You are in the 200th Witness Revolution diary, bearing witness to pro-democracy movements in North Africa, the Middle East and beyond. We aim here to simply report, from as many reliable worldwide resources as possible, on the successes, challenges or failures of the brave people striving against oppression for representative democracy with civil and human rights. One small bit of assurance that they do not strive in obscurity.
TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
200 editions. It's a benchmark we didn't aspire to. None of us knew when we started paying attention to Tunisia, then Egypt, then Libya that our watching would go on. That we would find ourselves compelled. That we would still be here nearly 5 months later. Yet here we are. To mark this milestone, we have asked people to provide personal testimonies about witnessing, why they do it and what it has meant to them. Today's highlight section contains those testimonies. Scattered amongst them are the faces of people whom we have witnessed along the way. Because, for everything deeply moving or thoughtful that we might say, in the end, it is these people who have kept us here. They are inspirationally courageous and above all else we are trying to honor them. Thank you for supporting us along the way.
UPDATE:
Dibsa
Growing up in a dictatorship where you are not allowed to disagree with the
ruler not even in your dream else you will be taken by security forces and
disappearing for years or forever, make me feel the pain of every protester
and feel the urgent need for better life, for dignity and equality and
better future. To be honest, I envied the reporters and correspondents who
witnessed the Tunisian and Egyptian revolution and lived the historic
moments of bring down the tyrants by merely peaceful demonstrations. I
praised and prayed for every Syrian, Libyan, Bahraini, and Yemeni who is
tearing the barrier of fear and terror with their souls. Being part of this
great series is the least I can do for those brave seekers of freedom.
Hager El Khatib, 10 years old
Killed on May 29, 2011 when Syria security forces opened fire on a school bus.
UnaSpenser
When protests started in Tunisia, I told a friend of mine, "If we see
this in Egypt, it could be profoundly world-changing." So, when the streets of Cairo burst into activity I wanted to pay attention.
I wondered, though, how to watch in a way which was meaningful and not simply voyeuristic. As a Westerner, whose government had enabled the brutal repression these people were rising up against and had a tendency to be imperialist when it got involved, could there be a way to to express support for their self-determination without imposing our influences and ideals? Without making ourselves the center of it all. In January Anderson Cooper interviewed people in Tahrir Square. One woman expressed that the protesters' greatest fear was that world would stop paying attention. They got both moral support and a measure of safety by virtue of the world witnessing both what they were doing and what was being done to them. For many decades the people had been afraid to speak out and now they needed to be heard.
I have a Sufi name, Shahida Nur. It means Witness of The Light (the light which is the source of all light.) I rarely think of this name. I've seen it as private and meant to evoke a quality seen in me by a spiritual guide. This name was evoked as a calling when that woman spoke. The way to express solidarity was not to watch, but to witness. To witness for them. To let them be heard and seen after many years of being forcefully silenced and hidden. This is what I could do. I learned that this is what others here on Daily Kos wanted to do, as well. Thus, the name of the original series "Eyes on Egypt" became "Witnessing Revolution".
I have been known to proclaim that one of the greatest values of the internet era is that for the first time in history women's voices, thoughts, experiences, quotidian are being recorded. Women have never written the history books and their perspectives have been missing. Never again. The same can be said for populations living under oppressive tyrants. With communications so readily available, people can speak out beyond the walls of their governments. They can send pictures and cry for help. A few satellite phones can mean that a despot loses control over the messages getting out to the world. It can mean freedom.
By bearing witness in service to others and with others, I am having a deeply meaningful experience of connection. To simply listen to what someone else is saying, what they are reporting of their experiences and what they want us to see, is to be a conduit for them, to hold a place in my life stream for them, to help the world see that they are there and deserve their dignity. To do this with others who share this mission is to feel a powerful sense of shared purpose generating some tiny bit of healing energy in this troubled world. To make wonderful new friendships. I am very aware of how these so-called virtual relations can have a concrete impact on one's real life. The community of DailyKos saved my life, raising funds for critical medical tests which my insurance wouldn't cover. Not a single one of you had ever met me in real life and yet so many contributed. $2, $5, $10.... bit by bit it added up to the over $3000 needed. I wouldn't be here today without those tests. So it goes with these community experiences. In the case of Arab Spring, each of us bearing witness 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 2 hours per day, adds up. Let's keeping adding to it until it is the amount of compassion needed to generate peace.
(ht JustJennifer 6/11) - Khaled Said, January 27, 1982 – June 6, 2010
Egyptian man who died under disputed circumstances, contributed to growing discontent in the weeks leading up to the Egyptian Revolution
JustJennifer
"We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness."
— Thich Nhat Hanh
This, for me, has been the greatest gift this writing project has given me. A sense of community with everyone here, and a sense of solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the region. I feel much more connected with the universe and the energy that surrounds us all because I allowed myself to become open to receive it. I have become a more loving and compassionate person because I feel like I am witnessing bravery and honor on a level that I have never seen before. How can you not feel love for humanity when you witness such incredible actions and words? This far outweighs the anger and disgust I feel toward the regimes who are acting against the revolutionaries (but I certainly feel that too).
My eyes have been opened and they can never be closed again. I remain committed to this cause because it is my cause now too.
(ht JustJennifer 6/11) -
Mohamed Bouazizi, March 29, 1984 – January 4, 2011
Tunisian street vendor who set himself on fire, became the catalyst for the Tunisian Revolution
angry marmot
My own trip to the Liveblogs was an unusual one, as I was actually in rural Egypt from mid-January through early February. When it was possible to access the Internet amid the intermittent cuts in service, I came here to Daily Kos to ‘check in’ and fortuitously discovered the original Motherships and Child Diaries. I simply can not over-emphasize how useful those informative and concise resources were for us. My personal thanks for all who have and continue to contribute. As we continue the Witnessing Revolution Liveblogs, I hope that we do some honor to the noble souls of the Arab Spring who are ridding themselves of mind forg’d manacles, declaring themselves free from fear and struggling for dignity and representation.(angry marmot)
(ht JustJennifer 6/11) - Mohammed Nabbous, 27 February 1983 – 19 March 2011
Killed while reporting on attempts by government forces to fight rebels in Benghazi. In the last weeks of his life he focused on bringing international attention to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Libya
ninkasi23
There was a feeling, a sense of anxious excitement when I first read the few scattered diaries about the "Jasmine Revolution". Something within that told me there were important world changes occurring and this was the first spark. When it spread to Egypt and the media started to pick it up I looked to Dkos as my source. Sure enough liveblogs started to pop up and then I found myself on twitter searching hashtags related to the uprisings. Throughout Egypt and then other Middle Eastern countries' struggles I saw the mainstream media's coverage wax and wane. But a few dedicated folks on Dkos kept going. I joined in; commenting, updating the wiki, tipping and reccing to keep our efforts going. After the media focus drifted away I was glad to see our efforts continue and still am. I have not been as active in commenting and updating for awhile but I continue to follow, witness, tip and rec because I want the people in these countries to see that regular everyday people halfway around the world do care, we are listening, we are watching and we are hoping.
(ht JustJennifer 6/11) - Hamza Ali Al-Khateeb, October 24, 1997 – May 2011
13-year-old Syrian boy who died while in the custody of the Syrian government
jnhobbs
It's about the people. The protesters camping, week after week, in Tahrir Square in Cairo. The several thousand Tunisian women, with their children in tow, blocking a major costal highway, demanding the return of their arrested husbands and sons. The people of Syria, Bahrain, and the other MENA countries, risking their lives for a voice and for some dignity. The world needs to know when repressive regimes kill and torture their citizens. The citizens need to know that the world is watching.
ABOUT OUR GROUP
Eyes on Egypt and the Region produces a different series of diaries which provide background and analysis on the region in general and on individual countries. We hope those provide context for you as you read about current events. The published diaries in that series are:
Eyes on Egypt and the Region Background Resources
See the group stream for even more diaries.
DO YOU KNOW OF GOOD READING MATERIAL?
We collect suggested readings for background reference materials in support of the Eyes on Egypt and the Region group. These may be non-fiction or fiction, general to the region or specific to a country or issue. If there are resources which you believe could aid our understanding of the events and processes we are witnessing, please either a) post a comment in the Liveblog with the title "Suggested reading:" and a brief description of the reading in the body of the comment, or b) send your suggestions via the dKos internal message to angry marmot.
Libyan Doctors for Hospitals in Libya is an impressive new aide organization launched by one of our own: StepLeftStepForward.
NEWS UPDATES
GENERAL ANALYSIS
(h/t JustJennifer 6/10) - Dina Al-Shibeeb: How about honor killing, women drivers and the revolutions?
“Degage,” a loaf of bread, “Go Out,” tanks, soldiers, police, Muammar Qaddafi’s comical YouTubes are the main features, words one can mutter to reflect on the main symbols of the Arab Revolutions.
But are there clear slogans, symbols showcasing intricate details of freedoms?
(h/t JustJennifer 6/10) - Arab revolutions mask economic status quo
The World Bank and IMF have been restructuring the economies of the Middle East for decades, with largely negative results. Yet they are poised to play a major role in the post-revolutionary efforts to stabilise Egypt, Tunisia and other post-authoritarian states.
The post-1967 era of the Middle East can, in many ways, be defined by the turn towards market liberalisation across the region, although the attempts by Western lending institutions to pressure local governments to initiate structural reforms goes back to the Nasser period. From the start of the 1970s-era infitah, or opening, under Anwar Sadat, there have been over a dozen episodes of mass protest and even revolt against IMF and World Bank-imposed austerity measures. Not just in Egypt, which has had at least four such episodes, but in Algeria, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey as well.
(h/t Dibsa 6/10)Chilling the Arab Spring
There appears to be very little difference in what is being advocated [by the IMF] to Arab democrats today and what was advocated to Arab dictators yesterday,' writes Patrick Bond
ALGERIA
(h/t JustJennifer 6/11) - Algeria: A hunger for stability?
Street protests in Algeria have failed to flourish, unlike those in some neighbouring North African countries. The BBC's Kevin Connolly considers why the country's opposition is struggling to find its voice.
BAHRAIN
(h/t Dibsa 6/10 ) - The U.S. and Bahrain: How to Talk Just Tough Enough with an Ally
On Tuesday - just seven days after his country lifted 13 weeks of martial law - Bahrain's Crown Prince, Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, met separately with President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington. A White House statement said the President supported al-Khalifa's "ongoing efforts to initiate national dialogue" and that Bahrain's stability "depends upon respect for the universal rights of the people of Bahrain, including the right to free speech and peaceful assembly."
(h/t Dibsa 6/10) - Repression in Bahrain Ghazi Farhan
TO APPRECIATE how all-encompassing the dragnet sweeping Bahrain to quash the island's Arab awakening has been, consider Ghazi Farhan. A dapper 31-year-old property executive, Mr Farhan manages three restaurants and a set of stables. Amid his pictures on Facebook is one of him at a tea party with Prince Charles
(h/t Dibsa 6/10) - Bahraini jails 'no lonely place'
Ala'a Shehabi, a British-born woman whose husband Ghazi Farhan has been arrested and is awaiting sentence, told James Naughtie how he was held in incommunicado detention for 48 days before being put on trail
(h/t Dibsa 6/10 ) - DC law firm defends Bahrain on human rights crackdown
A top law firm will be paid $550 per hour to help Bahrain respond to allegations it fired trade unionists en masse
(h/t JustJennifer 6/10) - Shi'ite cleric warns Bahrain nearing "abyss"
A top Bahraini Shi'ite cleric said trials of dozens of people and the breaking up of Shi'ite religious marches were dragging the country towards destruction, not reconciliation, ahead of a planned national dialogue.
(h/t Dibsa 6/9) - Accused doctors face military trial in Bahrain
BRENDAN TREMBATH: Dozens of doctors and nurses, who treated anti-government protesters during Bahrain's recent uprisings went on trial in a military court this week. The Bahraini Government has charged the mainly Shiite group with participating in protests to overthrow the monarchy and of denying medical attention to Sunni patients. Fatima is the daughter of one of the doctors on trial. She was there on Monday, and says doctors were forced to confess under threat of torture and while blindfolded were made to sign confessions
(h/t Dibsa 6/9) - Obama Hides Meeting with Top Bahraini Leader—And Mutes Criticism of Ongoing Crackdown
Amidst an intensifying crackdown on anti-government protesters in the tiny Gulf island kingdom of Bahrain, President Obama met Tuesday with Crown Prince Salman bin Isa al-Khalifa, a visit that was not announced beforehand
BURKINA FASO
(h/t JustJennifer 6/10) - Burkina Faso arrests 109 after munity: officer
Burkina Faso's military has arrested at least 109 people after disgruntled troops went on a looting spree in the country's economic capital last week, a military source said Friday.
COTE D'IVOIRE
(h/t Dibsa 6/10 ) - UN: Human Rights Violations Committed in Ivory Coast Conflict
A United Nations human rights body says investigators have found evidence that both sides in the Ivory Coast conflict may have committed crimes against humanity and war crimes
DJIBOUTI
(h/t UnaSpenser 4/14 ) -
JIBOUTI: WHY NO ONE CARESsection 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 angry marmot 6/11) - Arrested peasants, workers and students to be detained for an extra 15 days
Prosecution has extended on Saturday the detention of the ten arrested during strikes last week. The ten detained include five farmers, 3 workers and 2 Azhar students arrested during sit-ins on Wednesday staged in front of the council of ministers with different demands.
(h/t Dibsa 6/10) - Can the ‘spirit of Tahrir Square’ survive in the Egyptian transition to democracy?
The world was inspired by the sight of (Selmeyya, Selmeyya), even as confrontation escalated in Tahrir Square. This square was the beating heart of what has come to be known as the #Jan. 25 revolution, the # for its Twitter hash tag. The largely peaceful practices of the demonstrators, coming out by the millions all over Egypt, and their innovative use of social media, has been an inspiration to the world
(h/t JustJennifer 6/10) - UN rights team sees Egypt long way from democracy
Egypt has a long way to go to achieve real democracy despite the popular uprising that toppled authoritarian president Hosni Mubarak four months ago, a United Nations human rights team said on Friday.
(h/t JustJennifer 6/10) - Copts, Muslims cautiously eye draft law meant to ease tensions
A unified building code is seen by both Muslim and Christian activists as an important step to stand for human rights and against sectarianism and the violence that has erupted around the issue of constructing new churches.
During the last months hundreds of Copts organised a sit-in outside the state TV headquarters, Maspero, in Cairo, after sectarian violence erupted in Imbaba. Their top demand was the unified law, which the interim government promised on 12 May to fulfil within 30 days.
(h/t JustJennifer 6/10) - Revolution youth discuss Egypt’s economy with Qatari ambassador in Cairo
During a meeting with a delegation representing revolution youth at his office in Cairo, Qatari Ambassador to Egypt Al-Bu’inin said there is great enthusiasm from both countries to support Egypt’s economy, but translating it into action requires huge investments, not just organizing conferences and lectures.
IRAN
(h/t JustJennifer 6/10) - In Iran, Women Use Rap to Rage Against the Regime
Rap in any country can be a way to make a statement. In Iran, it's one of the few outlets for women with something to say.
IRAQ
(h/t Dibsa 6/10) - Hundreds rally after Iraq deadline expires
BAGHDAD (AFP) – Hundreds took to the streets of Iraqi cities on Friday, denouncing what they say was a lack of government progress after a 100-day deadline set by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki expired
ISRAEL
(h/t Dibsa 4/21 ) - Israeli leftists call for Palestinian state
TEL AVIV (AFP) – Some 300 Israeli left-wingers, including prominent cultural leaders, gathered in Tel Aviv on Thursday to call for the Jewish state to embrace the creation of a Palestinian state.
The activists met to sign a petition, which is endorsed by 17 winners of the prestigious Israel Prize, in a symbolic ceremony in front of the building where the state of Israel was proclaimed on May 14, 1948.
The ceremony was met with anger by several dozen right-wing protesters who also gathered at the site and had to be kept away by a heavy police presence, an AFP photographer at the scene said
JORDAN
(h/t Dibsa 6/10) - Jordanians slam corruption, demand elected govt
AMMAN (AFP) – Thousands of Jordanians demonstrated on Friday in the capital Amman and other cities to condemn corruption and demand reforms, as well as an elected government
KUWAIT
(h/t JustJennifer 6/10) - Kuwaiti deputy prime minister Sheikh Ahmed Al Fahad resigns, Al Arabiya reports
Sheikh Ahmed Al Fahad, Deputy Prime Minister of Kuwait and Minister of Development and Housing Affairs, resigned abruptly on Thursday, according to Al Arabiya TV.
Kuwait has been shaken in recent weeks with controversies in parliament over governance, and over its relations with Iran.
Shia and Sunni parliamentarians engaged in fistfights last month over the issue of terror suspects being held by the United States in Guantanamo Bay.
(h/t Dibsa 6/10) - Kuwait needs deep reforms to end crises
KUWAIT must carry out major constitutional reforms, including limiting the powers of the Al-Sabah ruling family, to resolve its lingering political dilemma, analysts and politicians say.
So far, Kuwait has avoided the unrest sweeping many Arab countries, but youth activists have been holding huge rallies on Fridays for the past three weeks to press for the ouster of the prime minister
LEBANON
(h/t JustJennifer 6/10) - Lebanon students demand Assad step down
Hundreds of students gathered amid tight security in north Lebanon on Friday to demand that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad step down, an AFP correspondent said.
“Take our blood if you want, but go,” chanted around 400 students from the state-run Lebanese University — including 50 Syrians — who had gathered in the port city of Tripoli.
Students took to the streets after Friday prayers, chanting: “Your bullets only give our revolution strength” and “God, Syria, freedom.”
LIBYA
(h/t JustJennifer 6/11) - Death toll in Libya's Misrata rises to 31 - doctor
The death toll from fighting on Friday between forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi and rebels controlling Misrata has risen to 31, a doctor at the Hekma hospital in the city said.
(h/t Lawrence 6/11) - Muammar Gaddafi Forces, Libya Rebels Clash In Zawiya
A Libyan rebel spokesman said opposition forces were battling troops loyal to Moammar Gadhafi on Saturday in the western city of Zawiya. It was the first major fighting in the oil port since government troops crushed opposition forces there in March..
(h/t Dibsa 6/10) - Kadhafi forces kill 20 in Misrata bombardment
TRIPOLI (AFP) – Moamer Kadhafi's forces killed at least 20 rebels and civilians when they bombarded Libya's western Misrata region Friday, the rebels said as intense NATO-led strikes sent up plumes of smoke in Tripoli
RESOURCES:
A vision of a democratic Libya an 8-point plan from the National Transitional Council
The full text of UN Resolution 1970 on Libya.
The full text of UN Resolution 1973 on Libya.
President Obama's letter to Congress regarding commencement of operations in Libya. (h/t greenbird)
Al Jazeera Libyan live blog. (h/t jnhobbs)
UK Telegraph Libyan live blog. (h/t bee tzu)
BBC Libyan live blog found here. (h/t greenbird)
The New Yorker Dispatches from Libya. (h/t suejazz)
BBC's Libyan crisis mapped. (h/t phil S 33)
revolutionology is a blog from an American in Benghazi
MAURITANIA
(h/t Dibsa 6/8) - Mauritanian leader rejects calls for protests
NOUAKCHOTT: Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz dismissed youth calls for an Egypt-style revolt in his country, telling in an interview that his country was a democracy that guaranteed basic freedoms. “We know that the demands by certain Arab youth cannot carry in Mauritania,” the former general and coup leader said in the presidential palace
MOROCCO
(h/t JustJennifer 6/10) - Moroccan king receives reform proposals
A reform panel tasked with amending Morocco's constitution submitted a set of proposals to King Mohammed VI on Friday, which includes limiting his powers and setting up an independent judiciary.
OMAN
(h/t JustJennifer 6/4) - Oman sets protesters' trial for June 1
The trial of 27 protesters accused of rioting during violent demonstrations in Oman will start next Wednesday, a court official said.
Protests in Oman began in February, inspired by pro-democracy revolts that toppled the rulers of Egypt and Tunisia before spreading to Gulf Arab region.
PALESTINE
(h/t Dibsa 6/10 ) - Feeling winds of Arab Spring, Israel douses sparks of Palestinian uprising
The trial of Palestinian protest leader Bassem Tamimi underscores Israel's eagerness to prevent small-scale demonstrations from turning into a broader movement
QATAR
(h/t Dibsa 5/13) - Protests planned in Oman over failure to act on jobs pledge
MUSCAT Protest organisers inOmanwere planning demonstrations outside the civil service offices in the capital yesterday, claiming the government has failed to fulfil its promise to create tens of thousands of jobs
SAUDI ARABIA
(h/t Dibsa 6/9) - A Conversation With Saudi Women's Rights Campaigner Wajeha al-Huwaider
Wajeha al-Huwaider is perhaps the best-known Saudi campaigner for women’s rights, human rights and democracy. She has protested energetically against the kingdom’s lack of formal laws (the Koran is it) and basic freedoms and in particular against the guardianship system, under which every female, from birth to death, needs the permission of a male relative to make decisions in all important areas of life—education, travel, marriage, employment, finances, even surgery
SYRIA
(h/t Dibsa 6/10) - SYRIA: Nation braces as anti-regime protests erupt and bloodshed continues
Syria plunged deeper into chaos and bloodshed Friday as adamant pro-democracy protesters took to the streets across the country in cities and towns including Homs, Lattakia, Amouda, Izram, Dara, Der Ezzor and Qamishli in mass protests that mark what protestors have called “Friday of Tribes.”
(h/t Dibsa 6/10) - Syria launches attack on ‘armed gangs’
Damascus - Syria's army on Friday launched a crackdown on “armed gangs” in the flashpoint town of Jisr al-Shughur, where authorities say 120 police and troops were massacred earlier in the week
(h/t Dibsa 6/10) - Syria refugee's dream of return ends in tragedy
JERUSALEM (AFP) – When Ezzat Maswadi burst across the ceasefire line from Syria into the occupied Golan Heights, he thought his chance to return to Jerusalem -- the city of his birth -- had finally come
(h/t Dibsa 6/10) - Inside Syria's Slaughter: A Journalist Sneaks Into Deraa, the 'Ghetto of Death'
A journalist, Clanet managed to enter Syria on a tourist visa (foreign media are banned from the country). On May 25, he arrived in Deraa, the southwestern city that was the first to rise against Bashar Al-Assad's regime before authorities cracked down, reportedly killing scores of locals, and cutting it off from the outside world. Briefly detained twice, Clanet was finally ordered to leave the country on May 27
(h/t Dibsa 6/10) - Syria Sends Army North, as Women and Children Flee to Turkey
June 10 (Bloomberg) -- Syria said it deployed troops to Jisr al-Shughour as residents of the northern town fled across the border into Turkey to escape what human-rights groups say is crackdown on anti-government protesters
(h/t Dibsa 6/10) - Analysis: Civil war fears grow in Syria
(Reuters) - Fears that Syria may slide into civil war are growing after a week when the government said over 120 servicemen were killed at a town near the Turkish border
(h/t Dibsa 6/10) - The Breakdown: Is Syria on the Brink of Revolution?
The Assad family has ruled Syria for more than forty years, and throughout that time longstanding ethnic and religious tensions have simmered just below the surface. Now the country is in the middle of massive social upheaval, and in the past few weeks, popular uprisings have reached a boiling point, even in the face of deadly state repression. In an attempt to address popular grievances, President Bashar al-Assad recently said he would end a 48-year "emergency" law and promised further reforms, but these concessions appear to be too little too late for a burgeoning protest movement that's no longer interested in piecemeal reform
TUNISIA
(h/t JustJennifer 6/10) - Tunisia
: The revolution will be televised
Amid demonstrators’ banners, piles of political manifestos and the tanks guarding the Interior Ministry, the fruits and symbols of Tunisia’s revolution are all on display on Avenue Habib Bourguiba, the tree-lined boulevard that bisects the capital. The revolutionary spirit still courses through Tunisia.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
(h/t Dibsa 5/5 ) - FACTBOX-Political risks to watch in the United Arab Emirates
(Reuters) - As political upheaval sweeps through the Arab world, the federation of seven emirates remains one of two unaffected Gulf Arab states, in addition to Qatar.
The per capita incomes of the UAE and Qatar remain among the highest in the world -- eighth and third, respectively -- thanks to their relatively small populations and oil and gas wealth.
(h/t Dibsa 5/4 ) - UAE: Human rights officials condemn government crackdown
Human rights advocates decried what they called a “crackdown on civil society” in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday after authorities replaced the leadership of the country's teachers association, a well-established group that had called for democratic reforms, with government officials sympathetic to the administration.
“This attack on civil society is further proof that those in power in the UAE see anyone calling for reform as fair game,” Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director of the New York-based nonprofit organization Human Rights Watch, said in a Tuesday statement. “UAE authorities should immediately stop their hostile takeover of civil society and free the peaceful democracy activists.”
WESTERN SAHARA
(h/t JustJennifer 6/10) - No progress in Western Sahara talks
The Moroccan government and Western Sahara separatist rebels on Tuesday ended new UN-brokered talks on the disputed territory without making a breakthrough, UN officials said.
YEMEN
(h/t JustJennifer 6/10) - Reports: US intensifying Yemen air raids
The US has intensified air raids on suspected fighters in Yemen in a bid to keep them from consolidating power as the impoverished Gulf Arab country's government teeters, The New York Times reports.
Citing US officials, the newspaper said on Wednesday that a US campaign using armed drones and fighter jets had accelerated in recent weeks..
(h/t Dibsa 6/10) - The Last Best Chance to Save Yemen
Yemeni President Ali Adbullah Saleh’s forced departure to Saudi Arabia to receive urgent medical care provides the United States and its allies an unexpected opportunity to end the violent, multisided fighting gripping the poorest Arab nation
(h/t Dibsa 6/10) - Son of Yemen leader digs in to keep father's power
SANAA, Yemen – Yemen's president, out of the country recuperating from wounds from an attack on his palace, still has a powerful hand on the ground at home: his son. Ahmed Ali Saleh commands Yemen's most highly trained troops, has them deployed in the streets of the capital and seems determined to preserve his father's rule against enormous pressure at home and abroad
(h/t Dibsa 6/10) - Rival Rallies Unfold in Politically-Charged Yemen
Rival rallies are unfolding across Yemen where supporters of President Ali Abdullah Saleh are cheering his reported recovery from injuries while opponents are calling for the formation of a transitional government without him
It bears repeating - Please Rec this diary.
Our Egyptian brethren articulated what people around the region are fighting for, though variations to the theme may exist from country to country. banner held by protesters and translated to English:
1 The departure of Mubarak
2 An end to the current Parliament
3 An end of the state of emergency
4 The creation of a national united government
5 A parliament elected by the people to modify the constitution and run the presidential elections
6 Put those responsible for the killings on trial
7 Put those responsible for stealing the country's money and other acts of corruption on trial
Will you help us gather updates?
Many hands make light work and we rely on teamwork for timely posting.
Here's how it works:
1. we invite you to join our wiki. (we'll need an email address from you)
2. you choose 1 or more countries you wish to gather citations for
3. go to the page of that country, click EDIT,
4. copy the mini template and fill in what the red text prompts
5. click SAVE
We're working on a publication schedule: Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday. Ideally we would see fresh citations in the wiki by late evening the day before. That is, posts from late Monday evening would be published in Tuesday morning's diary. (If you'd like produce a diary on a different day of the week, we'd love to show you how to update the template and paste it into your diary!)
It's really that simple! Please join us.
Resources:
Note: The old Mothership Diary has good list of resources.
Al Jazeera English - Watch Live (the Youtube link below should work for Mac users unable to load this.)
Al Jazeera live also available on: Dish Network channel 9410 OR DirecTV Channel 375 Link
Al Jazeera on Facebook: - http:// www.facebook.com/aljazeera
Al Jazeera Live on YouTube
English Stream http://www.youtube.com/...
Arabic Stream http://www.youtube.com/...
BBC Middle East reporting
BBC Middle East and Arab Unrest
WorldWideTahrir{NEW} : Worldwide protests being organized to coincide with the upcoming ones in Egypt.
bicycle Hussein paladin - Why Iran 1979 Went to the Islamists and This One Won't
People to follow on twitter: - please suggest people for specific countries. Thank you!
@ArabRevolution - Region
@Dima_Khatib - Region
@March15Syria - Syria
@JNovak_Yemen - Yemen
@WomanfromYemen - Yemen
@Gheblawi - Libya
@ShababLibya - Libya
@feb17voices - Libya
@DrsForLibya - Libya
@libyanexpat - Libya
@lissnp - Iran
@prsianbanoo - Iran
@sandmonkey - Egypt
@JRamyRaoof - Egypt
@Elazul - Egypt
@Ssirgany - Egypt
@sharifkouddous
@monasosh
@ioerror
@ElBaradei
@SultanAlQassemi
@evanchill
@glcarlstrom
@nolanjazeera
@3arabawy
@shadihamid
@bencnn
@arabist
@speaktotweet: Egyptian Voice Tweets on Twitter
Previous Child Diaries:
Egypt and the Region Liveblog Archive by unaspenser
NOTE: We renamed the original "Egypt Liveblog" to "Witnessing Revolution". From Egypt the pro-democracy fire spread rapidly. It's not clear that it will be limited by geography or ethnicity. So, we wanted a name which states what is happening yet allows us to grow with the movement, wherever that will be. The number sequence will be continuous. The group name will remain the same. Only this particular diary series within the group changed names.
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