a thread about the civil unrest in egypt (& elsewhere in 'the region' if necessary)

muslims, christians, we are one

intriguing

A senior administration official said that Mr. Obama’s advisers remained deeply divided over whether he should formally endorse Israel’s pre-1967 borders as the starting point for negotiations over a Palestinian state.

He did and that's the NY Times headline (I didn't hear the speech. Just reading the analysis at my lunch). He was critical of Bahrain as well as Syria and Hamas.

http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/dynamic/00608/Pg-01-splashpic-epa_608273t.jpg

Neither the UK nor the US (Obama's speech) is making anyone happy in this region (well maybe the Saudi rulers)

From here at the heart of the Arab Spring to its current battlefronts in Damascus; Syria; and Benghazi, Libya, many said the speech had failed to dispel the legacy of resentment from America’s support for Arab autocrats, its invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and its alliance with Israel. Many said Mr. Obama seemed most willing to support democratic revolts after the fact.

“They wait to see who wins and then support them,” said Ahmed Maher, 30, a civil engineer and an architect of the Egyptian uprising as coordinator of the liberal April 6 Youth Movement.

NY Times

Assad not listening to Obama:

As military crackdown continues, 23 people are killed one day after Obama delivers strongest rebuke yet.

look we have no leverage with Syria - whatever Obama says isn't going to change Assad's actions. these guys are insular, they're circling the wagons. the only real question is how far the military is willing to go in suppressing this (clearly pretty far), and whether things will erupt into full-scale military conflict (not likely). Outlook is not good, imho

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/may/18/syria-uprising-reform-bashar-al-assad

Details on Syria's failed economy. As another article said, Syria has not proven it can be like China (autocratic with a booming economy)!

Interesting quotes from a NY Times overview of Tunisia, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon:

“As Muslims, our sheiks are always telling us to be good to Christians, but we don’t think that is happening on the other side,” said Ibrahim Sakr, 56, a chemistry professor, who asserted that Copts, who make up about 10 percent of the population, still consider themselves “the original” Egyptians because their presence predates Islam.

In Libya, supporters of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi acknowledge that his government banks on fears of clan rivalries and possible partition to stay in power in a country with deep regional differences.

Officials say that the large extended clans of the west that contribute most of the soldiers to Colonel Qaddafi’s forces will never accept any revolution arising from the east, no matter what promises the rebels make about universal citizenship in a democratic Libya with its capital still in the western city of Tripoli.

The rebels say the revolution can forge a new identity.

“Qaddafi looks at Libya as west and east and north and south,” said Jadella Shalwee, a Libyan from Tobruk who visited Tahrir Square last weekend in a pilgrimage of sorts. “But this revolt has canceled all that. This is about a new beginning,” he said, contending that Colonel Qaddafi’s only supporters were “his cousins and his family.”

“My Alawite friends want me to support the regime, and they feel if it’s gone, our community will be finished,” said Mohsen, the young Alawite in Damascus, who asked that only his first name be used because he feared reprisal. “My Sunni friends want me to be against the regime, but I feel conflicted. We want freedom, but freedom with stability and security.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/world/middleeast/22arab.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha2

To retaliate for the European Union sanctions on Syria, Damascus will strengthen its relationship with Russia, China and Latin America, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mualiem said on Monday. Through this shift in diplomatic policies, Syria seeks to show to the EU and the U.S. that there are other global powers they could count on, Mualiem said

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/90049384?Syria%20to%20align%20with%20China%2C%20Russia%20in%20response%20to%20EU%20sanctions

That's what I thought would happen. Too bad.

Nighttime protests in Syria.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2011/05/syria-protesters-get-creative-as-night-demonstrations-wear-out-security-forces-.html

^^^so awesome

More on the Syrian economy and its relation to the protests. But no mention of whether Russia, China,Lebanon, and Latin American involvement can help prop up the Syrian government while Turkish and EU involvement disappears along with tourism.

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/05/under-pressure-syria-ends-economic-liberalization-worsening-outlook/239417/

Outside the fast-growing and increasingly cosmopolitan cities, Syria's rural majority have seen living costs rise as fuel prices have made transport more expensive. Markets flooded with foreign goods have made manufacturing less profitable and years of drought have left farmers in some areas starving.

It is these have-nots, said one Western diplomat, who have been driving the protest movement. Unlike in Egypt where the urban, web-savvy upper-middle class played a major role in protests, many of Syria's city-dwellers have seen their lives improve in recent years.

Some young elites have railed against the brutal, undemocratic regime, he added, and more would if they were not so afraid, but the protests have mostly been in poor towns and cities, sparked by economic woes.

That last quoted paragraph kind of muddies the message in the article re why some are protesting and some are not

Egypt is apparently opening its border with Gaza: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13552685

good times!

Israel says the blockade is needed to stop weapons being smuggled into Gaza.

This theory is about to be tested.

it's all a bit heads-I-win, tails-you-lose, given that there were already weapons being smuggled into Gaza even with the blockade.

http://www.juancole.com/2011/05/top-5-arab-spring-stories-today.html Mubarak; Yemen; Gaza; Libya

More ugly Syrian news

By Associated Press, Updated: Thursday, May 26, 12:05 PM
BEIRUT — The Syrian regime is unleashing shadowy, mafia-style gunmen to carry out some of the most brutal attacks on dissent as the country’s 10-week uprising threatens President Bashar Assad’s once-unshakable grip on power.

The gunmen belong to a pro-Assad militia called “shabiha,” which runs protection rackets, smuggling rings and other criminal enterprises while providing muscle for the regime.

7 more dead in Syria on Friday--and not that it would have done much, but the Russians blocked a draft UN Security Council resolution condemning Syria

Washington and the European Union have already imposed sanctions against Assad and other Syrian officials. But Russia has been more reticent in denouncing Assad because of a desire to reassert old Soviet-era influence in the region.

Western diplomats had expressed hope on Thursday that veto-holders Russia and China would not block a draft resolution which Britain, France, Germany and Portugal circulated to the UN Security Council on Wednesday.

But Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in Deauville a draft resolution was "untimely and damaging".

"There are no grounds to consider this issue (Syria) in the UN Security Council. We will not even read the text."

The draft says Syria's actions may amount to crimes against humanity and condemns the violation of human rights, arbitrary detentions and torture of peaceful demonstrators.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/syria-forces-kill-seven-protesters-as-world-pressure-on-assad-grows-1.364493

I know Spain is hardly the region in question, but I don't know where to put this, and my friend in Barcelona just sent me this photo series from the protests there today

http://www.flickr.com/photos/acampadabcnfoto/5764476979/in/photostream/lightbox/

Iran helping crush Syrian protests

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/iran-reportedly-aiding-syrian-crackdown/2011/05/27/AGUJe0CH_story.html

U.S. officials say Iran is dispatching increasing numbers of trainers and advisers — including members of its elite Quds Force — into Syria to help crush anti-government demonstrations that are threatening to topple Iran’s most important ally in the region.

The influx of Iranian manpower is adding to a steady stream of aid from Tehran that includes not only weapons and riot gear but also sophisticated surveillance equipment that is helping Syrian authorities track down opponents through their Facebook and Twitter accounts, the sources said. Iranian-assisted computer surveillance is believed to have led to the arrests of hundreds of Syrians seized from their homes in recent weeks.

Britain is training Saudi Arabia's national guard – the elite security force deployed during the recent protests in Bahrain – in public order enforcement measures and the use of sniper rifles.

In response to questions made under the Freedom of Information Act, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed that British personnel regularly run courses for the national guard in "weapons, fieldcraft and general military skills training, as well as incident handling, bomb disposal, search, public order and sniper training". The courses are organised through the British Military Mission to the Saudi Arabian National Guard, an obscure unit that consists of 11 British army personnel under the command of a brigadier.

The MoD response, obtained yesterday by the Observer, reveals that Britain sends up to 20 training teams to the kingdom a year. Saudi Arabia pays for "all BMM personnel, as well as support costs such as accommodation and transport".

great...

wtf

Egyptian general admits 'virginity checks' conducted on protesters

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110528/wl_mideast_afp/syriapoliticsunrestboy_20110528123806

Robert Fisk says the region doesn't care what the US thinks and Obama's been weak anyway (he drops in an item re Algeria aiding Libya though; and he never spells out how Obama is supposed to make Israel play nice; Hamas recognize Israel; keep Iran from aiding Syria; Make the Yemen prez resign; keep the Saudis out of Bahrain and address their own problems, etc.)

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/who-cares-in-the-middle-east-what-obama-says-2290761.html

Bahrain signaled it won't allow anti-government protests when the nationwide state of emergency ends today.

The Ministry of Justice warned against "any type of activities that could affect security or harm the national peace and safety," in a statement Tuesday.

Activists and youth movements, mostly Shi'ites, are planning to hold rallies today in villages "against the government and troops in protest at violations of human rights," Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights said in an e-mailed statement.

Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has blamed over-education as the reason behind the uprising that saw the Bahrain Grand Prix canceled earlier this year.

Eccelestone's comments come amidst the ongoing debate over whether the race in Bahrain should be reinstated later on in the Formula One calendar.

"What's our problem in the world at the moment? Too many over-educated people," Ecclestone said, in an interview with CNN.

"If we can find a way to do something about that then a lot of our problems will disappear.

The F1 supremo further went on to identify the lack of jobs available for these individuals as the reason behind the unrest in the country.

"The guys go to college, they're there until they're 20 or 23 years old, spend all their lives trying to do something.

"They achieve and then they can't find a job.

"So they get a bit upset and I don't blame them."

"Childrens Friday" protests today in Syria in tribute to 13-year-old Hamza who was picked by authorities after he attended a protest with his father, and whose dead body was found battered and mutilated. I guess Russia and China are still blocking even a UN statement re Syria.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/06/03/136915368/childrens-friday-protests-called-in-syria-internet-access-cut

and at least 34 killed so far. jesus christ.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13642917

Every Friday is killing day for Assad.

probably worth noting here that saleh has fled yemen after the bomb attack, possibly for good

He went to Saudi Arabi for treatment of injuries from the attack apparently. The Washington Post phrasing of this initially just focussed on how the Al Queda branch there will now have a chance to grow, though they offered no facts in support nor did they explain how Saleh was doing in response to the group.

Arabia

This ain't good.

http://damascusgaygirl.blogspot.com/

This is not good either:

Yemen's wounded president is to defy the West by returning to the country "within days", his deputy said on Monday, triggering fears of a bloody showdown. ...

What will Hillary Clinton do or not do:

Secretary Hillary Clinton and other U.S. officials meeting Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in the U.S. this week must publicly press the issue of human rights violations, including torture, mass arrests, military show trials and attacks on religious sites, said Human Rights First today. She should raise the cases of human rights defenders like Nabeel Rajab, President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, whose house has been attacked and who has been prohibited from leaving the country.

120 Syrian security personnel dead?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110606/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_syria

as the article says apparently there was some kind of skirmish but many are skeptical of that number. Soem Syrian protestors are now apparently arming themselves in response to the tactics utilized by Assad.

Another take on what happened or might have happened

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/michaelweiss/100091058/the-bbc-swallows-assad-controlled-syria-media-rubbish-whole-then-reports-it-as-news/

It's confusing what happened. According to an NPR radio report I just heard, most of the folks who live in that city are fleeing ahead of an anticipated brutal Syrian government crackdown

And unrelated to that, other media (predominantly conservative) are reporting that Assad is paying farmers to protest in the border area with Israel.

The United Nations Security Council will consider a French proposal Wednesday afternoon formally to condemn the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad over an increasingly bloody crackdown on dissidents.

But Russia will likely oppose it.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2011/0608/Why-Russia-might-veto-a-UN-resolution-to-condemn-Syria-crackdown

A resolution would also provide the basis for the European Union, and perhaps others, to proceed to additional economic sanctions against Syria.

But Russia’s concerns about where a resolution might lead have been fed by the growing similarities of the Libyan and Syrian situations, some regional experts say.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13705854

That's disturbing.

NY Times says US is continuing with drone strikes against the Al Queda group in Yemen and the US has met with pro-democracy rebel groups in Yemen to convince them to continue to allow strikes against the Al Queda group there.

re: Syria - who would arm an uprising against Assad? I know there's tons of free-floating arms around the country, but any kind of successful armed resistance requires a) the support of the majority of the general populace and b) steady supply of weapons (WS Burroughs axiom no. 967)

Egypt and Tunisia (with weapons acquired from elsewhere)-- just kidding. Do Russia and China seriously think the current NATO mission is going to inspire the West to want to support a Syrian uprising?

But I don't get why the European Union is hesitant to say (or embargo) Syria until the UN Security Council formally condemns Syria (which might not happen because of Russia and China)

More than 1,000 Syrians crossed the border to Turkey within the past 24 hours, according to a Turkish official. The refugees say they anticipate a violent crackdown by troops closing in on the northwest border town of Jisr al-Shugur, where earlier in the week 120 members of the security forces were killed by armed gangs, according to the Syrian authorities. Turkish media report that the government in Ankara is preparing for an influx of up to 1 million refugees

Up to 1 million!

jesus fuck