twa Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 If only there was a nation there willing and capable to stand up to put a end to Assad's excesses. I guess hunting Kurds is more important though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 (edited) http://twitter.com/#!/LibyaNewMedia Turkish media reporting 1 dead, many injured in a suicide bombing near AKP headquarters in Bingol, in Southeastern Turkey. 3 hours ago http://twitter.com/#!/techsoc Suicide bomb attack by the PKK in front of the local headquarters of the AKP in Bingöl in Turkey: 1 dead, 10 injured #PKK #terrorism/ 3 hours ago http://twitter.com/#!/DavidKenner White House is considering providing Marine Corps attack helicopters to Turkey for its battle with the PKK. http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?load=detay&newsId=261195&link=261195 15 hours ago SYRIA http://twitter.com/#!/CFKlebergTT 7 killed so far today in Syria, LCC activists tell me. 6 in Homs 1 in Karnaz in Hama suburbs. 1 hour agoActivists describe storming of BabaAmr area in Homs with "large no. of armoured vehicles" amid "violent artillery shelling". 1 hour ago Woman in her 50's shot dead by sniper stationed near playground in Talbieseh Homs, LCC activists tell me.1 hour ago UN slams "unacceptable" Syria violence saying it must stop immediately. Assad not showing any signs of compliance. http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=5648 44 minutes ago http://twitter.com/#!/SyrianArmenian Very disappointing that US policy toward Syria is being led only by a brave ambassador. #NoFlyZone #NFZ4Syria #NATO4Syria 7 minutes ago http://twitter.com/#!/MagdyBasha123 In Nov 2012, Syria|n Americans will remember that US policy toward Syria is being led only by a brave ambassador #BarackObama #NFZ4Syria 3 minutes ago http://twitter.com/#!/FreeBenghazi SyriansDemand that supporters of the revolutions in Libya Egypt Tunisia support the Syrian revolution 43 minutes ago http://twitter.com/#!/Nora0315 SyriansDemand that you acknowledge that women are playing a significant role in the Syrian revolution. #Syria is proud of their women. 8 minutes ago Edited October 29, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/29/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 Syrian forces pounded the western city of Homs Saturday with jets and tanks, sustaining fire with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, activists told CNN.At least seven people were killed in the clashes in Syria Saturday, six of them in Homs, according to the Local Coordination Committees (LCC) of Syria, an opposition group that organizes and documents protests in Syria. Rami Abdel Rahman, president of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported at least four deaths in Homs Saturday. In Khan Sheikhoun, security forces opened fire on a funeral procession, the LCC said. Several soldiers defected to defend the mourners, the group said.The day before, defector Ali Khani was shot and killed after he refused to follow orders to crack down on protests in Khan Sheikhoun, a spokesman for the media office said. Security forces opened fire on Khani's funeral procession Saturday, prompting violent clashes, the spokesman said. The clashes erupted after Friday's massive demonstration in Hama where Syrians demanded an end to President Bashar al-Assad's rule and called for his prosecution.Demonstrators also called on the United Nations to impose a no-fly zone, naval blockade and other measures to protect Syrian protesters. http://twitter.com/#!/KareemLailah Assad thugs torture detainees in public streets 1 hour ago m_UTRCbCFp4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 (edited) http://twitter.com/#!/BreakingNews Lawyers: Egypt Mubarak's trial to be postponed again - Reuters http://reut.rs/rwVhIJ 14 minutes ago http://twitter.com/#!/CFKlebergTT Death toll in Syria rises:17 killed today, activists tell me. 10 in Homs 3 in Hama and 1 in Daraa Idlib Keseh Zabadany. 39 minutes agoYesterday family in Homs lost 3 sons, LCC activists tell me. Shot dead "in front of their home in Khaldiya neighborhood". 38 minutes ago Edited October 29, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 http://twitter.com/#!/BreakingNews Syria human rights group says 20 killed in clashes in Homs - @AJELive http://bit.ly/rrnqNX 42 minutes ago http://twitter.com/#!/CFKlebergTT Spokesman for Syria n Observatory for Human Rights tells me presumed deserters ambushed and killed regime troops in Homs. 42 minutes agoMeanwhile, LCC now set civilian death toll in Syria at 20 today. Homs:12, Hama:3, Daraa Idlib Kesweh Zabadany DeirEzzor:1 39 minutes ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 (edited) http://twitter.com/#!/KareemLailah Heavy clashes between defected soldiers and #ssad troops in Baba Amro in Homs now.8 hours agoDefected soldiers destroyed 3 tanks of Assad's troops in Baba Amro in Homs 7 hours ago http://twitter.com/#!/BarbarosaSYR The free Syrian army is fighting, they killed over 30 of Assad forces since yesterday! Good riddance! Those who kill children deserve death! 4 hours ago http://twitter.com/#!/AJELive Syria's President Bashar al-Assad warns of "earthquake" if West intervenes - http://aje.me/vDOspa | Syria live blog 8 hours ago http://twitter.com/#!/pdanahar Syria 's Assad in interview says Middle East will 'burn' if there's western intervention http://tinyurl.com/68hkbu3 8 hours ago Edited October 30, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 (edited) http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/30/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 Syrians set out to draft new constitution amid clashesSyrians aiming to write a new constitution for the strife-torn country will meet for the first time on Monday, the state news agency reported Sunday, after a weekend of intense violence. President Bashar al-Assad earlier this month announced the formation of a committee to draft a new constitution within four months, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported at the time. The October 15 announcement was one of several moves the government has made to defuse protests, but they have not calmed the situation in the country. Government forces killed six people they described as terrorists Saturday, and arrested 20, the SANA reported Sunday. SANA said four members of the security forces had been killed in the clashes. Opposition activists, meanwhile, said at least 21 people were killed, including at least 11 who died when Syrian forces pounded the western city of Homs with tanks, sustaining fire with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. http://twitter.com/#!/hisham_melhem US source: We will not recognize the Syrian National Council,until it develops a vision of post-Assad era, and allay fears of minorities. 10 hours ago http://twitter.com/#!/__Hisham Syrian president, in Russian TV interview, thanks Moscow for vetoing UN resolution - The Washington Post - http://goo.gl/8QyDn 1 hour ago http://twitter.com/#!/AJELive China's Middle East envoy called on Syria's government to speed up reforms, saying that bloodshed could not continue http://aje.me/sP8ZQ4 1 hour ago http://twitter.com/#!/AJELive LCC: 343 people were killed in Syria since the Arab League gave Damascus a two-week deadline http://aje.me/rqZEAh 21 minutes ago http://twitter.com/#!/NadineFarkash When will we see Bashar dead like Gaddafi ? IHopeSoon 33 minutes ago http://twitter.com/#!/AJELive Also in Egypt, two prominent activists summoned to appear before military prosecutors on charges of 'inciting violence' http://aje.me/sfQjdT 4 hours ago Egyptians on twitter have been livid about this all day. Edited October 30, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 (edited) http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/10/2011103011331929580.html?utm_content=automateplus&utm_campaign=Trial6&utm_source=SocialFlow&utm_term=tweets&utm_medium=MasterAccount Mubarak trial adjourned until December Egypt court sets new date for next session of trial, while military summons activists over separate Cairo clashes. The trial of Egypt's Hosni Mubarak , Egypt's former president, has been adjourned until December 28 to allow time for a separate court to decide whether to change the judges presiding over his case. Judge Ahmed Refaat announced the adjournment in a Cairo court on Sunday, in front of Mubarak, his two sons, the former interior minister and senior police officers. The men face a range of charges, including involvement in the killing of protesters during an 18-day uprising against Mubarak's rule in January. A separate court is to convene on November 3, after a separate court convenes to decide whether to replace Refaat and others on the judges' panel. Some of the lawyers representing families of those killed in the uprising have demanded changes to the panel, saying it failed to allow them adequate time to question Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, who heads the army council now ruling Egypt. Leaks of Tantawi's testimony suggested that he sought to absolve Mubarak of any responsibility for the killing of about 850 protesters during the uprising that forced him to step down on February 11. Mubarak is charged with complicity in the killings and if convicted, he could face the death penalty. The military government is trying to focus on the much more important task of arresting, detaining, and torturing protesters. Although I suppose this particular move could be good depending on how it ends up. Edited October 31, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redskins28339 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Syria Syria is planting Landmines near its border with Lebanon http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_SYRIA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT BEIRUT (AP) -- A Syrian official and witnesses say Damascus is planting landmines along parts of the border with Lebanon.The official familiar with government strategy said Tuesday the mines are meant to prevent arms smuggling across the border as President Bashar Assad faces a 7-month-old uprising. He asked that his name not be used because of the sensitivity of the matter. Witnesses also told The Associated Press they have seen Syrian soldiers planting the mines in recent days. Many Syrians cross the border into Lebanon regularly, some of them to flee the violence in their country. There also are signs that Syria is working to prevent Lebanon from becoming a safe haven for the Syrian opposition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15533927 Iran bans footballers for 'immoral' goal celebrationFootage posted online shows Persepolis defender Mohammed Nosrati squeezing teammate Sheis Rezaei's bottom. Another video seems to show Rezaei squeezing a teammate later in the 3-2 Persepolis victory over Damash Gilan. The game was broadcast live to millions. Nosrati and Rezaei have said they did not intend to offend anyone. The two "have been banned indefinitely from all football activities for committing immoral acts", AFP news agency quoted Ismail Hasanzadeh, the head of the Iranian football federation's disciplinary committee, as saying. AFP said the two players have also been suspended by Persepolis and fined nearly $40,000 (£25,000) each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 (edited) http://twitter.com/#!/BreakingNews US expected to say it's deeply disappointed by Israel accelerating settlement building, US official says - @Reuters 1 hour ago http://twitter.com/#!/oxfordgirl Reports: Iranian security forces raided a birthday party held at a traditional café in Tabriz & arrested 31 young men & women 49 minutes ago http://twitter.com/#!/Brian_Whit Israel test-fires missile as Iran debate rages http://reut.rs/up4K15 via @reuters37 minutes agoUK military steps up plans for Iran attack amid fresh nuclear fears http://gu.com/p/334a5/tw via @guardian 10 minutes ago http://twitter.com/#!/AlArabiya_Eng Israeli army tests missiles capable of reaching Iran: report Alarabiya48 minutes ago http://twitter.com/#!/AlArabiya_Eng Mugabe should consider stepping down over age, health worries: Zimbabwe PM - AFP52 minutes ago Edited November 2, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/11/20111129401628745.html Several reported killed in Yemeni unrestAt least nine people are reported killed and dozens wounded in the latest clashes between government forces and tribesmen in Yemen. Those killed on Wednesday in the central city of Taiz included pro-opposition fighters and civilians, AP news agency said. Reporting in Yemen is restricted, making independent verification of the claims difficult. A field hospital doctor, Abdel-Raziq al-Gabri, said security forces randomly shelled several neighbourhoods in Taiz, where pro-opposition fighters had taken over a government building in the city centre. Taiz has been a focal point for anti-government protesters demanding the resignation of Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen's president since 1978. The protests began eight months ago, inspired by Arab revolts in Tunisia and Egypt where long-serving leaders were forced out of power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/irans-waning-influence-on-iraq/2011/10/28/gIQA2OOmgM_story.html?hpid=z3 Iran’s waning influence on Iraq Looks interesting, but I haven't had time to read it myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 (edited) In somewhat unrelated news Greece and Italy both look to have different leaderships in charge in the next few days. http://twitter.com/#!/BreakingNews Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou is expected to offer his resignation, sources in Athens say - @BBCWorld http://bbc.in/t5LUUn 32 seconds ago http://twitter.com/#!/AP BREAKING: Greek opposition leader calls for transition government to prepare for early elections. -EF 8 minutes ago http://twitter.com/#!/jonahhull On TV, opp leader Samaras agrees to temporary unity govt ahead of gen elex, and for new bailout terms to go ahead. 8 minutes ago http://twitter.com/#!/mchancecnn Speculation rife in Italy that opposition could have numbers to topple berlusconi as early as next week. 9 minutes ago Edited November 3, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 (edited) Oh ****! http://twitter.com/#!/SultanAlQassemi AFP: Father of second in command of Wefaq opposition party "beaten to death" by Bahrain police - Wefaq website http://bit.ly/vuVkVc 13 minutes ago ---------- Post added November-3rd-2011 at 03:08 PM ---------- http://twitter.com/#!/SultanAlQassemi Bahrain govt says father of second in command of Wefaq died of natural causes http://bit.ly/tus1CE via @FaisalAMahmood @arahmanalk 53 seconds ago Edited November 14, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/11/04/idINIndia-60331820111104 Tunisian constitution will make no place for faithTunisia's Islamist-led government will focus on democracy, human rights and a free-market economy in planned changes to the constitution, effectively leaving religion out of the text it will draw up, party leaders said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45174528/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/t/american-who-joined-libyan-rebels-returns-us/?ocid=twitter American who joined Libyan rebels returns to US VanDyke, dressed in his military uniform with a scarf tied around his head, held up a Libyan flag as he walked out of the concourse at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport into his mother's arms. He was also met by friends and family waving American flags and holding up signs. Some had waited for hours after he was detained by Homeland Security officials when he entered the country in New York and missed his flight to Baltimore. Later, as VanDyke addressed the media, his girlfriend, Lauren Fischer, arrived and planted a big kiss on his lips. The two stood hand in hand for the rest of the time he spoke. Earlier this year, VanDyke was in Baltimore working on a book and film about a motorcycle trip across the Middle East and southeast Asia when he began to hear from friends in Libya about their relatives disappearing. "I wasn't going to sit back and let this happen to people I care about and not do anything about it," he said. "I see how people are suffering under regimes like this and it's time for it to end." Matthew VanDyke plans to go to church Sunday morning and spend time with his mother and girlfriend now that he is back. But then he might start training for other revolutions elsewhere in the Arab world. "There's a lot more to be done" he said. "This is spreading." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 (edited) http://twitter.com/#!/shadihamid This Hillary Clinton speech on the Arab spring is refreshingly frank - and it's quite good. Credit where it's due: http://1.usa.gov/sA4dET 1 hour agoI know I've sometimes been very critical of the Obama admin. But Hillary Clinton's Nov. 7 speech deserves to be read & applauded. 1 hour ago Everything Hillary Clinton said in her Nov 7 speech on the Arab spring, Obama should have said on May 19: http://1.usa.gov/sA4dET 1 hour ago http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/11/176750.htm Keynote Address at the National Democratic Institute's 2011 Democracy Awards Dinner Edited November 9, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 (edited) http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/Yemen 14 min 16 sec agoOvernight shelling in Taiz, Yemen's coastal third-largest city, has killed six people and wounded 20, medical and opposition sources have told Al Jazeera. A shooting on Thursday killed one protester and wounded eight, while a separate ambush killed a tribal chief and an army lieutenant and wounded three others. OM9BRBhZX08 ---------- Post added November-11th-2011 at 03:32 AM ---------- Fascinating article http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/11/10/ayatollah_for_a_day?page=full#.TrzUkZ3iqt0.twitter Ayatollah for a DayI war-gamed an Israeli strike on Iran -- and it got ugly Arguably, the strongest argument against an attack on Iran is a question of simple mathematics. According to Israeli estimates, a strike would, at best, set back Tehran's nuclear clock by just two to three years -- but it would likely resuscitate the fortunes of a deeply unpopular, ideologically bankrupt Iranian regime, prolonging its shelf life by another decade or generation. As one Iranian democracy activist once told me, Israel and the United States should "focus less on the gun and more on the bandit trying to obtain the gun." Bombing Iran, he said, would strengthen the bandit, not weaken it -- and only increase his desire to get the gun.Iran's nuclear sites are purposely built close to population centers, but in the simulation, the Israeli strike managed to cause only a small number of civilian casualties. Nonetheless, one of my immediate reactions was to order Iranian state television to show graphic images of the "hundreds of innocent martyrs" -- focusing on the women and children -- in order to incite outrage against Israel and attempt to convert Iranian nationalism into solidarity with the regime. To further that goal, we then invited the symbolic leadership of the opposition -- Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi (both of whom are now under house arrest), as well as former President Mohammad Khatami -- onto state television to furiously condemn Israel and pledge allegiance to the government. Instead of widening Iran's deep internal fractures -- both between political elites and between the people and the regime -- the Israeli military strike helped repair them. I asked a longtime aide to Karroubi about the plausibility of the above scenario. He said that an Israeli strike on Iran would be "10 times worse" -- in terms of eliciting popular anger -- than a U.S. strike and agreed that it would likely bring recognized opposition figures in concert with the government, strengthening the state's capacity to respond. One of our first salvos was to launch missiles at oil installations in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, as well as stir unrest among Saudi Shiites against their government. Our pretext was that Israel had used Saudi airspace to attack us, though we later found out it did so without Saudi permission. Given Iran's less-than-accurate missile technology, most missiles missed their mark, but some struck home and we succeeded in spiking oil prices enough so that Americans and Europeans filling their cars with gasoline might be irritated by Israel's actions.We also fired missiles at Israeli military and nuclear targets and unleashed Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad to fire rockets at Israeli population centers. Although few of these missiles reached their targets, the goal was create an atmosphere of terror among Israeli society so its government would think twice about future attacks. We didn't limit our reaction to just the Middle East. Via proxy, we hit European civilian and military outposts in Afghanistan and Iraq, confident that if past is precedent, Europe would take the high road and not retaliate. We also activated terrorist cells in Europe -- bombing public transportation and killing several civilians -- in the belief that European citizens and governments would likely come down hard on Israel for destabilizing the region. But, appreciating the logic of power, we stopped just short of provoking the United States. Before the simulation, I'd often heard it said that it wouldn't make much difference whether Israel actually got a green light from the United States to strike Iran, for Tehran would never believe otherwise. This assessment wasn't borne out in the simulation. The U.S. secretary of state sent us a private note telling us that the Americans did not approve the Israeli strike, and vowed to restrain Israel from attacking further -- if we also exercised restraint. They tried on multiple occasions to meet with us or speak by phone, but we refused. While Washington believed that its overtures would have a calming effect on us, we interpreted them to mean that we could strike back hard against Israel -- not to mention European targets -- without risking U.S. retaliation, at least not immediately. Given that the simulation was intended to gauge the immediate consequences of an Israeli strike on Iran -- not its long-term impact -- the final results were inconclusive. The intent wasn't to prove either side correct, but to try to understand the decision-making calculus of each side. Not unlike wars themselves, different actors drew different lessons. Those, like myself, who thought that the costs of an Israeli attack significantly outweighed the benefits, felt the results of the simulation validated their position. In the span of just a few days, our simulation had the Middle East aflame. But those who, prior to the exercise, believed that attacking Iran's nuclear facilities was a necessary risk weren't convinced otherwise. Edited November 11, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 http://twitter.com/#!/qwmagazine Death toll of gunfire at the Freedom Square in Taez in Yemen rises to 15 people 2 hours ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 http://twitter.com/#!/Reuters FLASH: U.N. peacekeeping chief says Sudan army bombed Yida refugee camp in south Sudan; Khartoum denies responsibility 3 hours ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 http://feb17.info/news/libya-interim-leader-no-place-for-extremist-islam/ Libya interim leader: No place for extremist Islam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCATRE7AC09S20111113 Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh is refusing to hand over power and resisting a U.N.-backed plan to end months of political paralysis that has brought the impoverished state to its knees, opposition sources said on Sunday.Saleh has withstood nine months of protests against his rule and international pressure on him to quit, three times agreeing to a Gulf-brokered power transition plan only to back out of signing it at the very last minute. Mediators, diplomats and Saleh's deputy had said in recent weeks they were close to clinching a deal, but a senior member of the opposition told Reuters the veteran leader was stalling once again. "Saleh wants to preserve all his powers until the election of a new president and that is rejected by the opposition and because of this the U.N. envoy's mission is going to fail," said a senior figure in the opposition who declined to be identified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/13/egypt-protesters-clashes-security-forces?CMP=twt_gu Egyptian protesters killed in clashes with security forcesClashes between Egyptian security forces and protesters have left at least two civilians dead, following major demonstrations across the country. In Damietta, a port town where the Nile meets the Mediterranean, the army used force to break up mass protests on Sunday which had brought the city to a standstill for several days. Local news reports indicated that at least two protesters were killed and 11 others injured during the violence. Witnesses told the Guardian that the death toll was considerably higher, but this could not be independently confirmed. "The situation is very dangerous," said Shaaban ElBadahy, a teacher in Damietta. "Protesters have closed off all the ports and roads in the district and no one can enter or leave the city." Residents were protesting against newly unveiled plans to expand the production of fertiliser in the area. An existing Egyptian-Canadian factory has been blamed for a series of environmental disasters including the depletion of local fish stocks, but its owners insist that they meet all relevant safety standards. In Aswan, police used teargas against protesters angry over the killing of a local boat captain, who was shot dead by a police officer following an argument last week. Amid claims that protesters might try and shut down the power supply running from the Aswan dam to the rest of the country, the authorities declared a curfew and stepped up the security presence in Egypt's southern-most city. The latest wave of violence adds further pressure on the military junta ahead of this month's parliamentary elections, with opposition to the ruling generals seemingly beginning to spread beyond Cairo and Alexandria and into rural areas. Alaa Abd El Fattah, a leading revolutionary figurehead, had his detention renewed for a further 15 days, meaning it is likely he will miss the birth of his first child who is due imminently. Maikel Nabil, a blogger who has now been on hunger strike for over 80 days, had his retrial adjourned to 27 November 27th and will remain in jail until then.On Sunday evening demonstrators gathered at Cairo's Qasr el-Nil bridge over the Nile to express their rejection of the junta. The bridge was the location for one of the most significant street battles between protesters and police during the anti-Mubarak uprising earlier this year, and has become synonymous with revolutionary victory by the people over the security forces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 (edited) http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/14/us-egypt-election-idUSTRE7AD1LM20111114 Gloves off as Egypt's election race heats upEgyptians are facing a blizzard of posters and TV adverts seeking their votes in the first free parliamentary election in decades but some campaigners are turning to tricks like tearing down rival posters in a race where every vote counts. The vote offers Egyptians the first real chance to choose who represents them. During Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule, intimidation, ballot stuffing and graft ensured landslide wins for his ruling party. No one expects a return to that kind of routine rigging but, with everything to play for, the gloves have come off before staggered voting starts on November 28. Party agents are defacing campaign posters, disrupting rallies with verbal attacks on their rivals and distributing bogus flyers ridiculing opponents. Liberal parties accuse the well-funded Muslim Brotherhood of spreading more than its usual largesse to win votes. Many expect it to form one of the biggest blocs in parliament although analysts question whether it can secure a majority.... Edited November 14, 2011 by visionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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