It is here we see new heights of US hypocrisy regarding Bahrain become so clear, State Department special coordinator on Middle East affairs Frederic Hof told US lawmakers: “Does the regime permit peaceful protest? Does the regime allow the political opposition to organize, discuss and deliberate without fear of assassination or arrest?” He was talking about Syria.

[cb editor: The US may be content with having laid waste to the economy and State in Syria, rather than conducting a Libya style disintegration and destruction backed by international supporters. In retrospect, it seems there was really more of an apathetic silence toward the pariah State of Gaddafi than international support . One hopes the international community has wised up and won’t assist in the same exploitation of Syria. Sadly, the ensuing Civil War will likely neutralize Syria and the miseries that follow will not cease until a there is a significant change in the power structure of Syria or an escalation toward regional war. Its now a game of wait and see…

In the meantime, the US is calling on Russia, India and China, to help finish off Syria. Ultimately this call is intended to hasten the US isolation and destruction of Iran. It’s doubtful these nations will join in any way that will help flip the Mideast in favor of the US. The US will surely attempt to persuade these nations with economic black mail, masquerading as a Syrian rescue plan, as their economies too reap the global disaster of failed capitalism in the West.

It is here we see new heights of US hypocrisy regarding Bahrain become clear, State Department special coordinator on Middle East affairs Frederic Hof just argued to US lawmakers: “Does the regime permit peaceful protest? Does the regime allow the political opposition to organize, discuss and deliberate without fear of assassination or arrest?” The questions were in reference to Syria. ]

US: Syrian regime is ‘dead men walking’
by Staff Writers – Washington (AFP) – Dec 14, 2011

The United States portrayed Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian government as “dead men walking” on Wednesday, and urged Russia, China and India to put politics aside to stand with the West on action against the regime.

“Our view is that this regime is the equivalent of dead men walking,” State Department special coordinator on Middle East affairs Frederic Hof told US lawmakers in a hearing on US policy toward Damascus.

In testimony to the House of Representatives foreign affairs subcommittee on the Middle East, Hof said it was clear that the regime of Assad, whose security forces have engaged in a months-long bloody crackdown on protesters, would not survive.

“It is difficult to predict how much time they have,” he said.

Should Assad manage to cling to power, it would be as a despot who would “preside over a Pyongyang in Levant,” crippled by sanctions much like the isolated North Korean regime, he added.

Hof also said it was vital for UN Security Council efforts to protect Syrians from Assad’s oppressive forces, calling on Russia, China and India to stop opposing UN action.

“We ask those governments that are insulating this regime from the will of Syria’s citizenry: do not make innocent civilians pay the price for your political calculations,” Hof said.

“The international community’s duty to the Syrian people transcends power politics,” he testified.

“We ask that Russia, China, India and others address some basic questions: Does the regime permit peaceful protest? Does the regime allow the political opposition to organize, discuss and deliberate without fear of assassination or arrest?”

Hof said Washington must “redouble our efforts with Moscow to persuade it that it’s backing of this regime is not only helping to facilitate a humanitarian catastrophe, but it is manifestly not in the interests of the Russian Federation because change is surely coming to Syria.”

Washington has expressed frustration in recent weeks over what it sees as efforts by Russia and China to stymie UN action. …more

Egyptian protesters poisoned in Tahrir Square
December 15, 2011 – Al Akhbar

At least 120 people have been poisoned during a sit-in at Egypt’s Tahrir Square on Wednesday, medics reported.

Protesters began feeling severe stomach aches and vomiting after eating sandwiches brought to them by unidentified delivery people.

“Yesterday a woman brought food which was poisoned and she distributed it to everyone that was at the sit-in, and everyone ate from the food,” Doctor Amji, preferring not to give her full name, told al-Akhbar.

Amji said only one woman was seen by medics bringing 20 sandwiches, but soon realized that all of the sandwiches brought to the camp were poisoned and delivered by more than one perpetrator.

“From what I understand from the doctors, she brought in 20 sandwiches, then they all ate. After an hour or two, people started coming to the clinic saying they had severe stomach pains, and of course we tried to treat them using first-aid,” she said.

“People were vomiting and then we sent them to hospitals in ambulances,” the doctor said, adding that “120 people were affected.”

The situation stabilized on Thursday and there have been no more reports of poisonings, but activists are on high alert as they persist with a sit-in aimed at toppling Egypt’s military rulers.

Deadly clashes erupted in Tahrir Square last month as tens of thousands of protesters rallied against the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), resulting in the deaths of 42 people with over 2,000 wounded.

Despite holding peaceful parliamentary elections, the SCAF continue to employ questionable methods reminiscent of Hosni Mubarak’s regime.

The SCAF reimposed Egypt’s dreaded emergency laws in September, and still detain activists, bloggers, and journalists before summoning them to military courts.

Many Egyptians believe the military is attempting to consolidate its power, and doubt its commitment to transferring its rule to a civilian government.

Reinforcing activist suspicions of the SCAF’s commitment to democracy, prominent Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil was sentenced by a military court on Wednesday to two years in jail for “insulting” the military.

Another high profile blogger, Alaa Abdel Fattah, remains detained awaiting his trial in front of a military court, missing the birth of his first child last week. …more

Getting Detained and Gassed
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF – Published: December 14, 2011- NYT

Nothing like getting pulled into a police car to glimpse, through a haze of tear gas, hints of a police state.

The royal family in this American ally of Bahrain deserves immense credit for turning a desert island in the Persian Gulf into a modern banking center. The rulers have educated Bahrainis, built a large English-speaking middle class, empowered women and fostered such moderation that the ambassador to Washington is a woman from Bahrain’s tiny Jewish community.

Yet our pals here also represent a brutal, family-run dictatorship, and few countries crushed the Arab Spring so decisively as Bahrain. The regime helpfully displayed this darker side a few days ago when riot police attacked the video journalist accompanying me and detained both of us.

We had tagged along to watch the small protests and clashes that continue to bubble up almost every evening in the villages of Bahrain. The pattern is invariably the same. A small group begins shouting “Down with Hamad,” the king, and begins winding through the streets, with men and women running from their homes to join in.

One clash began when young men hurled rocks and Molotov cocktails at the police (protesters hugely undermine their cause when they do this). Later in the evening, in another village, a different group of marchers remained peaceful and held their arms out to show police that they were unarmed. But then one young man reached down and hurled a rock at the police officers — who immediately fired a barrage of tear gas grenades and charged at us.

I ran.

The Times video journalist with me, Adam B. Ellick, stood his ground to record the scene. Policemen ran at him and — as Ellick shouted that he was an American journalist — one officer roughed him up and clubbed the camera, breaking part of it. If that’s what they do to a Western journalist, you can imagine what would happen if they were to catch a kid with a rock.

Then the police pulled Ellick to a police car and stuffed him inside. He telephoned me, so I staggered through the tear gas to see if I could extricate him.

So much for my persuasive powers: The police promptly detained me as well. They wedged me in the back seat of a different police car but treated me courteously. The detention turned out to be a fascinating “embed,” because the police freely shared their venomous hatred of the protesters and their delusional view that they are all paid by Iran.

After about 30 minutes, a senior policeman arrived, asked us a few questions and then freed us. A few hours later came a classic touch of Bahrain propaganda: The government announced that we hadn’t been detained but had “sought police protection.” …more

Doing the Right Thing in Bahrain
by Sarah Trister and Husain Abdullah – 15/12/2011 – Bahrain Freedom Movement

In November an international commission organized and paid for by the Bahraini government found that there has been widespread and systematic abuses committed against protesters in the small gulf nation since uprisings began in February, 2011.

The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) was commissioned by Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to examine alleged abuses that occurred in February and March of 2011. Made up of highly-renowned international legal experts, the commission’s scope overlapped with investigations by numerous international and local NGOs into the widespread, and ongoing, crackdown that included torture of political prisoners, extra-judicial killings and detentions, military trials of civilians, the intentional demolition of religious sites, and the use of excessive force against unarmed civilians. The report corroborated these widespread abuses.

After an undoubtedly awkward public reading of the report findings, to which the government had invited numerous NGOs, foreign dignitaries, and members of the media, the King said he was dismayed by the findings and would create a commission to implement recommended reforms. The reforms outlined in the report are a positive step in the right direction, although the commission neglected to tackle the core issue causing the unrest: the lack of a representative, free, and fair political system. Moreover, leaving the reform effort solely in the hands of the very people responsible for committing the abuses seems contrary to the spirit of the commission.

The Bahraini government, meanwhile, has done little to demonstrate it is serious about implementing reform. On the day of the report’s release at least one protester was killed in further crackdowns. Peaceful protesters continue to face violence, harassment, and arrest while prosecutions and trials of political prisoners continue. And though the report cites the release of political prisoners and the dropping of charges against others as a sign of goodwill on the part of the government, it neglects to mention that simultaneously, more were being arrested and charged, creating a revolving door of trumped-up charges and false imprisonment. Such behavior does not inspire confidence in the government’s commitment to change.

If the government of Bahrain is serious about moving toward reconciliation it should immediately release all political prisoners, dismiss trumped-up charges against civilians including medical professionals who treated injured protesters, reinstate workers who lost their jobs for political reasons, immediately end the use of torture, stop extra-judicial killings and detentions, and proceed with reparations to those harmed. High level officials responsible for ordering or condoning abuses must be investigated and prosecuted. Peaceful protests should be allowed to take place and censorship of media and harassment of journalists should cease. Most importantly, the royal family must facilitate a serious dialogue with the opposition and steps should be taken to have free and fair parliamentary elections in order to write a new constitutional framework. …more

Obama Directive Protects LGBT Rights Across U.S. Government, Massimino Says
December 6, 2011 – Human Right First

Washington, DC – Ahead of President Barack Obama’s scheduled 11 a.m. announcement detailing a directive to protect LGBT rights across U.S. government agencies, Human Rights First President & CEO Elisa Massimino issued the following statement:

“LGBT rights are human rights. The Obama Administration should be commended for its ongoing efforts to lead in the protection of LGBT rights at home and abroad. Today’s directive is reflective of the President’s promise to create an America where all people are equal regardless of their race, religion, or sexual identity.” …source