Inspired by Tunisia, Egypt's Protests Appear Unprecedented
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Backchannels/2011/0125/Inspired-by-Tunisi...
"Egypt's protests today appear to be the largest poltiical call for democratic reform and an end to the Mubarak regime for years.."
[url=http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=22935]Antigovernment Protests Spread Across North Africa and Middle East[/url]
Apparently they just don't appreciate the "new" liberal capitalism.
Washington Facing the Ire of the Tunisian People
http://www.voltairenet.org/article168224.html
"While western media are celebrating the 'Jasmine Revolution', Thierry Meyssan lays bare the US plan to curb the anger of the Tunisian people and salvage this inconspicuous CIA and NATO backwater base."
Ben Ali on Interpol's Wanted List
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/162171.html
"The international police agency Interpol has issued global arrest warrants for Tunisia's ousted President Zine El Abidene Ben Ali and several of his family members. Tunisia's Justice Minister Lazhar Keroui Chebbi said that Ben Ali and his relatives are wanted on charges of illegally taking money out of the country and acquiring real estate and other assets abroad.."
Tunisian Police Clash with Protesters
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/162087.html
"Tunisian police have clashed with hundreds of protesters camping out in front of the office of the ousted dictator's right hand man. The protesters demanded that interim Prime Minister Mohammad Ghannounchi and other members of the former ruling party resign. A powerful worker's union has also called a general strike to force the interim government's resignation. Teachers and students have started an open ended strike to join the street protests.."
Tunisia Issues Warrant For Fugitive in Canada
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/928211--tunisian-fugitives-in-...
"Trabelsi, a billionaire, is specifically charged with illegally acquiring property and other assets and illegally transferring funds. He's also charged with illegal arms trading. In the Ben Ali pond, Trabelsi is one of the biggest fish. Immigration Minister Jason Kenney hinted Wednesday that Trabelsi is a permanent resident and could not simply be removed through standard immigration procedures."
Clearly, this billionaire and his family are being harboured by Canada, and thus far anyway, Tunisian attempts to arrest them, are being evaded by Canada. Never mind the statements that the family is 'not welcome', made so obviously for public consumption. There is more going on here than meets the eye:
Why is Canada protecting the Ben Ali billionaire?
http://www2.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/news/story.html?id=4150752
Residency of Tunisia's Leader's Relative Revoked
http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2011/01/27/tunisian-president-brother-i...
"CBC News has learned the federal government has revoked the Canadian residency held by the ousted Tunisian president's brother-in-law, Belhassen Trabelsi. Mouldi Sakri, Tunisia's ambassador to Canada, said he has asked Canadian authorities to freeze the assets of the members of the Bin Ali family and their allies. Trabelsi's presence in Montreal has outraged Tunisian Canadians because he is accused of stealing large amounts of money from their home country.."
Congrats to Collectif de Solidarite au Canada avec les luttes sociales en Tunisie and all who pushed hard. This took lots of pressure and Ottawa got LOTS of emails. Onwards and upwards..
[url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/second-reading/spector-visi... We’re okay with dictators – until they’re toppled[/url]
[url=http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=22963]Are We Witnessing the Start of a Global Revolution?[/url]
North Africa and the Global Political Awakening, Part 1
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v697/rabblerabble/img_pod_tunisia-revo...
First off, I have to say that the best news I heard was that some of the Police and/or Military in Egypt were reportedly taking off their uniforms and joining the protestors. Now you know you lost, Hosni.
Yes, Fidel, we might be witnessing the start of a revolution in North Africa and other Islamic nations. Some of those nations that might rise up against Elite rule were listed in a BBC article: Egypt Yemen Algeria Libya Jordan Morocco.
This is unique in that the protestors are not aligned with a particular religious stripe, or any political party. In fact, the protestors are going out of their way to keep it like that.
Quotes:
It is not about religion:
"When a man sporting a long beard and a white robe began chanting an Islamist slogan, he was grabbed and shaken by another protester telling him to keep the slogans patriotic and not religious."
It is not about a particular political party:
"The uprising united the economically struggling and the prosperous, the secular and the religious. The country's most popular opposition group, the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, did not advertise its presence and it was not immediately clear how much of a role it played in bringing people to the streets."
What brought the revolution on:
... tens of thousands of rich, poor and middle-class protesters united in rage against a regime seen as corrupt, abusive and neglectful of the nearly half of Egypt's 80 million people who live below the poverty line of $2 a day.
.... the fruits of growth in this formerly socialist economy have been funneled almost entirely to a politically connected elite, leaving average Egyptians surrounded by unattainable symbols of wealth such as luxury housing and high-priced electronics as they struggle to find jobs, pay daily bills and find affordable housing.
In fact, it all sounds a lot like the complaints of the lower and middle classes of western nations, doesn't it? As in, the Elites are getting all the breaks while the struggling masses are pushed harder and asked to do with less; those with connections are often getting a place at the head of the line; security and the rule of law are for the wealthy, and only the common people ever feel the sting of justice when they do wrong [The powerlessness of average people ; It seems the only reason we have courts and jails is to keep us little people in line.]
Links:
Which are the countries involved, and what is the likelihood of real change?
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12204971
> http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/01/28/135395.html
.
C'mon Canada. Wake up!
Demand a democracy in your country too!!!
Yes, Fidel, we might be witnessing the start of a revolution in North Africa and other Islamic nations. Some of those nations that might rise up against Elite rule were listed in a BBC article: Egypt Yemen Algeria Libya Jordan Morocco.
This is unique in that the protestors are not aligned with a particular religious stripe, or any political party. In fact, the protestors are going out of their way to keep it like that.
emphasis mine.
While you might think of these as "Islamic nations," the people in question might identify themselves as something else.
döppelpost
I think the lead western nations have worked diligently to affect radical Islamization of those countries. They've propped up kings and despots and military dictators, and supported the most right wing fundamentalist elements in those nations as a way of destabilizing them over the last four or five decades. The majority of them just want social democracy and freedom to hold moderate religious beliefs.
We are on the edge of what could be an incredible transition in the middle east, possibly spreading outwards, however we have one major problem, our own government and it's friends.
If, by some chance, we could distract our own nations enough that the people of the middle east finally, after frankly millennia get their own choice in how their own country is run.....
Well... I guess I'm on too much of an optimistic bend right now...
*diatribe* You remember that rant/scene in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas where he's talking about the high water mark, and how he saw the waters hit there, and then it stopped and rolled back... just hope for a day or two, I'm sure some imperial nation will be in there to ruin it by monday.
[post deleted, and moved to the Egyptian thread, although what I said about Egypt goes for Tunisia and the rest of the Arab world]
'Tunisia Is In Dicey Situation'
http://www.presstv.com/detail/164197.html
"Political analysts believe there might be signs that signal the Tunisian revolution has been hijacked by the loyalists to President Ben Ali despite his ouster in January..'
What started in Tunisia has obviously inspired Egyptians, and has prodded movements to arise in Jordan, Yemen, Libya, Algeria and Bahrain, a major base for the US navy in the Gulf.
At least two pro-reform protesters were killed and dozens were injured as hundreds of Bahraini riot police, armed with tear gas, rubber bullets and clubs storm the main square in the capital as protesters slept.
The pre-dawn assault on Pearl Roundabout, which has become the focal point for protesters demanding reform, was meant to disperse the crowd and regain control of the area.
Speaking to Al Jazeera from Salmaniya hospital, the main medical facility in Manama, Maryama Alkawaka of Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, said that she saw dozens of injured demonstrators being wheeled into emergency rooms.
"People were attacked while they were sleeping. There was no warning," she said. "And when they ran, the police attacked them from the direction they fled to."
At least two people have been killed in clashes between Libyan security forces and demonstrators in the town of Bayda, east of Benghazi, the second largest city, as activists plan major anti-government protests throughout the country on Thursday.
The victims' names were: Khaled ElNaji Khanfar and Ahmad Shoushaniya.
Wednesday's deaths come as hundreds of protesters have reportedly torched police outposts in the eastern city of Beyida, while chanting: "People want the end of the regime."
At least 38 people were also injured in the clashes, including ten security officials.
Police shot and killed two protester in Yemen's main southern city of Aden, medics said, while unrest in the capital Sanaa against the rule of Ali Abdullah Saleh, the president, continued for a sixth straight day.
Mohammed Ali Alwani, 21, was shot dead after clashes broke out between police and demonstrators, his father said. The other victim has not yet been identified.Police in Aden fired shots into the air to try to break up around 500 protesters. Medics said one of the victims had been hit in the back.
The demonstrators hurled stones at police, set tyres and vehicles on fire and stormed a municipal building where heavy gunfire was heard.
The Algerian government has said it will end its 19-year-old state of emergency "within days".Mourad Medelci, the foreign minister, made the announcement on Monday, echoing a similar promise made by Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the president, earlier this month.
"In the coming days, we will talk about it as if it was a thing of the past," Medelci told French rmedia.
A state of emergency has been in place in Algeria since 1992 and the government has come under pressure to remove the laws following popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.
The decision also comes after demonstrations across the country, calling for a change of government.
On Sunday, hundreds of stone-throwing demonstrators clashed with police in the eastern city of Annaba. Four police officers were slightly injured during clashes with young protesters outside the local government headquarters.
Thousands of people in Jordan have taken to the streets in protests, demanding the country's prime minister step down, and the government curb rising prices, inflation and unemployment.In the third consecutive Friday of protests, about 3,500 opposition activists from Jordan's main Islamist opposition group, trade unions and leftist organisations gathered in the capital, waving colourful banners reading: "Send the corrupt guys to court".
The crowd denounced Samir Rifai's, the prime minister, and his unpopular policies.
Many shouted: "Rifai go away, prices are on fire and so are the Jordanians.''
Another 2,500 people also took to the streets in six other cities across the country after the noon prayers. Those protests also called for Rifai's ouster.
....opposition activists from Jordan's main Islamist opposition group, trade unions and leftist organisations gathered in the capital, waving colourful banners reading: "Send the corrupt guys to court". The crowd denounced Samir Rifai's, the prime minister, and his unpopular policies.
Try imagining those collective sentiments echoing from the lawn on Parliament Hill.
The US will be watching developments in Bahrain anxiously as it is the headquarters of the US navy's fifth fleet, which operates at least one aircraft carrier in the Gulf at all times, along with an amphibious group of ships with marines aboard.The fleet's presence is aimed at ensuring the free flow of oil through the Gulf, as well as monitoring Iran and deterring piracy [sic].
...Bahrain has been the headquarters of US naval activity in the Gulf since 1948, with the fifth fleet's area of responsibility covering the Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, parts of the Indian Ocean and several important shipping lanes. During the 1991 Gulf war US and Bahraini aircraft flew thousands of sorties against Iraq. At the start of the Afghanistan war Bahrain provided extensive basing and overflight clearances for US aircraft, and the Bahrain monetary agency moved quickly to restrict funds controlled by suspected terrorists.
In 2003, Bahrain was named by George Bush as a major non-Nato ally. The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, during a visit to Manama in December, called Bahrain "a model partner", not only for the US but other countries in the region.
Bahrain protests a worry for US and its fifth fleet
Interactive map of the Arab/Middle Eastern revolts (this is worth the click just to see who advertises there)
The struggle continues:
[url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12591445]Tunisian PM Mohammed Ghannouchi resigns over protests[/url]
On Friday and Saturday, anti-government protesters held huge rallies calling for Mr Ghannouchi's resignation.
At least three people were killed in clashes between hundreds of demonstrators and security forces in Tunis on Saturday.
Tunisia's government had insisted it was introducing reforms as fast as it could, and that it was planning to hold elections by July.
But those promises did not seem to satisfy the protesters, correspondents say.
A sign of Arab unity from Saturday's protests in Tunisia:
Notice the Palestinian flags. The liberation of Palestine is part of the intifada that is happening all over the Arab world.
Beautiful image there.
What's happening in the Arab world now reminds me of Brecht's Song of the Moldau
Canada will soon be able to freeze the assets of the former Tunisian regime.
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson and Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon announced Thursday the government has introduced legislation to make sure it has the power to freeze the assets of foreign heads of state.
The government says it was able to stop Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi and his close associates from accessing their assets in Canada because of a UN resolution passed last week. But Tunisia was a different case.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/03/03/pol-asset-freeze-law.html
And people complain about the BDS movement?
All Israeli assets should be frozen until the occupation of Palestine ends.
The Mubarak Lotto stashes should be placed on ice as well, along with any proceeds from the Bahraini mega-millions give away that may be laying about. By comparison, these quick draw McGraws are darn fast with business acquaintances they don't particularly get along with.
[size=14]Al-Qa'eda commander of Tripoli - and now Godfather of the NATO-backed "Free Syrian Army" - tours democratic Tunisia[/size] 4 days ago
"Frankly, I do not understand what good that Jihadist will do us in Tunisia," commented Asma Aouichaoui. "We need relations that can help Tunisia proceed for the better. We want global energies that can help Tunisia progress and prosper, not Jihad and nonsense."
I tend to want to agree with Asma that Al-CIA'duh in the Islamic Maghreb (ACIAIM) doesn't appear to be a good sign for the 'Arab Spring' in general.
The war on democracy continues.
Tunisia: One Year After the Revolution - Wave of Strikes and Uprisings - by Jorge Martin
http://www.marxist.com/tunisia-one-year-after-the-revolution-wave-of-str...
"One year after the revolutionary overthrow of Ben Ali, Tunisia faces a wave of strikes, regional uprisings, sit-ins and protests of all sorts. For hundreds of thousands of Tunisian workers and youth who bravely defied the bullets of the dictatorship to get jobs and dignity nothing has fundamentally changed..."
'Mossad Active in Tunisia Again'
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/06/20/247188/mossad-active-tunisia-again/
"A Tunisian political activist has warned that following the country's revolution, Israeli spy agency Mossad has renewed its activity there, focusing on setting up chaos and incitement networks. Sihem Bensedrine, a journalist, activist and founder/spokesperson of the National Council for Liberties in Tunisia (CNLT), said the spy agency is present in Tunisia and aims to derail the democratic process in the country with the help of radical Salafis.."
Tunisia Descending Into Chaos - by Christof Lehman
http://nsnbc.me/2013/02/09/tunisia-descending-into-chaos-tunisians-dont-...
"...With radical Islamist organizations present, weapons easily accessible from Libya, with Salafist clerics issuing fatwas that legitimize the murder of opponents to the ruling party and the government, Tunisia may very well spiral into a situation close to a civil war.."
Pro-Government Rally in Tunisia Gathers Thousands as Crisis Grows (photos)
http://rt.com/news/tunisia-pro-govt-rally-830/
"...The demonstrators' rage was also directed at the French, former rulers of colonial times Tunisia. French Interior Minister Manuel Valls has condemned Belaid's assassination and called it an attack on 'the values of Tunisia's Jasmine revolution'. He also warned of a rising 'Islamist fascism' in Tunisia prompting Ennahda to protest against 'French interference in the country's internal affairs."
Tunisia PM Proposes Cabinet Reshuffle (and vid)
http://www.presstv.com/detail/2013/02/10/288196/tunisia-pm-proposes-cabi...
"Many people in Tunisia blame Paris for the ongoing tensions here. They charge that the French government seeks to deepen divisions in this already volatile North African nation."
Events here require context with similar events in the region.
EU Lifts Sanctions Against Ben Ali Family
http://www.presstv.com/detail/2013/05/31/306417/eu-lifts-sanctions-on-be...
"By abandoning the course, experts say, the EU has placed itself in support of the Ben Ali family, at the expense of rebuilding Tunisia.."
Canada reportedly also seized millions in Ben Ali assets here. Wonder where that went?
The Ben Ali/Trabelsi clan were and remain a veritable mafia (ties to the nearby original Mafia too, and lots of other seamy shit). This is utterly disgusting. Not only stealing people's "tax dollars" as the Con refrain goes, but many cases of outright extortion and theft.
Tunisians Condemn US Interference in their Internal Affairs (and vid)
http://www.presstv.com/detail/2013/06/01/306563/tunisians-condemn-us-int...
"...Tunisian Justice Minister Nelhir Ben Amou has condemned US intereference in the Tunisian judiciary.."
