Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Freedom Movement Sweeps Arabia

Since there is extraordinary activity, this blogger has compiled a timely nation-by-nation summary of the Pan-Arab Revolution and the freedom movement sweeping the Middle East.  It includes links to top stories today and analysis.

Libya:

President Obama cut short today by a couple of hours his trip to Latin America to focus on the fighting in Libya, while NATO steps up its role in implementing  the no-fly zone.

NATO started sea patrols as air strikes hit Tripoli again today while some units loyal to Qadhafi were reported to have stalled in Misurata, The New York Times reports.

Obama still insists U.S. will hand over command and control of Libyan operations in a matter of days.

The misery in Misurata: Gadhafi snipers fight on. 

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton signals in an interview with ABC the U.S. would welcome a Gadhafi exit, suggesting he or his friends might be sniffing around for a place for the despot to pitch his tent.

Yemen:

Yemen’s leader remains defiant amid the waves of protests and the increasing number of defections from his government. President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s proposal was unclear, and the opposition called for his immediate exit, The NYTimes reports.

Saleh warns there could be a civil war triggered by attempts to stage a coup against his rule, the BBC reports.

Al Jazeera English reports: "Major-General Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, the head of the north-western military zone and the first armoured division, announced his support for the protesters following a brutal crackdown. Other high-ranking officers that have defected include Brigadiers Hameed Al Koshebi, head of brigade 310 in the Omran area; Mohammed Ali Mohsen, who heads the eastern division; and Nasser Eljahori, head of brigade 121. General Ali Abdullaha Aliewa, an adviser to the Yemeni supreme leader of the army, also deserted the president."

The Washington Post highlights the problems the uprising in Yemen is causing in the hunt for suspected terrorists.

Syria:

Time offers a take on the seeds of the Syrian revolt. 

Al Jazeera English ponders the potential for a Syrian revolution.

The BBC's running story on Syrian bloodshed.

And one from Haaretz.

Amnesty International wants Syrian deaths probed, Bloomberg reports.

Bahrain:

Bahrain's dream to be the money capital of the Persian Gulf kingdom are fading fast amid escalating unrest in the tiny island state. The Zawya Dow Jones news service reports it is helping neighboring Doha and Dubai to lure international financial institutions.

Bahrain is not scoring any  better with the human rights watchdogs, who say the violations are mounting, VOA says.

Bahrain's monarch Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has said that a foreign plot against his kingdom had been foiled and thanked troops brought in from neighbouring countries to help end increasing unrest after weeks of protests, Al Jazeera reports.

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