Libya's Gaddafi Faces Fight of Life, Bahrain Offer Snubbed
REUTERS: Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi faced the biggest challenge of his rule on Saturday amid reports that dozens of people have been killed as an offer by Bahrain's king of national dialogue to end the crisis there was rebuffed by the opposition.

Violence has spread from Tunisia and Egypt to Bahrain, Libya, Yemen and Djibouti, presenting the United States with the dilemma of maintaining stability in the oil-rich region while upholding the right to demonstrate for democratic change.

Protests in Libya's second city of Benghazi on Friday against Gaddafi's four decades in power were unprecedented with Amnesty International saying 46 people had been killed in a three-day crackdown.

Funerals of dead protesters could act as further flashpoints for demonstrators emboldened by uprisings in neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt that toppled long-ruling presidents.

"Special forces who have a very strong allegiance to Gaddafi are still fighting desperately to gain to control, to gain ground and the people are fighting them street by street," said a resident of Benghazi identified as Mohammed by the BBC. >>> Cynthia Johnston and Frederik Richter, Manama | Saturday, February 19, 2011

Bahrain Troops Fire at Protesters
Feb 18 - Reuters video appears to show Bahrain security forces firing tear gas at protesters near Thursday's protest epicentre of Pearl Square. Gunshots are also heard. Rough cut - no reporter narration

Protesters Clash with Security, Loyalists in Yemen
Feb 18 - At least two people are killed and dozens wounded, as Yemeni security forces clash with crowds calling for the President to quit. Deborah Lutterbeck reports

Bahrain Royal Family Orders Army to Turn on the People
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Bahrain's ruling family has defied mounting international criticism by ordering the army to turn on its people for the first time since pro-reform demonstrations erupted five days ago.

As protesters attempted to converge on Pearl Roundabout, a landmark in the capital Manama that has become the principal rallying point of the uprising, soldiers stationed in a nearby skyscraper opened fire.

Since they took to the streets, Bahrain's protesters have come to expect violence and even death at the hands of the kingdom's security forces. At least five people were killed before yesterday's protests.

But this was on a different scale of magnitude.

As they drew near, they were met first with tear gas and then with bursts of live ammunition.

Many fled the first salvoes, scrambling down empty streets as the shots rang out behind them.

As they ran, terror and disbelief flashed across their faces. One man shouted: "They are killing our people! They are killing our people."

Cowering behind a wall, a woman wept, her body shaking in fear.

But many refused to run, initially at least, determined to defy the violence being visited upon them. Some held their hands in the air and shouted "Peaceful! Peaceful!". >>> Adrian Blomfield in Manama | Friday, February 18, 2011

French Journalist Convicted on Racism Charge Over Drug Dealer Comment
THE GUARDIAN: Self-styled enemy of political correctness Éric Zemmour found guilty after trial over remarks about police stopping minorities

The controversial French journalist Éric Zemmour has been found guilty of incitement to racial hatred after telling a TV chatshow that drug dealers were mostly "blacks and Arabs".

The Paris trial sparked a fierce debate over freedom of speech and the extent of France's racism problem, which is poisoning the republican ideal that all citizens are equal regardless of colour.

Zemmour, a well-known media commentator and columnist for Le Figaro, prides himself on his outspoken defiance of what he deems political correct, woolly liberals.

He appeared on a chatshow last year when the debate turned to the question of the French police's excessive use of stop and search powers against minorities. He said: "But why are they stopped 17 times? Why? Because most dealers are blacks and Arabs. That's a fact." >>> Angelique Chrisafis in Paris | Friday, February 18, 2011

German Defence Minister to Drop PhD Title Over Plagiarism Row
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, Germany's defence minister, said he would "temporarily" drop his PhD title owing to a plagiarism scandal threatening to engulf the career of one the country's most popular politicians.

Following a meeting with Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg announced he would "temporarily give up my doctorate title" until a university investigation into alleged plagiarism in his PhD thesis was complete, but he refused to resign.

His announcement came as public prosecutors in Bayreuth, the town were [sic] Mr Guttenberg wrote the law dissertation at the centre of the scandal, said he was now under criminal investigation for copyright infringement and signing a false affidavit. >>> Matthew Day, Warsaw | Friday, February 18, 2011

Libyan Troops Attempt to Put Down Unrest in East

REUTERS: Soldiers sought to put down unrest in Libya's second city on Friday and opposition forces said they were fighting troops for control of a nearby town after crackdowns which Human Rights Watch said killed 24 people.

Protests inspired by the revolts that brought down long-serving rulers of neighbouring Egypt and Tunisia have led to violence unprecedented in Muammar Gaddafi's 41 years as leader of the oil exporting country.

The New York-based rights group Human Rights Watch said that according to its sources inside Libya, security forces had killed at least 24 people over the past two days. Exile groups have given much higher tolls which could not be confirmed.

Opponents of Gaddafi had designated Thursday a day of rage to try to emulate uprisings sweeping through North Africa and the Middle East. Unrest continued well into the night.

U.S. President Barack Obama said he was "deeply concerned" about reports of violence from Bahrain, a close U.S. ally, Libya and Yemen and urged governments to show restraint in dealing with protesters. >>> Tripoli | Friday, February 18, 2011

REUTERS: Exiles say Libyan city "in hands of people" >>> Geneva | Friday, February 18, 2011

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: 'Witnessing Gadhafi's Overthrow Would Be a Special Pleasure': The wave of rebellion in the Arab world keeps spreading, but brutal crackdowns in Libya and Bahrain show that pro-democracy demonstrators are by no means assured of success. German commentators argue that Moammar Gadhafi will be hard to topple and call on the EU to help prevent more violence. >>> David Gordon Smith | Friday, February 18, 2011

Middle East Protests: Live
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: At least four protesters are reported to have been killed and hundreds injured after police opened fire on an encampment of demonstrators in Bahrain.


To the live coverage >>> Nick Collins, Andy Bloxham and Barney Henderson | Friday, February 18, 2011

Mubarak's Legacy
For some three decades Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was a force for stability that led Egypt back into the center of Middle East politics. Deborah Lutterbeck reports

Source Says Ben Ali in Coma
Feb 18 - A Saudi source says former Tunisian president is in coma in Saudi Arabia after stroke. Jessica Gray reports

Related >>>

Morocco Protests Will Test Regime's Claims to Liberalism
THE GUARDIAN: Facebook groups are calling the country's youth on to the streets of cities including Casablanca, Marrakech, Rabat and Tangier on Sunday to demand constitutional reform and proper democracy

On 1 February, Issan Nadir tipped petrol on his clothes and set fire to himself outside the education ministry in the Moroccan capital of Rabat. It was yet another desperate act of self-immolation in a region where the example set by Muhammad Bouazizi, the Tunisian fruit seller who sparked a wave of revolution, has been imitated from Mauritania to Saudi Arabia.

The flames were doused before Nadir, a 27-year-old volunteer teacher demanding a paid job, could do as much damage to himself as Bouazizi. Video footage seen by the Guardian shows firefighters frantically putting out flames in front of the ministry.

After a week in Rabat's Ibn Sina hospital, Nadir is recovering in his home town of Safi. "He doesn't want to see anyone," says his friend and fellow protester Hafid Libi."If they don't do anything, there may be more of the same."

Nadir is not the only protester to have set fire to himself. Last week 26-year-old Mourad Raho died in Benguerir, 36 miles north of Marrakech. Five similar attempts have been reported in recent weeks.

Popular demonstrations called for this Sunday will be a test of both public upset with the regime led by King Mohammed VI and how far Morocco – which claims to be more liberal than its north African neighbours – is prepared to tolerate protest. >>> Giles Tremlett in Rabat | Friday, February 18, 2011

Secret Mideast Report Delivered in August
Feb 18, 2011: What was known prior to Egypt protests?

Bahrain Mourners Call for Toppling of Monarchy
FOX NEWS: MANAMA, BAHRAIN – Thousands of funeral mourners called for the downfall of Bahrain's ruling monarchy as burials began Friday after a deadly assault on pro-reform protesters that has brought army tanks into the streets of the most strategic Western ally in the Gulf.

The cries against Bahrain's king and his inner circle reflect an escalation of the demands from a political uprising that began by only asking for a weakening of the Sunni monarchy's hold on top government posts and addressing discrimination by the Shiite majority in the tiny island nation.

The mood, however, appears to have turned toward defiance of the entire ruling system after the brutal attack Thursday on a protest encampment in Bahrain's capital Manama, which left at least five dead, more than 230 injured and put the nation under emergency-style footing with military forces in key areas and checkpoints on main roadways.

"The regime has broken something inside of me ... All of these people gathered today have had something broken in them," said Ahmed Makki Abu Taki, whose 27-year-old brother Mahmoud was killed in the pre-dawn sweep through the protest camp in Manama's Pearl Square. "We used to demand for the prime minister to step down, but now our demand is for the ruling family to get out." >>> Associated Press | Wednesday, February 16, [sic?] 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Bahrain mourners call for end to monarchy: Mood of defiance against entire ruling system after brutal attack on Pearl Square protest camp that left at least five dead >>> Associated Press | Friday, February 18, 2011

Bahrain Mourners Protest Over Deadly Crackdown
Thousands mourn on the streets and the main opposition party quits parliament after the death of protesters in a police crackdown

Egypt: Thousands Gather in Tahrir Square for 'Victory March'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Egyptians held a nationwide "Victory March" on Friday to celebrate the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule one week on.

The scale of the march, which will also act as a memorial to the 365 people who died in the 18-day uprising that shook the Middle East, will be a gauge of Egyptian people power and of the nation's feeling about the transition to civilian rule.

With the Higher Military Council facing demands to free political prisoners and to lift emergency rules after dissolving parliament and suspending the constitution, all eyes will also be on how the military manages the event.

"We have agreed with the army to set up the stage for the celebrations today," said Ahmed Naguib, a member of the coordinating committee for a coalition of youth and political pro-democracy groupings.

The atmosphere was relaxed and jubilant as the military blocked off the square to traffic ahead of Friday prayers. Soldiers and organisers conducted searches of people streaming in while an army band played "Egypt the Great".

The crowd sang along, waving Egyptian flags, and chanting: "The army and the people are united." There were tanks and armoured vehicles at the 12 entrances to the sprawling square. >>> | Friday, February 18, 2011

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Pledges to Hold Fire
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Senior officers in Iran's Revolutionary Guards have written a letter to their commanding officer demanding assurances that they will not be required to open fire on anti-government demonstrators.

Following the recent violence that occurred during anti-government protests in Egypt, the officers argue that it is against the principles of Shi'ite Islamic law to use violence against their own people.

In a suggestion of a major split within the Islamic Republic's ruling hierarchy over its handling of anti-government protests, the letter has been circulated widely throughout the ranks of the Revolutionary Guards, the body responsible for defending religious system.

The letter, a copy of which has been seen by the Daily Telegraph, is addressed to Major Gen Mohammad Ali Jafari, the Guards' commanding officer. It calls on Major Gen Jafari to issue guidance to both the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij paramilitary militia to use restraint when handling anti-government protests.

During the violent anti-government demonstrations that followed the disputed presidential election in June 2009, which saw President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad elected to serve a second four-year term, the government relied heavily on the Basij to suppress the protests over fears that it could not rely on certain Guards units.

But in the letter, which is signed by senior officers commanding Guards units in Tehran, Qom, Isfahan and Tabriz, they urge Major Gen Jafari to "use your authority over the Basij to order them to leave their truncheons at home next time." >>> Con Coughlin | Thursday, February 17, 2011

Clashes Spread to Aden
February 18, 2011 - Anti and pro government clashes break out in Yemen, clerics say gun ownership poses a threat. Julie Noce, Reports

Pro and Anti Libyan Protests
February 18, 2011-Lack of communications in Libya hampers acurate information. Julie Noce Reports

China Using Debt to Deal with U.S.
Feb 17 - Summary of business headlines: WikiLeaks cables show China used its position as America's largest debt holder to apply pressure on the U.S. Wall Street rallies as strong regional factory data offset inflation signals, jobless claims spike. Conway G. Gittens reports

L'effet domino s'amplifie au Moyen-Orient
LE MONDE: Un mois après le départ du dictateur tunisien Ben Ali et quelques jours seulement après la chute du régime de Hosni Moubarak en Egypte, plusieurs mouvements de protestation gagnent les régimes autoritaires du Proche-Orient. La nuit de mercredi à jeudi a été particulièrement meurtrière pour les opposants venus manifester pour réclamer des réformes démocratiques. L'Irak a rejoint les pays en colère, une manifestation ayant fait un mort et des dizaines de blessés au Kurdistan. >>> LeMonde.fr | Jeudi 17 Février 2011

La Syrie baisse les taxes sur des produits alimentaires
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: CONTESTATION | En anticipant un soulèvement populaire, la Syrie a annoncé une série de mesures destinés à faire baisser le prix de produits alimentaires de base.

Le gouvernement syrien a annoncé une série de mesures destinées à faire baisser les prix de produits alimentaires de base. Cette annonce intervient alors qu’une vague de contestation politique et sociale sans précédent a déferlé sur le Moyen-Orient.
Les taxes ont baissé de 53,3% sur l’huile, de 20% sur les graisses animales et de 25% sur le sucre, indique un décret promulgué cette semaine par le président syrien Bachar al-Assad. >>> AFP | Vendredi 18 Février 2011

Saudi Arabia Closely Watching Bahrain

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Bahrain's Crackdown Wins Neighbors' Support >>> Joe Parkinson and Sam Dagher | Friday, February 18, 2011

Saudi Arabia’s Economic Woes

Libya’s Turn to Topple a Dictator?

Beck: Who Is the 12th Imam?
Author Joel Richardson weighs in

Violent Protests in Arab World
Clashes in streets of Bahrain

Arab Capitals Braced for Violence as Unrest Spreads
THE GUARDIAN: Killing of demonstrators in Bahrain and violence in Libya threaten an escalation of regional unrest

Arab capitals are expecting further violent clashes after the killing of three demonstrators in the Gulf state of Bahrain, and the reported death of 15 people in violence in Libya, threatened an escalation of regional unrest in the wake of the popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.

Fresh protests are expected on Friday after Friday prayers in Manama, the capital of Bahrain, in Cairo (in celebration of Hosni Mubarak's departure a week ago), and in Sana'a, capital of the Yemen, and perhaps elsewhere. >>> Martin Chulov in Manama and Ian Black, Middle East editor | Thursday, February 17, 2011

Will Revolution Spread to Pakistan?
THE GUARDIAN: The country is ripe for revolt, though it would mean ousting the army

As Hosni Mubarak reluctantly retired last Friday night, another revolt was reaching its climax in Pakistan. For four days the workers of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the national carrier, had been on strike. Some 25,000 passengers were stranded, including me.

I was stuck in Quetta, a tense, paranoid city near the Afghan border where the security forces are engaged in a ruthless cat-and-mouse game with nationalist rebels; it is also a supposed refuge for the one-eyed Taliban leader Mullah Omar. As the skies emptied of planes, guests from my hotel fled Quetta by car, crossing the sprawling deserts, or chancing the rickety 22-hour train ride to Karachi. I stayed put.

On TV the picture flipped from ecstatic crowds surging through Tahrir Square in Cairo, to Pakistani riot police baton-charging PIA workers at Karachi airport. The strike was over planned reforms. PIA is a bloated, sick elephant. It has 400 employees per aircraft – about three times the norm – and last year it asked the government to pay $1.7bn (£1.06bn) in debt. But the unions objected to plans to rationalise the workforce, and demanded that managing director Aijaz Haroon resign. And so on Friday night, under immense pressure, he went, resigning at the same time as Mubarak fell in Egypt.

As the screen filled with ecstatic revolutionaries surging through Tahrir Square, a note of envy sounded among Pakistanis on Twitter. Could the glorious revolution spread to their country? "I wish, wish, wish Pakistan could be next," wrote the author Fatima Bhutto. Read on and comment >>> Declan Walsh | Tuesday, February 15, 2011

West Condemns Bahrain’s Deadly Crackdown
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Bahrain's western allies reacted furiously on Thursday night to the Gulf kingdom's use of force to clear sleeping protesters off a square in the capital Manama, killing at least three protesters.

William Hague, the foreign secretary, told the House of Commons: "We are greatly concerned about the deaths that have occurred." The government said it was reviewing export licences for Bahrain in light of the fact that recent ones covered the sale of tear gas canisters and other riot control equipment.

"We closely consider allegations of human rights abuses," said the foreign minister responsible for the Middle East, Alistair Burt. "We will not authorise any exports which, we assess, might provoke or prolong regional or internal conflicts, (or) which might be used to facilitate internal repression."

Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, called the Bahraini foreign minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa to express Washington's "deep concern about the action of the security forces" and urged that funerals coinciding with Friday prayers today were not marred by further violence. Bahrain's deadly crack down condemned by West >>> Adrian Blomfield, Manama and Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Thursday, February 17, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Bahrain uses UK-supplied weapons in protest crackdown: MoD to review arms export licences after Bahrain clears protesters with UK-made crowd-controls weapons such as teargas and stun grenades >>> Peter Beaumont and Robert Booth | Thursday, February 17, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: WikiLeaks: US wanted 'derogatory' information on Bahrain king's sons: The US State Department secretly asked its diplomats in Bahrain to report any "derogatory" information about two of the King's sons and evidence of "rivalry" with senior members of the ruling royal family, leaked documents show. >>> Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter | Thursday, February 17, 2011

German Minister Given Deadline in Plagiarism Row
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A German university on Thursday gave the country's defense minister two weeks to respond to allegations that he plagiarised part of his doctoral thesis.

Bayreuth University, which accepted his thesis in 2007, said it notified Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg of the deadline in a letter, German news agency DAPD reported.

Mr Guttenberg was out of the country on Thursday on a previously unannounced visit to German troops in Afghanistan. Polls regularly rate him Germany's most popular politician, and the plagiarism row has prompted opposition figures to cast doubt on his political future. >>> | Thursday, February 17, 2011

Related >>>

Kentucky: Campbell County Repeals Smoking Ban Before It Goes Into Effect

KY POST: The Ban Is Off >>> | Thursday, February 17, 2011

Demonstrations in Al Bayda, Libya in 2011

SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Proteste in Libyen weiten sich aus: In Libyen weiten sich die Proteste gegen Staatschef Muammar al-Gaddafi auf weitere Teile des Landes aus. In Bengasi und Tripolis formierten sich aber auch zwei Demonstrationszüge von Gaddafi-Anhängern. >>> | Donnerstag, 17. Februar 2011

Bahrain: Regierung geht hart gegen Demonstranten vor
Die regierungskritischen Demonstranten in Bahrain sind in der Nacht abermals auf die Strasse gegangen. Mindestens vier Demonstranten kamen bei den Unruhen ums Leben

Enough! Libya Protest February 17th, 2011: ! خلاص

Washington s'engage pour la liberté d'Internet
Hillary Clinton, mardi lors de son discours à l'Université George-Washington. Photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: La diplomatie américaine ajoute à ses missions la défense des droits «de parole, d'assemblée et d'association en ligne».

À Washington

Surfant sur le rôle clé de Facebook et Twitter dans le déclenchement des révolutions populaires qui ont eu raison des dictateurs d'Égypte et de Tunisie, Washington se pose à nouveau en tombeur des «murs virtuels» qui s'érigent sur Internet. Dans un discours prononcé mardi à l'Université George-Washington dans la capitale fédérale, face à un public d'étudiants et de têtes pensantes du «cybermonde», Hillary Clinton a retrouvé les accents reaganiens déjà employés il y a un an pour affirmer l'engagement vigoureux de l'Amérique à défendre la liberté de la Toile, «cet espace public du XXIe siècle», à la fois «agora, salle de classe, salle de marchés, café et boîte de nuit», qui rassemble 2 milliards d'utilisateurs.

Pour la secrétaire d'État américaine, «la défense des libertés de parole, d'assemblée et d'association en ligne» doit devenir un élément clé de la politique étrangère des États-Unis. Ce plaidoyer s'inscrit dans le sillage de la philosophie américaine depuis les origines, pariant sur l'ouverture comme force de progrès. Même si l'Amérique est consciente qu'il faut engager «une conversation sérieuse sur les règles» permettant d'assurer ce principe de liberté, «les bénéfices» de la libre utilisation d'Internet sont «bien supérieurs aux coûts», a lancé Hillary Clinton à la face des gouvernements qui, de la Chine à la Russie en passant par la Syrie, Cuba ou la Birmanie, invoquent «la sécurité» pour organiser «la répression» en ligne. Avis aux régimes autoritaires: l'Amérique se range du côté des internautes. >>> Par Laure Mandeville | Jeudi 17 Février 2011

Vent de révolte au Bahreïn et en Libye
Après les révoltes tunisiennes et égyptiennes, la fronde dans le monde arabe ne faiblit pas

Tote in Bahrain: Polizei feuert auf Demonstranten
DIE PRESSE: Die Polizei löst eine Demonstration auf dem zentralen Perlen-Platz in Manama mit Gewalt auf. Die schiitische Opposition will aus Protest das Parlament verlassen.

Im Golfstaat Bahrain hat die Polizei Proteste gegen das Regime gewaltsam niedergeschlagen. In der Nacht auf Donnerstag räumten Sondereinheiten den Lulu-Platz in der Hauptstadt Manama, während hunderte Demonstranten in Zelten schliefen.

Nach Angaben von Augenzeugen schoss die Polizei mit Splitterkugeln, Gummigeschoßen und Tränengasgranaten in die Menge. Mindestens vier Menschen wurden getötet und etwa 95 verletzt. 60 Personen werden nach Angaben eines Oppositionsvertreters noch vermisst.

Die schiitische Opposition kündigte an, das Parlament aus Protest gegen die Unterdrückung der Demonstrationen zu verlassen. Der Wifak-Oppositionsblock werde sich geschlossen aus der Volksvertretung zurückziehen, sagte der Abgeordnete Ali al Aswad am Donnerstag. Der Fraktion gehören 18 der insgesamt 40 Abgeordneten an. >>> APA | Donnerstag, 17. Februar 2011

DIE PRESSE: Aufstand in der islamischen Welt: Die Unruheherde auf einen Blick >>>

Gerüchte über Behandlung von Mubarak in Wien
DIE PRESSE: Eine arabische Internetzeitung spricht von einem möglichen Aufenthalt des gestürzten Präsidenten im Rudolfinerhaus. Aus saudi-arabischen Kreisen hieß es hingegegen, Mubarak bereite sich auf seinen Tod vor.

Die Gerüchte um den gestürzten ägyptischen Ex-Präsidenten Hosni Mubarak und seinen schlechten Gesundheitszustand erreichen nun auch Österreich: Der "Kurier" zitierte in seiner Donnerstagausgabe die arabische Internet-Zeitung "Youm7", wonach der 82-jährige in das Wiener Rudolfinerhaus, einem Privatspital mit gutem Ruf im Mittleren Osten, einziehen könnte. Mubarak leide unter "starker Erschöpfung und Bluthochdruck" und sei vor allem in psychisch schlechtem Zustand. >>> APA/Red. | Donnerstag, 17. Februar 2011

Why Are People In Bahrain Demonstrating?
Central to the crisis is a Sunni/Shia split which goes deeper than an island off Saudi Arabia, writes Sky's Tim Marshall

Arab Protest Unleashed In Libya And Bahrain
Hundreds of anti-government demonstrators take to the streets of Libya and Bahrain as Arab unrest spreads through the Gulf region and North Africa

Army Sorry For Sacking Soldiers By Email
The military apologises for after 38 troops were sent emails telling them they had been fired

Jordan Faces an Ethnic Divide
Jordan faces a demographic dilemma. Palestinians here, most of whom were born in the West Bank but are now naturalized Jordanians, are starting to outnumber the country's indigenous tribes and it's causing tensions. WSJ's Don Duncan reports

Gorbachev Warns of Egypt-Style Russian Revolt
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: MOSCOW—Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev said he is "ashamed" with the way Russia is run today and warned the Kremlin could face an Egypt-style uprising.

Nearly two decades after his reforms led to the collapse of the Soviet Union, Mr. Gorbachev denounced Russia's "ruling class" as "rich and dissolute," in an interview published Wednesday in Novaya Gazeta, the opposition newspaper of which he is part-owner. "I'm ashamed for us and for the country," he said.

He lambasted the Kremlin for eroding the free media and elections that he introduced in the 1980s, and warned that its grip on power could be threatened.

"If things continue the way they are, I think the probability of the Egyptian scenario will grow," he said in a separate radio interview released Tuesday, referring to the popular rebellion that ousted longtime President Hosni Mubarak last week. "Here it could end even more staggeringly," he said.

Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, on Tuesday, warned the West against supporting the popular uprisings in the Middle East in what some analysts saw as a sign of the Kremlin's concern.

At present, public support for the Kremlin appears strong. Opposition parties, many of which have been banned by authorities, are small and weak. Police regularly disperse antigovernment demonstrations.

Mr. Gorbachev, who gets limited attention in the state media in Russia, has been speaking publicly in recent weeks ahead of his 80th birthday on March 2.

Still reviled by many Russians for bringing about the collapse of the Soviet Union, Mr. Gorbachev is probably more popular in the West, where he is credited with bringing an end to Soviet totalitarianism and the Cold War. Read on and comment >>> Gregory L. White | Wednesday, February 16, 2011

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Ehud Barak on Iranian warships

Clashes Rock Bahraini Capital
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: Armoured vehicles seen on the streets of Manama after police storm protest site in roundabout, killing at least six


The Bahrain capital of Manama was rocked by sporadic clashes, hours after riot police attacked a makeshift encampment of pro-reform protesters in the centre of the city, killing at least six and injuring dozens of others.

An Al Jazeera correspondent, who cannot be named for security reasons, said on Thursday that "clashes were no longer limited to one place...they are now spread out in different parts of the city". He said that the hospitals are full of injured people after last night's police raid on the pro-reform demonstrators.

"Some of them are severely injured with gunshots. Patients include doctors and emergency personnel who were overrun by the police while trying to attend to the wounded."

Another Al Jazeera online producer said that booms could be heard from different parts of the city, suggesting that "tear-gas is being used to disperse the protesters in several neighbourhoods".

Latest reports, however, indicated that a tense calm had descended on the capital with troops patroling the streets. There were also reports of dozens of armoured vehicles moving towards the Pearl Roundabout, the protest site that was raided by the riot police.

Heavily-armed police stormed the traffic circle while the protesters camping overnight were asleep.

Speaking to Al Jazeera from Salmaniya hospital, the main medical facility in Manama, Maryama Alkawaka of Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, said that she saw dozens of injured demonstrators being wheeled into emergency rooms early on Thursday morning.

Nazea Saeed, a journalist with Radio Monte Carlo, said hundreds of people had gathered at the hospital.

Speaking to Al Jazeera from the scene, she said the crowd is chanting: "Down with Al-Khalifa", in reference to the country's ruling family.

"People are also chanting that the blood of the victims will not be in vain," she added. >>> Al Jazeera and agencies | Thursday, February 17, 2011

Bahrain Crackdown: Riot Police Storm Protest Camp on Manama Pearl Square

Anti-government Protesters Killed in Libyan Clash
THE GUARDIAN: Libyan protesters seeking to oust longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi defied a crackdown and took to the streets in four cities Thursday on what activists have dubbed a "day of rage," amid reports that at least 14 demonstrators have been killed in clashes with pro-government groups.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said Libyan internal security forces also have arrested at least 14 people. Hundreds of pro-government demonstrators also rallied in the capital, Tripoli, blocking traffic in some areas, witnesses said.

An opposition website and an anti-Gadhafi activist said unrest broke out during marches in four Libyan cities Thursday. Organizers were using social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to call for nationwide demonstrations.

"Today the Libyans broke the barrier or fear, it is a new dawn," said Faiz Jibril, an opposition leader in exile.

Opposition website Libya Al-Youm said four protesters were slain by snipers from the Internal Security Forces in the eastern city of Beyida, which had protests Wednesday and Thursday. It's not clear when the protesters were killed. The website also said there was a demonstration Thursday in Benghazi, Libya's second-Largest [sic] city.

Switzerland-based Libyan activist Fathi al-Warfali said 11 protesters were killed in Beyida on Wednesday night, and scores were wounded. He said the government dispatched Army commandos to quell the uprising. >>> Salah Nasrawi | AP foreign | Thursday, February 17, 2011

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Berichte über Tote bei Protesten in Libyen: Bei Zusammenstößen zwischen Gaddafi-Gegnern und der Polizei sollen bislang sieben Menschen getötet worden sein. Die Proteste konzentrierten sich bislang auf die Städte im Nordosten Libyens. Oppositionelle haben zu einem „Tag des Zorns“ aufgerufen. >>> dpa | Donnerstag, 17. Februar 2011

Arrest Triggers Libya Protest
Feb 17 - Demonstrators demand the release of a detained human rights campaigners in a rare show of unrest in the eastern city of Benghazi. Paul Chapman reports

Bahrain Protest Crackdown
Feb 17 - Video footage shows the moment police move in on protesters camped out in Manama. Paul Chapman reports