visionary Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 (edited) http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/09/20119785531287269.html Syrian forces 'launch fresh assault on Homs' Ten people killed in tank-backed raid a day after 2,000 people gathered for anti-regime protests, activists say. Last Modified: 07 Sep 2011 10:01 Syrian forces have killed at least 10 people in a massive tank-backed raid on the city of Homs, rights activists said, after the government postponed a visit to the country by the Arab League chief. Wednesday morning's deadly security operation in Homs came after 2,000 people had taken to the streets of the central city for anti-regime protests the night before, the activists told the AFP news agency. Despite the crackdown, there were a few protests in different areas of the city, though residents are still hearing and getting heavy gunfire, Al Jazeera's Omar al-Saleh said, citing activists. "Raids are continuing in different parts of Homs, killing a total of ten people," Saleh said, reporting from neighbouring Jordan, as the Syrian government bans international journalists from entering the country. State-run news agency SANA reported that a "terrorist group" kidnapped two Baath party officials in the town of al-Rastan near Homs on Wednesday. "That may be the reason behind the intense raids in Homs," Saleh reported from Amman, the Jordanian capital. There were also reports of at least two deaths amid raids and attacks in the northern city of Idlib, he said. Activists said heavy machine-gun fire was heard in the Bab Dreib and Bostan Diwan neighbourhoods of Homs on Tuesday night after the protesters had set out for the area from Bab Tadmor. The Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC), which organises the anti-regime protests on the ground, said communications and internet services were cut in many neighbourhoods during the operation. They said that anti-regime demonstrators also took place on Tuesday in several other parts of the strife-torn country, including the central city of Hama, but that a massive security clampdown prevented rallies in the port of Latakia. Arab league officials said on Wednesday that Arabi will visit Syria instead on Saturday.Arabi had been commissioned by the 22-member bloc to travel to Damascus on Wednesday with a 13-point document outlining proposals to end the government's bloody crackdown on dissent and push Syria to launch reforms. According to a copy of the document seen by AFP, Arabi was to propose Assad hold elections in three years, move towards a pluralistic government and halt immediately the crackdown on anti-government protesters. The initiative, agreed at an Arab foreign ministers' meeting in Cairo last month, calls for a "clear declaration of principles by President Bashar al-Assad specifying commitment to reforms he made in past speeches". The initiative angered Syria which said it contained "unacceptable and biased language". http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/Syria 18 hours 10 min agoThe US ambassador to Damascus denounced the regime of President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday in a posting on Facebook, taking aim at Syria's justifications for a violent crackdown against demonstrators. Ambassador Robert Ford said he accepted that members of Syria's security forces had died during protests that have swept the country in the past six months, but their numbers were far less than the number of protestors killed. The "number of security service members killed is far, far lower than the number of unarmed civilians killed," said a strongly-worded post, which attracted a mixture of positive and negative comments from respondents. Ambassador Ford said the Syrian government, with "a clear preponderance of arms and force, bears the responsibility for the violence," which has killed more than 2,200 people since mid-March, according to the United Nations. "Neither the Syrian protest movement nor the international community will believe that this Syrian leadership desires or is capable of the deep, genuine and credible reforms that the Syrian people demand," he wrote. "No one in the international community accepts the justification from the Syrian government that those security service members' deaths justify the daily killings, beatings, extrajudicial detentions, torture and harassment of unarmed civilian protestors." The ambassador also refuted allegations made on the embassy's Facebook page that the United States is "helping terrorists in Syria." "We support the right of Syrians to protest peacefully. Peaceful protestors are not 'terrorists,'" he added. Edited September 7, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 (edited) http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/09/2011911192321627917.html Gulf states condemn Syria 'killing machine' Gulf Co-operation Council calls for "serious reforms" and end to bloodshed as fresh violence and arrests are reported. Last Modified: 11 Sep 2011 22:42 The Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) has called for "an immediate end to the killing machine" in Syria, and reiterated its demand for government reforms. Ending a meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the six foreign ministers of the Gulf Arab states issued a statement calling for an end to the crackdown on anti-government protesters and urging "the immediate implementation of serious reforms that meet the aspirations of the Syrian" people. Last month, the GCC called on the Syrian leadership to "resort to wisdom" and stop the bloodshed. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain recalled their envoys from Damascus to protest against President Bashar al-Assad's use of force in the uprising against his family's 41-year rule. Qatar shut its embassy after it was attacked by Assad loyalists in July. The United Nations estimated on August 22 that more than 2,200 people have been killed since protests began in March. Scores have been reported killed in the following weeks and Syrian activists now put the death toll closer to 3,000. In the latest reports of bloodshed, activists said a woman was killed near the Iraqi border on Sunday. "A 40-year-old woman was killed at noon on Sunday by a stray bullet as security forces were tracking wanted people in the town of Albu Kamal," the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights cited an activist in Deir al-Zor province as saying. The Observatory also said a 17-year-old boy died of wounds sustained a day earlier when security forces fired at a funeral for Ghayath Matar, an activist who reportedly died from torture in prison. Earlier on Sunday, France's foreign minister said the UN's failure to condemn the actions of Syrian security forces against protesters was a "scandal".Alain Juppe also stepped up pressure on Russia to support a Security Council resolution saying it was too late for political reforms in Syria, as Russia has called for. "We think the regime has lost its legitimacy, that it's too late to implement a programme of reform," Juppe told reporters. "Now we should adopt in New York the resolution condemning the violence and supporting the dialogue with the opposition," he said. If it's too late for reform, what's the point of dialogue? They tried that in Daara and Baniyas early on.... There's a lot of dead moderate religious leaders who tried dialogue with the government. Edited September 12, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 (edited) http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/Yemen 9 min 27 sec agoAFP - Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has authorised his deputy to negotiate a transfer of power with the opposition to put an end to a months-long political crisis, the state news agency SABA said Monday. The president "has given the vice president Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi the necessary constitutional authority to negotiate" the power transfer mechanism with the opposition, the agency said. Edited September 12, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/afp/syrian-security-forces-kill-17-in-hama-activist/465079 Syrian security forces kill 17 in Hama: activistSecurity forces in Syria shot dead at least 17 people in and around the central city of Hama on Monday, the Syrian Observatory for Human rights said. "The toll of victims from the operation mounted by security forces and the army in the Hama area has risen to 17 dead," the Britain-based group told AFP in Cyprus. The latest violence comes after pro-democracy activists have called for a "day of anger" on Tuesday in protest at Russia's backing for President Bashar al-Assad, whose regime has waged a deadly six-month crackdown on protesters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 (edited) YEMEN http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/Yemen 1 hour 47 min agoHundreds of thousands of Yemenis are pouring into the streets of major cities and towns across the country to protest the latest attempt by their embattled president to evade pressure to step down. Ali Abdullah Saleh on Monday authorized his vice president to negotiate with the opposition on his behalf and sign a deal to transfer power after 33 years ruling over the impoverished and unstable country. However, Saleh retained the right to reject the deal. And the opposition insists he sign it himself. The protesters' main slogan on Tuesday was "No deal, no maneuvering, the president should leave". Saleh has been in Saudi Arabia since June for treatment of wounds he suffered in an attack on his compound in the capital. Still, he has maintained his grip on power. [AP] ---------- Post added September-13th-2011 at 11:18 AM ---------- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14901330?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter Algeria's Bouteflika to end state TV and radio controlAlgeria has announced sweeping media reforms to allow private radio and television stations to exist for the first time since independence in 1962. The moves comes as the government battles to contain popular protests against the lack of freedoms, high unemployment and corruption. The cabinet also approved plans to drop prison sentences for journalists convicted of libel. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika said the proposed changes would boost democracy. They would come into effect once parliament - controlled by the ruling National Liberation Front (FLN) - voted them into law, he said. The cabinet said the changes were part of a package of reforms promised by Mr Bouteflika in a national address on 15 April. At the time, he said the government would publish a new information law and amend the constitution to "strengthen democracy". Edited September 13, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 (edited) http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/16/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html Istanbul (CNN) -- Three months after he first appeared in an Internet video -- in uniform, denouncing his government and calling on fellow soldiers to rebel -- Lt. Col. Hussein al-Harmoush was back on television Thursday night, this time in a televised confession on Syrian state TV."I faced three edges of a sword," he said, when asked why he returned from exile in Turkey to Syrian state custody. "I was a government defector and fugitive, second I left my society and family, and third, I fell out with those who coordinated wi The drama gripped the country as violence played out in the streets. At least 46 people were killed across Syria on Friday in the ongoing confrontations between security forces and protesters, said the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, an opposition activist group that organizes and documents anti-government demonstrations. It said 45 of them were civilians and one was from the nation's security forces. Twenty of the dead were in Idlib, 10 in Hama, five in Homs, five in Damascus and its surrounding area, and the rest were in Daraa and Deir Ezzor, LCC said. Accounts of clashes inside Syria are difficult to independently confirm. The Syrian government has prevented international journalists from reporting without restraint inside the country. The group said the body of al-Harmoush's brother, Hassan, was found Friday; activists in Idlib posted on YouTube a video purportedly of the bloodied corpse. Edited September 17, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 (edited) Massacre in Yemen in right now. I wonder if Saleh will pull back from his proposed hand over date again now. http://twitter.com/#!/JShahryar Bloodshed in Sanaa. Dozens injured, at least two injuries look to be very grave. More doctors requested to Change Sqr. 11 minutes ago @acarvin They keep hauling bodies into the hospital in Sanaa from the feed. I'd estimate over 3 dozen in the hospital right now. 10 minutes ago Feed from Yemen showed two men with head wounds. Two others laying lifeless, 1 with a bullet in his lower back. No bleeding, probably dead. 7 minutes ago http://twitter.com/#!/kasinof ive seen three ppl killed by live ammunition at sanaa sit in Yemen15 minutes ago at least 2O shot 14 minutes ago more like 50 shot 9 minutes ago the floor is almost totally full of shot ppl 8 minutes ago they just brought in another shaheed and that makes 4(dead) 9 minutes ago ---------- Post added September-18th-2011 at 10:44 AM ---------- It gets worse: http://twitter.com/#!/JShahryar One injured guy they just brought into the hospital in Sanaa has at least three gaping wounds on his body. Horrific. 7 minutes agoOne injured man literally died on camera. His friend was talking to him and his eyes just suddenly stopped moving. 6 minutes ago The hospital feed from Sanaa now showing at least 7 dead protesters. 5 minutes ago This is the most horrific video feed I've ever seen. Blood everywhere on the floor, bits of bone, flesh.. Too much of it. 5 minutes ago Edit: 10:49 am est: http://twitter.com/#!/JShahryar At least 8 dead bodies laying in the hospital Sanaa. And they just brought in ANOTHER as I was typing the tweet.2 minutes ago There's a skinny young teen, laying on a stretcher, dead. His mouth gaping, his eyes frozen. He's a Yemeni protester. 4 minutes ago They just brought in ANOTHER protester. His face is covered in blood. Can't see where the bullet went. Just graphic GRAPHIC. 4 minutes ago ---------- Post added September-18th-2011 at 11:00 AM ---------- http://twitter.com/#!/JShahryar One guy is cleaning blood off a dead protester's face and crying. I think I saw his tears falling off onto the wounds. 4 minutes agoThey just brought in two more dead protesters and laid them next to the others. By my count, at least 13 dead now. 5 minutes ago Protesters are repeatedly claiming that the government forces used large caliber guns and anti-aircraft weapons on them. (Side note: Gaddafi's security forces did that in Benghazi when people first started protesting at the start of the Libyan revolution.) ---------- Post added September-18th-2011 at 11:12 AM ---------- http://twitter.com/#!/JShahryar At least 14 dead now. They started laying a new row of bodies, the room is not big enough in Sanaa hospital. 10 minutes agoPeople keep streaming in, holding injured/dead protesters in their arms. it's like a steady stream of bloodied bodies. 9 minutes ago The guy presenting the feed, 30+ man, can't control himself. He's started to wail and cry like a baby. (can't blame him) 9 minutes ago Some of the dead protesters' faces are gone. Deliberately, targeted with bullets. These are peaceful protesters... 8 minutes ago Guy presenting the feed, saying, "Wherever you are, if you are watching this, hear our voices, hear our cries..." 7 minutes ago Guy presenting the feed, saying, "US, EU, Arab League, UN: the youth of Yemen are being slaughtered right now." 6 minutes ago brought in another protester. They're trying to talk to him, but he's long dead. Frozen eyes, staring at the ceiling. 6 minutes ago I can't count anymore. There must be at least 20 dead. They keep bringing them in. But it's hard to keep count. Just too many! 2 minutes ago Edited September 18, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 (edited) MORE FROM YEMEN: http://twitter.com/#!/imothanaYemen Marebpres: Change Square field hospital manager: 700 wounded arrived so far. 49 minutes ago http://twitter.com/#!/JShahryar Guy in feed's background says, "Tens have been killed. Hundreds injured. Today, humans are like animals to these people."they just showed a dead protester. Shot in the face. I couldn't see anything but a giant hole where his face was. 31 minutes ago Guy in feed's background says, "They killed old men, young men, even children, EVERYONE. It's like scenes from a movie." 31 minutes ago Eyewitness says, "We wanted an answer from the government. Ali Abdullah Saleh just gave us the answer. It is death." 29 minutes ago They have stopped bringing in dead protesters to the first room. It is already filled. Likely moving them to another room. 28 minutes ago Horrifice is not the word to describe the scenes from Yemen. It's like a video from Hell. 16 minutes ago Feed now says at least 30 dead bodies are in the hospital right now and hundreds of injured protesters. 9 minutes ago http://twitter.com/#!/tomfinn2 Reuters reporter on the frontline says protesters are throwing molotov ****tails at the army who are shooting at them from buildings. 28 minutes ago ---------- Post added September-18th-2011 at 12:18 PM ---------- http://twitter.com/#!/JShahryar Live Scenes from Yemen are here. Be warned, nothing you've seen can prepare you for this! http://www.justin.tv/suhailtv#/w/1786787904/3 2 minutes ago Just posting this for anyone interested in seeing for themselves. Personally I have no plans to do so. Just reading about this is bad enough for me. Edited September 18, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 (edited) And the slaughter in Yemen goes on. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/09/201191965948381882.html At least 21 killed in fresh violence in Sanaa, a day after dozens were shot dead by forces loyal to President Saleh.At least 21 people have been killed and over 100 injured in fresh clashes on the streets of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, a day after 26 anti-government protesters were shot dead and hundreds wounded by troops and gunmen loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh. According to reports, Monday's deaths occurred as snipers fired upon passers-by and peaceful protesters demonstrating at Change Square. "Help me, oh my God look at his slaughter!" said the father of a boy who died from a gunshot wound to the head. "We were just in the car on Hayel Street (near the fighting). I stepped out to get some food and left my two boys in the car and I heard the older one scream. The little one was shot straight through the head." The clashes came as protesters tried to push further into territory held by government forces after extending their camp overnight. The opposition had earlier vowed to press ahead with demonstrations despite Sunday's crackdown. A freelance journalist stationed in Yemen, told Al Jazeera, "Everything points to more protest". Meanwhile, Abdu al-Janadi, Yemen's deputy information minister, rejected accusations that the regime had planned attacks on the protesters and accused what he described as "unknown assailants" of carrying out the acts. "This attack was prepared so as to kill as many people as they could. ... This is a plot against all the Yemeni people," al-Janadi told a British television station. Also on Monday, two people were killed and 10 injured when security forces loyal to the president opened fire on protesters in the city of Taiz. Edited September 19, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 (edited) MORE FROM YEMEN http://twitter.com/#!/JShahryar Yesterday, there were three rows of bodies, today, there are four rows now. Waiting to get more names. 22 confirmed. 2 hours agoBack in the morgue, most of the bodies are still unclaimed. Just laying thre. A little boy keeps rubbing his father's face and crying 1 hour ago There are two little girls, one of them is crying, the other one is kissing the head of her father and praying. The boy is distraught 1 hour ago There are images of a street covered in bloodied pieces of human flesh, bones, skin and hair, like a pile of rubble. RPG, likely. 1 hour ago I'm not kidding. It's like someone put humans into a meat-grinder, then, piled them onto the street. Beyond horrific. 1 hour ago http://twitter.com/#!/yemen_updates Change Square field hospital confirmed 26 yesterday & 25 today are killed including 10month baby. 1 hour ago http://twitter.com/#!/Dima_Khatib So why is what is happening in Yemen being dealt with by several media as "clashes" ? Clashes? Didn't they see what we saw? 2 hours ago http://twitter.com/#!/OmarMash You've Saleh's troops on side & al-Ahmar on the other and blood soaked peaceful protestors stuck in the middle. This is Yemen. Sanaa 32 minutes ago BREAKING: Death toll reaches 28 in Sanaa so far today. 14 minutes ago http://twitter.com/#!/kasinof Firing RPGs at protesters now on Ring Road, in Sanaa Yemen44 minutes ago today is the first known time king abdullah and prez saleh met since he has been in Riyadh. 25 minutes ago clashes btw first armored div and security forces expanded to close to moqadishu st, almasdar online is reporting, close to ahmed ali house 28 minutes ago Edited September 19, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 (edited) YEMEN http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/yemen-sep-20-2011-1836 Tue, 20 Sep 2011, 16:36 GMT+3 The Associated Press is reporting that Sanaa is in relative calm after a ceasefire between opponents of the Yemeni regime and forces loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh came into affect on Tuesday afternoon. The truce was negotiated by Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, Yemen's vice president, and the US and British ambassadors in the Yemeni capital, the report said, citing officials who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media. Witnesses and security officials said Sanaa has been calm since 4 PM local time, with only sporadic gunfire heard, the AP reported. http://twitter.com/#!/yemen_updates Today's death toll has increased to 12 persons puting the total killed protesters & defected soldiers as high as 83 since Sunday. 39 minutes ago Edited September 20, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 (edited) http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gxkKqbKNMjmYq54CLRZrxF0biISA?docId=CNG.a8a1185f4a08d2928999ea8643dc5bd9.611 Syrian forces kill six as US 'readies for Assad fall'(AFP) – 1 hour ago DAMASCUS — Syrian security forces killed six civilians on Tuesday during a raid on anti-government protesters amid reports the United States expects the fall of President Bashar al-Assad and more violence after. Meanwhile, an activist group inside Syria announced its backing for a recently named National Council of opposition figures, underscoring the need for unity in the campaign to overthrow the regime. Four civilians were killed in the central city of Homs, including a woman and an 11-year-old boy who died when their bus was fired on, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Another two died during searches carried out in the Damascus region. As the killing carried on, the New York Times said the United States was increasingly convinced that Assad's regime would fall and was preparing for a possibly violent aftermath.The newspaper said Washington was quietly working with Ankara to plan for a post-Assad future that could see Syria's various ethnic groups battle for control of the country, potentially destabilising neighbouring states. It said that despite calling on Assad to step down, the United States had yet to withdraw its ambassador, Robert Ford, because it viewed him as a vital conduit to the opposition and Syria's disparate ethnic and religious groups. The Times said intelligence officials and diplomats in the Middle East, Europe and the United States increasingly believed Assad would not be able to quash the months-long revolt against his family's four-decade-long rule. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/world/middleeast/iraq-tells-bashar-al-assad-of-syria-to-step-down.html?_r=1&ref=world Holly crap! WHOA! They've been fairly supportive of him until now. Iraq Joins Calls for Assad to Step Down in SyriaBy MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT and YASIR GHAZI Published: September 20, 2011 BAGHDAD — After months of striking a far friendlier tone toward the government of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, the Iraqi government has joined a chorus of other nations calling on him to step down. An adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, said in an interview with The New York Times on Tuesday that the Iraqi government had sent messages to Mr. Assad that said he should step down. “We believe that the Syrian people should have more freedom and have the right to experience democracy,” said the adviser, Ali al-Moussawi. “We are against the one-party rule and the dictatorship that hasn’t allowed for the freedom of expression.” The statements from Mr. Moussawi mark a significant change for Iraq. When the United States and several of its major allies called in August for Mr. Assad to cede power, the Iraqi government appeared to be more in line with Iran, which has supported Mr. Assad. The same day as the American statement, Mr. Maliki gave a speech warning Arab leaders that Israel would benefit the most from the Arab Spring. “There is no doubt that there is a country that is waiting for the Arab countries to be ripped and is waiting for internal corrosion,” Mr. Maliki said in that speech. “Zionists and Israel are the first and biggest beneficiaries of this whole process.” Edited September 20, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 (edited) http://twitter.com/#!/BreakingNews Turkey's Erdogan: Country suspends dialogue with Syria, might slap sanctions against regime over crackdown on protesters - Al-Arabiya 6 minutes ago Edrogan met with Obama today to discuss sanctions and other diplomatic measures against Assad's regime. He has also sharpened his language quite a bit the past day or so and has said he is done talking with the regime. So far though he hasn't done anything other than talk....a lot. So we'll have to see what happens. Edited September 21, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 (edited) Obama's giving a pretty good speech right now on the Arab Spring. So far he's mentioned Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain. Now comes the Palestine part.... (in other news there is artillery shelling by government security forces opposition funerals in Yemen today.) ---------- Post added September-21st-2011 at 10:48 AM ---------- Ok, now Obama's gone on for a bit too long touching a lot of topics. He's getting pretty roundly bashed on twitter over his downplaying of the UN's role in Palestine today. Edited September 21, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 (edited) SYRIA http://staff.blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/syria Fri, 23 Sep 2011, 06:10 GMT+3 - Syria Amnesty International's latest press release: New evidence of Syria brutality emerges as woman’s mutilated body is found Fresh evidence of the extreme brutality being meted out to Syrian protesters and their families has been revealed today by Amnesty International. The mutilated body of 18-year-old Zainab al-Hosni of Homs, the first woman known to have died in custody during Syria’s recent unrest, was discovered by her family in horrific circumstances on 13 September. The family was visiting a morgue to identify the body of Zainab’s activist brother Mohammad, who was also arrested and apparently tortured and killed in detention. Zainab had been decapitated, her arms cut off, and skin removed. “If it is confirmed that Zainab was in custody when she died, this would be one of the most disturbing cases of a death in detention we have seen so far,” said Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa. Fri, 23 Sep 2011, 05:06 GMT+3 - Syria The Local Coordination Committees have reported that seven people were killed on Thursday across Syria. Five people were killed in the central city of Homs, one in the northwestern province of Idlib, and one in the central city of Hama. YEMEN http://twitter.com/#!/AJELive BREAKING: State TV reports President Saleh has returned to Yemen amid national turmoil. 47 minutes ago http://twitter.com/#!/SkyNewsBreak Reuters: Yemen's President Saleh returns to the country after three months' absence 1 hour ago http://twitter.com/#!/YERevolutions BREAKING: Sanaa, heavy explosions in Hasaba and attempts to break into Change square using heavy artillery and tanks. 4 hours ago http://twitter.com/#!/kasinof death toll today at sit-in is up to 7, all killed by live ammo, 2 women killed who were not protesting, but shot when doing errands 13 hours agoi hear artillery coming down from mountains in Sanaa. i dont think thats celebratory gunfire 32 minutes ago friend close to change sq in sanaa says that ppl are shooting into the sit-in from nearby houses 1 minute ago It sounds like Saleh has given his security and followers the go ahead for another massive bloodbath. ---------- Post added September-23rd-2011 at 02:35 AM ---------- I'm really ****ing tired of Saleh's antics. He should have had an accident during surgery in Saudi Arabia. Of course that would still leave his scumbag son in charge. http://twitter.com/#!/tomfinn2 What does Saleh's return say about the influence US/Saudi diplomats have over him? 5 minutes agoWestern diplomats i'm speaking to in Sana'a seemed to have no clue this was going to happen. 3 minutes ago Edited September 23, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 (edited) Ok, now there's rumors that Saleh is going to give a resignation speech in a few hours. I'm extremely skeptical.... He's made promises before and gone back on them hours later. ---------- Post added September-23rd-2011 at 03:53 AM ---------- http://twitter.com/#!/AlArabiya_Eng Death toll in Yemen fighting reaches 100 in five days http://goo.gl/GBGd8 2 hours ago http://twitter.com/#!/AJELive Dubai-based TV channel reports Saleh has returned to Yemen in order to step down from power - still unconfirmed http://aje.me/qwMhKf 21 minutes ago ---------- Post added September-23rd-2011 at 05:38 AM ---------- Wow! Huge freaking surprise! http://twitter.com/#!/AJELive According to one of Saleh's media advisors, rumours that he will step down as Yemen's president are not true http://aje.me/oUd2C3 2 minutes ago Edited September 23, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 http://twitter.com/#!/LeShaque AJA BRK / AP: Turkey says it imposed an embargo on weapons shipments to Syria and has intercepted a hip carrying the Syrian flag.5 minutes ago http://twitter.com/#!/RevolutionSyria EU slaps news sanctions on Syria, bans investment in country's oil sector http://fb.me/GZN8lgps 2 hours ago http://twitter.com/#!/mabdeldayem7 Refreshing 2c Bashar's reforms going smoothly. "Zainab had been decapitated her arms cut off and skin removed." http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/new-evidence-syria-brutality-emerges-womans-mutilated-body-found-2011-09-2348 minutes ago Also 18 have died in Yemen since the arrival of Saleh yesterday, and there are clashes in Bahrain after protesters gathered around the former Pearl Roundabout monument that had been demolished by the government for being used to rally around a few months ago. (there are also elections in Bahrain tomorrow) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/09/201192315145586318.html?utm_content=automateplus&utm_campaign=Trial6&utm_source=SocialFlow&utm_term=tweets&utm_medium=MasterAccount Opposition leader elected president of ZambiaMichael Sata, a former railway porter, wins election on promises of creating jobs and distributing mineral wealth. Last Modified: 23 Sep 2011 16:53 Michael Sata has been sworn in as Zambia's president after an upset election victory that has ushered in a handover of power in Africa's biggest copper producer. Sata, the 74-year-old Zambian opposition leader, swept to victory on Friday on the back of voters hoping profits from the country's vast mineral deposits would finally make their way to the people. Foreign mining firms were reassured by Sata that their investments would be safe, but he warned them to improve conditions for their Zambian workforce. "Foreign investment is important to Zambia and we will continue to work with foreign investors who are welcome in the country ... but they need to adhere to the labour laws," Sata said after being sworn in following his defeat of former leader Rupiah Banda. In a continent where leaders are often reluctant to give up power, Banda tearfully conceded defeat, saying the people had spoken. His Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) party has run Zambia since one-party rule ended in 1991. "Now is not the time for violence and retribution. Now is the time to unite and build tomorrow's Zambia together," he told a news conference. In his concession speech, Banda may have been delivering a message to Zimbabwe, Malawi, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where entrenched leaders have suppressed democracy or used deadly force to crush protests. "My generation, the generation of the independence struggle, must now give way to new ideas; ideas for the 21st century," Banda said. "Did we become gray and lacking in ideas? Did we lose momentum? Our duty now is to go away and reflect on any mistakes we may have made and learn from them. If we do not, we do not deserve to contest power again," the 74-year-old Banda said. Election monitors from the European Union and regional groups declared the vote free and fair although protests broke out over the slow release of results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 http://twitter.com/#!/Thanku4theAnger AJA: Number of those killed rises to 44 today in Sanaa yemen 3 hours ago http://twitter.com/#!/AJELive Activists say 15 people have been killed in Syria unrest today. http://aje.me/rkQjMn 5 hours ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 (edited) SYRIA 1 day 20 hours ago - Turkey has imposed an arms embargo on Syria for its brutal crackdown on the country's uprising, the prime minister said. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey has stopped a Syrian-flagged ship in the Sea of Marmara in the past, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported on Friday. He did not say when the ship was stopped or whether any weapons were found aboard it. "If there are planes carrying weapons, or such shipments by land, then we would stop and confiscate them as in the past,'' the Anatolia quoted Erdogan as saying. Turkey intercepted an arms shipment from Iran to Syria in August. In March, Turkish authorities also seized the cargo of an Iranian plane bound for Syria because the shipment violated UN sanctions, Turkish media said. 1 day 16 hours agoThe European Union has imposed sanctions on Syria's main mobile phone operator Syriatel, the country's largest private company, Cham Holding and several construction and investment firms, according to the EU's Official Journal. Europeans are banned from doing business with the six companies, which also include a television station, Addounia TV, and three firms linked to the Syrian military. The ministers of justice and information were also added to a list of Syrians affected by an EU travel ban and asset freeze. 1 day 15 hours agoThe Syrian army's deputy chief of staff has died of a heart attack, according to SANA news agency. "The high command of the Syrian armed forces announces the death on Friday at 4:30 pm local time [1330 GMT] of the army's deputy chief of staff, General Bassam Najm Eddin Antakiali, who succumbed after suffering a heart attack," SANA reported. "His burial will take place in the martyrs' cemetery in Damascus." I hadn't heard about that...interesting. 1 day 11 hours agoThe AFP news agency reports that France's envoy to Damascus was attacked on Saturday by a crowd throwing stones and eggs at him after he met with Greek Orthodox Patriarch Ignace IV in the Syrian capital, he said. Eric Chevallier had met with Ignace in the Christian quarter of Damascus's old city when young people and women began chanting slogans in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and threw eggs and stones at the French delegation when the ambassador was heading toward his car. "The Shabiha (a pro-regime militia), some of whom had metal bars in their hands, and women threw eggs and stones in my direction and in the direction of my team, and looked threateningly at us while we were returning to our two cars," Chevallier told AFP. On Thursday, the French envoy visited four schools in Damascus and its surrounding suburbs to express his "deep concern" following reports that protests at those schools were repressed. On Monday, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe accused the Syrian regime of "crimes against humanity" and criticised the UN Security Council for failing to take a strong stand on the unrest.[AFP] 22 hours 49 min agoDemonstrators took to the streets in a district of Damascus on Saturday, calling for the overthrow of the government and the president. This video was uploaded onto Youtube and purports to show part of this protest. HvWlS3e-UAQ 3 hours 17 min agoActivists say that the Syrian security forces have continued a crackdown on protests today, sending a fresh deployment of troops to the flashpoint province of Homs as well as to the Douma suburb of Damascus, the country's capital. "Military reinforcements were sent to Rastan, deploying around the building housing military security, and others to Qusseir," a town on the border with Lebanon, they said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based group, says that 12 people were killed in Qusseir during raids on Saturday. It said that 10 students had been arrested on Sunday by security forces in Dael, a city in Deraa province. 28 min 52 sec agoThe official websites of seven major Syrian cities have been hacked by members of the Anonymous Operation Syria group. The hackers replaced the home pages of the websites with an interactive map of Syria, showing the names, ages and dates of death of those who have been killed in Syria since the uprising began in March. They put the figure at 2,316 killed by President Bashar al-Assad's government. The hacked sites have since been reset by their administrators, with a generic page appearing if one attempts to access them. The sites are: http://tartous-city.gov.sy/ http://deirezzor-city.gov.sy/ http://palmyra-city.gov.sy/ http://homs-city.gov.sy/ http://aleppo-city.gov.sy/ http://latakia-city.gov.sy/ http://old-damascus.gov.sy/ ---------- Post added September-25th-2011 at 09:38 PM ---------- I think he's done this a couple of times already. His security is still killing tons of people in the capital. YEMEN http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/09/201192516385569489.html Yemen's Saleh seeks polls for power transferAddressing nation, president authorises deputy to hold talks with opposition and sign deal to pave way for elections. Last Modified: 25 Sep 2011 17:08 Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen's embattled president, has called for early presidential and parliamentary elections for a peaceful transfer of power in his strife-torn country. In an address on television, Saleh said he had authorised the vice-president to engage in dialogue with the opposition and sign a transition deal. He said presidential and parliamentary elections would be held after an agreement was signed. A defiant Saleh said violence would not succeed in bringing about change in the country. "This bloodbath will not get you power," he told those ranged against him. He blamed the violence that has plagued his country on elements of al-Qaeda. He said he was committed to the Gulf initiative on power transfer in his country. Alarmed by the escalating unrest, Yemen's wealthy Gulf neighbours have been trying for months to persuade Saleh to accept a plan under which he would hand over power in return for a promise of immunity from prosecution. Saleh had been involved in the negotiations, repeatedly promising to step down only to change his position at the last minute. A freelance journalist in Sanaa, who cannot be named for safety reasons, said the reaction in Change Square was very negative."People are unconvinced by his promises of elections. There were boos when he first appeared and throughout the speech, particularly when he made reference to the youth being victimised. "The protesters I spoke to say they will only take him seriously if he puts hand to paper and signs the agreement." Sanaa has been gripped by street battles and exchanges of shelling between the elite Republican Guards, led by Saleh's son, and tribesmen opposing Saleh as well as military units who had defected. Hours before Saleh spoke, there was more violence as forces loyal to the president targeted protesters, killing at least five across the country. Protests have been taking place on a nearly daily basis in Sanaa since mid-January calling for an end to Saleh's rule which began in 1978. Saleh was re-elected in September 2006 for a seven-year mandate. Edited September 26, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 (edited) http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/25/world/asia/iran-bbc-arrests/index.html?hpt=hp_t1 Iranian official blasts the BBC after filmmakers' arrests(CNN) -- Iran's intelligence minister said Sunday his government has found "important information" in light of the recent arrests of six documentary filmmakers that it claims worked with the British Broadcasting Corporation -- a company he said is devoted to "political intelligence" -- state-run media reported. Citing sources, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said last Monday that the six were taken into custody days earlier and accused of spying and working for the BBC's Persian service. The BBC said that day, though, that no one works for its Persian service inside Iran and noted that the arrests came a day after it broadcast a documentary on Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Nonetheless, Iranian Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi told the official IRNA news agency Sunday that authorities "will diligently pursue the case" and referred to the recent arrests as "the beginning of our activities in this affair." "British intelligence, under the cover of the BBC, has started a new phase in its destructive activities," he said. "And to prevent more people from falling in the trap set by the (Secret Intelligence Service), the ministry had to act." The BBC reported that recent documentary on Khamenei was an in-house production and that none of the detained filmmakers worked on it. The media organization's language service chief, Liliane Landor, said on its website that the arrests are part of "ongoing efforts by the Iranian government to put pressure on the BBC." There is a prohibition in Iran on cooperating with the BBC, one which Moslehi said "had been declared directly and indirectly several times in the past to safeguard the country's interests." "The ban was imposed because the BBC is not a news organization," he added. "Rather, it is an organization disguised as a news organization but its real identity is Baha'i and Zionist, and its mission is political intelligence." http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/25/us/us-iran-hikers/index.html?hpt=hp_t1 Freed hikers recount 2 years of 'lies and false hope'New York (CNN) -- Safely back on American soil, freed Americans Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer on Sunday recounted their two years in "a world of lies and false hope" behind the walls of an Iranian prison. Wearing green shirts and big smiles, Bauer and Fattal landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport four days after their release by Iranian authorities. In a news conference following their arrival, they described long days held in isolation, the hours punctuated by the screams of other inmates, and their "total sham" of a trial. "Releasing us is a good gesture, and no positive step should go unnoticed," Fattal told reporters Sunday afternoon. "We applaud the Iranian authorities for finally making the right decision regarding our case. But we want to be clear that they do not deserve undue credit for ending what they had no right and no justification to start in the first place." "Sarah, Josh and I have experienced a taste of the Iranian regime's brutality. We have been held in almost total isolation from the world and everything we love, stripped of our rights and freedom," Bauer said.He urged Iran to release all political prisoners immediately, telling reporters, "There are people in Iran who have been imprisoned for years for simply attending a protest, for writing a pro-democracy blog or for worshiping an unpopular faith." But he also criticized the treatment of prisoners held in U.S. facilities, such as the military's prison camp for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. "In prison, every time we complained about our conditions, the guards would immediately remind us of comparable conditions at Guantanamo Bay," he said. While the hikers don't believe American policies "justify what has been done to us," he said, "We do believe that these actions on the part of the U.S. provide an excuse for other governments, including the government of Iran, to act in kind." They said they were held in near-complete isolation in Tehran's Evin prison, allowed a total of only 15 minutes of telephone calls with their families throughout their ordeal. Fattal said the two had to wage repeated hunger strikes in order to even receive letters from their families. Iranian authorities told them their families had stopped writing, that they would receive due process of law and that the Swiss ambassador -- who represents U.S. interests in Iran -- was not interested in seeing them. Worse, Fattal said, "Many times -- too many times -- we heard the screams of other prisoners being beaten, and there was nothing we could do to help them. http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/25/opinion/walsh-ahmadinejad-new-york/index.html A weakened Ahmadinejad in New York Edited September 26, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 (edited) http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/in-syria-defectors-form-dissident-army-in-sign-uprising-may-be-entering-new-phase/2011/09/24/gIQAKef8wK_story.html?sub=AR In Syria, defectors form dissident army in sign uprising may be entering new phaseWADI KHALED, Lebanon — A group of defectors calling themselves the Free Syrian Army is attempting the first effort to organize an armed challenge to President Bashar al-Assad’s rule, signaling what some hope and others fear may be a new phase in what has been an overwhelmingly peaceful Syrian protest movement. For now, the shadowy entity seems mostly to consist of some big ambitions, a Facebook page and a relatively small number of defected soldiers and officers who have taken refuge on the borderlands of Turkey and Lebanon or among civilians in Syria’s cities. Many of its claims appear exaggerated or fanciful, such as its boasts to have shot down a helicopter near Damascus this month and to have mustered a force of 10,000 to take on the Syrian military. But it is clear that defections from the Syrian military have been accelerating in recent weeks, as have levels of violence in those areas where the defections have occurred. One of the most active units is the Khalid Bin Walid Brigade in Homs, where the presence of hundredsand perhaps as many as 2,000 defected soldiers is believed to be responsible for an intensified government offensive over the past two weeks in which neighborhoods have been shelled and dozens of civilians have died.According to defected soldiers and local activists, soldiers there are abandoning their units on a near-daily basis, encouraged in part by a tactic that involves ambushing patrols, shooting their commanders then convincing the rank and file to switch sides. The brigade also serves as a defense force in neighborhoods opposed to the government, guarding streets while protests take place and attacking the militias, known as shabiha, that are an integral part of the government’s efforts to suppress dissent. “We only kill them in self-defense,” said a captain in the brigade, interviewed via Skype, who requested that his name not be used, to protect his family from retribution. He and other defected soldiers say they have Kalashnikovs, rocket-propelled grenades and antiaircraft guns and can count on a steady supply of ammunition secured from sympathetic soldiers within the military. News reports of arms seizures on both the Lebanese and Iraqi borders suggest weapons are also being smuggled from neighboring countries. Edited September 26, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 (edited) http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/27/us-yemen-defence-idUSTRE78Q10H20110927 Yemen defense minister survives suicide attack(Reuters) - Yemen's defense minister survived an attack on his convoy on Tuesday, narrowly escaping death for the second time in a month, when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a car in the southern city of Aden, officials said. The blast, which a security official suspected was the work of al Qaeda, wounded seven soldiers in the lead vehicle of the ministerial motorcade. But Defense Minister Mohammed Nasser Ali, riding in the second car, was unharmed, a local official said. Having initially thought the blast was set off remotely, investigators found the body of a 19-year-old inside the car which exploded and concluded he was a suicide bomber. A security official said the attack was consistent with al Qaeda's tactics. http://twitter.com/#!/LeShaque State Dept. press secretary yesterday said "the vast majority of the Syrian people ... don't want any kind of military intervention." 2 hours ago UK foreign minister William Hague yesterday ruled out any military action against Syria. --Essentially giving Bashar a green light to kill. 2 hours ago From what I've seen most Syrians on twitter are now in favor of military intervention and say that everyone they talk to is increasingly moving in that direction as well. This doesn't necessarily mean "western intervention" though, because most seem to prefer Arabs helping them out. Syrians often hope for help from Turkey or another area powerhouse, but so far all have disapointed them. Turkey is slowly becoming more helpful, but have dragged their heels for quite some time to Syrians' frustration. http://www.universalsubtitles.org/it/videos/zDt0ixo3xd4t/en/170535/ Damascus Demo 25/9/2011, Protesters ask for International Protection Edited September 27, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/09/2011927154827326805.html Syrian forces attempt to crush army desertersGovernment troops storm city of Rastan, as growing numbers of army deserters pledge 'to protect peaceful protests'. Last Modified: 27 Sep 2011 16:39 Syrian forces backed by tanks and helicopters stormed into the central town of Rastan to crush army deserters who are fighting back after months of mostly peaceful protests against President Bashar al-Assad, residents said. Early on Tuesday, dozens of armoured vehicles entered Rastan, a town of 40,000 on the Orontes river north of Homs, after tanks and helicopters pounded it with heavy machineguns through the hours of darkness. "Tanks closed in on Rastan overnight and the sound of machineguns and explosions has been non-stop. They finally entered this morning," said a resident named Abu Qassem. Reports indicate that 20 civilians were injured in the assualt. However, Al Jazeera could not immediately confirm reports of injuries due to restrictions on reporting in Syria. Hundreds of soldiers who have defied orders to fire on protesters have formed the Khaled Bin al-Walid battalion, named after the Arab conqueror of Syria, in Rastan. The force, led by Captain Abdelrahman Sheikh, has some tanks. Colonel Riad al-Assad, the most senior military defector, is active in the area. Nearby in Houla, across the Orontes, thousands of villagers held an anti-Assad rally during which a new battalion of defectors was announced. Several soldiers in fatigues were seen in a YouTube video as a crowd chanted "Freedom". To cheers, an announcer was seen in the video saying: "The Syrian Free Army declares the formation of the Ali bin Abi Taleb Battalion in Houla, Homs, under the command of First Lieutenant Colonel Fayez al-Abdallah, to be supervised by the Khaled bin al-Walid battalion ... to protect peaceful protests." Rastan lies on the highway to Turkey near the city of Homs and is part of a region that has emerged as a centre of resistance to Assad's government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 http://twitter.com/#!/LeShaque Star Tribune / AP: Syria regime supporters pelt US ambassador with eggs, try to attack him during meeting | http://qvie.ws/q1O8hO 2 hours agoReports that Rastan is being bombed by military jets right now. 33 minutes ago http://twitter.com/#!/MagdyBasha123 NOW: Reports that Assad is waging full blown war on Rastan- Fighter planes, tanks & artillery. Pray 4 defected soldiers protecting city 54 minutes ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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