peaceful!" as he and others face more gunfire:
Did Bashar just declare war on his own people? The people look stunned.
I'm putting this link here for documentation, but don't look unless you have a very strong stomach. The tweet gives you a sense of what's in it, so you don't really need to see it:
Syrian2011123 Apr 24, 10:48am via Twitter for BlackBerry®
Syrian regime cutting off legs of protesters who steps on bashar's pic #cnn#syria#obama#un#cbs#nbc http://bit.ly/...
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
See the group stream for other diary series.
We collect suggested readings for background reference materials in support of the Eyes on Egypt and the Region group. These may be non-fiction or fiction, general to the region or specific to a country or issue. If there are resources which you believe could aid our understanding of the events and processes we are witnessing, please either a) post a comment in the Liveblog with the title "Suggested reading:" and a brief description of the reading in the body of the comment, or b) send your suggestions via the dKos internal message to angry marmot.
Libyan Doctors for Hospitals in Libya is an impressive new aide organization launched by one of our own: StepLeftStepForward.
PLS REC THIS DIARY! Will you please do the following to keep our dKos community eyes on our international friends risking their lives for self-determination?
1. Rec this diary. (click that star just under the title)
2. "Follow" " Eyes on Egypt and the Region. Scroll down the group box on the right-hand side and click "Follow".
3. Place links in Front Page threads and tell all your friends.
4. Put links in your Facebook updates.
5. Tweet links.
Thank you!
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 4/26)5 voices: What's next for the 'Arab Spring'?
In January, less than a month after fruit vendor Mohammed Bouazizi lit himself on fire, nationwide protests in Tunisia forced out President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali.
One month later, Egypt experienced its own revolution, and unrest spread across the region to other countries such as Bahrain, Jordan, Syria and Yemen.
(h/t jnhobbs 04/26) - Arab League condemns violence
Protests deserve support, not bullets -Arab League
• Rare condemnation of use of force by 22-member League
• League says ministers will discuss situation next month
• Protests point to a "new Arab era, led by youth"
CAIRO, April 26 (Reuters) - The Arab League on Tuesday condemned the use of force against pro-democracy protesters in several Arab countries, saying they "deserve support, not bullets".
In a rare statement on the unrest sweeping across the Middle East, the 22-member Arab League said it would ask foreign ministers to discuss this "serious situation" during a meeting scheduled for next month.
"The people's demands for freedom and democracy are demands that require support ... not bullets in the chests of demonstrators," the Arab League said in the statement, received by Reuters on Tuesday.
"We call on Arab regimes and governments to commit to and speed up reforms, immediately stop using force against demonstrators and spare their citizens bloodshed."
The statement did not single out any Arab country but said the uprisings that toppled autocratic rulers in Tunisia and Egypt and protests in Syria, Libya and Yemen "point to a new Arab era ... led by youths seeking a better present and a brighter future".
The statement said Arab foreign ministers would meet in Cairo next month to discuss the unrest, but gave no exact date. Egypt's state news agency MENA said the meeting would be held on May 8.
(h/t Lawrence 4/25)Rebellion: Smashing stereotypes of Arab women
The Arab revolutions are not only shaking the structure of tyranny to the core - they are shattering many of the myths about the Arab region that have been accumulating for decades. Topping the list of dominant myths are those of Arab women as caged in, silenced, and invisible. Yet these are not the types of women that have emerged out of Tunisia, Egypt, or even ultra-conservative Yemen in the last few weeks and months.
Not only did women actively participate in the protest movements raging in those countries, they have assumed leadership roles as well. They organised demonstrations and pickets, mobilised fellow citizens, and eloquently expressed their demands and aspirations for democratic change.
Like Israa Abdel Fatteh, Nawara Nejm, and Tawakul Karman, the majority of the women are in their 20s and 30s. Yet there were also inspiring cases of senior activists as well: Saida Saadouni, a woman in her 70s from Tunisia, draped the national flag around her shoulders and partook in the Qasaba protests which succeeded in toppling M. Ghannouchi's provisional government. Having protested for two weeks, she breathed a unique revolutionary spirit into the thousands who congregated around her to hear her fiery speeches. "I resisted French occupation. I resisted the dictatorships of Bourguiba and Ben Ali. I will not rest until our revolution meets its ends, for your sakes my sons and daughters, not for mine," said Saadouni.
ALGERIA
(h/t Dibsa 4/25) - The opposition wants a transition before a constitutional referendum
ALGIERS - A faction of the opposition called Sunday for a political transition in Algeria and the establishment of a governmental authority with broad powers to lead the country to a constitutional referendum.
The National Coordination for Change and Democracy (CNDC) proposes a national conference that should appoint a National Council for Democratic Transition (CNTD), composed of personalities firmly committed to democratic change. The term of office can not exceed 12 months," according to a "platform for Democratic Change," presented at a press conference in Algiers.
BAHRAIN
(h/t Dibsa 4/26) - Bahrain detains columnist; 4 located in Libya
New York, April 25, 2011--The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Bahraini authorities to disclose the whereabouts of Haidar Mohammed al-Nuaimi, a columnist for daily newspaper Al-Wasat. Roughly 30 uniformed and plainclothes police raided al-Nuaimi's family home in Manama today, dragging him into the street and beating him, local journalists told CPJ.
Al-Nuaimi was then taken to an unknown location, according to the same accounts. A Facebook page in support of Al-Wasat recounts the same events in Arabic.
On Thursday, Amani al-Muskati, another reporter with Al-Wasat, was detained at the Bahrain International Airport upon her return from Egypt. Al-Muskati was later transferred to a Manama police station for interrogation and then released a few hours later, local journalists told CPJ.
Earlier in April, the authorities accused Al-Wasat of "deliberate news fabrication and falsification." Since then, the government has announced it will file criminal charges against three of the daily's senior editors and has deported two other staff members. Karim Fakhrawi, founder and board member of Al-Wasat died in state custody on April 12 under suspicious circumstances. Zakariya Rashid Hassan al-Ashiri, who moderated and wrote for a website that covers news and other developments in his village, also died under suspicious circumstances while in government custody on April 9.
(h/t Dibsa 4/25) -
Detained Bahraini Medics: Brutal Crackdown against Pro-democracy Movement
The families of medics unlawfully detained in Bahrain have accused the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) of putting financial investment interests above human rights after the college refused to make a public statement concerning the fate of Bahraini members held incommunicado by the regime.
(h/t Dibsa 4/25) - Bahrain military prosecutor demands death penalty for 7 Shiite protesters on trial
MANAMA, Bahrain - Bahrain's state news agency says a military prosecutor has demanded death penalty for seven anti-government protesters on trial in the Gulf kingdom for the killing of two policemen during protests.
(h/t Dibsa 4/25) - Bahrain Opposition Accuses Government of Demolishing 30 Mosques
Bahrain’s main Shiite opposition group said the Sunni-led government has demolished 30 mosques since quelling political unrest in the Persian Gulf nation last month.
The government “can’t justify the demolition,” al-Wefaq said in an e-mailed statement received today. “Any attempt to showcase the measure as a legal action will neither be convincing nor objective,” the opposition bloc said
BURKINA FASO
(h/t Dibsa 4/25) - Former mutineers 'ready to take up arms again'
Watch FRANCE 24’s exclusive interview with a former mutineer in Burkina Faso who suggests angry soldiers may once again take up arms against President Blaise Compaore if their demands are not met.
COTE D'IVOIRE
(h/t Dibsa 4/25) - Aides say Ivory Coast former rebels are attacking
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Aides to Ivory Coast's renegade warlord said Monday that former rebels who have joined the new army attacked them in Abidjan's sprawling Yopougon suburb.
Felix Anoble, the top aide and spokesman for Ibrahim "IB" Coulibaly, called for an end to fighting and told The Associated Press that he feared there was a plot to assassinate Coulibaly
DJIBOUTI
(h/t UnaSpenser 4/14 ) -
JIBOUTI: WHY NO ONE CARES
section of article which covers pro-democracy movements throughout Africa
Whilst the world was watching Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt and Libya, Djibouti had an election on 8 April. With no opposition, a state-controlled media and no civil society movement, it was easy enough for President Omar Guelleh to change the constitution allowing him to run for a third term - thereby continuing 35 year rule by the same family. But this little dictatorship is strategically central to the US Africa Command (2,000 US troops are based here) and the NATO countries. Unlike in Libya, Djibouti's 1 million population can expect no support from the West in their small attempts to have a voice.
EGYPT
(h/t JustJennifer 4/26) - Demonstrations for and against Mubarak outside TV building
Hundreds of people are currently demonstrating outside Egyptian state television headquarters in Maspiro.
Supporters of ousted president Hosni Mubarak are calling for him to be honoured and not insulted. They view him as a symbol of Egypt for the last 30 years, and a hero of the October war. Raising banners and the Egyptian flag, they prayed loudly for his recovery.
At the same time, another demonstration is being held attributing corruption in Egypt's politics, society and economy over the last 30 years to Mubarak. These protesters are demanding quick trials for the symbols of the former ruling National Democratic Party. They went on to accuse the Mubarak supporters of being nothing more than hired actors staging a fake demonstration. This almost led to fighting and violence breaking out between the two camps.
(h/t JustJennifer 4/26) - Egypt suspends Christian governor with Mubarak ties
Egypt's premier suspended a Christian governor linked to the ousted Mubarak regime after his appointment sparked protests in restive Qena province, state news agency MENA reported on Monday.
Prime Minister Essam Sharaf ordered Emad Mikhail suspended for three months in a bid to contain anger in Qena, a region of central Egypt with a history of sectarian clashes, MENA said.
Mikhail is to replaced temporarily by his deputy, Magued Abdel Karim, the agency said, adding that the premier called for calm in Qena and a return to business as usual.
IRAN
(h/t UnaSpenser 4/20) - Iranian blogger: 'Hell' and 'hopelessness' in his country
Recent protests in Iran have failed to gain traction -- despite growing demonstrations in neighboring countries and Iran's own 2009 massive protest movement.
What's the status of the Iranian opposition movement, what challenges does it face and could a regime change ever happen peacefully? A blogger from Iran weighs in.
Peyman Bagheri is a blogger whose articles against the Iranian government have prompted him to flee his native land for fear of being arrested and imprisoned. He recently spoke via phone from Europe with CNN's Asieh Namdar.
(h/t UnaSpenser 04/20) - Inside Iran: the art of resistance
But if Iran’s “Green Movement” has indeed inspired the “Arab Spring” — which began in Tunisia and blossomed in Egypt, but now faces the heat of summer in Libya, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain and elsewhere — it might not bode well for those who support reform.
Recent attempts to revive the movement on the streets of Tehran have yet to succeed in any tangible way.
...
In the nearly two years since the June 2009 presidential election, artists say that it seems fewer and fewer permits to produce art — be it music, photography or painting — have been granted to applicants. In Iran, artists are officially required to have permits from the Ministry of Islamic Culture and Guidance to work professionally.
But many have ignored these restrictions, creating and exhibiting their work underground.
Despite this effort to control freedom of expression, there is a flourishing of art in Iran, some of it pointed in its critique of the government and the clerical establishment. This kind of dissent is also often delivered with a flourish of humor that pokes fun at the ruling clerical establishment.
Often artists go to great lengths to stay within the boundaries of laws and restrictions to create the kind of work that attempts to undermine the very meanings of those laws. Others simply create art as if no such restrictions were in place, suffering a sad fate for any artist: being barred from displaying their work.
IRAQ
(h/t Dibsa 4/26) - Kurd officers killed in clash with Iraqi forces
KIRKUK, Iraq (AFP) – Two Kurdish security officers died and four other people were wounded in armed clashes between Iraqi soldiers and Kurdish forces in the oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk Monday, officials said.
The city is at the centre of a tract of disputed territory claimed by both the central government in Baghdad and Kurdish regional authorities in Arbil
(h/t Dibsa 4/25) - Arab unrest: Iraq's struggle a warning for protesters
In January, when the flames of revolt were starting to spread through the Arab world, Iraqi leaders rather smugly assumed they would be immune, but they were wrong.
"It can't happen here - we've got democracy already," said one.
A month later there were serious disturbances in Baghdad and many other cities in all parts of the country.
More than a dozen people were killed and hundreds injured
JORDAN
(h/t dibsa 4/20) - Jordan protester who set himself ablaze dies
AMMAN, Jordan – A Jordanian forensics official says a protester who set himself on fire outside the prime minister's office last week has died of his wounds.
Mohammad Abdul-Karim's case was the first self-immolation since political unrest hit Jordan in January.
The forensics official says the 45-year-old man died in a hospital of first, second and third degree wounds to his face and much of his body.
KUWAIT
(h/t UnaSpenser 04/20) - ANALYSIS-Kuwait faces reform stalemate after cabinet falls
Kuwait has mostly escaped the unrest sweeping the Arab world, but its dysfunctional politics once again risk blocking economic reform and foreign investment.
...
The cabinet resigned this month to avoid the questioning of three ministers in parliament. Kuwait's ruler has asked outgoing Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammed al-Sabah to form a new cabinet -- his seventh since he was first appointed in 2006.
In this context, small protests by pro-democracy activists seem less worrying for the Sabahs than prospects of a return to stalemate between the legislative and executive arms after a two-year lull in a cycle of crises and short-lived cabinets.
LEBANON
(h/t UnaSpenser 04/19 ) - Turkish envoy to Lebanon: Democracy will spread
Turkey's ambassador to Lebanon, Inan Ozyildiz, believes that despite the recent political uncertainty, all political actors in Lebanon are "engaging in dialogue," and expects democracy to take root in every country in the Arab world.
"Although every country in the region has its own characteristics and political history, the people of the Middle East have a common demand: Democracy," said Ozyildiz.
According to Ozyildiz, the Arab world's transition to democracy is late in coming. "These uprisings were kind of late, they should have started immediately after the end of the Cold War," said Ozyildiz.
LIBYA
((h/t jnhobbs -4/26 ) - Gaddafi forces pound Libyan towns
Artillery fire continue to hit Misurata and Berber towns in the Nafusa mountain range as NATO bombs Gaddafi's compound.
Muammar Gaddafi's forces have pounded Berber towns in Libya's western mountains with artillery, rebels and refugees said.
Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught, reporting from the Nafusa mountain range, said the rebels claimed to have gained ground in their fight against Gaddafi's army after NATO air strikes.
"A battle raged all day [on Monday]. There are deaths on both sides but Gaddafi's forces retreated," our correspondent said from the remote region that is largely inaccessible to journalists.
"Our town is under constant bombardment by Gaddafi's troops. They are using all means. Everyone is fleeing," Imad, a refugee, said while bringing his family out of the mountains and into Tunisia.
Three rebel fighters were killed in the bombardment of Nalut, a town close to the borders with Tunisia.
Unconfirmed reports said Gaddafi troops were amassed near the town in preparation of an attack.
Misurata also won no respite from two months of bitter siege as Gaddafi's forces bombarded the city after pulling out of the city centre.
(h/t UnaSpenser 04/26 ) - Gaddafi's thugs use women and children as human shields
In the ruins of Misrata rebels have recounted how Gaddafi's forces have been deploying the new tactic of using women and children as human shields.
‘Gaddafi’s men were taunting us and laughing as they disappeared with our women and children,’ said Absa Salam, a fighter and one of the leaders of the revolution against the Libyan dictator’s 42-year rule.
‘There was nothing we could do,’ he added. ‘We knew, and they knew, that we’d kill our own people if we tried to kill them. These people are barbarians – devils.’
This gruesome new twist in tactics by Gaddafi’s forces came as Nato bombers targeted Gaddafi himself, destroying buildings around his seat of power in Tripoli, the capital, which remains under the despot’s control.
(h/t Dibsa 4/25) - NATO bombs hit Kadhafi office, rebels advance
TRIPOLI (AFP) – NATO bombs wrecked Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's office in his immense Tripoli residence on Monday, while besieged rebel-held Misrata came under fresh attack by rockets which a doctor said had reduced civilian victims to little more than ashes.
Heavy explosions shook the centre of Tripoli shortly after midnight as warplanes overflew the Libyan capital
(h/t Dibsa 4/25) - Strike on Gadhafi compound badly damages buildings
TRIPOLI, Libya – NATO airstrikes targeted the center of Moammar Gadhafi's seat of power early Monday, destroying a multi-story library and office and badly damaging a reception hall for visiting dignitaries.
Gadhafi's whereabouts at the time of the attack on his sprawling Bab al-Azizya compound were unclear. A security official at the scene said four people were lightly hurt.
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 4/26 ) - Moroccan monarchy facing more pressure?
CASABLANCA, Morocco, April 25 (UPI) -- The first pledges of constitutional reforms in Morocco aren't enough to satisfy demands for a sweeping overhaul, an Islamist movement claims
(h/t Dibsa 4/25 ) - Moroccan cities see new political protests
RABAT, Morocco – Several thousand protesters have staged protests in cities around Morocco to demand more political changes.
A participant said that a group of fewer than 5,000 protesters organized a march through a working-class neighborhood of the capital Rabat to call for constitutional reforms and new parliamentary elections
OMAN/QATAR
(h/t JustJennifer 4/23) - Protests break out in Omani city
At least 1,000 protesters have taken to the streets in Oman's southern port city of Salalah in one of the biggest pro-reform demonstrations since scattered unrest began in the Gulf Arab sultanate two months ago.
The protesters assembled in a car park across the street from the governor's office on Friday, where a preacher led mid-day prayers and led them on a march across the city.
"The Omani people are not afraid of protesting for as long as it takes for reform, [but] first and foremost is to get government officials, who have been embezzling funds for years, to stand trial," Amer Hargan, the leader, told the crowd.
(h/t Dibsa 4/21) - Oman pardons 234 arrested during protests
(CNN) -- Oman's ruler has pardoned 234 people who were arrested during anti-government protests earlier in the year, the Gulf state's news agency said.
Sultan Qaboos bin Said pardoned only those who were taken into custody for "the crimes of crowding in public streets," the Oman News Agency said Wednesday
SAUDI ARABIA
(h/t dibsa 4/20) - Saudi arrests over 160 dissidents: HRW
DUBAI (AFP) – Saudi Arabia has arrested more than 160 dissidents since February, including writer Nadhir al-Majid, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday, calling for their release.
"Saudi authorities have arrested over 160 peaceful dissidents in violation of international human rights law since February 2011," HRW said in a statement
SYRIA
(h/t Dibsa 4/26) - Syria violence: US warns citizens to leave
The US has warned its citizens to leave Syria, as the government of President Bashar al-Assad intensifies its campaign against peaceful protests.
The state department also said some non-essential embassy staff and all embassy dependants would be leaving.
(h/t Dibsa 4/26) - More gunfire, arrests reported in Syrian crackdown
Gunfire reverberated Tuesday in the southern Syrian city of Daraa where the dead still lay unclaimed in the streets a day after a brutal government crackdown on the popular revolt against President Bashar Assad, residents said.
(h/t Dibsa 4/26) - US treads warily in Syria, considers sanctions
WASHINGTON – Despite a ruthless crackdown on pro-reform demonstrators, there is no international appetite for a warlike approach to Syria — a crucial Mideast playmaker with ties to Iran and a say in any eventual Arab peace with Israel
(h/t Dibsa 4/25) - Syria uses army to crush uprising; at least 5 dead
Syria sharply escalated its already deadly campaign to crush a five-week uprising early Monday, sending troops backed by tanks, snipers and knife-wielding security forces into the southern city where the rebellion began. At least five people were killed and dozens arrested, witnesses and activists said
(h/t Dibsa 4/25) - Syrian troops storm Daraa, 'kill 25'
Syrian troops backed by tanks stormed the flashpoint town of Daraa on Monday killing at least 25 people, witnesses said, as a leading rights activist accused Damascus of opting for a "military solution" to crush dissent.
Troops also launched assaults on the Damascus suburbs of Douma and Al-Maadamiyeh, witnesses said, as the head of the UN human rights agency slammed what she said was the security forces' disregard for human life
(h/t Dibsa 4/25) - Syria seals border with Jordan: Amman
Syria on Monday sealed off its border with Jordan, the kingdom's information minister Taher Adwan said, hours after troops backed by tanks swept into the Syrian southern flashpoint town Daraa.
"Syria closed its land borders with Jordan. The Syrian decision is related to the internal situation in Syria," Adwan told the state-run Petra news agency.
TUNISIA
(h/t Dibsa 4/21) - Problems linger despite Tunisian revolution
It was the self-immolation of a young Tunisian man that sparked the uprising that has spread across the Arab world.
However, months after the revolution that brought down 23 years of authoritarian rule, the struggle in Tunisia is far from over, as Al Jazeera's Nazanine Moshiri reports from Sidi Bouzid.
Local resident Mohamed Bouazizi's desperate gesture might have ignited the uprising. But it was years of state oppression, poverty and unemployment that really inspired people to protest.
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is no longer the president, but the central-west region remains one of the poorest parts of Tunisia.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
((h/t Dibsa 4/25 ) - UAE: Activists arrested for "opposing government"
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – The state news agency in the United Arab Emirates says five activists, including a blogger and an academic, were detained for "opposing the government" in the oil-rich Gulf country.
The WAM news agency says the activists are being questioned over "perpetrating acts that pose a threat to state security."
WESTERN SAHARA
(h/t Dibsa 4/20) - US and key nations disagree with independence supporters on human rights in Western Sahara
The U.S. and other key nations are backing a new U.N. resolution on the disputed Western Sahara that mentions human rights for the first time, but the group promoting independence for the mineral-rich north African territory said Tuesday it doesn't go far enough.
The long-simmering issue of human rights in Western Sahara bubbled to the surface in November when Moroccan forces tore down a tent camp in Western Sahara where 20,000 people were protesting discrimination and deprivation at the hands of the Moroccan government with deadly results. It has gained additional momentum as a result of the protests against authoritarian regimes in the Middle East and north Africa
YEMEN
(h/t UnaSpenser 4/26) - Yemen opposition conditionally agrees on Gulf plan, youth reject it
Yemen’s Islamist-led opposition coalition Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) accepted late on Saturday the U.S.-backed and Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) plan which stipulates that the country’s new president would be elected within three months.
It guarantees that President Ali Abdullah Saleh, his family and aides would not be prosecuted for any activities while in political power. President Saleh would also resign 30 days after the GCC initiative was signed by all parties.
His vice-president would be handed authority and would call for presidential elections within two months after President Saleh’s resignation.
“But the sit-ins and protests will continue because no-one has authority over the young protesters,” said JMP leader Yaseen Saeed Noman after they accepted the GCC plan.
...
Najib Abdul Rehman al-Sa’adi, another leading young protester who leads a group called February Movement of the Independent Young People, refused the GCC plan because it ignored youth voices on the street and talked only about the ruling party and the opposition.
“We do not accept it because it ignores the real people; the young people who made the revolution,” said al-Sa’ada. “The opposition coalition is part of the problem and not part of the solution and unfortunately the GCC plan deals only with it (opposition).
” Adel Abdu Arrabyee, who leads a group of young protesters called Union of Yemen Youth for Change, said they were waiting for a better plan from the GCC and would not accept the one welcomed by the opposition and ruling party.
“We refuse the contents of this GCC plan because the step down (of President Saleh) is not immediate. It is not as clear as we want but we’ll keep appreciating efforts of our brothers in the Gulf to help us,” said Arrabyee.
(h/t Dibsa 4/26) - Yemen opposition to approve Gulf mediation deal
SANAA, Yemen – A coalition of Yemen's opposition parties say they will soon sign a deal mediated by neighboring Gulf countries for the president to step down.
Mohammed Salem Bassindwa, head of opposition's national dialogue council, told the Associated Press Tuesday that he expected the deal to be signed in the "next 24 hours."
(h/t Dibsa 4/25) - Yemen troops kill 2 in new clashes with protesters
SANAA, Yemen – Forces loyal to Yemen's embattled president opened fire at protesters demanding his ouster across the country Monday, killing two demonstrators at two separate rallies and wounding at least 10 people at a third protest, activists said.
The latest violence came as a Gulf Arab proposal for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down appears increasingly doomed, raising prospects of more bloodshed and instability in a nation already beset by deep poverty and conflict
(h/t Dibsa 4/25) - Yemen protesters reject US-backed transition
SANAA (AFP) – Yemen's protest movement insisted Sunday on President Ali Abdullah Saleh's rapid exit and prosecution after his party accepted a Gulf plan for him to quit in 30 days in a move hailed by Washington.
The United States urged a peaceful transition after Saleh's ruling General People's Congress (GPC) party said late Saturday it accepted a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) plan under which he would quit following months of protests
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 citations in the wiki by late evening the day before. That is, posts from late Monday evening would be published in Tuesday morning's diary. (If you'd like produce a diary on a different day of the week, we'd love to show you how to update the template and paste it into your diary!)
It's really that simple! Please join us.
Resources:
Note: The old Mothership Diary has good list of resources.
Al Jazeera English - Watch Live (the Youtube link below should work for Mac users unable to load this.)
Al Jazeera live also available on: Dish Network channel 9410 OR DirecTV Channel 375 Link
Al Jazeera on Facebook: - http: //www.facebook.com/aljazeera
Al Jazeera Live on YouTube
English Stream http://www.youtube.com/...
Arabic Stream http://www.youtube.com/...
BBC Middle East reporting
BBC Middle East and Arab Unrest
WorldWideTahrir{NEW} : Worldwide protests being organized to coincide with the upcoming ones in Egypt.
bicycle Hussein paladin - Why Iran 1979 Went to the Islamists and This One Won't
People to follow on twitter: - please suggest people for specific countries. Thank you!
@ArabRevolution - Region
@Dima_Khatib - Region
@March15Syria - Syria
@JNovak_Yemen - Yemen
@WomanfromYemen - Yemen
@Gheblawi - Libya
@ShababLibya - Libya
@feb17voices - Libya
@DrsForLibya - Libya
@libyanexpat - Libya
@lissnp - Iran
@prsianbanoo - Iran
@sandmonkey - Egypt
@JRamyRaoof - Egypt
@Elazul - Egypt
@Ssirgany - Egypt
@sharifkouddous
@monasosh
@ioerror
@ElBaradei
@SultanAlQassemi
@evanchill
@glcarlstrom
@nolanjazeera
@3arabawy
@shadihamid
@bencnn
@arabist
@speaktotweet: Egyptian Voice Tweets on Twitter
Previous Child Diaries:
Egypt and the Region Liveblog Archive by unaspenser
PLEASE PLACE LINKS NOT EMBEDS INTO COMMENTS
Embeds can lead to problems for some of our users.
We all thank you for your consideration.