You are in the 255th 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
SYRIA
This is a really upsetting series of photos, but it's important to remember this is what Syrians are living with every day. From The Syrian Days of Rage - English
His and Ours
Hafiz al-Assad...and Ola Jablawi
The youngest victims
BAHRAIN
Another gruesome reminder
Family of Ali Abbas from Diraz village receives clothes of their detained son full of blood
YEMEN
September 16th Protests
Sincere Promise Friday in Taiz
Women's March
Sincere Promise Friday in Aden
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 9/14)-
What's next for the Arab Spring?
(CNN) -- Moammar Gadhafi's exit from Libya is a reminder that the Arab awakening will not just fizzle out, despite what some observers are saying. Recently, commentators pointed to the public cheers heard in Egypt as the army pushed protesters out of Tahrir Square as a signal that the uprisings were petering out and the hope of the Arab Spring would soon be lost. The doomsayers were wrong
(h/t Dibsa 9/14)-US backing for Arab Spring bearing ‘strange fruit’
The US has strongly backed the Libyan opposition and is now enthusiastic in its condemnation of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. But could America’s decision to take sides bring some unexpected - and unwanted - results?
(h/t Dibsa 9/14)-Arab Spring Poses Threat to Religious, Ethnic Minorities: State Department
The Arab Spring revolutions could enable sectarian and religious violence in countries where civil society has collapsed, the State Department said in its annual report on religious freedom
ALGERIA
(h/t Dibsa 9/16) - Algeria: Timid political reforms (analysis)
Tshwane/Pretoria (South Africa) - The Algerian authorities last week announced media reforms that would allow the private sector to operate radio and television broadcasting stations, which will effectively end state monopoly on the broadcasting sector
BAHRAIN
(h/t Dibsa 9/16) - Bahrain Shiites fight daily battles no one can wi
MANAMA: The battle began soon after sundown. And for the next six hours, in air heavy with heat and tear gas, phalanxes of police officers in helmets battled scores of youths in ski masks, as customers at a nearby coffee shop sat like spectators
(h/t Dibsa 9/16) - Clashes erupt in Bahrain after protester funeral
MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Security forces clashed with thousands of mourners and opposition factions Friday after the funeral march for a man whose relatives say died after inhaling tear gas fired at Shiite-led protesters in the Gulf kingdom
(h/t Dibsa 9/15) - Bahrain man dies after inhaling tear gas
MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Relatives of a man in Bahrain say he has died after inhaling tear gas fired by security forces trying to disperse anti-government protesters in the Gulf kingdom
BURKINA FASO
(h/t Dibsa 8/25 ) - Burkina Students Relieved Over Zongo Verdict But Not Happy
Ouagadougou — In Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, a verdict was finally delivered in the Justin Zongo case, named after a student whose controversial death raised concerns over police brutality. The case sparked a series of protests that plunged the country into months of social unrest. Students expected a heavier sentence
COTE D'IVOIRE
h/t Dibsa 9/14 ) - Ivory Coast: Dependent or Independent?
The Ivory Coast was officially declared independent on 7 August 1960 and this year the West African country celebrates its 51st year of self rule
EGYPT
(h/t Dibsa 9/16) - Hundreds in Cairo protest against emergency law
Hundreds of people gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday to protest against the recent expansion of the emergency law, amid palpable anger over the military's handling of transition from autocratic rule
(h/t Dibsa 9/15) - Egypt regime insider found guilty of corruption
CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian court has sentenced a steel magnate who was one of the top insiders from the ousted regime of Hosni Mubarak to 10 years in prison on corruption charges
(h/t Dibsa 9/14) - The woman who wants to be Egypt's first female president
(CNN) -- During a protest in Cairo's Tahrir Square a month after the fall of President Hosni Mubarak, Bothaina Kamel spotted a slogan supporting womens' right to be president of Egypt
IRAN
(h/t Dibsa 9/13) - Iranian TV bans provocative love stories
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's state television has banned programs featuring provocative love stories or shirtless men in an apparent bow to hard-line Muslim clerics complaining about such scenes in foreign movies, Iranian newspapers reported Tuesday
(h/t Dibsa 9/13) - Lawyer: Iran sets bail for 2 jailed Americans
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — An Iranian court Tuesday set bail of $500,000 each for two American men arrested more than two years ago and convicted on spy-related charges, clearing the way for their release a year after a similar bail-for-freedom arrangement for the third member of the group, their defense attorney said
(h/t dibsa 9/12) - Amnesty urges Iran to free detained rights lawyer
Iran must immediately free Abdolfattah Soltani, a prominent human rights lawyer rearrested at the weekend after spending months behind bars between 2005 and 2009, Amnesty International said on Monday
IRAQ
(h/t Dibsa 9/16) - Sadrists take to Iraq's streets in demos
Thousands of supporters of radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr rallied in Baghdad and south Iraq on Friday to decry graft and poor public services, holding up broken appliances to highlight their plight
ISRAEL
(h/t Dibsa 9/12 ) - Israel's Labour party votes for new head
A former defence minister, a one-time TV journalist, an ex-mayor and a scion of one of Israel's top political families face off on Monday in a fight for the leadership of the Labour party.
The once-mighty party, now reduced to eight seats in the 120-member parliament, has been without a chairman since Defence Minister Ehud Barak jumped ship in January to form the centrist "Independence" movement
JORDAN
(h/t Dibsa 9/14) - Jordanian protesters demand closing of US Embassy
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Demonstrators have demanded the closing of the U.S. Embassy in Jordan over Wikileaks cables suggesting covert U.S. plans to turn Jordan into a home for Palestinians
KUWAIT
(h/t JustJennifer 8/25) - Jailed for tweeting in Kuwait
Armed security officers wearing balaclavas led Nasser Abul, blindfolded and shackled, into a courtroom in downtown Kuwait City on July 19. Accused of crimes against the state, he answered the judge's questions from a wood-and-metal cage in the courtroom. His mother, watching the proceedings, hoped her 26-year-old eldest son would finally be released after nearly two months in detention. The judiciary has refused to grant her wish.
LIBYA
(h/t Dibsa 9/16) - Libyan fighters in fierce push on Gadhafi bastion
BANI WALID, Libya (AP) — Libyan fighters are streaming into Bani Walid, one of the remaining bastions of ousted leader Moammar Gadhafi, in a new fierce push
(h/t Dibsa 9/15) - UK's Cameron urges Gadhafi, followers to 'give up'
TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — British Prime Minister David Cameron has sent a strong message to Moammar Gadhafi and his followers still waging war in Libya to "give up" the fight, warning that NATO's mission will continue "as long as it is necessary" to protect Libyans
(h/t Dibsa 9/14) - Libya fighters issue deadline to civilians in Gadhafi stronghold
Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Libya's interim leadership gave residents in the pro-Gadhafi stronghold of Bani Walid a 48-hour notice to leave the city as it sent reinforcements there and to the former regime's other remaining strongholds at Sirte and Sabha
(h/t Dibsa 9/14) - Gadhafi heartland digs in against revolution
WADI AL-HAMMAR, Libya (AP) — The revolution's quest to unite Libya under its control has a formidable challenge standing in the way: A swath of territory where disciplined loyalists fighters stage precision attacks and withering shelling barrages to defend land that includes Moammar Gadhafi's hometown
(h/t Dibsa 9/14) - US: weapons proliferation 'key concern' in Libya
TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — The potential proliferation of both conventional and unconventional weapons in Libya after six months of civil war is a "key concern" for the United States, a senior American official said Wednesday
(h/t Dibsa 9/14) - Have Libya's rebels committed war crimes?
TRIPOLI, Libya -- Libya's National Transitional Council, the country's new governing authority, must bring rebel forces under its control and stop what appears to be rampant arbitrary arrests and revenge killings, Amnesty International said today
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)
MAURITANIA
(h/t Dibsa 8/25) - Mauritania urged to revoke anti-slavery activists’ sentencing
The authorities in Mauritania must revoke jail sentences given to four anti-slavery activists who protested against the enslavement of a 10-year old girl, Amnesty International said today
PALESTINE
(h/t Dibsa 9/15 ) - Palestinians to seek full UN membership Sept. 23
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — The Palestinians will ask the Security Council next week to accept them as a full member of the United Nations, the Palestinian foreign minister said Thursday, a move that would defy Washington's threat to veto the statehood bid
(h/t Dibsa 9/14 ) - Diplomatic flurry ahead of Palestinian UN bid
JERUSALEM (AP) — A high-level U.S. team kicked off a new round of shuttle diplomacy on Wednesday in a last-ditch effort to contain the diplomatic fallout from the Palestinian statehood push, but the odds of a breakthrough appeared slim as the Palestinians pledged to go ahead with mass rallies to draw world attention to their bid
QATAR
(h/t ninkasi23 9/5 ) - Is anyone paying attention to the rise and rise of Qatar?
Qatar has also shown strong political leadership, willingness and influence in bilateral relations with its Arab neighbours throughout the Arab Spring -- from rumours of having frozen their investments in Syria, to public messages of support for the opposition in Syria and Yemen -- though Qatar's role may not always seem consistent, as with Bahrain.
SAUDI ARABIA
(h/t Dibsa 8/31) - #Tal3mrak: A Hashtag Challenges Saudi Arabian King
The phrase Tal3mrak in Saudi Arabia literally translates into "May god prolong your life" - and its used as a sign of respect when addressing royalty or influential business men in the Gulf region
SYRIA
(h/t Dibsa 9/16) - Syrian Forces Kill 32 as UN’s Ban Urges Assad to ‘Listen’
Sept. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Syrian forces have killed at least 32 protesters throughout the country since yesterday as United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said “enough is enough.”
(h/t Dibsa 9/16) - Samir Twair: Syria's Arab Spring must not fail
The three ironclad principles ruling the revolution against the Bashar Assad dictatorship in Syria are non-violence, inclusion of all Syrians in the opposition and no foreign intervention
(h/t Dibsa 9/15) - Syrian protesters mark six months of revolt
Protesters vowed to hit the streets of Syria en masse on Thursday to mark six months since the start of an anti-regime uprising, undaunted by a brutal crackdown in which more than 2,600 people have died
(h/t Dibsa 9/14) - Syria Defies Arab League, Fires on Villages
Syrian rights activists say security forces have opened fire in northwestern villages Wednesday in an ongoing effort to crush dissent as the government rejected an Arab League demand for an end to the crackdown
TUNISIA
(h/t Dibsa 9/16) - Tunisian parties agree on short transition period
(AP) TUNIS, Tunisia — Tunisian political parties agreed Thursday on a roadmap for the country's transition to democracy, planning for parliamentary elections in just over a year — a relatively short timeline designed to prevent further instability
(h/t Dibsa 9/14) - Tunisia poll favourite unveils Islamic programme
TUNIS — The Ennahda party tipped to dominate Tunisia's first post-revolution polls next month on Wednesday unveiled a campaign programme vowing to build a democracy based on Islamic values
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
(h/t Dibsa 9/1) - U.A.E.'s slow steps to Democracy
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) — The oil-rich United Arab Emirates holds its second-ever polls next month after allowing many more citizens to vote, taking baby steps toward democracy in a state where virtually no one is pushing for quick change
WESTERN SAHARA
(h/t Dibsa 9/16) - A New Dawn? Western Sahara and the Arab Spring
“I’ve never felt more optimistic about the possibility for a just resolution of the situation in Western Sahara than I do today,” former senior British diplomat Carne Ross told a meeting in the House of Commons on September 6th. The meeting - Western Sahara and the Arab Spring - was being held to mark the 20th anniversary of the UN-brokered ceasefire agreement which brought to an end 16 years of fighting between the Polisario Front and Moroccan forces. Under the terms of the ceasefire a referendum on self-determination was promised, but two decades later it has yet to be carried out and negotiations have remained deadlocked. One might think this is not a cause for optimism
(h/t Dibsa 9/14) - Demands for Autonomy Spread
CASABLANCA, Sep 14, 2011 (IPS) - Morocco’s offer of autonomy to Western Sahara to stave off demands for full independence is boomeranging on the kingdom with other regions now demanding similar freedom
YEMEN
(h/t Dibsa 9/16) - Protests in Yemen, new signs president may quit
SANAA Yemen (AP) — Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Yemen Friday demanding the resignation of the president, a day after the U.S. State Department said it hoped a power transfer deal could be signed within a week
(h/t Dibsa 9/15) - Yemeni troops shell opposition stronghold, kill 3
SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Security officials say government troops shelled a district overnight in the capital Sanaa that is home to the chief of the main tribe opposing Yemen's president, killing three and wounding five people
(h/t Dibsa 9/14) - Any way out for Yemen?
"Why do you guys in the West keep falling for the same old tricks?" Yusif Al-Ra'adi, a lean-looking student who forwent his studies in engineering back in May to join his country's uprising, told me as we sat in the shade of a sheet of blue tarpaulin in Sana'a's Change Square. "He [Saleh] has no intention whatsoever of stepping down, it's a dance, this is a political agreement that really means nothing to us."
(h/t Dibsa 9/14) - 'Nine killed' in clashes near Yemen capital
SANAA — Nine people were killed in two days of clashes between tribal fighters who are opposed to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and an elite military unit loyal to him, a tribal official said Wednesday
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
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
@libyanexpat - Libya
@lissnp - Iran
@sandmonkey (Mahmoud Salem ) - Egypt
@JRamyRaoof - Egypt
@Elazul - Egypt
@Ssirgany - Egypt
@sharifkouddous
@monasosh
@ioerror
@ElBaradei
@SultanAlQassemi
@evanchill
@glcarlstrom
@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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