Soup

wardasahra:

theatlantic:

Unholy Alliance: How Syria is Bringing Israel, Iran, and Saudi Arabia Together

Many smart people, in Washington and elsewhere, have long been willing to forgive the Assad family for their many sins, going back to the tenure of Bashar’s father, Hafiz al Assad, who ruled from 1971 to 2000. The allure of bringing the Syrian-Israeli state of war to an end and the tantalizing possibility (a fantasy, it turns out) of breaking the Tehran-Damascus axis led observers to believe that Hafiz was capable of making peace and that Bashar was a reformer. Bashar has been tolerated, engaged, even supported in the hopes that the world could entice him, with the prospects of good relations with the West, to change. But there was never any real evidence that Damascus was genuinely interested in peace or reform. As the world (slowly) comes to grips with the horror of Syria and the Assads, there remains a coalition of nations that appear to be acting under the belief that the Assad regime is better than what might come next. It’s an odd group in the rather strange new world of the Middle East: Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Turkey.

Read more at The Atlantic

I think it says A LOT when we are finding these 3 countries in a sort of agreement, and over a man so brutal and ruthless. The fact that they can set aside their differences and agree to support this man demonstrates how these uprisings are shaking up the region in more ways than one. These countries are visibly threatened by the waves of protests, otherwise, what other cause could them to even share a headline together that doesn’t involve one nuking the other?
These authoritarian regimes are not sustainable. They are extremely damaging, with nothing but short-term policies of accruing wealth and maintaining hegemony at all costs as the main interests driving these regimes, all at the expense of an exponentially growing population. Each of these regimes represent pressure cookers slowly building up, decade by decade; and one by one, they are exploding. The killing is not sustainable, the injustice is not sustainable, the corruption is not sustainable, and they all know it. These authoritarian regimes come with an expiration date, and the power to enforce that expiration date is at the hands of the people.
Israel, Iran, and Saudi Arabia’s compliance in supporting Assad indicate that while their politics represent opposite sides of the spectrum, they have absolutely no interest in a democratic, just, and corrupt-free Middle East.

theatlantic:

Unholy Alliance: How Syria is Bringing Israel, Iran, and Saudi Arabia Together

Many smart people, in Washington and elsewhere, have long been willing to forgive the Assad family for their many sins, going back to the tenure of Bashar’s father, Hafiz al Assad, who ruled from 1971 to 2000. The allure of bringing the Syrian-Israeli state of war to an end and the tantalizing possibility (a fantasy, it turns out) of breaking the Tehran-Damascus axis led observers to believe that Hafiz was capable of making peace and that Bashar was a reformer. Bashar has been tolerated, engaged, even supported in the hopes that the world could entice him, with the prospects of good relations with the West, to change. But there was never any real evidence that Damascus was genuinely interested in peace or reform.

As the world (slowly) comes to grips with the horror of Syria and the Assads, there remains a coalition of nations that appear to be acting under the belief that the Assad regime is better than what might come next. It’s an odd group in the rather strange new world of the Middle East: Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Turkey.

Read more at The Atlantic

I think it says A LOT when we are finding these 3 countries in a sort of agreement, and over a man so brutal and ruthless. The fact that they can set aside their differences and agree to support this man demonstrates how these uprisings are shaking up the region in more ways than one. These countries are visibly threatened by the waves of protests, otherwise, what other cause could them to even share a headline together that doesn’t involve one nuking the other?

These authoritarian regimes are not sustainable. They are extremely damaging, with nothing but short-term policies of accruing wealth and maintaining hegemony at all costs as the main interests driving these regimes, all at the expense of an exponentially growing population. Each of these regimes represent pressure cookers slowly building up, decade by decade; and one by one, they are exploding. The killing is not sustainable, the injustice is not sustainable, the corruption is not sustainable, and they all know it. These authoritarian regimes come with an expiration date, and the power to enforce that expiration date is at the hands of the people.

Israel, Iran, and Saudi Arabia’s compliance in supporting Assad indicate that while their politics represent opposite sides of the spectrum, they have absolutely no interest in a democratic, just, and corrupt-free Middle East.

(via charquaouia-deactivated20120116)

9 May 2011

pantslessprogressive:

A Yemeni girl is held up by anti-government protestors during a demonstration demanding the resignation of President Saleh in Sana’a, Yemen on April 12, 2011. [Photo: Muhammed Muheisen / AP]

Bahrain, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Swaziland, Syria, Yemen News Roundup: April 12

Bahrain:

List of people killed in Bahrain since 14th February | Bahrain Center for Human Rights

Bahrain opposition figure ‘dies in custody’ | AJE

Daughter of jailed Bahrain human rights activist says she’s on hunger strike until his release | AP

Bahrain questions 3 reporters, may charge activist | Reuters

Bahrain urged to drop charges against editor | AFP

Hospital Is Drawn Into Bahrain Strife | NY Times

Bahrain Ambassador to the U.S.: CNN Report on Bahrain flawed

U.S. Stays Mum as Bahrain Unleashes Brutal Crackdown | ProPublica

Human Rights Watch: Suspicious Deaths in Custody

Ivory Coast:

Gunfire in Abidjan despite Gbagbo arrest | BBC

EU urges national unity government in Ivory Coast | Reuters

Obama Congratulates Ivory Coast’s Ouattara on Assuming Power | Bloomberg

UN names Cote d’Ivoire rights probe team | AJE

France sees no long military role in Ivory Coast | Reuters

Group Sees Ivory Coast Sanctions Lifted Soon | Corruption Currents - WSJ

New Leader Consolidates His Control In Ivory Coast | NY Times

Search for Lasting Ivorian Peace Begins | AllAfrica

Danger stalks streets of tired, angry Abidjan | Reuters

Sen. Inofe defends Gbagbo with ‘happy face’ | TPM

Why France must tread carefully in Ivory Coast | BBC

Analysis: Ouattara unlikely to salve Ivorian wounds | Reuters

Jordan:

Jordan tries 81 over March 24 demonstration | AFP

Jordan releases 4 jailed members of radical Islamist group in effort to stave off protests | AP

Saudi Arabia:

Why the United States should push Saudi Arabia toward democracy | PRI/WNYC

Swaziland:

Swaziland Police Beat, Arrest Protesters | VOA

Swazi forces fire at crowds to halt anti-king protest | Reuters

Unions’ Leadership Arrested | AllAfrica

Swaziland security forces target journalists | Committee to Protect Journalists

University of Swaziland Students Unanimously Endorse Uprising | AllAfrica

Syria:

Syrian soldiers shot for refusing to fire on protesters | Guardian

Syrian protesters ‘barred from medical care’ | AJE

Syrian forces arrest 200 in rebellious town, says lawyer | Reuters

Witnesses say Syrian gunmen attack 2 villages as regime tries to quell uprising | AP

Syrian University Protests Violently Suppressed | NY Times

Video shows Syria clash from two angles | The Lede

No end in sight | The Economist

Comment: White House finally condemns Syria | Guardian

Yemen:

Yemenis protest against mediation deal offering president immunity from prosecution | AP

Yemen opposition seeks details on Gulf plan | Reuters

Yemen protesters vow to stay in Sanaa square | AFP

Argument: Who’s Really In the Yemeni Opposition, Anyway? | Foreign Policy

Argument: Twilight of a Strongman | Foreign Policy

(Source: pantslessprogressive)

12 Apr 2011

pantslessprogressive:

A Yemeni army officer, center, salutes as he is lifted along with other officers by anti-government protesters during a demonstration on Sunday, April 10, 2011. [Photo: AP/Muhammed Muhelsen]

Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Ivory Coast, Saudi Arabia, Swaziland, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen Weekend News Roundup

Algeria:

In Algeria, a chill in the Arab spring | Washington Post

HRW: Restore Civil Liberties - With State of Emergency Over, Amend Laws to Restore Rights | AllAfrica

Bahrain:

Two Shiite activists die in Bahraini custody | AFP

Nearly 800 people have been detained since protests began | Bahrain Center for Human Rights

Human rights leader missing, taken by Bahraini police | CNN

Bahrain human rights activist “arrested, beaten up” | Reuters

Bahrain prosecutor to question former editors of main opposition newspaper Al Wasat | AP

Students in Iran Demonstrate in Support of Bahrain’s Shiites | NY Times

Bahrain is the line in the sand | Boston Globe

Bahrain, Syria and Yemen ‘playing with fire’, says EU diplomat | EU Observer

Djibouti:

A Friendly Little Dictatorship in the Horn of Africa: Why the world doesn’t care about Djibouti’s autocracy | Foreign Policy

Ivory Coast:

UN, French attack Gbagbo heavy weapons, damage presidential palace | Reuters

Ouattara Forces Kill, Rape Civilians During Offensive | HRW

Ouattara pledges he’ll establish human rights body, says UN | Reuters

Ouattara’s lawyers want Gbagbo to face trial | Reuters

Mortars fired at Ouattara’s hotel in Abidjan | AJE

Killings keep west Ivorian cocoa farmers in hiding | Reuters

Ivory Coast’s Abidjan risks health disaster, says MSF | Reuters

Ivory Coast fighting sparks fresh influx of refugees in Liberia | CS Monitor

Analysis: Manufacturing Côte d’Ivoire’s ‘Good Guy’ | AllAfrica

AUDIO: A jewel before its decline | NPR

VIDEO: Ignoring Cote d’Iviore | AJE

Beware of internet misinformation: hoax footage of atrocities in Ivory Coast | France24 (h/t news-intercom)

Mapping the conflict in Ivory Coast | Maps With The News (h/t futurejournalismproject)

Saudi Arabia:

Saudi rights activist: Hundreds of Shiite demonstrators demand release of political prisoners | AP

Saudi unemployed graduates protest to demand jobs | Reuters

Top White House aide to visit Saudi Arabia, UAE | Reuters

Swaziland:

Swaziland bans protests | AFP

Pro-democracy campaign groups are calling for an ‘April 12 Uprising’ | AllAfrica (h/t ligao)

South Africa’s largest labour group plans to blockade a key border crossing with Swaziland next week to support planned protests | AFP

Syria:

Syrian rights group says funeral comes under fire in southern city on Saturday | AP

Four Killed on Sunday as Syria Cuts Off City | NY Times

Syria death toll rises as threats of force become more explicit | Guardian

Syrian activists distribute video of protests | The Lede

Iran blames Jordan, Saudi Arabia for Syria | UPI

Ban Ki-Moon voices concern after deadly clashes in southern city | UN News Centre

Tunisia:

Ben Ali’s brother arrested in Tunisia | AJE

Tough transition in Tunisia after “Arab spring” | AP

VIDEO: Tunisia tourism industry struggling‎ | BBC

United Arab Emirates:

UAE detains another pro-democracy activist and an academic in widening crackdown on dissent | Washington Post

Yemen:

24 children killed in Yemen unrest: Unicef | Gulf News

Yemeni forces fire on protesters in 2 cities on Saturday seeking president’s ouster; several wounded | AP

Thousands march in Yemen over protesters’ deaths | Guardian

Gulf bloc calls on Yemeni ruler to transfer power to vice president | AP

Yemen resolution unlikely as president dismisses Gulf plan to end rule | Guardian

Yemen yanks diplomat over Qatar’s resignation talk | AP

WikiLeaks: Yemen tricked Saudis into nearly bombing president’s rival | Guardian

US embassy cables: Saudi defence minister explains targeting of Yemeni rebels with air strikes | Guardian

State cables show rising concern about al-Qaeda in Yemen | Washington Post

Hard-line Islamic enclave in Yemen illustrates militant risk if regime crumbles | AP

The Yemen President’s Pariah Family | The Daily Beast

Comment: Our revolution’s doing what Saleh can’t – uniting Yemen | Guardian

Comment: Western policymakers shouldn’t accept this Saleh spin | Guardian

(Source: pantslessprogressive)

10 Apr 2011

Updates on the violence in Saudi Arabia.

pantslessprogressive:

Updates at Reuters, AFP and Bloomberg.

The U.S. (sort of) weighs in.

Saudi Arabia’s ‘Day of Rage’ is scheduled for Friday, March 11. More information on Friday’s planned protests at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Guardian and CNN.

You can check out the ‘Saudi Revolution’ Facebook page here.

(Source: pantslessprogressive)

10 Mar 2011

Libya, Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen Weekend News Roundup: March 5-6.

pantslessprogressive:

Here is a weekend news roundup for Libya, Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and other countries.

[Previously: March 4]

Libya - The People:

Violence in Libya sows fears of long civil war; gunfire erupts in Tripoli | Washington Post

Libya’s rebel council says forces fought off Gaddafi troops in Zawiyah, Misrata | Reuters

At least 18 dead in Misrata fighting - doctor | Reuters

Libya opp fighters regroup, head towards Bin Jawad | Al Arabiya

Rebel Advance in Libya Set Back by Heavy Assault | NY Times

Africans targeted as rebels hunt mercenaries | Sydney Morning Herald

Free of Qaddafi, The City of Bayda Tries to Build a New Order | NY Times

A Rebel Setback | New Yorker News Desk

SAS soldiers ‘held by Libyan rebels’ | Telegraph

3 Bangladeshis Die During Evacuation From Libya | NY Times

VIDEO: Gaddafi fighter bomber is shot down in Ras Lanuf | BBC

INTERACTIVE: Libya Crisis Map: Social Media Mapping for Common Operational Datasets | OCHA

Libya - The Regime:

“As I write I can hear volleys of gunfire hammering around Tripoli. It is around 1430 on Sunday and since early morning supporters of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi have been out in the streets celebrating.” | BBC

Gaddafi dismayed by lack of global support | ABC News AU

Libyan loyalists celebrate Muammar Gaddafi’s phoney triumphs | Guardian

Gaddafi forces mount fierce counterattack; witnesses describe ‘massacre’ in city under siege | Washington Post

Qaddafi Forces Hit Besieged City but Lose Libyan Oil Port | NY Times

Gaddafi’s forces encircle rebels in Zawiyah | Guardian

Libya’s first lady owns 20 tons of gold: reports | Al Arabiya

Mubarak’s sons got fee from Israeli gas deal: report | AFP

Berlusconi ‘sent escorts to Gaddafi opponent as favour to Libya leader’ to gain the leadership of the African Union in 2009 | Telegraph

A Libyan Leader at War With Rebels, and Reality | NY Times

Argument: Harvard for Tyrants - How Muammar al-Qaddafi taught a generation of bad guys. | Foreign Policy

Libya - The International Response:

UN: Libya must stop attacks on civilian targets | Reuters

U.N. readies for fresh Libya influx to Tunisia | Reuters

Gaddafi asset freeze hit by name confusion | The Independent

Libya refugee aid operation intensifies | AFP

Libyan diplomats urge Arab League to recognize opposition | Al-Masry Al-Youm

Obama’s Choice: To Intervene or Not in Libya | NY Times

U.S. Senators Call for No-Flight Zone Over Libya | NY Times

US contributes to humanitarian aid on Tunisian-Libyan border | Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Libyan opposition ‘refused’ talks with UK delegation | Al Arabiya

SAS-backed Libyan diplomatic mission ends in humiliation | Guardian

Libya: diplomats in botched operation cause embarrassment for Cameron | Guardian

In Venezuela, Chavez tries to boost Gaddafi | Washington Post

Chavez garners support from allies for ‘goodwill commission’ to Libya | CNN

Algeria denies supporting Kadhafi | Magharebia

Libya Unrest Holds Threat of Economic Toll for Italy | NY Times

LSE professor was forced to quit Saif Gaddafi foundation | Guardian

LIST: Singers change their tune on the Gaddafis | Washington Post

Libya’s Late, Great Rights Record | NY Times

PHOTO: Libya Oil Exports | Yahoo

Editorial: UK and Libya: Fumbling in the desert | Guardian

Op-ed - Yoaz Hendel: International Court’s probe against Libya’s Gaddafi has nothing to do with justice | YNET News

Comment: TV coverage of the Libyan crisis is just a snapshot. We need to know more. | Guardian

Bahrain:

Shiite protesters in Bahrain besiege PM office | Washington Post

The women of Bahrain take to the streets in protest | AFP

Thousands gather outside Bahrain palace | Telegraph

In Bahrain, a key opposition leader signals openness to compromise | Washington Post

Bahraini Opposition Refuses to Concede; Interior Ministry seeks hiring 20,000 people | NY Times

Workers in Bahrain are being urged to ignore anonymous calls for a nationwide strike. | Gulf Daily News

Bahrain: Dialogue only solution says Crown Prince | Gulf Daily News

New Sunni coalition raises sectarian fears in Bahrain | Al-Masry Al-Youm

Women on the Frontlines in Bahrain | Ms. Magazine (h/t afternoonsnoozebutton)

Egypt:

Protesters raid on Cairo state security HQ | BBC

VIDEO: Secret apartment of Minister of Interior inside Secret Service HQ | loai111 (h/t neighborhoodr-cairo)

Egypt asks for return of security files | Telegraph

Million Woman March scheduled for Tuesday | Al-Masry Al-Youm

Egypt’s new PM appoints six new ministers | Ikhwan Web

Egypt’s Ex-Interior Minister Pleads Not Guilty to Corruption Charges | NY Times

Egypt’s Elaraby accepts foreign minister post | Al Arabiya

Knives and petrol bombs return to Cairo streets | Reuters

U.S. offers aid for Egyptian democracy, but quietly | Washington Post

Work resumes at free trade zones with Egypt | AFP

Women Seek to Maintain a Role in Rebuilding Egypt | NY Times

Diplomat says Egypt could ease Gaza blockade | AP

Cairo 1.5: The Arab world that Barack Obama addressed in his famous speech two years ago is history. It’s time for him to speak to the new one. | Foreign Policy

VIDEO: Inside the Egypt Revolution | Wael Ghonim @ TED

Saudi Arabia:

Saudi Arabia bans all marches as mass protest is planned for Friday | The Independent

26 Shiite Muslims detained in Saudi Arabia | Telegraph

Saudi Arabia drafts in up to 10,000 troops ahead of protests | Telegraph

Saudi Arabia: Protests won’t be tolerated | AP

Saudi clerics condemn protests and “deviant” ideas | Reuters

Saudi Arabia releases Shiite cleric after Shiites staged protests | Canadian Press

Yemen:

Yemen President reiterates to stay in power until 2013 | Reuters

Four Yemeni soldiers killed in attack as U.S. cautions against travel | CNN

Government supporters attack protesters in Yemen | AP

Yemen ruler digs deeper | AP

Premier, Saleh Panel for Dialogue Fail to Talk Sit-Inners | Yemen Post

Amid Yemen’s unrest, some quit president’s party | Washington Post

US State Dept. issues Travel Warning for Yemen, citing ‘high security threat level’ | State Dept

Shooting in Yemen May Widen Tensions | NY Times

The US in Yemen: Valleys of Blind Men | Big Think

Yemen Friday Prayers: Last (Wo)man Standing | Iona Craig, Frontline Club

Algeria, China, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Turkey:

Police, pro-gov’t activists block Algerian protest | AFP

Algerian opposition calls for “peaceful struggle” | AFP

Algerian pro-democracy march put down by police | AP

Algerian journalists urge greater press freedom | Magharebia

Beijing says “jasmine protest” calls doomed to fail | Reuters

China Tracks Foreign Journalists | NY Times

VIDEO: Political crackdown in China | Sky News

China paper blasts Middle East protest movements | AP

China Unveils Economic Plan With Focus on Raising Incomes and Reining in Pollution | NY Times Magazine

Iran’s supreme leader accused of abducting key opponents | Guardian

Maliki’s Broadened Powers Seen as a Threat in Iraq | NY Times

Ivory Coast: parts of Abidjan resemble war zone - UN | BBC

Ivory Coast crisis worsens as police loot homes of new cabinet | Guardian

Ivory Coast Rebels Claim to Have Expanded Their Advance | NY Times

U.N. force in Ivory Coast to be reinforced - official | Reuters

In Kuwait, a long battle to oust the prime minister | Washington Post

Lebanon: Protest against sectarian system draws large crowds | LA Times

Oman’s ruler dismisses ministers | AJE

Oman Reshuffles Cabinet, Investigates Unrest Amid Protests | Dow Jones Newswires

Turkish journalists jailed over alleged coup plot | AP

Other good reads:

The slap heard round the world | CS Monitor

U.S. Wavers on ‘Regime Change’ | WSJ

How to Lose a Country Gracefully | NY Times Magazine

House of Coups | NY Times Magazine

The Tyrant Tax | New Yorker

What WikiLeaks revealed about Leila Ben Ali’s excesses in Tunisia | The National

Five myths about the Muslim Brotherhood | Lorenzo Vidino, Washington Post

Q+A - Can the Jasmine Revolution reach North Korea? | Reuters

We need democracy in the Middle East – and Israel | The Observer, Guardian

Comment: The Arab uprisings demand strong support from the British government | Guardian

Comment: It must be bliss to be alive, young and Arab in this dawn of revolution | Guardian

VIDEO: A historic moment in the Arab world | Wadah Khanfar @ TED

PHOTO: Map of education, internet-connectivity and sociopolitical unrest in the Middle East | @fouad_marei (h/t neighborhoodr-cairo)

(Source: pantslessprogressive)

6 Mar 2011

Libya, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen News Roundup: March 4.

pantslessprogressive:

Happy Friday! Here is a news roundup for Libya, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and other countries for Friday, March 4.

[Previously: Mar. 2]

Libya - The People:

Libyan forces attack western town, rebel push in east | Reuters

Anti-Gaddafi rebels lay heavy fire on Ras Lanuf | Reuters

Rebels Take Back Ras Lanuf After Intense Battle | BI

Arab TV stations report dead, wounded in Zawiyah | Reuters

Gaddafi loyalists fight protesters heavily near Tripoli | Al Arabiya

In Eastern Libya, Defectors and Volunteers Build Rebel Army | The Atlantic

Rebels vow to topple Gaddafi | National Post

Bloodied and miles from meds, Libya’s rebellion shows its cracks | Globe and Mail

Rebels consolidate eastern Libya | Telegraph

VIDEO: Black Africans in Libya Live in Fear | AJE

VIDEO: BBC’s John Simpson reports from Ras Lanuf | BBC

VIDEO: Gaddafi forces launch air raid on disputed oil town | France24

VIDEO: Seven Prisoners Rescued From Underground Dungeon | Sky News

VIDEO: Hamid Dabashi: Supporting Libyan Revolution, Opposing Foreign Intervention | The Real News (h/t mohandasgandhi)

Libya - The Regime:

VIDEO: Saif Gadhafi’s interview with Al Jazeera

Libya removes itself from the net | BBC

Gaddafi faces ICC inquiry | AJE

Gadhafi Forces Seek to Widen Grip | WSJ

Gadhafi’s ‘astonishing wealth’: By the numbers | The Week

Gaddafi, the author | Washington Post

VIDEO: Cameras Capture Qaddafi Bombing Libyans | AC360

VIDEO: Anderson Cooper interview Gadhafi spokesman | AC360

Libya - The International Response:

Interpol Issues Orange Notice Against Gadhafi Regime | UPI [Interpol PDF]

UK Freezes $3.2 Billion In Libyan Assets, Targets Sovereign Wealth Fund | Corruption Currents - WSJ

Libyan rebels reject Hugo Chávez mediation offer | Guardian

OFAC Authorizes Libyan Bank Transactions | Corruption Currents - WSJ

Libyan ambassador: The U.S. must do more to stop Qaddafi’s massacre | Foreign Policy

Air Force planes send supplies to Libyan refugees | AP

Tunisia steps up evacuations of people fleeing Libya | CNN

Oil Industry Group Opposes Obama’s Sanctions | Mother Jones

The Monitor Group: Gaddafi’s PR firm used academics | Guardian

Boston consulting firm Monitor Group and Qaddafi: Still Spinning? | Mother Jones

British government encouraged LSE to forge Libya links, says academic | Guardian

Oil jumps as Libya clashes intensify; Mideast worry | Reuters

Libya’s Revolution Offers a Second Chance for Clean Energy | The Atlantic

Libya Added to Ship Insurers’ Risk List as Violence Spreads | Bloomberg

Argument: A no-fly zone over Libya will not be easy or painless | Foreign Policy

Argument: Will Chavez Regret Staying on Team Qaddafi? | Foreign Policy

Comment: LSE is paying a heavy price for Saif Gaddafi’s PhD | Guardian

Ivory Coast:

COTE D’IVOIRE: Paul, “People burn tyres with the bodies to defuse the smell” | IRIN Africa (h/t nickturse)

UN Security Council concerned over civil war risk in Cote d’Ivoire | People’s Daily

Opposition supporters protest against incumbent leader in Cote d’Ivoire | People’s Daily

Post Primer: Ivory Coast on brink of civil war | National Post

Cote d’Ivoire’s Situation Worsening with Each Passing Day | CRI English

Jordan:

Jordan nixes constitutional monarchy calls | AFP

Jordan’s pro-reform opposition groups demand new prime minister step down | Canadian Press

Libyan Refugee Crisis Called a ‘Logistical Nightmare’ | NY Times

Hundreds of Jordanians protest and urge reforms | Reuters

Protests in Jordan garner some reforms, look for more gains | Al-Masry Al-Youm

The protestors are not calling for the removal of the king or the monarchy, still seen by many Jordanians as a national symbol and a vital unifying force in a country with a large Palestinian population and rival tribes. | Washington Post

Mideast protests at a glance : Jordan | AP

VIDEO: Jordan protesters hold strong | AJE

Saudi Arabia:

VIDEOS: Saudi Shiites Are Holding Their Own Day of Rage | BI

Demonstrators in Saudi Arabia demand prisoners’ release | CNN

The Arrest Of A Shiite Cleric Could Be The Spark That Ignites Saudi Arabia | BI

All quiet in Saudi Arabia? | PRI’s The World

Is Saudi Arabia Immune From Protests? | The Atlantic

Saudi Arabia’s regime will fall, says analyst | BI

Saudi Arabia contagion triggers Gulf rout | Telegraph

Comment: Saudi Arabia’s subtle protests are serious | Guardian

Yemen:

Millions of people took to the streets in Yemeni cities on Friday to pray and demonstrate full support to the hundreds of thousands who have been conducting sit-ins for weeks, mainly in the capital Sana’a, the business capital Aden and Taiz, demanding the ouster of the regime. | Yemen Post

Saleh rejects transition plan as Yemen protests grow | Al Arabiya

Yemen clerics support 8 point initiative to end crisis | Saba Net

At least 3 dead in Yemen clash as tens of thousands protest Saleh’s rule | Washington Post

Yemen protesters share one goal but have divergent visions | LA Times

Algeria, Bahrain, China, Egypt, Iraq, Zimbabwe:

Algerian Specificities: Algeria’s Place in the 2011 Arab Revolutions | Martin Evans, Muftah

Algeria Special: Why There is “No Critical Mass” of Protest | Enduring America

Bahrainis Fear the U.S. Isn’t Behind Their Fight for Democracy | NY Times

Bahraini opposition to enter talks | AJE

Appeal for calm after clashes in Hamad Town | Gulf Daily News

In China, is the revolution being won? | AJE

Calls for subtle protests have China security forces in tizzy | LA Times

Report on China’s ‘Jasmine Revolution’? Not if you want your visa. | CS Monitor

Why China fears Middle East protests | CNN

China plans to track Beijing citizens through their mobiles: Government claims technology will ease transport congestion, but experts warn it could be used to control dissent | Guardian

Mubarak Faces Corruption Probe For Years Of Selling Gas To Israel At Sub-Market Rates | BI

New Egyptian prime minister pledges democratic change | BBC

Protesters say Maliki is using special security forces to shut down demonstrations in Iraq | Washington Post

New Iraq protests smaller, less violent amid tight security | LA Times

International Calls Grow for Release of Detained Zimbabwe Activists | SW Radio Africa

Exclusive: U.N. probes Zimbabwe arms sent to Ivory Coast | Reuters

Other good reads:

Without a doubt, Nawwarah Najm is one of the leading brave protesters of the Egyptian uprising. Her voice has been ubiquitous on Aljazeerah. Yet, she is nowhere to be seen in the Western media | The Angry Arab (h/t darling80m)

Obama administration prepares for possibility of new post-revolt Islamist regimes | Washington Post

Arabs In America Express Hope, Fear In Revolution | NPR

Benghazi Journal: In Libya, ‘We Won.’ Then a Rebel Becomes a Martyr | Kareem Fahim, NY Times

Comment: Gaddafi’s survival could end the Arab revolt | Guardian

Africa’s Cell Phone Revolution | New Yorker

(Source: pantslessprogressive)

4 Mar 2011

Dear right wing blogosphere and also Bill Maher: You can’t generalize about women’s position in Muslim countries based on a reprehensible mob attack on CBS reporter Lara Logan. Generalizing about a whole group of people based on a single incident is called “bigotry.” It is also a logical fallacy (for wingnuts challenged by six syllables in a row, that means, ‘when your brain doesn’t work right’) known as the ‘Hasty Generalization.’ Nobody seems to note that allegedly helpless Egyptian women were the ones who saved Logan, or that Anderson Cooper was also attacked.

Some other examples of reporters or celebrities being assaulted by crowds are here and here. Wingnuts, and also Bill Maher, who do not immediately make generalizations on these bases about large groups of Westerners are wusses.

Note to Muslim-hater Bill Maher, who should know better: It is not true that women cannot vote in 20 Muslim countries, and please stop generalizing about 1.5 billion Muslims based on the 22 million people in Wahhabi Saudi Arabia, the only place where women cannot drive and where men can vote (in municipal elections) but women cannot. It would be like generalizing from the Amish in Pennsylvania to all people of Christian heritage and wondering what is with Christianity and its fascination with horses and buggies.

Top Five Myths about the Middle East Protests (via caraobrien)