You are in the the 131st Child Diary of the Liveblog of the 2011 uprisings throughout North Africa and the Middle East. We stand with our international friends and their courageous struggle for dignity, self-determination and human rights.
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Here is the latest Intervention Diary by conchita. (comment in lieu of diary today.)
LIBYA: Saturday in Libya saw more war crimes from Qaddafi forces, new media in liberated areas, a draft UN resolution for sanctions against Libya, including a referral to the International Criminal Court. While one can never predict, it really feels like the Qaddafi era might be over and the Libyan people have a chance to build a democratic society from scratch.
UN Security Council slaps sanctions on Libya
New York: The UN Security Council late on Saturday unanimously approved sanctions against Libya, including an arms embargo and the referral of the situation to International Criminal Court.
The council voted 15-0 to adopt Resolution 1970 imposing a comprehensive arms embargo, a travel ban and freeze of assets on the Gaddafi regime.
Qaddafi Forces Shooting From Ambulances, Witnesses Say
TRIPOLI, Libya — An increasingly gruesome picture began to emerge Saturday of the violent tactics used by the government of Col.Muammar el-Qaddafi to quell protesters in Tripoli, the Libyan capital, with several witnesses confirming that forces loyal to the government had been shooting people from ambulances and using antiaircraft guns against crowds.
(h/t jnhobbs) - New media emerge in 'liberated' Libya
New radio stations and other news outlets have emerged in eastern Libya where opponents of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi have seized control.
A new daily newspaper - called Libya - has appeared in the country's second city Benghazi, where residents have been celebrating their ''liberation'' with huge demonstrations.
And two opposition-controlled radio stations, thought to be using the transmitters of Libyan state radio that have fallen into opposition hands, have been heard from neighbouring countries.
"Radio Free Libya from the Green Mountain" - presumed to be beaming from al-Bayda - has been urging other Libyan cities to join the "revolution".
More regional tidbits after the fold....bold section names indicate fresh content...
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(h/t ) -
GENERAL ANALYSIS:
The Arab rebellion: perspectives of power
The Arab popular awakening is provoking serious concern among state and security elites across the west. But Israel’s stance is the most self-defeating of all.
(h/t NYBritExpat):
the project for a new Arab century: good piece of analysis, read: http://english.aljazeera.net/....
pan-arabism's revival: http://english.aljazeera.net/....
Dan Hind, from protest to revolution:http://english.aljazeera.net/....
EGYPT:
(h/t angry marmot ) - New coalition of 25 January workers calls for minimum wage, right to protest
A group of labor leaders on Friday met to establish the "Coalition of the 25 January Revolution Workers" and to reassert the revolutionary principles of change, freedom and social justice.
In a statement, the coalition affirmed workers’ absolute right to restore their rights, to strike and peacefully protest, and to fight corruption in their management teams and labor unions.
The statement said the workers' protests over the past years paved the way for the 25 January revolution and could guarantee its victory.
(h/t angry marmot) - Commission announces proposed changes to Egyptian Constitution
An army-appointed legal commission announced Saturday a package of proposed constitutional amendments that eased restrictions on eligibility conditions for presidential elections, limited the number of presidential terms to two four-year periods and ensured full judicial monitoring of elections.
To satisfy political forces calling for the promulgation of a new constitution, the commission made it compulsory for the next parliament to draft one.
(h/t dmac) - Egypt's Army Passes Draft Constitutional Amendments
The army in Egypt has passed a draft of constitutional amendments to be submitted to a national referendum.
Under the proposed changes, the president would only be allowed to serve two four-year terms, instead of unlimited six-year periods.
Deposed President Hosni Mubarak was serving his fifth six-year term when he was toppled by a mass uprising earlier this month.
(h/t dmac) - Egypt Panel Suggests Presidential Term Limits
CAIRO — An Egyptian panel tasked with amending the country's constitution has recommended presidential term limits — a significant change from the current open-ended presidency.
IRAQ:
(h/t JustJennifer) - At least 19 dead in Iraq as tens of thousands join protests
BAGHDAD — Tens of thousands of Iraqis took to the streets yesterday in nationwide protests that left at least 19 dead and dozens wounded, but the US military consciously and conspicuously remained on the sideline.
(h/t JustJennifer) - another take on the same story:
Thousands of Iraqis have taken to the streets across the country to protest against corruption and a lack of basic services in an organised nationwide "day of rage", inspired by uprisings around the Arab world.
OMAN:
(h/t oldliberal via angry marmot) - Oman shuffles cabinet amid protests
A raft of minor reforms have been floated "in the public's interest" by the sultan of Oman, as protesters stopped traffic and broke street lights in the country's largest industrial city.
Oman's ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, issued a decree announcing a raise in stipends for university students - which will reportedly be boosted by between US$65 and US$234 a month - in order to "achieve further development and provide a decent living", said the state-run Oman News Agency.
A cabinet reshuffle has also seen the replacement of six ministers - though long-serving ministers were not affected.
In addition, Sultan Qaboos announced the creation of a consumer protection bureau and said he was looking into opening cooperatives in the 2.8million-strong country - an absolute monarchy where poltical parties are banned.
SYRIA:
Lack of protests in Syria blamed on internet crackdown
Beirut - While much of the Arab world continues to see thousands of people taking to the streets with calls for political change, a 'Day of Rage' planned in Syria this month drew only a few dozen protesters.
Hundreds of Syrians did later demonstrate, but to demand an investigation into the alleged police beating of a young man in the capital Damascus - not to seek the toppling of the government, as protesters have successfully done in Tunisia and Egypt.
Government officials attribute the lack of upheaval to President Bashar al-Assad's popularity.
'Such protests are useless in Syria because the president is not hated as much as Hosny Mubarak in Egypt. Our president has started to make reforms a few years ago,' a Syrian source loyal to the president told the German Press Agency dpa.
But rights groups and activists blame the low turnout on an internet crackdown initiated by the government.
One Syrian activist, who spoke to dpa on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, said that a number of bloggers have been detained recently in an attempt to stop people from using the internet to share information and organize protests.
BAHRAIN:
(h/t JustJennifer) - Bahrain Shia leader home from exile.
Hassan Mushaimaa, a Bahraini Shia opposition leader who was being tried in absentia in an alleged coup plot, has arrived home from exile after receiving a royal pardon.
London-based Mushaimaa flew to Manama, the capital, from Lebanon on Saturday.
The prominent leader of the Shia Haq movement had said on his Facebook page on Monday that he would be trying to return to the Gulf Arab country after a week of unprecedented protests by majority Shia Muslims against the Sunni monarchy.
Mushaimaa said he wanted to see if the island nation's leadership was serious about dialogue or not.
He was stopped during a stopover in Beirut by Lebanese authorities, who said his name was on an international arrest warrant, and his passport was seized.
Sheikh Khalid ibn Ahmad al-Khalifa, Bahrain's foreign minister, said on Thursday that Mushaimaa, who was among 25 people charged over an alleged coup plot and who was being tried in absentia, had been pardoned and would be allowed to return home to join a national dialogue.
YEMEN:
(h/t DRo) - Tribal Leader’s Resignation Is Blow to Yemeni President
SANA, Yemen — A leading tribal figure in Yemen announced his resignation from the ruling party on Saturday, signaling a major blow to the embattled leadership of President Ali Abdullah Saleh as demonstrations calling for his resignation continue across the country.
“The Yemeni people would not keep silent on the blood of martyrs shed in Aden and will avenge it,” Sheikh Hussein Al Ahmar said in a speech before a large gathering of tribesmen in northern Amran province, referring to deaths of antigovernment protesters in the southern city of Aden, according to local press reports. He also called for the overthrow the Saleh regime, and the gathering broke out in antigovernment chants.
(h/t FORUS50) - Decoding Yement
excerpts:
Over the past 2 weeks, tens of thousands have taken to the streets in the biggest wave of protests the country has ever seen. The demonstrators have tended to be youthful – the average age in Yemen is 17 - but the demographics involved have become increasingly diverse over the past week, suggesting a broadening of support for the movement. Although Western reporting has focused on the capital, Sana’a, mostly due to a lack of reporters in other locations, the uprising has reverberated across the country.
snip
As with Egypt and Tunisia, the protests have been notable for a lack of organised activity on the part of formal political organisations. Since democratic structures are weak and repression levels high, parties have struggled to establish a of foothold over the past decade, negating any claim they might have to being representatives of the popular revolt. As a result, tribal leaders still represent the most effective players in a country where 70% of the population live in rural areas. Although Saleh has retained the tenuous support of most tribal leaders, this tacit alliance seems to be crumbling. Eyewitnesses have reported armed tribesmen loyal to the leader of the Hashid tribal bloc protecting anti-government protesters against their regime-sponsored opponents. This is a certainly a dynamic to monitor closely over the coming days. The actions of Hamid al Ahmar, leader of the Hashid, could yet prove particularly important.
snip
Nevertheless, the outcome of this uprising could well hinge on the smallest of events. Yesterday, it is reported that a single panicking soldier almost changed the course of events by firing into a peaceful crowd before his superiors were able to wrestle the gun from him. The evidence of Tunisia suggests that the turning point can just as easily come from the actions of an individual. After all, it took the burning of just one desperate man to ignite the spark of revolution that has spread across North Africa and the Middle East. The turning point is drawing ever closer; do watch Yemen in the coming days.
IRAN:
Iranian opposition plans new protest demonstrations
Berlin - The Iranian opposition plans to hold new protest demonstrations next week, opposition websites reported Saturday.
The movement known as the Green Wave said in a statement that the protests are aimed at forcing an end to the house arrest of the opposition leaders Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi.
Moussavi and Karroubi have been under house arrest for almost two weeks, their telephone and internet links cut.
At least three people were killed and an unknown number of protesters arrested in two demonstrations held earlier this month
ALGERIA:
First Algeria protests since lifting of emergency law
Algiers/Paris, Feb 26 (DPA) Hundreds of protesters Saturday took part in the first demonstrations held in Algeria since the lifting of the 19-year-old state of emergency earlier this week, witnesses said.
The protesters gathered in the centre of the capital Algiers, despite the protest ban which is still in place.
Security officers maintained a large presence. In the past they have used violence to break up such demonstrations.
Supporters of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika had also gathered on the city's central square and chanted pro-government slogans.
The country's state of emergency, in place since Feb 9, 1992, was officially ended Thursday. It had allowed the state wide-reaching powers to interfere in political activity.
Its lifting was one of the key demands of opposition protesters, who took to the streets over the past weeks inspired by the anti-government protests in Tunisia and Egypt, which led to the respective toppling of presidents Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak.
SAUDI ARABIA:
Could the next Mideast uprising happen in Saudi Arabia?
Tunisia. Egypt. Yemen. Bahrain. And now the uprising and brutality in Libya. Could Saudi Arabia be next?
The notion of a revolution in the Saudi kingdom seems unthinkable. Yet, a Facebook page is calling for a "day of rage" protest on March 11. Prominent Saudis are urging political and social reforms. And the aging monarch, King Abdullah, has announced new economic assistance to the population, possibly to preempt any unrest.
MOROCCO:
(h/t ninkasi23) - http://mamfakinch.tumblr.com/
the following is in French and Arabic, but it's a list of protest locations for this coming weekend:
Selon les informations et les communiqués qui nous sont parvenus, voici les principales manifestations du mouvement du 20 février de ce weekend et ceci n’est pas une liste excaustive :Rabat : Samedi 26 à 17H à Bab El Hed et Dimanche 27 à 10h à Bab El HedCasablanca : Samedi 26 à 15 H Place Lahmam ساحة الحمام
Tanger : Place Beni Mkada en face du cinéma Tarik : Dimanche 27 à 10h30 بساحة بني مكادة أمام سينما طارق
Agadir : Samedi 26 à 16h بساحة السلام - البطوار- Place de la paix - Abbatoires
Kenitra : Sensibilisation : Samedi 26 Place النافورة à 17h30 Une Marche prévue Dimanche 27 Place النافورة à 14h
Mohamedia : Samedi 26 En face du théâtre muncipale أمام المسرح البلدي – العالية المحمدية à 16h
Khouribga : Dimanche 27 à 16h انطلاقــا من ساحة المجاهدين
Khemissat : Samedi 26 de 15h à 17h ساحة المسيرة الخضراء – شارع محمد الخامس- من الساعة الثالثة إلى الساعة الخامسة مساء.
Bouârfa : Dimanche 27 à 15h30 بساحة تامللت على الساعة الثالثة والنصف مساء
JORDAN:
Activists demand change in peaceful Jordan protest
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Anti-government protesters want faster political reform
Pro and anti-government groups clashed last week
This week, police kept the two groups separated
The protest comes as demonstrations spread across the Middle East and Africa
MAURITANIA:
'Facebook Generation' continues Mauritania protests
Nouakchott, Mauritania (CNN) -- Young Mauritanians pushing for social and political reforms continued a sit-in Saturday in the capital a day after a street protest demanding change.
Police dispersed hundreds of protesters early Saturday, but after a few hours the crowd returned to spend the night at Blocat Square in Nouakchott's city center, despite one earlier arrest and the possibility of forces returning.
"The purpose of the youth demonstrations that we are leading (is) aimed at pushing the ruling regime to make urgent social, economic and political reforms for the sake of better life conditions," said protester Mohamed Ould Sidie. "We don't belong to any one of the political parties, and we don't want to.
"Mauritania is a very rich country, but unfortunately the huge riches of the country, including gold, oil, minerals, fish, are mismanaged by the corrupt, political regimes," said Sidi. "It's time to make a change."
TUNISIA:
(h/t JustJennifer) - Three killed in Tunisian anti-government protests
The BBC's Paul Moss in Tunis says the situation there is "very serious indeed"
Three people have been killed in clashes between hundreds of demonstrators and security forces in the Tunisian capital, authorities say.
Police used tear gas, batons and live ammunition to disperse demonstrators outside the interior ministry in Tunis.
Police and masked men in civilian clothes, armed with sticks, moved through streets looking for protesters.
The protest comes a day after police cleared huge crowds from the streets demanding the prime minister resign.
Tunisia to hold elections by mid-July
TUNISIA'S government has declared it will hold elections in mid-July as tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets demanding the resignation of its prime minister, an ally of ousted leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
One young protester was injured when warning shots were fired at protesters, a witness said.
The government "has decided that consultations with different political parties should not exceed mid-March.... Elections will be organised at the latest in mid-July 2011," the official TAP news agency said, quoting a cabinet statement.
LEBANON:
(h/t ) - Secular activists plan protest in bid to topple sectarian regime
“It will be a special, peaceful march that will include unique activities. It won’t be another ordinary march,” said Nehmat Badreddine, a spokesperson for one the groups taking part.
....
The aim of the campaign, organizers say, is to topple the sectarian system and liberate the Lebanese people from the dangerous policies of sectarian leaders, and years of government performance that have failed to alleviate pressing socio-economic problems.
PALESTINE:
Toward Palestine's 'Mubarak moment'
The slow collapse of Palestinian collective leadership institutions in recent years has reached a crisis amid the ongoing Arab revolutions, the revelations in the Palestine Papers, and the absence of any credible peace process.
The Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) controlled by Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah faction has attempted to respond to this crisis by calling elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) and the PA presidency.
Abbas hopes that elections could restore legitimacy to his leadership. Hamas has rejected such elections in the absence of a reconciliation agreement ending the division that resulted from Fatah's refusal (along with Israel and the PA's western sponsors, especially the United States) to accept the result of the last election in 2006, which Hamas decisively won.
But even if such an election were held in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, it does not resolve the crisis of collective leadership faced by the entire Palestinian people, some ten million distributed between those living in the occupied Gaza Strip and West Bank, inside Israel, and the worldwide diaspora. read on...
(h/t NYBritExpat) is the west bank next?: http://english.aljazeera.net/ indepth/opinion/2011/02/ 2011222211617377989.htm
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Our Egyptian brethren articulated what people around the region are fighting for, though variations to the theme may exist from country to country. banner held by protesters and translated to English:
1 The departure of Mubarak
2 An end to the current Parliament
3 An end of the state of emergency
4 The creation of a national united government
5 A parliament elected by the people to modify the constitution and run the presidential elections
6 Put those responsible for the killings on trial
7 Put those responsible for stealing the country's money and other acts of corruption on trial
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Resources:
Note: The Mothership Diary is the place to go for a complete list of resources.
Al Jazeera English - Watch Live (the Youtube link below should work for Mac users unable to load this.)
Al Jazeera live also available on
Dish Network channel 9410
DirecTV: Channel 375 Link
Al Jazeera on Facebook:
http: //www.facebook.com/aljazeera
Al Jazeera Live on YouTube
English Stream http://www.youtube.com/...
Arabic Stream http://www.youtube.com/...
BBC Reports
BBC Middle East is doing specific Egypt coverage
WorldWideTahrir{NEW} : Worldwide protests being organized to coincide with the upcoming ones in Egypt.
bicycle Hussein paladin - Why Iran 1979 Went to the Islamists and This One Won't
weasel - Updates on the Egyptian Protests
People to follow on twitter: - please suggest people for specific countries. Thank you!
@Gheblawi - Libya
@sharifkouddous
@monasosh
@ioerror
@ElBaradei
@SultanAlQassemi
@evanchill
@glcarlstrom
@nolanjazeera
@3arabawy
@shadihamid
@bencnn
@arabist
@speaktotweet: Egyptian Voice Tweets on Twitter
Previous Child Diaries:
Egypt and the Region Liveblog Archive by unaspenser
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