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

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

I wonder if they're exaggerating a bit for political reasons, although i am sure the numbers are large.

Almost comical in parts Washington Post interview with Bahrain's Foreign Minister about reforming the country into a parliamentary democracy:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/lally-weymouth-talks-with-bahrains-foreign-minister/2011/06/08/AGgxNbNH_story.html

Security forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad began operations in Syria’s northwest on Friday, with heavy gunfire reported near a flashpoint town

Assad seems to like doing lots of killing on fridays after morning religious services

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/11/syrian-troops-jisr-al-shughour-assad

killing on fridays after morning religious services

People in hiding more likely to emerge on Friday, I would guess.

Today, the Gay Girl In Damascus blog ended the mystery, posting an apology that revealed Amina was in fact the work of Tom MacMaster, an American from Georgia whose university records show is in a medieval studies graduate program at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland from npr

Russia and China snubbed UN Security Council talks convened to discuss a draft resolution that would condemn Syria’s bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, UN diplomats said.

“Russia and China didn’t think it necessary to show up,” a council diplomat said on condition of anonymity

from Reuters

Turkish media report that the government in Ankara is preparing for an influx of up to 1 million refugees

This "preparation" involves plans to move into Syria and establish a "safe zone" where anti-Assad rebels can plan and train.

Of course, as Turkey is part of NATO, this raises the possibility that the UK, and/or the United States, and/or everybody else in NATO will now be fighting in yet another country, regardless of what the Security Council says.

can't believe nato is prolonging the syrian uprising by providing all this support

Your irony has become so oblique I no longer know what its object is.

im kind of more interested in what you're getting at. is it a case of everyone (except iran) should stay the fuck out of sovereign syrian affairs? if so cool. it just isn't clear yet.

I'm not making a case about anything, just relaying what I've read.

I read that Turkey was mostly just creating refugee tent camps in Turkey for the now 6,000 or so refugees.

Tracer, So you are or are not pushing a stance that NATO should never intervene militarily anywhere? You have expressed your dislike for the Libya mission, and it seems like therefore you would feel the same re Syria. Are you with Aimless in believing that the US and Uk and others should not intervene anywhere? Just asking.

Obviously Libya has been an expensive mess that has not yet gotten rid of Gadaffi, and Syria would be that much more complicated and dangerous and Russia and China of course object. But it is unpleasant to watch dictatorships slaughter their people (obviously we're all in agreement on this last point, but we have different viewpoints on what if anything can or should be done )

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/06/13/bahrain.unrest/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Bahrain also just sentenced a woman poet to a year in jail.

"no poetic license" I assume

curmudgeon I don't really have some blanket personal policy about foreign intervention by the_global_north. (I don't think Aimless does either fwiw.) If there is any sort of rule I have I guess it's something close to the Hippocratic oath.

dont treat your family members?