Breeze Uprisings

Situation remains tense in Bahrain

2012-03-03T10:26:00.000+02:00

MANAMA, Bahrain, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- The situation was tense in Bahrain when Shiites erupted in anger after the mysterious death of a 14-year-old boy early this week, witnesses claim.

Ali Jawad al-Sheik collapsed and later died early this week. Witnesses speaking to CNN said he collapsed after getting hit with a tear-gas round fired by police. An autopsy, according to the Bahrain News Agency, showed no sign of tear gas exposure but suggested he did suffer a major spinal cord injury.

Shiite protesters later were reported clashing with security forces and pro-democracy activist Zainad Alkhawaja told the news service the situation on the streets was tense.

"People are more upset and angry than I've seen at (a) funeral here before -- I think because he was so young," she was quoted as saying.

Bahrain was criticized for the way it handled a Shiite uprising early this year but was later praised for advancing some reforms.

Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said his agency was about cases that may involve prisoners of conscience in Bahrain.

Human rights groups have accused the ruling Sunni minority in Bahrain of using state hospitals as torture chambers.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/09/01/Situation-remains-tense-in-Bahrain/UPI-52931314897600/.

Teen's death sparks protests in Bahrain

2012-03-03T10:25:00.000+02:00

Thu Sep 1, 2011

Angry protesters in Bahrain have taken to the streets in several towns and villages to condemn the killing of a teenager by Saudi-backed regime forces.

On Wednesday, 14-year-old Ali Jawad was killed after he was directly targeted by a tear gas canister during a protest held following Eid al-Fitr prayers in the city of Sitra.

The city's hospital reportedly refused to admit Jawad, who died shortly afterwards of the severe head injury he had sustained.

Human rights activists have warned about an increase in the number of deaths due to excessive use of force by Saudi-backed regime forces.

Meanwhile, families of detained protesters said Bahraini authorities have cancelled their appointments to meet their jailed relatives without giving any explanation.

Anti-regime protests, in place since mid-February, have seen a new hike in the past few days following a speech by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa about the months of anti-government protests in the Persian Gulf Sheikhdom.

The remarks outraged many Bahrainis believe that the king's speech as a futile attempt to restore normalcy to the country which does not address their demands.

On Sunday, the Bahraini king announced in a televised speech that he would pardon some detained anti-regime protesters and called for the reinstatement of a number of employees fired from their jobs and students expelled from their colleges.

He also admitted that security forces had abused the protesters, saying that compensation would be paid to the victims of abuse and the families of those killed during anti-regime demonstrations.

Bahrainis, however, have rejected his speech, accusing him of ordering the brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators, which has left scores of people killed and many more injured.

Bahraini protesters have been calling on the ruling Al Khalifa family to release its decades-long grip on power.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/196813.html.

Bahraini troops kill 14-year-old protester

2012-03-03T10:24:00.002+02:00

Wed Aug 31, 2011

Saudi-backed Bahraini troops have attacked anti-government protesters in the island city of Sitra, killing a 14-year-old boy.

Witnesses say the victim, identified as Ali Jawad, was hit in the head by a tear gas canister fired from close range.

Reports say the city's hospital refused to admit the critically injured Ali and that the 14-year-old boy died shortly afterwards, Bahraini rights activist Maryam Al-Khawaja wrote in an e-mail to Press TV on Wednesday.

It is widely believed that hospital authorities refused to treat the wounded teenager for fear of being arrested by security forces. Since the beginning of anti-regime protests in Bahrain, hundreds of medical personnel have been detained and tortured over providing medical treatment to injured protesters.

Thousands of Bahraini protesters took to the streets on Tuesday following the Eid al-Fitr Prayers to protest against a recent speech by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa about the months of anti-government protests in the Persian Gulf Sheikhdom.

Many Bahrainis believe that the king's speech was a futile attempt aimed at restoring normalcy to the country and does not address their demands.

Activists say in some areas protests had started from the previous night.

On Sunday, the Bahraini king announced in a televised speech that he would pardon some detained anti-regime protesters and called for the reinstatement of a number of employees fired from their jobs and students expelled from their colleges.

He also admitted that security forces had abused the protesters, saying that compensation would be paid to the victims of abuse and the families of those killed during anti-regime demonstrations.

Bahrainis, however, have rejected his speech, accusing him of ordering the brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators demanding an end to the rule of the Al Khalifa dynasty.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/196715.html.

السفير السوري لأردنيين : إذا سقطنا ستسقطون معنا

2012-03-03T10:23:00.002+02:00

2011-09-01

خبرني- كتب بسام بدارين في صحيفة القدس العربي اليوم الخميس :

هل يطور الأردن موقفا سياسيا جديدا في المسألة السورية؟.. هذا السؤال يبدو محوريا في عمان هذه الأيام في ظل اللغة الجديدة التي تستخدمها الحكومة الأردنية فيما يختص بمشهد سورية اليوم وهي لغة بقيت حذرة لكل الإحتمالات والسيناريوهات لكنها لم تعد متحفظة ومالت إلى النقد في الأسابيع القليلة الأخيرة.

ومن الواضح أن الإحتفاظ بمسافة آمنة وواحدة من طرفي معادلة الإشتباك في سورية تقرأه دمشق الرسمية بإعتباره خطوة معادية نحوها .. لذلك بدأت سلسلة من المضايقات السورية الحكومية على الحدود بالإتجاه المعاكس فعدد الأردنيين الذين يعبرون الحدود أقل من المعتاد وشاحنات الأردن البرية بدأت تتعطل لساعات على المركز الحدودي وعادت إلى الواجهة التحرشات البيروقراطية الحدودية المألوفة في لحظات التصعيد والتوتر من طراز تغيير تعليمات دخول الشاحنات فجأة او المطالبة بأوراق جديدة او حتى مخالفة بروتوكولات تسعير رسوم الترانزيت الموقعة سابقا بين البلدين.

إعلاميا تبدو المعركة أكثر حدة بين البلدين ففضائية دنيا التابعة لعائلة مخلوف السورية تخصص مساحات واسعة من شريطها الإخباري لرسائل تتهم الأردن بالعمالة لإسرائيل أو تحرض المواطنين الأردنيين على دولتهم والمحطة السورية الحكومية بدأت تعيد أجواء الحرب الإعلامية القديمة وهي تبث إعترافات مفترضة لأشخاص مجهولين يقولون أنهم أدخلوا السلاح للأراضي السورية عبر الحدود الأردنية.

ولا تخلو التعبيرات الإعلامية السورية الرسمية هذه الأيام من تلميحات تتهم السلطات الأردنية بالدعم الخفي للإرهاب المفترض داخل سورية خصوصا بعد معطيات معلوماتية تحدثت عن دخول العشرات من أنصار التيار السلفي المتشددين إلى الأراضي السورية فيما تقول شخصيات مقربة من الحكومة الأردنية بأن هؤلاء يمثلون 'بضاعة سورية التي ردت إليها' فقد إتهمت سورية رسميا عدة مرات بتمويل وتوجيه خلايا تخطط لأعمال عسكرية في الأرض الأردنية.

وهي خلايا لمتطرفين أصوليين ومن أشهرها مجموعة عزمي الجيوسي التي إتهمت بالتخطيط لتفجير مقر المخابرات الأردنية قبل ثلاثة أعوام.

بالمقابل يلاحظ الإعلام السوري بأن السلطات الأردنية تسكت بوضوح عن التجمعات اليومية التي تنظمها الجالية السورية مقابل سفارة سورية للإحتجاج والهتاف ضد بشار الأسد في ضاحية عبدون الراقية وهي إحتجاجات أصبحت في الواقع معلما يوميا من معالم العاصمة الأردنية.

ومؤخرا تطور الأمر فأكبر حشد جماهيري خرج في شوارع عمان منذ إنطلق الربيع العربي كان ذلك الذي نظمه السوريون مع النسخة الأردنية من الأخوان المسلمين في ليلة القدر التي سميت بليلة الإستبشار بسقوط بشار.. هنا تحديدا إمتنعت الحكومة الأردنية عن تنفيذ البروتوكول المعتمد عند الرغبة في قمع تجمع شعبي او منع الناس من الوصول إلى ساحته فعاشت عمان ليلة كاملة على صخب آلاف الحناجر وهي تدعو لسقوط بشار الأسد.

بالمقابل تقول عمان بان السماح للسوريين المعارضين بالتعبير أمام سفارتهم ينسجم مع معاييرها فقد سمحت للمصريين والليبيين بذلك ويقابله السماح بنشاطات للجنة حزبية تشكلت دفاعا عن النظام السوري.

لكن حتى من ثنايا بعض المناسبات يمكن تلمس التغيرات في 'اللهجة المتبادلة' ففي حفل الإفطار السنوي للسفارة السعودية في العاصمة الأردنية دعي سفير سورية وجلس بالصدفة لإنه حضر متأخرا إلى طاولة مليئة بنخبة من السياسيين الأردنيين المخضرمين.. عندها إعتمد الرجل في كل حديثه تقريبا على الصيغة التالية حسب شهود عيان: إذا سقطنا ستسقطون معنا.

طبعا لا يمكن تمرير هذه الصياغة بدون رد فتصدى رئيس الوزراء الأردني الأسبق عبد الرؤوف الروابدة الجالس على نفس الطاولة معلقا بفكرة بسيطة قوامها: .. سعادة السفير أعتقد انكم ستسقطون وحدكم إذا لم تتداركوا الموقف أما نحن فجالسون. المقصود هنا واضح وهو تلميح السفير السوري لإن النظام الأردني سيتهاوى إذا سقط السوري وإشارة الروابدة للرد على الموقف واضحة و مسنودة بمداخلة لعضو البرلمان الأردني المخضرم المتواجد على نفس الطاولة وفي نفس المناسبة أيضا خليل عطية الذي رفض المقاربات والمقارنات والمقايسات وتحدث عن إصلاحات بلاده وعن عدم وجود غربه بين الناس والنظام في الأردن.

ويمكن القول الآن ان هذه المماحكات السياسية تعكس المزاج المتوتر قليلا في هذه المرحلة بين البلدين الجارين وسط قناعة جميع الأردنيين بان ما يجري وسيجري في سورية يؤثر بكل تأكيد على الأردن كما يوضح السياسي الأردني المعروف ممدوح العبادي.

المصدر: خبرني.
الرابط: http://www.khaberni.com/more.php?newsid=61004.

Syria force surrounds town after defections: residents

2012-02-29T16:14:00.000+02:00

George Haddad
Tuesday, 30 August 2011

Global Arab Network - An armored Syrian force surrounded a town near the city of Homs and fired heavy machineguns after the defection of tens of soldiers in the area, activists and residents said.

One woman, 45 year-old Amal Qoraman, was killed and five other people were injured, they said, adding that tens of people were arrested in house to house raids in the town of 40,0000.

Since the demise of Muammar Gaddafi's rule in Libya, activists and residents have reported increasing defections among Syrian troops, as well as more intense street protests in a five-month-old uprising against President Bashar al Assad.

Syrian authorities have repeatedly denied army defections have been taking place. They have expelled independent media since the uprising began in March.

Activists say there have been desertions in eastern Deir al-Zor province, northwestern Idlib province, the Homs countryside and the outskirts of Damascus, where security forces fought gunbattles with defectors Sunday.

At least 40 light tanks and armored vehicles, and 20 buses of troops and military intelligence members deployed at dawn at the entrance of Rastan, 20 km (12 miles) north of Homs and began firing heavy machineguns at the town, two residents said.

"The tanks deployed at both banks of the highway, which remained open, and fired long bursts from their machineguns at Rastan," one of the residents, who gave his name as Raed, told Reuters by phone.

He said defections began in the town when it was stormed by tanks three months ago to crush large street protests against Assad in an assault that killed dozens of civilians.

Security forces killed Monday a former officer who had played a key role in coordinating army defections, activists said.

Mostapha Selim Hezbollah, a former air force officer in his 40s', was shot dead when his car was ambushed near the town of Kfar Nubul in Idlib province, which borders Turkey, they said.

"It was a targeted assassination. A companion who was with him in the car was badly wounded but we managed to get him to a hospital. The attack happened just before 'iftar' (breaking of fast). We don't know yet if it was security police or troops who fired at them," one of the activists told Reuters by phone.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is based in Britain, said five other people were killed earlier in military assaults on several towns in Idlib.

Source: Global Arab Network.
Link: http://www.english.globalarabnetwork.com/2011083011514/Syria-Politics/syria-force-surrounds-town-after-defections-residents.html.

Algeria not immune to Arab spring revolt

2012-02-29T16:13:00.000+02:00

- Asmaa Malik
Monday, 29 August 2011

Global Arab Network - Algeria could be swept by an Arab Spring-style revolt if the government does not urgently fix social and political problems, the country's leading Islamist opposition politician said.

Sheikh Abdallah Djaballah, 54, head of a party called the Front for Justice and Development, said the government had tried to appease anger by handing out cash, but had failed to address a lack of democracy at the root of Algeria's problems.

"The sources of tensions may unify and become a tsunami that will destroy everything," Djaballah told Reuters in an interview.

"The regime wanted to fix the problem financially by saying that the crisis is social and that raising wages will be enough... It is true that the social aspect of the crisis is real, but the key problem remains political."

Algeria, an important gas supplier to Europe and a U.S. ally in its fight against al Qaeda, has been shaken by unrest and strikes since the beginning of this year, with people demanding better pay and lower prices.

The government of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 74, feared the strikes and protests could lead to the kind of revolt which toppled long-standing rulers in Egypt and neighbouring Tunisia.

Bouteflika responded by using energy revenues to give hefty pay rises for almost all public employees and to raise subsidies on basic foodstuffs.

To relieve pressure for political change, he also lifted a 19-year-old state of emergency, promised to give the opposition a voice in state media and set up a commission to recommend political reforms.

Since then the number of protests has fallen sharply, but the problems are still there, said Jaballah, who wears a beard, like most Islamists, but also dresses in Western clothes.

"If someone has cancer, you cannot just give them a sedative and this is what the government has been doing so far," he said.

Source: Global Arab Network.
Link: http://www.english.globalarabnetwork.com/2011082911337/Algeria-Politics/algeria-not-immune-to-arab-spring-revolt.html.

Yemenis hold mass anti-regime demos

2012-02-29T16:12:00.000+02:00

Wed Aug 31, 2011

Hundreds of thousands of Yemeni protesters have staged demonstrations across Yemen on Eid al-Fitr, the end of the holy month of Ramadan, calling for the implementation of their revolution's goals, Press TV reported.

Chanting anti-government slogans on Tuesday, protesters in the capital Sana'a called on the newly established national council to expedite the implementation of the objectives of the popular uprising in the Middle Eastern state.

“We as protesters confirm our determination to continue our revolution and we call for the swift implementation of our uprising's goals,” a protester said.

The demonstrators condemned the security forces' clashes with the country's tribesmen, calling for an end to Ali Abdullah Saleh's rule.

Similar rallies were held in other cities, including Taizz, where at least one protester was killed and many others injured in clashes with regime forces.

Earlier on Monday, Yemen's Saleh claimed that he was again ready to conditionally sign an agreement proposed by the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council ([P]GCC), to “diffuse” the political crisis in his country.

The plan, drafted by the [P]GCC in April, includes three steps to be taken by both the opposition and the government. Embattled Saleh has already backed out of signing the deal three times.

However, on Monday, anti-government protesters took to the streets in the capital and rejected the initiative, calling it a US-Saudi plot to crush their revolution.

Hundreds of thousands of people have turned out for regular demonstrations in Yemen's major cities since late January, calling for an end to corruption and unemployment and demanding Saleh's ouster.

Hundreds of protesters have been killed and many more injured in the regime's brutal crackdown on Yemen's popular uprising.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/196670.html.

TNC seeks extradition of Gaddafi family

2012-02-28T16:48:00.003+02:00

Tue Aug 30, 2011

Libya's Transitional National Council (TNC) has demanded the extradition of fugitive Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi's wife and three of his sons from Algeria, where they earlier fled to.

Mahmoud Shammam, the TNC's Information Minister, said on Tuesday that Algeria's decision to accept members of the Gaddafi family was an “aggressive act against the Libyan people's wish,” Reuters reported.

"We are warning anybody not to shelter Gaddafi and his sons. We are going after them … to find them and arrest them," Shammam added.

He noted that TNC would formally demand their extradition and make arrangements to ensure their fair trial in Libya.

"We have promised to provide a just trial to all those criminals,” the official noted, adding that the Libyan council considers Algeria's move to give refuge to the Gaddafi family members “an act of aggression."

The developments come after Algerian foreign ministry confirmed the fleeing family arrived in Algeria on Monday.

"Muammar Gaddafi's wife Safia, his daughter Aisha, his sons Hannibal and Muhammed, accompanied by their children, entered Algeria at 8:45 am (0745 GMT) through the Algerian-Libyan border," the Algerian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Libyan opposition officials announced on Monday that Gaddafi's son Khamis was killed in a battle near Libya's capital Tripoli and buried in the western city of Ziltan.

Opposition fighters want to capture the country's fugitive dictator and his associates so they can proclaim final victory in the six-month-old uprising.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/196521.html.

Algeria defends sheltering Gaddafis

2012-02-28T16:47:00.002+02:00

Tue Aug 30, 2011

Algeria's UN envoy Mourad Benmehidi has defended his country's decision to give refuge to family members of Libya's fugitive ruler Muammar Gaddafi.

In an interview with the state-run BBC on Tuesday, Benmehidi described the move as "the holy rule of hospitality."

He made the remarks after opposition forces demanded Algeria to return Gaddafi's wife and daughter, along with two of his sons Muhammed and Hanibal.

The opposition called the move an "act of aggression against the Libyan people."

On Monday, Algeria announced that several members of Gaddafi's family had crossed into its territory at 08:45 local time (0745 GMT).

Meanwhile, clashes between opposition forces and troops loyal to Gaddafi are underway near the fugitive ruler's hometown of Sirte, which is one of the last areas still under control of loyalists.

Chairman of the Transitional National Council Mustafa Abdel Jalil on Tuesday gave an ultimatum to pro-Gaddafi troops to surrender until Saturday.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/196522.html

Violent protests signal power struggle in SAfrica

2012-02-28T16:46:00.002+02:00

August 30, 2011 — JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Violent protests Tuesday by supporters of South Africa's firebrand youth leader are the latest political salvo in a power struggle that could determine the future of South Africa's president and the man who helped catapult him to power, youth league chief Julius Malema.

Demonstrators burned flags of the ruling African National Congress and ran through the streets of downtown Johannesburg holding up flaming T-shirts bearing the image of President Jacob Zuma. "Zuma must go!" they chanted.

When the protesters began lobbing stones and bottles, police detonated stun grenades and turned water cannons on the crowd of thousands. Later, they fired rubber bullets to get protesters off the roof of an armored car.

The focus for Tuesday's demonstration was the start of a disciplinary hearing for Malema and five other youth league officers accused of bringing the ANC into disrepute with their calls for the ouster of the democratic government of neighboring Botswana. They face expulsion or suspension from the party.

Analysts say the hearing is a pretext to confront the growing power of Malema, who has mobilized disillusioned and unemployed youth with demands that the government nationalize the wealthy mining sector and appropriate white-owned farm land for black peasants.

Malema, 30, says that is the only way to address growing inequality and poverty in Africa's richest nation and better distribute wealth that remains firmly entrenched in the minority white community and among a few thousand blacks who have grown wealthy mainly off government contracts.

Malema indicated Monday that he too believed that was the real issue, telling reporters that "This (disciplinary hearing) does not delay our economic struggle. We see this as a setback for the revolution we are pursuing. We will continue to push for economic freedom in our lifetime."

On Tuesday, he emerged from the hearing to appeal to thousands of cheering militants for a peaceful protest and to chastise them for burning the party flag and T-shirts. He urged them to respect the ANC and its leaders.

"You are here because you love the ANC. We must exercise restraint," he said. "We cannot burn ourselves." The cheers turned to a roar when Malema insisted that the ANC youth league speaks "for the poorest of the poor" and will pursue a "radical and militant" revolution that also must be peaceful.

The disciplinary hearing that began Tuesday and could last for days is a response to the youth league's announcement last month that it would send a committee to work with opposition parties in Botswana against democratically elected President Ian Khama. They accused Khama of cooperating with "imperialists" and undermining "the African agenda" in Libya's revolution.

Malema said the youth league would help bring "regime change" in Botswana. This embarrassed Zuma and other party officials who have been leading African condemnation of the United States, Britain and France for allegedly abusing a U.N. resolution to effect regime change in Libya.

The support of Malema and his youth league was instrumental in getting Zuma elected party president in December 2007 and unceremoniously ousting former President Thabo Mbeki. Protesting youth leaguers Tuesday threatened to do the same to Zuma at the 2012 ANC congress.

"In 2012 we are voting Mbalula," they chanted, referring to former youth league president and current Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula. Whoever wins the party presidency gets to run for president. The ANC remains unchallenged politically in the country.

Party leaders have condemned Malema in the past for his divisive tactics, including the singing of a racist song calling for people to "kill the boer," or white farmer. In May, the party disciplinary committee fined Malema and ordered him to apologize for sowing discord in the party and undermining Zuma's authority.

Critics accuse Malema of being an opportunist. They point to the massive mansion he is building in Johannesburg's luxury Sandton suburb and allegations of corruption. His supporters say those charges are trumped up.

The police and public prosecutor announced this month that they are undertaking a formal investigation into Malema's business dealings.

AP Television cameraman Nqobile Ntshangase contributed to this report from Johannesburg.

Syrian activists warn against taking up arms

2012-02-28T16:45:00.002+02:00

August 29, 2011 — BEIRUT (AP) — Syrians should not take up arms in their uprising against President Bashar Assad or invite foreign military action like the intervention that helped topple the government of Libya, a prominent activist group warned Monday.

There have been scattered reports of some Syrians using automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and improvised weapons to repel government troops, but there appears to have been no organized armed resistance to Assad during the five-month uprising.

Calls to launch such a resistance have been rare, but they were more widely reported than usual by witnesses at protests in Syria on Friday, at the end of a week that saw Tripoli fall to rebels fighting Moammar Gadhafi with the help of NATO.

"While we understand the motivation to take up arms or call for military intervention, we specifically reject this position," said a statement emailed by the Local Coordination Committees, an activist group with a wide network of sources on the ground across Syria. "Militarization would ... erode the moral superiority that has characterized the revolution since its beginning."

The prime minister of Turkey, a former close ally, warned Assad that his regime could face a demise like those in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya if the violent suppression of protests does not stop. The comments were some of the bluntest warnings yet and were particularly biting because they came from a leader whose government had extensive diplomatic ties with Syria.

"The only way out is to immediately silence arms and to listen to the people's demands," said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking in his monthly address aired on Turkish TV late Sunday. "We have been watching the fate of those who did not chose this path in the past few months in Tunisia, in Egypt — and now in Libya — as a warning and with sadness."

Human rights groups say more than 2,000 people have been killed since the start of the uprising in March. Witnesses and activists said the crackdown continued Monday as Syrian security forces pursuing anti-government protesters stormed several towns and villages, killing at least six people — including a child — and wounding many others during raids and house-to-house searches.

The largest operation appeared to be in Sarameen in the northern Idlib province, where the London-based Observatory for Human Rights said five people were killed and more than 60 wounded. One person also died during raids in Qara, a suburb of the capital, Damascus.

Similar raids were reported in the village of Heet near the border with Lebanon, along with a military buildup just outside the central town of Rastan, which has become a hotbed of dissent against Assad.

The Syrian government has placed severe restrictions on the media and expelled foreign reporters, making it nearly impossible to independently verify witness accounts. Syria's opposition has no clear leadership or platform beyond the demands for more freedom and for Assad to step down, and several attempts to form a national council have failed because of disagreements between opposition figures, and in particular, divisions between the opposition inside and outside Syria.

In a sign of just how fragmented the opposition is, a relatively unknown dissident Monday announced the formation of a 94-member national council. The announcement, made in Ankara, Turkey, was greeted with excitement on social networking sites — but the celebrations were premature. Several opposition figures whose names appeared on the list told The Associated Press they had not been consulted.

Meanwhile, in New York, Security Council ambassadors met behind closed doors Monday to discuss rival U.N. resolutions on Syria. Russia introduced a resolution Friday that called for Assad's government to halt its violence against protesters and expedite reforms, but it made no mention of the sanctions sought by the U.S. and European nations in draft resolution circulated earlier this month.

Western diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because the meeting was private, said afterwards that it was a useful and constructive session and all 15 council members agreed on the necessity of adopting a resolution. Council members will continue discussing what should be included in the resolution, the diplomats said.

After months of deadlock, the Security Council finally responded to the escalating violence in Syria on Aug. 3, condemning Assad's forces for attacking civilians and committing human rights violations in a weaker presidential statement. It called on Syrian authorities to immediately end all violence and launch an inclusive political process.

Associated Press writers Zeina Karam in Beirut, Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

Bahrainis reject king's speech

2012-02-26T11:53:00.000+02:00

Mon Aug 29, 2011

Bahraini anti-regime protesters have rejected King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa's decision to pardon the demonstrators who were arrested during the country's popular uprising.

The protesters took to the streets immediately after the king's televised speech on Sunday, blaming him for the brutal crackdown on the peaceful demonstrations.

King Hamad said in his speech that he would “dismiss charges against some of the detained protesters and allow compensation to prisoners abused by security forces.”

He also promised to reinstate employees and students who have been dismissed for participating in anti-regime protests.

Thousands of employees lost their jobs in punishment for supporting the protests. Some of the students were denied scholarships to study abroad.

The Bahraini king's remarks come more than six months after his regime launched a Saudi-backed crackdown on peaceful demonstrations.

Meanwhile, a special security court on Sunday resumed the trial of 20 doctors and nurses accused of treating injured anti-government protesters. The court adjourned until September 7, when it will begin hearing defense witnesses.

Thousands of anti-government protesters in Bahrain have been holding peaceful demonstrations since mid-February, demanding an end to the Al Khalifa dynasty.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/196308.html.

Bahrain troops attack protesters

2012-02-26T11:50:00.000+02:00

Mon Aug 29, 2011

Saudi-backed Bahraini forces have attacked anti-government protesters after the demonstrators took to the streets across the Persian Gulf sheikdom to protest a speech by the Bahraini king.

Thousands of anti-regime protesters took to the streets across Bahrain on Sunday shortly after the country's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa delivered a televised speech calling for national unity in a bid to bring normality back to the country.

The protesters rejected the king's decision announced by him during his speech to pardon some of the anti-government protesters detained during the popular uprising in the country.

The anti-government protesters also accused the Bahraini king of ordering the brutal crackdown on the peaceful demonstrations in Bahrain, demanding an end to the rule of Al Khalifa dynasty.

Activists said the protests lasted into Monday morning and that regime forces fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the crowds in several regions including Sitra, where several people were also injured by the forces.

During his Sunday speech, the Bahraini king also said that he would “allow compensation to prisoners abused by security forces.”

The Bahraini ruler promised to reinstate employees and students who were dismissed for taking part in anti-regime protests.

He said, however, that the protest-related trials will continue in the tiny Persian Gulf sheikdom.

King Hamad's remarks come more than six months after the Manama regime launched a brutal Saudi-backed crackdown on protests, killing scores of demonstrators and injuring hundreds far.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/196381.html.

'Over 10,000 Libyan prisoners freed'

2012-02-26T11:45:00.000+02:00

Mon Aug 29, 2011

Over 10,000 out of an estimated 50,000 plus political prisoners held in fugitive Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi's jails have been freed by fighters since the collapse of the capital Tripoli, an official says.

Ahmed Omar Bani, spokesman for the revolutionary forces, expressed deep concerns about the remaining tens of thousands the whereabouts of whom is not known yet, AFP reported.

“Many people in Tripoli are now discovering mass graves around former detention centers and Abu Salim prison,” said Bani.

The spokesperson also urged people to come forward with any information on prisoners, “or they will be considered complicit in these crimes.”

Abu Salim prison is a top security prison in the Libyan capital, which has often been described as “notorious.”

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/196330.html.

Egyptians protest Saudi 'meddling'

2012-02-26T11:43:00.000+02:00

Mon Aug 29, 2011

Egyptian people have gathered in front of the Saudi embassy in the capital city of Cairo to protest Riyadh's interference in their country's internal affairs.

Protesters on Sunday held placards and banners against what they called Saudi Arabia's interference in Egypt, reports said.

The demonstrators proclaimed that Egypt is an independent state, calling on Persian Gulf kingdom to stop its "meddling."

People also condemned what they called mistreatment of Egyptian workers in Saudi Arabia and slammed Riyadh over its role in developments in Yemen and Bahrain.

Saudi Arabia has deployed hundreds of troops in Bahrain to help crackdown of anti-regime protesters in Manama and other cities.

Meanwhile, thousands of Egyptians once again staged a massive protest outside the Israeli embassy in Cairo.

Protesters demanded the termination of all ties with Tel Aviv and repeated calls for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/196313.html.

Turkey grows frustrated with Syria

2012-02-26T10:51:00.000+02:00

ANKARA, Turkey, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- Ankara won't talk with Damascus until the Syrian president carries out promised reforms in the country, a Turkish source said.

Ersat Hurmuzlu, an adviser to Turkish President Abdullah Gul, told London's pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat that Ankara doesn't have a hidden agenda in Syria, noting the fate of the country in the hands of the people.

His comments echo those from Western officials who've issued sweeping condemnations of the bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters while keeping a non-interventionist stance.

An official in the Turkish Foreign Ministry told the newspaper on condition of anonymity that Ankara was "very concerned" by what's happening in Syria.

Syrian President Bashar Assad has issued a series of statements addressing reforms ranging from the right to form political parties to voting measures. Despite pledges of reform, however, the United Nations estimates that at least 2,000 people were killed at the hands of Syrian security forces, including hundreds during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

"There will be no dialogue with the Syrian authorities unless they carry out their promises within an acceptable and reasonable period," the Turkish source said.

More gunfire was reported Monday in Syria near the border with Lebanon.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/08/29/Turkey-grows-frustrated-with-Syria/UPI-57041314626810/.

Jordanians pay price as Syria roils

2012-02-26T10:48:00.000+02:00

By ABDULLAH OMAR / THE MEDIA LINE
08/29/2011

Border town residents cheer on the Syrian protesters, but feel the sting of trade restrictions placed by Assad's regime.

RAMTHA, Jordan - A melting pot for refugees from around the world, Jordan has recently welcomed the latest batch of asylum seekers from neighboring Syria, but officials in Amman fear this bite is more than they can chew.

Ever since the popular uprising against the rule of Syrian President Bashar Assad took a violent turn five months ago, Jordan’s northernmost towns over the border with Syria have been welcoming dozens of Syrians families and soldiers fleeing crackdown on protesters.

When revolts first broke out across the Arab World at the start of the year, Jordanians here in the city of Ramtha and its neighboring villages were excited at the prospect of despots being brought down. When the unrest spread to Syria, which started in the country’s south not far from Jordan, they welcomed the first wave of Syrian asylum seekers with open arms.

But as the protests wore on and the government of Assad counterattacked with a violent crackdown, the mood shifted. For many residents, cross-border trade is what puts bread on the table, but the crackdown virtually shut the border with Jordan. Syrian authorities refused to allow Jordanian merchants into its territory to buy food and other essentials that supply Ramtha’s stores and markets.

“The siege on this small town sent a message to Jordanian officials that Damascus was ready to cut Jordan from a vital food source in case it supported the revolt,” says Abdullah Zubi, an activist from Ramtha, whose population numbers 100,000 people, making it the biggest town near the border.

The Arab Spring has dealt roughly with Jordan, an American ally, and there is little sign that the regional unrest in abating. At home, King Abdullah has faced protests calling for deep political reforms while chaos in the Sinai Peninsula has cut off the country’s supply of Egyptian natural gas. The economy has had to contend with higher prices for oil and food.

Assad has killed more than 2,000 people in his bid to quell protests against his rule. On Saturday, Syrian forces attacked demonstrators in suburbs of the capital, Damascus, as well in the cities of Deir Al-Zour, Homs and Nawa, human rights activists said. The foreign minister of Iran, Syria’s most important ally, on Saturday called on Assad to "pay heed to the legitimate demands of his people" and warned that a potential power vacuum in Damascus "would bring about unpredictable consequences" for the region.

Jordan imports most of its foodstuffs from Syria or through Syrian territories. So far, the trade line has not been disrupted, but concern is growing that retaliation could lead Syria to seal its borders with Jordan, a blow that the kingdom would find difficult to handle, considering its limited resources and options in the region, say analysts.

But the distress involved more than trade. Several influential businessmen and lawmakers with close links to Syria, hired thugs to stop local residents from taking to the streets in support of the uprising against Assad’s Baath regime, Zubi said. Meanwhile, with protests spreading in Syria and the death toll rising, the exodus intensified from Houran district, the southern tip of Syria and cradle of anti-Assad protests.

Dissidents who arrive in Jordan talk of random killings and arrests as well as looting and sabotage by the Syrian army and civilian groups believed to be close to the under fire regime.

Abdul Rahman, a former Syrian soldier, says he crossed the border on foot from Deraa two months ago, after he refused to shoot at civilians.

“We were given orders to shoot protesters, destroy houses and arrest anyone believed to be a threat,” says Abdul Rahman after performing taraweeh prayer among several Syrian asylum seekers.

The 34-year-old former soldier is seeking asylum with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

“I can’t return to Syria as long as the Assad regime is ruling. They arrested my brother and destroyed my house after I escaped to Jordan,” says Abdul Rahman, who often takes part in anti-Assad protests in several cities across Jordan.

In the border town of Mafraq, a tribal stronghold loyal to Jordan’s King Abdullah, several Syrian soldiers cross the landmine infested region in search for safety. Residents say refugees have been welcomed by local families, but there is little public discussion about it for fear of retaliation from the Syrians.

Abu Samara, a tribal leader from Khalidya, is one of the few who are willing to talk about what is happening. He says the livelihood of many Jordanians depends on cross border trade with Syria, including transport of cattle, food items and other merchandise. Scores of residents in Mafraq also work in the smuggling business. Some bring in cigarettes, electric appliances, food items and often drugs.

But more than trade, tribes and families straddle both sides of the border, creating a network of loyalty and mutual support that transcend political and national divisions.

“Jordan and Syria are one country, the people are the same. These borders came into existence only a few years ago, but we still have relatives on the other side of the border and our duty is to help them,” he told The Media Line in a telephone interview.

At Abu Samara’s house lives a Syrian family of six people from Deraa in southern Syria, who arrived nearly two months ago when the Syrian army pushed into the city to silence anti-Assad demonstrators. The parents arrived along with their three daughters and one son.

Political ties between Jordan and Syria, particularly between the fathers of the current two leaders, the late King Hussein and Hafez Assad, have been marred by periodic episodes of tension. While Syria has grown into an ally of Iran and Lebanon’s Shi'ite militant movement Hezbollah, Jordan’s royal family is a traditional ally of the West. In the late 1970s, Syria and Jordan came close to a military confrontation over how to deal with their common neighbor, Israel. In more recent years, relations improved, but they are still fragile as Syria remains in the grip of the Hafez Assad-era old guard.

As the smaller of the two countries and facing its own domestic tensions, Jordan has been sensitive to Syrian concerns. When Syrian dissidents, including renegade soldiers, activists and ordinary citizens, began coming across the border, Amman imposed a media gag on refugees. By comparison, the approximately 7,000 Syrian refugees who have cross into Turkey, on Syria’s north, have been interviewed by the media while dissident leaders routinely meet in Istanbul, the Turkish capital.

Jordanian Ministry of Interior officials insist that the number of Syrians who have fled to Jordan as refugees is limited, pointing out that many Syrians would visit the kingdom in summer for vacation. An official source, who requested anonymity, will admit to only several refugees being welcomed in. Sources at UNHCR said the agency has recently approved requests for asylum from a number of Syrians.

Nevertheless, Jordan has recently accused Syria of siphoning off its underground water and placing the kingdom under strain as it struggles with chronic water shortage and rising population. On August 14, Jordan’s prime minister, for the first time, scolded the Syrian government for resorting to violence to crush protesters and urged an end to violence.

Such remarks could have a profound impact on the already fragile ties between the two sides, say observers.

Source: The Jerusalem Post.
Link: http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?ID=235842.

Jordanian protests worry Saudi king

2012-02-26T10:45:00.000+02:00

Sat Aug 27, 2011

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Ben Abdul Aziz has expressed concerns about the persistence of protests in Jordan in a letter to the country's King Abdullah II.

“The political development in Jordan will have a negative impact on Saudi Arabia,” wrote the Saudi King in the letter to his Jordanian counterpart, Fars news agency reported.

“The status of Arab countries such as Jordan and Saudi Arabia are linked together and therefore Saudi Arabia will spare no effort to resolve Jordan's problems,” the Saudi ruler pledged.

Saudi king's letter came as protest rallies have been staged across Jordan for the past seven months in efforts to push the government to expand powers of the parliament.

Jordanians have also been demanding lower food prices, a greater participation in politics and the election of a prime minister.

The rise in anti-government protests and mounting political tension in Arab countries such of Jordan, Yemen and Bahrain have worried the US-backed Saudi kingdom and prompted King Abdullah to grant Jordan more than $1.2 billion in financial assistance since the beginning of 2011.

Saudi Arabia has been criticized over its double standards toward anti-government protests in the region. Riyadh has been a strong supporter of opposition groups in Syria, while it has deployed troops in Bahrain to help regime forces crush protesters there.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/195977.html.

Gadhafi Forces Suspected of Mass Murder of Prisoners

2012-02-26T10:34:00.000+02:00

By Jack Phillips
August 28, 2011

Mass graves containing dozens of suspected rebel bodies was recently discovered, with evidence that forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi killed them, said Human Rights Watch.

Some of the bodies were dumped in the Tripoli neighborhood of Gargur sometime around August 21, said the rights group, who published its findings on Sunday in a report. A witness who survived the mass killing said that Libyan government forces shot prisoners at a building belonging to the Internal Security Service.

The mass grave in Gargur is the latest discovered in recent days that Gadhafi forces are also suspected to be responsible for, the rights group said. On Friday, 18 bodies were discovered near the Internal Security building in a dry riverbed. Some of those killed may have been doctors and nurses, and had their hands tied behind their backs.

Another two bodies were found in the Internal Security building on August 26.

Another 29 bodies were found in a medical clinic outside of Gadhafi’s compound, Bab al-Aziziya. Some appeared to have been executed while they were lying in hospital beds.

“Torture was rife in Gadhafi’s prisons but to execute detainees days before they would have been freed is a sickening low in the government’s behavior,” stated Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch.

Whitson said there is strong evidence suggesting “Gadhafi government forces went on a spate of arbitrary killing as Tripoli was falling.”

Osama Hadi Mansur Al-Swayi, one of the survivors of the massacre at the Internal Security building, said that as the rebels came into Tripoli on Aug. 19, the prisoners started celebrating.

“We were so happy, and we knew we would be released soon,” he recounted. But that joy soon turned to terror. Snipers that were upstairs came down and started shooting. Al-Swayi along with other prisoners were told to lie on the ground. Then he heard one of the guards loyal to Gadhafi give the order to “just finish them off.”

“In one instant, they finished off all the people with me,” he said.

Another witness, Juma’ Al-Murayd, told Human Rights Watch that on August 23 he had seen Gadhafi’s men beat up then kill three civilians at a checkpoint near his home. “One of them was just driving his car, unarmed,” the witness said.

“These incidents, which may represent only a fraction of the total, raise grave questions about the conduct of Gadhafi forces in the past few days, and whether it was systematic or planned,” said Whitson.

“If these incidents are proven to be extra judicial killings they are serious war crimes and those responsible should be brought to justice,” he added.

Source: The Epoch Times.
Link: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/world/gadhafi-forces-suspected-of-mass-murder-of-prisoners-60881.html.

'فك القيد' حملة لمعرفة مصير 250 أردنيا في سوريا

2012-02-26T10:33:00.000+02:00

2011-08-28

خبرني – أطلق ناشطون وحقوقيون وعدد من الأهالي حملة شعبية للدفاع عن المعتقلين الأردنيين في السجون السورية حملت اسم " فك القيد".
وقالت الحملة في بيان لها صدر الأحد وحصلت " خبرني " على نسخة منه الحملة "تهدف لتسليط الضوء على جرائم النظام السوري و الضغط على الحكومة الأردنية حتى تتبنى موقف جاد يكفل عودة المعتقلين".
وأضاف بيان الحملة إن هذه الخطوة تهدف أيضا "لمتابعة قضية المعتقلين الأردنيين في السجون السورية وإعطائها الزخم الشعبي والإعلامي الذي تستحقه"
حيث سيكون باكورة عمل اللجنة مخاطبة الجهات المعنية للعمل على حل قضية المعتقلين وصولا إلى تنفيذ خيمة اعتصام دائم أمام السفارة السورية في عمان حتى تتحقق الحرية للمعتقلين.
وكررت الحملة أسفها "للدور السلبي للحكومة الأردنية ممثلة بوزارة الخارجية في التعامل مع ملف المعتقلين الأردنيين في السجون السورية، فما الفائدة من الاتفاقيات البينية والاجتماعات على مستوى رؤساء الوزراء إذ لم نستطع حل قضية المعتقلين".
وتاليا نص البيان كما وصل " خبرني " :
الحملة الوطنية للدفاع عن المعتقلين الأردنيين في السجون السورية
" فك القيد"
مازلت اللجنة الوطنية للمعتقلين الأردنيين في الخارج تستغرب نهج النظام السوري في تعاطيه مع قضية المعتقلين الأردنيين في السجون السورية، فرغم مرور ما يقرب الأربعة عقود على اعتقال بعض الأردنيين يواصل النظام السوري ضرب الحائط بكافة المواثيق والاتفاقيات العربية والدولية المعنية بحقوق الإنسان، حيث يعاني المعتقلين الأردنيين في السجون السورية أبشع صور التعذيب والإهانة.
إن المعتقلين الأردنيين ضحايا ممارسات تعذيب دموية ومهينة حيث يمارس عليهم التعذيب بطريقة الشبح والضرب بكوابل الكهرباء وربط الرجال من بشرهم وجرهم والضرب بالصعقات الكهربائية والتعذيب بالدولاب وخلع الاضافر وإجراء العمليات الجراحية دون وجود أمراض لديهم كما حدث مع المعتقل المفرج عنه حافظ ابو عصبة والذي خلعت أضافره وأسنانه بالكماشة.
إننا في اللجنة الوطنية للمعتقلين الأردنيين في الخارج نرى القصور الكبير من قبل الحكومة الأردنية في متابعة هذا الملف الإنساني الذي يمس ما يقارب الـ 250 مواطن أردني يقبعون في السجون السورية، والسؤال الذي نطرحه على الحكومة اين موقفك من النظام السوري الذي ينتهك اتفاقية الرياض التي تنص في احد بنودها " انه في حال صدر عفو عام أو خاص يجب أن يشمل كافة المعتقلين بغض النظر عن جنسيتهم" كما هو مطبق في الأردن.إن العفو العام الأخير الذي أصدره بشار الأسد عبارة عن عفو كرتوني حبر على ورق لم يستفيد منه الأردنيين وما زال الأردنيين في غياهب السجون السورية يتلقون أبشع صور التعذيب في فرع 251 على يد سجانهم المدعو أبو غضب.
اليوم وبعد مرور كل هذا الزمان على استمرار اعتقال الأردنيين في السجون السورية منهم أربعة سيدات على رأسهم وفاء عبيدات المعتقلة منذ العام 1985 لا يرق للنظام السوري جفن ولم يصحوا ضميره تجاه الأمهات اللاتي جفت عيونهن من البكاء على أبنائهن.إننا في اللجنة الوطنية للمعتقلين الأردنيين نحمل النظام السوري وعلى رأسه بشار الأسد المسؤولية عن سلامة المعتقلين الأردنيين، مؤكدين أن مصيره سيكون المحاسبة أمام القضاء العادل الذي سيقتص منه.
ونكرر أسفنا للدور السلبي للحكومة الأردنية ممثلة بوزارة الخارجية في التعامل مع ملف المعتقلين الأردنيين في السجون السورية، فما الفائدة من الاتفاقيات البينية والاجتماعات على مستوى رؤساء الوزراء إذ لم نستطع حل قضية المعتقلين.
ولمتابعة قضية المعتقلين الأردنيين في السجون السورية وإعطائها الزخم الشعبي والإعلامي الذي تستحقه فقد أطلق مجموعة من الحقوقيين والناشطين وأهالي المعتقلين الحملة الوطنية للدفاع عن المعتقلين الأردنيين في السجون السورية تحت عنوان " فك القيد" والتي تهدف لتسليط الضوء على جرائم النظام السوري و الضغط على الحكومة الأردنية حتى تتبنى موقف جاد يكفل عودة المعتقلين.وسيكون باكورة عمل اللجنة معادة مخاطب الجهات المعنية للعمل على حل قضية المعتقلين وصولا إلى تنفيذ خيمة اعتصام دائم أمام السفارة السورية في عمان حتى تتحقق الحرية للمعتقلين. .
منسق الحملة الوطنية للدفاع عن المعتقلين الأردنيين في السجون السورية " فك القيد"
المحامي عبد الكريم الشريدة
وفيما يلي اسماء عدد من المعتقلين والمفقودين الأردنيين في سوريا
1 - عاهد عبدالله علي الخريسات موجود ومعتقل لدى شعبة فلسطين زنزانة رقم 6 ويلقب ابو الطيب.
2 - ابراهيم عبدالله فايز الشوا، دخل سوريا بتاريخ 6/9/2006 اعتقل منذ دخوله ويعاني من مرض نفسي ويعالج في مستشفيات وزارة الصحة.
3 - حاتم عبدالرحيم محمد البوريني، مفقود في سوريا، غادر الى سوريا في 22/2/2005.
4 - جبر محمد خليل عثمان البستنجي معتقل في السجون السورية منذ 24 عاما.
5 - عماد ابراهيم عبدالهادي محمد الدواية، معتقل منذ 25 سنة.
6 - بشار شريف علي صالح.
7 - خالد محمد عبدالرحيم جابر العموري، معتقل منذ 1982 وهو في سجن تدمر.
8 - محمد خميس الصعبي مفقود في سوريا منذ عام 1983.
9 - احمد فؤاد نمر بشير، معتقل منذ 1982 بسوريا.
10- باسم خميس سمور صقر معتقل منذ 1991 في سوريا.
11 - خالد محمد حسين ظاهر معتقل في سوريا في سجن سدناية وهو محكوم 20 عاما.
12 - حسيب نديم صالح.
13 - وفاء فهمي علي عبيدات، طالبة طب اسنان جامعة دمشق، اعتقلت مساء 17 تشرين اول منذ 1986 من قبل الفرع (251) في المخابرات العامة. وبعد التحقيق معها سلمت للفرع (285) في كفر سوسة.
14 - هاني فهمي علي عبيدات، اعتقل عام 1986 من قبل الفرع (251).
15 - وليد ايوب بركات، في سجن سديانة.
16 - عماد العنابي سكان اربد موجود حاليا في سجن صدنايا .
17 - ابراهيم حسن علي الصقور، موجود في السجن منذ عام 1999 في سجن صدنايا، حكم 15 سنة.
18 - محمد جابر عبد الغني، معتقل منذ عام 1982، ما زال موجودا في سجن صدنايا.
19 - سعيد حتاملة، معتقل منذ عام 1985 سجن صدنايا.
20 - محمد طه عبد المحسن معوسة، موجود داخل السجن باسم مستعار وائل الرمحي.
21 - خالد محمد عبدالرحيم جابر العموري، معتقل منذ عام 1982 في سجن صدنايا.
22 - عمر احمد بدران بدير.
23 - اسامة بشير بطاينة.
24 - يسري احمد يوسف الحايك.
25 - شيخة احمد يوسف الحايك .
26 - ميسر جميل العيساوي، معتقلة منذ عام 1985.
27 - حاتم عبدالله خلف زريقات، وكان الاعتقال في حمص منذ تاريخ 4/3/1981.
28 - احمد محمد اسماعيل زعترة، معتقل منذ عام 1994.
29 - نبيل حسن مصطفى ابو حجاب. 30 - عماد ابراهيم عبدالهادي حمد، معتقل منذ 1988.
31 - خالد عزيز عارف حرزالله، 32 - عدنان محمد محمود حموضة، اعتقل منذ عام 1985 .
33 - خليل نايف مبروك، معتقل منذ عام 1985
34 - بهاء وجيه الشنطي، مفقود منذ عام 1990 اعتقل اثناء عودته من السويد.
35 - عبد الواحد محمود اسعيد (ابو علاء) معتقل منذ 28 عاما.

36 - منذر عبد الكريم نمر تايهة، معتقل منذ عام 1976
37 - كايد صالح حسن ابو جيش .
38 - عماد نايف جبر كناني، معتقل منذ عام 1999 بسجن صدنايا.
39 - خالد ابراهيم يوسف بشابشة، معتقل منذ ستة شهور.
40 - خالد صادق محمود صبيح، طالب صيدلة في تركيا معتقل في سوريا.
41 - عدلي سليم عبدالقادر عبده.
42 - فيصل حماد بن سعيد.
43 - ابراهيم عبدالعال.
44 - جهاد القشة .
45 - ملاك ابراهيم علي الرملاوي .
46 - سمر الخطيب.
47 - امين يوسف جمعة .
48 - محمود صوالحة.
49- عبدالكريم ابو عيشة. معتقل منذ عام 1978 .
50 - عبد الفتاح حسن ابو سنية .
51 - ياسر صالح حسن ادريس.

المصدر: خبرني.
الرابط: http://www.khaberni.com/more.php?newsid=60812.

Syrian death toll rises as government crackdown continues

2012-02-26T10:28:00.000+02:00

DAMASCUS (BNO NEWS) — At least eight people were killed on Friday during anti-regime demonstrations across Syria, a rights group said on Saturday.

The Local Coordination Committees of Syria (LCC), a network of Syrian opposition activists, said eight protesters were killed during demonstrations which took place across the country on Friday, which was dubbed a day of “patience and determination.” According to CNN, at least one person was wounded when security forces opened fire on a group of demonstrators in the Bab Sbaa neighborhood of Homs during a funeral of a man killed Thursday by sniper fire.

In a separate incident, security forces fired on a car, wounding at least one man outside Damascus, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. At least one demonstrator was also wounded when Syrian security forces opened fire in Deir Ezzor.

The crackdown continued on early Saturday when security forces surrounding the Rifaie Mosque in the Damascus suburb of Kafr Sousa fired tear gas on thousands of worshipers as they ended their prayers and tried to leave the building, CNN reported. The LCC also reported that security forces were making random arrests outside the mosque.

In the restive city of Daraa, security forces fired randomly in an attempt to disperse two groups of demonstrators. Tanks surrounded more than 2,000 protesters and two armored vehicles outside Daraa’s Omari Mosque, according to CNN which cited LCC.

Meanwhile, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported that 11 army and security forces were killed by “terrorist groups” in Homs and Deir Ezzor. Another 16 soldiers were wounded, the agency claimed.

The violence occurred on one of the most holy days of Ramadan and on the same day that a United Nations team concluded that there is “an urgent need to protect civilians from the excessive use of force” after completing a five-day humanitarian mission to Syria.

The August 20-25 mission added that “the constant presence of government officials” limited the visitors’ ability to assess the situation. “However, the people it was able to talk to in areas of previous or ongoing unrest said they felt extremely intimidated and under constant threat,” the UN said.

This week, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said that more than 2,200 people have been killed in Syria since pro-democracy demonstrations began in Syria in mid-March as part of a broader uprising across North Africa and the Middle East that has led to the toppling of entrenched regimes in Tunisia and Egypt and conflict in Libya. More than 350 people have reportedly been killed since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on August 1.

The Syrian government has repeatedly claimed that the violent acts have been instigated by terrorists who use military uniforms and weaponry to pose as soldiers while attacking citizens but these claims have been rejected by residents, human rights groups, and the international community.

Saturday, August 27th, 2011

Source: WireUpdate.
Link: http://wireupdate.com/wires/19727/syrian-death-toll-rises-as-government-crackdown-continues/.

Saudi Arabia threatens anti-regime protesters with iron fist

2012-02-21T18:12:00.000+02:00

Tue Feb 21, 2012

Saudi Arabia’s interior ministry has defended the regime forces’ ruthless repression of anti-government protests and threatened to use an “iron fist” against protesters.

“It is the state's right to confront those that confront it first... and the Saudi Arabian security forces will confront such situations ... with determination and force and with an iron first," the ministry said in a statement on Monday.

An interior ministry spokesman said the statement was released in reaction to a last week sermon delivered in the Qatif region in the Eastern Province, which took a swipe at the Saudi government’s handling of the protests.

Saudi authorities claim that the regime does not practice discrimination against the Shia minority, pointing a finger of blame at protesters.

Earlier on Thursday, several anti-regime protesters in the kingdom’s eastern province of Safwa were abducted.

Since February 2011, Saudi protesters have held demonstrations on an almost regular basis in the oil-rich Eastern Province, mainly in Qatif and the town of Awamiyah, calling for the release of all political prisoners, freedom of expression and assembly, and an end to widespread discrimination.

Saudi protesters also want an end to economic and religious discrimination against the oil-rich region. Several demonstrators have been killed and scores of activists have been arrested since the beginning of protests in the region.

Riyadh has intensified its crackdown on protesters since the beginning of 2012.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/227806.html.

Tripoli rappers encourage Libya revolution

2012-02-21T13:40:00.000+02:00

Young rappers from Tripoli tell their story of how music helped inspire the Libyan revolution.

Interview by Asmaa Elourfi and Maryam Alegily for Magharebia in Benghazi – 25/08/11

A Tripoli-based band, the Descendants of Omar Mukhtar Group, supported the revolution with distinctive rap music. Inside the National Theater of Benghazi, Magharebia met with the head of the group, Essam Assalini.

Essam Assalini: The band was founded in 2008 and was named King Hope. It consists of five people: Abdel Salam, Hussein, Mohamed, Ali and I. After the revolution of February 17th, it was been renamed "The Descendants of Omar Mukhtar Group" and all the songs came to support this revolution. I hope that our songs are a source of enthusiasm. We believe that art is a battlefront alongside the military front.

Magharebia: In light of the circumstances experienced by the people of Tripoli, how were the songs prepared?

Essam Assalini: We were modest in preparing and recording the songs, and one way or another the songs leaked out to the people and [were well received]. They were encouraging young people in Tripoli, but Kadhafi's battalions did not leave anyone alone, so we traveled to Tunisia. There we gave a concert for displaced Libyans and helped put a smile on the faces of children and were able to raise their spirits. We co-operated with charities there and then went to the free fortress city of Benghazi to share freedom with our brothers — for everybody knows that the youth of Tripoli has not and will not be silent about the injustice of Kadhafi. They are carrying out substantive operations against the regime and its cronies.

Magharebia: What are your upcoming works?

Assalini: We are now about to hold a set of concerts, and we will visit displaced families from the western region to share in their joys and raise their spirits. We will also visit the city of Ajdabiya and certainly Brega, for we have prepared a special song for [Brega] that we will perform.

Magharebia: Why choose the name "The Descendants of Omar Mukhtar"?

Assalini: We chose this name to prove to Kadhafi his permanent lie, and to tell him that his "Kadhafi" terms have no basis. We are from the western region, but we bear the name of a "mujahid" from the eastern region.

Magharebia: You confirm the presence of mercenaries there?

Assalini: Yes, they came to a site with an armed African person, who stopped me for a full hour on the wall – accompanying me were my mother, my father and my wife – until one of my brothers came. This African was a driver for one of the companies in Tripoli, and he asked my brother, "Is this your brother?" My brother answered yes, and the African replied, "Fine, there's no problem. We are one country."

Furthermore, the psychological situation among the people there is very bad, and they are waiting for the people of the liberated areas to rid them of this tyrant. There are also substantive operations carried out by the rebels of Tripoli on a daily basis, killing at least three soldiers a day from Kadhafi's brigades. The rebels are putting an independence flag on blocks of ice in the evening, and when the sun melts the ice the flag suddenly emerges and provokes the battalions. They also put recorders in garbage bags that, when connected to an electrical source, they loudly play the national anthem.

The disturbing thing there is the battalions from the area where you were born. At each gate you find Kadhafi supporters asking, "Where are you from?" And if your grandparents are from Benghazi, your fate is unknown. I personally encountered this position, for I was born in Benghazi but lived in Tripoli in Souq al-Juma, and every time I try to convince them of that for hours, for the young people of Benghazi and the eastern region meet with an unknown fate in Tripoli.

Magharebia: What do you have to report to us about the march by Kadhafi's supporters in Tripoli?

Assalini: First, most of those who came out for this march are not Libyans. The Libyans who are paid daily are people who sold their conscience for money. I remember when payment was cut off from them for mere days, they went out in a demonstration demanding their wages and saying "Amo Amo Amo, the 500 amo". This is evidence that they stand for money and not Kadhafi. I saw with my own eyes at Bab Al-Aziziya gate non-Libyan women—they were Chadian—selling incense wearing Libyan robes and collecting money [with their goods priced] from 50 to 150 dinars. The bottom line is that life has become intolerable there, and shops that were filled with food have become empty.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/08/26/feature-04.

Moroccan youth push for political representation

2012-02-21T13:38:00.000+02:00

With three months to go until legislative elections, Moroccan young people are seeking increased representation in parliament.

By Siham Ali for Magharebia in Rabat – 26/08/11

Young political activists in Morocco recently formed a new group to press for reform and to urge the creation of a national electoral list reserved for youth ahead of the November 25th legislative elections.

Members of the newly created "Moroccan Youth Movement for Political Representation Now" met with Youth Minister Moncef Belkhayat on Tuesday (August 23rd) in Rabat to advocate for a national list reserved for young people, half men and half women. Twenty-nine youth organizations and 17 civil society groups are affiliated with the movement.

The youth list will guarantee young people's representation in the Chamber of Representatives while at the same time encouraging "a renewal of the elite and inject new blood into institutions", according to the activists.

The movement also proposed the creation of a national fund to support young people that will protect their interests.

Youth Minister Belkhayat gave his support to the national list proposal, citing a recent royal speech that stressed the need to foster the emergence of new political elites among young people.

The youth initiative follows lobbying by the women's movement, which has pushed for a list to be reserved solely for women. The interior ministry previously proposed the adoption of a 90-seat national list for young people and women.

According to Abdelkader Kihel, general secretary for young people with the Istiqlal Party, the government's proposal was welcomed by young people but attempts have since been made to hijack it.

"Political parties have a problem with young people. There is a huge gap between what they say and what they do," he said.

The youth movement's goal is to bring about a full-scale renewal of the elites, which are one of the driving forces of democracy, according to Ali El Yazghi, secretary-general for young people with the Socialist Union of Popular Forces. He said that this renewal must happen immediately with election lists reserved for young people.

Young people from the movement say they are determined to achieve their goal of rejuvenating the political elite and accuse parties of having no clear vision on the issue.

If the movement's demands are not met, they plan to step up their campaign with protests to call for young people to be represented in the legislature.

The idea of a national list is an issue on which no consensus has yet been reached, government spokesman Khalid Naciri told reporters August 18th. He stated that there are differences of opinion between those who want it to be reserved solely for women, those who want it to be reserved for young people, and those who believe there is no point in implementing it.

"You must put yourselves in the shoes of the Ministry of the Interior, which is trying to establish a consensus by consulting political parties," Naciri said.

The ball is now in the court of political parties, which have differing views on the matter. The president of the National Council of the Party of Justice and Development, Saaddine Othmani, said that his party proposed that a third of the list be reserved for women, a third reserved for young people and the remainder for Moroccans living overseas.

In his view, young people should set up bodies of their own to solve the problem of representation as there cannot be several national lists.

As for the women's movement, the national co-ordinator for the Movement of Egalitarian Democracy, Khadija Rebbah, said that the national list should be reserved for women only. She said positive discrimination has historically focused on the sex with the least representation, whereas young people are an age-based category.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/08/26/feature-02.

Chilean student protests snowballing into political revolt

2012-02-21T11:09:00.000+02:00

SANTIAGO, Chile, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- Chilean student protests are snowballing into a political storm with President Sebastian Pinera finding himself right at the center of it and not liking it.

The millionaire president, who retains vast business interests but swears by arrangements aimed at avoiding conflicts of interests, faced widening revolt this week after increasing numbers of labor union members and teachers threw their support behind students.

Protesters' representatives said their calls for general strikes across the country received greater attention than anticipated. As the protests grow, the lists of reforms demanded by those taking part in street marches and work stoppages are multiplying.

Rather than relent, Pinera said he was pained to see "those working so hard to paralyze Chile."

A central union of workers added to general calls for education reforms a longer list of changes, which includes a redrafting of the constitution and statutes to remove what critics see as vestiges of the past military dictatorial regimes, notably the highly controversial rule of Gen. Augusto Pinochet from 1973-90.

Pinera came to power in March 2010 after a democratic election that displaced hugely popular Michelle Bachelet. He pledged sweeping modernization and promised to bring Chileans into the 21st century with economic liberalization, state investment in gigantic development projects and transformation of a society bedeviled by sharp economic disparities.

Pinera saw his plans founder when an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country in February 2010, causing tens of millions of dollars of damage and destruction. Pinera led a swift economic and social regeneration but the work used up cash reserves he hoped to use for the promised march to progress.

Critics question Pinera's style of government and claim he lacks communication skills necessary to engage with all strata of Chilean society.

The Unitary Central for Workers called for a nationwide strike for the second consecutive day Thursday and invited other unions to join the protest action.

Thousands of protesters barricaded roads and burned tires and debris as the strike went into full swing. Officials put the law enforcement agencies on alert to prevent a repetition of protests earlier in August that deteriorated into violent clashes between police and demonstrators.

Student protests against high tuition fees began about two months ago and focused on private academic institutions operating with impunity, alleged corruption and favoritism in the education system.

Both the Interior Ministry and law enforcement commanders faced angry charges that unarmed protesters received beatings, summary detentions and abusive treatment in police custody.

Protest leaders said they hoped to make the rallies "the biggest national strike of the last decade." It is the first 48-hour national strike since the Pinochet dictatorship.

Government spokesman Andres Chadwick said police defused some protests and claimed the situation was normal beyond traffic disruptions.

Finance Minister Felipe Larrain called the protest illegal and warned of a damaging impact on Chile's economic and social fabric.

The Chilean economy may be losing up to $200 million a day, officials said.

Analysts said Pinera's decision to fill his Cabinet with technocrats and business experts might be well-intentioned but the lack of public savvy political negotiators appears to be alienating many Chileans. A Cabinet reshuffle in July, the second since Pinera assumed office last year, failed to defuse tensions.

The outcome of the protests is likely to hinder the president's move to push through sweeping economic reforms, including plans to integrate Chile more comprehensively with the global markets.

Chile was badly hit by the 2008 economic crisis. Critics blamed the country's connectivity with international markets for the problems faced after the economic downturn.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/08/25/Chilean-student-protests-snowballing-into-political-revolt/UPI-86511314298000/.

Motorists to circle Moscow in anti-Putin protest

2012-02-19T13:52:00.002+02:00

19/02/2012

Moscow drivers flying white balloons and ribbons prepared to circle the Kremlin on Sunday in protest against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's likely return as president in March 4 polls.

The second such auto rally in three weeks was due to be picked up in other cities as the opposition sought to keep up momentum after launching the biggest wave of anti-Putin rallies in his 12-year rule in December.

"The closer we manage to get to the Kremlin, the more effective this event will be," the protest movement's League of Voters said in a statement.

Nearly 3,500 people had signed up for the event on its Facebook account a few hours before the scheduled 2:00 pm (1000 GMT) start in Moscow.

Russia has witnessed a month of weekly rival rallies between Putin foes and his state-backed supporters in advance of elections that the 59-year-old former KGB spy is almost certain to win.

A poll of likely voters conducted by the Kremlin-linked Public Opinion Foundation showed Putin reclaiming the seat he held from 2000 to 2008 with 60 percent support.

Putin's youth movement backers attempted to steal the opposition's thunder by quickly arranging their own car run around Moscow's 16-kilometre (10-mile) Garden Ring Road on Saturday night.

They displayed pictures of Putin -- looking youthful and wearing sunglasses that played up his strongman credentials -- and floated Russian flags from their cars in an event the city police said drew 2,000 vehicles.

"With Putin driving, everything will go smoothly," one sign said.

"Putin in the driver's seat," said another slogan stamped on hundreds of cars.

State news reports said some of the participants blasted Louis Armstrong's "Blueberry Hill" in commemoration of Putin's surprise performance of the jazz classic at a charity event two years ago.

At least 50,000 people attended rallies in support of Putin across Russia on Saturday in advance of a mass demonstration called for Thursday in Moscow on Defenders of the Fatherland Day.

The opposition for its part intends to create a human chain around the Garden Ring next Sunday.

Source: Bangkok Post.
Link: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/world/280578/motorists-to-circle-moscow-in-anti-putin-protest.

Sri Lanka police fire tear gas during fuel price protest

2012-02-19T13:51:00.002+02:00

COLOMBO, SRI LANKA (BNO NEWS) -- Police fired tear gas and used water cannons on Friday to disperse a protest against fuel prices and the rising cost of living in Sri Lanka's capital of Colombo, local media reported on Saturday.

Thousands of people joined the protest which was organized by opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe and members of his United National Party (UNP) outside Colombo's main railway station. Police used tear gas and water cannons after barricading the road to disperse protesters who were trying to march towards the president's residence.

Protesters pelted stones at police officers in retaliation of the tear gas and water cannons and sat on the main road, the Colombo Page reported. Police closed the main road, affecting thousands of rush hour commuters.

Friday's protest came after one demonstrator was killed on Wednesday when police officers opened fire on fishermen who were protesting against fuel prices in the town of Chilaw in northwestern Sri Lanka. Thousands of fishermen in the region have been staging protests since the Sri Lanka government increased fuel prices on Saturday evening.

The government raised diesel prices by 35 percent and kerosene prices by 49 percent, both fuels used by the fishermen. Private bus owners also launched a strike but it was settled when the government allowed them to increase bus fares by 20 percent.

The government has pledged to spend 2 billion rupees ($17 million) a month to provide fuel subsidies to affected sectors such as the bus and rail service and fisheries. The government says the petroleum authority is losing billions of rupees from subsidizing fuel and the government has to follow global market trends.

Saturday, February 18th, 2012

Source: Newstro.
Link: http://newstro.com/article/sri-lanka-police-fire-tear-gas-during-fuel-price-protest.html.

Jordan Set to Open First Refugee Camp for Syrians

2012-02-19T13:50:00.002+02:00

Written by Abdullah Omar
Thursday, February 16, 2012

[Amman] Jordan is putting the final touches on a refugee camp being set up near the border with Syria to house its share of the thousands of Syrians fleeing their homes out of fear of being caught up in the ongoing violence between President Bashar Al-Asad’s troops and opposition forces.

In the northern city of Sarhan, near Mafraq, a large plot of land has been paved; and wiring for electricity and piping for water installed in anticipation of arriving refugees.

The camp, under round-the-clock police guard, is the first in the kingdom and in the Arab region since the uprising against the Al-Asad regime began eleven months ago. Neighbors Iraq and Lebanon remain undecided over the developing situation in Syria and are so far refusing to establish refugee camps inside their borders.

But Jordan has already allowed thousands of refugees to enter and has provided them with needed care. Until now, the burden of supporting the unexpected guests from Syria has fallen on local communities in the border areas that have provided food, shelter and medical care to the refugees. Children of the Syrian refugees have even been allowed to attend public schools for free. The new camps, set up with support from UNHCR -- the United Nations refugee agency -- will lift the burden from the locals.

According to Ahmed Emian, secretary general of the Hashemite Charity Foundation, the camp will be open and ready to receive its residents shortly. “We have set up the camp in terms of paving the ground, putting electricity and providing it with sanitation and water,” he told The Media Line. “We will be opening the camp next week, or at latest by the end of the month,” he added.

For nearly eleven months into the anti-Asad uprising, and despite the rising number of Syrians seeking the safety of its borders, pro-Western Jordan resisted the temptation of setting up camps. Observers and western diplomats say Jordan, possibly the most experienced in the region in terms of hosting refugees, waited for a political decision from higher authorities and its allies before erecting tents on the borders.

At the start of the uprising last year, Jordan imposed a media blackout on the presence of refugees in order to avoid angering Syria and its strong neighbors. But now, a number of philanthropic groups have been given the nod to provide for the needs of refugees in certain areas, including the border, Amman and as far south as the city of Ma’an.

Estimates of the actual number of asylum seekers vary. The government says nearly 5000 have entered the kingdom since the uprising began in Syria in March 2011, while estimates offered by the philanthropic groups put the number of asylum seekers in the tens of thousands. Yet, the UN-agency UNHCR pegs the number of registered refugees at about 3,000 – less than the government estimate but twice the number it reported only one month ago, according to Jamal Arafat, chief representative of UNHCR in Amman.

He told The Media Line that no camps have been set up yet, suggesting that such a move is more of a political choice than a logistical one. “We are ready to open refugee camps, but we do not see any need for that yet,” he said.

Abu Ahmed is a Syrian activist fleeing from the city of Harak, a hotbed of anti-Asad protests in Deraa. He arrived in Mafraq three weeks ago after a long chase by Syrian security forces. Abu Ahmed currently lives in a mosque in Mafraq, awaiting accommodations for his family. “I fled without my family or anybody. I crossed illegally into Jordan and now I live in this mosque,” he told The Media line in a telephone interview. Abu Ahmed said many Syrians want to flee but they are unable to do so because of the heavy security procedures and fear of arrest on the borders. Jordan has not broken-off relations with Damascus and has said it will not ask the Syrian ambassador leave even though Syrian ambassadors posted in the oil rich Gulf States have been expelled.

Privately, officials say the kingdom will be hurt in case it severs diplomatic ties with its much larger neighbor, and prefers to keep diplomatic channels open. In the meantime, residents of Deraa warn that the Syrian army has intensified its patrols along the long border in order to prevent a mass influx of refugees and to stop activists wanted by the regime in Syria from fleeing to Jordan.

But arriving refugees escaping the continued shelling in areas in the Huran region say it will be extremely difficult for Al-Asad’s forces to stop local residents from leaving.

Source: The Media Line.
Link: http://www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=34442.

Yemen separatists urge 'civil disobedience' to disrupt poll

2012-02-19T11:29:00.000+02:00

2012-02-18

ADEN (Yemen) - A faction of Yemen's separatist Southern Movement on Saturday called for a day of "civil disobedience" to disrupt next week's presidential election.

The Higher Council of the Peaceful Movement for the Liberation of the South, in a statement, called on its supporters to "take every possible peaceful action" against Tuesday's election to prevent it going ahead.

The group is one of several factions that make up a broader separatist coalition known as the Southern Movement that seek autonomy, and in some cases, independence, from the central government in Sanaa.

The Southern Movement opposes the election and has repeatedly called on its supporters to boycott the poll.

The Higher Council warned that election day could turn violent and that their supporters would try to prevent voters from casting their ballots at polling stations in the former South Yemen.

"The Southern Movement will prevent the elections using peaceful means but we expect some violent actions may take place, especially in the big cities," the Higher Council's vice president, Saleh Yahia Said, said.

Witnesses say posters have been plastered throughout the streets and on buildings in Yemen's southern port city of Aden calling for a boycott.

"No to elections, yes to cessation" said one poster. "Ensuring the failure of the elections is a national and religious duty," reads another.

On Friday, southern militants opposed to the election exchanged fire with police outside a polling station, leaving three civilians wounded, residents said.

Under a Gulf-sponsored accord signed in November, Vice President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi will stand as the sole candidate to replace embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Saleh agreed to a power-transition deal after months of mass protests demanding his ouster.

The violence and political deadlock that engulfed Yemen since last January has left hundreds dead and thousands more wounded. It has also crippled Yemen's already weak economy and pushed millions of Yemenis further into poverty.

Shiite rebels in northern Yemen have also called on their followers to boycott the election.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=50721.

Protest fever reaches Damascus: Syrians call for 'new phase' in resistance

2012-02-19T11:28:00.000+02:00

2012-02-18

DAMASCUS - Embattled Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's forces unleashed their heaviest pounding yet of the central protest city of Homs, monitors said, as thousands rallied for his ouster.

The protesters emerged from mosques after the main weekly Muslim prayers on Friday, including in Damascus, following a call by Internet-based activists for a rally for a "new phase of popular resistance."

"Get out! Get out!" they chanted at gatherings across the unrest-swept country, according to YouTube videos.

"We want revenge against Bashar and Maher," some shouted, in reference to the president's brother, who heads the feared Fourth Armored Division.

Activists said the scattered protests were among the most widespread in Damascus of the 11-month uprising against the Assad regime inspired by the Arab “awakening”.

The protesters turned out after the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly backed an Arab League initiative calling on Assad to step aside, and ahead of a visit by a Chinese envoy pushing for peace.

Assad, in remarks to visiting Mauritanian Prime Minister Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf, said reforms have to be synchronized with a "return to peace".

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 26 people were killed on Friday, one of them at a demonstration that was fired upon in the capital.

At least 10,000 people demonstrated in the southern town of Dael, in Daraa province, where the protest movement was born in March 2011, said the Britain-based monitor.

In Homs, rockets crashed into strongholds of resistance at the rate of four a minute, according to an activist, who warned the city faces a humanitarian crisis.

Thirteen of the dead were in the Homs district of Baba Amr.

"It's the most violent in 14 days. It's unbelievable -- extreme violence the like of which we have never seen before," said Hadi Abdullah of the General Commission of the Syrian Revolution.

"There are thousands of people isolated in Homs ... There are neighborhoods that we know nothing about. I myself do not know if my parents are okay," he said by telephone.

A tank fired into a residential part of Homs, before bursts of machinegun fire clattered across the neighborhood, a YouTube video showed.

Swedish mobile live video streaming site Bambuser said Friday its services had been blocked in Syria shortly after a user had broadcast a bombing in Homs.

"Dictators don't like Bambuser," company chairman Hans Eriksson said, adding it appeared Assad's regime saw the site as a "major threat."

Human rights groups estimated the two-week assault on Homs has killed almost 400 people, and a medic reached on Skype said 1,800 have been wounded.

"There are injuries that cannot be treated because of a lack of medical equipment," Dr Ali al-Hazzuri said.

The violence came as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hailed an "overwhelming international consensus" against Damascus after the UN General Assembly voted on Thursday to demand an immediate halt to the crackdown.

The strongly worded resolution, adopted by a 137-12 vote, calls on Damascus "to stop all violence or reprisals immediately, in accordance with the League of Arab States initiative."

It was referring to a peace plan put forward by the pan-Arab bloc calling on Assad to hand power over to his deputy and for the formation of a unity government ahead of elections.

Russia, China and Iran opposed the non-binding resolution. The vote came just days after Beijing and Moscow vetoed a similar resolution at the UN Security Council.

The vote "demonstrated an overwhelming international consensus that the bloody assaults must end," Clinton said at a press conference with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

"In the face of this global condemnation, the regime in Damascus, however, appears to be escalating its assaults on civilians, and those who are suffering cannot get access to the humanitarian assistance they need and deserve," she said.

"So we will keep working to pressure and isolate the regime, to support the opposition and to provide relief to the people of Syria."

France and Britain pledged to help the opposition in its struggle against Assad's regime but said conditions were not right for a foreign intervention, as in Libya.

Meeting for a summit in Paris, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron expressed support for a conference to form an international coalition in Tunis next week dubbed the Friends of Syria.

"We cannot accept that a dictator massacre his own people, but the revolution will not be brought from outside, it will rise from inside Syria, as it has done elsewhere," Sarkozy told a joint news conference.

"What is happening in Syria is appalling, for the government to be butchering and murdering its own people," Cameron said.

The two said France and Britain were working together to help the opposition, with Sarkozy urging anti-Assad forces to unite and be better organized.

Meanwhile EU foreign policy chief Ashton denounced the arrest of blogger Razan Ghazzawi, rights campaigner Mazen Darwish and several other Syrian activists, calling for their immediate release.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=50709.

Bahraini forces kill 85-year-old man

2012-02-19T11:27:00.000+02:00

Sat Feb 18, 2012

Bahrain’s opposition has announced that an 85-year-old man has been killed by regime forces in the kingdom’s northeastern city of Sitra.

The victim died of inhaling poisonous tear gas fired by troops during attacks on Sitra.

The people of Sitra held a funeral ceremony for the 85-year old Mansour Salman on Saturday.

The death is the latest among scores caused by regime forces since rallies began last February.

In the village of Dair, clashes have erupted between anti-regime protesters and Bahraini forces which used tear gas and sound bullets to disperse protesters.

Despite the ongoing crackdown, demonstrations have escalated in the kingdom, demanding freedom and the ouster of the Al Khalifa regime.

Several hundred of people have been detained and many more have lost their jobs for taking part in anti-regime protests.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/227327.html.

Fireworks as Libya celebrates uprising, but also tension

2012-02-19T11:26:00.003+02:00

Feb 17, 2012

Benghazi, Libya - Thousands of Libyans gathered in the eastern city of Benghazi, waving flags and cheering as they celebrated the first anniversary of the uprising that ousted late leader Moamer Gaddafi.

But there was also tension as 25 people were wounded in clashes between government forces and gunmen loyal to Gaddafi.

Benghazi however was the center of the celebrations as the birthplace of the opposition protests against Gaddafi last year. Those protests spread into a country-wide armed conflict that ended with his capture and death in October.

Libyans made a 17-kilometer long flag, to commemorate the February 17 uprising, and carried it through the coastal city as they set off fireworks.

The interim government said there would be no official celebrations, out of respect to the families of the thousands killed in the conflict. But people took to the streets singing and cheering throughout the day, and were expected to continue well into the night.

In the capital Tripoli, the new red, black and green national flags were flying over the Martyrs Square as nationalistic music was played throughout the day.

Earlier on Friday, authorities in Benghazi seized around 75 rockets believed to have been prepared for attacks on the celebrations, broadcaster Al Arabiya reported. A group of people were also detained in Benghazi for carrying Gaddafi portraits.

The news came as Libyan authorities tightened security across the country for fear that Gaddafi loyalists would mount terror attacks to mar Friday's festivities.

The head of the interim ruling National Transitional Council, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, vowed in a televised address late Thursday to quash attempts to destabilize Libya.

Gaddafi, who ruled the North African country for 42 years, was captured and killed in his hometown Sirte in October, after a violent eight-month conflict with his opponents.

Prime Minister Abdul-Rahim al-Kieb has toured several eastern cities this week, along with other officials, to take the pulse of the country and ask people about their needs and demands in the country's new era.

They were told that security remained the top priority, followed by reconstruction of the country and its institutions as well as help for families of martyrs.

In the south-eastern town of Kufra, clashes erupted between government forces and gunmen loyal to Gaddafi. Witnesses said that 25 people, including women, were wounded and taken to Benghazi for treatment.

Libya has witnessed periodic clashes between former rebel forces who back the interim ruling National Transitional Council and Gaddafi loyalists.

The National Transitional Council is under intense pressure to speed up implementation of economic, social and security reforms.

Another key challenge for the country's interim government has been disarming former rebel fighters and attempting to reintegrate them into society or the national security forces, as many Libyans were given weapons during the eight-month rebellion against Gaddafi.

In Washington, the United States congratulated the people of Libya on the anniversary and saluted the 'peaceful protesters in cities from Benghazi to Tripoli' who brought down the dictatorship.

'Through their courage and great sacrifice, and with the support of the United States and an international coalition, the Libyan people defeated a brutal regime and won their freedom,' White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement.

Source: Monsters and Critics.
Link: http://news.monstersandcritics.com/africa/news/article_1691720.php/Fireworks-as-Libya-celebrates-uprising-but-also-tension.

Syrian forces fire on funeral, killing at least two people

2012-02-19T11:13:00.000+02:00

Feb 18, 2012

Beirut - At least two people were killed when Syrian government forces fired on a crowd during a funeral procession in the capital Damascus on Saturday, opposition activists said.

'The funeral was being held in the Mezzeh area (in Damascus) for three people who had been killed the day before in a crackdown on anti-regime protests,' the Syrian activist Munzer Abdullah told dpa.

Source: Monsters and Critics.
Link: http://news.monstersandcritics.com/middleeast/news/article_1691769.php/Syrian-forces-fire-on-funeral-killing-at-least-two-people.

Occupy Wall Street a Super PAC Now

2012-02-19T11:12:00.000+02:00

By Alex Johnston
February 16, 2012

The Occupy Wall Street movement now has a super political action committee (PAC), which is an organization that campaigns for or against candidates, initiatives, or legislation.

John Paul Thornton of Decatur, Ala., made the filing to the Federal Election Commission, which accepted his bid, which is called “Occupy PAC,” according to the filed papers. The mailing address for the PAC is “none and everywhere” and in the city registration section, it says, “all of them.”

Thornton told CBS Atlanta that he was “watching [‘The Colbert Report’] and I thought, ‘Wouldn’t be nice if Occupy had a PAC,’ and … like a light bulb it came to me!”

“This PAC is for everyone and if they want to contribute they are more than welcome,” Thornton said. “This is going to be uber-transparent down to the cent.”

Thornton said the filing is “utterly serious,” according to The Atlantic Wire.

Source: The Epoch Times.
Link: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/united-states/occupy-wall-street-a-super-pac-now-192156.html.

Jordanian protesters call for reforms, ouster of prime minister

2012-02-19T11:10:00.002+02:00

Sat Feb 18, 2012

Jordanian people have staged protest rallies across the country, calling for political and economic reforms, constitutional amendment and resignation of Prime Minister Awn Al-Khasawneh.

Protesters took to streets in several cities including Karak, Tafileh, Salt, Ma’an and Irbid after Friday prayers.

Citizens of Tafileh demanded the implementation of reforms promised by the government.

In Karak, hundreds of demonstrators urged the government to end the mounting “security pressures” on Jordanian people and protesters.

Chanting anti-government slogans, protesters in Tafileh announced their support for a nationwide strike by Jordanian teachers who demand better pay and full annual bonuses.

Most of the country's 1.4 million public schoolchildren are staying at home as a majority of the nearly 120,000 teachers have kept away from the kingdom's 3,370 public schools since early February.

Jordanians have been holding street protests since January 2011, demanding political reforms, including the election of the prime minister by popular vote and an end to corruption.

Since the beginning of protest rallies, Jordanian ruler King Abdullah II has sacked two prime ministers in a bid to avoid more protests. Khasawneh, a judge at International Court of Justice, became Jordan's third premier this year.

The king has also amended 42 articles in the 60-year-old constitution, giving parliament a stronger role in decision-making but the changes have failed to convince people.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/227280.html.

Egyptians call for military rulers to hand over power

2012-02-12T16:57:00.002+02:00

Sat Feb 11, 2012

In Egypt, people have staged a day of civil disobedience in protest against the ruling military council, marking the anniversary of the ouster of former dictator Hosni Mubarak last February, Press TV reports.

The protesters gathered at Cairo’s iconic Liberation Square, calling on the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) to hand over power to a civilian authority.

“Our aim is to remove SCAF from power. Our aim is to remove the concept of the security apparatus that controls the power,” Egyptian activist, Mahmoud Salem said.

The SCAF, which seized control after the ouster of Mubarak’s regime last February, has failed to meet a deadline it has announced to hand over power after a president is elected later this year.

The ruling military has deployed extra troops and tanks in cities across the country in response to the call for a day of disobedience, saying that it refuses to bow to any pressure.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/226190.html.

Protesters in Morocco demand release of political prisoners

2012-02-12T16:56:00.000+02:00

Sun Feb 12, 2012

People in Morocco have once again taken to streets to protest against government policies, calling for the immediate release of all political prisoners.

The demonstrators held the rally in Casablanca, the North African country’s largest city, and demanded that the government stop arresting rights activists on false pretexts.

The Moroccan government has charged the detainees with "sabotage."

Activists say hundreds of their colleagues have been arrested since early last year as part of a crackdown on the organizers of anti-government protests.

The pro-reform and anti-corruption demonstrations in Morocco have continued since February 2011 despite the introduction of a number of reforms by King Mohammed VI and approved in a referendum in July, 2011. Moroccans say the reforms are not sufficient since the king still retains key powers and remains the head of the military.

The protest rallies exerted growing pressure on the US-backed ruler to amend the constitution and give more powers to the country's parliament and the prime minister.

The protesters also say the November 25 parliamentary elections failed to display true democratic reforms and that the US-backed ruling monarchy is not committed to real change.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/226267.html.

Death of youth triggers mass protests in Indian-controlled Kashmir

2012-02-12T16:54:00.002+02:00

Sun Feb 12, 2012

Massive protest demonstrations have broken out in the Indian-administered Kashmir over the death of a young man allegedly killed by Indian army soldiers.

Protesters on Saturday blocked the main highway to Baramullah district, situated 75 kilometers (46 miles) northwest of Srinagar, the main city of Indian-administered Kashmir, and said they will not bury the body of the slain individual -- identified as 22-year-old Ashiq Hussain Rather -- until the soldiers involved in his killing were arrested.

Police resorted to baton charges and used teargas to try to disperse the protesters.

Hussain was killed on Friday outside his home in the Lasser village of Baramulla district.

“The (Indian) troopers shot Ashiq without any provocation," said Muddasir Ahhamd, a relative of Rather's, adding that, "After the incident, they tried to keep us indoors but ultimately they ran away when we raised hue and cry.”

Meanwhile, normal life was paralyzed in the Muslim-dominated areas of Indian-administered Kashmir on Saturday after a pro-freedom group called for a shutdown. The strike call was issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) on the 28th execution anniversary of its founder, Mohammed Maqbool Bhat.

Hundreds of paramilitary troopers and policemen were deployed to Srinagar to impose restrictions and prevent protest rallies.

Both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in full and have fought two wars over the region since 1947. New Delhi has been repeatedly criticized for resorting to force rather than finding a diplomatic solution to the dispute.

In 2010, the Kashmir Valley was rocked by a series of protests in which at least 110 people were reported killed. The protest rallies were sparked when Indian forces shot dead a student in June of that year.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/226257.html.

Sudanese head of Arab mission to Syria resigns

2012-02-12T16:53:00.000+02:00

February 12, 2012 — CAIRO (AP) — An Arab League official says the Sudanese head of the League's observer mission to Syria has resigned.

The official said Gen. Mohammed Ahmed Al-Dabi stepped down on Sunday. Al-Dabi's resignation comes on the same day that foreign ministers from the 22-member group are to consider a proposal to send a new mission to Syria with Arab League and U.N. observers.

The official said League chief Nabil Elaraby will nominate former Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdul-Illah al-Khatib as the new envoy to Syria. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

The League suspended its observer mission last month amid a surge in violence as President Bashar Assad's regime battles an uprising that began 11 months ago. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

CAIRO (AP) — The Arab League was to consider a proposal Sunday to revive its suspended observer mission in Syria by expanding it to include monitors from non-Arab, Muslim nations and the United Nations, officials from the 22-member group said.

The proposal was to be discussed in a meeting in Cairo by a "Syria Group" made up of seven member states led by Qatar, according to the officials. The group would make recommendations to an Arab League foreign ministers' meeting scheduled for later Sunday in the Egyptian capital.

Last month, the League pulled out its observer mission to Syria after it came under heavy criticism for failing to stop the bloodshed engulfing the country. The Syrians would be unlikely to accept a new observer team.

President Bashar Assad's regime has pursued a harsh crackdown against the uprising since it began 11 months ago. The U.N. estimates that 5,400 people have been killed since March, but that figure is from January, when the world body stopped counting because the chaos in Syria has made it all but impossible to check the figures. Hundreds are reported to have been killed since.

The League officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because the proposals had not yet been adopted, said the Syria Group would also call on Syrian opposition groups to close ranks and unite under one umbrella, a move that they said would place more pressure on the Assad regime.

The Syria Group meeting would be preceded by talks in Cairo by the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council, a regional grouping that brings together Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Bahrain. The six nations, particularly Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have been campaigning for a tougher stand against Assad's regime and may in their Cairo meeting offer formal recognition of Syria's National Syrian Council, the largest of Syria's opposition groups.

Syria's turmoil began with peaceful protests against Assad's rule, sparking the fierce regime crackdown. But the revolt has grown increasingly militarized as army defectors and armed protesters have taken up arms against the government.

Russia and China last weekend vetoed a Western and Arab resolution at the U.N. that would have pressured Assad to step down. The draft resolution demands that Assad halt the crackdown and implement an Arab League peace plan that calls for him to hand over power to his vice president and allow creation of a unity government to clear the way for elections.

The veto prompted Western and Arab countries to consider forming a coalition to help Syria's opposition, though so far there is no sign they intend to give direct aid to the Free Syrian Army. Damascus allowed in Arab League observers in December, but the mission was halted amid the accelerating bloodshed. The Syrians would be unlikely to accept a new observer team.

Three injured in pro-, anti-Assad clashes in Lebanon

2012-02-11T17:25:00.003+02:00

WARNING: Article contains propaganda!

* * * * *

Fri Feb 10, 2012

At least three people have been injured after groups supporting and opposing the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad clashed in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli.

According to Lebanese sources, pro- and anti-Assad groups exchanged fire in the rival neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen on Friday shortly after an anti-Assad rally was held in Tripoli.

The army had deployed in the area earlier in the day but retreated

Two of the injured are reported to be soldiers, while the third is a passerby.

"There is a heavy armed presence and shooting in the Sunni Muslim neighborhood of Bab al-Tebbaneh and the Alawite neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen," a security official said on condition of anonymity.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has told the head of the army to "take necessary measures to halt these events" in the city.

Syrian President Assad, who is fighting an armed insurgency against his government, enjoys the support of the Alawite community.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March and many people have lost their lives in the violence. The West and the Syrian opposition accuse the government of killing protesters. But Damascus blames ''outlaws, saboteurs and armed terrorist groups'' for the unrest, insisting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/225999.html.

Saudis to observe day of mourning in Eastern Province on Saturday

2012-02-11T17:24:00.002+02:00

Fri Feb 10, 2012

Anti-regime Saudi activists have declared Saturday a day of public mourning for a protester who was killed by the security forces of the House of Saud in Eastern Province on Friday, Press TV reports.

Schools and shops will be closed as protesters plan to stage demonstrations in the region.

On Friday, one demonstrator was killed and two others were injured when Saudi security forces opened fire on protesters in the village of Awamiyah, in the oil-rich Eastern Province, after the Friday Prayers leader demanded that the Saudi monarchy be abolished. Anti-regime demonstrations were also held in the Eastern Province towns of Qatif, Tarut, and Rabi’iyah.

The incidents occurred one day after another anti-regime protester was killed and 14 people were seriously injured in Qatif.

Several of those injured in the deadly crackdown of the past two days are in a critical condition.

There have been demonstrations in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province on an almost daily basis over the past few months, with protesters calling for political reform.

Anti-government protests have intensified since November 2011, when security forces opened fire on protesters in Qatif, killing five people and leaving scores more injured.

Activists say there are over 30,000 political prisoners in Saudi Arabia.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/226039.html.

Syrians against Russia. Thousands of people take to streets

2012-02-11T17:23:00.000+02:00

10 February 2012

Supporters of the Syrian opposition took on Friday to the streets of several cities to protest against Russia's support for the ruling Alawite regime of Syria, according to media outlets.

Referring to the organizers of the rally, media outlets report that it is held under the slogan "Russia is killing our children", tens of thousands of people are attending it.

Video footages are posted online, which show the bodies of Muslim children killed by the Alawite militants of al-Assad. The Syrians have emphasized that Russia is behind the killings of their children.

On Friday, the King of Saudi Arabia criticized the position of Russia in the UN Security Council

According to King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, the Russian and Chinese diplomats have undermined the level international confidence in the United Nations.

The veto right used by Moscow and Beijing, according to King, was an unfavorable step.

Russia and China for the second time blocked the Security Council resolution on Syria. This led to criticism not only of the West, but also a number of Arab countries.

Meanwhile, the Syrian opposition has made it clear that if they win Syria will expel Russia from the country. A few days ago, it was reported that the opposition of Syria has actually declared jihad on Russia, which supports the Assad's regime.

"... We remembered it and declare the Jihad against you. We know perfectly well that Russia's regime pays no attention to people's lives, as in Chechnya, Afghanistan, Prague, Budapest, Georgia and Russia itself, where 800,000 people die each year ...", says the statement of the Syrian National Council.

Later the Syrian opposition confirmed its words by actions and seized the Russian embassy in Libyan capital of Tripoli.

In addition, massive and well-coordinated actions on attacking on a number of embassies inside and outside Syria had been organized.

It is to be recalled that Arab activists began in the popular social website a campaign, calling to boycott products made in China and Russia. This initiative stems from the fact that Moscow and Beijing vetoed a UN Security Council resolution against Syria, which was designed to punish Damascus for the ongoing carnage in the country and human rights violations.

Besides appeals voiced in several Arab countries calling to boycott the Russian and Chinese products have been supported by the Union of Arab Intellectuals.

In a statement, the Union urged Arab companies, Arab importers and purchasers to boycott Chinese and Russian goods and services, as well as to stop the cooperation with these countries in the cultural sphere.

Department of Monitoring
Kavkaz Center

Source: Kavkaz Center.
Link: http://kavkazcenter.com/eng/content/2012/02/10/15799.shtml.

Russia kills Syrian children, anti-Russia rallies held across the country

2012-02-11T17:22:00.000+02:00

10 February 2012, 23:13

Explosions have rocked Syria's commercial capital, Aleppo, with Alawite state media reporting attacks on a military intelligence building and a security forces headquarters.

Syrian state television said two explosions had taken place on Friday morning and blamed the attack on "armed terrorist gangs."

The broadcaster quoted the Asad's health ministry as saying that 28 people were killed and 235 wounded, including soldiers as and civilians.

"The number of casualties from the two car bombs in Aleppo has risen to 28 dead and 235 wounded," the ministry said.

Mangled, bloodied bodies as well as severed limbs lay on the pavement outside the targeted buildings, as shown in live footage on Syrian Alawite television. It said one of the blasts targeted a military intelligence center and the other a security forces building.

Arif al-Hummoud, a commander of the Free Syrian Army, a name used by various armed groups, said that opposition fighters had carried out an attack but was not responsible for the bombings.

"A group from the Free Syrian Army attacked a branch of the military security and a security unit in Aleppo with only RPGs and light weapons," he said.

The General Commission of the Syrian Revolution, an opposition group, said that the attacks were "staged by the regime," in a statement emailed to the AFP news agency.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 30 people had been killed in explosions in the neighborhoods of Sakhur and Marjeh and the Dawar el-Basel roundabout.

Meanwhile, demonstrations were held in cities across Syria on what activists called, "Russia is killing our children" Friday, in response to Russia and China vetoing a UN Security Council resolution last week.

In the flashpoint city of Homs, activists reported that Russian-made tanks were massing outside opposition neighborhoods, a week after government forces started continuously shelling the city.

Activists feared a major assault.

"The army seems determined to conquer the opposition neighborhoods - the Free Syria Army and some other armed opposition groups have been in control of those streets for some weeks now," an activist said.

Al Jazeera's Jane Ferguson reports from Homs, where some in the Alawite minority have joined the uprising

The activists said that while shelling stopped on Friday morning, the areas were "besieged by the army and people are calling for blood and bread".

"Very little food is left and little medical aid is being provided to them".

During lulls in the shelling, loudspeakers were used to call for blood donations and medical supplies, residents said.

Human Rights Watch (HRW), the New York-based organization, said in a report on Thursday that makeshift hospitals in besieged opposition areas of Homs were overflowing with dead and wounded from government bombardments and snipers.

Medical supplies are running out, at least three field hospitals have been hit and people are bleeding to death as it is too dangerous for rescuers to bring them to safety, HRW said.

The rights watchdog said since the military operation against opposition neighborhoods was launched on Friday night, government forces had fired hundreds of shells and mortar bombs, killing more than 300 people and wounding hundreds more, including women and children.

Source: Agencies
Kavkaz Center

Source: Kavkaz Center.
Link: http://kavkazcenter.com/eng/content/2012/02/10/15802.shtml.

Libya expels Syrian diplomats

2012-02-11T17:21:00.000+02:00

2012-02-10

The Libyan foreign ministry gave Syrian diplomats 72 hours to leave the country, the official LANA news agency reported on Thursday (February 9th).

In Mauritania, protestors gathered Thursday outside the Syrian embassy in Nouakchott to demand the expulsion of the ambassador and express support for anti-regime demonstrators in Syria, AFP reported.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2012/02/10/newsbrief-04.

Yemenis pledge to continue protests

2012-02-11T17:20:00.002+02:00

Sat Feb 11, 2012

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets across Yemen, calling for an end to the regime of Ali Abdullah Saleh and vowing to continue their protests until the fulfillment of their demands.

The demonstrators gathered in the “Change Square” of the southern city of Taizz on Friday to join the nationwide protest rallies dubbed "Friday of Achieving the Goals of the Revolution Together.”

Thousands also took to the streets in the capital city Sana’a, calling on Saleh not to return to Yemen.

Demonstrators expressed their readiness to participate in the upcoming elections to put an end to Saleh’s regime.

Saleh, the honorary president of the country until November elections, is now in the United States and has been granted immunity from prosecution.

However, the protesters demand the prosecution of Saleh and his aides for the deaths of hundreds of demonstrators since the outbreak of popular revolution in the country early last year.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/226090.html.

Saudi troops attack Awamiyah protest kill 1, injure 2

2012-02-11T17:19:00.002+02:00

Fri Feb 10, 2012

Saudi security forces have opened fire on anti-government protesters in the eastern part of the country, injuring at least two demonstrators and killing one in Awamiyah.

Witnesses say hundreds of Saudis took to the streets in the oil-rich east on Friday, one day after regime forces opened fire on protesters in Qatif, killing a demonstrator and injuring more than 14 others.

Some of the injured are reported to be in critical condition.

Protesters also chanted slogans against the ruling Al Saud family.

Protest rallies were reported in the cities of Qatif, Tarut, Rabi'iyah and Awamiyah.

At least one protester was killed and two others were injured after Saudi security forces opened fire on demonstrators in Awamiyah, where the Friday Prayers leader demanded an end to Al Saud rule.

Saudis have held peaceful demonstrations since February last year on an almost regular basis in the eastern region, demanding reforms, freedom of expression and the release of political prisoners.

Protesters also want an end to economic and religious discrimination against the oil-rich region. Several demonstrators have been killed and dozens of activists have been arrested since the beginning of protests in the region.

Riyadh has intensified its crackdown on protesters since the beginning of 2012.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/225972.html.

Israelis continue general strike over salaries

2012-02-11T17:18:00.002+02:00

Fri Feb 10, 2012

The general strike in Israel has entered its third day after negotiations between labor representatives and Israeli authorities failed.

A spokesman for the Histadrut labor federation said on Friday that the two sides have not yet reached an agreement.

Representatives of the labor federation and the finance ministry failed late Thursday to resolve the dispute over the rights of contract workers, who have lower salaries than their full-time colleagues, few benefits and can be fired without notice.

The sides will meet later in the day in the office of Histadrut chief Ofer Eini for another round of talks.

The Ben Gurion international airport and Israel's harbors will remain open, while employees of office buildings and banks continue the open-ended strike.

The strike, called by the trade union Histadrut, has paralyzed Israel's public sector and shut down transportation.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/225954.html.

Egyptians rally ahead of general strikes

2012-02-11T17:16:00.002+02:00

Fri Feb 10, 2012

Protesters have marched to the Egyptian Defense Ministry in yet another demonstration against the continued rule of the ruling Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF).

Hundreds of protesters gathered on Friday in front of the ministry building in Cairo to demand an immediate transfer of power from the de facto military rulers to a civilian government.

"Down with military rule," the protesters chanted at the Fateh mosque in central Cairo, at the end of the Friday Prayers before leaving for the ministry.

The demonstration came on the eve of a planned civil disobedience campaign to mark the ouster of Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak's last year.

On Friday, the activists held rallies in the capital, which all converged outside the defense ministry before they embark on strikes and sit-ins on Saturday.

The leading youth group in Egypt said the plan was for a one-day strike, but that it could be extended.

The SCAF, which seized control after the ouster of Mubarak’s regime last February, has failed to meet a deadline it has announced to hand over power after a president is elected later this year.

The council has threatened to deploy troops across the country in response to the activists’ call for the civil disobedience campaign.

In a joint statement on Friday, students groups called on Egyptians "to support these strikes in order to end the unjust rule and build a nation in which justice, freedom and dignity prevail."

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/226000.html.

Egyptians hold anti-junta demos

2012-02-11T17:11:00.002+02:00

Sat Feb 11, 2012

Tens of thousands of Egyptians have taken to the streets to protest against the military rulers who took power after former dictator Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February 2011.

On Friday, demonstrators in the capital Cairo, the coastal city of Alexandria, the northeastern seaport city of Suez, and many other towns called for the ruling junta to hand over power to civilian leaders.

“The people want the overthrow of the marshal,” activists chanted during the protest march towards the Defense Ministry in Cairo, referring to Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, who heads the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.

Army units obstructed demonstrators marching to the Defense Ministry.

Demonstrators in Alexandria chanted slogans against the generals.

In Suez, protesters burned a US flag.

The demonstrations were staged a day before a strike called by activists to commemorate the first anniversary of Mubarak's downfall. The ruling council has deployed extra troops and tanks to guard state buildings and public property ahead of the strike.

On Thursday, the Muslim Brotherhood called on the junta to dismiss the military-appointed government for failing to deal with the worsening security and economic situation in the country.

Brotherhood spokesman Mahmoud Ghozlan said the military council should provide an opportunity for the Muslim Brotherhood to put forward a nominee for prime minister who could form a new government.

The demand for dismissal of Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri and his cabinet came after deadly clashes in the northern city of Port Said between opposing football fans on February 1 that left 74 people dead. In the following days, 15 more people died in the ensuing mayhem.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/226055.html.

One killed in Saudi unrest

2012-02-11T17:10:00.000+02:00

Recent reports indicate that the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia has been the scene of "frequent riots and violence."

QATIF, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- One person was killed during apparent clashes between Saudi forces and Shiite demonstrators in the country's Eastern province, state media reported.

The official Saudi Press Agency reports that security officials in the region "came under heavy fire from masked men." The clashes, the news agency said, left four "rioters" injured, including one who died before reaching a hospital.

An activist told The Wall Street Journal on condition of anonymity that a 21-year-old man died after being shot in the chest. The Journal notes its review of video allegedly from the incident indicated armored vehicles in the city of Qatif, though it didn't appear the demonstrators were carrying weapons. Sounds similar to gunfire were heard in the background.

The official Kuwait News Agency reports that Eastern province was the scene of "frequent riots and violence." It said there were casualties reported during the recent clashes, but declined to release official figures.

The report from Kuwait adds that Saudi authorities have arrested more than two dozen people connected to the unrest in the region.

The Saudi report added that security forces will "deal firmly" with cases where the safety of citizens is in jeopardy.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2012/02/10/One-killed-in-Saudi-unrest/UPI-23751328897030/.

Egyptians march on Defense Ministry

2012-02-11T17:08:00.000+02:00

CAIRO, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Egyptian protesters said Friday during marches on the Defense Ministry they wanted the military authority to hand power to a civilian administration.

Egyptians have continued to express frustration with the pace at which the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces is relinquishing power roughly one year after President Hosni Mubarak was ousted during a popular uprising.

Anti-SCAF demonstrators gathered following Friday prayers to march on the building housing the Egyptian Defense Ministry, Egyptian news agency al-Ahram reports.

Similar protests turned violent last year when demonstrators clashed with security forces. The Egyptian news service reports that the ministry is surrounded by military forces, armored vehicles and concrete walls.

The report added, however, that sermons for Friday prayers were conflicted on whether continued protests would change the dynamic on post-revolution Egypt. More protests are planned for Saturday.

The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party leads the country's new Parliament alongside the Islamist al-Nour party. Egyptians start vetting presidential candidates next month, though Muslim Brotherhood officials said they won't field a candidate.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2012/02/10/Egyptians-march-on-Defense-Ministry/UPI-17981328888930/.

Libya plans to recruit Jordanians to help in rebuilding

2012-02-09T06:23:00.000+02:00

Feb 08, 2012

Premier, delegates discuss with officials prospects of cooperation.

AMMAN — Jordan on Tuesday offered to put all its capabilities and expertise at the disposal of the new Libya as the Arab country goes through a rebuilding stage.

A senior Libyan official said his country is interested in the offer, adding that Tripoli is particularly interested in Jordanian human resources.

The message was carried to the Libyan leadership by Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh and a wide-ranging delegation of officials and businessmen, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The premier held talks in Tripoli with National Transitional Council (NTC) Chairman Mustafa Abdul Jalil over ways to develop relations in the post-Qadhafi era.

For his part, Abdul Jalil expressed gratitude for His Majesty King Abdullah and Jordan’s political, humanitarian and logistic support to Libya, which will always be remembered by the Libyan people.

During the Libyan revolution against Qadhafi’s 42-year rule, Amman worked under an international coalition mandated by the UN to protect civilians.

After the regime change, Jordan undertook to train around 10,000 Libyan troops, while approximately 20,000 Libyans, including people injured during the revolt, have arrived in the Kingdom to receive treatment at its hospitals, according to officials.

Abdul Jalil voiced appreciation of the King’s gesture to deploy a Jordanian military hospital to the Libyan city of Benghazi, noting that the medical cadres have been not only treating Libyan patients but also extending their medical expertise to Libyan medical staff.

Libya is also expected to offer Jordanians jobs to help it in the rebuilding efforts, while the private sector eyes contracts in an array of projects designed to change the face of the oil-rich North African country.

According to Petra, Abdul Jalil said his country plans to benefit from Jordan’s expertise in various fields and from its “distinguished and highly qualified” human resources, especially in medical care, adding: “We are looking forward to benefiting from the Jordanian human resources which will be the basis of our future relations.”

Also during the meeting, HRH Prince Mired, chairman of the National Committee for De-mining and Rehabilitation noted that the agency is “fully ready” to extend its support and guidance to the Libyans to help remove mines scattered on their land.

Several ministers and senior officials accompanying Khasawneh made presentations to their Libyan counterparts on ways through which various Jordanian sectors can help Libya.

In this regard, Libya’s interim Deputy Prime Minister Mustafa Abushagur noted that his country, after the difficult situation it faced, is in need of a “complete overhaul”, and the government plans to benefit from the expertise of the Arab and Islamic states, adding that “priority will be given to Jordan due to its advanced expertise in various spheres”.

The delegation included Prince Mired, Minister of Justice Salim Al Zoubi, Minister of Industry and Trade Sami Gammoh, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Rowaida Maaitah, Minister of Information and Communications Technology Bassem Roussan, Minister of Transport Alaa Batayneh, Minister of Health Abdul Latif Wreikat, Minister of Public Works and Housing Yahya Kisbi, Minister of Labour Maher Wakid, Minister of Public Sector Development Khleif Al Khawaldeh, Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Klaib Fawaz and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Qutaiba Abu Qura.

The Jordanian delegation also comprised secretaries general of several ministries, directors of public agencies, heads of parliamentary committees as well as representatives of chambers of trade and finance, professional associations and businessmen.

Also on Tuesday, Khasawneh met with Libya’s interim Prime Minister Abdurrahim Al Kib. The two stressed the need to continue cooperation and coordination between Jordan and Libya.

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://jordantimes.com/libya-plans-to-recruit-jordanians-to-help-in-rebuilding.

Teachers strike continues for second day

2012-02-09T06:21:00.002+02:00

by Laila Azzeh
Feb 08,2012

Gov’t downplays extent of work stoppage, but teachers, parents say otherwise.

AMMAN – As a nationwide strike by public school teachers entered its second day on Tuesday, activists warned that the government’s “silence” and “negativity” in dealing with the teachers’ demands will only “make things worse for all involved parties”.

Ministry of Education Spokesperson Ayman Barakat issued a statement yesterday saying that classes were held as usual in many schools across Jordan, while some schools only held certain classes, and teachers refused to teach at all in others.

However, teachers and parents claimed that more teachers took part in the strike yesterday than on Monday, expressing their “surprise” over the government’s stance in “playing down the protest”.

“Students, especially those in secondary school, are the ones most harmed by the teachers’ escalatory measures… they are victims of the government’s inflexibility and the teachers’ insistence on using students to place pressure [on the government],” said Saeed Qatameen, who has three sons that attend a public school in Tafileh.

Parents gathered outside several schools in various governorates yesterday, threatening to head to court if teachers continue their work stoppage and asking the government to intervene so their children can start their spring semester, describing the teachers’ action as “irresponsible”.

“Parents should understand that improving the situation of teachers is a win-win situation,” Raed Azzam of the Amman Free Teachers Committee countered, asking how parents believe that teachers who spend their nights “frying falafel” can provide their children a proper education.

Yesterday’s strike, which activists said took place in more than 90 per cent of the Kingdom’s state schools, took a new turn when directors of the schools and education departments started “threatening” and “interrogating” teachers.

“They wanted to pressure teachers to end their strike by terrorizing them,” Azzam charged, stressing that this act is considered a “dangerous turn in an already appalling situation”.

Barakat voiced the ministry’s commitment to communicate with teachers and meet their “achievable” demands.

The teachers’ main demand is an increase in their professional allowance from 70 per cent to 100 per cent of their basic salary.

Under the recently enacted public sector salary restructuring plan, allowances of all workers in the education sector were unified at 70 per cent of their basic salary.

The ministry has proposed raising the allowance from 70 to 80 per cent retroactively from the beginning of this year and phasing in the remaining 20 per cent in 2013 and 2014, but the compromise offer was met with outrage, as teachers said they have been waiting for their full professional allowance for more than 16 years.

Meanwhile, Minister of Public Sector Development Khleif Al Khawaldeh underlined that raises in the salaries of teachers and employees in the education ministry under the salary restructuring plan are considered “rewarding” in light of the difficult economic situation, especially when compared to the raises granted to other public sector employees.

In a statement to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, he added that the salary restructuring plan will cost the government JD110 million after its latest decision to raise teachers’ professional allowances gradually over three years, which he said would cost JD76 million or 61 per cent of the total cost of the restructuring plan.

Khawaldeh underlined that the government’s decision to raise the professional allowance to 100 per cent over three years was “out of its commitment to the role teachers play in the educational process”.

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://jordantimes.com/teachers-strike-continues-for-second-day.

Jordanians join Syrians to protest Russia's UN veto

2012-02-09T06:20:00.000+02:00

by Muath Freij
Feb 08,2012

AMMAN — Around 100 Jordanians and Syrians gathered outside the Russian embassy on Tuesday in protest against the Russian veto of a UN Security Council resolution to condemn the Syrian regime’s crackdown on protesters.

Organized by the Jordanian Commission to Support the Syrian People (JCSSP), the one-hour demonstration was the third held outside the Russian embassy since the beginning of this month.

JCSSP President Ali Abul Sukkar said yesterday’s demonstration was held to denounce Russia’s veto, which he said provided the Syrian regime with a license to continue killing its people.

He noted that the JCSSP’s demonstrations are meant not only to express solidarity with Syrians, but also to help raise awareness among Jordanians of the need to support refugees.

“We are encouraging charitable societies to raise funds and distribute clothing to Syrian refugees across the Kingdom. We hope that international organizations take notice of the Syrian refugees, because their numbers are increasing,” Abul Sukkar told The Jordan Times during the protest yesterday.

“We have representatives in the governorates of Karak, Maan, Irbid and Zarqa. We try to help as much as possible,” he added.

Abul Sukkar indicated that businessmen are also cooperating with the JCSSP by hiring some Syrian refugees to help them earn a living.

“Unfortunately some refugees are not able to work because of the psychological shock caused by the massacres in Syria,” the JCSSP president stressed.

Some 3,000 Syrian refugees have registered with the UNHCR in Jordan, while estimates of their total number range from 4,000 to 8,000.

Abul Sukkar explained that the situation in Syria is of particular concern to Jordanians, motivating them to go into the streets to protest the violence.

“Photos and videos of massacres in Syria are really awful and they encourage Jordanians to participate in any demonstration or event that can help support Syrian refugees,” he said.

Raeda Atoum, a Jordanian demonstrator, agreed, adding that Syrians and Jordanians are brothers.

“A group of my friends are collecting money and clothing for refugees. The massacres are a tragedy for both Jordanians and Syrians,” she said.

Atoum noted that she took part in yesterday’s demonstration to denounce the negative stance of Russia.

“Although the number of killings is increasing significantly, I sense that the last days of [Syrian President] Bashar Assad are about to come,” she told The Jordan Times.

Omar Masri, another protester, asserted that Russia’s position on Syria has ruined its “bright image” in the Arab world.

He also denounced the Arab states’ unwillingness to take action to stop the violence in Syria, adding that the only thing they can do is denounce.

Haitham Yasin, another Jordanian protester, claimed that Russia used its veto only to assert its relevance in the international community.

“They also wanted to oppose the US,” he said.

Aziza, a Syrian protester who refused to reveal her full name, stated that only God will help them defeat the regime.

“We are not waiting for the Security Council or any other party’s help. God and the Free Syrian Army will overcome the regime,” she said.

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://jordantimes.com/jordanians-join-syrians-to-protest-russias-un-veto.

Rights group warns Syrian journalists may face torture and ill-treatment

2012-02-02T19:03:00.002+02:00

DAMASCUS (BNO NEWS) — Syrian journalists and activists who have passed on information about the country’s unrest to regional and international media may risk torture and other ill-treatment, rights group Amnesty International reported on Wednesday.

The rights group warning comes as journalist Adel Walid Kharsa faces his second week in solitary confinement after being arrested by security forces in his hometown of Hama on August 18. Kharsa was seemingly detained for his news reports on the protests and the government’s violent crackdown despite being cautious by making his reports anonymously by phone.

“If this is the case then he is a prisoner of conscience and should be released immediately and unconditionally,” said Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

“He, like many detained during the regime’s crackdown, is now at risk of acts of brutality while in the hands of the authorities,” said Luther while recommending that Kharsa should be protected from torture and other ill-treatment, allowed immediate contact with his family and a lawyer, as well as given any necessary medical attention.

Amnesty International said it has information indicating that other detainees have been tortured to find out whether they have given news about events in Syria to regional and international media.

One such case is 28-year-old “Wael”, who was detained in May and held for three weeks accused of filming demonstrations with his cell phone in his hometown of Tell Kalakh, south of the western city of Homs.

“I was taken to an interrogator… He accused me of being a correspondent for Al Jazeera, the BBC and [Gulf-based] Wesal channels. It was true that I filmed events with my cell phone but I did not send them to any channel,” Wael, which is not his real name, told Amnesty International.

Wael said he was forced into a stress position known as the shabah (ghost) by being tied by the wrists to a bar high enough off the ground that he was forced to stand on tiptoes for six hours. He said he was also splashed with water and electrocuted.

At least 2,200 people have been killed and tens of thousands have been arrested since pro-democracy demonstrations began in Syria in mid-March as part of a broader uprising across North Africa and the Middle East that has led to the toppling of entrenched regimes in Tunisia and Egypt and conflict in Libya.

Syrian security forces have been carrying out widespread arrests targeting people perceived to have organized or openly supported protests, whether in public gatherings, in the media or on the internet.

The Syrian government has repeatedly claimed that the violent acts have been instigated by terrorists who use military uniforms and weaponry to pose as soldiers while attacking citizens, but these claims have been rejected by residents, human rights groups, and the international community.

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

Source: WireUpdate.
Link: http://wireupdate.com/wires/19660/rights-group-warns-syrian-journalists-may-face-torture-and-ill-treatment/.

Rebels, looters target Gadhafi family homes

2012-02-02T18:57:00.000+02:00

By KARIN LAUB - Associated Press | AP
Thu, Aug 25, 2011

TRIPOLI, Libya — Moammar Gadhafi's son al-Saadi liked fast cars, yachts and soccer, and his beachfront villa was stocked with his expensive toys. His sister Aisha lived in a two-story mansion with an indoor pool and sauna.

As rebels took control of the Libyan capital over the weekend, the luxurious homes — symbols of the Gadhafi family's excesses — were among their first targets. After driving out the guards, rebels trashed and looted the villas and neighbors wandered through the wreckage Wednesday expressing their anger at the Gadhafi family's wealth and ostentatious tastes.

"I can't even believe what I am seeing," said Muftah Shubri, a resident of Tripoli's western Nofleen neighborhood, as he walked across Aisha's lawn to the large covered pool where a ball and a small rubber boat still floated in the water.

Gadhafi's 42-year rule over Libya had increasingly become a family business, with the dictator divvying up key spheres of interest, from oil to security, among his six sons.

In recent years, the Gadhafi offspring had been involved in a series of scandals: Hannibal got arrested in 2008 in Switzerland for mistreating his servants in a Geneva luxury hotel and Muatassim reportedly paid $1 million for a private New Year's concert by Beyonce.

Al-Saadi, a 38-year-old soccer aficionado, was described in a 2009 WikiLeaks cable from the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli as having a troubled past, including run-ins with police in Europe, drug and alcohol abuse and excessive partying.

On Monday, a day after thousands of rebels rode into Tripoli, about 200 people stormed al-Saadi's home on the Mediterranean, said Seifallah Gneidi, a 23-year-old Tripoli rebel who participated in the looting.

Gneidi said he took a large bottle of gin, a toothbrush with a gilded handle and a pair of Diesel jeans. "We wanted to have the stuff that he had," Gneidi said, a Kalashnikov slung over his shoulder. He said rebels are not condoning looting of private property, and only allow the wrecking of symbols of the Gadhafi family's abuse of power.

Gneidi said al-Saadi had four cars — a BMW, an Audi, a white Lamborghini and a Toyota — that were all driven off during the ransacking. His claim about the fate of the cars could not be verified. A large painting of a yellow Lamborghini decorated the back wall of his covered parking area.

In an office area in the villa, reporters saw large piles of catalogues for yachts and cars. A catalog by the firm Benetti had a yellow handwritten post-it note attached listing the price for a 30-meter-long yacht as 7 million euros. A DVD with gay porn entitled "Boyz Tracks" slipped out of the stack of documents.

Business cards were scattered on the floor for a firm called "Natural Selection" that listed al-Saadi as partner and executive producer with an address on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. The looters left behind a black cloth, apparently the back of a "director's chair," that read, in green: "Executive Producer al-Saadi Gadhafi."

Al-Saadi must have been concerned about his safety. A long underground passage with thick concrete walls led from a second villa he was building to the street.

The complex also had a grass soccer pitch. Al-Saadi, who was seen as a poor soccer player was involved in one of Libya's soccer teams, Al-Ahly. Al-Saadi also headed Libya's Football Federation.

Next to the field stood a barbecue pit and two tents, including one that housed guards and was filled with ammunition, said Gneidi. Al-Saadi also kept dogs and had his own kennel with four cages, one decorated with pictures of Dobermans.

If al-Saadi had the reputation of a reckless troublemaker, the 35-year-old Aisha cultivated the image of caring about ordinary Libyans.

However, her neighbors said that several years ago, a small neighborhood clinic was razed to make room for her home.

"You feel that this is not supposed to happen," Sharif Ben Suleiman, a 56-year-old university professor, said as he and other local leaders inspected the house. "It's a place that is serving the community and then it is serving no one."

The presence of small children was felt everywhere in the house. A large play room was strewn with toys, party hats and streamers were in a pile in an entrance hall, and her library contained a number of children's books.

Among Aisha's DVDs were action and mystery films, but also one on getting back in shape after childbirth.

Like others in the Gadhafi family, she had expensive tastes — Bohemian crystal glasses and a brown Dolce & Gabana leather jacket for one of her children were among the items not carted off by the looters.

Asked how the community felt about the presence of the Gadhafi daughter, Ben Suleiman, the neighbor, said it's enough to look out the second-floor window. Beyond the walls of Aisha's spacious compound, houses — some of them barely shacks — were pressed tightly against one another.

Algeria to open relations with Libya transitional council

2012-02-02T18:56:00.002+02:00

Despite earlier accusations of support for the Kadhafi regime during the conflict, Algeria moves toward relations with Libya's rebel government.

By Walid Ramzi for Magharebia in Algiers – 24/08/11

As Libyan rebels reclaim Tripoli and the Kadhafi regime ends, Algeria is working to establish formal relations with the Libya's Transitional National Council (TNC).

In a response issued Tuesday (August 23rd), Algeria's foreign ministry said the country had opened channels of communication with the TNC. Algeria's highest priorities in Libya, according to the statement, are general security, enduring stability, unity and political reform.

The Algerian government said it would move quickly towards normalized relations with the TNC if it issued an apology for earlier charges against the Algerian regime.

The ministry repeated Algeria's denial of assisting Kadhafi's regime during the conflict: "Since the outbreak of protests in Benghazi in mid February, Algeria didn't support, whether militarily or politically or in any other form, Kadhafi's regime," it reads.

Amid reports of theft and vandalism at the Algerian embassy in Tripoli, Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci sent an urgent message to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to take the necessary actions to ensure the safety of Algerian diplomats.

With the military situation in flux, Algeria on Sunday placed ground forces posted along the Libyan border on high alert and increased aerial surveillance after groups of armed four-wheel drive vehicles were spotted in the area.

Algerian political parties reacted to the Libyan rebel victories. The Socialist Forces Front (FFS) described the imminent fall of Moamar Kadhafi's regime as "good news for all strugglers for freedom and democracy in the entire world".

The party called on the Libyan people "to quickly unite around a truly representative national leadership that can build a sovereign state of rights and democracy". However, the party expressed its fears that this democratic transition "may face greater difficulties in its implementation".

The Movement of Society for Peace (MSP) issued a congratulatory statement on Tuesday, saying: "The road is still long and difficult to re-build a state commensurate with the size of sacrifices that the steadfast Libyan people have offered… Libya's future today is in your hands."

Analysts warn of the regional impact regime change may have on security.

Dr. Mhend Berkouk, professor of international relations at the University of Algiers and director of the Center for Security and Political Studies, said that Kadhafi's fall could lead to an increase in refugees, cross-border organized crime and terrorist threats in the Sahel and North Africa.

As to the effects of Libyan turmoil on Algeria's energy sector, former Sonatrach executive Abdelmadjid Attar said there was no real threat to investments in the Ghadames basin. Sonatrach's operations in Libya will continue, he said.

Source: Magharebia.
link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/08/24/feature-02.

Chile in 2-day national strike as labor unions join student protests

2012-02-02T18:55:00.002+02:00

SANTIAGO (BNO NEWS) — The Workers United Center of Chile (CUT) has organized a 48-hour nationwide strike in support of student education protests among other social and economic issues, local newspapers reported on Wednesday.

The national strike started on Tuesday night with a demonstration in which saucepans were banged as a sign of protest. The strike was continued on Wednesday and will also take place on Thursday.

During the first hours of the general strike, the government reported that 35 people had been arrested and 11 were injured as a result of clashes between police officers and demonstrators.

Deputy Interior Minister Rodrigo Ubilla described the strike as a “great failure” since it said only 5.3 percent of public employees have joined the strike, according to government figures.

Meanwhile, the CUT informed through a press statement that 82 social and labor union organizations have joined the strike. The CUT further stated that they had received reports of closed avenues and streets, barricades, protests and labor strikes in several cities across the country.

In Puente Alto, an estimated 3,000 people engaged in a demonstration and around 1,000 participated in a similar event in Maipú while the National Airport stopped its operations for an hour, according to the CUT.

In the southern port city of Puerto Montt, 20,000 people participated in a massive march which was accompanied by an unprecedented demonstration of 70 vessels, El Ciudadano newspaper reported.

Despite government’s efforts to downgrade the figures of the national strike, images of several places in the capital city of Santiago indicate that a great percentage of Chileans are participating, whether they are demonstrating in the streets or staying in their houses, absent from their jobs, El Ciudadano newspaper reported.

According to Arturo Martínez, president of the labor union CUT, the general strike is being held to express the demands from various social sectors, to demand respect for social and citizen rights and to reiterate the need to have a country with a new economic model, a new constitution and a new work code. The rally’s resolution also calls for an immediate referendum on education.

Government spokesperson Andrés Chadwick condemned the strike but said the series of demands issued by the CUT were already being analyzed by the government.

Chilean students, along with teachers and other education workers, have been protesting for the past several weeks for a fundamental change in the educational system, demanding an end to privatized education and asking for a government which can guarantee full access, quality and funding of public education at all its levels.

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

Source: WireUpdate.
Link: http://wireupdate.com/wires/19656/chile-in-2-day-national-strike-as-labor-unions-join-student-protests/.

Turkey, Iran Bump Heads Over Syria

2012-02-02T18:54:00.000+02:00

August 25, 2011

When the call came in from Iran on Sunday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered his convoy to pull off onto the shoulders of a busy highway for a conversation that last some 40 minutes.

What the Turkish leader and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke about hasn’t been revealed in any detail. The Turkish media said virtually nothing, while Iran’s press reported that their country’s leader urged Erdogan to help mediate between region’s beleaguered despots and the opposition. Almost certainly the conversation was tense.

Just a few months ago the two countries were friends – joined together by growing trade ties, worries about their restive Kurdish populations and by shared Muslim sentiment. But the turmoil of the Arab Spring has quickly found the two countries in opposing camps, especially over Syria and its president, Bashar Al-Asad.

“There’s no doubt that Syria is becoming a battleground,” said Fadi Hakura, Turkey expert at London’s Chatham House. “Turkey has expressed deep dissatisfaction with the approach of the Syrian regime and has called on Al-Asad to implement radical reforms and meaningful dialogue with the opposition, which will inevitably dilute the strategic relationship between Syria and Iran. Iran views the existence of the current regime as an existential issue.”

Ahmadinejad and other Iranian leaders have framed the fighting in Syria as a battle by Al-Asad to stop U.S. from meddling in the country’s affairs while Turkey’s Erdogan has focused on the bloodletting and the regime’s failure to meet demands for democratic reforms. He has stopped short of calling for Al-Asad to step down.

But the fight is more than a war of words. Although Tehran denies it, Iran is believed to be proving material support to the Al-Asad regime. Newspaper reports cite stories of Iranian snipers firing on protestors, technicians helping to block social networking and others providing advice on containing unrest gleaned from Iran’s experience putting down street protests following the disputed 2009 presidential elections.

Turkey’s role in aiding the Syrian opposition has been more upfront but just as crucial. It has allowed about seven thousand Syrian refugees to cross into its territory and provide eyewitness accounts to the world media, thereby serving as an outlet for news of the Al-Asad regime’s repression. Istanbul has also hosted meetings of opposition groups. Some analysts say Ankara – together with the U.S. – is working to bring cohesion and organization to the disparate groups.

On Tuesday, Syrian activists gathered in Turkey declared a national council to coordinate protests and bring about Al-Asad’s ouster.

In spite of the deep interests at stake, Iran had been hesitant to criticize Turkey until relatively recently, Alex Vatanka, a scholar of Iran at the Middle East Institute in Washington DC, told The Media Line.

“The Iranians deeply appreciated improving relations with one of their most important neighbors, which has helped them in the nuclear issue in terms of economics and trade they didn’t want an issue like Syria to bring it all to an end,” Vatanka said. “But in end of the day, they reached a decision.”

Syria is not the first Arab Spring hotspot where Turkey and Iran have found themselves on opposite sides. Turkey backed Saudi Arabia when it helped crush a Shiite-led revolt in Bahrain, angering Iran’s Shiite regime. Iran praised Turkey’s initial opposition to NATO’s helping Libyan rebels, but Ankara eventually came around to supporting the bombing campaign. But Syria – whose president has since March struggled to contain a revolt seeking to topple him – is the place where the two powers have the most at stake.

Al-Asad’s regime is Iran’s only ally in the Arab world, sharing a strong antipathy to Israel and Western intervention in the Middle East and acting as a conduit to arms and supplies to militant groups like Hizbullah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Belonging to the Alawi sect, an offshoot of Islam, Al-Asad has fewer problems with Iranian Shiism than the Arab world’s Sunni leaders do.

Under Erdogan, Turkey had worked assiduously in recent years to cultivate ties. Turkey shares a long border with Syria and the two countries both have large Kurdish populations they worry about. In recent years, the two countries signed a free-trade agreement and abolished visa requirements, enabling trade to double in the five years to 2010 and tourism to boom.

Warming relations with Syria were part of efforts by the prime minister – who leads the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) – to reorient Turkey away from the West and towards the Muslim Middle East. Turkey even viewed itself as a bridge between Sunni and Shiite Islam.

But, Hakura told The Media Line, the Arab Spring has put Turkey firmly in the Sunni “camp,” which not only includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the Gulf emirates and Jordan but, by virtue of their Western orientation, the U.S. and Europe. The shift in Turkey’s policy hasn’t been dramatic – it remained a NATO member and never abandoned its aspirations to join the European Union ¬ – but it made Tehran’s rulers livid.

Reflecting the views heard frequently in Tehran these days, Iran’s hardline Qods daily scored Turkish leaders for surrendering to U.S. pressure. “If Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government does not change its political behavior toward Syria, Turkey will be the main loser of the Syrian events if Damascus gets out of the current crisis,” it wrote in a recent editorial.

Neither Turkey nor Iran can afford to let their conflict ratchet up too much. Turkey gets 20% of the natural gas its needs for its booming economy from Iran, Hakura said. Facing United Nations sanctions, Iran can’t afford to lose a good customer.

Vatanka said that among top Iranian leaders, Ahmadinejad is probably the least inclined to sacrifice the relationship with Turkey to help save Al-Asad because of the damage fraying ties with Turkey would do to the economy.

“The president is looking at his own position in Iran and says ‘I’m someone who needs to reach out to the masses and get as much grassroots support as I can,” explained Vatanka. “So, one of the issues he has to worry about is bread and butter issues that ordinary Iranians care about the most.”

Source: Rise of the Iranian People.
Link: http://riseoftheiranianpeople.com/2011/08/25/turkey-iran-bump-heads-over-syria/.

ارتفاع عدد اللاجئين السوريين بالأردن إلى 2700

2012-02-02T18:53:00.000+02:00

2011-08-25

خبرني- أحصت جمعية المركز الاسلامي من خلال مراكزها الموجودة في مختلف المحافظات الاردنية عدد السوريين الذين فروا إلى المملكة من سوريا بـ2700 مواطن سوري.

ووفقا لاحصائيات حديثة نشرت الخميس بلغ عدد الاسر السورية التي تم حصرها 120 اسرة من بينها 13 اسرة في العاصمة عمان فيما تمركز العدد الاكبر منها في محافظة المفرق (47) اسرة ومن ثم محافظة الرمثا (45) اسرة واربد (15) اسرة.

واشار نشطاء يقومون على تقديم المعونة للعائلات السورية الى ان نحو 20 سوريا فروا الى المملكة بطريقة غير شرعية حيث تم وضعهم تحت الحراسة .

وقدمت غالبية الاسر السورية من درعا وريف دمشق، فيما بدأت عائلات تاتي من حماة وحمص وتبليسة وفقا للنشطاء.

وتقدم الجمعات الخيرية الانسانية العاملة في المحافظات التي يوجد فيها مواطنون سوريون مساعدات عينية لها لتمكينها من قضاء احتياجاتها المعيشية، بالاضافة الى تامينها بالسكن المناسب في ظل ارتفاع اجرة السكن في المفرق والرمثا، حيث يتم تامين اكثر من عائلة في شقة واحدة.

المصدر: خبرني.
الرابط: http://www.khaberni.com/more.php?newsid=60674.

March planned on Israeli Embassy in Cairo

2012-02-02T13:28:00.000+02:00

CAIRO, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- Egyptian activists said they are calling for a million-man march in the Israeli Embassy in Cairo to call on authorities to kick the Israeli envoy out.

Six Egyptian soldiers were killed last week during an Israeli raid that was carried out in response to attacks allegedly from militants who crossed into Israel from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

The attackers were allegedly wearing Egyptian uniforms when they stormed Israeli targets, killing eight people in the border town of Eilat.

The attack was allegedly carried out in coordination with a group calling itself al-Qaida in the Egyptian Sinai, though it was unclear if the group has working ties with al-Qaida central or Hamas.

Demonstrators at the Israeli Embassy in Cairo say they are calling for a million-man march Friday to oust the Israeli envoy, Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm reports.

Cairo denied that gunmen were using its territory to launch attacks on Israel, adding it wanted to discuss a joint investigation into last week's raid with the Israelis.

The Arab League in its statement said Israeli bears "full responsibility" for what it said were crimes committed against Egypt.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/08/24/March-planned-on-Israeli-Embassy-in-Cairo/UPI-33491314207398/.

Hezbollah urges Libya opp. to find Sadr

2012-02-02T13:27:00.000+02:00

Tue Aug 23, 2011

Lebanon's resistance movement Hezbollah has called on Libyan fighters to help find missing Lebanese Shia leader Imam Moussa al-Sadr and two of his companions believed to have been kidnapped in Libya in 1978.

“We are full of hope that they will be freed by your (Libyan fighters') hands and returned to their families,” Hezbollah said in a statement late Monday, the Associated Press reported.

It is widely believed in Lebanon that Imam Moussa al-Sadr, the founder of Lebanon's Amal movement, was kidnapped on the orders of senior Libyan officials while on an official trip to the North African country in August 1978.

Accompanied by two of his companions, Mohammed Yaqoub and Abbas Badreddin, Sadr was scheduled to meet with officials from the government of the embattled Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

In 2008, Beirut issued an arrest warrant for Gaddafi over Sadr's disappearance.

Sadr's family also addressed the Libyan opposition fighters in a statement on Monday saying, “We appeal to those who will take over in Libya after the collapse of the tyrant to give special attention to this case.”

Libya has been the scene of intense fighting between regime troops and fighters since a revolution seeking to topple Gaddafi began in mid-February.

The Libyan fighters swept into the heart of the capital Tripoli early Monday, and seized control of much of the city without facing significant resistance from regime forces.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/195371.html.

Lebanon eyes TNC help on Imam Sadr

2012-02-02T13:26:00.002+02:00

Tue Aug 23, 2011

Lebanon has recognized Libya's Transitional National Council (TNC), saying it would work with "emerging authorities" in the North African country to uncover the fate of a missing cleric.

"The Lebanese government has decided to recognize the National Transitional Council in Libya," read a statement released after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

"Foreign Minister Adnan Mansur has also been delegated to submit plans for cooperation between Lebanese authorities and all relevant and emerging Libyan authorities to uncover the fate of Imam Moussa Sadr and his companions," it added.

Lebanon has never stopped searching for Sadr and his comrades and now there is a real and present opportunity to discover what became of them, Mansur added.

Imam Moussa Sadr was a greatly popular and highly venerated Lebanese Shia cleric of an Iranian descent, who disappeared on Aug. 31, 1978 in a visit to Libya.

Lebanon's resistance movement Hezbollah on Monday called on Libyan fighters to help find Imam Moussa al-Sadr and two of his companions.

“We are full of hope that they will be freed by your (Libyan fighters') hands and returned to their families,” Hezbollah said in a statement.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/195425.html.

Iraq recognizes Libyan opposition govt.

2012-02-02T13:25:00.000+02:00

Tue Aug 23, 2011

Iraq's foreign ministry has announced that Baghdad recognizes the Libyan Transitional National Council (TNC) as a legitimate representative of Libya.

“The cabinet decided today, 23 August 2011, to recognize the Libyan National Transitional Council as the only and legitimate representative of the Libyan people,” Iraq's ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, Russia and China have also issued statements saying they are ready to accept what the Libyan people decide.

More than 30 other countries have formally recognized the TNC as the "sole representative" of the North African country.

The developments come as Libyan fighters swept into the heart of Libya's capital city early on Monday, and seized the control of much of Tripoli without facing significant resistance from regime forces.

Libya has been the scene of intense fighting between regime troops and fighters since a revolution seeking to topple Gaddafi began in mid-February. Revolutionary forces want an end to Gaddafi's decades-long rule.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/195380.html.

Morocco recognizes TNC; Fassi Fihri to visit Benghazi

2012-02-02T10:29:00.002+02:00

2011-08-23

Morocco on Monday (August 22nd) officially recognized the Transitional National Council (TNC) as the sole legitimate representative of the Libyan people, MAP reported. The TNC was "responsible for [Libya's] aspirations for a better future based on equality, justice, democracy and the rule of law", Moroccan Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri said on public television. Morocco hopes that the TNC will lead the reconciliation of different parts of Libyan society to assure peace, security and reconstruction, the minister added.

Morocco's top diplomat is scheduled to travel Tuesday to the Libyan rebel stronghold of Benghazi to bring a message from King Mohammed VI, AFP reported.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2011/08/23/newsbrief-03.

Labor union members protest in Tunis

2012-01-30T17:49:00.000+02:00

2011-08-21

The General Confederation of Tunisian Labor (CGTT) on Saturday (August 20th) organized a protest in front of the Ministry of Social Affairs to denounce its exclusion from social negotiations, TAP reported. Protestors also demanded trade union pluralism in Tunisia and proportional representation in all national structures.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2011/08/21/newsbrief-06.

Tunisia recognizes TNC; Libyan refuges celebrate in Tunis

2012-01-30T17:41:00.003+02:00

2011-08-21

Tunisia on Saturday (August 20th) changed its official position of neutrality on Libya and recognized the Transitional National Council (TNC) as the sole legitimate representative of the Libyan people, AFP reported. On Saturday night, Libyan refugees gathered outside the Libyan embassy in Tunis to celebrate the rebels' advance on Tripoli, unfurling a huge rebel flag across the facade of the building.

In other news Saturday, Major Abdessalam Jalloud, a former member of Libya's Revolutionary Command Council, flew from Djerba airport to Italy, TAP reported. The former Kadhafi deputy fled to Tunisia on Friday.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2011/08/21/newsbrief-02.

Eldest Gaddafi son Muhammad gives in

2012-01-30T17:41:00.000+02:00

Sun Aug 21, 2011

Libyan opposition forces say the country's dictator Muammar Gaddafi's eldest son Muhammad has surrendered himself to the fighters.

He gave himself up to the revolutionaries in the early hours of Monday after they seized control of Tajura, an eastern suburb of the capital, Tripoli, the Doha-based news channel of Al-Jazeera reported on the Tweeter.

Muhammad Gaddafi was in charge of the main internet provider service for Libya and cut the country loose from the cyber world immediately after the beginning of a revolution against Gaddafi's regime in February.

There are also reports that the dictator's security guards have joined the forces.

Libya has been the scene of intense fighting between government troops and opposition forces since a revolution seeking to topple Gaddafi began in mid-February.

Libya's former Prime Minister Abdessalam Jalloud, who defected from Gaddafi's regime on Friday, has said that it was too late for the authoritarian ruler to strike a deal to quit power and that he would probably be killed.

"I think it would be difficult for Gaddafi to give himself up...I don't think the evolution of the situation in Tripoli will allow him to survive," he said.

The regime would fall in less than 10 days, said the former official, who was among the officers, who helped Gaddafi wrest power in a coup in 1969, but fell out of favor with the ruler in the nineties.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/195095.html.

Clashes near Gadhafi compound in Libyan capital

2012-01-30T17:40:00.002+02:00

By BEN HUBBARD - Associated Press | AP
Mon, Aug 22, 2011

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — Tanks opened fire at rebels trying to storm Moammar Gadhafi's main compound in Tripoli on Monday, although the whereabouts of the longtime Libyan leader remained unknown a day after a lightning advance by opposition fighters who poured into Tripoli capital with surprising ease.

The international community meanwhile called on the longtime leader to step down as euphoric residents celebrated in the Green Square, the symbolic heart of the Gadhafi regime. NATO promised to continue airstrikes until all pro-Gadhafi forces surrender or return to barracks.

Rebel spokesman Mohammed Abdel-Rahman, who was in Tripoli, cautioned that pockets of resistance remained and that as long as Gadhafi remains on the run the "danger is still there."

The clashes broke out early Monday at Gadhafi's longtime command center known as Bab al-Aziziya early Monday when government tanks emerged from the complex and opened fire at rebels trying to get in, according to Abdel-Rahman and a neighbor. An AP reporter at the nearby Rixos Hotel where foreign journalists stay could hear gunfire and loud explosions from the direction of the complex.

Tripoli resident Moammar al-Warfali, whose family home is next to the compound, said there appeared to be only a few tanks belonging to the remaining Gadhafi forces that have not fled or surrendered.

"When I climb the stairs and look at it from the roof, I see nothing at Bab al-Aziziya," he said. "NATO has demolished it all and nothing remains."

The Rixos also remained under the control of Gadhafi forces, with two trucks loaded with anti-aircraft machine guns and pro-regime fighters and snipers posted behind trees. Rebels and Tripoli residents set up checkpoints elsewhere in the city.

The rebels' top diplomat in London, Mahmud Nacua, said clashes were continuing in Tripoli, but opposition forces controlled 95 percent of the city. He vowed Gadhafi would be found, saying "the fighters will turn over every stone to find him" and make sure he faced justice.

State TV broadcast bitter audio pleas by Gadhafi for Libyans to defend his regime. Opposition fighters captured his son and one-time heir apparent, Seif al-Islam, who along with his father faces charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands. Another son was under house arrest.

"It's over, frizz-head," chanted hundreds of jubilant men and women massed in Green Square late Sunday, using a mocking nickname of the curly-haired Gadhafi. The revelers fired shots in the air, clapped and waved the rebels' tricolor flag. Some set fire to the green flag of Gadhafi's regime and shot holes in a poster with the leader's image.

But Gadhafi's defiance in a series of angry audio messages raised the possibility of a last-ditch fight over the capital, home to 2 million people. Gadhafi, who was not shown in the messages, called on his supporters to march in the streets of the capital and "purify it" of "the rats."

Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim also claimed the regime has "thousands and thousands of fighters" and vowed: "We will fight. We have whole cities on our sides. They are coming en masse to protect Tripoli to join the fight."

Gadhafi's former right-hand man, who defected last week to Italy, said the longtime leader would not go easily.

"I think it's impossible that he'll surrender," Abdel-Salam Jalloud said in an interview broadcast on Italian RAI state radio, adding that "He doesn't have the courage, like Hitler, to kill himself."

Jalloud, who was Gadhafi's closest aide for decades before falling out with the leader in the 1990s, fled Tripoli on Friday, according to rebels.

The startling rebel breakthrough, after a long deadlock in Libya's 6-month-old civil war, was the culmination of a closely coordinated plan by rebels, NATO and anti-Gadhafi residents inside Tripoli, rebel leaders said. Rebel fighters from the west swept over 20 miles (30 kilometers) in a matter of hours Sunday, taking town after town and overwhelming a major military base as residents poured out to cheer them. At the same time, Tripoli residents secretly armed by rebels rose up.

When rebels reached the gates of Tripoli, the special battalion entrusted by Gadhafi with guarding the capital promptly surrendered. The reason: Its commander, whose brother had been executed by Gadhafi years ago, was secretly loyal to the rebellion, a senior rebel official, Fathi al-Baja, told The Associated Press.

President Barack Obama said Libya is "slipping from the grasp of a tyrant" and urged Gadhafi to relinquish power to prevent more bloodshed.

"The future of Libya is now in the hands of the Libyan people," Obama said in a statement from Martha's Vineyard, where he's vacationing. He promised to work closely with rebels.

South Africa, which led failed African Union efforts to mediate between the rebels and Gadhafi, refused to offer support to the rebels on Monday, saying it wants to see a unity government put in place as a transitional authority. But speaking to reporters, Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said she did not envision a role for Gadhafi on such a transitional body, saying he had told AU mediators four months ago he was ready to give up leadership.

Nkoana-Mashabane also said repeatedly that South Africa has sent no planes to Libya to evacuate Gadhafi, has received no request from him for asylum and is involved in no efforts to extricate him.

Nkoana-Mashabane also said, "We don't know his (Gadhafi's) whereabouts. We assume he is still in Libya."

The uprising against Gadhafi broke out in mid-February, inspired by successful revolts in Egypt and Tunisia. A brutal regime crackdown quickly transformed the protests into an armed rebellion. Rebels seized Libya's east, setting up an internationally recognized transitional government there, and two pockets in the west, the port city of Misrata and the Nafusa mountain range.

Gadhafi clung to the remaining territory, and for months neither side had been able to break the other.

In early August, however, rebels launched an offensive from the Nafusa Mountains, then fought their way down to the Mediterranean coastal plain, backed by NATO airstrikes, and captured the strategic city of Zawiya.

The rebels' leadership council, based in the eastern city of Benghazi, sent out mobile text messages to Tripoli residents, proclaiming, "Long live Free Libya" and urging them to protect public property. Internet service returned to the capital for the first time in six months.

Gadhafi is the Arab world's longest-ruling, most erratic, most grimly fascinating leader — presiding over this North African desert nation with vast oil reserves and just 6 million people. For years, he was an international pariah blamed for the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am jumbo jet over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people. After years of denial, Gadhafi's Libya acknowledged responsibility, agreed to pay up to $10 million to relatives of each victim, and the Libyan ruler declared he would dismantle his weapons of mass destruction program. That eased him back into the international community.

Jordan urges "peaceful" transition of power in Libya

2012-01-30T17:39:00.000+02:00

Aug 22, 2011

Amman - The Jordanian government on Monday called for a 'peaceful and speedy' transition of power in Libya after the downfall of Moamer Gaddafi's regime.

'Jordan is closely watching the rapid developments in Libya and hopes the country will see a speedy and peaceful transition of power,' Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said in a statement carried by the official Petra news agency.

Judeh also urged 'a compromise among all political and social forces on a roadmap that permits the setting up of a democratic system of government which enables Libya to play its due role in the Arab world and preserves the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.'

He said that the Transitional National Council has an 'important' role to play in the process of the transition of power.

Jordan was one of the first Arab countries to recognize the opposition council and establish diplomatic ties with the Libyan rebels.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood movement, Jordan's main opposition group, congratulated the Libyan people for toppling Gaddafi and his regime.

'We congratulate the great people of Libya and both the Arab and Islamic nations for this brilliant victory,' the Brotherhood's leader Hammam Saeed said in a statement.

Saeed in particular advised Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Yemeni leader Ali Abdullah Saleh 'to take a lesson from this outstanding example of despotism.'

Thousands of people have taken part in anti-government protests in Syria and Yemen this year.

Source: Monsters and Critics.
Link: http://news.monstersandcritics.com/middleeast/news/article_1658361.php/Jordan-urges-peaceful-transition-of-power-in-Libya.

شغب في المفرق لليوم الثالث على التوالي

2012-01-30T17:37:00.002+02:00

2011-08-21

خبرني - اسلام الحوامده
اندلعت أعمال شغب مجددا في مدينة المفرق شمالي شرق المفرق ليلة الأحد الاثنين لليوم الثالث على التوالي احتجاجا على عدم القبض على فارضي الخاوات في المدينة.
وأقدمت مجموعة من عشائر المدينة على إشعال النيران في المحلات التجارية ومبنى المحافظة، وسط حضور أمني كثيف اضطر فيه الأمن لاستخدام العنف والغاز المدمع لتفريق المتظاهرين.
ميدانيا، تشهد المدينة توترا شديدا اعتبر الأعلى في المدينة خلال الليالي الثلاث الأخيرة، فيما لم يتم يتسن لـ "خبرني" تحديد عدد المصابين نظراً لمحاصرة قوات الأمن لمستشفى المفرق الحكومي، لكن دوي عيارات نارية سمع في سماء المدينة.
وتحاصر قوات الأمن والدرك منزل محافظ المفرق سليم الرواحنة خشية وصول المتظاهرين إليه.
إلى ذلك، تشهد المدينة اعتداءات من المتظاهرين على عدد من منازل تعود لمواطنين يؤكدون أنهم ليسوا أطرافاً في المشاجرات التي أدت إلى أعمال الشغب.

المصدر: خبرني.
الرابط: http://www.khaberni.com/more.php?newsid=60473.

إسلاميو الاردن يدعون الطغاة للاعتبار من سقوط القذافي

2012-01-30T17:36:00.000+02:00

2011-08-22

خبرني- هنأ المراقب العام لجماعة الإخوان المسلمين الدكتور همام سعيد "الأمة العربية والإسلامية بسقوط طاغية ليبيا معمر القذافي "،لافتاً الى ان "الشعوب ستنتصر مهما طال الزمن".

وقال في تصريح له الاثنين :"تهنئ جماعة الإخوان المسلمين الشعب الليبي العظيم والامة العربية والاسلامية بهذا النصر المؤزر الذي وافق ليلية الثاني والعشرين من شهر رمضان المبارك ليضاف الى قائمة الفتوحات العظيمة التي أظلها الشهر الكريم ،وينضم بذلك ان شاء الله الى معركة بدر وفتح مكة".

واشار المراقب العام الى ان "هذا النصر جاء بعد عشرات الألوف من الشهداء والجرحى وكانت تكاليفه كبيرة مما يعطيه طعماً خاصاً ويجعله انجازاً شارك فيه جميع أبناء ليبيا رجالا ونساءً شيباً وشباناً وقد خرج الشعب الليبي اصلب عودا واشد شكيمة وهو يأخذ اليوم مكانه في طليعة الأمة".

ودعا بشار الاسد وعلي عبدالله صالح الى "الاعتبار من هذا النموذج الصارخ في الطغيان"،لافتاً الى اختلاف تجارب الشعب التونسي مع الطاغية بن علي ،والمصري مع الطاغية مبارك ،والليبي مع القذافي ،واتفاقها في النتيجة .وتابع:" هذه التجارب ضمن فئة الطغاة الذين يستخدمون القوة العسكرية مع شعوبهم وفي ذلك عبرة ".

ونبه سعيد بالقول:"لا اظن ان طاغية كان بشدة هذا ودمويته،وبالرغم من ذلك فقد شاء الله تعالى ان يقلعه من جذوره وان يخرج كأن لم يكن له اي حضور على الساحة الليبية واصبح عبرة لجميع الطغاة".

ولفت سعيد الى ان "مثل هذه التجربة الجهادية لا بد ان تؤدي دورها الكبير في قضايا الامة كقضية فلسطين والوحدة والتحرر من جميع انواع الاستبداد والاستعمار والتبعية"،وتابع:"الحمد لله حمدا كثيرا طيبا على نعمة النصر ورحم الله شهداء ليبيا وشافي جرحاهم ونفع الامة بهلاك الظالمين وجمع الكلمة على الخير والهدى ".

المصدر: خبرني.
الرابط: http://www.khaberni.com/more.php?newsid=60488.

Pakistan to send more troops to Bahrain

2012-01-28T18:22:00.002+02:00

Sun Aug 21, 2011

Pakistan has agreed to dispatch more mercenaries to Bahrain to help Al Khalifa regime's crackdown on anti-government protesters in the Persian Gulf state.

The agreement was reached when Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari met King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa during his one-day visit to Bahrain on Wednesday, IRNA reported Saturday.

Manama has been recruiting former soldiers and policemen from Pakistan at a steady rate to strengthen the government's forces.

In many demonstrations Bahraini protesters shouted slogans against Pakistani security forces in Urdu.

Pakistani and Saudi forces have played a major rule in suppressing anti-government protests in Bahrain since the beginning of unrest in the Persian Gulf country.

President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) Nabeel Rajab said Friday that the Pakistani recruits have behaved with a heavy hand toward demonstrators.

"They're told they are going to go to a holy war in Bahrain to kill some non-Muslims or kafir [infidel] or Shias. They are paid well, maybe," Rajab noted.

Tens of thousands of Bahraini protesters have been holding peaceful anti-government rallies throughout the Middle Eastern country since February, demanding an end to the rule of the Al Khalifa family.

Scores of people have been killed and many more arrested and tortured in prisons in a government-sanctioned crackdown on protests since the beginning of the demonstrations.

According to the BCHR, there are currently over 1,000 political detainees inside the country.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/194995.html.

Libyan rebels say they are attacking Tripoli

2012-01-28T18:21:00.002+02:00

By DARIO LOPEZ - Associated Press AP
Sun, Aug 21, 2011

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — Libyan rebels said they launched their first attack on Tripoli in coordination with NATO late Saturday, and Associated Press reporters heard unusually heavy gunfire and explosions in the capital. The fighting erupted just hours after opposition fighters captured the key city of Zawiya nearby.

Gunbattles and mortar rounds were heard clearly at the hotel where foreign correspondents stay in Tripoli. NATO aircraft made heavy bombing runs after nightfall, with loud explosions booming across the city.

"We planned this operation with NATO, our Arab associates and our rebel fighters in Tripoli with commanders in Benghazi," Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, the head of the rebel leadership council, told the Arab satellite channel Al-Jazeera. Benghazi, hundreds of miles east of Tripoli, is the rebels' de facto capital.

Abdel-Jalil they said chose to start the attack on Tripoli on the 20th day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which fell on Saturday. The date marks the ancient Islamic Battle of Badr, when Muslims first fought for the holy city of Mecca in A.D. 624.

A couple hours after the rebels said they had attacked Tripoli, state television ran what appeared to be a live audio message by Gadhafi. He did not appear on television but sounded like he was calling the message in on a poor phone line which crackled at times. He announced the time and date twice to prove that he was speaking live.

Gadhafi condemned the rebels as traitors and "vermin" who are tearing Libya apart and said they were being chased from city to city — a mirror image of reality.

"Libyans wanted to enjoy a peaceful Ramadan," he said. "Instead they have been made into refugees. What are we? Palestinians?"

Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim appeared on Libyan television to deny there was an uprising in Tripoli. But he acknowledged that there was some kind of unusual activity.

"Sure there were some armed militants who escaped into some neighborhoods and there were some scuffles, but we dealt with it within a half hour and it is now calm," he said.

The claims from both sides could not immediately be independently verified.

If the rebel did indeed attack Tripoli, it would be the first time in the 6-month-old uprising. The rebels made early gains in the revolt, capturing most of the east of the country and rising up in a few other major cities such as Zawiya and Misrata. But Gadhafi's forces fought back and until a week ago, the civil war had been mired in a stalemate.

Last weekend, rebels from the western mountains near the border with Tunisia made a dramatic advance into Zawiya, just 30 miles west of Tripoli, and captured parts of the city.

Gadhafi appeared increasingly isolated as the fighters advanced closer to Tripoli, a metropolis of 2 million people, from the west, south and east and gained control of major supply roads into the capital.

After hard-fought battles for a week in Zawiya, the rebels finally wrested the city's oil refinery, central square and hospital from Gadhafi's forces and drove them out in a major victory on Saturday that clearly swung momentum in their favor.

Hours later, the attack on Tripoli was claimed.

Col. Fadlallah Haroun, a military commander in Benghazi, said the battles marked the beginning of Operation Mermaid — a nickname for Tripoli. He also said the assault was coordinated with NATO. Haroun told the AP that weapons were assembled and sent by tugboats to Tripoli on Friday night.

"The fighters in Tripoli are rising up in two places at the moment — some are in the Tajoura neighborhood and the other is near the Matiga (international) airport," he told the Arabic satellite channel Al-Jazeera. Tajoura has been known since the beginning of the uprising in February as the Tripoli neighborhood most strongly opposed to Gadhafi's regime.

Earlier Saturday, the government organized a trip for reporters to the airport to show them it was still in government hands.

A representative for Tripoli on the rebel leadership council told the AP that rebels were surrounding almost every neighborhood in the capital, and there was especially heavy fighting in Fashloum, Tajoura and Souq al-Jomaa.

Those three neighborhoods have been bubbling with discontent ever since the beginning of the Libya uprising. They paid the highest price in deaths when protesters took the streets in anti-Gadhafi protests, only to be met with live ammunition by government militiamen.

"We don't have exact numbers yet, but we are hearing that many fighters have fallen — very likely over 100," said Mohammed al-Harizi.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman visited Benghazi on Saturday.

"Gadhafi's days are numbered," he said. "The best case scenario is for Gadhafi to step down now ... that's the best protection for civilians."

In Benghazi, there were thousands celebrating in the main city square, shooting fireworks and guns into the air, and waving the rebel tricolor flag.

They got support from Abdel-Salam Jalloud, a close Gadhafi associate who defected Friday. Speaking on Al-Jazeera TV from Italy, he told the people of Tripoli, "You must rise up all together, at once," and called on Gadhafi's forces to joint the opposition. "The decisive moment is approaching," he said. "You are protecting a clinically dead regime."

The taking of Zawiya, a city of 200,000, cleared the last major hurdle to a rebel march on Tripoli from the west. Rebels said Gadhafi's troops put up little resistance before fleeing their posts in Zawiya's hospital and multistory buildings around the main square — another sign suggesting that the Libyan dictator's 42-year-old regime is crumbling.

Trucks and cars packed with rebels as well as civilians drove around Zawiya's central square, honking horns, flashing V-for-victory signs and yelling "Allahu akbar" or "God is great!" An ambulance crew posed for photos on the sidewalk while a rebel called through a loudspeaker on his truck, "Zawiya is liberated!"

Still, regime troops kept firing rockets and mortars at the city from positions in the east even after rebels said they drove them out, and thunderous booms echoed across the city. The central hospital was hit by mortar rounds early Saturday, several hours after it was taken by rebels. The attack badly damaged the operating rooms, punching a hole into one of the outer walls. Metal slats from the ceiling were strewn across the floor, and soot-covered the operating tables.

Rebels also claimed that they captured the city of Zlitan, 90 miles (140 kilometers) southeast of Tripoli, after more than two months of fighting.

"Zlitan is now completely liberated after a severe fight, and for the first time I can say we have control over it," Bani told reporters Saturday.

In Zawiya, fighters were bogged down around the central square for much of the week, held back by mortar, rocket and anti-aircraft fire from Gadhafi's troops. However, on Friday afternoon, rebel reinforcements arrived and pushed toward the square and the hospital, driving out regime forces before nightfall, said 21-year-old rebel fighter Mohammed Abu Daya.

The rebels said Saturday that they were now driving Gadhafi's forces even farther east, toward the village of Jedaim on the outskirts of Zawiya.

Gadhafi's forces fired rockets and mortars at the city, killing a doctor his wife and their 9-month-old baby when a mortar hit their home, medics said.

Zawiya's main square was covered with traces of the recent fighting. Nearly every window in the surrounding hotel, banks and government office buildings was shattered, and bullet and shrapnel holes marred every wall. Shelling had collapsed two floors of one of the five buildings near the square that had been used as Gadhafi sniper positions.

The dead bodies of two government fighters lay in the square's central plaza, covered by blankets. Rebels held their breath as they passed the bodies, which some said had been there for days.

Zawiya native Faiz Ibrahim, 42, took great pleasure in walking safely through his hometown's central square. Ibrahim, trained as an engineer, had taken up arms to defend the city early in the uprising, but went underground when Gadhafi's forces retook the town. He came out of hiding as soon as rebels from the south entered the city.

"We praise God that we can come here now that we have liberated the square," he said, his Kalashnikov rifle over his shoulder. "We have to see all the destruction that it took to get them out."

___

Associated Press writers Rami al-Shaheibi in Benghazi and Hadeel Al-Shalchi in Cairo contributed to this report

Aden supports National Council

2012-01-28T18:20:00.002+02:00

Sun Aug 21, 2011

Yemenis have poured into the streets of the port city of Aden in a show of support for the country's newly formed National Council.

On Saturday, the demonstrators chanted slogans against Saudi Arabia and condemned what they called Riyadh's meddling in Yemen's internal affairs, a Press TV correspondent reported.

They also expressed strong opposition to the return of Ali Abdullah Saleh from Saudi Arabia.

Yemen's National Council was unveiled on Wednesday, a day after Saleh said he would return to Yemen soon.

Saleh is currently receiving treatment in Saudi Arabia for injuries he sustained during an attack on his palace in early June.

Popular protests against Saleh broke out earlier this year, encouraged by uprisings that toppled the dictators of Tunisia and Egypt in January and February.

Hundreds of protesters have been killed and many more injured in the regime's crackdown on Yemen's popular uprising.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/194932.html.

Morocco sets legislative elections date

2012-01-28T16:57:00.002+02:00

The long-awaited announcement of the early vote date has generated vivid debates in Morocco.

By Siham Ali for Magharebia in Rabat – 19/08/11

After weeks-long talks with political parties, Morocco has finalized early parliamentary elections date. Voters will head to polls on November 25th, Interior Minister Taieb Cherkaoui announced on Tuesday (August 16th).

Consultations with parties will continue to examine all aspects of the preparations for the elections, the interior ministry said in a statement.

The kingdom was kept in suspense for some time after the July 1st constitutional referendum, with rumors circulating about possible election dates.

The election date coincides with the arrival of winter weather, which can prove very harsh in rural areas, particularly in mountainous regions, Justice and Development Party Secretary-General Lahcen Daoudi pointed out. This could have a negative impact, he said, on voter turnout among rural citizens who usually turn out in large numbers.

Others feel that the much-anticipated announcement could solve the wait-and-see attitude among political parties. The Moroccan political scene has been marked by instability and vagueness, according to Mohamed Ansari, who chairs the Istiqlal Party group in the Chamber of Councillors.

"The announcement has breathed new life into political actors, who had been rather unsettled," he told Magharebia.

Parties, human rights groups and the civil society need to work to encourage citizens to vote, since reform can only take place after the elections, Ansari argued.

Abdellatif Oummou, of the Party for Progress and Socialism (PPS), stressed the need to build confidence. Following the results of the referendum, it is clear that the process of reconciliation between the Moroccan people and politics has started, he said, but it will take time to work through. Will this trend continue?

For some politicians, there is not much reason for optimism. The turnout in 2007 was low and will be even lower in the next vote in light of the February 20th Movement protests, predicted Unified Socialist Party (PSU) Secretary-General Mohamed Moujahid.

He called for a genuine dialogue about real problems to prevent political activities from being pushed to the margins of society.

Opinions are divided on the street. While some youths call on people to have faith in the government's desire for change, others are openly skeptical.

"We mustn’t rush things," said Oussama El Mouerd, a 25-year-old trader. "I hope a new elite will emerge out of the forthcoming elections who can respond to the expectations of young people in particular, whether political or social, and deal especially with the issues of unemployment and freedom."

Mehdi Chihabi, a 29-year-old trader who took part in all youth protests, struck a different chord. The elections will not bring the long-awaited answers to a number of questions, including the fight against corruption and deprivation, he said.

"You’re allowed to be hopeful, even if there isn’t much evidence to inspire confidence," he added.

Sociologist Ali Chaâbani argued that despite young people’s lack of trust, "hope is still there". "They have already expressed their aspirations through the February 20th Movement, preaching liberty, equality, improved living standards and the building of a better future," he told Magharebia. "Of course, the constitution has brought something new. But the changes they want cannot be made overnight."

Holding early elections is the first response to the young people's political aspirations, said political analyst Nadir El Moumni. A number of factors will be decisive, he warned, particularly the opportunities offered to them through electoral list quotas.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/08/19/feature-02.

Group calls for mass Egyptian protests

2012-01-28T14:53:00.000+02:00

CAIRO, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- A pro-revolution group in Egypt called for mass protests Sept. 9 to express frustration with the lack of political reform in the country.

A group calling itself the Second Anger Revolution Youth, in a statement posted on the group's listing on Facebook, accused the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces of "hindering the revolution," Egyptian daily newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm reports.

Criticism against the ruling military council is mounting as frustration grows over the slow pace of reform in post-revolution Egypt. Some of the elections promised by the military council were postponed to 2012 while trials for former regime officials, including deposed President Hosni Mubarak, are barely under way.

The revolutionary group said it was frustrated that the military council was still holding civilians on trial. They claim this violates pledges "that military trials are only for thugs and not for the revolutionary youth."

Thousands of protesters flocked to Cairo's central square earlier this year, forcing regime change through peaceful means. Mubarak and members of his inner circle are charged with murder in connection to the deaths of unarmed protesters.

The revolution group said the time for military rule in Egypt has ended.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/08/19/Group-calls-for-mass-Egyptian-protests/UPI-33031313764832/.

Police clashes with anti-Pope protesters in Madrid

2012-01-28T14:52:00.000+02:00

MADRID (BNO NEWS) — More than 150 people protesting against the financial cost of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the Spanish capital of Madrid were again removed by police on Thursday night, police said on Friday morning.

Thursday’s protest followed a similar protest on Wednesday evening when eight people were arrested and eleven were injured after police attempted to break up the demonstration.

Police said they initially did not plan to break up the protest but decided to do so to avoid a violent encounter between protesters and Catholic pilgrims. Opponents are protesting against the financial cost of the pontiff’s stay amid one of Spain’s worst economic crisis in decades.

Pope Benedict XVI arrived in the Spanish capital on Thursday for a four-day visit to celebrate World Youth Day. At least a million pilgrims from across the world have come for the Catholic youth festival which started on Tuesday.

Earlier this week, Spanish police arrested a Mexican chemistry student for allegedly plotting to gas the anti-Pope rallies. A Spanish Judge has since released him under probation.

Thursday, August 18th, 2011

Source: WireUpdate.
Link: http://wireupdate.com/wires/19548/police-clashes-with-anti-pope-protesters-in-madrid/.

Protests in Madrid ahead of papal visit

2012-01-28T14:51:00.000+02:00

August 18, 2011

By Victor Mallet and Pascale Davies in Madrid

Seven people were arrested and 11 injured in overnight clashes between Spanish police and thousands of demonstrators protesting in Madrid against the visit on Thursday of Pope Benedict XVI, according to police and emergency services.

An estimated 20,000 protesters demanding a fully secular Spanish state and an end to privileges for the Roman Catholic church marched into Sol, the square in the center of the capital. There they confronted thousands of young pilgrims who have come to Spain to see the Pope and celebrate World Youth Day, held every three years in a different city.

The stand-off between the two sides – despite faint echoes of the hatred between Francoist Catholics and anti-religious republicans during the 1936-39 Spanish civil war - were mostly peaceful and verbal. Police later broke up the anti-Pope demonstration and made the arrests.

“Abortion yes, pederasty no!” was a favorite cry of the anti-papal marchers, recalling the church’s opposition to abortion and several scandals in which priests have molested children in their charge.

They also chanted, “Less religion, more education!” and “Not with my taxes!”, a reference to complaints that the pope’s visit will cost Spain money, despite denials form the organizers, and to the fact that citizens can opt on their income tax forms to give 0.7 per cent of the tax to the church.

Groups of pilgrims, waving national flags from around the world, responded with cries of “More religion and more education!” and in some cases by praying on the pavement. One elderly Spanish man on the anti-Pope march, seeing a prayer group, shouted: “Not for me! I don’t believe in anything.”

The Catholic church expects more than 1m people, many from as far afield as the Philippines and Brazil, to welcome the Pope during his visit to Spain.

Among Spaniards, 71.7 per cent describe themselves as Catholics, about 10 percentage points lower than a decade ago, according to a survey published this month by the Sociological Research Center. Of these, some 13 per cent go to mass on most Sundays of the year, down from 19 per cent.

The proportion of atheists and non-believers has risen to 24.3 per cent of Spaniards from 14.6 per cent in 2001.

But the anti-papal demonstrators hold a wide range of views. Some are atheists, some are liberal Catholics who support a secular state, and many are drawn from the ranks of the “indignados” (the indignant ones) who staged the anti-establishment protests across Spain that began in May.

Source: Financial Times.
Link: http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/a2f7c152-c97d-11e0-9eb8-00144feabdc0.html.

Palestinian factions reconsider relations with Assad

2012-01-24T13:29:00.000+02:00

By DAVID E. MILLER / THE MEDIA LINE
08/18/2011

Leadership must decide loyalties as Syrian attacks on refugees lead to turning point in once circumspect policy.

A fierce attack by the Syrians on a Palestinian refugee camp has led Palestinian factions, both Islamist and staunchly secular, to relook at their traditionally close ties with Damascus.

Headquartered in the Syrian capital as the Bashar Assad regime falters, Palestinians were cautious not to badmouth the Syrian president personally as they condemned Sunday’s naval bombardment of the Raml Palestinian refugee camp.

Navy gunships struck at the camp located in the port city of Latakia, killing an unknown number of residents and sparking 10,000 refugees to flee. Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) official Yasser Abed Rabbo condemned the attack as "a crime against humanity," while the United Nation's Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) demanded access to the camp, to survey the scope of damage.

Before the attack on Raml, the Palestinian leadership had been circumspect in speaking out against Assad's regime, which has fiercely oppressed a domestic mass protest movement since March. But the most recent surge of violence, directed for the first time against the country's Palestinian population, may be a turning point in Palestinian policy.

"The PLO does not intervene in the internal politics of countries," Taisir Khaled, head of expatriate department of the PLO, told The Media Line. "But the safety of Palestinians in refugee camps must be safeguarded; regardless of the country they live in."

Khaled is a senior member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), a Marxist-Leninist Palestinian party, whose leader Nayef Hawatmeh sits in Damascus. He was careful not to blame Assad personally.

"We want political reform in Syria," Khaled added. "It should be a democratic civil state which grants freedom to all its citizens. We hope that a political solution prevails over any other."

The political leadership of the Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas is also situated in Damascus, explaining perhaps its minimal media coverage of the Syrian attack on Latakia.

In April, the London-based Arab daily Al-Hayat reported that Hamas' political leadership was ordered to leave Syria following its neutral stance towards the country's popular unrest. According to the report, Qatar agreed to host political bureau chief Khaled Mashal, who has operated in Damascus since 1999. At the time, Hamas denied the report, and its leadership remained in the country.

A Hamas spokesman refused the Media Line's request on Wednesday to comment on matters concerning Syria. But Basem Ezbidi, a political scientist at Bir Zeit University in Ramallah, said Hamas was facing the greatest dilemma of all Palestinian groups.

"On the one hand, Hamas does not want the Syrian regime to disappear," Ezbidi told The Media Line. "But on the other hand, how can it justify its strategic alliance with a state that kills Palestinians? Hamas has always regarded itself as a resistance movement which represents the Palestinian people, and that's the bottom line." He said Hamas will find it extremely difficult to reconcile the two conflicting interests.

Ezbidi added, however, that some Palestinian factions will never criticize the Syrian regime, as they are fully funded and protected by it.

"Smaller groups, like Ahmad Jibril's Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (PFLP-GC) will forever remain loyal to Syria, which supports it financially, logistically and politically," he said. "Other movements will certainly reexamine their ties with Syria, because what it has done is inexcusable."

Ayman Shaheen, a political scientist at Gaza's Al-Azhar University, said that the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization, also led from Damascus, maintained stronger links with Iran than with Syria, making it relatively independent of Al-Assad's regime. However, Hamas, he said, likely would show flexibility in adapting to the new political reality in the region.

"Hamas is wise. It will create a new set of alliances to replace the Teheran-Damascus-Gaza axis," Shaheen told The Media Line. "Qatar is always open to Hamas and there is rapprochement with Egypt as well."

But Taisir Khaled of DFLP said most Syria-based Palestinian movements, including his own, were not considering relocation.

"We will remain in Syria as long as Palestinians reside there," he told The Media Line, noting that between 350-400,000 Palestinians currently live in Syria. "We are not there because of the regime but because of our ties with the Syrian people."

Source: The Jerusalem Post.
Link: http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=234254.

Yemen opposition forms national council

2012-01-24T13:28:00.000+02:00

Wed Aug 17, 2011

The Yemeni opposition has formed a broad coalition tasked with leading the country's popular revolution towards the removal of Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime from power.

The 800 representatives of different opposition groups elected the 143-member National Council for the Forces of the Peaceful Revolution on Wednesday, AFP reported.

The move marked a notable blow to the unpopular 33-year-old government, which has been facing countrywide protests since January.

The development comes only one day after Saleh vowed to return to Yemen soon. He is currently being treated for injuries he received in a June 3 RPG attack on the presidential palace in Saudi Arabia.

"The National Council will lead the forces of the revolution, determined to stand strong until Ali Abdullah Saleh's departure," said a key opposition leader, Sultan al-Atwani.

The council includes members of the parliamentary opposition umbrella of the Common Forum, the young protesters, and the north-based Shia minority, which has for long been repressed by the government and Saudi Arabia.

The members will now vote for a 20-member executive committee.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/194379.html.

'Protesters attacked in Saudi Arabia'

2012-01-24T13:27:00.000+02:00

Thu Aug 18, 2011

Government forces have attacked Saudi Arabian peaceful demonstrators in the east of the oil-rich kingdom.

Protesters took to the streets of Awamiyah town in the Eastern Province late on Wednesday, witnesses said.

During the protest, people demanded respect for human rights and the release of political prisoners in the country.

At least two demonstrators were arrested after breaking up the rally, according to reports.

The Eastern Province has been the scene of anti-government protests in recent months.

Saudi Arabia, a key US ally in the Middle East, is an absolute monarchy that does not tolerate any form of dissent.

Protest rallies and any public displays of dissent are considered illegal.

The government has become increasingly nervous about the protests that have taken the Arab world by storm, toppling the Egyptian and Tunisian leaders, and which reached Bahrain, Yemen and Libya.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/194431.html.

Pressure rises in Morocco after self-immolation

2012-01-24T13:24:00.002+02:00

Suicide as a form of protest has grabbed the attention of citizens and officials alike.

By Siham Ali for Magharebia in Rabat – 17/08/11

The suicide of a young Moroccan bread vendor is raising fresh concerns about freedom and reform ahead of the November 25th parliamentary elections.

Hamid Kanouni, 27, set himself on fire outside a police station in Berkane on Sunday (August 7th), stirring up a fresh debate in Morocco and evoking memories of how the suicide of another young man, Tunisia's Mohamed Bouazizi, launched the Arab Spring.

"Hamid wouldn't have set fire to himself if he didn't have good reasons for doing such a thing. It's a real sign that the supposed change hasn't happened," February 20th Movement member Zohra Meliani said. She added that people's grievances have yet to receive a practical answer, and that nothing has been done about scorn and corruption and respect for personal liberties.

But according to student Fadoua Gertouli, young people must not let their despair push them to the point of suicide.

"I can understand the fact that Hamid, after being so badly treated, felt that no-one could vindicate him, given the way that people are going unpunished. But we have to campaign and be patient in the midst of our troubles," she said.

Hmida Taji, a teacher of Islamic education, said that the suicide was a reprehensible act banned by Islam. He called on young people to be aware of this reality and not to believe that anyone using self-immolation as a form of protest can be a martyr.

The February 20th Movement is helping to transport the body from Casablanca to Fez and organize a number of protest marches, particularly in Berkane, where the incident took place. Young people are calling for people to rise up against hogra (scorn).

There were different accounts of the incident given by police and onlookers. According to eyewitnesses, the police beat and insulted the victim, seizing his bread cart following a complaint from the owner of the bakery outside which he was selling his goods.

On Tuesday (August 9th) police denied the accusations of abuse in the Hamid Kanouni incident.

The police claimed that that the man had been overwhelmed when, on leaving the police station, he discovered that his merchandise had been destroyed by an unknown party. This drove him to douse his clothes with petrol and set fire to them.

The government has not yet issued a reaction to the event. Government spokesman Khalid Naciri avoided answering questions about Kanouni at a press briefing on August 10th. Instead, he simply indicated that justice would take its course.

Self-immolation is becoming increasingly commonplace amongst marginalized youth and unemployed graduates, according to Sociologist Samira Kassimi.

"It's a form of political protest against injustice. These young people prefer to draw attention to themselves rather than remain in the shadows," she said.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/08/17/feature-01.

PLO accuses Syrian forces of 'crime against humanity'

2012-01-24T13:23:00.000+02:00

August 16, 2011

DAMASCUS/RAMALLAH: An assault by Syrian security forces on a Palestinian refugee camp in the coastal city of Latakia amounts to a crime against humanity, a senior official in the Palestine Liberation Organization said.

Syria came under sharp Arab and international condemnation after rights activists said gunboats pounded Latakia port, forcing thousands of Palestinians to flee a refugee camp Monday.

As activists reported new deaths at the camp, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency reported that more than 5,000 refugees had fled the Ramel camp in southern Latakia under fire Monday.

"The shelling is taking place using gunships and tanks on houses built from tin, on people who have no place to run to or even a shelter to hide in," Yasser Abed Rabbo, the PLO secretary general, told Reuters. "This is a crime against humanity."

Residents of Latakia say Syrian security forces have been targeting areas where demonstrators have been protesting against President Bashar Assad’s rule.

UNRWA, the U.N. agency that cares for Palestinian refugees, Tuesday said its latest reports indicated that Ramel camp, home to 10,000 refugees, was now almost completely deserted.

UNRWA reported Monday, that four refugees had been killed and 17 wounded in the violence. "Our fear is that without access, the figures are higher, but we simply don’t know," Chris Gunness, UNRWA spokesman in Jerusalem, said.

"It’s obviously been the scene of a security or military operation. We remain extremely concerned. UNRWA needs to get in there. We need urgent humanitarian access," he said.

"Things get more and more grim and worrying by the minute. A forgotten population has now become a disappeared population," he said.

Syria’s state-run news agency SANA reported Monday Palestinian factions condemned UNRWA’s statements, labeling the allegations "baseless" and a "provocation."

It said the Palestinian powers’ Alliance Factions condemned allegations of shelling at the Ramel camp, "calling for not involving the Palestinians in the latest events in Syria."

"The Palestinian factions deny what has been included in the UNRWA leadership about shelling the refugees camp in Lattakia, considering this provocation as part of attempts to harm the Syrian and Palestinian stances," official spokesman of the Palestinian Alliance said in a press statement, published by SANA.

It said Ali Mustafa, director of the Arab Palestinian Refugees General Committee called on UNRWA Commissioner General Filippo Grandi to "correct" reports claiming that the Syrian Security forces launch heavy fires inside the camp in Lattakia.

"We would like to bring your attention that what has been included in the UNRWA statement was baseless and untrue … the issue that is being tackled by the Syrian competent authorities takes place in the camp’s neighboring area," SANA reported Mustafa said in a message sent to Grandi.

The United States said it was unable to confirm reports of the Syrian navy shelling Latakia Monday, in what would amount to a dramatic escalation in its bid to crush pro-democracy protests.

"We have been unable to confirm actually the use of naval assets," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters, adding the "jury is still out" on whether or not Syrian warships opened fire.

She added there were "some inconsistencies" in the reporting on the alleged incident but did not elaborate.

"However, we are able to confirm that there is armor in the city and that there is firing on innocents again, in the pattern of carnage that you have seen in other places," she said.

Many residents were allowed to flee Latakia at dawn, but soldiers opened fire at a checkpoint, killing a man and a woman as they tried to leave Ramel, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Source: Uruknet.
Link: http://www.uruknet.de/?s1=8&p=80561&s2=18.

حراك الكرك مهاجما بيان '43': النواب جزء من الفساد

2012-01-24T13:21:00.002+02:00

2011-08-18

خبرني- هاجم الحراك الشبابي والشعبي في محافظة الكرك البيان الصادر عن 43 نائباً يصفون فيه مطلقي الهتافات خلال بعض المسيرات والاعتصامات بالخيانة وإثارة الفتنة وزعزعة الأمن والاستقرار.
وقال الحراك في بيان صادر عنه الخميس" طالعتنا الصحافة المكتوبة والمرئية والإلكترونية ببيان موقع من بعض نواب الـ (111) يعتبرون الآلاف التي اعتصمت أمام محافظة الكرك بالقلة التي لا تعبر عن إرادة الشعب وتهدف إلى زعزعة الأمن والاستقرار ".
ووصف البيان النواب بـ "جزء من متوالية الفساد والمحسوبية وأنهم نتاج سيء لقانون الصوت الواحد والدائرة الوهمية والتزوير المبرمج" .
وأكد الحراك على مطالبته بإصلاح النظام واحترام إرادة الشعب ومحاسبة الفاسدين بالقضاء المستقل كوسيلة لمنع زعزعة الأمن والاستقرار، وتابع "الاستقرار لن يكون بالعصا الغليظة ولا بالجزرة ، وإنما بإعطاء الناس حقوقهم الدستورية والسياسية ومشاركتهم بصنع القرار السياسي ورفع الوصاية عنهم كون الشعب دوماً مصدر السلطات".
ووجه الحراك تساؤلات للنواب للإجابة عليها، وهي :- هل تبرئة أصحاب الكازينو تعبيراً عن إرادة الشعب ؟
- هل تبرئة الوزراء المعروفين لشعبنا تعبيراً عن إرادتنا ؟- هل ثقة الــ (111) دامت أكثر من أربعين يوماً ؟
- هل تم فتح ملفات الفوسفات ، البوتاس ، الإتصالات ، الكهرباء، المطار … ومجموعة الكابيتال وغيرها وغيرها من اختصاص غيركم ؟؟!!!
وختم الحراك بيانه" نطمئنكم أيها النواب ان التغيير قادم لا محالة".

المصدر: خبرني.
الرابط: http://www.khaberni.com/more.php?newsid=60276.

Police disperse Tunis protests

2012-01-22T17:07:00.002+02:00

2011-08-16

Tunisian security forces on Monday (August 15th) used tear gas to disperse protests in Tunis, TAP reported. The Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT) organized a large rally to demand that the interim government respect the principles of the revolution and undertake judicial and legislative reforms. When lawyers protesting separately outside the Justice Ministry attempted to join the UGTT march on Mohamed V Avenue, police intervened. According to TAP, protestors were prevented from filming the clashes with their mobile phones.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2011/08/16/newsbrief-05.

Difficult Ramadan for Libyan refugees in Tunisia

2012-01-22T17:06:00.002+02:00

Forced from their homeland by Kadhafi's battalions, Libyan refugees in Tunisia are struggling to find peace during the holy month.

By Monia Ghanmi for Magharebia in Tunis – 16/08/11

Libyans in Tunisia have little to celebrate this Ramadan. Thousands of stranded refugees are being forced to spend the holy month away from home, as the war enters into its seventh month.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that it planned to distribute free Ramadan meals to more than 55,000 Libyan refugees, including 11,000 families, in the Tunisian wilayas of Medenine, Tataouine, Kebili and Sfax.

The food consists of basic items such as cooking oil, milk, eggs, cheese, and dough-based products along with vegetables or dates, according to UNHCR representative Maness Ghanem. He explained that the aid organization would provide support to Tunisian families hosting Libyan refugees, helping them deal with the costs of electricity and water. The UN official added that some 800 families from Tataouine wilaya have already benefited from assistance.

Despite efforts to aid the displaced families, some Libyans in Tunisia have criticized the level of assistance. Libyans interviewed by Magharebia said that the food provided could not restore the Ramadan atmosphere from Libya before the revolution.

"I only obtained several kilograms of dates, a few liters of oil and a little rice and macaroni," Younis Abd Allah Assayar said, adding that it was not enough for his three-member family.

He said that he felt bitterness and anguish when he saw his iftar table missing fruit, milk, honey and Libyan sweets associated with Ramadan. He said he has not received his pension in four months and must rely on aid organizations to provide for his family's needs.

Libyan Jannet Mediane, who fled the village of Al Majabira, said that despite her new friendships in Tunisia, she was struggling to create a Ramadan air similar to that in her homeland.

She added that what she missed most about her home was "the dish bazin, the foremost popular food in Libya and the main meal in the month of Ramadan, which the iftar table cannot be without for Libyans".

"I discovered that the customs of Tunisian society are no different from what exists in Libya, but in truth, I found it difficult to cope with some of the meals provided to us, yet we thank God," she said.

Normally, the Libyan Ramadan table is filled of many types of dishes, including bazin, couscous and boric. But this year, refugees are forced to mark the holy month not at home but in temporary shelters or with host families across southern Tunisia.

"It is true that Ramadan this year is very different from others and we are suffering, but we must be patient and call for victory for the rebels during this holy month until we get rid of the tyrant and return to our homes safe and sound," said Abid Arifi.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/08/16/feature-03.

نقابيو الإصلاح: ما يحدث بسوريا ينزع شرعية النظام

2012-01-22T17:05:00.002+02:00

2011-08-17

خبرني- دان تجمع نقابيون من اجل الاصلاح الاربعاء القمع الوحشي الذي يتعرض له الشعب السوري المطالب بالحرية والكرامة على يد قوات الامن السورية.
وقال التجمع في بيان حصلت "خبرني" على نسخة منه ان "ندين ممارسات السلطات السورية بالقتل والتنكيل والاعتقال والتعذيب للمعارضين المسالمين الذي يدعون الى الاصلاحات الجذرية في بلدهم لنستغرب ان كان متابعة الإرهابيين والجماعات والعصابات المدعومة من الخارج تبرر للسلطات هناك قتل المواطنين!".

وتاليا نص البيان:

يتابع "تجمع نقابيون من أجل الإصلاح" بقلق بالغ التصعيد الأمني والقمع الذي يقوم به النظام السوري ضد شعبه، ويرى أن سلوك الخيارات العسكرية في التعاطي مع المطالب الشعبية السلمية من شأنه أن يفاقم أزمة أي نظام سياسي وينزع الشرعية عنه.
وإذ نعلن وقوفنا إلى جانب شعبنا السوري المطالب بالحرية والعدالة والديمقراطية، و ووقوفنا معه في الكيفية التي من خلالها يقرر مصيره ويصوغ رؤيته السياسية المستقبلية ،فإننا نؤكد حرصنا القاطع على وحدة كامل التراب السوري، ورفضنا التدخل الأجنبي مهما كانت هويته، ومهما كانت ذرائعه، و حرصنا على استمرار موقف سوريا الداعم لخيار المقاومة إننا في "تجمع نقابيون من أجل الإصلاح" نحترم خصوصية الشعب السوري، والشعوب العربية كافة في أن تختار قياداتها الوطنية التي تدعم المقاومة ومعركة المواجهة الحتمية مع الكيان الصهيوني، ومع سائر قوى الشر والظلام التي لا تضمر الخير للشعوب العربية والإسلامية.
اننا اذ ندين ممارسات السلطات السورية بالقتل والتنكيل والاعتقال والتعذيب للمعارضين المسالمين الذي يدعون الى الاصلاحات الجذرية في بلدهم لنستغرب ان كان متابعة الإرهابيين والجماعات والعصابات المدعومة من الخارج تبرر للسلطات هناك قتل المواطنين!
فهل متابعة الارهابيين في دولة اجهزتها الامنية تعرف من يفكر بالعمل ضدها قبل ان يقوم بتنفيذه مبرر لقتل كل هولاء الشهداء واصابة كل هذا العدد من الجرحى و الزج بكل هذا العدد من المعتقلين بالسجون والتنكيل بهمّ!؟ اننا في التجمع ونحن ندافع بكل قوة عن المعارضين المسالمين لنرفض وبشدة ما قام به بعض المعارضين بعقد مؤتمرات للمعارضة بمشاركة الصهاينة والسلطات الغربية المتصهينة في الولايات المتحدة وفرنسا و غيرها من دول العالم.

المصدر: خبرني.
الرابط: http://www.khaberni.com/more.php?newsid=60214.

الاتحاد العام لطلبة الاردن يؤيد القيادة السورية

2012-01-22T17:04:00.000+02:00

2011-08-17

خبرني- زعمت وكالة الإنباء السورية " سانا" اليوم الأربعاء انها تلقت بيانا من"الاتحاد العام لطلبة الأردن " يؤكد في وقوفه الى جانب القيادة السورية ضد المؤامرة .
ويمثل هذا الاتحاد المظلة التي تجمع كافة الطلبة الدارسين في الجامعات السورية، حيث يتعين على الطالب الذي يرغب بالدراسه هناك الحصول على وثيقة من الاتحاد تؤهله للالتحاق بالجامعات السورية.
وقال الوكالة السورية إنها تلقت بيانا من "الاتحاد العام لطلبة الأردن" يؤكد فيه "وقوفه إلى جانب سورية قيادة وشعبا ضد كل ما يستهدف سيادتها وقرارها وأمنها ووحدتها الوطنية مستغربا كل ما يصدر من بيانات تعطي غطاء للتدخل الصهيوامريكي وحلفائه في الشؤون الداخلية لسورية".
وأكد الاتحاد في بيان له أن" سورية رقم صعب وان المساس بها هو مساس بالكرامة العربية وأن التآمر عليها تآمر على الأمة العربية منوها بمواقفها القومية من أجل فلسطين ولبنان والعراق وغيرها من الأقطار العربية". على حد وصف الوكالة .
وأشار البيان إلى أن "الشعب العربي لن ينسى القواعد الأمريكية في المنطقة والتي قتلت أكثر من مليوني عراقي وشردت خمسة ملايين مؤكدا أن جميع شرفاء الأمة العربية سيقفون سدا منيعا بوجه كل المؤامرات التي تستهدف سورية والأمة العربية وسيكونون معها صفا واحدا".
من جانبه اصدر المكتب الإعلامي لاتحاد طلبة الجامعة الأردنيّة الأربعاء بيانا حصلت " خبرني " تمنى فيه نجاح الثورة السورية ودان ممارسات النظام الوحشية بحق شعبه.
وقال البيان " إننا كاتحاد شبابيّ لا علاقة تحكمنا سوى الشعور الإنساني تجاه إخواننا الشباب و ما يواجهونه في شتّى المدن السوريّة من حمامات للدم طالت بشكل مفزع حتى الأطفال و النساء نندّد بهذه الممارسات غير الإنسانية القمعيّة لهذا النظام ".
وتاليا نص بيان اتحاد طلبة الجامعة الأردنية :
وبعد مرور ستة اشهر على قيام الشعب السوري بانتفاضته المجرّدة المطالبة بأبسط حقوقه التي تقتضي بكرامة عيش و حرية طالما فقدها حدّا بلغ به السيل الزبى و بعد أن عاف هذا الشعب الحر نظامه الذي نشر وحشيّته بإجرام ظالم و بقمع غير مسبوق بمثيل جرّد فيه كل معنى للإنسانية فضلا عن القيم الدينيّة.. و بعد أن تجرّع هذا الشعب القهر و الذلّ قتلا و سجنا و تشريدا لأكثر من نصف قرن و خرج بحراكه الشبابيّ الجريء و بكلّ سلميّة تذكر ضدّ حكم سرطانيّ الانتشار عاث في كل بقعة من قلب الشام بظلم و قمع مذهل نجدنا نحن في اتحاد الطلبة في الجامعة الأردنية نقف إلى ثورة الشباب الذين خرجوا معلنين الموت في سبيل كرامة العيش على حياة المذمّة والمذلّة .
لقد ثار الشباب كلّه,, بشتى انتماءاته الحزبية والفكرية والدينية .. ومن غير تخطيط ومن دون قيادة داخلية أو خارجية .. وهو في ثورته تلك لم يستشر العلماء ولا المفكرين ولا أصحاب التجارب السياسيّة وغير السياسيّة لأنّه فقد الأمل من الجميع خصوصاً وهو يرى بعض كبار العلماء أبواق سوء وكذب وافتراء، فهي تدافع عن القاتل ضدّ الضحيّة من غير مشاهدة ولا محاكمة ولا حوار عادل ، في وقت نرى فيه تصعيد للسلطات السورية من سياستها القمعية حين حاصرت المدن وعزلتها عن العالم من أجل ترويع المواطنين وإجبارهم على الخضوع و في الوقت الذي لم يظهر النظام السوري أي إرادة واضحة في الاستجابة ولو للحد الأدنى من مطالب المحتجين السلميين . .
نعم ثار شباب سوريّا الأبيّة ضدّ الظلم ، لكنّ ثورته بتلك الصورة لا تعفي العلماءَ والمفكّرين و النشطاء والإعلاميين و الشباب في ميادينهم المختلفة أن يقفوا إلى جانب هؤلاء الشباب ، وأن يباركوا ثورتهم لا أن يقفوا في طريقها.
بدورنا كاتحاد شبابيّ لا بعلاقة تحكمنا سوى الشعور الإنساني تجاه إخواننا الشباب و ما يواجهونه في شتّى المدن السوريّة من حمامات للدم طالت بشكل مفزع حتى الأطفال و النساء نندّد هذه الممارسات غير الإنسانية القمعيّة لهذا النظام المتوغّل و ندعو الى ضرورة التفاف المبادرات من الجميع و بشكل موحّد لحقن المزيد من الدماء .. و نغتنم فضيلة هذا الشهر الكريم بالدعاء لهم بأن يعجّل الله في نجاح ثورتهم وأن يخفّف الله آلامهم و يحقّق لهم آمالهم .. إنّه القادر على ذلك و المجيب ..

المصدر: خبرني.
الرابط: http://www.khaberni.com/more.php?newsid=60217.

Thousands protest against carbon tax in Australia

2012-01-22T17:02:00.000+02:00

CANBERRA (BNO NEWS) — Thousands of Australians protested in front of Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday to protest against the Prime Minister’s plan to introduce a carbon tax, local media reported.

An estimated 4,000 protesters called on Prime Minister Julia Gilliard to abandon her carbon tax plan and allow an immediate election after she had ruled out a carbon tax during her re-election campaign.

“I don’t rule out the possibility of legislating a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, a market-based mechanism [during the next parliament]. I rule out a carbon tax,” Gilliard told The Australian newspaper during last year’s re-election campaign, after which she won a second term as prime minister.

However, in February, Gilliard announced a plan to implement a fixed price to be imposed on carbon pollution from July 2012. The carbon tax would be placed for three to five years before a complete trading scheme on carbon emissions is implemented and some key issues are further discussed and negotiated.

Tuesday’s rally was organized by the Consumers and Taxpayers Association to mark the first anniversary of Gilliard’s pledge that she would not introduce a carbon tax. The government has meanwhile blamed Tony Abbot, the leader of the Opposition in the Australian House of Representatives, for calling for a “people’s revolt” against the carbon tax.

Abbot was very careful to tell the protesters that, while he supported their opposition to the carbon tax and their call for a fresh election, he did not agree with every sign he saw or all of their opinions. This comes after some signs were considered disrespectful for insulting PM Gilliard in a similar demonstration earlier this year.

Other Members of Parliament also attended the rally and encouraged the protesters to keep up the fight, local media reported. But despite Tuesday’s protest, the carbon tax looks set to pass Parliament in September with the support of the Australian Greens and the three lower house independents.

Next week, truck drivers from all over the country will converge on the capital in an attempt to close down roads around Parliament, in protest against the controversial carbon tax.

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

Source: WireUpdate.
Link: http://wireupdate.com/wires/19496/thousands-protest-against-carbon-tax-in-australia/.

Malawian rights groups postpone anti-government protests after court action

2012-01-22T17:00:00.000+02:00

LILONGWE (BNO NEWS) – Malawian rights groups announced on Tuesday they have postponed a nationwide anti-government demonstration scheduled for Wednesday after a court injunction was issued to stop it, local newspaper The Maravi Post reported.

“We have postponed the vigils to allow the court process and dialogue to move on but the issues still stand until the government responds to them,” activist Rogers Newa, one of the main organizers, told a news conference in the country’s capital of Lilongwe.

The organizers decided to postpone the protest after loyalists of President Bingu Wa Mutharika filed an application to a Malawi high court to revive an injunction which stops demonstrations against or in support of the government.

Newa said that by suspending the rally, the civil society was also giving a chance to a dialogue process long due since President Mutharika announced last month that he had established a presidential committee on dialogue.

The society groups announced the protests, to be held across the country, after Mutharika’s government failed to immediately address their concerns over the economy and governance issues.

Last month, 19 people were killed and several others were injured when police opened fire on those taking part in anti-government protests which lasted for two days. Around 500 people, including human rights defenders, were arrested.

The protests in July brought together students, human rights activists and religious groups over a range of issues including repressive legislation, poor governance and fuel shortages.

According to an Amnesty International report released on Tuesday, over the recent months, the Malawian government has intensified its harassment and intimidation of critics and dissidents, many journalists and human rights activists among them.

The rights group has also urged the Malawian authorities to start an investigation into the lethal use of force during last month’s protests and to respect the citizen’s right to freedom of expression, association and assembly.

“If Malawians want to exercise their right to peaceful demonstration, they should be allowed to do so in safety,” said Michelle Kagari, Amnesty International’s Deputy Program Director.

Earlier this week, President Mutharika accused the European governments of seeking to overthrow his government by funding the demonstrations. He also claimed that the economic problems besetting the country were not unique of Malawi as there is economic turmoil elsewhere.

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

Source: WireUpdate.
Link: http://wireupdate.com/wires/19502/malawian-rights-groups-postpone-anti-government-protests-after-court-action/.

Syrian Opposition Members Disappearing in Lebanon

2012-01-22T16:58:00.002+02:00

By Mona Alami

BEIRUT, Aug 11, 2011 (IPS) - A wave of mysterious disappearances is befalling members of the Syrian opposition in Lebanon, where Syria’s military and intelligence apparatus had a strong presence during its occupation of the country from 1976 until 2005.

On May 24 at 4:30 in the afternoon, 86-year-old Shibli al-Ayssami, a Syrian former politician and opposition member, left his daughter’s house on the outskirts of the Lebanese mountain city of Aley. He was going for a walk, as he had done every day since he had arrived in Lebanon from his home in Washington five days earlier. Two hours later, the elderly man had vanished without a trace.

"We have not heard from him since," Ayssami’s daughter, Rajaa Charafedine, told IPS

After several months with no leads, some new information surfaced last week. According to a source that is close to the investigation, three dark-colored four-wheel drive vehicles with tinted windows were seen circling the area before Ayssami’s disappearance. At one point, the cars blocked the road leading to Charafedine’s house, and two men pushed Ayssami into one of the cars. The three vehicles were then spotted a few hours later crossing the border into Syria, en route to Damascus, added the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the case is still under investigation.

Ayssami was one of the founders of the Syrian Baath Party. He was the minister of education, culture and agriculture in the 1960s and was vice-president of Syria in 1966, before the government was toppled by Hafez al-Assad, the father of current president, Bashar al-Assad. He was imprisoned and sentenced to death but was able to escape to Lebanon. Two years later he co-founded the Baath Party in Iraq. He retired from political life in 1992.

Walid Saffour, president of the Syrian Committee for Human Rights, said his organization has information that Ayssami was kidnapped by a patrol led by a Lebanese security forces officer who is "known for his loyalty to a major Lebanese political party that is allied with the Syrian authorities."

"Our information points to Ayssami being detained in one of the branches of the military intelligence in Damascus," said Saffour.

Ayssami’s kidnapping is not the first of its kind to take place in Lebanon since the beginning of the Syrian pro-democracy uprising and the Assad regime’s brutal crackdown on it.

In February, when anti-regime activity was just beginning in Syria, Lebanese military intelligence agents arrested six Syrians belonging to the Jasem family while they were distributing flyers calling for democratic change in Syria. Three of them disappeared in the early hours of the morning after their release on Feb. 25, according to Nadim Houry, head researcher at Human Rights Watch’s Beirut office.

"Three civilian cars were seen waiting by the police station the night of the Jasems’ disappearance. One of the drivers was identified as a member of the Lebanese security services who was at the time in charge of security at the Syrian Embassy," a high-ranking officer from the Lebanese security services, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told IPS. The Lebanese security officer who allegedly led the kidnapping was identified as Salah al-Hajj by pan-Arab daily ‘al-Hayat’.

"We could not arrest him due to the current fiery political situation, but he was stripped of any official responsibilities," the Lebanese security services officer said. In March, the Syrian embassy issued a statement denying that anybody associated with it had played any role in the disappearance of the Jasem brothers.

The Jasem case bears many similarities to a host of disappearances that occurred in Lebanon during the heyday of Syria’s occupation of the country in the 1990s, and even after its military withdrew in 2005.

In one instance, Nawar Aboud - an accountant at the United National Alliance (UNA), a political group affiliated with Syrian opposition figure Refaat al-Asad - was arrested on Dec. 24, 2008 by members of the Lebanese Military Intelligence in Tripoli, Lebanon’s northern capital. Aboud was taken to a local military base for interrogation along with two other UNA employees. Like the Jasem brothers, he disappeared after his release the next day.

"Lebanon has a painful history of people being detained and illegally transferred to Syria. This issue is too sensitive to be dealt with lightly," said Houry. If members of the security services are involved in the kidnapping of members of the Syrian opposition, they should be prosecuted. Lebanon’s judiciary should open an independent and transparent inquiry to shed light on these disappearances and establish responsibility for them… Only a credible and transparent investigation will put to rest fears that Lebanon’s security services may have acted outside the law and cooperated with Syrian security services in the kidnapping of Syrian opposition members."

Source: Inter-Press Service.
Link: http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=56819.

Jordan: Rifts in the valley

2012-01-19T12:54:00.003+02:00

WARNING: Article contains propaganda!

* * * * *

August 15, 2011
By Tobias Buck

King Abdullah held on to the brown leather folder for only the briefest of moments, as if grasping a hot stone, before passing it to his son. Crown Prince Hussein, too, wasted not a moment before handing the elegantly bound document, containing 42 proposed amendments to the Jordanian constitution, to the official at his side.

The monarch’s broad smile and effusive rhetoric at a palace ceremony in the capital Amman on Sunday told a different story, however: “The recommendations concerning provisions of our constitution that have been presented here today to me is solid proof of Jordan’s ability to revitalize itself,” he said. The country, he added with visible pride, was “heading confidently towards the future to build the new Jordan”.

The proposed changes to the 1952 constitution are the work of a panel of experts established this year by the palace. Though they fall short of dismantling the king’s sweeping powers, they have been welcomed by most reform activists as a step in the right direction. The changes include the creation of a constitutional court, independent election oversight, steps to curb the powers of the secretive security courts and making it harder to dissolve parliament – measures long demanded by the opposition.

Important as they are in themselves, the proposed reforms also serve a much larger purpose. They represent a crucial part of Jordan’s answer to the wave of political unrest that has swept the Arab world this year – and that has triggered street demonstrations and unusually frank calls for change in the kingdom itself.

Jordan’s pro-democracy protests might seem timid set against the bloody convulsions in neighboring Syria or faraway Libya. But even inside the royal palace, no one doubts that regional turmoil and domestic discontent have presented a searing challenge to the regime as it seeks to balance a desire to preserve stability with the public’s growing demands for economic and political reform.

It is a balancing act that has repercussions far beyond the borders of the Hashemite kingdom. For a start, Jordan is widely seen as a test case for the ability of Arab regimes to pursue democratic reforms from within the system. Unlike other Arab dynasties, King Abdullah’s can still draw on a reservoir of legitimacy and goodwill. Some believe this gives the country a chance of engineering a peaceful and incremental transition to democracy – if the right decisions are made now.

Jordan matters to governments in the region and beyond, furthermore, because it has long played a uniquely important strategic role in the Middle East. Amman is a staunch western ally, a significant US client and a reliable partner for both Israel and the Palestinians. It also enjoys excellent relations with the conservative monarchies and sheikhdoms of the Gulf, especially Saudi Arabia.

As one senior western diplomat in Amman points out: “The overriding interest of all these countries is the same: keeping Jordan stable.”

Indeed, the kingdom serves as an invaluable buffer for Israel and the Gulf states alike, shielding them from the chaos that so often torments the region. Israeli leaders, in particular, worry deeply about their eastern neighbor: the future of Israel’s alliance with Egypt is already in doubt, potentially leaving Jordan as its only partner in the Arab world.

Fear of turmoil is not confined to Jordan’s royal palace and allies abroad, however; it is deeply ingrained in society. “Nobody here wants a civil war or chaos or even instability,” says Oraib al-Rantawi, the director of the Al-Quds Center, a reformist think-tank in Amman.

Many analysts and diplomats point to Jordan’s societal make-up as a big factor. It is split between established East Bankers (Native Jordanians), or trans-Jordanians (Native Jordanians), and marginalized West Bankers (Palestinian Jordanians), Jordanians of Palestinian origin. The two groups each account for roughly half the population of about 6.5m, and frequently eye one another with suspicion. The events of Black September in 1970, when Palestinian militants challenged the rule of King Hussein, Abdullah’s father, sparking a brief but bloody civil war, are etched deeply into political consciousness.

“We don’t want to make a leap into the unknown,” says Nawaf Tell, a former Jordanian diplomat who now heads the Center for Strategic Studies in Amman. “Countries like Tunisia and Egypt can afford uncertainty – but Jordan can’t.”

The fear – shared by East Bankers and West Bankers alike – is that any challenge to the regime will unleash confrontation between the two sides. Indeed, the fledgling opposition movement was dealt a severe blow in March, when a protest camp in the center of Amman came under attack from East Bank “loyalists”. The clashes were sparked by rumors the protests were a Palestinian-led effort to weaken the monarchy. The charges had little grounding in reality (most opposition activists were themselves East Bankers (Native Jordanians)) but they forced protest leaders to back down all the same.

. . .

Last month, street protests returned to the capital: one took place outside the royal palace as King Abdullah was hailing the reform proposals. But even opposition activists admit they are a long way from leading a mass movement. The regime clearly has played its part in calming the situation. Since the start of the year, the king and his governments have taken care to show, through a well-publicized blizzard of measures and maneuvers, readiness to address popular discontent.

In January, the government announced it would raise public sector salaries and pensions, and bolster food and energy subsidies. In February, King Abdullah sacked the unpopular government and appointed a new prime minister. He went on to establish the constitutional reform panel and a separate national dialogue committee. The latter reported back in June, suggesting modest revisions to electoral and political party law. The king was quick to endorse the proposals, and promised speedy implementation. Now, in the most important step to date, he has signaled his readiness to rewrite the constitution.

Critics contend that nothing proposed so far is likely to make more than a modest dent in the king’s sweeping powers; he will still be able to appoint and sack prime ministers as he pleases. Nor would the proposals do much to address the under-representation of largely urban West Bank Jordanians (Palestinian Jordanians) in parliament, which is dominated by rural constituencies.

Skepticism lingers even after Sunday’s announcement on the constitution. “This is the classical pattern of reform from above,” says Mustafa Hamarneh, a political analyst. “I think they now see that they have to move forward, but the real test is how far they are ready to go on the ground. They have given the signal – now they must lead the charge.”

According to some observers, the reform process is complicated by a lack of consensus on what is needed – and how much reform the country can stomach. Fault lines are plentiful, and extend far beyond the rift between East Bankers (Native Jordanians) and West Bankers (Palestinian Jordanians). The reform debate pits economic liberalisers against insiders fearful of losing their privileges; and supporters of immediate democratic transition against backers of incremental constitutional reform.

“The king realizes that there is a need for reform, but people are screaming in all kinds of different directions,” says the senior western diplomat in Amman. What is more, some of the screaming is now directed at the palace itself: “People are much more openly critical, not to the point where they question the existence of the monarchy but where they question the choice of people around [the king],” the diplomat adds.

Though feted in the west, King Abdullah is not accorded the same respect and devotion at home as his father. He is said to lack King Hussein’s ability to charm and manipulate leaders of the East Bank tribes, the Hashemite dynasty’s traditional power base. Since the founding of the state in 1922, the tribes and the Hashemites have been bound by an implicit agreement, whereby the former offer unflinching loyalty in exchange for economic and political privileges.

“The East Bankers are now asking a question to the monarchy: ‘This deal that we agreed many decades ago – is it still on?’ So far, they have not heard an answer,” says one well-placed Jordanian observer. East Bankers grumble that the king has surrounded himself with a coterie of wealthy, westernized West Bank Jordanians (Palestinian Jordanians). The fact that his wife, Queen Rania, comes from a Palestinian family has provided further fuel for tribal mistrust.

Most analysts and diplomats caution against reading too much into such complaints. The idea of replacing the king or abandoning the monarchy, they say, remains anathema to the vast majority of Jordanians. He faces neither a strong opposition at home nor political pressure from abroad. Unlike so many rulers in the region, he has the time to make incremental changes.

. . .

One ticking clock the regime cannot ignore, however, is the economy. Jordan, which lacks both oil and water, has long lived beyond its means, making it dependent on the generosity of governments in the US, Europe and the Gulf. Money will almost certainly continue to flow, especially if the country fulfills its goal of joining the Gulf Co-operation Council, a Saudi-led grouping of oil-rich nations. Such transfers, however, may not be enough to cancel out the hit to Jordan’s budget from the rise in global commodity prices – and the corresponding need to boost subsidies for a restive population.

“The protesters raise a number of issues but all of them, if you examine them carefully, have to do with the same thing. Everything revolves around youth unemployment and the bad economic situation,” says Adnan Abu-Odeh, a former minister and ex-head of the royal court.

Economists argue that to boost growth and expand economic opportunities, Jordan will have to prune its bloated public sector and the privileges of regime supporters. Yet few believe such steps will be taken in the current climate. “You cannot take tough decisions without representation,” says a former Jordanian diplomat. “Economic reforms will hit many parts of society hard, and to do that without representation, without accountability and with corruption – that is a recipe for disaster.”

The problem of how to combine economic overhaul with democratic reform adds another layer of complexity. To progress down one track while ignoring the other will be hard. To move ahead on both simultaneously will take skill, determination and a reformist mindset few policymakers in Amman seem to have. “There are,” says Mr Hamarneh, “very few real democrats in the executive.”

Sunday’s announcement of a constitutional overhaul signals that the palace is aware of the risk of standing still. In Jordan, however, it rarely pays to bet against the status quo...

Source: Financial Times.
Link: http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/defa5446-c737-11e0-a9ef-00144feabdc0.html.

Assad targets Palestinian refugees

2012-01-19T12:53:00.000+02:00

By AGENCIES
Aug 15, 2011

BEIRUT: More than 5,000 Palestinian refugees have fled a camp in the besieged Syrian city of Latakia after President Bashar Assad's forces shelled the city during a broad military assault to root out dissent, the UN said Monday.

UNRWA, the UN agency that aids Palestinian refugees, said the Palestinians fled after Latakia came under fire from gunboats cruising off the coast and ground troops attacking the city over the weekend. It was not immediately clear where the refugees were seeking shelter.

"We are calling for access to the camp to find out what is going on," said UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness. "There were 10,000 refugees in the camp and we need to find out what is happening to them."

Palestine Liberation Organization Secretary-General Yasser Abed Rabbo denounced the attack on the Ramel camp and said such violence was "part of the crimes against humanity" targeting Palestinians and Syrians alike.

The Local Coordination Committees, an activist group that helps organize protests in Syria, also confirmed troops fired at fleeing families. It said random gunfire erupted Monday in addition to a campaign of raids and house-to-house arrests.

Troops later entered small neighborhoods in the Ramel Palestinian refugee camp, warning people to leave or risk their houses being destroyed, the LCC said. A witness said security forces were rounding up young men in the area and detaining them in a sports stadium nearby.

Amateur videos posted online by activists showed smoke rising from Ramel, the crackle of heavy gunfire and people shouting, "Allah-o-Akbar!"

Assad has dramatically escalated the crackdown on a five-month-old uprising since the start of Ramadan. Despite blistering international outrage, the regime is trying to establish firm control in rebellious areas by unleashing tanks, snipers and — in a new tactic — gunships.

On Monday, Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called on Syria to immediately end the bloodshed and threatened unspecified "steps" if it fails to do so.

"If the operations do not end, there would be nothing more to discuss about steps that would be taken," Davutoglu said, without elaborating.

Turkey, a former close ally of Syria, has been increasingly frustrated with Damascus' brutal crackdown. Davutoglu traveled to Syria last week and urged Assad to end the bloodshed. But Turkey, Syria's neighbor and an important trade partner, has not joined the US and Europe in imposing sanctions.

The military assault in Latakia was in its third day Monday after gunboats off the coast combined with ground troops Sunday for the first time in the uprising. Nearly 30 people, and possibly more, have been killed in the city since Saturday, activists say.

The London-based Observatory for human rights said troops opened fire Monday as a group of fleeing residents approached a checkpoint in the Ein Tamra district of Latakia. One person was shot dead and five wounded. A Latakia resident confirmed the account, saying troops fired as scores of people, many of them women and children, were fleeing.

Soldiers also stormed the area of Houla in the central city of Homs, which has seen massive protests in recent months. A sniper killed an elderly man, according to the Observatory, which has a network of activists on the ground in Syria. The group said more than 700 people have been arrested in and around Homs since the beginning of August.

The attacks in Latakia, which began Saturday, were the latest wave of a brutal offensive that shows Assad has no intention of scaling back despite international outrage and new U.S. and European sanctions.

As the gunships blasted waterfront districts Sunday, ground troops and security forces backed by tanks and armored vehicles stormed several neighborhoods, sending terrified women and children fleeing...

Source: Arab News.
Link: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article489142.ece.

Jordan Islamists see proposed constitutional amendments inadequate

2012-01-19T12:51:00.002+02:00

By ABDUL JALIL MUSTAFA | ARAB NEWS
Aug 15, 2011

AMMAN: Jordan’s main opposition party, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), said Monday the recommended amendments to the constitution included "positive aspects”, but fell short of meeting the people’s aspirations.

"We see that the amendments, despite their importance, do not respond completely to the demands of the Jordanian people, given the transformations currently experienced by the region,” the IAF said in a statement.

A royal committee that was set up three months ago by King Abdullah for the revision of the constitution submitted its recommendations to the monarch on Sunday.

The king described the proposed amendments as a "historical” achievement that put Jordan on the threshold of a new era of political reform.

The panel proposed, among other things, the setting up of a constitutional court, the supervision of general elections by an independent body, the trial of cabinet ministers by civil courts and strictly defining the need for the government to adopt temporary laws.

The IAF, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, described the proposed amendments as "positive aspects”, but demanded further revisions of the constitution in order to ensure "a promising transition to the future and to surmount the crisis we live”.

The further amendments proposed by Islamists included naming prime ministers from coalitions enjoying parliamentary majorities and the election of the upper house of Parliament.

"These amendments will prove that the nation is the source of powers and elevates Jordan to the rank of democratic states,” the IAF statement said.

So far, the king used to appoint prime ministers and to name members of the upper house, the senate, from citizens with outstanding records in the public life.

King Abdullah set up the royal committee for the revision of the constitution in May at the height of pro-reform protests that were inspired by the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.

Source: Arab News.
Link: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article489136.ece.