Posts from — July 2012

Saudi Arabia Releases Blogger after Year in Solitary Confinement
30 July, 2012 – POMED

Saudi Arabian authorities released a prominant blogger Saturday after spending more than a year in jail without charges. 35 year-old Nazir al-Majid was arrested last March joining anti-government protests in the mostly Shiite eastern province of Qatif. Rights activists last year launched an online campaign for al-Majid’s release after he went on a hunger strike to protest being kept in a solitary confinement.

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) condemned the excessive force with which Saudi authorities have suppressed peaceful demonstrations in Qatif. Security forces fired on protesters Friday during a demonstration calling for the release of detainees. The ANHRI called on all those concerned with human rights in the middle east and the world to press the Saudi regime for the release of political detainees and to respect the freedom of opinion and expression.

Meanwhile, in neighboring Kuwait, royal family member Sheikh Meshaal al-Malek al-Sabah was arrested by state security police for posting political statements on Twitter opposed to the policies of the ruling family. Al-Sabah has stated his intention to run for parliament and expose political corruption among members if successful. Alarabiya reported the rights group, the Gulf Forum for Civil Societies, criticized the Sheiks arrest, saying he was arrested because of his courageous views that opposed the policies of the Kuwaiti ruling family.

Additonally, Simeon Kerr of the Financial Times wrote that Oman’s historic distance from the other Gulf states has enabled the state to avoid falling into the sectarian politics that has become common in the rest of the region. However, Kerr notes that in the face of growing unrest in Oman, Sultan Qaboos treads a delicate path. The sultan, he notes, “has pushed himself to the forefront of decision-making,” adding, “The sultan can no longer hide behind the transgressions of corrupt ministers: if the reforms fail, so does his legacy. …more

Israel’s Barak praises Obama security cooperation
31 July, 2012 – Al ALkhbar

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak praised US security cooperation under President Barack Obama as the best of any US administration in recent memory.

In an interview with CNN aired here Monday, Barak said Israel and the United States had their differences but the security relationship between the two countries is “extremely good, extremely deep and profound.”

While US support for Israel has been strong on both sides of the aisle, he said, “this administration, under President Obama, is doing in regard to our security more than anything I can remember in the past.”

“In terms of the support for our security, the cooperation of our intelligence, the sharing of sorts in a very open way. Even when there are differences,” he said.

Barak’s comments came after a high profile visit to Israel by Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney who seeks to portray Obama as soft on Iran.

They also contrast with the tension on display in the past between Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel plays a major factor in US presidential elections, as both Democrats and Republicans compete for the powerful endorsement of the pro-Israel lobby in Washington.

Despite Jewish Americans only making up 2 percent of the population, the power of the pro-Israel lobby ensures continued, unwavering US support for Israel, even at the expense of US interests.

The US still provides $3 billion in annual aid to Israel – the largest recipient of US aid – despite an ailing economy and Israel’s appalling human rights record. …source

Syria daily says Iran ally has warned Turkey
30 July, 2012 – Agence France Presse

DAMASCUS: Syrian ally Iran has warned their common neighbour Turkey that it will meet a harsh response should Ankara carry out any strikes inside Syrian territory, a pro-Damascus daily reported on Monday.

“Any attack on Syrian territory will meet with a harsh response, and the Iranian-Syrian mutual defence agreement will be activated,” the Al-Watan newspaper said.

“Turkey has received very strong warnings in the past few hours and the following message — beware changing the rules of the game,” the paper added.

Iran is the closest regional ally of embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but has also striven to keep good relations with Turkey even as the standoff over its controversial nuclear programme has deepened with other NATO member states.

Tehran has enjoyed close ties with Damascus since 1980 when the Syrian government took its side in its devastating eight-year war with now executed dictator Saddam Hussein’s regime in Baghdad, and has signed a series of defence pacts, including in 2006 and 2008.

But Ankara has been a leading champion of the more than 16-month uprising against the Assad regime and has given refuge to large numbers of army defectors, who have formed the kernel of a rebel army, as well as tens of thousands of civilian refugees.

Al-Watan cited an “Arab diplomat” as accusing Turkey of seeking to use its fears about the rebel Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which already enjoys rear-bases in the far north of Iraq, as a pretext to intervene in Syria.

“Ankara is preparing an agreement with Washington to intervene militarily in the Syrian (crisis), using the Kurdish card as an excuse,” the paper said.

“Turkey has agreed with the United States on a military intervention limited to the north of Syria, specifically the northern province of Aleppo, to pave the way for the creation of a safe haven guarded by the armed gangs.”

Turkish newspapers have reported that some Kurdish-majority regions of northern Syria have been flying the flag of Syria’s PKK ally, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), in what they have said is a deal with the Assad family’s government, which was a longtime backer of the Kurdish rebel group’s insurgency in Turkey.

…more

Bahraini cleric’s grandson, Sheikh Issa Qasim injured, arrested
Shia Post – 31 July, 2012

The grandson of senior Bahraini cleric Sheikh Issa Qasim has been arrested by security forces after he was reportedly injured.

Bahraini regime forces wounded Ali Sami Issa Qasim in Diraz village on the northwest coast of the kingdom on Monday, Bahraini opposition sources said.

Twenty-one-year-old Sami was transferred to an unknown place with an ambulance, witnesses said.

Sheikh Qasim is an outspoken cleric, who has repeatedly criticized the Manama regime for the brutal crackdown against protesters in Bahrain.

Sheikh Qasim believes that the regime cannot stop the protests by increasing the attacks, arresting people, and killing them.

Since mid-February 2011, thousands of anti-government protesters have been staging regular demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain, calling for the Al Khalifa royal family to relinquish power.

The anti-regime demonstrators hold King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa responsible for the deaths of the protesters during the popular uprising.

Saudi spy chief Prince Bandar assassinated, report says
Shia Post – 31 July 31, 2012

Saudi Arabian spy chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has been assassinated, a report says.

The Paris-based Voltaire Network confirmed the death of 63-year-old Prince Bandar on its website on Monday, citing unofficial sources.

The international non-profit organization, which publishes a free website (voltairenet.org) in eight languages, said that Prince Bandar was killed because of his role in the July 18 deadly bombing in Damascus.

The bombing killed at least four high-profile Syrian security officials, including Defense Minister Dawoud Rajiha and his deputy Assef Shawkat who was also President Bashar al-Assad’s brother-in-law.

However, there has been no confirmation or denial neither from Saudi officials nor from the Syrian government yet.

Bandar, who was Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States from 1983 to 2005, was named the kingdom’s Secretary General of the National Security Council in 2005. On 19 July 2012, he was appointed Director General of the Saudi Intelligence Agency by King Abdullah.

Many said his promotion was a reward for the role he played in organizing the attack in Damascus, the organization reported. …source

Ecuador asks Sweden to question Assange in London
31 July, 2012 – Al Akhbar

Ecuador has asked Sweden to take WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s testimony regarding accusations of rape and sexual harassment, in London, the South American nation’s top diplomat announced Monday.

“Our ambassador in Sweden has begun steps to ask the Swedish government to collect the statement of Mr. Assange where he is located, at the Ecuadoran embassy in London,” said Ecuadoran Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino.

Assange, 41, is seeking asylum in Ecuador to avoid his extradition to Sweden, where he is accused of sexual assault.

The WikiLeaks founder fears that from Sweden, he could subsequently be re-extradited to the United States to stand trial for espionage, on account of the trove of leaked US diplomatic cables and military logs that were published on his website.

“This is the request we have made in an effort to protect Mr. Assange’s life at all costs,” Patino added, joined at a press conference by Assange’s mother, Christine.

Christine Assange met with Patino Monday.

“I am sure the president and his aides will make the best decision in this case,” she told government website El Ciudadano.

Ecuador will respond to Assange’s request on August 12, Patino said, after the 2012 London Olympics.

“We will take decisions that do not affect our relations with Britain,” Patino said, explaining that Quito would be careful not to do anything that could interfere in any way with the Olympic Games. …source

Foreign companies complicit in Bahrain’s human rights violations
By: Carly Nyst – 30 July, 2012 – Privacy International

Last week’s revelation that Bahraini human rights activists have been targeted by advanced surveillance technology made by British company Gamma is yet another nail in the coffin of privacy and freedom of expression in Bahrain.

Over the past ten years, Bahraini citizens, among the most internet-connected in the Middle East, have been subjected to increasingly oppressive controls on and intrusions into their online and offline lives. The internet is heavily patrolled, and free speech curtailed, by laws which prohibit the publication of material that is offensive to Islam or the king, or that are perceived as undermining state security or the monarchy. Content that is politically sensitive is censored, websites run by national and international non-governmental organisations are blocked, and bloggers, activists and movements are silenced. Moreover, a culture of self-censorship is pervading Bahrain as the government’s capacity for surveillance expands.

According to Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, authorities have been conducting communications surveillance since at least the mid-2000s. Documents leaked by Salah Al-Bandar, a British citizen of Sudanese origin consulting for the Bahraini government, confirm that government officials were maintaining unlawful surveillance programmes to monitor opposition political parties and civil society organisations by 2006.

Since 2009, surveillance has become institutionalized, as all telecommunications providers have been required by law to gather and retain extensive information about users, and make that information available to security organs as requested. The Lawful Access Regulation 2009 was adopted by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority – an ostensibly “independent” body responsible that is in fact headed by a Board of royal appointees – and mandated the collection and retention for one year of all communications data generated by users, including locations, numbers, dates, times, authentication usernames, IP addresses, and website addresses visited. Any government organ that is concerned with any national or international security matter is then entitled to demand access to that information as they see fit. The Regulation also requires telecommunication providers to adopt content surveillance capabilities into their systems and programmes, to enable security organs to intercept and monitor phone calls, text messages and internet usage.

While it is difficult to assess the spread of such surveillance practices, numerous stories and experiences confirm their use. Stories like that of Abdul Ghani Al Khanjar, a school administrator and activist who was detained for six months in August 2010 after speaking about human rights to a committee at the British House of Lords. Throughout his interrogation he was shown transcripts of text messages and phone calls dating back to 2009.

Driving and supporting the expansion of Bahraini surveillance capabilities is the global technology industry, which has shown no qualms at participating in the Bahraini government’s steady assault on privacy and expression rights. Many of the surveillance and censorship activities conducted by the Bahraini government take place at monitoring and surveillance centres supplied and run by foreign companies, such as Nokia Siemens. Much of the surveillance technology used in Bahrain is made by foreign companies like Gamma International, and US firms such as McAfee Inc. (acquired in 2011 by Intel Corp) and Blue Coat Systems have sold content-filtering software and hardware respectively to internet service providers in Bahrain. Privacy International has published a briefing on surveillance in Bahrain which sets these arrangements out in more detail. …more

Israel’s Plan for Syria – The Somalia Model
By ISRAEL SHAMIR; July 30, 2012 – Counterpunch – by blackandred 30 July, 2012

Moscow – Israel retains its ability to control the Syrian ‘Islamist’ rebels. Netanyahu is not worried about Syria’s possible disintegration. Despite the received wisdom claiming that Israelis prefer a stable and familiar Assad to the great unknown of Islamic guerrillas, the new and sensational information we received points out to the opposite, namely: Israelis prefer the Somalisation of Syria, its break-up and the elimination of its army, as this will allow them to tackle Iran unopposed.

This is implied in a secret file recently leaked by a person(s) apparently close to the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Lieberman. It contains a record of conversations between Bibi Netanyahu, Avigdor Lieberman and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the latter’s recent visit to Israel. Israelis seem to have no doubts about its authenticity. Counterpunch received the original file, and here are the highlights of this conversation (in our translation from Hebrew):

•Netanyahu asked Putin to facilitate Bashar Assad’s departure. “You can appoint his successor, and we shall not object, said the Israeli Prime Minister. “There is one condition – the successor must break with Iran.

•Putin responded: we have no candidate for Bashar’s successor. Do you?

•No, we don’t, replied Netanyahu, but we shall tell you our preference soon.

Apparently, Israel can influence the rebels, inasmuch as it can bear on them to accept a successor acceptable to Tel Aviv. This means that the rebels’ chain of command goes beyond unruly field commanders, beyond Qatar and Saudi Arabia, beyond Paris and Washington, all the way to Israel. It is well known that the rebels seek friendship [see video directly below] with Israel, but nobody thought that Israel was able to control them to such an extent. …more

INTERNATIONAL CALL TO ACTION:

“Worldwide Echo in Support of the Zapatistas: Freedom and Justice for San Marcos Avilés and Sántiz López”

July 27, 2012

To our sisters and brothers, the family members and allies of San Marcos Avilés: To our sisters and brothers, the family members and allies of Francisco Sántiz López: To our Zapatista sisters and brothers: To our compañer@s of The Other Campaign: To our compañer@s of the Zezta Internazional: To our compañer@s, adherents of the International Campaign in Defense of El Barrio and all our allies from around the world: To the Civil Society in Mexico and in the world: The following is an urgent call to action from Movement for Justice in El Barrio, The Other Campaign New York, to carry out the:

“Worldwide Echo in Support of the Zapatistas:
Justice and Freedom for San Marcos Avilés and Sántiz López”

SISTERS AND BROTHERS: From the brown heart of El Barrio, New York, receive affectionate greetings and an urgent proposal of struggle on behalf of Movement for Justice in El Barrio, The Other Campaign New York. The following is a new and urgent convocation to carry out the: “Worldwide Echo in Support of the Zapatistas:

Freedom and Justice for San Marcos Avilés and Sántiz López”

First Phase: Walking the True Word – August 2012

To all those who fight for justice, dignity, freedom, and democracy, and against oppression, violence, hatred, scorn, poverty, and terror that are the world of those from above…

To those who work to build another world, another communication, another politics, another knowledge, another culture, another history, another future… To those who search for and create our path by looking from below and to the left… who learn about life by listening to the wise words of the ancestors… To those who dream of freedom in all its resplendent colors…

To those who reject the injustices that, in every country, are imposed and called “economy” and “government”… To those who find inspiration, hope, resonance and reflection in the Zapatistas…

Today, with urgency, we are called upon to mobilize, with our whole being, solidarity and support for our Zapatista sisters and brothers of the community in resistance of San Marcos Avilés and for the Zapatista political prisoner Francisco Sántiz López: Responding to the numerous denouncements and calls issued by the Good Government Council of Oventic and the community of San Marcos Avilés, we stand in solidarity with them and add our echo to their dignified “ENOUGH!” against the recent attacks that the Zapatista support base members, the essence of the Zapatista Movement, are facing.

Particularly, this convocation seeks to anticipate and prevent further violence against San Marcos Avilés at the hands of local political party members who have, during the past few days, made renewed threats. These individuals are the “strong arm” of the region’s dominant political parties. They have of late revealed their plan to displace our sisters and brothers of the Zapatista support base. According to recent threats, these enemies of the people intend to kidnap Zapatista community authorities and, in turn, violently displacing other Zapatistas from their community. They have stated, additionally, that they will incarcerate anyone who continues to denounce these unjust aggressions.

We stress here that these attacks are not isolated incidents, but rather are integral components of the prolonged war of extermination that the bad government of Mexico, together with capitalist interests, has carried out for the past 18 years to wipe out the Zapatista movement and all it has given to the world.

The objectives of this war have been and remain to continue the colonial project and destroy at any cost indigenous autonomy and resistance, and take over their ancestral lands, and in this way, exploit for the exclusive benefit of those from above the natural resources with which our Mother Earth provides us. Repression, violence, and death are meted out by the bad government of Mexico to those who resist this, who defend their lands, their identities, their cultures, and autonomy – their very existence.

The Zapatista ejido and community of San Marcos Avilés, which is made up of Tzeltal indigenous people, has endured an unending nightmare of terror since 2010, when the community’s autonomous school, “Emiliano Zapata,” was constructed as part of the Zapatista Rebel Education System—constituting a major step forward in the community’s advance towards autonomy. During the past two years, this community has suffered various forms of extreme violence, including death threats, harassment, plunder, sexual aggression (including attempted rapes), forced displacement, and others, at the hands of members of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), and the Green Ecological Party (PVEM) of Mexico, and their armed attack groups.

Similarly, our compañero Francisco Sántiz López, also an indigenous Tzeltal-speaker and Zapatista from Chiapas, has remained unjustly imprisoned since December 4, 2011, for false crimes that he never committed. His only “crime” is that of being a member of the Zapatista support base. Today he remains a hostage of the bad government of Mexico in its war against all Zapatistas. It is clear that the violence exercised against both San Marcos Avilés and Francisco Sántiz López stems from that same source.

Recently, community members of San Marcos Avilés have reported that the threats against them have spiked at an alarming rate during the past few days. In light of these acts of violence and aggression, we would like to propose the following plan of solidarity and struggle, as part of the “Worldwide Echo in Support of the Zapatistas: Freedom and Justice for San Marcos Avilés and Sántiz López.” This campaign is distinguished for its “two-pronged” strategy, and will consist of two interrelated phases. …more

Syria: Shameful Performance of Western Media
By As’ad AbuKhalil – 30 July, 2012 – Angry Corner – Al Akhbar

The performance of the Western media (American, British, French and others) regarding the Syrian conflict has been quite shameful. One does not expect much from American media. Ill-informed foreign editors and correspondents and political cowardice turn American media into tools of US foreign policy.

This is especially true when it comes to coverage of the Middle East, where extra political courage and uncharacteristic level of knowledge and expertise are rather rare even though they are essential in challenging US foreign policy. But when it comes to Syria British media – including the liberal Guardian which has often been brave in challenging Western foreign policies and wars – have been indistinguishable from American media.

These media have failed their readers on many levels. Their shortcomings can be summarized as follows:

1. Resorting to methods of documentations that are never accepted when covering the Arab-Israeli conflict; like the reliance on accounts of people through skype and emails whose names are not obtained through a random process and the reliance on Saudi or Qatari press media offices. …more

Hunger strike has enduring power
by Stefan Simanowitz – 30 July, 2012 – Tribune Magazine UK

While the hunger strike may have made its greatest political gains in the 20th century helping to expose injustice, overturn prejudice and even overthrow empires, the recent release of a Palestinian footballer, Mahmoud Sarsak, after a 95-day hunger strike, demonstrates that this ancient form of protest has lost none of its power. Indeed, in the digital age, the hunger strike is finding new influence.

Sarsak’s release followed the release of another Palestinian hunger striker, Khader Adnan, in April, and concessions made by Israel to more than 1,500 Palestinian prison hunger strikers. In May, Bahraini activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja ended his 110-day hunger strike, having drawn the world’s attention to Bahrain’s anti-government movement. Jailed Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko’s 20-day hunger strike caused an international stir ahead of the Euro 2012 football championships. In Iran, several imprisoned journalists and activists are currently on hunger strike. Last year, veteran activist Hoda Saber died of a heart attack after just 10 days fasting. In Russia the announcement that the three members of the jailed activist punk band Pussy Riot are on hunger strike made headlines around the world.

The internet age provides huge opportunities for the scope and impact of the hunger strike in terms of raising awareness and support. However, with thousands of hunger strikes being staged each month – from Belarus to Tibet, and Western Sahara to Guantanamo Bay – there is also a danger that information about some of them will be lost in cyberspace.

Anyone who has seen Hunger, Alexander McQueen’s 2008 film about the Maze prison hunger strike, will have an idea just how horrific it is to die from starvation. The body literally consumes itself – “mining” its muscles and vital organs for energy. Toxic ketone bodies are produced and death comes by dehydration, atrophication and the failure of the kidneys, liver and other organs.

Unlike self-immolation, a hunger strike can last for weeks or months, slowing reconfiguring the dynamic between the “powerless” and the ‘powerful’. By making public the very private act of dying, the hunger striker demands attention.

While many people think of the hunger strike as a phenomenon of the previous century, employed most famously in the struggles for women’s suffrage and the Irish and Indian independence movement, the practice is rooted far further back in history. Hunger strikes were practiced in medieval Ireland, ancient India and by the Romans. …more

Gangs of Darkness campaign to expose house raids
shiapost – 30 July, 2012

A new campaign, “Gangs of Darkness”, has been launched in Bahrain to highlight the daily house raids of regime forces against the people of Bahrain. Such attacks take place very late at night or early in the morning and include kidnappings, theft, confiscation and vandalism.

The opposition parties in Bahrain announced the launch of Gangs of Darkness in an attempt to reveal the inhumane and illegal acts by regime forces against the people, the breaking into homes, and theft of precious items without any legal consequences.

The opening of the campaign revealed that masked men, in the uniform of regime forces, are conducting these terrifying acts. The perpetrators come from different security and military units of the regime including national security, National Guard, army and Special Forces.

These attacks began 16 months ago as part of the early attacks on demonstrators in Lulu Roundabout and have continued since then. Despite various international condemnations and reports the violations have continued to take place. The BICI report mentioned how regime forces raided homes without allowing women the time to cover as well as pointing out the systematic attacks on the people and theft of household belongings in raids.

The estimation of the number of raids to have taken place since 14th February 2011 is well into the hundreds and there is not a day to go by without regime forces raiding people’s homes, attacking, detaining and citizens, showing no respect for people or the idea of safety in the home. …source

Bahrain : Public Prosecution Jail Two Children for 45 Days
30 July, 2012 – BCHR

Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) expresses its grave concern regarding the continuous arbitrary arrests and use of excessive force against civilians specially against children.

Ahmed Hilal, a 15 year old boy, according to his lawyer “Mohammed Al-Oraibi”, he was arrested from the village of Mussala during a disperse of a peaceful protest in Friday, 13th July 2012. Ahmed was walking home and saw a number of protestors being chased by riot police, unknowing the reason, he kept walking to be then arrested by the riot police. Ahmed have stated during the investigation at the Public Prosecution that he was beaten by the police while being arrested. Lawyer Al-Oraibi stated that in spite the lack of evidence against Ahmed, the public prosecution have order to jail him for 45 days for further investigation and he is being charged for “illegal gathering”.

Ali Al-Aradi, a 16 years old child, according to lawyer Al-Oraibi, he was arrested during a disperse of a peaceful protest called by the Political Societies in Friday, 13th July 2012. Ali have left his grandfather’s house heading to a car cleaning shop while police were chasing protesters. A police car was driving at him and he tried to avoid it and fell and then he got arrested. During the investigation at the Public Prosecution Ali have stated that he was beaten by the police during the arrest. Public prosecution charged him with “illegal gathering” and ordered to jail him for 45 days for further investigation. Both of the children Ahmed and Ali are put in adult jail facilities.[1]

It is not the first time the Bahraini government target children and arbitrary arrest them. on May 2012, child Ali Hassan, 11years old, was arrested and was put on trial.

Although the Bahraini government is a signatory of the convention on the rights of the chid, children are constantly being subjected to the police violence in their own neighbourhood’s by riot police.

On May 2012, the BCHR has reported another 2 cases of detention and ill-treatment of children below the age of 15 at police custody. Records show that the arrest and detention of children under the age of 18 for allegation of involvement in protest is a routine in Bahrain. At least three minors have received very harsh sentences of up to 15 years in prison by military court in 2011.

The BCHR demands the immediate release of 15-year-old Ahmed Hilal, 16-year-old Ali Al-Aradi and all other detained children who were arrested during the on-going protests in Bahrain, and to drop all falsified charges against them. We appeal to children’s rights organizations and the international community to call on the Bahraini authorities to stop violating children’s rights. …source

Saudi minister says Shia cleric ‘mentally ill’
30 July, 2012 – Al Akhbar

Saudi Interior Minister Prince Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz on Monday described prominent cleric Nimr al-Nimr, detained in the kingdom’s Eastern Province, as mentally ill, a statement likely to spark further protests in the country.

“Nimr Nimr is someone who stirs sedition…The way he speaks reflects a mental deficiency and imbalance,” Ahmed said at a press conference, according to a report by state news agency SPA.

Ahmed claimed that authorities do not discriminate against the family of Nimr, but warned that those affected by his “deviation” should be stopped.

“His wife works in immigration, and his sons and daughters have scholarships to study abroad. The government sent his wife to the United States for treatment when she suffered a malignant illness,” he said.

“Everything is available for him, just like others,” Prince Ahmed added.

Nimr remains in hospital after being seriously wounded during his violent arrest earlier this month in the restive district of Qatif in the Eastern Province.

His arrest sparked huge street protests, with at least three people killed as authorities sought to crush the unrest.

Saudi police on Friday again confronted demonstrators who marched in Qatif demanding the release of Nimr and other detainees, witnesses said, while the interior ministry announced arresting several people among “rioters.”

The district witnessed a spate of protests after an outbreak of violence between Shia pilgrims and religious police in the Muslim holy city of Medina in February last year.

The protests escalated when the kingdom led a force of Gulf troops into neighboring Bahrain the following month to help crush a pro-democracy uprising against the ruling monarchy.

Saudi Arabia is one of the most repressive dictatorships in the world, and the Shia minority often complain of discrimination in the mainly Sunni conservative kingdom. …source

U.S. Nonprofit Wins License to Supply Free Syrian Army
By davidswanson – – 28 July 2012 -by Barb Weir, Deliberation.info

“Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the License, the Syrian Support Group, Inc. (the “Licensee”) may export, sell, or supply to the Free Syrian Army (“FSA”) financial, communications, logistical, and other services otherwise prohibited by Executive Order 13582 in order to support the FSA…”

According to Treasury License No. SY-2012-294747-1, dated 23 July 2012, the Syrian Support Group, Inc. (SSG) will be providing “otherwise prohibited” services to the Free Syrian Army (FSA) under the supervision of the Office of Terrorism Finance and Economic Sanctions Policy at the U.S. Department of State. The license was announced on the SSG website syriansupportgroup.org after a copy was leaked to the public. According to the website, the SSG “was formed to promote the establishment of a free, independent and democratic Syria” and “we advocate military intervention by any willing country to ensure saving lives…”

These developments are astounding. It is extraordinary that the U.S. State Department would even have an Office of Terrorism Finance and Economic Sanctions Policy. Usually, such places are called the Office of Humanitarian Liberation and Promotion of Prosperity Policy. We haven’t had that kind of honesty in government office titles since the Department of War was renamed, and our government should be commended for not hiding the financing of terrorism behind a cloak of euphemisms.

It is also an entirely new role for the military. Usually we think of doctors, fire departments and humanitarian agencies as saving lives, often in situations of military conflict. For military intervention to be tasked with saving lives rather than taking them is therefore also revolutionary, and we may hope that this daring experiment will succeed.

Finally, we are entitled to be astonished that the SSG would invite “any willing country” to join the military intervention in Syria. That could be quite an array. To date, Russia, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Iran, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, China, Cuba, Venezuela, Libya and probably many more might qualify. If an invitation were extended to North Korea, I’m sure it would receive favorable consideration.

Indeed, the Syrian Support Group is blazing a new trail in uniting the militaries of all these countries in peaceful humanitarian efforts. The photos on their website of soldiers with weapons that they obviously have taken out of combat and intend to destroy are an inspiration to us all. …source

Bahrain sees fresh anti-govt. rallies
29 July, 2012 – PressTV

Bahraini protesters have taken to the streets again across the sheikdom, calling for an end to the reign of the ruling monarchy.

The anti-regime protesters rallied in several villages on Saturday, chanting slogans against the Al Khalifa regime.

The demonstrators also expressed solidarity with anti-regime protesters in neighboring Saudi Arabia and called for the immediate release of jailed Saudi cleric Sheikh Nemr al-Nemr.

Anti-government demonstrations continue across the country, despite crackdown by the Manama regime.

Bahrainis have been staging demonstrations since mid-February 2011, demanding political reform and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy, a plea that later changed to an outright call for the ouster of the ruling Al Khalifa family following its brutal crackdown on popular protests.

Bahraini demonstrators hold King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa responsible for the death of protesters during the uprising.

Meanwhile, Saudi anti-regime protesters held fresh demonstrations across Riyadh as well as the holy city of Mecca to protest against the arrest of political prisoners, including Sheikh al-Nemr. …source

Saudi anti-regime protesters stage rallies in Riyadh, Mecca
shiapost – 29 July, 2012

Saudi anti-regime protesters have held fresh demonstrations across Riyadh as well as the holy city of Mecca to protest against the arrest of political prisoners.

Chanting anti-regime slogans on Saturday, the angry protesters demanded the release of political prisoners and the downfall of the US-backed monarchy.

On Friday, Saudi security forces opened fire and injured several demonstrators in the eastern city of Qatif.

Similar demonstrations were also held against the regime in the village of Awamiyah and the city of Buraydah.

Tensions have been running high in Saudi Arabia’s oil-rich Eastern Province over the past weeks following the detention of Saudi Shia cleric Sheikh Nemr al-Nemr.

Sheikh Nemr was attacked, injured, and arrested by Saudi security forces, while driving from a farm to his house in the province’s Qatif region on July 8.

Since February 2011, protesters have held demonstrations on an almost regular basis in Saudi Arabia, mainly in the Qatif region and Awamiyah, also in the Eastern Province, primarily calling for the release of all political prisoners, freedom of expression and assembly, and an end to widespread discrimination.

However, the demonstrations have turned into protests against the Al Saud regime, especially since November 2011, when Saudi security forces killed five protesters and injured many others in the province.

According to Human Rights Watch, the Saudi regime “routinely represses expression critical of the government.” …source

Bahrain opens probes into police abuse allegations
29 July, 2012 – US News

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Bahrain’s Interior Ministry says it is opening investigations into possible rights violations by police during crackdowns on opposition protesters.

The probes into possible police abuses are in line with recommendations last year by an independent commission that studied the Gulf nation’s Shiite majority’s uprising against the Sunni monarchy.

A statement Sunday says the Interior Ministry seeks to uphold “international standards” among its security forces in efforts to build trust after more than 17 months of protests and clashes.

Bahrain has said before that it will look into abuses but this is one of the most forcefully worded pledges.

More than 50 people have died in unrest since February 2011 in the strategic kingdom, which is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.
…source

Bahraini Delegation Attends Workshop in London
30 July, 2012 – Bahrian News

London-July29(BNA)A Bahraini Parliamentary delegation outlined the Kingdom’s landmark development, democratic and constitutional strides.

Led by Mp Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Mulla, the delegation projected the true image of Bahrain’s reform momentum.

The legislative delegation took part in the second day of the 10th workshop which brings together parliamentarians and academic figures.

Hull University Centre for Legislatives Studies is organizing the event at Wroxton College, Oxfordshire, under the auspices of the International Parliament Union (IPU).

The delegation outlined Bahrain’s landmark achievements in the sectors of health, education and housing – being constitutionally-guaranteed basic rights.

Mp. Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Mulla pointed out the recently endorsed constitutional amendments to meet people’s aspirations.

He paid tribute to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa for initiating a reform project which promoting the Kingdom’s fledgling democracy and projecting its status.

The delegation also included Mps Sawsan Taqawi and Mohammed Al-Emadi and Shura Council members Dr. Nasser Hameed Al-Mubarak, Dr Jehad Abdulla Al-Fadhel and Dr. Said Ahmed Abdulla. …source

Analyst: Bahrainis will continue revolution despite crackdown
30 July, 2012 – ABNA.co

Bahrainis will continue their revolution against the repressive regime of Al Khalifa despite the incessant crackdown on peaceful demonstrations.

Analyst: Bahrainis will continue revolution despite crackdownInterview with Ibrahim Mousawi, political analyst, Beirut about the cover up or lack of international concern on the human rights abuses toward the peoples’ revolution in Bahrain.

The other guest to this news analysis includes Bahraini political activist in London, Jaffar al-Hesabi. The following is an approximate transcription of the interview.

Q: Mainstream media are not pointing their camera lens in the direction of Bahrain, but on the other hand we see that they’re in full zoom focus when it comes to Syria. What is the difference – why do we see a vast difference in the way that various countries are being covered?

Mousawi: It’s very evident for everyone who watches what is really going on in the region that there is evident and clear double standards led by the Western governments and the so-called international community.

I would urge everybody to make reservation while using this abbreviation or this terminology ‘the international community’ because it does not represent those who we consider the international community, they do not represent the international community.

Now what is happening is that they are focusing or zooming in on Syria and not on Bahrain simply because the western governments i.e. the USA, Britain, the powerful capitals in the West they support the Bahraini regime and the Bahraini regime is their ally. That’s why they are turning a blind eye.

It’s not that they are turning a blind eye; I would say that the Western government along with the USA are responsible; they are equally responsible and they share the responsibility for all the suffering, the brutality and the torturing that is happening to the Bahrainis.

This is a very vivid and clear historical example about the inconsistency, the double standards and the hypocrisy of the Western governments.

Just to notify about what my colleague said from London, Mr. Jaffar Hesabi… It’s not true that the Bahraini government is misleading the international community. This so-called international community – and we mean by it the USA, Britain and France and other western governments, all those who follow the same axis – they know in detail what is happening there.

They have their embassies there; they can send any envoy or delegation to see what is really happening there; they know for sure what is really going on, but it is very evident that petroleum and oil is more important to them than the blood of the Bahraini people.

Q: When we look at what is referred to as the so-called international community and the inundation by the Western media on the airwaves and how lots of times even the images are created in dealing with certain countries and then images are never shown on others… and so many people seem to be influenced by what you called the so-called international community…

What is the answer then? What is the answer in order to get the truth to be shown that people all over the world realize the suffering that is taking place on the ground in Bahrain?

Mousawi: I would urge that we have to find a way in order to inform the public opinion, the international community, when we mean the government, the governments have their tools, their embassies, consulates and delegations and they know very well what is happening.

May be the public, the people – the ordinary people don’t know much about what is happening, they are being spoon fed by the bombardment of the media misleading them on Syria, Bahrain, on Palestine and different other place, we know about that very well.

We have to be creative as to form our own alternative media. Our people who are outside, the ambassadors who have sympathy towards the cause i.e. the cause of the Bahrainis, the journalists the students, we have to go to the internet and to the alternative media in order to make this word spread all over. …more

Bahraini police attack demonstrators, injure several
shiapost – 30 July, 2012

Bahraini security forces have attacked protesters who were holding demonstrations in the northeastern island of Sitra and several other villages to demand the downfall of the Al Khalifa regime.

The demonstrators took to the streets in Sitra on Sunday, chanting slogans against the ruling family.

They also called for a democratically-elected government.

Several protesters were injured when the security forces used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the demonstrations.

Last week, similar demonstrations were held in the village of Dair, located on the northern coast of the Muharraq Island, and the northwestern village of Diraz.

Anti-regime protests in Bahrain continue despite the heavy-handed crackdown by the regime.

Bahraini demonstrators hold King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa responsible for the killing of the protesters during the uprising that began in February 2011. …source

Turkish military convoy heads for Syrian border:reports
30 July, 2012 – Reuters – The DailyStar

ANTAKYA: Turkey sent a convoy of about 20 vehicles carrying troops, missile batteries and armoured vehicles to the border with Syria on Monday amid growing concern in Turkey about security on its southern frontier, news reports and witnesses said.

It was the latest in a series of deployments in the region in recent weeks. There has been no indication that Turkish forces will cross the border, and the troop movements may be strictly precautionary in the face of spiralling violence in Syria.

The convoy left a base in Gaziantep province to head south to Kilis province, where the troops will stay, the state-run Anatolian news agency said.

Witnesses said the troops and vehicles had left a major highway and were now stationed along a fenced-off section on the frontier with Syria.

Television footage from Dogan News Agency showed at least six armoured vehicles atop trucks traveling along an asphalt road. Buses and covered trucks that appeared to be personnel carriers were also in the convoy.

Turkey, a member of NATO, in recent months has conducted a number of troop deployments along its 911-km (566 mile) border with Syria, which is in the throes of an insurgency seeking to topple President Bashar al-Assad.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, a former Assad ally, is now among his most vocal critics, calling for him to step down from power amid the 16-month uprising that has killed thousands of Syrian civilians.

Tensions between the neighbours hit a peak on June 22, when Syrian forces shot down a Turkish military reconnaissance aircraft, killing two pilots.
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Syrian rebels seek power in transition
30 July, 2012 – AL Akhbar

Syrian rebels on Monday distributed a “national salvation draft” proposal for a political transition in the country that would controversially include military figures in any transition should President Bashar al-Assad fall.

The joint command of the Free Syrian army (FSA) said in a statement the draft “meets all the requirements of the revolution.”

The document demands “the establishment of a supreme higher defense council whose first mission will be creating a presidential council of six military and civil leaders to run the state in the next transitional stage,” the statement said.

The council would include all leaders of military councils in Syrian cities and provinces as well as defected military officers who contributed to the revolution, it said.

The call has raised concerns that Syria’s armed rebels will seek to consolidate power in the event of Assad’s fall, and undermine any attempt to a transition to civilian rule, akin to Egypt’s ruling military.

Among the proposed presidential council’s responsibilities would be “to put forward draft laws for referendum and (…) to restructure the security and military apparatus,” the statement said.

The draft, which was the result of extensive deliberations, also proposed “the establishment of the Supreme National Council for the Protection of the Syrian Revolution…as a parliamentary institution to monitor the work of executive agencies.”

The statement called on the Syrian National Council council as well as all other political forces to participate in the “making of the new institutions” after Assad’s fall.

The statement declared that “any government that emerges from unreliable sources will not see the light of day and will not have any national or revolutionary legitimacy, if it does not adopt the revolution’s full demands untouched.”

Human Rights Watch has previously said that Syrian rebels, many of whom operate outside of a central command, have been carrying out human rights abuses in the armed uprising against President Assad. …more

American Author: US Is Rotting From the Inside
Local Editor – 27 July, 2012 – moqowama.org

An American analyst says while Washington readily “squanders blood and treasure” in its so-called war on terror overseas, gun crime and poor healthcare threaten the United States within its own borders.

“The shooting in Aurora is indicative of a particular national sickness – a fetishization of guns and propensity for spectacular violence. But the response (or lack thereof) to this latest American tragedy speaks to something else: a national denial about that which really threatens us,” Michael Cohen wrote in an article posted on The Guardian website.
“This is a depressingly familiar tale of modern American life – the massacre of innocent people with guns and ammunition legally acquired with relative ease. Unfortunately, while such mass killings are all too prevalent, so too is the muted response of policymakers,” Cohen said.

He said as the US liberals and conservatives continue to wrangle over policies, some of “the weakest gun control laws in the developed world” remain in place.
“Now imagine this scenario with a different protagonist. Imagine if the killer was … trained in the wilds of Pakistan’s FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) region, or Yemen. … How would the reaction to this crime differ? It’s not hard to imagine at all.”
“For example, after the so-called underwear bomber failed to blow up an American plane in December 2009, the US ramped up its drone operations against al-Qaeda in Yemen.”

“Or go further back to September 11: 3,000 Americans were killed in the worst terrorist attack in American history. In response, the US spent more than USD three trillion in direct and indirect costs. In addition, subsequent invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq led to more Americans being killed or maimed than died on 11 September itself,” Cohen added.

He said the larger point here is that the US political leaders activated resources to deal with the “perceived threat that came from terrorism” – military and intelligence budgets were significantly increased; foreign wars were started; homeland security was tightened up.
“In short, even as the obvious threat from terrorism has decreased, the US continues to squander blood and treasure in fighting it,” Cohen said.
“From 2000 to 2006 – a time when the war on terrorism was operating at full speed – 137,000 Americans died prematurely because they didn’t have health insurance,” Cohen said.

“The vast majority of Americans die from one of four ailments: cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease. Each of these is primarily caused by risk factors that are quite preventable: smoking, diet, lack of physical activity and alcohol.”

He said the situation is the result of “the failures of not just the country’s political leaders, but also its political system,” or perhaps it is simply a refusal by Americans to realize their own limitations and faults as a nation.
Cohen concluded that the US is rotting from the inside because it has yet to come to grips with its own domestic maladies.” …source