And more news from the Arab uprisings:
Bahrain
Bahrain PM says protests amounted to coup attempt
MANAMA, April 18 (Reuters) – Bahrain’s Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa said protesters, who had called for his removal, would be held to account and described the anti-government unrest as a coup attempt. “Bahrain has witnessed a coup attempt,” he said in remarks carried by pro-government media on Monday. “No violators would get away with it. All co-conspirators and abettors must be held accountable.”
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/bahrain-pm-says-protests-amounted-to-coup-attempt
Bahrain: Gulf troops to stay as counter to Iran (AP)
AP – Gulf troops will stay in Bahrain until its Sunni rulers are satisfied that threats from Iran have eased, the island kingdom’s foreign minister said Monday amid an ongoing crackdown on dissent.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110418/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_bahrain
Bahraini women die amid crackdown
At least two Bahraini women have died as a result of a crackdown on the opposition as thugs backed by Saudi forces stormed the village of Karzakan following the country-wide protests. Azizeh Hassan died in her home after pro-regime thugs stormed houses in Bilad al-Qadim district, a Press TV correspondent reported on Saturday. Moreover, a female teenager died a month after she was attacked by pro-regime thugs in Manama. Jawaher Abdul-Amir Kuwaitan was in a coma at the capital’s al-Salmaniyah Hospital.
http://presstv.com/detail/175131.html
Bahrain: Defense Lawyer Detained After Night Raid
(Manama) – More than two dozen uniformed and plainclothes security officers, most of whom were masked, raided the home of prominent defense lawyer Mohammed al-Tajer on the evening of April 15, 2011, and arrested him, Human Rights Watch said today. Neither he nor his family was given any reason for his detention.
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/04/16/bahrain-defense-lawyer-detained-after-night-raid
Bahrain ‘arrests rights lawyer and doctors’
Campaigners say security forces have detained lawyer who represented leader of the Haq opposition group and two doctors.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/04/20114161822138150.html
Bahrain to prosecute civil servants over protests (AP)
AP – More than a hundred civil servants in Bahrain were summarily fired for participating in anti-government protests, the state news agency said Sunday, in the latest crackdown on the opposition.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110417/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_bahrain
Bahrain detains former champion athlete: opposition (Reuters)
Reuters – Bahrain has detained a former bodybuilding champion as part of a crackdown on mainly Shi’ite Muslim pro-democracy protesters in the Sunni-led Gulf Arab kingdom, the opposition said on Sunday.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110417/ts_nm/us_bahrain_arrest
Bahraini Activist “Angry Arabiya” Hospitalized
A Bahraini human rights activist has been hospitalized after going on a hunger strike in protest at the kingdom’s detention of her relatives. Zainab al-Khawaja, known online as “Angry Arabiya,” was taken to hospital on Sunday after seven days of hunger strike following the arrest of her father, uncle, husband and brothers-in-law.
http://presstv.com/detail/175304.html
Hospitals show ugly truth about Bahrain, as US looks the other way
TINY Bahrain, a vital American ally in the Gulf region, is reimaging itself as a classic Cold War police state in the aftermath of the democracy uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/hospitals-show-ugly-truth-about-bahrain-as-us-looks-the-other-way-20110415-1dhw0.html
U.S. defends Bahrain policy
“Even though the American administration’s words are all about freedom and democracy and change, in Bahrain, the reality is that they’re basically a protection for the dictatorship,” said Zainab al-Khawaja, a prominent human-rights activist who went on a hunger strike after her father, husband and brother-in-law were arrested at her apartment in Bahrain during the weekend.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/04/15/US-defends-Bahrain-policy/UPI-27661302879836/
Inside Story – Bahrain’s iron fist
Three days after Hosni Mubarak was ousted from power in Egypt, the people of Bahrain took to the streets to make their grievances heard. They were not demanding an end to the monarchy – but more representation. But a violent crackdown against protesters saw a shift in their demands. The monarchy was quick to portray the popular uprising as sectarian. Troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates entered Bahrain a month later as tensions began to grow. Now in the latest move, Bahraini authorities pledged to seek court approval to dissolve two Shia opposition groups for alleged links to the protests. Why did Bahrain opt for an iron-fist approach against pro-democracy protesters? And what is the nature of the role of regional players in this Gulf country? Inside Story discusses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C7eOZ-kjQ8&feature=youtube_gdata
“Struggle Continues in Bahrain: Marches in Manama and Diraz” (Videos)
“With our soul and blood, we’ll redeem Bahrain!” “Down with Hamad, Down with Hamad!”
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2011/bahrain160411.html
Bahrain’s Brutal Equation
Since razing the Pearl monument in mid-March, the Bahraini ruling regime has launched a sweeping crackdown on protesters who took to the streets to voice their anger against the Al-Khalifa family and its oppressive mores. In the last few weeks, the situation on the ground has spiralled out of control and descended to a blatant and barren form of brutality with the regime’s security and military apparatus crossing all humane boundaries. The institution of martial law has taken the meaning of a sacrosanct endorsement for one and all forms of transgressions – even women and minors haven’t been spared in this state-sponsored violence spree. Whilst the attention of global media has been fixated on the Libyan stalemate, the Al-Khalifa regime has viciously suppressed the popular protests that began on 14th February.
http://dissidentvoice.org/2011/04/bahrains-brutal-equation/
The US, Gulf Kings and Brutal Repression in Bahrain
The brutal repression of demonstrators by the US-backed monarchies continues.
http://pulsemedia.org/2011/04/17/the-us-gulf-kings-and-brutal-repression-in-bahrain/
Bahrain protests will go nowhere while the US supports its government | Ian Black
The Al-Khalifa family, who control Bahrain, has cracked down on dissent with little condemnation from the west. History and geography explain why Bahrain’s peaceful uprising was the early exception to the “Arab spring”, which began with high hopes in Tunisia and Egypt but now faces bloody uncertainties in Libya and Syria. Sitting astride the faultline between the Shia and Sunni worlds, the small Gulf island state lies at the heart of a strategically sensitive region that is dominated by bitter rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia – both very tough neighbours.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/16/bahrain-protests-us-supports-government
Paul Jay, “The United States and the Gulf Arab States: Interview with Adam Hanieh”
Adam Hanieh: The GCC really is the core of capitalism in the Middle East. It’s the primary place where accumulation occurs. It’s also the linkage with the broader world market. And US foreign policy — not just the United States; Europe as well and other states — really see their relationship with the broader Middle East through the lens of the GCC. . . . As you mentioned, they have the Fifth Fleet located in Bahrain. But there’s also CENTCOM, the forward command headquarters of CENTCOM, which is essentially the military headquarters that coordinates US military policy across 27 neighboring states, including Central Asia, Afghanistan, Iraq. That CENTCOM headquarters is located in Qatar. Paul Jay: Yeah, only about five, six miles away from the Al Jazeera office, and also a major air force base.
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2011/hanieh180411.html
Egypt
As Inmates 23 and 24, Stunned Mubaraks Adjust
They make docile inmates, their captors say, still stunned to find themselves behind bars. They eat food brought from outside, the right of any detainee who has not been convicted. But Gamal appears badly shaken and often refuses to eat. He shares a cell with Alaa. “Bear in mind they are very broken,” said a prison official who described the situation inside and spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. “They do everything they are asked. They don’t raise their voices.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/world/middleeast/17egypt.html?_r=1&ref=world
Egypt ministers face corruption charges
Public prosecutor targets country’s former premier and former finance and interior ministers.
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2011/04/201141715562214192.html
Egypt antiquities chief faces jail time
Court strips Zahi Hawass of his ministerial post after he allegedly ignored earlier land dispute ruling.
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2011/04/201141720122512511.html
Egyptian Court Formally Breaks Up Mubarak’s Party
The dissolution of the National Democratic Party continued the process of dismantling Hosni Mubarak’s institutions of power.
http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=cd9af6dea3aad90cbb48834afccbeff0
Egyptian newspapers and Mubarak family
It is a lot of fun to read Egyptian newspapers and their extensive and detailed coverage of the lives of Mubarak family members in jail. It seems, that Mubarak asked prosecutors to punish him, but to spare his sons. The two sons have grown beards, and Suzanne Mubarak has lost a lot of weight and wore the same dress for three days straight. This is my summary.
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/04/egyptian-newspapers-and-mubarak-family.html
Egyptian Foreign Minister to visit Gaza “in solidarity”
The Palestinian Quds Press has reported that Egypt’s new Foreign Minister, Nabil El-Arabi, is to visit the Gaza Strip. Preparations are being made for his visit, claims Egyptian journalist Ibrahim El-Darrawy, the head of the Cairo-based Palestinian Studies Centre. According to Al-Darrawy, Mr El-Arabi’s visit to besieged Gaza has been scheduled for some time; the intention is to support Palestinian reconciliation efforts and express solidarity with Gaza following recent Israeli attacks. “The plans for a Gaza visit haven’t been denied by the Minister’s office,” said Al-Darrawy, “although they are still at an early stage.” They have, he added, been on the agenda for some time and are in part designed to prevent any further Israeli aggression.
http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/news/middle-east/2253-egyptian-foreign-minister-to-visit-gaza-qin-solidarityq
Libya
Libya: Indiscriminate Attacks Kill Civilians
(Misrata) – Libyan government forces have launched indiscriminate rocket and mortar attacks on residential neighborhoods in the rebel-held city of Misrata, Human Rights Watch said today. One strike, apparently by a Grad rocket, killed at least eight civilians waiting in line for bread. Another attack, apparently with a mortar round, hit a medical clinic, wounding four others.
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/04/17/libya-indiscriminate-attacks-kill-civilians
Misrata Death Toll Hits 17: Fierce Fighting In Last Major Rebel Foothold In Western Libya
AJDABIYA, Libya — Holding out under a rain of shelling and sniper fire, Libyan rebels fought Moammar Gadhafi’s forces Sunday in close-quarters battles in the city center of Misrata, the last major rebel foothold in western Libya. Seventeen people were killed, an NGO worker and an opposition activist said. Government troops have been laying siege to the city on Libya’s Mediterranean coast for weeks, prompting repeated international warnings of a dire humanitarian situation as well as calls for NATO forces to intensify airstrikes on Gadhafi’s forces there.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/17/misrata-death-toll-hits-1_n_850300.html
Several dead; Libyans demand help against Gaddafi troops
At least four people were killed and 30 injured as violence erupted in the eastern city of Brega, Al Arabiya broadcaster reported, citing witnesses.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/africa/news/article_1633420.php/Several-dead-Libyans-demand-help-against-Gaddafi-troops
Libyan rebels, NATO in joint military operations against Qaddafi forces
Libya’s rebels and NATO forces have established a joint operations room, said the spokesman of the National Transitional Council, Abdul Hafiz Ghoga. This was reported Saturday evening by Agence-France Presse.
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/04/16/145587.html
Fighting intensifies across Libya
Fighting escalates in the Libyan port of Misrata and elsewhere as government forces attempt to retake the rebel-held city after a two-month siege.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-africa-13107131
Rebel-held Libyan city pounded
Pro-Gaddafi forces rain rockets on Misurata amid reports of rebels reinforcing positions beyond Ajdabiya in the east.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/04/20114168572393746.html
Gaddafi troops outflank rebels
As fighting continues for Brega, home to several oil facilities, forces loyal to long time leader Muammar Gaddafi skirt that body of fighting and attack Ajdabiya from the south. A large sandstorm has prevented NATO aircraft from targeting the troops, alowing them to set up artillery positions without fear of air strikes. Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna, reporting from just outside Ajdabiya, and Sue Turton in Benghazi, give the latest details on the fighting along Libya’s coast.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mllxd-Hiu7o&feature=youtube_gdata
Battle for Libya: Rebel forces advance to west
Anti-aircraft fire and explosions have been heard in the Libyan capital Tripoli. It is not clear who is being targeted in the attacks. Meanwhile NATO has continued its air assault on Muammar Gaddaffi’s forces in the eastern town of Brega. Rebel forces are reportedly advancing on the oil town, as they push on from nearby Ajdabiya. Al Jazeera Sue Turton filed this report from Brega.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQHiM4F3Ih4&feature=youtube_gdata
Rebels Flee Key Libyan Town
Opposition fighters fled from Ajdabiya on Sunday after a rocket and artillery attack by forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi.
http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=a9bbcfaff5f13f1cd5e457354eb5fcd6
Libyan rebels resist Ajdabiya assault
Anti-government forces hold sway in key town but frontline fighters complain of lack of supplies and fear infiltrators.
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/africa/2011/04/2011417192411769432.html
Libyan Rebels Say They’re Being Sent Weapons
Gen. Abdel Fattah Younes, the rebel military leader, said his forces had received arms shipments from unnamed nations that support their uprising.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/world/africa/17libya.html
Report: US seeking country to take in Gaddafi
Obama administration said to be searching for nation willing to offer embattled Libyan ruler refuge
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4057709,00.html
Libya letter by Obama, Cameron and Sarkozy: Full text
President Barack Obama of the US, Prime Minister David Cameron of the UK and President Nicolas Sarkozy of France have written a joint letter to The Times of London, the International Herald Tribune and Le Figaro, vowing to keep up the pressure on Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and pledging to maintain Nato military pressure on his forces.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13090646
Libya: Berlusconi says Italy won’t bomb Gaddafi’s forces
Italy will not drop bombs on Libya, its former colony, prime minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Friday. We’ve already done enough,” he said during a cabinet meeting, according to Italian news reports.
http://www.adnkronos.com/IGN/Aki/English/Politics/Libya-Berlusconi-says-Italy-wont-bomb-Gaddafis-forces_311907473016.html
LIBYA: Traumatized evacuees describe Misrata horror
BENGHAZI 18 April 2011 (IRIN) – Civilians evacuated from the war-ravaged western Libyan city of Misrata have described the humanitarian situation there as grim, saying families are barely able to find enough food and water, that medical treatment is hard to come by, and corpses are lying in the streets.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=92501
Libyan civilian casualties rise in Misurata
Doctors work on patients in tents and grieve for a girl killed by a sniper in a city whose misery has become symbolic of the war in Libya. The doctors rushed through a white outdoor tent where several pale, bloodied men were being operated on. Inside the Hikma hospital, it was a similar scene.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/7cnpJEkPGr8/la-fg-libya-boat-20110418,0,6100588.story
Libya humanitarian crisis ‘dire’
The UK says it is to hold talks at the United Nations about the “dire” humanitarian crisis affecting residents in western Libya.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-13110696
Libya’s growing humanitarian crisis
The western Libyan city of Misurata continues to be under siege by Muammar Gaddafi’s forces. Its only lifelines are the sea routes to Benghazi, Tunis, and Malta, from where a steady stream of supplies has been trickling in over the past few weeks. However, supplies such as food and medicine are running short in Misurata, Libya’s third largest city. Al Jazeera’s Jonah Hull and cameraman Craig Pennington, boarded a trawler carrying humanitarian supplies, for a 24-hour voyage to the city. Warning: This exclusive package contains images that may disturb or offend some viewers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZB-N1PLi_Q&feature=youtube_gdata
Ajdabiyah hospital staff stays put as civilians flee
AJDABIYAH, Libya, April 17 (Reuters) – Through rocket strikes and street battles, volunteer medics have been keeping Ajdabiyah’s main hospital open even as most of the embattled eastern Libyan city has packed up and left. Ajdabiyah is the gateway to the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, and thus its hospital is the first stop for many of the wounded brought back from the frontlines of fighting between insurgents and forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/ajdabiyah-hospital-staff-stays-put-as-civilians-flee
In Libya chaos, relatives of missing can only pray
BENGHAZI, Libya, April 17 (Reuters) – Ex-policeman Mohammad Ali Jarbou was so relieved NATO jets destroyed Libyan government tanks outside the rebel capital Benghazi last month that he and two friends rushed next day to take pictures. None of them have been seen since.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/in-libya-chaos-relatives-of-missing-can-only-pray
Libyan Revolution : Supernatural allies
First of all here is the good news of the day : Egyptian medic volunteer Abdel Khalek has been released and he is in his way to home insh Allah. Thank Goodness for his safety. Not less than 2000 Egyptians have returned back home to the country in the past 48 hours. Here is an important report in English from Misurata refugee camp , please spread it everywhere. It was shot by Dr. Hamza ,this real citizen journalism coverage outside the country in zone like Libya.
http://egyptianchronicles.blogspot.com/2011/04/libyan-revolution-supernatural-allies.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EgyptianChronicles+%28Egyptian+chronicles%29
Update: Battle for Libya
Anti-aircraft fire has been seen in the sky over the Libyan capital, Tripoli. Earlier, Pro-Gaddafi forces launched another barrage of rockets and mortars against Misurata. Libya’s government has denied accusations it used cluster bombs in Misurata. On Friday, the advocacy group Human Rights Watch said it had observed cluster munitions explode over the city. The weapons are banned by more than one hundred countries. Earlier, a resident of Misurata explained what he saw to Al Jazeera.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUUWMv5q2VE&feature=youtube_gdata
Mike Hanna in Benghazi
As the siege by forces loyal to longterm Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi on Misurata tightens, tanks enter the city and push civilians closer to the port area. With evidence emerging of the use of cluster bombs by Gaddafi’s forces, fears are growing for the city’s population. Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna, reporting from Benghazi, gives us the latest on events in Libya.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuwsGduIq8M&feature=youtube_gdata
Frost Over the World – Fleeing Misurata
Actress Olivia Williams and ‘Lost’ star Matthew Fox talk about their West End play, ‘In A Forest Dark and Deep’. Plus, environmentalist George Monbiot explains why he supports nuclear power, despite the recent disaster in Fukushima, Japan. Finally, Ambassador William L Swing, the director-general of the International Organization for Migration, talks about the ongoing refugee crisis in the Libyan city of Misurata.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw52kcHHEi4&feature=youtube_gdata
This is / was Misurata
Above, a recent picture of the Libyan town of Misurata by the Telegraph‘s Geoff Pough. Below, a video of the town shot during Ramadan 2010, by YouTube user HoneyBees1885. Brings it home. More about the destruction of Misurata at the NYT. And the song is great — the YouTube comments say it’s by Reda Aqraf (رضا أقراف). Via Andy Carvin and LibyaInMe on Twitter.
http://www.arabist.net/blog/2011/4/16/this-is-was-misurata.html
Frost Over the World – The way ahead in Libya
During an informal NATO meeting in Berlin, Sir David Frost talks to Carl Bildt, the Swedish foreign minister, about the way ahead in Libya. Plus, Charlie Parker the editor of Citywire on spiralling oil prices and Ad Melkert, the UN special representative for Iraq, gives a progress report on the country eight months before American troops withdraw.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsAVaGwS-uU&feature=youtube_gdata
Massoud Abu Assir, Libyan Rebel Guitarist Plays On Outskirts Of Ajdabiya
AJDABIYA, Libya — The Libyan revolution has been tough on rebel fighter and guitarist Massoud Abu Assir’s rock band. His bass player was captured by Moammar Gadhafi’s forces, and his drummer is off fighting on the front line. But those setbacks haven’t stopped the 38-year-old amateur musician from composing songs in support of the revolution and performing them for rebels on the battlefield. He made an appearance Saturday on the outskirts of the front line city of Ajdabiya as fierce fighting raged about 25 miles (40 kilometers) away.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/16/massoud-abu-assir-libyan-rebel-guitarist-_n_850100.html
Syria
U.S. Secretly Backed Syrian Opposition Groups, Cables Released By WikiLeaks Show
The State Department has secretly financed Syrian political opposition groups and related projects, including a satellite TV channel that beams anti-government programming into the country, according to previously undisclosed diplomatic cables.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/17/us-syria-opposition_n_850302.html
WikiLeaks: US Embassy Cables: : Hariri proposed new Syria regime
Leaked diplomatic cables allege that Saad Al-Hariri suggested isolating Bashar Al-Assad and forming a coalition of Muslim Brotherhood and former regime figures to take power.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/%7E/NewsContent/2/8/10122/World/Region/WikiLeaks-Hariri-proposed-new-Syria-regime.aspx
Thousands attend Syria protesters’ funerals
Mourners call for overthrow of President Assad a day after at least 30 demonstrators were killed by security forces.
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2011/04/201141813455655509.html
Syria protesters killed in Homs
At least 17 pro-democracy demonstrators were killed by security forces as demands for president Assad’s ouster continue.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/04/201141810355592109.html
Syria’s Assad swears in new government
President chairs cabinet’s first session as state media says one policeman was killed in Friday’s clashes.
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2011/04/201141683355504200.html
Assad to abolish emergency law
President Bashar al-Assad of Syrian promised his countrymen on Saturday that he would lift the draconian emergency law within a week, after month-long protests rocked Syria and left at least 200 people dead.
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/04/16/145654.html
Policeman dies amid Syrian protest
A Syrian policeman is reported to have died after being beaten by protesters during a demonstration in a central city.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/policeman-dies-amid-syrian-protest-2268801.html
Syrians protest despite Assad concessions
Hundreds rally in the southern city of Suweida, a day after the president vowed to lift emergency law within a week.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/04/2011417131422534165.html
Tunisia
Wife of ousted Tunisian president “a Mossad agent”
The bodyguard of the ousted Tunisian President Zen El Abedeen Ben Ali has said that Ben Ali and his wife Laila El Trabolsi are supporters of Israel. Abdel Rahman Sobeir also claims that El Trabolsi is a Mossad agent who was involved in several assassinations of Palestinian leaders when they were exiled in Tunisia. Mr Sobeir revealed this sensitive information on Facebook; he accused Tunisia’s ex-First Couple and their son-in-law Selim Shaiboub, along with a number of senior security chiefs, of criminal activity. According to reports in the Algerian newspaper Al Shorouk, in 1991 Laila Ben Ali recruited two agents in the Tunisian intelligence services to assassinate a Tunisian businessman who was a close friend of Ben Ali but had opposed her marriage to the ousted president. “Ben Ali’s son-in-law was behind the death of a four-year-old girl in the Radeif area in 1992, an act proved by state security investigators,” claims Sobeir. He added that there are many more treasures in the Carthage Palace than have been disclosed. The treasures include gold and sapphire decorations brought together by Leila and her brother Belhasan.
http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/news/middle-east/2254-wife-of-ousted-tunisian-president-qa-mossad-agentq
“Tunisians Protest at Saudi Embassy: Extradite Fugitive Ben Ali!” (Videos)
Several thousands of Tunisians protested outside the Saudi Embassy on 15 April 2011, demanding the extradition of fugitive Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2011/tunisia170411.html
In Tunisia, where record keeping is good, some seek to preserve documents of tyranny
In Tunisia, undergoing a transformation from dictatorship to possible democracy, some make an effort to collect and preserve regime archives, very few of which have been made public. The unassuming whitewashed building is crammed full of explosive material potentially more damaging, or vital, to Tunisia’s democratic experiment than any incendiary device.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/tLnCTEghNlY/la-fg-tunisia-archives-20110417,0,1415313.story
Yemen
Yemeni troops ‘open fire on protesters’
Reports of more clashes come as leaders of opposition bloc head to Saudi Arabia to discuss transition of power.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/04/201141715495475107.html
Yemeni women protest over Saleh criticism
Thousands reject president’s view that it is un-Islamic for women to join men in demonstrations against his rule.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/04/2011416162256587141.html
Yemen opposition to join Gulf-brokered talks
Leaders of opposition bloc head to Saudi Arabia to discuss transition of power with Gulf ministers amid protests
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/04/20114174454614208.html
Other
United Arab Emirates: The Making of a Police State
Over the last few years, the UAE has become increasingly oppressive. The recent crackdowns show how bad it really is.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/04/14/the_making_of_a_police_state
Arab Dictators’ Children: The Mixed Fortunes Of Gaddafi And Mubarak’s Kids
Muammar Gaddafi’s only daughter, Aisha, found herself the subject of many international headlines this week after she rallied a crowd early Friday from a balcony at her father’s compound. For 35-year-old Aisha, who’s been branded North Africa’s “Claudia Schiffer” due to her glamorous image, it was the most overtly political gesture to date. (Previously, she has grabbed headlines over an alleged affair with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi). She’s not the only known member of the Gaddafi family carrying her father’s legacy. As Time reports, brother Saif, 40, is known as a shrewd operator and canny businessman, while 39-year-old Saadi enjoyed a brief Italian soccer career. Little is known about Khamis, said to have died in a kamikaze attack, or Milad, a nephew whom Gaddafi adopted.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/16/arab-dictators-children-t_n_849969.html
