…from beneath the crooked bough, witness 230 years of brutal tyranny by the al Khalifas come to an end

President Obama the agency extraordinary authority in Pakistan. Now it wants these powers in Yemen too.

Expanding CIA Drone Strikes Will Likely Mean More Dead Innocents
By Conor Friedersdorf – 19 April 2012 – Reuters

An eye-opening report published last November in the Wall Street Journal revealed that the Obama Administration was permitting the CIA to kill people in Pakistan without even knowing who they were: “Signature strikes target groups of men believed to be militants associated with terrorist groups, but whose identities aren’t always known. The bulk of CIA’s drone strikes are signature strikes.” As I noted at the time, this is the same CIA that is known to have jailed innocent people, subjecting them to harsh interrogation tactics and years of wrongful imprisonment. Despite those errors, and the CIA’s lack of transparency and accountability, the Obama Administration loosed it in Pakistan, where we’ve killed lots of innocent people. And while it’s been operating in Yemen for some time, the CIA now wants official permission to kill people whose identities it can’t confirm in that country either.

Is President Obama going to agree? “If approved, the change would probably accelerate a campaign of U.S. airstrikes in Yemen that is already on a record pace, with at least eight attacks in the past four months,” The Washington Post reports. “For President Obama, an endorsement of signature strikes would mean a significant, and potentially risky, policy shift. The administration has placed tight limits on drone operations in Yemen to avoid being drawn into an often murky regional conflict and risk turning militants with local agendas into al-Qaeda recruits.”

It’s worth pausing at that line about the “tight limits” on current drone operations in Yemen. Here’s how Jeremy Scahill, who reported on the ground there, described the reality of American policy:

For years, the elite Joint Special Operations Command and the CIA had teams deployed inside Yemen that supported Yemeni forces and conducted unilateral operations, consisting mostly of cruise missile and drone attacks. Some of the unilateral strikes have killed their intended targets, such as the CIA attack on Awlaki. But others have killed civilians–at times, a lot of civilians. And many of these have been in Abyan and its neighboring province of Shebwa, both of which have recently seen a substantial rise of AQAP activity. President Obama’s first known authorization of a missile strike on Yemen, on December 17, 2009, killed more than forty Bedouins, many of them women and children, in the remote village of al Majala in Abyan. Another US strike, in May 2010, killed an important tribal leader and the deputy governor of Marib province, Jabir Shabwani, sparking mass anger at the United States…

The October drone strike that killed Awlaki’s 16-year-old son, Abdulrahman, a US citizen, and his teenage cousin shocked and enraged Yemenis of all political stripes. “I firmly believe that the [military] operations implemented by the US performed a great service for Al Qaeda, because those operations gave Al Qaeda unprecedented local sympathy,” says Jamal, the Yemeni journalist. The strikes “have recruited thousands.” Yemeni tribesmen, he says, share one common goal with Al Qaeda, “which is revenge against the Americans, because those who were killed are the sons of the tribesmen, and the tribesmen never, ever give up on revenge.” Even senior officials of the Saleh regime recognize the damage the strikes have caused.

Put another way, the status quo, with its relatively greater protections, resulted in dozens of dead innocents and, according to some experts, created the conditions for blowback. And since Scahill did his reporting, the pace of drone strikes has increased, “with about as many strikes so far this year as in all of 2011,” the Post reports. “Which U.S. entity is responsible for each strike remains unclear.” Also secret are the identities of the people targeted and the people killed, a confluence of opacity that make abuses likely and more dead innocents all but certain.

China backs Annan’s call for Iran role in Syria talks
11 July, 2012 – By Douglas Hamilton – Reuters

BEIRUT: China threw its weight behind U.N. envoy Kofi Annan on Wednesday, backing his call to include Iran in internationally-brokered talks to resolve Syria’s crisis, in the face of strong Western opposition.

“China believes that the appropriate resolution of the Syria issue cannot be separated from the countries in the region, especially the support and participation of those countries that are influential on relevant sides in Syria,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said in Beijing.

U.N. Security Council veto-holders China and Russia have for the past year blocked efforts by Washington and its European and Gulf Arab allies to turn the screws on Syrian President Bashar Assad, fighting to defend his mostly Alawite ruling establishment against an uprising dominated by Sunni Muslims.

Assad’s opponents say just under 13,000 armed and unarmed opponents of Assad, and around 4,300 members of security forces loyal to Damascus, have been killed since he launched a crackdown 16 months ago, using tanks and helicopter gunships to attack rebel strongholds inside Syria’s biggest cities.

Activists on Wednesday reported a new bombardment of rebel areas of Homs, a hotbed of opposition to Assad, as well as fighting in many other parts of the country.

Annan was due to brief the Security Council at 1530 GMT on Wednesday on the results of a lightning diplomatic shuttle this week to Damascus, Tehran and Baghdad – three capitals forming a Shi’ite Muslim axis of power in the Middle East.

Annan plunged into a tussle between the major powers on Tuesday, insisting that Iran, which strongly backs Assad and is regarded as an adversary of the West and Gulf Arabs, had a role to play in the drive to relaunch stalled peace efforts and begin talks towards a political transition.

In Baghdad, Annan also won backing from Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who like Assad has close ties to Tehran.

Washington’s reaction was not encouraging for the envoy.

“I don’t think anybody with a straight face could argue that Iran has had a positive impact on developments in Syria,” White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters.

…more

Russia refuses to budge on Assad, Syria clashes kill 9
11 July, 2012 – Agence France Presse

DAMASCUS: Syria’s main opposition group on Wednesday failed to convince Russia to drop its support for long-time ally President Bashar Assad, as fresh clashes in Damascus challenged his beleaguered regime.

Russia refuses to shift its controversial position on the crisis in Syria, the exiled opposition Syria National Council (SNC) said after talks in Moscow with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

“We have not seen a development in the Russian position. I was here one year ago and the position has not changed,” Burhan Ghalioun, SNC executive committee member and its former chief, told reporters after the meeting.

Abdel Basset Sayda, the SNC’s new head, earlier compared the conflict in his country to the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

“The events in Syria are not disagreements between the opposition and the government but a revolution,” Sayda told Lavrov, whose country has seen itself cast as the last protector of its Arab ally, Syria.

Underlining the gulf between the SNC and Moscow, Lavrov said Russia wanted to understand in the talks if there were “prospects” of the opposition groups uniting and joining a platform for dialogue with the Syrian government.

On Tuesday, Moscow proposed a U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria that would extend the U.N. observer mission in the country without any threat of sanctions, diplomats in New York said.

The resolution was sent to the council’s other 14 members ahead of a briefing on Wednesday by U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan on efforts to revive his peace plan, Russia’s deputy U.N. envoy Igor Pankin told reporters.

Russia is Assad’s main ally apart from Iran and has fiercely resisted international action against the Damascus government as proposed by Washington and European powers.

Moscow has repeatedly said Assad’s fate is up to the Syrian people and defied calls by the West and the SNC to urge him to step down.

On Tuesday, Annan warned that the conflict could spread across the region as he held talks in Iran and Iraq aimed at shoring up support for his tattered peace plan, starting with an April ceasefire that has failed to materialize.

But in an implicit rebuff, the United States renewed its opposition to any role for Tehran in resolving the conflict.

“I don’t think anybody with a straight face could argue that Iran has had a positive impact on developments in Syria,” White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters.

…more

Obama stand on Syria marked by Islamophobia: Larijani
7 July, 2012 – Daily Messenger

The people of Bahrain are under extreme hardship; they are not demanding anything extraordinary but merely want the right to a ballot in which there is no difference between Shia and Sunni vote, but the parliament of this state (Bahrain) only conforms to the American version of justice.”

Speaker of Iran’s Majlis (parliament) Ali Larijani has described the US intervention in the Syrian affairs as a clear instance of US President Barack Obama’s Islamophobic policies.

Comparing Obama’s outright support for anti-Syria armed gangs in the name of democracy while backing the dictatorial regime in Bahrain, Larijani insisted that “such dual standards cannot be justified by any reason,” IRIB reported Friday.

“The people of Bahrain are under extreme hardship; they are not demanding anything extraordinary but merely want the right to a ballot in which there is no difference between Shia and Sunni vote, but the parliament of this state (Bahrain) now only conforms to the American version of justice,” he said.

The top Iranian lawmaker, speaking Friday night in the holy city of Qom, also blasted Obama’s contradictory statements and policies regarding Islam before and after his 2008 election as the American president.

Obama has been the only US president throughout the American history that has implemented the most number of threats and sanctions against the Islamic Iran, while continually talking of peace and dialogue with nations and claiming to defend human rights, he said.

Larijani further censured “unreasonable American positions” with respect to Iran’s nuclear energy issue, adding that “the US accuses Iran of violating (the International Atomic Energy) Agency regulations” while its representatives at the P5+1 nuclear negotiations “first travel to Israel and finalize the outcome of the talks there before the [actual] summit gets underway.” …source

Bahrain: Terrorising citizens into submission
by Bahrain Freedom Movement – Global Research – 7 July, 2012

Tension is rising as the regime decides to throttle the people to death, denying them the rights of speech, assembly and association. Despite getting along with the regime’s political agenda for several years, the political societies were snubbed this week when they announced that they were holding a peaceful demonstration scheduled for this afternoon. The ruling family rejected the request and threatened to kill demonstrators. Two weeks ago Alkhalifa Death Squads fired at demonstrators causing injuries and panic. Their policy is to terrorise the people so that they submit to their will. The situation has become so polarised that Bahrain has entered the final phase of the struggle for change. The situation is likely to escalate from now onward.

The sentencing by the Alkhalifa court yesterday of a child to one year imprisonment has shocked the human conscience and exposed the real nature of this oppressive regime. Ali Hassan is only 11 years of age, yet the regime decided to lock him up for one more year for taking part in a peaceful demonstration. He had already been detained for 25 days before international condemnation forced his release. The latest decision is a clear violation of the most basic of human decency, dignity and human rights.

This tragic development came on the day when another child was summarily hanged by members of the Death Squads, operated by the royal court. He was found dead by his family, hanged in his room shortly after Death Squads had been reported to have attacked houses and ransacked some of them. It has now been confirmed that the dictator, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, has a fully-fledged team of special forces whose aim is to target key figures in the opposition. Among their victims is Salah who was kidnapped, tortured and skinned on the day Formula 1 started the race in Bahrain on 21 April 2012. They are also responsible for kidnapping, torturing to death Yousuf Mawali earlier this year. His body was then dumped on seaside while the regime claimed that he had drowned. Post-mortem carried out by a special Turkish doctor confirmed that he had received electric torture before his death.

At the World Conference on Human Rights, the American delegation on 3 July delivered a statement outlining US policy in the world. The statement said that the Bahrainis Government “needs to hold accountable officials responsible for human rights violations, including deaths in custody resulting from torture, to drop charges against all persons accused of crimes based on their political expression, and to ensure fair and expeditious trials in appeals cases, such as those of the medical professionals. The Government of Bahrain also needs to prevent the use of excessive force by the police and to diversify police forces to reflect the communities in which they serve. We also urge the Government to respect its citizens’ rights to free expression, free association and free assembly, and to facilitate access to Bahrain for journalists and civil society organizations.”

Another victim of state terrorism is Abdulla Zain, a young Bahraini citizen who was kidnapped earlier this week. He was taken to a horse stable at Budayya Road, severely tortured and then dumped at a remote area. Meanwhile Ali Mawali who was shot two weeks ago at a peaceful demonstration is still fighting for his life as doctors struggle to get him out of coma. He was targeted as he tried to defend a senior political figure at a demonstration on Friday 22 June.

Collective punishment has continued unabated. Death squads are roaming the streets, attacking Bahrainis, targeting their homes, ransacking their contents and arresting citizens. The towns of Jid Ali, Duraz, Sitra, Samaheej and other places were savaged by regime’s brutality. Many citizens were arrested from their homes in the past few days.

…source

Africa: U.S., Partners Work to Combat Terrorism, Support Victims
By Mackenzie C. Babb – 9 July 2012 – United States Department of State (Washington, DC)

Washington — The United States and its international partners are working together to counter violent extremism and help the victims of terrorism around the globe, says Under Secretary of State Maria Otero.

“Around the world, terrorists make their mark on the world through acts of hatred. They proclaim their values with a deep and disturbing indifference to human life,” Otero said July 9 to the Global Counterterrorism Forum’s High-Level Conference on Victims of Terrorism in Madrid, Spain.

“Those of you here today stand in stark contrast to terrorists, not only by condemning their acts but by countering their indifference with honor, dignity and compassion for victims of terrorism,” she said.

Otero, the under secretary for civilian security, democracy and human rights, delivered opening remarks to the conference. The July 9-10 meeting brings together government officials, civil society leaders and other stakeholders to discuss how countries can increase their support of victims of terror while cooperating to counter extremist ideologies.

The under secretary thanked the victims of terrorism who traveled from around the world to participate in the conference for their courage and perseverance.

“Each of you is a testament to the fact that the human spirit cannot be easily broken,” she said. “You are an inspiration to all of us, and we are honored to work not just on your behalf but alongside you in this important work.”

Otero said the group is working toward adopting an action plan by the end of the conference to reaffirm the group’s shared hope that no victim suffers alone and to mobilize additional resources and expertise to provide victims with training to counter violent extremism by sharing their own stories.

“By magnifying the voices of survivors, especially through international media, we have a unique chance to educate the world about the pain inflicted by terrorists,” she said. “Though such awareness is tainted with pain and suffering, it is all the more powerful in discouraging radicalized individuals and empowering other victims to speak up against violent extremism.”

The under secretary said in addressing the needs of victims while integrating their voices into counterterrorism efforts, the United States aims to incorporate four pillars into a comprehensive strategy.

First, governments must be sure that victims of terror have the tools they need to heal.

“The road to recovery is long, but it is made all the easier by accessible information and resources — from medical care to legal representation to psychological services,” Otero said.

She said also that victims should have the opportunity to participate in the accountability process following an attack.

“They should have access to the perpetrators’ court proceedings and be afforded protection if necessary so that they may work toward recovery,” Otero said.

She said victims often play an important role in bringing terrorists to justice, both as witnesses and as advocates for accountability.

“We must strive to protect and foster victim participation in accountability efforts, while remaining respectful of the psychological challenges such a process can present,” the under secretary said.

Third, Otero said, the international community must provide an environment for the support and recovery of victims of terrorism.

“They should have the chance to meet other survivors and share experiences as each person advances his or her own healing,” she said. She called on conference participants to work to “foster an understanding of the unique and diverse needs of survivors.”

Finally, the under secretary called on governments around the world to listen to victims. …more

‘Floating base’ deploys to Gulf: US Navy
9 July, 2012 – StratRisks

WASHINGTON: An aging American naval ship converted into a “floating base” has arrived off the coast of Bahrain to support countermine operations in the Gulf, the US Navy said Friday.

The deployment of the USS Ponce marks the latest in a gradual buildup of American forces in the region since tensions spiked with Iran in December over its nuclear program, with Tehran threatening to possibly close the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Equipped with a helicopter landing deck and space for troops, the amphibious transport ship, in service since 1971, can support an array of missions as a “forward staging base” involving special forces, countermine operations or repair work for warships, officials said.

The Ponce “provides us with an enhanced capability to conduct maritime security operations, and gives us greater flexibility to support a wide range of contingencies with our regional parters,” said Vice Admiral John Miller, commander of naval forces in the Middle East.

The ship, which has a crew of 150 civilians and 55 sailors, departed Norfolk, Virginia on June 1 and arrived in Bahrain on Thursday, officials said.

Apart from the Ponce, the Navy has deployed two aircraft carriers to the region — the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Enterprise — and doubled its mine sweeper fleet in the area from four to eight ships on June 23.

Four MH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters also were deployed in March to back up countermine efforts and the US Air Force in April moved radar-evading F-22 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates.

The increased US military presence — including the mine sweepers — is meant to send a clear message to Iran over its threats to mine the narrow Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s traded oil passes. …source

Turning point for dozens of policemen in Bahrain
9 July, 2012 – by Bahrain Coordinating Committee Administrator –

As tiny as Bahrain is, 24 hours a day are not enough to cover all the stories we want. There are so many invisible soldiers and so many moving stories that the world doesn’t know about.

A few days ago we talked to about 15 men, who worked at the ministry of interior. They all had put in between seven and 27 years of dedicated services as policemen or similar positions. Most of them have families and children depending on them.

When we asked them, what’s their situation now, they all said we’re on hold, waiting. The ministry of interior didn’t officially dismiss them, they don’t have a letter that sets them free, but they won’t take them back either. They can’t work elsewhere because they’re caught in the middle.

In the beginning they were all hesitant to talk on camera, they were worried that the government will come after them or punish them, as some are still waiting their appeals in court. Some didn’t mind showing their faces, others wanted to tell us their stories anonymously.

While we’re working on their individual stories and we’ll post them for you to read, we thought it’s still important to give you a quick highlight on what these policemen went through since the uprising.

Some of them were called in for interrogation during working hours then arrested, others just decided to not show up because of the injustice and inhumane approached they’ve witnessed. Most of them were forced to stand in their uniform under the sun facing the wall for hours.

Without mentioning their names here, one of the policemen said his turning point was the events that took place at the University of Bahrain. He claims he saw with his own eyes riot police protecting thugs and siding with them, because those masked thugs were well known officers, and sons of ministers. He specifically mentioned the son of the foreign minister wearing a mask and joining the thugs in beating people and harassing women. After that he decided not to go to work after what he had seen.

Another man saw what happened when police evacuated the lulu roundabout, saying the theft, burning, and stealing policemen committed was shocking. They take anything and everything as they go. He says when he saw what they did to the people, and one man after another falls, he couldn’t continue because he couldn’t do this to his own people.

When protesters blocked the road at the financial harbor, one of the policemen told me the riot police and the protesters were on good terms. They were talking and no violence erupted until thugs and other riot police showed up and started hitting the front row of protesters with their batons. The ones at the back started throwing rocks, and protesters in front rows tried to calm them down. He overheard police saying that one of them should try and get hit to reverse the pressure. He said he saw a policeman getting hit; he picked him up and sent him with a Syrian policeman, with a minor injury. Then a rumor came out that this officer had died. He told us, after this incident he realized the dirty game the government is playing, and the lack of transparency in their approaches, as well as the continuous planning to frame the revolution and the protesters in a violent manner. That was his turning point. …more

CIA director meets Saudi king in Jeddah
9 July, 2012 – PressTV

The director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), David Petraeus, has met with the Saudi king in Saudi Arabia as Riyadh intensifies its crackdown on anti-government protesters.

Petraeus met with ailing Saudi King Abdullah in the city of Jeddah on Monday, Arab News reported.

There have been no reports on what was discussed during the meeting.

However meetings between Saudi and US officials have spiked in recent weeks amid Washington’s concerns over an internal power struggle in the royal family that seems deeply split as the several thousand princes and princesses are setting up their own coalitions as well as street protests against the monarchy.

On Monday, Saudi activists called for anti-government demonstrations across Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province as tension remains high in the oil-rich region over the detention of Shia cleric Sheikh Nemr al-Nemr.

The activists called for demonstrations to be held in Qatif, Awamiyah, Tarut, Safwa, and Sihat to condemn Riyadh’s deadly crackdown on the recent protests. Bahraini activists announced that demonstrations would also be held in the Bahraini towns of Sar and Daih in solidarity with the Saudi protesters.

On Sunday, Saudi security forces opened fire on demonstrators in Qatif who were protesting against the detention of al-Nemr. At least three people were killed and many others injured in the attack.

Earlier in the day, al-Nemr was injured when regime forces fired at his car in Awamiyah. There has been no word on his condition or whereabouts.

Since February 2011, Saudi protesters have held numerous demonstrations in the Eastern Province, mainly in the Qatif region and the town of Awamiyah, calling for the release of all political prisoners, freedom of expression and assembly, and an end to widespread discrimination.

However, the demonstrations turned into protests against the regime of the House of Saud, especially after November 2011, when Saudi security forces killed five protesters and injured many others in the Eastern Province.

The Saudi Interior Ministry issued a statement on March 5, 2011, prohibiting “all forms of demonstrations, marches or protests, and calls for them, because that contradicts the principles of the Islamic sharia, the values and traditions of Saudi society, and results in disturbing public order and harming public and private interests.”

In June, Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ordered the country’s security forces to go on a state of high alert due to what he called a “turbulent situation” in the region.

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

The Many Conflicts of Syria
by Kyle Shideler – 10 July, 20102 – frontpagemag.com

Since it evolved from the early Arab Spring-style demonstrations in some Syrian cities, to what is now, in the words of Bashar Assad, “a real state of war from all angles,” the Syrian conflict has drawn in nearly every interested party in the Middle East, leading to a confused and tumultuous situation with multiple interests at stake for every party.

Indeed we may be better served to talk about the multiple “conflicts” taking place in Syria, if we want to have any kind of accurate understanding of the situation as it now exists. Not all of them are shooting wars, but there are serious military and political conflicts being played out in Syria which will have consequences for the future of the entire region.

The first and most obvious conflict is that between the Syrian rebels and the regime of Bashar Assad. Taken as a whole the Syrian rebels’ position has improved substantially. Institute for the Study of War Fellow Joseph Holliday suggests that the Syrian opposition is reaching the point where it will control more territory than the regime, and has reduced the ability of Assad’s forces to maneuver outside of the urban territory they control in Damascus, Homs and other key areas. FSA commander Riad Al-Asaad stated in a recent interview that morale in the Syrian army was considered low and that in particular the elite 4th Armored Division, the Syrian Praetorian guard commanded by Bashar relative Maher Assad, had “completely collapsed.” Because of the rapid changes taking places within Syria, a plan for a buffer zone on the Turkish-Syrian border to protect Syrian refugees is now considered irrelevant by the FSA, which considers itself to be on the offensive now against Assad even as it complains of weapon and ammunition shortages.

Another growing potential conflict is between Turkey and the Syrian regime following the downing of a Turkish fighter jet somewhere near the Syrian border. Syrian officials and anonymous members of U.S. intelligence have suggested that the Turkish jet was likely inside Syria proper when fired upon, while the Turks have vehemently maintained that the jet was fired on in international waters. In response, the Turks have reinforced their positions on the Syrian border, including scrambling fighter jets in response to Syrian aircraft on the Syrian side. British papers have reported that the Syrian Air defense may have been assisted in downing the Turkish aircraft by Russian technicians. According to the reports, the downing of the aircraft was intended as “warning” to NATO not to risk intervention.

This hints at another existing conflict – Russia versus the United States. While it engages in talks in Geneva with Western diplomats, the Russian bear continues to take steps to keep its Syrian client engaged and in the fight. Reports of Russian troops moving into Syria have continued at a steady pace since March, while the U.S. State Department complains ineffectually about the flow of Russian arms to Syria. The U.S. sees distancing Russia from Syria to be the key to solving the crisis. This has resulted in repeated efforts to produce joint agreements, such as the recent Geneva compromise. This latest effort was promptly rejected by the Syrian opposition since it was watered down to secure Russian cooperation to the point that it failed to call for Assad to leave power despite calling for a “transitional” government. It’s high time the U.S. recognize that its interests in Syria are in direct conflict with Russian interests, and that Russia cannot realistically be expected to act as a partner in securing an Assad-free Syria.

Then there is the struggle for the soul of the Syrian opposition. As reported by The New Republic, the Free Syrian Army, led primarily by former Syrian officers, is concerned about the growth of jihadist elements in Syria, which led them to execute the “Emir of Homs” Walid al-Boustani, a Lebanese-born jihadist with ties to Al-Qaeda-linked Fatah-Al-Islam. Fortunately the history of cooperation between the Syrian regime and jihadist groups, including Al Qaeda, means that there is a strong element of distrust for these groups among the Syrian populace as a whole. However if the FSA should prove unable to effectively engage in opposition to Assad, while jihadist forces succeed in taking the fight to the enemy, this support may change.

The New York Times reported on the role of the CIA in Syria, which is seeking to keep arms from flowing to Al Qaeda-linked militants as outside forces, most notably Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, begin to traffic arms to the Syrian opposition. Unfortunately, it seems that the U.S. is intent on seeing arms directed to the Muslim Brotherhood, through its control of the Syrian National Council. The SNC has made clear in repeated statements that it intends to dominate the rebel forces in country by serving as the primary channel for foreign arms assistance. To that end it has established a “military council” to “support, organize and oversee” the FSA, a move backed by the U.S. The SNC has repeatedly stressed, in their own words, ”the importance of the SNC providing the political cover to avoid the uncontrolled distribution of arms as well as be able to control it later on.”

….more

Hezbollah calls for release of Shia cleric Sheikh Nemr al-Nemr
Saudi Arabia – Sheikh Nemr al-Nemr

The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has strongly condemned the arrest of Shia cleric Sheikh Nemr al-Nemr by the Saudi Arabian government and has called for his immediate release, Press TV reports.

On Monday, Hezbollah issued a statement censuring the “violent lash out of Saudi security on peaceful protestors in the city of Awamiyah and the Qatif region; which led to the fall of martyrs and wounded.”

Hezbollah expressed concern over the arrest and called for the “rapid release of his eminence Sheikh al-Nemr, for the provision of necessary medical aid for the sheikh, and for the respect of religious figures.”

“Hezbollah calls on the Saudi authorities to respect all religious figures and stop the practice of non-democratic measures in the face of the peaceful and legitimate demands of the Saudi citizens,” read part of the statement.

On Sunday, Saudi security forces opened fire on demonstrators in Qatif who were protesting against the detention of al-Nemr. At least three people were killed and many others injured in the attack.

Earlier in the day, al-Nemr was injured when regime forces fired at his car in Awamiyah. There has been no word on his condition or whereabouts.

Since February 2011, Saudi protesters have held numerous demonstrations in the Eastern Province, mainly in the Qatif region and the town of Awamiyah, calling for the release of all political prisoners, freedom of expression and assembly, and an end to widespread discrimination.

However, the demonstrations turned into protests against the regime of the House of Saud, especially after November 2011, when Saudi security forces killed five protesters and injured many others in the Eastern Province.

The Saudi Interior Ministry issued a statement on March 5, 2011, prohibiting “all forms of demonstrations, marches or protests, and calls for them, because that contradicts the principles of the Islamic sharia, the values and traditions of Saudi society, and results in disturbing public order and harming public and private interests.” …more

At Least Two Protesters Are Killed in Saudi Arabia
By MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ – 9 July, 2012 – NYT

Ativists posted this video from a protest in Qatif on Monday.

The arrest of a prominent Shiite Muslim cleric over the weekend has ignited protests in eastern Saudi Arabia that have left at least two people dead, the Saudi interior ministry told news agencies on Monday.

The cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, is reported to be a prominent voice of protest among Saudi Arabia’s Shiites who say they face discrimination at the hands of dominant Sunnis in the workplace, universities and elsewhere. Mr. Nimr was arrested on Sunday for “sedition” after being shot in the leg in a tussle with the police, Saudi officials said.

The circumstances of his arrest remain murky. The authorities said that Mr. Nimr and his entourage opened fire on police officers attempting to arrest him before crashing into a security patrol while trying to escape, Reuters reported, citing government-run television.

Video reportedly shot just after Mr. Nimr’s arrest shows the cleric lying in the back of a vehicle, his head cradled by a man in uniform. He is covered in either a white sheet or robes that appear to be covered in blood.

Word of Mr. Nimr’s arrest spread quickly through Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, an oil-producing hub heavily populated by Shiites. By nightfall on Sunday, hundreds of people reportedly gathered for a protest in the Qatif region.

…more

Stability in Bahrain ‘is crucial…’
10 July, 2012 – Gulf News

MANAMA: Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood’s Supreme Guide Dr Mohammed Badea stressed that stability in Bahrain and GCC states is an integral part of Egypt’s security and stability. He said Bahrain’s leadership and people are capable of handling their affairs on their own without any foreign interference, wishing a speedy return to security and stability. He was speaking as he received Al Minbar National Islamic Society delegation led by chairman Abdullatif Al Shaikh. He said he had turned down several requests from Iranian Ambassador to Egypt to meet with him and informed him about the need for his country to change its stance towards Syria and all GCC countries. “Iran is supporting killings and subversion in Syria, which is totally unacceptable…,” he pointed out. …source

Annan and Assad Meet in Damascus
POMED – 9 July, 2012

U.N. Special Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan met with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad today, and later announced that the two had devised a new approach to ending the conflict, although he is not disclosing details yet; this came after Annan openly acknowledged that his peace plan had failed in an interview with Le Monde published over the weekend. The Daily Star published an editorial today highlighting the fact that Annan is just now admitting what the rest of the world had already concluded, and urges the international community to take new, harsher measures against the regime. In an interview on German television, Assad declared that the public supports his government, and for that reason he would continue to lead Syria; he also accused the U.S. of supporting “gangs” which are destabilizing the country.

Meanwhile, in response to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton‘s command that Russia and China “get off the sidelines,” Representative John McCain admonished the Clinton and the Obama administration themselves to get off the sidelines. “How many times has Secretary Clinton said that in the last 14 months?” he asked, “and by the way, when was the last time the president…stood up and said we are with these people?”

Russia is hosting Syrian dissident Michel Kilo today, and on Wednesday will host the new head of the Syrian National Council, Abdul Basset Sayda. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed that Russia is perhaps the only country talking to both the Syrian government and the opposition. Kilo said, however, that while he wanted to have a dialogue with the government, “the regime…is not replying to our demands and is saying that we are not representatives of the Syrian people.” Russia also announced today that it is delaying the sale of fighter jets to Syria while the situation there remains “unresolved.” …more

“Thugs” dressed as Riot Police, lead Rajab away to Jail

Bahrain court jails protest leader over tweets: lawyer
July 09, 2012 – By Andrew Hammond – Reuters

DUBAI: A prominent Bahraini protest leader, Nabeel Rajab, was sentenced to three months in prison on Monday over a tweet against the prime minister which the court said insulted Bahrainis, Rajab’s lawyer said.

Rajab, head of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, spent three weeks in jail in June under investigation after suggesting in a tweet that residents of the Muharraq district had only made a recent show of support for Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman for financial gain.

A complaint over that and other tweets against the prime minister, who has been in his post since 1971, was made by a group of retired army and security officers who are seen as pro-government.

Rajab has been a key figure in organizing protests during 16 months of unrest in the Gulf Arab state as majority Shi’ites lead calls for democratic reforms to limit the powers of the ruling Sunni Al Khalifa family.

Bahrain has increased parliament’s powers of scrutiny over ministers and says it is reforming policing to conform with international rights standards. It accuses protesters of rioting and wounding police.

The judge said the time Rajab has already spent in jail would count towards the sentence, Rajab’s lawyer Mohammed al-Jishi said. Jishi said Rajab would lodge an appeal and it was not clear if he would be taken to jail or remain free.

“Every day there are a thousand people insulting a thousand people, this isn’t logical. Normally the charge of insult leads to just a fine. So for me it’s a surprise,” Jishi said.

The prime minister, the uncle of King Hamad bin Isa, has been a lightning rod for the opposition who have demanded his ouster. But many Sunnis who fear empowering Shi’ite Islamists in the opposition see him as a key support.

The Arab uprisings have seen changes of leader in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and Libya but Bahrain – a U.S. ally that hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet – imposed martial law to try to crush the uprising last year.

Washington has urged Manama to hold a dialogue with the opposition to end the unrest and hold officials accountable for rights violations uncovered in a probe led by international legal experts and published in November.

…source

Bahrain: The Opposition Radicalizes
6 July, 2012 – Al Akhbar

On Friday June 8, thousands of Bahrainis gathered on the outskirts of the capital Manama in what was expected to be another huge protest against ongoing government repression. But as the marchers assembled, they began to split into two groups, each trying to pull confused latecomers over to their side.

There were in fact two marches that day. One, which headed west, was sanctioned by the government as an official protest organized by the al-Wefaq political party, while the other, which headed east towards Pearl Square, was illegal and arranged by the loosely organized, more radical February 14.

The former was made up predominantly of middle-aged men and women chanting for political reforms, while the latter were largely young men, many with their faces covered, confronting security forces and calling for the downfall of the ruling al-Khalifa family.

Alaa Shehabi, a rights leader in Bahrain, said the protest was a major moment for the Bahraini opposition. “It was the first time the February 14 Coalition, on the back of al-Wefaq protests, managed not just to mobilize but really to sabotage it and take it in the other direction.”

The opposition to the ruling al-Khalifa family in Bahrain has never been fully united: al-Wefaq has taken a more conciliatory tone and offered negotiations while February 14 has refused all dialogue on the basis that the regime has no legitimacy. Yet as the uprising which started last February has worn on, hostility between the two groups has intensified.

Jane Kinninmont, a Bahrain expert at Chatham House, says the failure of al-Wefaq to extract any meaningful concessions from the government is leading younger Bahrainis to radicalism.

The opposition to the ruling al-Khalifa family in Bahrain has never been fully united: al-Wefaq has taken a more conciliatory tone and offered negotiations while February 14 has refused all dialogue.
“There are those that think maybe we can negotiate at least some compromise with the government and there is a whole other element that say: ‘we have woken up, we are not going to live under a monarchy any more,’” she says. “Their ranks have grown massively since the uprising started…(and) they are adopting an increasingly angry rhetoric towards groups like al-Wefaq.”

While February 14 would never publicly condemn al-Wefaq, behind the scenes they accuse them of many acts including collusion with America. In a movement where anti-US sentiment is understandably high – the regime continues to buy weapons from America – such a claim is tantamount to an accusation of treason.

One senior February 14 activist, who prefers to remains anonymous, sees the fact that no senior al-Wefaq figures are currently in jail – when leaders linked to February 14 such as Nabeel Rajab have been arrested many times – as a sign of US dominance over the movement.

“Their strategy has failed but they have no other choice. Last year the government attempted to close al-Wefaq and another society. The government abandoned its decision after a clear call from the White House. This makes it clear that if Wefaq changes its tone and becomes more confrontational it will be closed down and the figures will be sent to jail – so they have no other choice,” says the activist. …more

Minister urges accountability for human rights abuses in Bahrain
5 July, 2012 – Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt met Bahrain’s Minister for Justice and Islamic Affairs in London on 5 July.

They discussed the work of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry Follow-Up Unit, reform of the Bahraini judicial system, and areas where the UK’s judicial expertise could be of assistance. They also discussed preventative measures being taken by the Bahraini Government to ensure that human rights abuses were not repeated and initiatives being introduced in Bahrain to help with social cohesion.

Speaking after the meeting, Minister Burt said:

“It was a pleasure to welcome the Bahraini Minister for Justice and Islamic Affairs, Sheikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa, to the Foreign Office today. During the meeting I raised the UK’s ongoing concern about human rights abuses in Bahrain, which the UK also raised under Item 10 at the Human Rights Council this week. I welcomed the announcement this week that the Public Prosecution’s Special Investigation Unit has charged fifteen more police officers for the mistreatment of detainees during last year’s unrest. If Bahrain is to make progress towards long-term stability, it is important that those responsible for past abuses are held to account.

“The UK will continue to support and offer technical assistance to Bahrain. The pace of reform should not slip and the Minister was determined that it would not. I encourage the Bahraini Government to continue the positive steps they have taken and I urge all parties to engage constructively with each other for the long-term stability and prosperity of the country.” …source

Bahrain ‘to sue over Independent reporting’
5 July, 2012 – Stop Making Sense

The IndependentThe government of Bahrain claimed yesterday to have commissioned a UK-based law firm to file a case against. The Independent for its reporting on the crackdown on protests in the country.

Nawaf al-Mawada, a representative of the Information Affairs Authority, told Bahrain’s state news agency that the action was being taken because The Independent had “deliberately published a series of unrealistic and provocative articles targeting Bahrain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”. A correspondence from the Information Affairs Authority to The Independent cites an opinion piece by Middle East correspondent Robert Fisk, in which he criticises the Bahraini government for putting 48 surgeons on trial, as being “based on slanderous hearsay”. It also claims that “using columns, features and news to publish misinformation in repeated attacks on our people and rulers amounts to libel and will be treated as such in accordance with the law”.

At least 31 people have died in demonstrations against the 200-year rule of the Al Khalifa family, which began in February. …source

Senior HR activist urges intl. action to stop violent crackdown in Bahrain
Shia Post – 5 July, 2012

Prominent Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab has called on the international community to take necessary measures to stop the Bahraini regime’s brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters, Press TV reports.

The silence of the European community and the United States is a go-ahead signal and a green light for the Al Khalifa forces to continue their violation of human rights in Bahrain, Rajab told Press TV on the telephone on Thursday.

He said more people are being arrested on a daily basis, prisoners are being systematically tortured, houses are being raided and mosques are being destroyed, but vowed that the violent crackdowns will not silence Bahraini protesters.

The call comes amid continued protests in the Persian Gulf kingdom where protesters are demanding the United States and Britain to end their support for the ruling monarchy.

Bahrain hosts the US Fifth Fleet, and is among the Persian Gulf countries such as Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that receive military equipment from the United States.

In mid-May 11, the US State Department said Washington will resume arms sales to Bahrain, drawing strong criticism from Bahraini rights groups and activists who said the decision could encourage further human rights violations in the country.

Meanwhile, reports indicate that a group of Scotland Yard police officers has recently been dispatched to Bahrain to conduct espionage operations and assist Manama to silence anti-regime protests.

Bahrainis continue peaceful demonstrations against the ruling monarchy despite the regime’s violent crackdown, demanding an end to the decades-long rule of the Al Khalifa family in Bahrain. …source

A Global decomposition is taking place. We call it the “fourth world war”, Neoliberalism’s globalization attempting to eliminate a multitude of people who are not useful to the powerful… Subcomandante Marcos, 2009.