You are in the 220th Witness Revolution diary, bearing witness to pro-democracy movements in North Africa, the Middle East and beyond. We aim here to simply report, from as many reliable worldwide resources as possible, on the successes, challenges or failures of the brave people striving against oppression for representative democracy with civil and human rights. One small bit of assurance that they do not strive in obscurity. Please see the 200th edition where participants shared what this series means to them.
TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
From the Children of Libya to Syria
(h/t Lawrence)
Children in Tobruk declare their solidarity with the protesters in Syria.
BAHRAIN
Updates: Serious injuries of protesters, medic arrested and student arrested on arrival at Bahrain Airport
Ammar Madan is still in the hospital.
Ammar's testimony as relayed by Nabeel:
"Ammar was kidnapped by riot police on street at 9:30, then taken to Exhibition center police station in Sanabis. He was then tortured & beaten by 2 officers. One of the officers undressed & exposed his privates then urinated on Ammar as he lay in his blood on the floor. They threatened Ammar that if he spoke of what had happened 2 him, he will be tortured again. After fainting Ammar was thrown in the street by the same people who had kidnapped him. Ammar s now in hospital suffering from broken ribs fractured arms jaw & wrist, an injured lung & trauma to his back."
This video shows when he was arrested, and after he was found.
Activists women under fierce attack: detained, tortured and prosecuted for political reasons.
Two female unionists, Jaleela Al Salman (Vice President of the Bahrain Society for teachers) and Rula AlSafar (President of Bahrain Nursing Society) who have constantly been working to defend the rights of employees in their respective fields remain in jail today. They have reportedly been ill-treated in detention and are expected to be sentenced with false accusations. On August 2 2011, both detainees went on a hunger strike in protest of their illegitimate detention. Their families reported that the two women plan to continue the strike until they are released.
Jaleela Al Salman (left) and Rula AlSafar (right) start a hunger strike in protest of their illegitimate detention
YEMEN
News of the Yemeni Revolution
Ahmad Yaslim Bin Haidar, 10 year old child injured by a live bullet in his lower back by Central Security forces in Shahr. #yemen #yf
News of the Yemeni Revolution
Martyr Salim Saeed BaMaebed in Shahr, Hadramout today after clashes between protesters and Central Security forces. #yemen #yf
SYRIA
(08.04.2011) Damascus | Douma | Thousands gather and chant "the people want to topple the regime"
Rebel army form "southern section" unit.
Another brigade from the #Syian army defects
The Syrian Days Of Rage - English
#Aleppo | Martyr Basem Al-Mara'anazy shot by Syrian security forces - Free #Syria
country by country updates below the fold
Thank you for bearing witness.
ABOUT OUR GROUP
Eyes on Egypt and the Region produces a different series of diaries which provide background and analysis on the region in general and on individual countries. We hope those provide context for you as you read about current events. The published diaries in that series are:
Eyes on Egypt and the Region Background Resources
See the group stream for even more diaries.
DO YOU KNOW OF GOOD READING MATERIAL?
We collect suggested readings for background reference materials in support of the Eyes on Egypt and the Region group. These may be non-fiction or fiction, general to the region or specific to a country or issue. If there are resources which you believe could aid our understanding of the events and processes we are witnessing, please either a) post a comment in the Liveblog with the title "Suggested reading:" and a brief description of the reading in the body of the comment, or b) send your suggestions via the dKos internal message to angry marmot.
Libyan Doctors for Hospitals in Libya is an impressive new aide organization launched by one of our own: StepLeftStepForward.
NEWS UPDATES
(country names in bold are updated from the previous diary.)
GENERAL ANALYSIS
(h/t Dibsa 8/4)-Arab Youth Still Want Change, But Won't Be Politicians
Slim Amamou knew he would be arrested after a group of cyberactivists shut down the Tunisian government’s official website. As protests against longtime autocrat Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali raged on the streets in January, security forces yanked the 33-year-old computer programmer from his office. Even during his secret interrogation, thousands of people knew where the dissident blogger with long, straggling hair and thick, black glasses was being held. Amamou was handcuffed, but his cell phone, armed with Google Latitude, relayed his location: the Interior Ministry
(h/t Dibsa 8/4)-North African women press for freedom, rights and dignity
CAIRO, EGYPT: Arab women have shown that women can play important roles in revolutionary events. In Egypt and Tunisia they participated in the popular uprisings for democracy. “The women contributed equally to the revolution, like the men,” affirms Emna Ben Jemaa, a Tunisian lecturer and journalist. “We took part in protests in the street, without any discrimination against us.”
ALGERIA
(h/t Dibsa 8/3) - Algeria boosts grain imports to prevent social uprising during Ramadan
Global Arab Network - Faced with crumbling regimes across the Arab world, Algeria has dramatically boosted its grain imports to contain social unrest during Ramadan, when food prices traditionally shoot up
(h/t Dibsa 7/29) -
Algerian Exceptionalism and the Arab Spring
With all the turmoil prevailing in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) this year, news of turmoil from Algeria has been strangely infrequent. In the context of what is now looking to be a 'perpetual' Arab Spring, the headline 'Fresh Wave of Violence Kills Six in Algeria' conjures up images of clashes between Algerian armed forces and protestors
BAHRAIN
(h/t Dibsa 8/4 ) - Bahrain admits raid on international medical group
DUBAI: Bahrain says its police raided the offices used by Medecins Sans Frontieres because the group was operating without permission in the Gulf Kingdom
(h/t Dibsa 8/3) - Bahrain Announces Salary Hikes for Public Sector Employees
MANAMA, Bahrain, Aug. 3, 2011 -- PRNewswire-USNewswire -- Inspired by views expressed during the National Dialogue, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa announced a 36.5 percent salary increase for government employees and a 37.5 percent salary increase for pensioners
(h/t Dibsa 8/3) - Bahrain: From a new awakening to a divided nation
A young man, his face masked by a red cloth so that only his eyes are visible, strides at the head of a crowd of protesters down the street in the Shia village of Nuwaidrat in Bahrain. The people behind him look as if they expect a confrontation with the police. Some wave red-and-white Bahraini flags, which have become the symbol of the pro-democracy protesters. "Soon the police will start shooting," warns an onlooker as two police vehicles screech to a halt at the entrance to the village
(h/t Dibsa 8/3) - Human Rights Report Details Violence Against Health Care Workers in Bahrain
When antigovernment protesters marched in February and March of this year on the streets of Manama, the capital of Bahrain, peacefully calling for political and economic reforms, a brutal response by the country's security services followed
(h/t Dibsa 8/3) - Bahrain: MSF condemns armed raid on its offices
The international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières MSF (Doctors Without Borders) today condemned an armed raid on its premises in Bahrain and the subsequent detention of one of its staff members
(h/t Dibsa 8/3) - Bahrain probes abuse after tear gas kills man
DUBAI - A Bahraini man died this week from tear gas inhaled during security operations in a Shi'ite Muslim village, rights activists said on Tuesday, and the government said some police were under investigation for "exceeding their authority"
(h/t Dibsa 8/2) - Bahrain/Dublin: Professor Eoin O'Brien writes in todays Irish Examiner on the findings of the recent humanitarian mission to Bahrain
Professor Eoin O'Brien writes in todays Irish Examiner on the findings of the recent humanitarian mission to Bahrain to offer support to imprisoned Bahraini doctors and their families.Three of the imprisoned doctors, Dr Ali Al Ekri, Dr Basim Daif and Dr Ghassan Daif studied in the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin
(h/t Dibsa 8/2) - Bahraini politician's wife tells of fear
Amal Matar tells Al Jazeera that arbitrary arrests have made people scared of testifying before investigating panels.
The government of Bahrain insists human rights experts are being given unrestricted access to investigate allegations of abuse duringprotests earlier this year
COTE D'IVOIRE
(h/t Dibsa 8/1 ) - Ivory Coast President Vows to Enforce Human Rights
Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara says he will make sure human rights are respected across his country.
(h/t Dibsa 8/1 ) -
AP Exclusive: Ouattara: no knowledge of massacre
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ivory Coast's president said he knows nothing about brutal killings committed by his forces the day after his inauguration and defended a senior officer accused of separate atrocities as one of the country's best soldiers
(h/t Dibsa 7/29 ) - Warlords in Ivory Coast continue to reign
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — Young men who were only recently shooting at each other are now doing push-ups side by side in a boot camp. But in Ivory Coast’s far west, armed fighters still attack and steal from the population, almost 700,000 of whom are too afraid to return home
DJIBOUTI
(h/t Dibsa 6/22 ) - Djibouti Will Intensify Fight Against Poverty, Prime Minister Dileita Says
Djibouti’s government will intensify its fight against poverty, improve governance and implement renewable-energy projects to help spur economic growth, Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed Dileita said
EGYPT
(h/t Dibsa 8/4) - Nation Conversations: Roane Carey and Paul Wachter on Squash in Egypt
Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was an avid squash player. He insisted on playing other political figures whenever he traveled outside of Egypt, and he even funded Egypt's squash team
(h/t Dibsa 8/4) - Egypt ex-security chief trial adjourned to Aug 14
The murder trial of Egypt's former interior minister Habib Al-Adly and six of his deputies was adjourned on Thursday to August 14 to allow lawyers more time to review the evidence
(h/t Dibsa 8/4) - Mubarak:Spectacle Captivates the Middle East
Hosni Mubarak’s televised trial transformed Egypt and much of the Middle East into a vast living room on Wednesday, with millions of viewers, from the shops of Amman and Jerusalem to the hovels of impoverished Yemen, mesmerized by the live broadcasts of a once-unthinkable spectacle beamed from a Cairo court
(h/t Dibsa 8/3) - Egypt puts Mubarak on trial, transfixing Arab world
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's Hosni Mubarak was wheeled into a courtroom cage in a hospital bed Wednesday to face trial for killing protesters -- an image that thrilled those who overthrew him and must have chilled other Arab autocrats facing popular uprisings.
If convicted, Mubarak could face the death penalty
(h/t Dibsa 8/3) - Mubarak's on Trial, But the Revolution's Over
All of Egypt is stunned by the image of Mubarak and his cronies, clothed in white prison garb, in a steel cage in a Cairo courtroom
(h/t Dibsa 8/2) -
Slide Show: Witness to the Egyptian Revolution
The first images of Egyptians flooding Cairo’s Tahrir Square this January captivated people around the world, long before anyone knew the protesters would actually topple their government. Scenes from the Arab Spring have become icons of a rare achievement—peaceful, successful revolution—so it is no surprise they are also being heralded as contemporary art. Nadav Neuhaus, a 39-year-old photographer who had traveled extensively in Egypt before the revolution, was able to return and capture the scenes leading up to President Mubarak's resignation. Neuhaus's photography focuses on newsworthy events, yet he also highlights the human scale, capturing images that might be missed in the daily news cycle
IRAN
(h/t Dibsa 8/4) - AP Interview: Iran envoy sees release for 2 US men
BAGHDAD (AP) — Iran's ambassador to Iraq said Thursday he expects two Americans who have been charged with espionage and held in Tehran for more than two years will be released "very soon."
(h/t Dibsa 7/29) -
Amnesty urges Iran to free US hikers
Amnesty on Friday renewed calls for Iran to release two young US hikers held on spying charges since July 2009, two days ahead of a fresh hearing in their case
IRAQ
(h/t Dibsa 7/29) -
Iraq PM due before MPs as US troop talks cancelled
BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is due to make a rare appearance before Iraq's parliament on Saturday to push a plan for downsizing a bloated government that critics accuse of inaction
(h/t Dibsa 7/29) - Athletes rally in Baghdad, demand release of Iraqi football player detained in Bahrain
BAGHDAD (AP) — Dozens of athletes rallied in Baghdad on Wednesday, demanding the release of a 16-year-old Iraqi football player detained in Bahrain earlier this year when the country was swept by anti-government protests
ISRAEL
(h/t Dibsa 8/4 ) - Israelis protest against high cost of living
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, is facing his biggest domestic crisis since taking office more than two years ago as tens of thousands of Israelis have joined a growing protest movement against the high cost of living in the country
(h/t Dibsa 8/4 ) - Israeli activists call for mass Saturday protests
Representatives of Israel's growing social protest movement have called for massive demonstrations on Saturday night to press their calls for a reduction in the cost of living
(h/t Dibsa 8/1 ) -
The tent protest: neither social justice, nor revolution
The popular, mass protests here that began as a cry of rage against housing prices have evolved admirably into a public outcry against a slew of deep-rooted problems in Israeli social and economic life. Visiting the tent camps early every day, we’ve watched the protest grow from a motley band of wishful Woodstockers at the tip of Rothschild Boulevard two weeks ago, to a sort of mini-metropolis spreading close to the end of the road. There’s a first aid tent courtesy of Physicians for Human Rights, “Settle the Negev and the Galil” tents, ideological discussions, guitar and drum sing-alongs, Kabalat Shabbat, Friday night dinner, outdoor films about revolutionary themes, families with babies, and endlessly creative slogans
JORDAN
(h/t Dibsa 8/4) - Jordan youths to up pro-reform demos
Jordanian youth groups said on Thursday they plan to increase their pro-reform demonstrations in Amman and other cities during the holy month of Ramadan and for the Eid al-Fitr festival
KUWAIT
(h/t Dibsa 6/27) - Kuwait arrests duo over Twitter comments
Kuwait will put two citizens on trial for criticising Gulf Arab ruling families on social media site Twitter, a security official said
LEBANON
(h/t JustJennifer 7/7)-Lebanon parliament backs cabinet as opposition boycotts
Lebanon's new government has won a parliamentary vote of confidence, after a heated debate over an international tribunal investigating the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
LIBYA
(h/t Dibsa 8/4) - Rift threatens Libya rebels
Libya's rebels were threatened by a rift on Thursday, as their progress on the battlefield slowed and one of Moamer Kadhafi's sons said his family has forged an alliance with Islamist insurgents
(h/t Dibsa 8/4) - Libyan fighters from Tripoli hope to free capital
NALUT, Libya (AP) — The rebel fighters of the Tripoli Brigade have one goal — to be among the first to enter the Libyan capital and kick out Moammar Gadhafi and his cronies
(h/t Dibsa 8/4) - Kadhafi son claims pact with rebel Libya Islamists
A high-profile son of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi said Wednesday his family had forged an alliance with Islamist rebels to drive out the secular opposition to his father's 40-year rule
(h/t Dibsa 8/2) -
Slain Libya rebel chief's son seeks speedy trials
BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — Family members of the Libyan rebel commander assassinated last week have demanded an open investigation and speedy trials for the perpetrators of his slaying.
The rebel leadership has insisted Abdel-Fattah Younis' killing was the work of Moammar Gadhafi's regime
(h/t Dibsa 8/2) - Libya rebels say forces enter Kadhafi-held Zliten
Libya's rebels said on Tuesday they launched a post-dawn attack on the western town of Zliten, punching through to the centre and sparking fierce clashes with forces loyal to Moamer Kadhafi
RESOURCES:
A vision of a democratic Libya an 8-point plan from the National Transitional Council
The full text of UN Resolution 1970 on Libya.
The full text of UN Resolution 1973 on Libya.
President Obama's letter to Congress regarding commencement of operations in Libya. (h/t greenbird)
Al Jazeera Libyan live blog. (h/t jnhobbs)
UK Telegraph Libyan live blog. (h/t bee tzu)
BBC Libyan live blog found here. (h/t greenbird)
The New Yorker Dispatches from Libya. (h/t suejazz)
BBC's Libyan crisis mapped. (h/t phil S 33)
revolutionology is a blog from an American in Benghazi
MAURITANIA
(h/t Dibsa 6/16) - Mauritania opposition says October vote not possible
NOUAKCHOTT — A Mauritanian opposition leader said Wednesday elections due in October could not go ahead without reforms, accusing President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz's government of abuse of power
MOROCCO
(h/t Dibsa 8/1 ) - Thousands protest on Morocco king's allegiance day
(Reuters) - Thousands of Moroccans marched on Sunday to press the Arab world's longest-ruling dynasty to relinquish more of its sweeping powers and stamp out corruption
OMAN
(h/t Dibsa 7/6) - Oman jails 12 more protesters, bringing total to 80
MUSCAT (Reuters) - An Omani court jailed 12 protesters from the coastal city of Sohar for up to three and a half years, a local paper said Wednesday, bringing the total number of people sentenced for taking part in the unrest to 80
PALESTINE
(h/t Dibsa 8/4 ) -
Palestinians 'moving ahead' with UN bid: Erakat
Palestinians are determined to go ahead with their UN membership bid as an Arab League follow-up committee endorsed a final draft of the request to be presented to the UN General Assembly, a top official said
SAUDI ARABIA
(h/t Dibsa 8/2) - Rights group urges Saudi monarch to scrap terror law
Human Rights Watch urged the Saudi monarch on Tuesday to rescind a counterterrorism bill which it says will infringe on basic rights and lump peaceful opposition together with violence
SYRIA
(h/t Dibsa 8/4) - Syrian city of Hama blacked out
BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian authorities kept the restive city of Hama under a blackout Thursday, cutting phone lines, Internet and electricity as part of a brutal, five-day-old crackdown on anti-government dissent. Activists expressed concern about worsening humanitarian conditions there, saying medical supplies and bread were in short supply even before the latest siege
(h/t Dibsa 8/3) - Video From Syria Shows Tanks in Hama
The Syrian government moved to deliver a knock-out blow to the rebellious city of Hama on Wednesday, activists said, sending tanks into the center of the city, the site of the country’s largest antigovernment protests
(h/t Dibsa 8/3) - Syrian crackdown condemned
BEIRUT -- Syrian troops tightened their siege on the city of Hama on Tuesday, sending residents fleeing for their lives and drawing a fresh wave of international condemnation against a regime defying the growing calls to end its crackdown on anti-government protesters
(h/t Dibsa 8/2) -
Syria lobbies India to prevent UN condemnation
Syria has called on India as chair of the United Nations Security Council not to give into "Western propaganda" about its crackdown on protests and to help prevent a resolution condemning the country
(h/t Dibsa 8/2) - Syria forces in Hama push as crackdown continues
Syrian forces are pushing towards the centre of the town of Hama as they continue an offensive in which scores of people have died
TUNISIA
(h/t Dibsa 8/3) - Tunisia: trial of Ben Ali collaborators postponed
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — A Tunisian court has granted a defense request to postpone the trial of 23 relatives and close collaborators of ousted Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali for about a week
(h/t Dibsa 8/2) -
Trial of Ben Ali relatives and allies resumes
The trial of 23 relatives and allies of ousted president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, including sisters and nephews of Ben Ali’s wife, resumed Tuesday. The charges include trying to flee Tunisia in illegal possession of foreign currency and jewellery
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
(h/t Dibsa 7/18) - U.A.E. court hears testimony against 5 reform activists
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Prosecutors in the United Arab Emirates questioned two witnesses Monday in the trial of five political activists who campaigned for democratic reforms in the Gulf nation and are accused of anti-state crimes, a court official said
(h/t Dibsa 7/11 ) - UAE expands electoral colleges
The United Arab Emirates has expanded the number of electoral colleges which elect half of the members of the 40-strong Federal National Council, a local newspaper reported on Monday
WESTERN SAHARA
(h/t Dibsa 7/26) - Western Sahara talks end in impasse
The latest round of unofficial, UN-brokered Western Sahara negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario ended without agreement last week
(h/t Dibsa 7/25) - Western Sahara: Women Refugees Denounce Dictatorship, Corruption at Camps
MADRID / Association for the development of Saharawi Women, led by Salma Buha Mint Bubacar Lecuara, president of the association and Fatma Ahmed Essbiti, its secretary, held a conference on july 21, 2011 at The Emperor hotel in Madrid. Ana Camacho a senior journalist with El País intervened in support of the two speakers. Also attended the ceremony Mohamed Salem jaddou a member of the association
YEMEN
(h/t Dibsa 8/4) - Latest word from Yemen's ill president doesn't allay tensions
SANAA, Yemen -- When Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh left for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia on June 5 after suffering severe injuries in a bomb attack on his compound, many in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula nation breathed a sigh of relief/blockquote>
(h/t Dibsa 8/4) - Crisis reigns in Yemen as Saleh clings to power
SANAA, Yemen • When Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh left for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia on June 5 after suffering severe injuries in a bomb attack on his compound, many in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula nation breathed a sigh of relief
(h/t Dibsa 8/2) - Yemen's defectors
A number of Yemeni soldiers have defected to join sides with anti-regime protesters seeking to end president Ali Abdullah Saleh's 33-year rule
It bears repeating - Please Rec this diary.
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
Will you help us gather updates?
Many hands make light work and we rely on teamwork for timely posting.
Here's how it works:
1. we invite you to join our wiki. (we'll need an email address from you)
2. you choose 1 or more countries you wish to gather citations for
3. go to the page of that country, click EDIT,
4. copy the mini template and fill in what the red text prompts
5. click SAVE
We're working on a publication schedule: Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday. Ideally we would see fresh citations in the wiki by late evening the day before. That is, posts from late Monday evening would be published in Tuesday morning's diary. (If you'd like produce a diary on a different day of the week, we'd love to show you how to update the template and paste it into your diary!)
It's really that simple! Please join us.
Resources:
Note: The old Mothership Diary has good 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 OR 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 Middle East reporting
BBC Middle East and Arab Unrest
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
People to follow on twitter: - please suggest people for specific countries. Thank you!
@ArabRevolution - Region
@Dima_Khatib - Region
@March15Syria - Syria
@JNovak_Yemen - Yemen
@WomanfromYemen - Yemen
@Gheblawi - Libya
@ShababLibya - Libya
@feb17voices - Libya
@DrsForLibya - Libya
@libyanexpat - Libya
@lissnp - Iran
@prsianbanoo - Iran
@sandmonkey - Egypt
@JRamyRaoof - Egypt
@Elazul - Egypt
@Ssirgany - Egypt
@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
NOTE: We renamed the original "Egypt Liveblog" to "Witnessing Revolution". From Egypt the pro-democracy fire spread rapidly. It's not clear that it will be limited by geography or ethnicity. So, we wanted a name which states what is happening yet allows us to grow with the movement, wherever that will be. The number sequence will be continuous. The group name will remain the same. Only this particular diary series within the group changed names.
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