and Al Arakib is demolished yet again.
Max Blumenthal writes on his blog:
Above is a shocking video depicting the 17th(!) pogrom against the Bedouin village of Al-Arakib by the criminal syndicate known as the Jewish National Fund and the End Timers at GOD TV. Apparently Israeli riot police fired bean bag rounds and tear gas to disperse the villagers, wounding children while violently arresting their parents.
More news from Today in Palestine:
Land, property, resources theft and destruction/Ethnic cleansing/Settlers
U.S. pushing Palestinians to drop UN resolution on settlement construction
Washington has made it clear that it will veto the Security Council resolution should it come to a vote.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/u-s-pushing-palestinians-to-drop-un-resolution-on-settlement-construction-1.343825?localLinksEnabled=false
Arabs Reject U.S. Deal to Push Israel on Settlements
Feb. 16 (Bloomberg) — Arab nations have rejected a U.S. offer to increase pressure on Israel to stop West Bank settlement construction in exchange for Arab agreement to withdraw their United Nations draft resolution demanding a halt to all such building, three diplomats said. Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, presented the deal to Arab ambassadors yesterday in an effort to avoid having to veto their resolution, according to the diplomats, who spoke on condition of not being identified because she wanted the proposal to be kept confidential. A committee of Arab foreign ministers rejected the deal, and their UN ambassadors informed Rice of the decision today, the diplomats said. Ibrahim Dabbashi, Libya’s deputy UN ambassador, said in a telephone interview that a vote on the draft resolution would be called in the Security Council tomorrow or Feb. 18.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-02-16/arabs-reject-u-s-deal-to-push-israel-on-settlements.html
Israeli colonial plans a declaration of war against Palestinians
Israel is taking advantage of the Palestinian internal division to erase the Islamic and Christian presence in occupied Jerusalem, religious leaders say
http://gulfnews.com/news/region/palestinian-territories/israeli-colonial-plans-a-declaration-of-war-against-palestinians-1.763217
Israel Demolishes El Araqib Village for 18th Time, Shoots and Detains Bedouin Residents
The Bedouin village of Al Araqib was attacked by Israeli forces and destroyed for the 18th time Thursday morning (17/2).
http://www.alternativenews.org/english/index.php/topics/israeli-society/3313-israel-demolishes-el-araqib-village-for-18th-time-shoots-and-detains-bedouin-residents-
Israeli bulldozers demolish 20 shelters in Tubas
TUBAS (Ma’an) — Israeli military bulldozers demolished 20 huts and animal shelters on Thursday, taking down the majority of buildings in the Yerda area of Tubas for the second time. Ghassan Doughlas, a Fatah official charged with monitoring settlement activity in the northern West Bank, said the buildings of the Bedouin community had only been reconstructed the week before.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=360919
7 hours ago in Al Arakib
It seemed that there were “red lines” even for the police brutality against the Bedouins of the Israeli Negev – while destroying homes that had no possibility for acquiring building permits, arresting people on their village lands in order to make room for JNF trees, beating activists who dared request to see the official papers allowing the brutality – all that seemed to be “ok”. but until today – even for the police – the cemetery and the people waiting in the cemetery for the police to leave – were off limits. no more.
http://theonlydemocracy.org/2011/02/7-hours-ago-in-al-arakib/
The Jewish National Fund and GOD TV’s Pogrom Against Al Arakib Continues, Max Blumenthal
Above is a shocking video depicting the 17th(!) pogrom against the Bedouin village of Al-Arakib by the criminal syndicate known as the Jewish National Fund and the End Timers at GOD TV. Apparently Israeli riot police fired bean bag rounds and tear gas to disperse the villagers, wounding children while violently arresting their parents.
http://maxblumenthal.com/2011/02/the-jewish-national-fund-and-god-tvs-pogrom-against-al-arakib-continues/
JNF helps Negev Bedouin / Dorothy Naor
In the light of Al-Araqib this message is indecent! “Did you know that as part of its Blueprint Negev campaign JNF is collaborating with the Bedouin in a cutting-edge project? Located near the Bedouin town of Hura, Project Wadi Attir seeks to develop a model for sustainable, community-based agricultural enterprise, adapted to a desert environment. Designed to combine Bedouin aspirations, values and experience with sustainability principles, modern day science and cutting-edge technologies, it was initiated in order to showcase a breakthrough approach to environmentally-sound sustainable development. It will serve as a model for arid regions in other parts of the world.”
http://groups.google.com/group/newprofile/browse_thread/thread/5ced97ccb961f85a
Violence and Aggression
Israeli troops kill Gaza fishermen
Three killed as they worked on the shore, but Israeli army says they were trying to plant bomb near security fence.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/201121775215281864.html
Two Palestinians wounded in blast of IOF army ordnance
Two Palestinians, including a 14-year-old boy, were wounded on Wednesday when Israeli army ordnance blasted near them east of Gaza city, medical sources said.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd
Army Breaks Into Home Of Jerusalem Palestinian MP
Undercover forces of the Israeli army broke on Wednesday into the home of Jerusalem Legislator, Ahmad Attoun, and detained his brother, Jihad, and his cousin. Attoun, as well other elected legislators and officials, is threatened with deportation from Jerusalem.
http://www.imemc.org/article/60659
Israeli military invades houses in Hebron
The Israeli military erected, on Thursday morning, many checkpoints in the town of Hebron, southern West Bank, and searched several houses.
http://www.imemc.org/article/60661
Israeli Education Minister plans provocative school trip to Ibrahimi Mosque
Israel’s Minister of Education Gideon Saar has plans for Jewish students to take controversial trips to the Ibrahimi Mosque in Al-Khalil.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd8
Detainees
Arrests, detentions continue in Silwan
The Jerusalem Magistrates Court yesterday extended the detention of three Palestinian youths from Silwan arrested on 7 February. Ahmed al-Ghoul (25), Islam Aoudeh (18) and Mansour Shioukhi (20) were arrested on suspicion of involvement in recent clashes in Silwan. The detention of 26 year old Abdul Rahim Khalil Abbasi, arrested on 14 May 2010, was also extended until 1 March. Ibrahim Abu Diab, arrested on 24 January with his friend Mahmoud Razim inside a shop in Silwan during clashes, will appeal the District Court’s decision to detain them for one year tomorrow, 17 February. 24 year old Imad Khalil Abbasi was arrested by Israeli police yesterday inside the Magistrates Court while attending a relative’s trial.
http://silwanic.net/?p=11946
An Nabi Salih: Child arrest caught on video
An Nabi Saleh is situated approximately 15 kilometres north of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, and is adjacent to the illegal Israeli settlement of Hallamish.
http://www.dci-pal.org/english/display.cfm?DocId=1795&CategoryId=1
13 year old child detained by Israeli police in Silwan
A 13 year old child was arrested in Silwan yesterday, 15 February. Marwan Awar, the father of the child, received a phone call from Israeli police summoning his son to the station in the morning. The child was under investigation for 6 hours, from 11am until 5pm, whereupon the father was ordered to pay a bail of 500 NIS to release his son. The child is now serving a sentence of 4 days house arrest, with a suspended sentence of 6 months that will be implemented should he be arrested on charges of stone-throwing.
http://silwanic.net/?p=11955
Hamas: PA arrests 8 party members
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority has recently arrested eight Hamas members, the party said Thursday. The politically motivated arrests were in the Nablus and Bethlehem districts, the Islamic movement said in a statement.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=360815
IOF troops round up 11 Palestinians, storm Al-Khalil villages
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stormed five villages in Al-Khalil and the city itself in pre-dawn raids on Thursday and searched many homes, locals reported.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7
Jerusalemite sick detainee appeals for medical treatment
Jerusalemite prisoner Esam Jandal has complained of heart and eye problems and was still suffering despite undergoing three eye surgeries, the Palestinian prisoner’s association said in a report.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k
Four released as Palestinians say prison conditions grim
NABLUS (Ma’an) — The Detainees Center in Nablus celebrated Tuesday the release of four men from the northern West Bank, while centers in Ramallah continued to report mistreatment of some of the 7,000 Palestinians who remain incarcerated in Israel.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=360671
Siege/Humanitarian Issues/Racism and Discrimination
Meanwhile in Gaza
The world is watching in awe as events unfold in Egypt, including residents of Gaza who are closely monitoring the uprising and expressing their empathy for the people of Egypt. The events taking place in Egypt, however, have a direct impact on the residents of Gaza. They illustrate the fragility of the situation in the Strip and how vulnerable freedom of movement really is. Gaza’s border with Egypt is the only remaining operating crossing for people since Israel imposed a closure on the other crossings (land, sea and air), allowing passage only in exceptional humanitarian circumstances.
http://www.gazagateway.org/2011/02/meanwhile-in-gaza/
Palestinian Authority: Thugs, Police Abuse Peaceful Protesters
(Ramallah) – The Palestinian Authority should open criminal investigations into members of its security services who apparently beat, kicked, and sexually molested protesters in Ramallah, Human Rights Watch said today. The US and European Union, which provide direct support to the Palestinian security services, should suspend such aid pending concrete steps by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to end a culture of impunity for security service abuses, including torture, Human Rights Watch said.
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/02/16/palestinian-authority-thugs-police-abuse-peaceful-protesters
Burial of martyr Husam Rwidy marred by Israeli police involvement
Husam Rwidy, martyred yesterday in Silwan, was buried today at 1:30 in Bab al-Rahmeh cemetary in Silwan. The family faced significant problems in having the body released from Israeli police custody, who claimed they needed it to continue investigations in to his death. Police also allowed the family only 2 hours after the release of Rwidy’s body in which to bury him, and issued an order to the family that only 20 of Rwidy’s closest relatives attend the funeral.
http://silwanic.net/?p=11943
Determined to succeed: students grab second chance in Gaza
“They are giving me the chance and I’ll pass this year with high marks, I am sure,” says 16-year-old Mahmoud Buhaisi, from the eighth grade at Gaza’s Deir El Balah boys’ school. “We are all good. The teacher is good too. He explains things to us very well, and things are becoming much clearer than before.”
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/EGUA-8E5TJZ?OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P
Officers who used banned methods won’t be charged
Hamas member Mahmoud Saweti was arrested in 2007 and charged with being the driver for a Hamas terror cell that gunned down Border Police officer Yaniv Mashiah three years earlier; Saweti confessed to all charges and was sentenced to 22 years in jail.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/officers-who-used-banned-methods-won-t-be-charged-1.343841?localLinksEnabled=false
Activism/Solidarity/Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
Hundreds of Palestinians protest in West Bank
Pictures here
Ramallah – Several hundred Palestinians marched in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday, demanding an end to the divisions between the two major political parties, Fatah and Hamas. ‘The people want an end to division,’ some chanted. Police, who had previously said they would ban demonstrations, did not intervene and allowed the protest to continue uninterrupted.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1619991.php/Hundreds-of-Palestinians-protest-in-West-Bank
http://josephdana.com/2011/02/palestinians-rally-to-end-division-in-the-wake-of-the-egyptian-uprising/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=palestinians-rally-to-end-division-in-the-wake-of-the-egyptian-uprising
Hundreds of Palestinians Demonstrate in Solidarity with Egyptian People, to End Palestinian Disunity
Hundreds gathered in Manara Square in the center of the West Bank capital Ramallah on Thursday (17 February), standing in solidarity and calling for an end to the disunity of the Palestinian people.
http://www.alternativenews.org/english/index.php/topics/news/3314-hundreds-of-palestinians-demonstrate-in-solidarity-with-egyptian-people-to-end-palestinian-disunity-
Israeli Court Slams Police for Sheikh Jarrah Activist Arrests
On Wednesday, the Jerusalem District Court rejected an appeal by police disputing the court’s decision to release Sheikh Jarrah Solidarity Protesters without conditions.
http://www.imemc.org/article/60656
Bil’in Marks Six Years of Struggle With Mass Demonstration, Joseph Dana
The Israeli High Court Ruled that the path of the Wall in Bil’in is illegal and must be rerouted more than three years ago. This Friday, thousands will celebrate six years of struggle against the wall and the Occupation.
http://josephdana.com/2011/02/bilin-marks-six-years-of-struggle-with-mass-demonstration/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bilin-marks-six-years-of-struggle-with-mass-demonstration
Two Year Anninversary to Solidarity Tent in East Jerusalem’s Silwan Neighbourhood
You are cordially invited to celebrate the solidarity tent in al-Bustan in Silwan, marking two years for its presence in the neighbourhood as an integral part of our just struggle for the right to housing, liberation and self-determination.
http://www.alternativenews.org/english/index.php/topics/jerusalem/3310-two-year-anninversary-to-solidarity-tent-in-east-jerusalems-silwan-neighbourhood
Rally for a National Fund for Higher Education
Al Mubadara, the Palestinian National Initiative, calls on the Palestinian people to march from Rukab St to the Prime Minister’s Office in the Al-Maysoun neighborhood tomorrow to push the Palestinian Authority to start a fund to help students.
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article1690
Mass march against Agrexco
On February 12, 24 hours after activists locked locked Agrexco storage areas, more than a hundred activists marched on Liege airport in Belgium. Activists from Belgium were joined by French activists, who collectively marched to the airport where they gathered to protest the unloading and shipping of Agrexco flowers.
http://stopthewall.org/worldwideactivism/2483.shtml
Israel Launches New PR Campaign on North American Campuses: Faces of Israel
A delegation of young Israelis will embark next week on a singular public relations campaign on North American campuses. Entitled Faces of Israel, the delegation includes Arabs and Jews, representatives of the LGBT community and Ethiopian immigrants who are meant to show the “real face” of Israeli society.
http://www.alternativenews.org/english/index.php/topics/news/3306-
“Captain Israel” Comic Series Acts to Combat BDS, Win Support for Israel
The new comic series Captain Israel is being distributed in Europe and the United States, on street corners and in newspapers, with the aim of winning fans for Israel.
http://www.alternativenews.org/english/index.php/topics/economy-of-the-occupation/3307-captain-israel-comic-series-acts-to-combat-bds-win-support-for-israel
I only have you / Vera Macht
(GAZA) – “I only have you to count on. From now on, my children depend on you “. This is the desperate call of a man who sees no way out for himself and his children, and we ISM members who came to his phone call, receive it in helpless silence. It is not the first time that we visit this family, and every time we go home more horrified.
http://www.salem-news.com/articles/february152011/only-you-vm.php
Political Developments/News
Fatah leader: Abbas should head unity talks
RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas should call together all parliamentary blocs for a sponsored dialogue session that will resolve internal Palestinian division and pave the way to fair elections, Fatah lawmaker Majed Abu Shamaleh said Wednesday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=360627
Aide: Palestinian elections proceed without Hamas (AP)
AP – Palestinian elections will go ahead this fall regardless of whether the Islamic Hamas participates, an aide to the Palestinian president said Wednesday.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110216/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_palestinians_elections
Abbas: No elections if Gaza doesn’t take part (AP)
AP – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says elections won’t be held by September as planned if the Gaza Strip’s Hamas rulers don’t allow balloting there.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110217/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_palestinians_elections
Hamas: Free and fair elections need unity
GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Deputized Parliament speaker and Hamas leader Ahmad Bahar said Wednesday that honest elections could not take place without a unity agreement that “restores the national rights of Palestinians.” The official reiterated the Hamas position in a conference address in Gaza City, calling elections the right of the Palestinians guaranteed under the Basic Law, but for the elections to be “carried out by a legitimate government.”
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=360560
Abbas bans Palestinians from criticizing Qatar emir
Decision comes after PA officials blamed the emir for publishing the Palestine Papers on Qatari-based Al-Jazeera. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has issued an order banning Palestinians from criticizing the ruler of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. The decision came after some PA and Fatah representatives attacked the emir of Qatar, holding him responsible for the publication of the Palestine Papers that were stolen from the PLO’s Negotiations Department.
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=208517
Mullen: US Depends on Military Ties with Israel
The top U.S. military officer says the relationship between the American and Israeli militaries is especially relevant while Mideast nations are steeped in unrest.
http://ap.stripes.com/dynamic/stories/M/ML_ISRAEL_US_MILITARY?SITE=DCSAS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-02-14-08-35-52
Top US lawmaker assures Israel of US support
WASHINGTON (AFP) — US House Speaker John Boehner assured Israel that the United States would back its staunch ally and work to “maintain peace and stability” in the Middle East amid far-reaching unrest. “Israel is one of America’s strongest allies. We share common values, and fight common enemies in the form of violent extremism,” Boehner said in a statement after talks with Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Michael Oren.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=360771
Netanyahu: Israel must prepare for the worst in Egypt
Speaking to American Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, the prime minister reiterated hope that Egypt would stick by the 1979 peace treaty with Israel, as the new military leaders in Cairo had promised.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/netanyahu-israel-must-prepare-for-the-worst-in-egypt-1.343814?localLinksEnabled=false
Netanyahu’s isolation is obvious when looking at his travel schedule abroad
Netanyahu is under increasing pressure and international isolation as a result of the breakdown in the peace process. European leaders do not believe he is serious about achieving peace …Netanyahu’s growing isolation is particularly obvious when looking at his travel schedule abroad. He ventured outside Israel for short talks with Hosni Mubarak and Jordanian King Abdullah. During his first year in office, he went abroad 13 times and visited nine countries….., Netanyahu has been getting the cold shoulder from a number of countries. Last year, the Prime Minister’s Bureau tried a number of times to organize a trip to India, but the Indian government begged off, citing a crowded schedule… After months of efforts to secure a visit to China, in October 2010 Netanyahu finally received an invitation. The trip was to have taken place the following month, but at the last minute the Prime Minister’s Bureau informed the Chinese that the visit was off – and Netanyahu instead attended the General Assembly of Jewish Federations of North America. The Chinese were insulted ….”
http://friday-lunch-club.blogspot.com/2011/02/netanyahus-growing-isolation-is.html
Jordan justice minister: Israel is a terrorist state
Newly appointed Jordanian minister Hussein Mjali infuriated Israel with his call to free Ahmed Deqamseh, who killed seven Israeli schoolchildren in a terrorist attack in Naharayim in 1997.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/jordan-justice-minister-israel-is-a-terrorist-state-1.343783?localLinksEnabled=false
Sayyed Nasrallah: Resistance Might Occupy Galilee in Future War
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah called on the Resistance fighters to stand ready to occupy the Galilee area in the occupied territories should another war “be imposed on Lebanon,” in a response to Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s threats to invade Lebanon once again. Sayyed Nasrallah also threatened to target Israeli officials and military leaders to avenge the martyrdom of Islamic Resistance top commander Imad Mughniyeh (Hajj Redwan), reiterating that Hezbollah’s decision to avenge Martyr Mughniyeh’s assassination still stands and will be executed at the right time and the right place. His eminence, meanwhile, denied remarks that Lebanon’s new cabinet will be “Hezbollah’s government.” He also thanked the people of Egypt and their revolution that resulted in freeing ‘brother’ Mohamad Mansour, known as Sami Shehab, who was charged with silly accusations of seeking to overthrow tyrant Husni Mubarak’s regime.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=2651&cid=23&fromval=1&frid=23&seccatid=14&s1=1
Hezbollah chief tells IDF: Watch your heads
Hassan Narallah calls on ‘Islamic resistance fighters’ to ‘be ready for the day when war is forced on Lebanon’; Hezbollah leader who escaped Egyptian prison appears at rally where Nasrallah spoke.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/hezbollah-chief-tells-idf-watch-your-heads-1.343786?localLinksEnabled=false
Israel says Iran warships to transit Suez for Syria (Reuters)
Reuters – Two Iranian warships planned to sail through the Suez canal en route to Syria on Wednesday, Israel’s foreign minister said, calling the move the latest “provocation” by Tehran and hinting at an Israeli response.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110216/wl_nm/us_israel_iran_warships
Lieberman: Iranian warships a provocation
Foreign minister denounces Iranian plan to send warships to Syria via Suez Canal Wednesday night.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4029717,00.html
Other News
Hamas: Beware Israeli text messages
Group says Israel sending messages to Gaza residents in bid to uncover Shalit’s location.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4029838,00.html
Rabbis to get immunity?
New bill seeks to absolve rabbis of criminal responsibility, make them immune to legal action.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4029863,00.html
Director of Im Tirtzu worked for company with Iran ties, bloggers reveal
Right-leaning group Im Tirtzu backs probing funding sources for left-wing NGOs in Israel; Bloggers report the right-wing organization was funded by a company selling technology to Iran.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/director-of-im-tirtzu-worked-for-company-with-iran-ties-bloggers-reveal-1.343788?localLinksEnabled=false
Katsav attorneys beg for light sentence during unusual meeting with attorney general this week
The defense attorneys also tried to convince Weinstein to agree in advance to a postponement of the execution of the sentence; the attorney general did not agree to push for a lenient sentence.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/katsav-attorneys-beg-for-light-sentence-during-unusual-meeting-with-attorney-general-this-week-1.343848?localLinksEnabled=false
Revolt in the Middle East
Secret Report Ordered by Obama Identified Potential Uprisings
WASHINGTON — President Obama ordered his advisers last August to produce a secret report on unrest in the Arab world, which concluded that without sweeping political changes, countries from Bahrain to Yemen were ripe for popular revolt, administration officials said Wednesday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/world/middleeast/17diplomacy.html
Countries in the Middle East where the ‘winds of change’ are blowing
Those who said that “winds of change” were blowing through the Middle East were right. The past two months have seen a series of stunning political shifts that began with Tunisians’ ousting of their former president in mid-January. Tunis and Cairo’s cries, first of first anger and then of jubilation, have been beamed into living rooms across the region and are now reverberating along the North African coast, through the Gulf, and up into the Levant. Here is a look at where those “winds of change” are taking us. (Editor’s note: This is an updated version of a story that originally ran on Feb. 2 and will be continually updated.)
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/gvvqzRUMN3E/Countries-in-the-Middle-East-where-the-winds-of-change-are-blowing
As Mideast “Rolling Revolution” Grows, U.S. Denounces Iranian Crackdown — But Stays Silent on Key Ally Bahrain
2011 is shaping up to be an historic year in the Middle East and North Africa with the populist uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt and the massive street protests across the region. Libya, Bahrain and Iran are the latest countries to be hit by a wave of popular protests. While President Obama has openly criticized Iran’s crackdown on protesters, he has said nothing critical about Bahrain, a close U.S. ally, where two protesters have been killed since Monday. We speak with Human Rights Watch researcher Faraz Sanei.
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/2/16/as_mideast_rolling_revolution_grows_us
VIDEO: $3,500 handouts for Kuwaiti citizens
Kuwait is giving every citizen a $3,500 handout – a move that highlights the massive divide between the oil-rich Gulf and the rest of the Middle East.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/business-12441440
Bahrain
Live Blog – Bahrain
From our headquarters in Doha, we keep you updated on all things in Bahrain.
http://english.aljazeera.nethttp//blogs.aljazeera.net/middle-east/2011/02/16/live-blog-bahrain
Amnesty International: Bahrain protest deaths rise as camp is evicted
Amnesty International condemns the Bahraini authorities’ forcible eviction of a peaceful protest camp in the centre of the capital Manama that has reportedly left six people dead.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/bahrain-protest-deaths-rise-camp-evicted-2011-02-17
Video: Night of violence in Bahrain
Riot police fire teargas at demonstrators in Manama overnight, with tanks and armoured vehicles massing on a nearby highway
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/video-night-of-violence-in-bahrain-2217528.html
More than 50 armoured vehicles on Bahrain streets
MANAMA, Feb 17 (Reuters) More than 50 armoured vehicles were seen travelling towards Pearl Square in central Manama on Thursday, shortly after Bahrain police cleared hundreds of protesters from the square in the early hours. At least two protesters were killed when police fired teargas and rubber bullets when clearing the square. (Reporting by Cynthia Johnston; Editing by Matthew Jones)
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/more-than-50-armoured-vehicles-on-bahrain-streets
Bahrain police storm protest site
Killing two people and injuring many, police carry out a surprise, nighttime attack on square where protesters camp out.
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2011/02/201121714223324820.html
Bahrain protests continue
Protests continue in Bahrain’s capital Manama, as demonstrators gather at pearl roundabout, their own version of Tahrir Square. Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Manama reports.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyJeqxbAUTE&feature=youtube_gdata
Bahrain Police Rush to Pearl Roundabout
Video submitted to Al Jazeera by a citizen journalist in Manama.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBnzNldyekQ&feature=youtube_gdata
Video: Bahraini Police Brutally Shot Shia woman
Thousands of Shi’ite demonstrators, inspired by popular revolts that toppled rulers in Tunisia and Egypt, gathered in Bahrain’s capital on Wednesday to mourn for a second protestor martyred in clashes this week.
http://www.abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=226689
Bahrain security forces assault sleeping protesters in capital square
The toll of two dead and 50 injured is expected to rise. The violence in the country that hosts the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet takes place amid continuing regional unrest. Security forces in tiny but strategic Bahrain launched a brutal assault early Thursday against at least 1,000 defiant anti-government protesters, including women and children, camped out in tents in the capital’s Pearl Square.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/8A2twLnz2EQ/la-fg-mideast-protests-20110217,0,4212872.story
Split in the royal family in Bahrain?
Again: I can’t reveal the source: ”From people connected to high people in the government and wish to remain absolutely anonymous. Please spread the word:
– There is a split within the royal family. Khalid bin Ahmed and Khalifa bin Ahmed are on one side and the King and Shaikh Salman on the other. The extreme violence are Khalid Bin Ahmed (head of the royal court – sectarian and racist responsible for political naturalization scheme) and Khalifa Bin Ahmed (minister of defense). Sources are saying that the King no longer has full control. There are outside forces (I’m guessing Saudi Arabia) pushing for these two to take over and for Nasir Bin Hamed (one of kings sons) to take over position of crown prince
(again please I need to be completely anonymous if you post – sorry I keep repeating this – we now feel we are in a war)
Thank you so much for your help”
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/split-in-royal-family-in-bahrain.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Live update from Bahrain
A comrade who should remain anonymous: “The following numbers are straight from the hospital in Bahrain
– 5 dead, 2000 young adults injured, 400 elderly injured, 250 women injured, 70 children injured… 300 of the mentioned in critical condition
-Police have attacked ambulance crews
-blood donars heading to the hospital attacked. Only people that can safely go to the hospital are doctors and nurses with IDS
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/live-update-from-bahrain.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Elderly man killed in Bahrain
http://yfrog.com/h3hoqnuj
http://plixi.com/p/77943004
Another man killed in Bahrain
http://yfrog.com/h6vvhvj
http://plixi.com/p/77945354
And another…
http://yfrog.com/h4l76tj
http://plixi.com/p/77945354
http://yfrog.com/h6fgskj
Injured child
http://yfrog.com/h6rm9ij
Woman hit by sound bomb
http://yfrog.com/gzrumxhj
Video of tear gas being shot at protesters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CJ081zlkTk&feature=youtu.be
Video of the attacks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAS-JHkr0tE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbcji9ehph8&feature=youtu.be
Bahrain Protests: ABC News Correspondent Beaten
With unrest spreading across the Arab world from Tunisia to Egypt to Bahrain, ABC News Correspondent Miguel Marquez was beaten during a military crackdown in Bahrain’s capital, Manama, Bahrain’s capital.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/bahrain-protests-abc-news-correspondent-miguel-marquez-beaten/story?id=12936124
Bahrain police clash with crowds
Police move against demonstrators in the centre of Bahrain’s capital, Manama, using tear gas against crowds after three days of protests.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-middle-east-12490286
Lulu Massacre : On the foot steps of Al Tahrir “Graphic”
I am writing this post and there is currently a massacre taking place in Manama , the capital of Bahrain. Most of you know that Bahrain is currently witnessing huge protests demanding political reforms. The political scene in Bahrain was boiling for long time and the #25Jan revolution came to give a huge force to the Bahraini activists who decided to push the bar against their regime.
There were protesters in the past couple of days , two protesters were killed , one of them actually was killed in the funeral of the first protesters. People were extremely angry and the Bahraini protesters decided to have an open sit it at the Manama’s biggest squares : Lulu square or the Pearl square. They spent last night there and today as well. King Hamad as you have heard gave a speech where he expressed his sorrow for the murder of these two protesters and said that there would be an investigation.
http://egyptianchronicles.blogspot.com/2011/02/lulu-massacre-on-foot-steps-of-al.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EgyptianChronicles+%28Egyptian+chronicles%29
Cables show no sign of Iranian meddling in Bahrain
US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks show the accusation made by the government, which is facing street protests demanding political reforms from an opposition inspired by the Egyptian and Tunisian uprisings -is not backed by hard evidence.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/cables-show-no-sign-of-iranian-meddling-20110216-1awns.html
Bahrain crackdown will make citizens more determined
The strategy was to demonstrate peacefully, but attacking Bahraini activists has ruined hopes of a brokered deal
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/17/bahrain-egypt-political-change
Jordan’s dirty hands in Bahrain
A source in Bahrain sent me this: “of course there is a whole contingent of Jordanian military consultants as well as soldiers [in Bahrain], who either work for Bahraini security or are permanently seconded by the Jordanian army. They even live in a separate exclusive suburb in the country and do not mix with the Bahrainin people, unlike Jordanian expats working in the country who live among the Bahraini population. It is more than likely that they were involved in the massacre this morning in Bahrain.
You can post this without using my name”
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/jordans-dirty-hands-in-bahrain.html
Is Bahrain Next?
On Monday hundreds of young Bahrainis poured into the streets in communities and villages across the small island country. Mobilized by decades of autocratic excess, torture, and years of anguish over the unfulfilled promises of political reform, the country’s activist community is struggling to tap into the revolutionary fervor that has gripped the Middle East in recent weeks and move forward a democratic agenda. They have made clear their desire to set aside an often paralyzing sectarianism that has recently divided the country’s Shiite majority from their Sunni rulers. Inspired by pro-democracy protesters elsewhere, they have also made clear their commitment to achieving their objectives through peaceful protest. Crowds swelled in the first half of the week as tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered to further press what is a bold agenda.
http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/663/is-bahrain-next
Libya
At least 14 anti-government protesters reported dead in Libya
Demonstrators take to the streets against Gadhafi across North African country, sparring with loyalists counter protests; accurate casualty reports are hard to come by due to media blackouts.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/at-least-14-anti-government-protesters-reported-dead-in-libya-1.343954?localLinksEnabled=false
Libya braces for ‘day of rage’
Online activists have called for countrywide protests on Thursday, seeking an end to Muammar Gaddafi’s long rule.
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/africa/2011/02/201121755057219793.html
Riots break out in Libyan city of Benghazi
A crowd of people angry at the arrest of a rights campaigner clashed with police and government supporters overnight in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, a witness and local media said.
http://www.sabcnews.com/portal/site/SABCNews/menuitem.5c4f8fe7ee929f602ea12ea1674daeb9/?vgnextoid=53f182a3f5d2e210VgnVCM10000077d4ea9bRCRD&vgnextfmt=default&channelPath=Africa
Libya Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZLNiFza0io&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PIenoRJho8
Mu`ammar Qadhdhafi
If protesters in Libya push on, the Libyan dictator and his family won’t last for long. You don’t know how much he is hated by his people and he knows that they would love to get their hands on him. But Qadhdhafi has a dilemma: he is hated in Saudi Arabia and does not have good relations with Gulf countries. What about his allies in the West? Those? They will discover (again) that he is a dictator once he is overthrown. Let it be noted that the Bush administration made peace with this horrific dictator, lest the Bush administration graduates think that they are less pro-US dictators than Obama. I expect violence in Libya.
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/muammar-qadhdhafi.html
The Autumn of the Patriarch
Muammar al-Qaddafi is neither a president nor a king (although he did call himself ‘King of Kings’ at one Arab summit). No, what he is, as well as Colonel, is the Brother Leader, and the Guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Socialist People’s Libyan Arab State-of-the-Masses (he invented the Arabic word jamahiriyya for the last chunk). I’ll refer to him here as Qaddafi.
http://pulsemedia.org/2011/02/17/the-autumn-of-the-patriarch/
Gaddafi sweats as wave of Arab unrest reaches Libya
Clashes between protesters and security forces left dozens of people injured in Libya yesterday, as the upheavals which led to the overthrow of regimes in Tunisia and Egypt continued to spread across the region.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/gaddafi-sweats-as-wave-of-arab-unrest-reaches-libya-2217151.html
Yemen
Protesters killed in Yemen clashes
Police shoot dead two in Yemen’s main southern city of Aden, while clashes erupt for the sixth straight day in Sanaa.
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2011/02/201121616448133524.html
Defying Government Repression, Yemeni Protests Continue for 6th Day
Anti-government demonstrations in Yemen have entered their sixth day as student demonstrators were beaten by pro-government supporters armed with batons, stones and daggers. The protesters are calling for the immediate resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has ruled the country for three decades. The protests have forced President Saleh to cancel a trip to Washington, D.C., scheduled for next month. Yemen is a key ally of the United States in the region, and President Obama is proposing to bolster strategic ties. We speak with Iona Craig, a journalist based in the Yemeni capital Sana’a.
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/2/16/defying_govt_repression_yemeni_protests_continue
Picture: Thugs of the Dictator
http://palestinianpundit.blogspot.com/2011/02/blog-post_16.html
Yemeni president tries to avert revolution as antigovernment voices grow louder
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said Wednesday night that change should be achieved at the ballot box, but protesters on the street are increasingly calling for his ouster.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/zQ9l1sVWrw4/Yemeni-president-tries-to-avert-revolution-as-antigovernment-voices-grow-louder
Iraq
Iraqi protesters set fire to government offices (AP)
AP – About 2,000 demonstrators attacked government offices in a southern Iraqi province, ripping up pavement stones to hurl at a regional council headquarters in a protest over shoddy public services that left dozens of people injured, officials said.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110216/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq
Iraq to slash politicians’ wages amid protests (AFP)
AFP – Iraq’s government plans to slash the salaries of ministers and MPs, a top official said on Wednesday, as protests against corruption and poor basic services left a teenage boy dead.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110216/wl_mideast_afp/iraqpolitics
Video: Deadly street clashes break out in Iraqi city
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw0T0cblz4Y
Iraqi refugees in Syria voice support for protests in Iraq
DAMASCUS, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) — Iraqi refugees in Syrian voiced support Wednesday for recent protests in their home country. “These protests express people’s anger on the bad government’s services,” Walid al-Hasani, a 55-year-old Iraqi refugee living in Damascus, told Xinhua, referring to Saturday’s protests in Iraq against rampant corruption, lack of public services, unemployment and unfair apportionment.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-02/17/c_13735284.htm
Wednesday: 6 Iraqis Killed, 59 Wounded
The mass protests against poor services and corruption continued today, including one that left a significant number of casualties in southern Iraq. At least six Iraqis were killed across the country in new violence or demonstrations while 59 more were wounded. In Europe, British and Swiss researchers studying Iraq’s war dead have discovered a disturbingly high proportion of civilians deaths from Coalition operations.
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2011/02/16/wednesday-6-iraqis-killed-59-wounded/
Morocco/Algeria
Morocco Protest Video: Demonstrators Describe Reasons For Planned Marches On February 20
Inspired by uprisings in nearby Tunisia and Egypt, Morrocans have planned their own protests for February 20, Reuters reports. According to the CIA World Factbook, Morocco is technically a constitutional monarchy headed by King Mohammed, who took the throne in 1999. There is also an elected Parliament; however, opposition groups say that the monarchy has much of the control.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/16/morocco-protest-video-dem_n_824241.html
An update on Morocco’s protests
http://www.arabist.net/blog/2011/2/17/an-update-on-moroccos-protests-fev20.html
“The Regime is Running Scared:” Algerian Forces Crack Down on Pro-Democracy Protests
Algeria has also seen a recent wave of protests. Witnesses say riot police have blocked a planned march in the capital Algiers and arrested hundreds of demonstrators. “The regime is running scared,” says Algerian blogger and activist Elias Filali. “I have never seen a heavier police presence in my entire life.”
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/2/16/the_regime_is_running_scared_algerian
Algeria’s protests, Issandr El Amrani
Algeria’s protests seem to me — admittedly from a distance — too un-spontaneous to be successful. The very idea of holding weekly protests suggests a successful detournement of the enthusiasm for a protest and that it is being controlled into a manageable form, for the benefit of the political forces behind it and, perhaps, as yet another pawn in the long game of chess between rival factions in the regime. The real danger is more likely to come from one of the spontaneous and violent uprisings we’ve seen in poorer neighborhoods in the last few years. I also think this regime would have no qualms with carrying out a brutal suppression — people know this, and hence the “wall of fear” has not been broken as it was in Egypt and Tunisia.
http://www.arabist.net/blog/2011/2/17/algerias-protests-fev12.html
Iran
News Analysis: Protests in Iran unlikely to bring about regime change: analysts
JERUSALEM, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) — After almost one year and a half in hiatus, Iranian opposition forces took to streets again in the garb of the Iranian Green Movement which is named after the color its members wore when they protested against the re-election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-02/17/c_13735293.htm
U.S. DESPERATE FOR IRAN PROTESTS AFTER LOSS OF MUBARAK
Just when one might have thought that reality was slowly sinking in regarding the Green movement’s lack of political traction in Iran, political and media elites in the United States have decided, in the wake of recent developments in Egypt, to dust off all of their factually ungrounded and intellectually irresponsible narratives. Still reeling from the loss of a longstanding U.S. ally to the new wave of “people power” in the Arab world, the American establishment seems determined to even the score, by having displays of mass discontent bring down a U.S. adversary in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
http://www.raceforiran.com/u-s-desperate-for-iran-protests-after-loss-of-mubarak
Washington’s Valentine’s Day Faux Pas in the Middle East
Valentine’s Day, and not a whole lot of love in the Middle East, as clashes between government forces and protestors broke out in Bahrain, Iran and Yemen. Washington, as usual, did nothing right. After hemming and hawing through the widespread Egyptian uprising against staunch US-backed dictator Hosni Mubarak, the Obama administration leaped at the opportunity to support the Iranian demonstrators…and completely ignore those in Yemen and Bahrain.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sharmine-narwani/post_1586_b_823534.html
Egypt
Egypt revolt death toll at 365 – state TV
CAIRO, Feb 16 (Reuters) – The death toll from the recent turmoil in Egypt stands at 365, state television quoted Egypt’s health ministry as saying on Wednesday, larger than a figure of around 300 previously given by the United Nations.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/egypt-revolt-death-toll-at-365-state-tv
Where are they?
Anguish over dozens of vanished Egyptian protesters.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-middle-east-12486688
Egyptians defy call to end strikes
Airport and textile workers among those refusing to heed military’s appeal not to protest.
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2011/02/2011216141815340645.html
“Egypt’s Military Junta to Deploy More Troops to Sinai”
This just in from AFP: “Israel has agreed to let Egypt deploy hundreds more troops in Sinai in order to protect gas pipelines as the country undergoes sweeping political unrest.” Israel’s agreement to more Egyptian troop deployment exceeding the terms of the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty came just as the youth representatives of the tribes and clans of North and South Sinai issued a statement on 15 February 2011, pledging to “support the revolution” and to “protect the eastern borders of Egypt” while also calling for prosecution of the police officers involved in murdering protesters, demanding “the immediate lifting of the emergency law,” and asserting “their ownership of the Sinai lands.”
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2011/sinai160211.html
This is Tariq Al-Bishri in 2006: the man in charge of the committee to revise Egypt’s constitution
“Did Egypt’s foreign policy fare any better?
Our foreign policy is completely detached from our national interests. It is designed so Egypt performs in the Arab and international arenas in the way Washington wants.”
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/this-is-tariq-al-bishri-in-2006-man-in.html
The Board of Trustees of the Egyptian Revolution
Zionists should take note: I read the names of the newly formed Board of Trustees of the Egyptian Revolution. Let me put it this way: they are as opposed to Israel as I am.
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/board-of-trustees-of-egyptian.html
US clueless about Egypt?
Senate hearing turns into farce as American ignorance on Egypt situation revealed; specific agenda of Muslim Brotherhood unclear, top official says, has trouble responding to question on group’s attitude to peace with Israel.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4029879,00.html
U.S. worries Egypt military not doing enough
Officials are privately pressing the new military rulers to follow through on post-Mubarak democracy. The Obama administration is concerned that the Egyptian military’s plans to reshape the country’s government may fall short of producing its promised democratic overhaul, and are privately urging the new leaders to live up to pledges they made as the Mubarak regime fell.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/1F2hAqza3L0/la-fg-us-egypt-20110217,0,7603395.story
Hosni Mubarak Not Dying, Had Breakfast on the Beach
Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was well enough to have breakfast on the beach today and is doing well, a sharp contradiction to reports that the sidelined strongman had slipped into a coma and was dying, a well placed source told ABC News.The source also said that the ruling Military Council was shocked by the level and scale of corruption by the Mubarak regime. Shortly after taking charge, the military had asked that the finances of several top government officials be frozen pending investigations. Mubarak is in seclusion at his Sharm el-Sheikh resort home along with his two sons Gamal and Alaa. The wives and children of his sons, however, have left the country, the source said.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/hosni-mubarak-dying-breakfast-beach-today/story?id=12933233
In this CBS News exclusive photo, former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak waves before leaving Cairo by helicopter for Sharm el-Sheikh
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503543_162-20032292-503543.html
Mubarak’s Funds Found by Swiss
Funds belonging to the family of former Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, or his senior ministers have been discovered in Switzerland, a Swiss government official said Wednesday.
http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=3f5835c9d9cf96ea64a94399194411e4
Egypt bans former agriculture minister, NDP businessmen from traveling abroad
CAIRO, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) — Egyptian judicial authorities banned Wednesday former minister of agriculture Amin Abaza and two National Democratic Party (NDP) members from traveling abroad and froze their assets, local newspaper Al Masry Al Youm reported.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-02/17/c_13735278.htm
Egypt protest organisers form Council of Trustees
CAIRO, Feb 16 (Reuters) – Some organisers of protests that toppled Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak said on Wednesday they had formed a “Council of Trustees” to negotiate on the country’s transition to democracy with the ruling military council. Egypt’s Higher Military Council took control of the country of 80 million people last week when Mubarak resigned after over two weeks of massive protests against his 30-year rule.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/egypt-protest-organisers-form-council-of-trustees
Mohamed ElBaradei Speaks to Ibrahim Eissa
As you may know our favorite Ibrahim Eissa have a daily show on Al Jazeera Mubshar called “Ibrahim Eissa’s Salon”. It has started from 4 days ago. Ibrahim Eissa interviewed Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei from three days ago, it is very important interview. For the second time Ibrahim Eissa interviews Dr. ElBaradei since his return to Cairo. You can watch the interview after the break.
http://egyptianchronicles.blogspot.com/2011/02/mohamed-elbaradei-speaks-to-ibrahim.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EgyptianChronicles+%28Egyptian+chronicles%29
Ahram journalists demand resignation of editor-in-chief
CAIRO: About 300 journalists of state-run daily Al-Ahram apologized Wednesday for the paper’s “unprofessional” coverage of the demonstrations that toppled the president. In a press conference at the headquarters of Al-Ahram, they also asked for the resignation of the Al-Ahram daily editor-in-chief Osama Saraya and chairman of the board, Abdel Moniem Saeid. Journalist Karem Yehia said that 285 Al-Ahram journalists wrote and signed a public apology to the people on Sunday and wanted it published, but the editorial team refused. “Their refusal to publish our statement is a violation of our freedom of expression and the rights of fellow journalists,” Yehia said.
http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/media/ahram-journalists-demand-resignation-of-editor-in-chief-dp2.html
The birth of a new EGYPT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gLv80p0LnI
Other World News
U.S. veterans “were raped and sexually abused by comrades”
More than a dozen female and two male current or former service members will launch a legal action today, claiming that servicemen get away with rape and other sexual abuse.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1357230/US-veterans-sue-Pentagon-rape-sexual-abuse-comrades.html
US-led attack kills 4 Afghan civilians
The US-led forces fired a missile which missed its target and hit the residential building. Parts of the structure were damaged in the incident, a Press TV correspondent reported on Wednesday.
http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2011/02/16/helmand-operation-leaves-4-dead
U.S. claims diplomatic immunity for ex-Special Forces soldier
Sources claim telescope, photos, make-up for disguises found in his car.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1357125/US-claim-diplomatic-immunity-ex-Special-Forces-soldier-shot-2-men-Pakistan.html
Wikileaks: Finland Traded UN Votes With Israel
According to Wikileaks cables acquired by YLE, Finland has made deals to exchange votes with other countries in an effort to get a place on the United Nations Security Council.
http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2011/02/wikileaks_finland_traded_un_votes_with_israel_2369171.html
Man with Hamas items on computer can be deported
Palestinian blocked from joining his family in the Bay Area four years ago after being stopped at San Francisco International Airport with material on the Islamist group Hamas in his computer can be deported as a potential terrorist, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/02/16/BANB1HO1BJ.DTL#ixzz1EBERhE1D
Analysis/Op-ed
Mending the gaps in US intelligence
The heads of US intelligence agencies have been testiftying before a committee on issues regarding threats to the country’s national security. Recent political revolts have exposed the failure of intelligence services to timeously alert the White House about the situations in Egypt and Tunisia. Questions have emerged as to how the intelligence services were less well informed than people on Facebook and Twitter about the spirit of revolution enveloping the Middle East. Al Jazeera’s John Terrett reports.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPf5OGS4KF8&feature=youtube_gdata
Apologies From Dubai. Nir Rosen: ‘I Feel Like Shrinking Now’
How do you view what happened to Lara Logan, honestly?
A part of me was bothered by how celebrities, especially white ones, get so much attention, and before I realized it was a sexual assault I was sort of anticipating a return to the old theme about unleashed brown natives attacking a white woman. Another part of me was bothered by the knowledge that Arab victims would never get attention, that this would detract from everything else that was happening, and that most victims of sexual assault, whether in Egypt or the US will never get attention. These are not points a man has a right to make though, and nobody should try to take advantage of somebody else’s tragedy to make points anyway. I also let my personal dislike of Ms. Logan’s support for wars that have been very costly in terms of human life, which I have seen first hand, make it seem like I somehow actually think she deserved to be attacked. That is totally untrue. Nobody deserves to be assaulted in any way, regardless of their views. Like many men, I made a tasteless joke, more than tasteless of course, deeply offensive and hurtful when perceived to be sincere or when read by victims. Like most men, I need to be better educated and far more sensitive to the suffering of women and victims of sexual abuse.
http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowldc/apologies-from-dubai-nir-rosen-i-feel-like-shrinking-now_b31302
Gazans Stripped
Author recounts personal and political problems in Gaza
In April of 2006, Palestinian blogger Laila El-Haddad was reveling in a rare moment of tranquility as she looked out of her apartment window at the civilians milling around a local park across the street, enjoying a quiet afternoon in the calm Gaza sun. “There was no chaos, uncertainty and violence that grip our lives,” she wrote. “For a few moments, things seemed normal.”
http://www.stanforddaily.com/2011/02/16/gazans-stripped/
Portrait of a Hasbara Troll, Max Blumenthal
I have also taken successful steps to unmask one of the shrillest, most annoying, and consequently, most pathetic, hasbara trolls, a character has previously written under the handle of “E,” and who has also trolled at 972mag.com as “F.” “E” and “F” appear to be Etan J Schwartz of Englewood, New Jersey — all the evidence I have compiled points to him. Indeed, “E” has registered to comment on my blog through the email address ejs255@nyu.edu, which matches his initials and alma mater. And his IP address, 174.252.125.242, indicates that he is in or around Livingston, New Jersey, which is basically down the road from Englewood. So I am 99.99 percent certain that Etan J. Schwartz is “E.”
http://maxblumenthal.com/2011/02/portrait-of-a-hasbara-troll/
The US as Israel’s Enabler in the Middle East, KATHLEEN CHRISTISON
About ten days ago I had a particularly interesting discussion about Israel and its relationship to U.S. policy in the Middle East and to the events swirling there now, in Egypt and throughout the Arab world. My interlocutor is one of the most astute commentators, particularly on U.S. policy, in the alternative media, but he made it clear that, to his mind, Israel does not play a role of any notable relevance to what the United States is doing in the region.
http://www.counterpunch.com/christison02162011.html
The moderate obstacle
Today, the American arena of the human rights struggle exemplified by Martin Luther King, Jr. has arguably shifted from Birmingham to Arizona, but the greatest worldwide arena is undoubtedly Cairo. And as in Dr. King’s time, the greatest stumbling block is the “moderates.” Paula Rosine Long comments for The Electronic Intifada.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11806.shtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+electronicIntifadaPalestine+%28Electronic+Intifada+%3A+Palestine+News%29
How Egypt compares to fall of Berlin Wall
Scenes of Egypt’s revolution – they are serving as a reminder of similar times in Europe. Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor, has said that watching the events in Cairo’s Tahrir’s square reminds her of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Nick Spicer reports from Berlin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehzZm5bnNhU&feature=youtube_gdata
The Muslim Brotherhood after the uprising: What next?
Mohamed al-Kassas is a 35-year-old youth leader with the Muslim Brotherhood. He belongs to the generation that has just changed the face of Egypt by ousting longstanding President Hosni Mubarak. For over two weeks, young Egyptians had spearheaded unprecedented protests that culminated in a sweeping revolution in demand of change, freedom and social justice. Looking back on the revolution, al-Kassas contends that the experience has left a strong impression on the mentality of young Islamists.
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/muslim-brotherhood-after-uprising-what-next?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Al-Azhar Center for Islamic Obedience To Tyrants
Al-Azhar University should be nationalized, closed down, and then reformed and turned into a secular university. It has shamed the people of Egypt and Muslims worldwide with its absolute obedience to tyrants and to reactionary thought since the days of the Nazi Anti-Semite, Anwar Sadat (favored by Westerners of course). Today, it is speaking as if it was part of the Egyptian uprising when it has been a small tool in the hands of Mubarak. I bet that the Egyptian people would prefer sermons by atheists to the reactionary pro-Mubarak sermons of the kooky clerics of Al-Azhar.
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/al-azhar-center-for-islamic-obedience.html
Restoring Egypt’s regional role, Hasan Abu Nimah
In Egypt, as in Tunisia, the power of unarmed people taking spontaneous action has proved to be an adequate match for the huge armies of secret police and security apparatuses hitherto believed to offer protection for the dictators who built them. While recent events continue to amaze us and cause shock waves, I would like to highlight some other key implications of the Egyptian uprising. First, the fact that in less than one month another strong Arab dictatorship was overthrown under direct popular pressure indicates that the Tunisian situation was not an isolated case as many invested in the status quo had hoped, but the start of a process that might take years to play out.
http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=34551
Memories of Tahrir
Throughout 18 days, Tahrir Square in central Cairo gradually became a city on its own. Protesters camped there lived in tents side by side, eliminating religious and class barriers. Vibrant with cultural activities, the Square became an iconic landmark, not only because of the revolution, but for the friendships and memories people shared there.
http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/people/memories-of-tahrir.html
Why Mubarak Fell
Memo to President Obama: Given the absence of intelligent intelligence and the inadequacy of your advisers’ advice, it’s not surprising that your handling of the Egyptian uprising has set new standards for foreign policy incoherence and incompetence. Perhaps a primer on how to judge the power that can be wielded by mass protest will prepare you better for the next round of political upheavals.on the fact that it featured a disciplined modern army trained and supplied by the USA.
http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/why-mubarak-fell
The Road to Democracy, George S. Hishmeh – Washington
There were many memorable episodes in the glorious Egyptian Revolution, recorded in photos or on the Internet, that are bound to remain in memory of most people for many years and may foretell the future of the shaky Middle East. But the ripple effect triggered by both the Tunisian “Jasmine Revolution”and later the Egyptian “Day of Rage” is bound to re-ignite the revival of Arab Nationalism across the Arab World – – a movement that saw its heyday during the leadership of Gamal Abdel Nasser who was instrumental in the overthrow of the Egyptian monarchy in 1952.
http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16659
Ethan Pack: The Arab Revolutionary We Failed to Imagine
We must realize that our ideas about Arab regimes, both those we support and those we fear, have ignored the most dramatic revolutionary force in Arab society: the people.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ethan-pack/the-arab-revolutionary-we_b_823855.html
When “Good” Dictators Go Bad, Norman Solomon
It wasn’t long ago that Hosni Mubarak’s regime — with all its repression and torture — enjoyed high esteem and lavish praise in Washington. For Egyptians, the repression and torture went on; for the bipartisan savants running U.S. foreign policy, the suppression was good geopolitics.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article27490.htm
A new sense of populist empowerment grips the Middle East
SANAA, YEMEN – Across the Middle East, protesters clashed with pro-government mobs and security forces Wednesday and Thursday, the latest sign that the tools of repression that leaders in the region have relied on for years are now, instead, propelling more people to the streets.
http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/click.phdo?i=de32698d5caf85bee185dce2270f1851
How to End US Reliance on Dictators, Steve Breyman
The Arab uprisings present US foreign policymakers with their greatest opportunity for a decisive shift in direction since 1989. Will they seize it? Unfortunately for the peoples of the former Soviet Union and East Bloc, the George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations and their own new governments bungled the transitions to freedom and democracy. Former apparatchiks cast off their red stars for shiny new lapel pins, communists became fiery and sometimes murderous nationalists, and for fire sale prices, the men we call oligarchs took over giant state industries. It took the GHW Bush administration several years to even realize the Cold War was over. Jeffrey Sachs’ brutal and myopic “shock therapy” was the best economic advice the US could muster during the nineties.
http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16657
The Shame Of Being An American, Paul Craig Roberts
On February 15 “the indispensable people” had to suffer the hypocrisy of the U.S. Secretary of State delivering a speech about America’s commitment to Internet freedom while the U.S. Department of Justice (sic) brought unconstitutional action against Twitter to reveal any connection between WikiLeaks and Bradley Manning, the American hero who, in keeping with the U.S. Military Code, exposed U.S. government war crimes.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article27492.htm
My Undisclosed Hotel is a Nice Getaway Spot but the Service Leaves Much to be Desired
The hotel itself (sorry, I cannot name it for security reasons) is very pre-Camp David in its décor but so what! The towels were changed as quickly as governments in a parliamentary democracy. It’s also right on the water, although a little loud with the helicopters circling round. But that’s something you get used to after a while and you sleep better knowing they’re there. Overall, I enjoyed the stability and security of the room and the building, but not all the hotel staff were there when I needed them.
http://www.kabobfest.com/2011/02/my-undisclosed-hotel-is-a-nice-getaway-spot-but-the-service-leaves-much-to-be-desired.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kabobfest%2FGrillMe+%28KABOBfest%29
