Middle East round-up: ‘The gates to our freedom have been opened’

Observed by: Mr. Alaa Isam

by Siân Ruddick

Since Tunisia’s revolution began in December, people across North Africa and the Middle East have risen up against their regimes. They are inspired by Tunisia and Egypt, where two dictators were toppled in the last few weeks.

Algeria

Thousands took to the streets over the weekend, defying a police crackdown. They chanted, “Yesterday Egypt, today Algeria” as they faced police lines.

Since December young people have taken to the streets over rising unemployment and food prices.

The protests have forced concessions from the regime, including food subsidies.

And President Bouteflika has promised to lift the 19 year state of emergency—but has failed to do so yet.

Bahrain

Demonstrations have seen protesters fighting battles on street corners with police. Police have used rubber bullets and tear gas against protesters.

The government has promised a relaxing of the laws that restrict movement and the media. It has also given every family the equivalent of about £2,000 in an attempt to stop the protests.

Protesters are vowing to bring down the regime.

Yemen

Pro-government thugs have attacked democracy protesters. Both sides threw rocks while the security forces stood back.

On Sunday, Human Rights Watch said police used stun guns and batons against demonstrators and small mobs of government supporters attacked protesters.

Palestine

The entire cabinet of the Palestinian Authority, headed by prime minister Salam Fayyad, handed in its resignation to president Mahmoud Abbas on Monday in the face of rising protests.

Abbas promptly appointed Fayyad as premier and asked him to appoint a new cabinet.

The old cabinet were all members of Fatah.

There is talk that Abbas wants to try and draw opposition groups into the cabinet, but up until now Hamas—which won the last election in Palestine in 2006—has refused to take part.

The political crisis in Palestine has grown in recent weeks after the leak of the Palestinian Papers which exposed how much Fatah was prepared to concede to Israeli demands in negotiations.

But both Fatah and Hamas have discouraged demonstrations in solidarity with the Egyptian revolution.

Yousef Asfour from Jaffa told Socialist Worker, “The official Arab media are trying to say this revolution is only for Egyptians.

“But we know it is a blow against imperialism in the Middle East. We Palestinians are rejoicing—the gates to our freedom have been opened.”

Source: http://bit.ly/ikprlr

Anti-Government Protesters Hit Streets Of Yemen

Observed by: Mr. Alaa Isam

Inspired by the revolution in Egypt and the uprising in Tunisia, close to a thousand demonstrators poured into the streets of Yemen’s capital on Saturday to continue protesting their government and a president who has already said he won't seek re-election. The demonstrations were mostly non-violent, but there were a few violent clashes between pro-government forces and opposition groups. Several of the protesters pulled out traditional tribal knives and shouted in anger as government forces approached; others threw rocks. The protests broke up Saturday after only a few hours.

Source: http://bit.ly/glxFAp

Yemen told: 'Reform or al-Qaida wins'

Observed by: Mr. Alaa Isam

Yemen must undertake urgent political reform to counter the mounting threat posed by al-Qaida militants who are using the country as a base to launch terror attacks against Britain, according to William Hague, Britain's foreign secretary.

As Mr Hague arrived for talks with President Ali Abdullah Saleh on the third stage of his emergency five-nation tour of North Africa and the Middle East, tens of thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets in protest at Yemen's autocratic government.

Earlier in the week Mr Saleh, who has ruled the country for 32 years, announced his intention to stand down in 2013, and confirmed he would not allow his son to succeed him. But, amid concern that unrest could spread in a country regarded as a key Western ally in the war against Islamist-inspired terrorism, Mr Hague urged the president to undertake long-promised reforms.

"The problems of Yemen are a vital issue for us in foreign and security policy," Mr Hague said following a lunchtime discussion with Mr Saleh at the presidential palace. "Economic and political reform are crucial to the long-term stability of Yemen.

"Yemen is a long-standing ally in fighting international terrorism and it is here, in Yemen, that reform in the Arab world can begin."

British security officials thwarted a major terror attack at the end of last year when they discovered a bomb at East Midlands airport among the cargo of a plane en route from the Gulf to Chicago.

Intelligence experts concluded the bomb had been made by al-Qaida terrorists in Yemen, who regularly declare their determination to attack British targets in messages broadcast on the Internet. Anwar al-Awlaki, a senior al-Qaida figure blamed for several recent terrorist attacks, maintains close links to al-Qaida from his Yemen base.

British intelligence officials remain concerned that Yemen is not doing enough to tackle the mounting threat posed by al-Qaida militants. It is estimated there is a hard-core of around 300 militants associated with al-Qaida in the region. Although Yemen's security forces have lost hundreds of soldiers fighting al-Qaida groups predominantly based in the south-east of the country, Western intelligence experts believe the government could still do more to counter the al-Qaida threat. "The Yemeni government is not taking as effective action as it could against the al-Qaida threat," said a senior intelligence official in Yemen.

"What they need to do is give them a good whacking."

Mr Hague had flown to Yemen from Jordan, where he had a private dinner with King Abdullah, who is also under pressure from anti-government protesters to undertake wide-ranging political reforms.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Yemen+told+Reform+Qaida+wins/4252378/story.html#ixzz1DYmd1T1F