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The Middle East Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Syria, Yemen  Contribute to collating information: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1K132vA6Gza0hkWwmLx0YVH6YpRjcNPny2qpNEH364a8/viewform?c=0&w=1 The collected information: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WBdeug1Rs-oFL-A0ACm7qR5U5ME49pCssgiaUMLOpx4/edit#gid=1395554344 Timeline thus far (Updated June 2015): Tunisia: Revolution in 2011. Rejected introducing Sharia Law in March 2012 by a secular government. Held first democratic elections in November 2014 which appears to be moderate. The country appears to be moving along relatively well. Egypt: Revolution in 2011. Morsi elected in 2012 with much controversy in his policies over the next year. He was deposed by the military in 2013 in a coup and any opposition to the coup was crushed brutally. The following years restrictions on freedom of speech and press were put in place and those questioning the military's power and motives were crushed. Many of the Islamic Brotherhood were incarcerated and executed. The military coup followed with protests reminiscent of the Tahrir protests, however there was a brutal intervention by the military. El-Sisi, head of the military then instituted himself as the president in "free" elections. The military currently rules under the illusion of a democracy. Tension still simmers however, and normalcy has not been restored. Libya: Revolution began in Feb 2011 after the success of Tunisia and Egypt. A civil war broke out over the coming months and eventually the seemingly united revolutionary forces had secured the capital by August 2011 with assistance from NATO forces, and in October the revolution had secured its win, and Gadhafi's death. July 2012 the first parliamentary elections were held and in August an interim government was created. Between now and then there have been ongoing tribal, sectarian and regional fighting between militias. The government remains weak and divided, and bloodshed continues to be spilled with many players in action vying for power. Syria: In March 2011 an uprising against the Assad regime began. At first it appeared hopeful, however it became entrenched and global players all had their hands in the conflict, and it turned into a civil war embroiling the entire country with the Free Syrian Army coming into existence to fight the Assad military. As the war went on, in around 2012-2013 foreign groups started arriving and taking advantage of the destabilization from the war. A dominant Islamist group sprouted up and was established in the war in 2014 called the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). This powerful group with much support and a background of insurgency leadership from the US war in Iraq and ongoing Middle Eastern instability, grew suddenly and fast, and succeeded in a large insurgency from the East in Syria. They crushed much of the Free Syrian Army and more moderate groups fighting Assad in their regions. In response, as ISIS were growing in momentum in Iraq and Syria, Kurdish groups from Iraq and Turkey joined the fight against them and support from Western nations also provided military support in 2014 and 2015 to lead a counter-insurgency against the group, which at current in June 2015 has had much success and the fight within Syria and Iraq against ISIS appears to be pushing their area of influence and insurgency back. Assad remains in power, and continues to bomb cities and kill masses of civilians, and lead a war against dissidents and rebel forces, and also continues to fight the ISIS forces on other fronts as well. It is unknown where this civil war will lead, but it appears to be a protracted conflict with many factions and forces with different agendas, and the regime appears to be slowly losing ground. Yemen: In 2011 protests began against the Saleh government. Saleh handed over power to the vice president under immunity. This paved way for a multi-region republic to be created, however in 2014 a Shia insurgent group called Houthi took over the capital, and the government disbanded. The situation is very precarious currently, and there are many groups within Yemen and global interests. It appears that there may been under-table promises and interference from old-world groups which may lead to Saleh or his son vying back their power, and their plan to be create a dynasty. UAE governments have now intervened and sent in troops and bombing runs in April 2015, and are pushing the Houthi groups back, looking for them to surrender. This has caused many civilian deaths and the outcome and impact of this intervention is yet unknown. Good posts in this thread kustomkarkommando's breakdown of Kurdish forces fighting in Iraq and Syria Brown Moses posts regular updates fade5 makes a lot of quality posts regarding progress in Syria and Iraq Information Al-Jazeera English - Live Feed 24/7 Al-Jazeera English - Website Previous Threads Egypt 1 Egypt 2 The revolutions, civil war and wars that are interwoven through this period in time:                            kustomkarkommando's Kurdish forces breakdown 
Lascivious Sloth fucked around with this message at 17:58 on Nov 5, 2015 |
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Feb 17, 2011 21:48
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I think it's a lot of factors that ignited this all, including: tech-savyness/internet, large unemployed group of youth, bad economy, high prices for food and basics, large group of oppressed and educated youth etc. Apology posted:Lascivious Sloth, could you tack these three Twitter lists to the end of the OP please? Is that okay?
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Feb 17, 2011 22:03
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5ive posted:Iran's got some good looking wimmenz I followed the 2009 protests avidly and it's true, everyone in the threads agreed, Iranian women are super fine. But more to the point, the Green Movement was a massive women's rights push as well, with women being a big part of the protests.
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Feb 17, 2011 22:27
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euphronius posted:Excellent OP. Thanks and yes it is, which I thought was awesome for the OP. Narmi posted:e: just a suggestion, but AJE has a spotlight on Tunisia and Algeria and a live blogs for Bahrain, Libya and Egypt. The Live blog for Egypt was espcially helpful in the Egypt thread. Thanks, Done!
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Feb 17, 2011 23:01
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Radio! posted:Anyone else watch that interview with the UK advisor on Bahrain just now? I hear a lot of misplaced criticism of Obama, but all the negative and ignorant comments and statements I've heard on these protests have been from the UK.
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Feb 17, 2011 23:22
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Speaking of playbooks, NYT has an article up on “From Dictatorship to Democracy,” a 93-page guide to toppling autocrats. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/world/middleeast/17sharp.html?src=me&ref=general quote:When Egypt’s April 6 Youth Movement was struggling to recover from a failed effort in 2005, its leaders tossed around “crazy ideas” about bringing down the government, said Ahmed Maher, a leading strategist. They stumbled on Mr. Sharp while examining the Serbian movement Otpor, which he had influenced. I want to go to a workshop on how to topple autocratic dictators in 30 days or less your money back guaranteed.
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Feb 18, 2011 00:00
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The Angry Bum posted:Oh look, this could just as well be another message from the Obama administration. UK, US, same note to another different tune. Seriously, they were on the wrong side of history with Tunisia and Egypt and they're going to continue to be on the wrong side again their full continued support of dictators. God I hope this is a troll. quote:We're starting to see this already happening in Wisconsin, but just confined to that state for now. Oh good, it is.
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Feb 18, 2011 00:48
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If the Saudis get involved on the ground, unless covertly, there will be worldwide backlash -- I doubt that will happen. It's really up to the protesters with how far they want to take it, which depends on their spirits and determination. Recent history has proven that this could go either way; Egypt/Tunisia, or 2009 Iran (or far worse.) The next few days and weeks are critical to the entire future of the middle east. Amazing. vvv Well, it depends. I think if you are well informed and know what you are talking about even if you are in a first world country you still have a right to question, criticise and demand a better government/society. However, in my experience people rarely know what the gently caress they are talking about, which I guess is a symptom of living in first world country and taking for granted what you have. Lascivious Sloth fucked around with this message at 18:13 on Feb 18, 2011 |
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Feb 18, 2011 18:08
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The UN is limited due to the fact that countries like China and Russia have veto powers over any actions. That's right, Russia and China, absolute dictatorial autocracies can veto any proposal for the United Nations to intervene in a countries disputes. What a poo poo system.
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Feb 18, 2011 19:49
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randombattle posted:Wait isn't that the definition of sparking something? Like he was literally the spark that lit the already gas soaked nation to create flames of rebellion? Not to sperg out or anything, but he was the symbolic spark that ignited the protests. Literal means he was actually a spark. More apropos: Metaphorically, he was the spark that lit the already gas soaked nation to create flames of rebellion.
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Feb 19, 2011 09:21
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Bahrain: Protesters retake the main square of Manama, Pearl Roundabout. Government is reneging on it's position and voicing the same rhetoric that Egypt's Sulaman stated: that those responsible for the peaceful protest deaths will be held accountable. Apparently the govt is retracting from it's hostile stance and taking a diplomatic position. Whether or not this is pandering to world press is unclear. Time will tell. It's possible that these regimes are learning, and rather than squashing the revolt, which Egypt learnt was not a possibility due to media observance and global pressure, they are considering accepting that democracy in some form is inevitable so they are embracing it out of fear. (Seriously, I'm not being sarcastic.) Imagine you are an autocrat, all these similar and nearby countries falling to demonstrations and the determination of the people, only growing stronger through violence of the govt, and the fortitude the people present; you would think, 'oh poo poo'. Self preservation is key to these dictators. Especially when they have no true ideals, shown through their eagerness to kill their own people for power. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/20/world/middleeast/20protests.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast...+Top+Stories%29 http://www.reuters.com/article/2011...nternational%29 http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2011/02/201121914336940622.html I'm glad the US, and similar democratic nations that have a somewhat free media are able to, both through diplomatic and economic ties, pressure these countries into not outright participating in genocide of its people, for what would certainly be a solution if not for these factors, a truth no matter how much people rightfully or extraordinarily defame the US and co. Lascivious Sloth fucked around with this message at 21:02 on Feb 19, 2011 |
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Feb 19, 2011 20:53
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Samurai Sanders posted:One thing I want to know is, how many police officers will refuse to fire on unarmed civilians if they are ordered to? Surely a whole lot of them can look at that crowd and not see a faceless crowd, but rather a bunch of people who could easily be their family and friends. It's a small country after all. Iran took this into consideration and recruits an 'outside' force, one that directly opposes, historically and religiously, the ideals of its people, to brutalise any resistance. The Basij. The Basij is basically the SS in every form and every ideal. No poo poo. Lascivious Sloth fucked around with this message at 21:08 on Feb 19, 2011 |
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Feb 19, 2011 21:06
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It was reported that Obama had a lot of 'covert' calls to Mubarak, and he was pushing for peaceful change, but Mubarak and the leadership was dismissive/made promises they did not keep. Obama can't make these dictators listen to the protesters no matter what the position and financial/military aid of the US, but at least he is trying. Imagine the actions and rhetoric of Mccain in this ordeal.
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Feb 19, 2011 23:26
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The Brown Menace posted:Didn't even McCain concede that Mubarak has to bow to all the pressure and get out? I recall he did a complete 180 in his views a few days before Mubarak stepped down, but I can't cite exactly. All I remember is that he made some comments that were ridiculously counter to his initial stance, and completely retarded in reasoning.
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Feb 19, 2011 23:48
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tetsul posted:I can't believe they would change a sign that says this to instead say that. They would never say anything like that. They strongly are in favor of this. Iran have been caught photo-shopping things like this before, as well as China. I doubt the majority of their populace notices. Their state run media sure as hell won't mention it. I have updated the OP and I'll try to keep it up-to-date with those youtube clips and critical news and links. vvv Unless I'm thinking of a different area, the military and police pulled out of the main square, and the civs took it back over. The civs did not attack and overrun a military camp as the tweet may be misinterpreted. Lascivious Sloth fucked around with this message at 00:49 on Feb 20, 2011 |
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Feb 20, 2011 00:39
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edit: okay it looks like I was wrong, according to CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/afric...+Top+Stories%29quote:The clashes escalated after the incident, centered around the military camp. Protesters packed at least one car with explosives Sunday and sent it crashing into a compound wall at the camp, eyewitnesses said. Security forces then fired on the protesters as they attempted to breach the camp. Lascivious Sloth fucked around with this message at 20:01 on Feb 20, 2011 |
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Feb 20, 2011 19:56
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THE HORSES rear end posted:Gaddafi is like a villain from a Stephen King novel. He has a wicked sense of humor, isn't completely in touch with reality, and doesn't always take himself seriously, but when poo poo comes to shove he's downright loving evil. So he's basically Scorpio from the Simpsons.
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Feb 20, 2011 20:12
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Gaddafi's son is named Hanibal  It's like he's actively trying to create an evil villain image for himself.
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Feb 20, 2011 22:52
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GnatKingCoal posted:The original Hannibal, I think. A hero to the Carthaginians. That completely slipped my mind. Xandu posted:Academics as well I like these parts: quote:The Libyans with whom I spoke were open and candid and gave no sign of being worried about being overheard or reported or anything like that. This quote deserves it's own section: quote:Yet a fortuitous combination of multilateral sanctions, patient diplomacy, and Libyan re-thinking has produced a noticeable detente in recent years. In a rare display of policy continuity, the Bush I, Clinton, and Bush II administrations managed to simultaneously keep the pressure on and keep the door to reconciliation open. (Great Britain played a key role here too, and the effort may have succeeded precisely because Washington remained in the background). This effort paid off in when Libya agreed to dismantle all of its WMD programs in 2003 and to re-engage with the West. (A key part of that deal, by the way, was George W. Bush's decision to explicitly renounce the goal of "regime change," in sharp contrast to his approach to some other countries.
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Feb 20, 2011 22:58
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I don't see much of a problem with those positions. Just because they were involved with Mubarak's rule doesn't make them evil. Most even seemed opposed to Mubarak or a sympathiser of opposition groups, according to that list. You've even got a Christian tourism minister so I can't see any religious bias.
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Feb 21, 2011 10:32
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It's a leak, so how is it a problem when you don't know the official release.
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Feb 21, 2011 10:38
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Xandu posted:Giant hi-res panorama of Cairo with Midan Tahrir way in the back. Just click the original size. Pretty cool looking. That photo is amazing. It looks like it was the day after that big clash with the moobs, because the roof where they were throwing down rocks at protesters is missing a good chunk of rock, and you can see the military throughout the museum grounds. Got to be at least 2+ million people in that photo all up.
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Feb 22, 2011 09:37
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Don't derail this into a debate about Middle-East sexual harassment, it ruined the last thread.
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Feb 23, 2011 09:52
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NYT has a hilarious article about how insane the family is, taken from cable leaks: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/world/africa/23cables.html?partner=rss&emc=rssquote:Before Condoleezza Rice visited Libya in 2008 — the first secretary of state to do so since 1953 — the embassy in Tripoli sought to accentuate the positive. True, Colonel Qaddafi was “notoriously mercurial” and “avoids making eye contact,” the cable warned Ms. Rice, and “there may be long, uncomfortable periods of silence.” But he was “a voracious consumer of news,” the cable added, who had such distinctive ideas as resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with a single new state called “Isratine.”
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Feb 23, 2011 10:08
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Brown Moses posted:If success in Libya inspires the Iranian protesters he'll be using exactly the same tactics if he wants any chance of staying in power. The hypocrisy and lies shown from the Iranian government over the last decade is like some big joke everyone there is in on. Ham posted:Unlike Libya, Ahmadinejad is part of an extensive system of power in Iran and if he departs from power the country can go on as it normally does, so I doubt Iranian power centres are gonna let him use fighter jets and tanks to kill protesters. Unlike Libya, Iran has different opposition groups and clerical factions that aren't technically banned, but do not speak up very often. It would be dinner jacket and Khamenei that would be ousted if there was a revolt. Fortunately, Iran has some really good opposition groups with power that could easily act as interim or shake things up. However it's a completely different dynamic in Iran. Lascivious Sloth fucked around with this message at 11:24 on Feb 23, 2011 |
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Feb 23, 2011 11:21
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quote:Yusuf Al Qardawi, a leading Sunni cleric, has just issued a fatwa on Al Jazeera Arabic, encouraging the assassination of #Gaddafi What the hell? Brown moses can you explain that.
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Feb 23, 2011 13:13
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cptInsane0 posted:I have missed a lot of this thread. I followed the Egypt one heavily, but unfortunately have been too busy at work to pay enough attention to this. Could anyone give me a quick rundown on how things are going in the various places? I like to think of it like this, the Revolution DEFCON: Annihilated (Revolution successful): Egypt Defcon 1 (No turning back): Libya, Tunisia Defcon 2 (In revolt): Bahrain, Yemen Defcon 3 (potential for revolt): Algeria Defcon 4 (low chance of revolt): Iran, Iraq Defcon 5 (extremely low chance of revolt): Saudi Arabia, China etc. I'm sure I've missed a few countries.
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Feb 23, 2011 17:05
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Gravel Gravy posted:I don't think that is why they were turned back. Considering Gaddafi's past ties to state-sponsored terrorism they were probably worried about the plane being used to retaliate against them for their acceptance of defectors. It is awful, and I hope that the plane makes it to safety. To be fair there are easier ways to deal with that situation. Give it a military jet escort that will fire if they change course. Tell them to land and then remain inside the plane, then send in military personnel to check it all out. Easy enough. Turning back a commercial plane low on fuel is pretty ridiculous. vvvv then take them into custody and let the UN decide. What a wasted opportunity.
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Feb 23, 2011 17:08
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A Good Dog posted:Am I really supposed to feel sorry for the cracker extra-nationals that haven't been able to flee Libya with their pockets full of stolen money? Cracker extra-nationals? You're a loving idiot.
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Feb 23, 2011 19:46
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de_dust posted:I was suprised by how many here trusted the military. It was just really biding it's time; it worked. We should have listened to the wise de_dust who foresaw this, but now it's too late! Oh wait no read Ham's post.
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Feb 26, 2011 08:51
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A NK revolution will not happen. If anything, a coup may take place if the situations presents itself. But their leader is basically a God to the people, and there are 1.2m of the 24 million serving active duty in the army. Saudi Arabia and China would fall before NK would.
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Feb 27, 2011 11:02
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Petr posted:Muammer el Gaadhdhaffy? No idiot it's Moamer El Khazzafi.
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Feb 27, 2011 13:02
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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. I didn't know Lebanese were so white.. The kid right of the fist pump looks like he could be a goon.
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Feb 27, 2011 21:53
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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 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:
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 |
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Feb 28, 2011 04:11
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Suntory BOSS posted:I can't help but feel that if there were significant and widespread desire for revolution in China, we'd see that reflected by large-scale protests in Hong Kong. I'm no expert on China, but I would suspect the complete opposite- that it would start anywhere but Hong Kong. Hong Kong is far removed from typical China, especially rural China, and it's political system. I do agree it would be a main city though.
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Feb 28, 2011 06:52
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For Gaddafi government to consider negotiating with the rebels means 1) they are desperate, and 2) they are out of touch with reality
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Mar 3, 2011 12:13
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http://twitter.com/SultanAlQassemiquote:Al Jazeera: Libyan Consul General in Mali resigns from post #Libya quote:AFP: Berlusconi hopes for "change like that in Tunisia & Egypt towards a democracy" in Libya http://bit.ly/dZjz6Q #Libya I've been too busy lately to update the OP regularly, but I've made a few changes today and added a link to Brown Moses' posts.
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Mar 6, 2011 01:33
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Maybe you missed the revolution but the secret police are either lying low/distancing themselves from Mubarak's govt, or disbanded. They've lost their HQs around Egypt and all their intel, and they've lost their leadership so I doubt there is much direction for them, unless it's in the military.
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Mar 6, 2011 03:40
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What the hell is that all about? Also, I updated the OP to focus on Libya, but have fallen too far behind with the yt etc. videos. If anyone has ones they think are important to see, post them and I'll add them to the OP.
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Mar 9, 2011 12:29
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http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2011/03/2011310101413705407.html Clinton to meet Libyan rebels quote:Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, is to meet with leaders of Libya's opposition council during a trip to the Middle East next week, she has told US lawmakers. Next week might be too late if they don't install UN no fly zones or support. But it's a pretty straight forward declaration of support.  That's some mad max poo poo right there. Lascivious Sloth fucked around with this message at 22:09 on Mar 10, 2011 |
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Mar 10, 2011 22:06
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