Arab world witnesses more protests (Saudi's silenced but Kuwait, Bahrain, Yemen and Iraq go ahead)

[Turborama]

Source: Al Jazeera English

Protests seen across many Middle East nations but "Day of Rage" fails to take off in Saudi after major security effort.
Last Modified: 11 Mar 2011 14:58 GMT

Several countries across the Arab world have witnessed fresh anti-government protests, although "Day of Rage" demonstrations planned in Saudi Arabia failed to materialise in the wake of a security clampdown.

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Kuwait demonstration

In Kuwait, elite anti-riot police used tear gas to disperse hundreds of stateless Arab protesters who were demanding citizenship and other rights.

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Bahrain march

Thousands of opposition activists heading towards Bahrain's royal court have been prevented from marching on the king's palace.

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Yemen deaths

Tens of thousands of protesters marched in Yemen on Friday, drawing record crowds in Sanaa, the capital, to show Ali Abdullah Saleh, the president, his reform offers would not soften their demand for his immediate departure.

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Iraq protests

In Iraq, hundreds of protesters are demanding jobs and better basic services, in the latest challenge to the government.

Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/03/2011311141047609595.html

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[PufPuf23]

1. kr

DU has such a short attention span alas.

[pinboy3niner]

2. Government security officers quash Tripoli protests

From a story in the NYT:

In Tripoli on Friday, government security officers fired tear gas canisters and shots in the air in a pre-emptive move to quash protests by worshipers at a mosque in the rebellious neighborhood of Tajura.

The government also led journalists on a tightly scripted visit to Zawiyah, the city less than 20 miles from Tripoli that the Colonel’s forces seem finally to have wrested from rebel control. On Friday, the thousands of protesters who were seen cheering in the city’s central Martyrs Square last month had been replaced by hundreds of people in green bandanas cheering for Colonel Qaddafi.

Despite the government’s efforts to sanitize the scene, signs of the conflict were everywhere. Apartment buildings around the square were severely damaged, and many of the lamp posts were bent over. The tower atop the mosque had been knocked off, the speaker used for the call to prayer was dangling by a wire. The mosque itself was in ruins, and there was a pile of crumpled up burned out cars and trucks piled behind the rubble.

The 20 graves of fallen rebels had been plowed over. The Qaddafi forces had painted over the rebel flags on the sides of buildings, then hung green and white streamers over several buildings to cover up the repainting or other damage.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/world/africa/12libya.html?_r=1&ref=world

[defendandprotect]

3. Were it not for weapons supplied to these dictators by US/UK -- global arms dealers ....

the people of the Arab states would prevail --

Gaddafi is nothing -- would have been gone long ago -- except he has been

propped up by weapons deals and US support --

[Turborama]

4. Until Thursday Russia was one of the main suppliers of weapons to Libya.

I didn't know this until they made the announcement they were stopping: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4763572

Having made that point, I do agree with the main principle of your post.

[Alamuti Lotus]

6. primarily Russia, Byelarus, Italy, Israel, and England

but, all of the above are defense industry whores like we are, they'll sell to anybody, Israel & Byelarus especially.

[joshcryer]

5. The twitterverse indicates to me that Yemen is just as active as Libya.

If not more so.

[Alamuti Lotus]

7. Yes, but Field Marshal Saleh is one of "the good guys" (loyal puppet)

I don't believe there will be any emergency meetings about his thugs firing on un-conventionally-armed crowds, nor any calls from Obama/Clinton to step aside.