Middle East Thread of Despair: More Broken Than Syria

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Patter Song: Mar 26, 2010; Hereby it is manifest that during the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war; and such a war as is of every man against every man.; Fun Shoe

MothraAttack posted:

Also treasure trove of occult books (and, uh, the Talmud, according to some sources) allegedly found in Gaddafi's Al Baida palace:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr_GI91nees

I'd really appreciate the translations of some of the titles.

# ? Feb 27, 2011 20:12

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# ? May 21, 2024 13:02

Xandu: Feb 19, 2006; It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am.

Not a terrible turnout in Lebanon today considering the rain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR-NwNdA2BM

Xandu fucked around with this message at 20:23 on Feb 27, 2011

# ? Feb 27, 2011 20:20

Ghetto Prince: Sep 11, 2010; got to be mellow, y'all

He didn't have much of an army left to begin with, and he sent large parts of it east and west...

Exactly what is defending Tripoli right now?

# ? Feb 27, 2011 20:21

Brown Moses: Feb 22, 2002

Don't forget he's been arming his civilian supporters in Tripoli in an attempt to keep control.

# ? Feb 27, 2011 20:26

Nenonen: Oct 22, 2009; Mulla on aina kolkyt donaa taskussa

MothraAttack posted:

Any Arabic speakers that can translate this more thoroughly? Video purports to show chemical weapons cache seized by revolutionaries:

Chemical weapons made by BAE Systems and with English labels? British companies have sold tear gas to Libya, maybe it's that. Sure, it's chemical weapons, but these don't look like mustard gas or such stuff that Libya had a while ago. These cans look fresh and shiny and imported.

The Guardian posted:

Let's look at Libya. The data shows that �215m worth of export licenses for controlled products were granted to companies selling stuff to Libya in the year to the end of September 2010. Of that amount, just under �8m were for equipment defined as military. Those products include riot control gear and tear gas.

Nenonen fucked around with this message at 20:32 on Feb 27, 2011

# ? Feb 27, 2011 20:30

Xandu: Feb 19, 2006; It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am.

Bye bye MAM

http://mobile.france24.com//en/20110227-France-foreign-minister-tenders-resignation-Tunisia-Michele-Alliot-Marie posted:

EUTERS - Michele Alliot-Marie resigned as French foreign minister on Sunday following a series of gaffes over Tunisia which embarrassed President Nicolas Sarkozy and dragged his poor poll ratings even lower.
A government source said she would be replaced by Defence Minister Alain Juppe, a heavyweight conservative who served as foreign minister and prime minister in the 1990s.

Alliot-Marie presented her resignation in a letter she hand-delivered to Sarkozy, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.

"I ask you to accept my resignation," the letter said.

France is under pressure to take the right approach to the pro-democracy movement sweeping through North Africa, including former French colonies where the political elite has had close ties with authoritarian rulers.

Sarkozy is expected to signal a new focus on foreign policy when he makes a hastily scheduled televised address later on Sunday. News on Saturday that he would make a speech fanned speculation he would announce another reshuffle of a cabinet he has tweaked several times since taking office in 2007.

The sources said the ruling UMP party's leader in the Senate, Gerard Longuet, was likely to succeed Juppe as defence minister.

Sarkozy's Chief of Staff Claude Gueant, his right-hand man, would be appointed interior minister, replacing Brice Hortefeux, who would become a presidential adviser.

Calls for Alliot-Marie to quit had grown louder in recent days following a series of blunders in her handling of the crisis in Tunisia, including taking a holiday there as protests raged. She accepted private plane rides from an associate of the now-ousted president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.

# ? Feb 27, 2011 20:37

Apology: Nov 12, 2005; by Y Kant Ozma Post

Narmi posted:

This one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgP0Gro52c8

This is the one where they beat Larry from the Three Stooges in effigy.

The Chinese are trying to have their own Jasmine Revolution, but apparently they're failing, but their Glorious Leader is still making some concessions in terror:

quote:

Wen Vows to Control Chinese Food, Home Prices as Police Head Off Protests
By Bloomberg News - Feb 27, 2011 3:22 AM PT

Feb. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Glenn Maguire, chief Asia economist at Societe Generale SA in Hong Kong, talks about Asian central banks' monetary policy. Maguire also discusses the impact of rising commodity prices on the region's economies. He speaks from Hong Kong with Linzie Janis on Bloomberg Television's "Global Connection." (Source: Bloomberg)

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao pledged to curb inflation and punish abuse of power in an online forum as Chinese police blanketed Beijing and Shanghai to head off planned protests inspired by revolts in the Middle East.

The leadership is �determined� to punish corruption, which is too concentrated in government and key officials, Wen said in an online interview with Chinese citizens on the site of the official Xinhua News Agency. Wen promised to boost food supplies to hold down costs, and to tackle surging property prices that have put home ownership beyond the reach of many.

Growing inequality is a threat to social stability, Wen said in the discussion, which comes as the ruling Communist Party prepares for the annual meeting of China�s legislature. Wen�s pledges also came as online postings called for the second week for rallies in major cities to protest corruption and misrule, inspired by the �jasmine revolutions� that have led to the overthrow of leaders in Tunisia and Egypt.

Hundreds of Chinese police and more than 100 vehicles today patrolled Wangfujing Street, one of Beijing�s busiest shopping streets and the site of one planned rally. Several journalists were forcibly removed from the area by police.

In Shanghai, at least seven people were bundled into police vans outside a cinema near People�s Square, one of at least 27 planned protest sites around the country. At least 23 police vehicles were stationed around the Peace Cinema in the shopping area of People�s Square.

Sunday Rallies

An open letter posted on U.S.-based website Boxun.com and circulated on the Internet urged people to gather at both locations, as well as others in cities nationwide, at 2 p.m. today. The letter calls for rallies to take place every Sunday at that time in cities from Beijing to Wuhan to Hangzhou.

High food prices, unemployment and anger over corruption helped spark protests that toppled Tunisia�s Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, Egypt�s Hosni Mubarak and fueled rebellion against Libya�s Muammar Qaddafi.

The China rallies were first called for Feb. 20. Scores of Chinese police gathered at the protest sites, which included a Beijing McDonald�s Corp. restaurant, to quell demonstrations. Hundreds of people were present at the rally, though only a handful actively participated, the Associated Press reported.

Containing Unrest

Zhao Qizheng, who heads the foreign affairs committee of the Chinese People�s Consultative Conference, said the idea that there would be a jasmine revolution in China was �absurd,� the official Xinhua News Agency reported on Feb. 24. Responding to the Feb. 20 protests, Ma Zhaoxu, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, emphasized China�s economic growth and success in raising living standards.

The government�s reaction reflects its decades-long effort to keep unrest in check through a combination of economic growth, social reforms and political repression, said Nicholas Bequelin, a China researcher for Human Rights Watch in Hong Kong.

The open letter addressed to the Chinese People listed a series of grievances including official corruption, a widening disparity between rich and poor, rising inflation, expensive housing and a poor health-care system.

In his two-hour discussion, Wen said China will curb inflation by controlling liquidity, by boosting agricultural production and by punishing hoarding and price manipulation, according to the website of the official Xinhua News Agency. Inflation in China, home to 150 million people living on less than $1 a day, accelerated to 4.9 percent in January from 4.6 percent in December as prices excluding food rose the most in at least six years.

Curb Speculation

Wen also said the country has sufficient grain and foreign currency reserves to control food prices. China will also continue efforts to curb speculation in the property market and will use legal and economic measures against hoarding of land, Wen said.

Home prices in January rose in 68 of the 70 Chinese cities tracked by the statistics bureau, defying measures such as higher down-payment requirements and limits on property purchases issued by the government to curb increases. Wen said the measures are becoming more effective and he�s confident of controlling prices.

--Michael Forsythe, John Liu and William Bi in Beijing, Stephanie Wong in Shanghai and Debra Mao in Hong Kong. Editor: Ben Richardson

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-..._medium=twitter

I would love to see China and North Korea free, but I doubt that's going to happen

Meanwhile there's a refugee problem on the outskirts of Libya, mainly just across the Egyptian and Tunisian borders. Remember, there's still unrest in Egypt and Tunisia, but it's still better being there than in Libya if you're not a Libyan.

quote:

100,000 have fled Libya, U.N. refugee agency says
Sun Feb 27, 2011 11:14am GMT
GENEVA Feb 27 (Reuters) - Nearly 100,000 people have fled violence in Libya in the past week, streaming into Tunisia and Egypt in a growing humanitarian crisis, the U.N. refugee agency said on Sunday.

They include Tunisians, Egyptians, Libyans and third country nationals including Chinese and other Asians, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement. About half of the 100,000 have gone to Tunisia and half to Egypt.

"We call upon the international community to respond quickly and generously to enable these governments to cope with this humanitarian emergency," U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said.

The Geneva-based UNHCR began an airlift of shelter and other relief supplies on Saturday night to Djerba, Tunisia, and the aid will be brought to the Libyan border, it said. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFLDE71Q06N20110227

And a heartbreaking video out of Gaza, showing a little Palestinian boy being dragged away by Israeli police, and his mother protesting bitterly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkJaFJk1m8w

:drat:

I have no idea what he's supposed to have done, but I doubt he shot an IED at Israel. More likely he painted "Netanyahu sucks" on the side of a building or gave a policeman the finger. He's so little

Here is a link to "The Piggipedia", pictures of the Egyptian police, some behaving badly, and some ID cards that were seized from infiltrators by the protesters:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/piggipedia/pool/

I'm pretty sure being called a pig is a much bigger insult in Egypt than it is in the West, since pigs are considered too dirty to eat by much of the Arab world.

Oh, tear gas, I'll just pour this teapot full of water on it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX141avwpg0

That guy has balls AND ingenuity. I'm stunned that it worked.

Another mother in Iran fights to keep her child from being taken by the police:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnqDqlNfDEs

I had to watch the two videos of children dragged off by the police a second time because for a minute I thought they were videos of the same incident, just filmed from different angles and misidentified as being from different countries, but they are not the same. The Israeli boy does not reach the building in the first video and is wearing a yellow shirt, and the boy in the Iran video is hauled out from beneath the balcony and is wearing an off-white shirt. Protip: Never try to take a child from a woman wearing a headscarf, because even if you have a machine gun she will fight you like an angry hyena and you'll wind up looking like a total dick.

# ? Feb 27, 2011 20:40

Roark: Dec 1, 2009; A moderate man - a violently moderate man.

Patter Song posted:

I'd really appreciate the translations of some of the titles.

I'm on my phone and the picture isn't great, but the first three books (the bottom row) are the Talmud, a book on Kabbalah, and the third is titled "Alliance of Satan".

# ? Feb 27, 2011 20:48

Brown Moses: Feb 22, 2002

The Guardian has a round up of other events across the Arab world today:

quote:

Oman

Riot police have clashed with pro-democracy demonstrators in the seaside town of Sohar, 120 miles (200km) northwest of the capital, Muscat. At least one person was killed as security forces fired teargas and rubber bullets.

Oman's state-run news agency said protesters set fire to cars, houses, a police station and the governor's residence.

It marked the first serious confrontation with protesters seeking to open up the ruling system of Sultan Qaboos bin Said. The sultan has tried to quell the unrest by replacing six cabinet members and boosting the minimum wage by more than 40%.

"We want new faces in the government and we have a long list of social reforms," said Habiba al-Hanay, a 45-year-old civil servant. Omanis are not seeking to oust the country's ruler, al-Hanay said. "We just hope he will hear us and make changes," she added, noting that unemployment is high and education is poor in the country, which only has one university.

Bahrain

Protesters have streamed through Bahrain's diplomatic area and other sites, chanting slogans against the country's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and rejecting his appeals for talks to end the political crisis.

At least three processions paralysed parts of the capital, Manama, with marchers chanting: "No dialogue until the regime is gone." Some marchers claimed more than 200 political prisoners were still being held. No violence was reported.

Bahrain is among the most politically volatile nations in the Gulf � with majority Shi'ites claiming widespread discrimination by the Sunni rulers � and was the first in the region to be hit by the demands for reform sweeping the Arab world.

Shiites, who account for about 70% of the country's 525,000 people, have long complained of discrimination and other abuses by the Sunni dynasty that has ruled for more than two centuries.

Saudi Arabia

More than 100 leading Saudi academics and activists have joined calls made on the internet for King Abdullah to enact sweeping reforms and relinquish many of his powers. Abdullah has tried to fend off the rumblings with a spending spree. His latest concession is to allow government sector workers employed under temporary contracts to be offered permanent jobs with major benefits.

It followed a slew of measures last week under a $36bn (�22bn) package including interest free loans to Saudis for needs such as marriage, starting a business or buying furniture.

A key test may come next month. Social media sites have called for protest rallies in Saudi Arabia on 11 March.

Demonstrations also are planned in Kuwait on 8 March. Last month, Kuwait politicians nearly brought down the prime minister with a no-confidence vote.

# ? Feb 27, 2011 21:11

Picardy Beet: Feb 7, 2006; Singing in the summer.

Apology posted:

T
Meanwhile there's a refugee problem on the outskirts of Libya, mainly just across the Egyptian and Tunisian borders. Remember, there's still unrest in Egypt and Tunisia, but it's still better being there than in Libya if you're not a Libyan.

quote:

100,000 have fled Libya, U.N. refugee agency says
Sun Feb 27, 2011 11:14am GMT
GENEVA Feb 27 (Reuters) - Nearly 100,000 people have fled violence in Libya in the past week, streaming into Tunisia and Egypt in a growing humanitarian crisis, the U.N. refugee agency said on Sunday.

They include Tunisians, Egyptians, Libyans and third country nationals including Chinese and other Asians, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement. About half of the 100,000 have gone to Tunisia and half to Egypt.
...

Also, there are an estimated 160 000 Moroccans in Lybia, who want to go home. Problem : there isn't enough plane. And to compensate, only two boats have been sent. The fact is, Morocco is very reluctant to have their emigrants repatriate : the economy still suffer badly from the crisis, and adding anoter 100 000 unemployed people will only increase the discontent. Lybia could have a domino effect on other regims of the Middle-East only by this kind of demographic impact. Immigrated population in Lybia was estimated to 620 000 people .

# ? Feb 27, 2011 21:12

Nuclear Spoon: Aug 18, 2010; I want to cry out
but I don’t scream and I don’t shout
And I feel so proud
to be alive

Apology posted:

Oh, tear gas, I'll just pour this teapot full of water on it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX141avwpg0

That guy has balls AND ingenuity. I'm stunned that it worked.

This really interested me, so I decided to do a little digging.http://hackiran.tumblr.com/post/127428228/how-to-neutralise-tear-gas

That's not the most reliable source but if you ever run into trouble with it, I guess it's a guide worth remembering. A lot of sources seem to be saying that vinegar is really effective in neutralising tear gas, and especially vinegar, so it could have been that?

# ? Feb 27, 2011 21:20

Xandu: Feb 19, 2006; It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/146289-lieberman-mccain-recognize-libyan-opposition-as-government-and-give-them-arms posted:

Two senators urged the Obama administration to give "tangible" support to the opposition in Libya in terms of recognizing the opposition as the legitimate government, arming the opposition and establishing a no-fly zone over the North African country.

Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) spoke on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday morning from Egypt, as they've been on a regional tour over the Presidents Day weeklong recess.

"This is a real moment of choice for the international community," Lieberman said of the bloody crisis in Libya, where dictator Moammar Gadhafi has had forces fire on protesters and deaths are estimated to have exceeded 1,000. "What we're hearing here in Egypt is the Arab world is watching. Will the world stand by and let a leader like Moammar Gadhafi slaughter his own people?"
Both senators welcomed the unilateral sanctions implemented by President Obama at the end of the week, but stressed that more needs to be done.

That would include recoznizing the provisional government that has taken control of the eastern part of the country and giving them the weapons to fight the armed mercenaries unleashed on demonstrators by Gadhafi.

"Let mercenaries know any acts they commit, they're going to find themselves in front of a war crimes trial," McCain said.

"I would provide them with arms," Lieberman said, adding that he understood "why the administation hesitated at the beginning but frankly I wish we had spoken out much earlier and clearer against the Gadhafi regime."

McCain said that the safety of U.S. citizens in Libya, cited as a White House reason for treading carefully, was a high priority, but "it's not our only priority."

"The British prime minister and French president were not hesitant and they have citizens in that part of the country," he said. "America should lead."

That means taking a stronger stand in favor of the protesters across the Arab world than Obama did with the Iran pro-democracy protests in 2009, McCain said.

"I think [Gadhafi's] days are numbered," he said. "The question is how many people are going to be massacred between now and the time he leaves."

I support recognizing the interim government, but providing arms just seems like such a terrible idea.

# ? Feb 27, 2011 21:23

MrQwerty: Apr 15, 2003; LOVE IS BEAUTIFUL (づ￣ �￣)づ♥(�∀�●)

Xandu posted:

I support recognizing the interim government, but providing arms just seems like such a terrible idea.

You're talking like that strategy is ineffective and has backfired on the USA before, what crazy world are YOU living in mister!?!?!?!!? :colbert:

Sivias posted:

The only thing America and the world should be arming these citizens with are Books and Pencils. And of course medical assistance, but that's a given.

Look at the assholes who said this, though. McCain's senility is questionable, but I can't help but get the feeling that Lieberman has ulterior motives that involve the I word.
Basically what I'm saying is that anything Lieberman says about Arabs should be taken as an attempt to undermine and discredit them for his bffs.

MrQwerty fucked around with this message at 22:07 on Feb 27, 2011

# ? Feb 27, 2011 21:31

Averrences: May 3, 2008

Xandu posted:

I support recognizing the interim government, but providing arms just seems like such a terrible idea.

providing arms is the worst possible thing they could do right now, legitimising Ghaddafi's whole 'western interference' schtick could cause some monstrous consequences, I'm really loving glad you americans didnt elect Mccain

# ? Feb 27, 2011 21:33

Sivias: Dec 12, 2006; I think we can just sit around and just talk about our feelings.

Xandu posted:

I support recognizing the interim government, but providing arms just seems like such a terrible idea.

The only thing America and the world should be arming these citizens with are Books and Pencils. And of course medical assistance, but that's a given.

# ? Feb 27, 2011 21:46

Ashmole: Oct 5, 2008; _{This wish was granted by Former DILF}

Roark posted:

There was a short and interesting piece on the Economist's website about this whole issue with Gaddafi's name. It gets the shifts from Classical Arabic to modern Libyan Arabic without going to deep into linguistics terminology.

Fun fact: he's "Kezafi" to a lot of Farsi-speakers and Iranian Arabs.

Basically, if someone asks you if you speak Arabic, the follow up question is "what dialect?" North African Arabic is nigh unintelligible to someone who speaks Levantine Arabic.

From my experience, Levantine Arabic throws so many conventions out the window. For example, to say "I want coffee" in MSA it would be "oo-reed qa-huwa" while in Syria or Lebanon it would be "bid-dee ah-wee". They use reflexive pronouns and such...pretty confusing.

# ? Feb 27, 2011 21:53

Lascivious Sloth: Apr 26, 2008; by sebmojo

Xandu posted:

Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) spoke on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday morning from Egypt, as they've been on a regional tour over the Presidents Day weeklong recess.

Holy poo poo is McCain a back-pedaler. He should go in the Tour de France. Also this is a terrible idea and I can't believe this guy could have been president.

Xandu posted:

Not a terrible turnout in Lebanon today considering the rain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR-NwNdA2BM

I didn't know Lebanese were so white.. The kid right of the fist pump looks like he could be a goon.

# ? Feb 27, 2011 21:53

Leperflesh: May 17, 2007

We should arm the Libyans with crates of cheap disposable digital cameras and sattelite phones with digital upload capabilities.

# ? Feb 27, 2011 22:06

Xandu: Feb 19, 2006; It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am.

Lascivious Sloth posted:

I didn't know Lebanese were so white.. The kid right of the fist pump looks like he could be a goon.

Actually that guy doesn't really look Lebanese now that you mention it, but in general, there's a surprising diversity of skin color in the country.

# ? Feb 27, 2011 22:09

farraday: Jan 10, 2007; Lower those eyebrows, young man. And the other one.

Leperflesh posted:

We should arm the Libyans with crates of cheap disposable digital cameras and sattelite phones with digital upload capabilities.

Emergency drop cell towers and data plans.

Verizon reps clutching briefcases as the roll out of white paneled company vans, while AT&T claims to be the first into Benghazi with 4 anti-GQ coverage.

More on the Free Libya's push to form a Revolutionary Army.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/27/libyan-militias-prepare-assault-tripoli

# ? Feb 27, 2011 22:10

BIG HORNY COW: Apr 11, 2003

Patter Song posted:

Just a quick point about N. Korea, because I know it's a digression, but it's been talked about a lot here. Whatever respect Kim himself has will not necessarily transfer to his son (and, by all accounts, isn't transferring very well). There's a more than decent chance that the DPRK's military will decide after KJI's death that they don't want to be ruled by a roly-poly, imbecilic fellow in his mid-20s and organize a coup and a military regime. Whether that'd be an improvement is a tough question, but it'd be a hell of a change.

Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il both have elaborate superhero origin stories that they created about themselves to appear as the miraculous saviors of the Korean Peninsula.

It makes you wonder none of KJI's kids seem to have any crazy mythology behind them.

# ? Feb 27, 2011 22:14

MothraAttack: Apr 28, 2008

Multiple sources are now suggesting Gaddafi loyalists have retaken the town of Zlitan, and other sources are suggesting that the forces en route to Misrata have halted their advance.

Al Manara is also running an unverified report of a battalion commander outside Zawiya being fragged by his own soldier.

Also posted video of an apparent revolutionary council in Al Kufra calling Gaddafi's son the "sword of Satan" and explaining how the regime attempted to bribe the city's residents with a planeload of cash and weapons, which they distributed among the banks and the revolutionaries, respectively:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sa1Ryu7Fec&feature=player_embedded

# ? Feb 27, 2011 22:16

Apology: Nov 12, 2005; by Y Kant Ozma Post

Nuclear Spoon posted:

This really interested me, so I decided to do a little digging.http://hackiran.tumblr.com/post/127428228/how-to-neutralise-tear-gas

That's not the most reliable source but if you ever run into trouble with it, I guess it's a guide worth remembering. A lot of sources seem to be saying that vinegar is really effective in neutralising tear gas, and especially vinegar, so it could have been that?

Highly possible. I'm going to read through that link, you never know, it might come in handy some day.

A highly disturbing but unconfirmed report coming from Libya:

quote:

@feb17voices
Feb 17 voices
Audioboo: LPC #Tripoli: Civilians w/gunshot wounds not allowed 2 be treated, police take wounded from hospital. #Libya http://boo.fm/b289451

@feb17voices
Feb 17 voices
LPC #Tripoli: Doctors say government is killing wounded to hide evidence of injured civilians. #Libya #Feb17

Honestly I'm looking forward to the day that some of these posters are going to have boring tweets about the weather and what they're having for lunch. Boredom is a sign of privilege and wealth, if you think about it.

A video retrospective of the Tahrir Square protests, featuring the Facebook Dance and camera-helmet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSSA4ol1a8s

And a loving hideous video from Yemen showing a guy with his head blown open. I'm a little confused but I think this guy was the Vice Manager of Electricity in Aden:

Don't watch this ---> :nms:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk2TIuDPF3I :nms:

<---I loving warned you mang srsly, the still was so horrible I had to un-embed it

This report is translated from Persian to English via Google Chrome so that's why it's a little messed up, but it's still worth a read:

quote:

Third month of individual political prisoners with five bullet wounds and crippled hands full
by Freedom Messenger - Ghasedane Azadi on Sunday, February twenty-seventh, twelve two pm at the 2,011th
HRANA - "Ali Afshar" political prisoners incarcerated in Central Prison in Urmia, despite complete paralysis of both arms and severe body is held in solitary confinement and has been in danger of death.

The Hrana reporters, news organizations for Human Rights Activists in Iran, Ali Afshar, nearly three months ago by security forces near Bukan - Mahabad has been arrested.

Custody of security agents attempted to shoot directly into the accumulation has named the five bullet will hit different parts of her body after an outpatient treatment, he moved to Urmia Intelligence drawn.

He accused one of the parties to cooperate with you is to accuse God and corruption on earth is known.

Security officials, despite an acute physical condition of Mr. Afshar has more than forty days from the information office of his solitary confinement in Urmia city's central jail have transferred.

Called on both hands while a political prisoner shot paralyzed him in solitary confinement without any heating device set is confined. Temperatures in Urmia, sometimes in the winter also reaches tens of degrees below zero.

http://www.hra-news.org/1389-01-27-05-27-21/7074-1.html

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150108170269590 <---this will be in Persian if you don't have Google Chrome btw

Christiane Amanpour interviewed Gaddahfi's son Saif Al-Islam:

quote:

Exclusive: ABC's Amanpour Interviews Gadhafi's Son
Photo Courtesy - ABC News(TRIPOLI, Libya) -- Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, the son of Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gadhafi, in an exclusive interview with ABC's This Week host Christiane Amanpour, insists Libya is calm, the military has not attacked any civilians and reports of Libyan diplomats abandoning their posts is simply 'miscommunication.'

There is a "big big gap between reality and the media reports" Gadhafi said. "The whole south is calm. The west is calm. The middle is calm. Even part of the east."

What will happen to him and his father � will they stay or go?

"Listen: nobody is leaving this country. We live here, we die here," he insisted. "This is our country. The Libyans are our people. And for myself, I believe I am doing the right thing."

Until civil unrest in Libya exploded over the last weeks, Gadhafi, the second oldest of Col. Moammar Gadhafi's children, had been seen as the western face of the regime. Educated at the London School of Economics, he promoted Libya's potential, telling The New York Times in February 2010 that Libya "can be the Dubai of North Africa."

But, a year later, his emphasis was a bit different. He sat down with Amanpour in central Tripoli to answer tough questions about the future of Libya.

"The President of the U.S. has called on your father to step down. How do you feel about that?" Amanpour asked.

"It's not an American business, that's number one," said Gadhafi, who was dressed casually as he spoke with Amanpour. �Second, do they think this is a solution? Of course not."

"He says if a person can only keep control by using force, then legitimacy is gone," Amanpour pressed.

"Right, but what happened? We didn't use force. Second, we still have people around us," he said.

Amanpour noted the extensive reports of attacks on civilians.

"Show me a single attack, show me a single bomb," he said. "The Libyan air force destroyed just the ammunition sites," Gadhafi said. "That's it."

"What do you make of your diplomats in Washington and New York who are resigning because they can't abide this policy?" Amanpour asked Gadhafi.

"I talked to him. You know, we are the victims of miscommunication," he said. "And they were under the influence of a strong media campaign, well-organized. So, you know, they are human beings at the end."

"But they've defected," Amanpour said.

"Not defected, none of them defect. They were so moved because they--"

Amanpour interrupted. "But they are calling on your father to step down," she said.

"C'mon, they are employees working for the government," Gadhafi said. "It's not their business."

Gadhafi emphasized that the most important issue for him was to correct what he saw as the falsehood that forces backed by his father had attacked civilians.

"The most important issue for us is show me a single evidence that the Libyan army or the Libyan government bombed civilians," he said, slicing the air with his index finger. "I challenge the whole international community to give me a single evidence."

Asked about the potential of international sanctions and the freezing of some of his family's assets, Ghadafi said, "First of all, we don't have money outside. We are a very modest family and everybody knows that. And we are laughing when they say you have money in Europe or Switzerland or something. C'mon, it's a joke."

And what about all those western-orient reforms he tried to implement?

"I worked very hard to implement many ideas, but things went wrong," he said.

"So now we are [in] a difficult situation," Gadhafi added.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

http://www.670kboi.com/rssItem.asp?feedid=113&itemid=29638121

"Nothing to see here, move along now"

# ? Feb 27, 2011 22:20

Xandu: Feb 19, 2006; It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am.

Apology posted:

And a loving hideous video from Yemen showing a guy with his head blown open. I'm a little confused but I think this guy was the Vice Manager of Electricity in Aden:

Don't watch this ---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk2TIuDPF3I <---I loving warned you mang srsly, the still was so horrible I had to un-embed it

That sounds like Salim Bashtah, supposedly killed by a sniper.

http://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/arabic/subjects/1/2011/2/25/7458.htm

# ? Feb 27, 2011 22:26

feedmegin: Jul 30, 2008

Lascivious Sloth posted:

Holy poo poo is McCain a back-pedaler. He should go in the Tour de France. Also this is a terrible idea and I can't believe this guy could have been president.

I didn't know Lebanese were so white.. The kid right of the fist pump looks like he could be a goon.

Uh...we do have Middle Eastern goons you know (hi Ham). Hell, we even have black goons :ssh:

# ? Feb 27, 2011 22:52

Xandu: Feb 19, 2006; It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dys8EFuecVA

Gaddafi's house in al-Bayda, pretty fancy.

# ? Feb 27, 2011 22:57

Homeroom Fingering: Apr 25, 2009; The secret history (((they))) don't want you to know

Averrences posted:

providing arms is the worst possible thing they could do right now, legitimising Ghaddafi's whole 'western interference' schtick could cause some monstrous consequences, I'm really loving glad you americans didnt elect Mccain

Not that I intend to defend that senile old codger, but what people say should be done when not in power, and what they do when they are in power tend to be two different things.

Giving them arms is only beaten by bombing them in the list of worst things to do. What would probably be best if they wanted to interfere would be to get an international no fly zone going, then doing our specialty, none too subtle help. "Well we heard Libya was in trouble so we sent shipments of food, water, and medicine. However it looked too dangerous for our planes to land in Tripoli so we rerouted to Benghazi. The guys at the airport said they were from the Libyan government so we gave it to them."

# ? Feb 27, 2011 23:14

Lycus: Aug 5, 2008; Half the posters in this forum have been made up. This website is a goddamn ghost town.

Do we know if Qaddafi's people are getting additional supplies/food/etc. from inland Africa via southern Libya?

# ? Feb 27, 2011 23:25

Apology: Nov 12, 2005; by Y Kant Ozma Post

The state TV station transmitter got knocked out during the fighting in Ivory Coast:

quote:

Cote d'Ivoire's state television broadcasts have been disrupted in the main city after a transmitter was damaged in fighting between forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, the incumbent leader, and rival groups.

RTI state television has backed Gbagbo in a three-month struggle for power with Alassane Ouattara after a November 28 presidential election which UN-certified results showed Ouattara won.

"The clashes took place around the transmitter ... this morning you can see smoke coming out of the transmitter centre," Doulaye Ouattara, a local resident said, adding that some youths had vandalised the premises. He is not related to Alassane Ouattara.

The overnight clashes were the latest in the pro-Ouattara neighbourhood of Abobo. Last week a series of explosions and gunfire rocked Abidjan, the largest city, while an advance by rebel forces in the west of the country has prompted fears of a return to civil war in the once-prosperous African state.

The channel was not accessible by terrestrial aerials in a number of neighbourhoods in Abidjan, said residents contacted by the Reuters news agency.

An RTI journalist who did not want to be named said technicians were working to repair the transmitter.

Estimates for the size of Abidjan's population range from between three to five million out of a total population of 21 million. Some have access to RTI on satellite.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/02/201122722354539979.html

No TV means there's nothing better to do than protest.

Oman has gone violent as well:

quote:

MUSCAT, (AFP) - Police shot two demonstrators dead as the wave of protests sweeping the Arab world engulfed the normally placid sultanate of Oman on Sunday, and as Moamer Kadhafi�s grip on power in Libya slipped further...

The demonstrators shot dead in Oman were killed when police opened fire with rubber bullets as protesters tried to storm a police station. Five others were wounded, an official said.

The protests in Sohar, more than 200 kilometres (125 miles) northwest of Muscat, prompted Sultan Qaboos to introduce swift appeasing measures, including the provision of jobs for 50,000 citizens and unemployment benefits.

State news agency ONA said riots began at dawn on Saturday and continued on Sunday, and that several government and private cars were torched.

Protesters also burned the Sohar governor�s house and a police station.

The protesters, who were mostly unemployed, have been demanding jobs, better salaries and measures to curb corruption, the witnesses said.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Oman+latest+Arab+state+crisis+protesters/4355904/story.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

This article summarizes the action in all of the protests and tends to jump around a bit, hence the ellipses.

Egypt has unveiled its proposed constitutional changes:

quote:

By Matt Bradley And David Luhnow
CAIRO�Egypt's military rulers, hoping to set the stage for transparent democratic elections in six months, have unveiled a raft of proposed constitutional changes that include adopting a U.S.-style term limits of two four-year presidential terms.

The changes, announced late Saturday, come amid growing tensions between the military and protesters who ousted former President Hosni Mubarak from power earlier this month. Hours before the proposed amendments were announced, protesters and army personnel clashed near Tahrir Square, the site of this month's successful revolt.

On Sunday, some protest leaders welcomed the proposed constitutional amendments but said they fell short in some key areas.

The proposed changes would overturn a Mubarak-era law that effectively allowed his ruling National Democratic Party to oversee elections, restoring full supervision of the vote to the country's independent judiciary.

The changes also seek to loosen restrictions on the eligibility of presidential candidates, creating a more open field, and to forbid trials of civilians in military courts.

The amendments will be put to a referendum in about two months, according to members of an eight-man legal panel appointed by the military to draft the new rules.

Some opposition and protest leaders said the committee's suggestions don't go far enough toward removing the instruments of autocracy that allowed Mr. Mubarak to cling to power for nearly 30 years.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/egypt-unveils-changes-to-constitution-2011-02-27?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

This is a fairly long article that goes into greater detail about the proposed changes if you'd care to look.

China is still struggling to suppress its own protesters:

quote:

SHANGHAI (AP) -� Large numbers of police � and new tactics like shrill whistles and street cleaning trucks � squelched overt protests in China for a second Sunday in a row after more calls for peaceful gatherings modeled on recent democratic movements in the Middle East.

Near Shanghai's People's Square, uniformed police blew whistles nonstop and shouted at people to keep moving, though about 200 people � a combination of onlookers and quiet sympathizers who formed a larger crowd than a week ago � braved the shrill noise. In Beijing, trucks normally used to water the streets drove repeatedly up the busy commercial shopping district spraying water and keeping crowds pressed to the edges.

Foreign journalists met with tighter police controls. In Shanghai, authorities called foreign reporters Sunday indirectly warning them to stay away from the protest sites, while police in Beijing followed some reporters and blocked those with cameras from entering the Wangfujing shopping street where protests were called. Plainclothes police struck a Bloomberg News television reporter, who was then taken away for questioning.

Police also detained several Chinese, at least two in Beijing and four in Shanghai, putting them into vans and driving them away, though it was not clear if they had tried to protest.

While it isn't clear how many people � if any at all � came to protest, the outsized response compared with last week shows how the mysterious calls for protest have left the authoritarian government on edge. Unlike Egypt and Tunisia where popular frustrations with economic malaise added fuel to popular protests to oust autocratic leaders, China has a booming economy and rising living standards. Still, the leadership is battling inflation and worries that democratic movements could take root if unchallenged.

http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=236539&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

I heard a whisper in the wind that they "mysterious calls for protest" were coming from Anonymous :ssh:

That may or may not be total bullshit though.

# ? Feb 28, 2011 01:42

Xandu: Feb 19, 2006; It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am.

Apology posted:

I heard a whisper in the wind that they "mysterious calls for protest" were coming from Anonymous That may or may not be total bullshit though.

That would explain why foreign journalists and police were just about the only people to show up.

# ? Feb 28, 2011 01:54

Kenning: Jan 11, 2009; I really want to post goatse. Instead I only have these🍄.

Anonymous is stupid, people are stupid for thinking they play any part in this sort of stuff.

# ? Feb 28, 2011 02:02

Apology: Nov 12, 2005; by Y Kant Ozma Post

Xandu posted:

That would explain why foreign journalists and police were just about the only people to show up.

It does, doesn't it? The "mysterious call" goes out, but the common people are too afraid to go for it. It makes sense to me.

Edit:

Kenning posted:

Anonymous is stupid, people are stupid for thinking they play any part in this sort of stuff.

Well let me see here:

quote:

Online activists have attacked and at least momentarily disabled several Tunisian government websites in the latest act of protest against the country's embattled leadership.

As of Monday afternoon, local time, at least eight websites had been affected, including those for the president, prime minister, ministry of industry, ministry of foreign affairs, and the stock exchange.

The attack, which began on Sunday night, coincided with a national strike, planned to take place on Monday, that organisers said would be the biggest popular event of its size since Zine El Abidine Ben Ali assumed the presidency.

The strike comes on the day that school students return from their holiday.

Ben Ali's administration has tightly restricted the flow of information out of Tunisia since widespread protests began on December 17, following 26-year-old Mohamed Bouazizi's suicide attempt. But reports of civil disobedience and police action filtered out on Twitter on Monday, with some users reporting the use of tear gas by security forces.

The loosely organised hacker group Anonymous claimed responsibility for the cyber attack, which it called "Operation Tunisia", an apparent arm of the group's broader effort - termed "Operation Payback" - aimed at taking retribution against governments and businesses viewed as hostile to the similarly amorphous document-leaking group WikiLeaks.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/01/201113111059792596.html

And then there's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCVBXuO3HrE

Umm, who's the stupid one now? I think maybe it's you, unless you can produce counter-evidence that Anonymous has played no role in the events occurring in the Middle East and Africa.

I have no way of proving it, but I know for a fact that Anonymous maintains a few internet tunnels so that Chinese users can get around the Great Firewall of China, so the story I heard is at least plausible.

Apology fucked around with this message at 02:28 on Feb 28, 2011

# ? Feb 28, 2011 02:06

Suntory BOSS: Apr 17, 2006

The 'mysterious calls' for protests in China came from a US-based human rights organization. If we're going to blame shadowy organizations rather than accepting this origin on face value, I think the CIA would be a more likely candidate than a loose confederation of Internet trolls, thrill seekers and wanna-be vigilantes.

# ? Feb 28, 2011 02:44

Ghetto Prince: Sep 11, 2010; got to be mellow, y'all

What does this have to do with Tripoli being controlled by a mad man? It's cute that they want to do something, but were talking about nations where half the population lives on $2 a day and where many people are illiterate.

# ? Feb 28, 2011 02:47

Apology: Nov 12, 2005; by Y Kant Ozma Post

Iraq: The US has created such a paradise :allears:

quote:

Iraq: Open Immediate Inquiry Into Protester Deaths
Priya Lopes on 02 27, 2011

At Least 8 Killed by Security Forces, Dozens Injured

(New York) � The Iraqi authorities should order an immediate independent inquiry into each of eight killings and any unlawful use of force by security forces during demonstrations on February 25, 2011, Human Rights Watch said today. Dozens more were injured in crackdowns on demonstrations in several Iraqi towns and cities. Human Rights Watch observed security forces beating unarmed journalists and protesters in Baghdad, and counted at least 18 injured.

Any unlawful use of force, especially force resulting in deaths, should lead to the prosecution of those responsible, including those who gave the orders or who were otherwise responsible, Human Rights Watch said. The Iraqi authorities also should lift all unnecessary restrictions on peaceful assembly and protest.

�The Iraqi authorities need to rein in their security forces and account for every single killing,� said Tom Porteous, deputy program director for Human Rights Watch. �The security forces need to use the maximum possible restraint in dealing with protesters.�

In Mosul, security forces opened fire, reportedly killing at least two people and wounding 20, after demonstrators tried to force their way into a provincial council building. In the town of Hawijah, security forces shot stone-throwing protesters, killing at least three and wounding more than 12, according to news reports and a local journalist interviewed by Human Rights Watch. In Ramadi, security forces fired on about 250 demonstrators, killing one person and wounding eight. And in Tirkit, police fired on demonstrators trying to raid a government building, killing two and wounding nine.

In Baghdad, security forces severely limited demonstrations after imposing strict restrictions on vehicle travel, starting in the early morning. The ban by Baghdad Operations Command forced protesters to walk to the center of the capital for the demonstration and prevented television satellite trucks from covering the protests live. Scores of demonstrations have taken place across the country since early February, mainly focused on the chronic lack of basic services and perceived widespread corruption. Since February 16 security forces have killed more than a dozen protesters and injured more than 150 at demonstrations throughout Iraq.

Earlier this week, Iraqi police allowed dozens of assailants to beat and stab peaceful protesters in Baghdad. In the early hours of February 21, dozens of men, some wielding knives and clubs, attacked about 50 protesters who had set up two tents in Baghdad�s Tahrir Square. The assailants stabbed and beat at least 20 of the protesters who were intending to camp in the square until February 25, when groups had called for national protests similar to the �Day of Anger� in Egypt. The February 21 attack came directly after the police had withdrawn from the square, and witnesses suggested the assailants were in discussion with the police before they attacked.

On June 25, 2010, in response to thousands of Iraqis who took to the streets to protest a chronic lack of government services, the interior ministry issued regulations with onerous provisions that effectively impeded Iraqis from organizing lawful protests. The regulations required organizers to get �written approval of both the minister of interior and the provincial governor� before submitting an application to the relevant police department, not less than 72 hours before a planned event. These regulations are still in effect.

http://www.vadvert.co.uk/international/9937-iraq-open-immediate-inquiry-into-protester-deaths.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

The new Egyptian government still hasn't released everyone who was taken into custody during the protests:

quote:

Egypt: End Secret Detentions, Free Protesters
Priya Lopes on 02 27, 2011

Those Released Describe Their Ordeals in Military Custody

(Cairo) � The Egyptian government should account for all detained demonstrators and free those arbitrarily arrested during the recent anti-government protests, Human Rights Watch said today. Egyptian Human rights monitors and two internet activist groups have collected names of scores of people who have been reported missing since January 28, 2011, when the military took charge of security after police withdrew in the face of the popular demonstrations.

Based on reports from released detainees and families of missing people, Egyptian human rights activists say that the military, which assumed direct governmental power in Egypt on February 11 following the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, is holding most of those still missing. Human Rights Watch documented five cases in which detainees were beaten, whipped, or given electric shocks in military custody. Egyptian rights groups say they have documented more cases of abuse.

On February 20, the military-led government acknowledged that the army holds protesters, but has yet to publish a list of those detained since it assumed responsibility for internal security. Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik said at a February 20 news conference that �the government is doing research into releasing� people detained since protests began on January 25.

�Vague promises to release detainees are not enough,� said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. �Egypt�s interim authorities should immediately publish a list of everyone they are holding, and every detainee should be brought before a judge straight away.�

http://www.vadvert.co.uk/international/9932-egypt-end-secret-detentions-free-protesters.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

They really do need to release the detained protesters straight away.

Yemen is getting more violent:

quote:

Oman burns as Yemeni tribal chiefs join forces with opposition
28 February 2011, Monday / AP, Reuters, Sanaa 0 0 0 0

Supporters of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh wave traditional daggers, or jambiyas, as they attend a rally in Sanaa. Tens of thousands of supporters and opponents of Saleh held rival demonstrations in the capital.
A police station and a government building were on fire on Sunday in the Omani town of Sohar after police clashed with more than 2,000 protesters demanding reforms in the Gulf Arab state, a Reuters witness said.

Elsewhere, Yemen�s embattled president suffered back-to-back blows as hundreds of thousands called for his ouster in the largest anti-government rallies yet and two powerful chiefs from his own tribe abandoned him. In Sanaa, Yemeni police fired rubber bullets on stone-throwing protesters demanding political reform in an industrial town on Sunday, killing two people, and the military moved in to secure the area, witnesses said.

On Sunday, Omani police fired rubber bullets on stone-throwing protesters demanding political reform in an industrial town on Sunday, killing two people, and the military moved in to secure the area, witnesses said.They said at least 1,000 protesters had gathered for a second straight day in a main square in Sohar before police tried to disperse them first with tear gas and batons before firing on them with rubber bullets.

�Two people have died after police fired rubber bullets in the crowd,� one witness, who declined to be named, told Reuters from Sohar. Another witness said the police had used live ammunition, but that could not be confirmed.

Sultan Qaboos bin Said, trying to ease tensions in the normally sleepy Gulf state as Arab unrest spread in the region, reshuffled his cabinet on Saturday, a week after an earlier protest in the capital Muscat. Protests were also taking place in the southern town of Salalah where demonstrators have been camped out since Friday near the office of a provincial governor. After the clashes in Sohar, police pulled back from the protest and the crowd, some of whom were carrying petrol and matches, was making its way to a police station, said one witness, who gave his name only as Mohammed. Helicopters circled overhead.

http://www.sundayszaman.com/sunday/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=236845&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

In case you didn't know, rubber bullets can kill people if they're used just right (which is to say, wrong, since they're supposed to be non-lethal crowd control weapons).

They're using rubber bullets in a lethal fashion in Bahrain as well:

(translated by Google Chrome)

quote:

Pearl of the field martyr to the insured -
By Ali Ahmed al-Dairi

In the fifth and nearly half, the line of Ali Ahmed, the believer in his last page of the "facebook" and said: "blood sacrifice for my country." This participation, turned a few hours after the fact shocked his father and his mother and his six brothers, when they received news of his death. I had to study engineering at the University of Bahrain students in the past year. That day was with one of his brothers in the field of pearl asleep, and returned safely home after attacked security forces on demonstrators to return to the rotor again and receives his body shots and rubber bullets shotgun internationally prohibited, dies of his wounds was aware of his father and his mother and his brothers Bmsrah by one of the satellite channels.

http://www.annahar.com/content.php?priority=7&table=mulhak_thakafi&type=mulhak_thakafi&day=Sun <---this will be in Arabic if you don't have Google Chrome btw

And Somali pirates are attempting to take advantage of the situation:

quote:

Yemen foils hijack on commercial vessel
28 February 2011 | 00:59 | FOCUS News Agency
Home / World
Sanaa. Yemeni coast-guards arrested three Somali pirates attempting to hijack a Yemeni-flagged commercial vessel off the country's Socotra Island, the Defense Ministry said on Sunday, Xinhua informed.
The ministry said the hijacking attempt was foiled as the vessel continued sailing to Qusair port in the southeast province of Hadramout.
The three Somali pirates who were arrested by coast guards were being investigated by Yemeni security authorities in Socotra Island, during which they admitted their guilt of piracy.
Piracy is flourishing on the world commercial sea-lanes in the Gulf of Aden off southern Yemeni coasts where as many as 25,000 ships pass through every year.

http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n243299 <--- honestly this website looks a little sketchy and it reminds me of Associated Content, so I'd take this with a grain of salt.

Edit:

Ghetto Prince posted:

What does this have to do with Tripoli being controlled by a mad man? It's cute that they want to do something, but were talking about nations where half the population lives on $2 a day and where many people are illiterate.

This thread isn't just about Libya; it's about all the protests that have started springing up in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, whether they're successful or not.

quote:

To date Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya have seen revolutions of historical consequence, Algeria, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, and Yemen have all seen major protests, and minor incidents have occurred in Kuwait, Mauritania, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan and Syria.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010%E2%80%932011_Middle_East_and_North_Africa_protests

And that leaves out the reports that there have been protests in Albania, Myanmar, Djibouti, Indonesia, and Ivory Coast. This protest thing is spread out over 3 continents.

Apology fucked around with this message at 03:32 on Feb 28, 2011

# ? Feb 28, 2011 03:22

Lascivious Sloth: Apr 26, 2008; by sebmojo

feedmegin posted:

Uh...we do have Middle Eastern goons you know (hi Ham). Hell, we even have black goons

I didn't mean to insinuate he looks like a goon because he is white, but I can see why you read it that way.

Apology posted:

Umm, who's the stupid one now? I think maybe it's you, unless you can produce counter-evidence that Anonymous has played no role in the events occurring in the Middle East and Africa.

I have no way of proving it, but I know for a fact that Anonymous maintains a few internet tunnels so that Chinese users can get around the Great Firewall of China, so the story I heard is at least plausible.

I dunno, I kinda agree, the group Anonymous is pretty stupid.. But those few hackers or whatever you call them that do these things aren't.

Apology posted:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010%E2%80%932011_Middle_East_and_North_Africa_protests

And that leaves out the reports that there have been protests in Albania, Myanmar, Djibouti, Indonesia, and Ivory Coast. This protest thing is spread out over 3 continents.

Awesome that's a much better format for the OP. Added, thanks.

Lascivious Sloth fucked around with this message at 04:16 on Feb 28, 2011

# ? Feb 28, 2011 04:11

Narmi: Feb 26, 2008

Speaking of China, the BBC's journalist/photographer there wrote an article detailing what happened during the protest from his point of view. Not going to quote the whole hitng, but this stuck out:

BBC posted:

Without warning they shoved and pushed the BBC's cameraman. They grabbed at his camera and tried to rip it from his hands, bundling him a full 50 yards into a police van. They had earpieces in and were also taking orders.

Then the thugs turned on me. My hair was grabbed and pulled by one of the state security goons.
Continue reading the main story

They tried to pick me up and throw me bodily into the van.

I found myself lying on the floor as they repeatedly slammed the door on my leg which was still part of the way out of the truck, one, two, three times, maybe more. A few shoppers looked on in confusion.

The same thugs climbed into the van and threatened us again as we were driven to a nearby government office. Our details were taken and we were told we could not do interviews in the area because of "special circumstances".

Asked what the special circumstances were they ignored the question. And when told we did not want to do interviews, only take pictures, they again ignored us.

There were more foreign journalists there too. But it seems we got off lightly. One cameraman was set upon by five men who kicked, and punched him in the face, he had to go to hospital for treatment; another had his hand injured.

I guess their leaders are afraid there IS a possibility that the people could topple the government, and are trying to squash any and all dissent even more than usual.

# ? Feb 28, 2011 04:23

Slantedfloors: Apr 29, 2008; Wait, What?

Narmi posted:

I guess their leaders are afraid there IS a possibility that the people could topple the government, and are trying to squash any and all dissent even more than usual.

You don't become the absolute rulers of a billion people if you underestimate threats.

# ? Feb 28, 2011 04:30

Xandu: Feb 19, 2006; It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/28/world/europe/28military.html posted:

White House, State Department and Pentagon officials held talks with their European and NATO counterparts about how to proceed in imposing flight restrictions over Libya. A senior administration official said Sunday that no decision had been made, and expressed caution that any decision on a no-fly zone would have to be made in consultations with allies.

A diplomat at the United Nations said that any such action would require further debate among the 15 nations of the Security Council, which was unlikely to act unless there was a significant increase in state-sponsored violence in Libya, including the use of aircraft against civilians.

Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, was scheduled to meet with President Obama on Monday afternoon at the White House to discuss the deteriorating situation in Libya.

Obama administration officials said Sunday that they were also discussing whether the American military could disrupt communications to prevent Colonel Qaddafi from broadcasting in Libya. In addition, the administration was looking at whether the military could be used to set up a corridor in neighboring Tunisia or Egypt to assist refugees.

�There hasn�t been discussion that I�m aware of related to military intervention beyond that, and a discussion of that nature would have to begin at the U.N.,� a senior administration official said. But, the official added, �I wouldn�t say we�ve ruled anything out, either.�
...

Deploying the military, even to assist refugees, is questionable. It could work as part of a UN peacekeeping operation I suppose.

# ? Feb 28, 2011 04:39

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# ? May 21, 2024 13:02

Monkeytime: Mar 20, 2010

Xandu posted:

Deploying the military, even to assist refugees, is questionable. It could work as part of a UN peacekeeping operation I suppose.

Wouldn't the enforcement of a no-fly zone necessarily entail the deployment of the military? Without some sort of air group to enforce it a flight ban is a pretty empty gesture.

I agree, however, that more images of US troops on the ground in the Middle East is likely counterproductive.

# ? Feb 28, 2011 04:45

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Middle East Thread of Despair: More Broken Than Syria

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