President Barack Obama, issued a statement condemning the violence that took place across the region on Friday in Yemen, Bahrain and Libya. President Obama stated: “I am deeply concerned by reports of violence in Bahrain, Libya and Yemen. The United States condemns the use of violence by governments against peaceful protesters in those countries and wherever else it may occur.” He went on to say: “Wherever they are, people have certain universal rights including the right to peaceful assembly.” President Obama urged these governments to use restraint in their response to peaceful protesters and to respect their rights.
On Wednesday, the Middle East Institute hosted an event focused on the public opinions of Egyptians in the wake of Mubarak’s fall from power, entitled, “After Mubarak: What do the Egyptian People Really Want?”The Middle East Institute hosted two speakers; Steven Kull, Middle East public opinion expert and director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, along with, Shibley Telhami, the Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland and Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Saban Center of the Brookings Institution.
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Facebook activists in Morocco, mostly young people in their 20s, are calling for protests across the country on Sunday to “demand constitutional reform and proper democracy.” This comes after several self-immolation attempts by young Moroccans over the past few weeks, inspired by Muhammad Bouazizi, whose own self-immolation ignited the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia. Osama el-Khlifi, one of the Facebook group creators for the protests, was careful to point out that the protests are not aimed at King Mohammed VI but the “power structure” around him of wealthy interests. A government spokesman, Khalid Naciri, said that government was not concerned about potential protests: “It does not bother us that citizens express themselves freely, as long as this happens in full respect of our country’s immutable values and supreme and vital interests.”
AFP reports that eyewitnesses in Jordan confirm that nearly 2,000 protesters took to the streets in Amman. The protesters which includes hard-line leftists, Muslim conservatives and students called for reduced power for the king and the chance to elect members of the Cabinet. Pro-government supporters have also attacked the protesters, injuring eight. Tareq Kmeil, a student protester stated: “They beat us with batons, pipes and hurled rocks at us.” He went on to state that the police forces simply stood by and watched as the clashes took place. The BBC reports that after prayers at the Husseini Mosque in Amman protesters left and chanting: “It’s not about bread, but dignity. We prefer death to humiliation.”
Nick Kristof of The New York Times and Middle East analyst Emile Hokayem are tweeting from Bahrain that the army has opened fire with live ammunition on peaceful protests taking place in Manama. Kristof reports that tear gas has also been fired at protesters who have gathered outside of a hospital where wounded protesters are being treated.
As protests in Libya continue on Friday, with funerals for some of the killed protesters, loyalists of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi have threatened protesters with violence through the Revolutionary Committees, considered the backbone of the regime, which released this statement: “The response of the people and the Revolutionary Forces to any adventure by these small groups will be sharp and violent.” Twenty-four people have died since anti-government protests began on Tuesday with the fiercest violence in the cities of Benghazi and al-Bayda as the government cracked down. Exiled opposition groups claimed that protesters had taken over the city of al-Bayda after being joined by policy but Al Jazeera’s live blog is reporting that government militias have been reinforced and that there are fierce clashes in the city.
Tens of thousands Yemenis took to the streets on Friday across the country with nearly 30,000 protesters occupying Freedom Square in Taiz, a town 120 miles south of Sana’a. Protesters and pro-Saleh supporters continue to clash in the streets, as death tolls rise. AFP reports that 2 people have been killed and 27 were injured in Taiz, when a man in a government affiliated vehicle threw a grenade into a crowd of anti-government protesters.
Nicholas Kristoff, writing for the New York Times, recounts the brutal crackdown of protesters by Bahraini security forces on Thursday. He says that the police have been firing tear gas, rubber bullets, and shotgun pellets at peaceful protesters, who, contrary to claims by government officials and Bahrain state TV, were entirely unarmed. He also documents the harrowing experience of hospital staff dealing with the severely injured and dead from the violence and recounts a story told to him by a nurse who said she saw police execute a young male protester of about 24 at point blank range. A doctor was also threatened with rape by security forces some of whom are reportedly from Saudi Arabia. Kristof also states that it’s possible that some of the military tanks patrolling the streets were also Saudi, although he could not confirm such claims. Ambulatory services have also been suspended with response teams only answering calls after receiving explicit approval from the Interior Ministry. Some protesters have demanded the ouster of King Hamad to which Kristof replied: “[…] when a king opens fire on his people, he no longer deserves to be ruler. That might be the only way to purge this land of ineffable heartbreak.”
On Thursday, al-Wefaq, Bahrain’s main Shia Muslim opposition group, announced that it was suspending its participation in parliament and called for the government to initiate dialogue. Protesters have continued to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, who has governed Bahrain since its independence in 1971. They are also demanding the release of political prisoners and the creation of a new parliament.
Writing in The Washington Post, Ray Takeyhargues that the only way the U.S. can hope to change Iran’s behavior is to empower the Green Movement. Russia and China are unlikely to agree to more economic sanctions and the Arab states preoccupied with their own revolutions will be reluctant to participate in efforts to isolate Iran. Additionally, the military option is no longer feasible, Takeyh states, as it would likely “radicalize the Arab populace just as forces of moderation and democracy seem ascendant.” The Middle East, he states, is undergoing a momentous transformation that is absent of any ideology but rather speaks to people’s frustrations over repression and corruption. The Green Movement which began in 2009 was “a harbinger of this new epoch,” he says, as it highlights the opposition’s success to de-legitimize the theocratic regime as “a significant portion of the population” contemplates “life beyond the parameters of clerical despotism.” The disenchantment of the populous is also “mirrored by the steady stream of defecting regime loyalists” which may point to inability of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to enforce rule by fear. The challenge for the U.S., Takeyh states is to find ways to connect with the Green Movement and points to the model of Eastern Europe where the West covertly funneled assistance to dissidents through institutions like churches and labor unions.
On Tuesday, Congressman Bob Filner (D-CA) introduced H.Res.94, a resolution calling for “an end to violence, arrests, torture, and ill treatment perpetrated against Iranian citizens as well as the unconditional release of all political prisoners in Iran.” The resolution also calls on the Administration to condemn human rights violations in Iran and “support the Iranian people’s endeavors towards democracy” by ending the “selective approach to Iranian opponents who struggle for democracy and human rights” and removing the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran from the State Department’s list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations, as the Iranian government uses it as pretext for cracking down on dissidents and opposition members. It also calls for the President to impose sanctions on Iran as well as on any individual or entity associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and for the President to persuade U.S. allies and other countries to enact appropriate measures preventing Iranian banks and financial institutions involved in nuclear activities and backing terrorist groups from accessing the international monetary system. The resolution has been referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Paul Richter, writing in the Los Angeles Times, reports that the Obama administration is concerned that the Egyptian military’s plans to reshape the government “may fall short of producing its promised democratic overhaul” given the military leadership’s failure to lift the emergency law and dismiss the old cabinet, as well as its condensed schedule for constitutional reform and elections which may not provide enough time for political parties to organize. While the army is a respected institution that safeguards stability, it is more inclined toward the status quo and protecting its commercial interests, Richter writes. Egypt’s protest movement also seems worried by the army’s increased authority. POMED Executive Director Stephen McInerney, who has served as an informal advisor to the White House and has been in regular contact with Egyptian groups and activists states, “Groups that have been skeptical are becoming a little bit more skeptical” and that the administration is ”clearly pleased with some steps, and want to be supportive publicly. But they do have concerns.” The administration has been privately applying “friendly but steady pressure” on Egyptian leaders to ensure the transition does not lose momentum and that promises to make irreversible changes towards democracy are upheld.
Wednesday marked the launch of the U.S. State Department’s launch of Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society. Under Secretary for Political Affairs William J. Burnsopened the event by stating: “In recent weeks, we have been awed by the power of committed citizens to effect change in their societies. We’ve borne witness to a remarkable triumph of human spirit and human courage in Cairo and in Tunis. ” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton echoed his remarks and also expressed U.S. support for democratic change stating: “Our support for democracy and human rights is not about siding for or against either governments or citizens. This is about standing up for universal principles and for those in and out of government who support them.” Clinton also discussed the use of diplomatic channels “to engage with civil society as a cornerstone of our diplomacy,” stating that “the transition to democracy is more likely to be peaceful and permanent when it involves both the government in power and the broad cross-section of the governed.” She said that the Strategic Dialogue will focus on issues like governance, accountability, democracy, human rights and women’s empowerment. USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah also discussed the agency’s new approach to development which prioritizes democratic governance and its desire to continue to work with and support civil society organizations.
Sherif Mansour, a prominent Egyptian activist, also made a statement calling for the U.S. aid package to Egypt to reflect the administration’s commitment to civil society. He criticized the State Department for conceding to “pressure from the Egyptian government to cut down funds for democracy and to make it only available for government-approved NGOs.”
