Project on Middle East Democracy

Project on Middle East Democracy
The POMED Wire Archives


Category: Protests

Libya Update: More Libyan Diplomats Defect to Opposition

February 25th, 2011 by Alec

The eleven remaining members of Libya’s mission to the Arab League have all resigned in protest of Muammar Gadhafi’s deadly crackdown on protesters in the country.  In Washington, the Libyan ambassador to the U.S. took down the current Libyan flag over the residence and replaced it with the pre-Gadhafi flag.  He resigned his post officially on Tuesday along with two other members of the embassy staff.  This comes amid a string of incidents worldwide in which Libyan diplomats at foreign embassies and missions have resigned their posts in opposition to Gadhafi and his brutal policies.


Posted in Libya, Protests | Comment »

Yemen: Friday Protests Continue

February 25th, 2011 by Kyle

Tens of thousands of Yemenis, both pro and anti-government, protested in streets across the nation on Friday.  Anti-government protesters outside of Sana’a University chanted the slogan, “The people demand the downfall of the regime,” while President Saleh’s supporters across town yelled, “The creator of unity is in our hearts. We will not abandon him.”  The protests have continued amidst extreme violence towards individuals involved, with 17 deaths in the past 9 days.  On Wednesday, Saleh issued a statement ordering security forces to protect protesters and prevent clashes between opposing factions.  The decision came amidst  a rise in tensions stemming from the disaffiliation of 9 members of parliament from Saleh’s ruling party in response to the violence against protesters. 


Posted in Human Rights, Protests, Yemen | Comment »

World Leaders Discuss Events in Libya

February 25th, 2011 by Naureen

On Thursday, President Barack Obama spoke with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi and British PM David Cameron to express his “deep concern with the Libyan government’s use of violence which violates international  norms and every standard of human decency.”  The leaders affirmed their strong support for the universal rights of the Libyan people and discussed a range of options that both the U.S. and European countries are preparing to hold the Libyan government accountable for its actions.  White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters on Thursday that a range of options were being discussed, but refused to provide details: “We’re interested in taking measures that will actually have the desired effect, which is getting the Libyan government to stop the bloodshed.”  By Friday, France and the U.K. had asked the United Nations for a total arms embargo, sanctions, and a probe from the International Criminal Court.  Germany and the European Union have also backed sanctions, however Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan opposed the idea stating, “It is not right to impose sanctions against Libya becaue such measures will punish the population.” NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that a meeting of ambassadors to NATO to discuss the events in Libya will take place Friday afternoon in Brussels.


Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Libya, Protests | Comment »

Syria: Quiet Clampdown Amid Regional Upheaval

February 25th, 2011 by Alec

Lauren Williams of The Guardian writes that since a Wednesday rally in Damascus in support of Libyan protesters, the third peaceful protest in three weeks, Syrian authorities have continued to intimidate and harass civil rights campaigners.  Activists have reported home visits by members of the Mukhabarat, the secret police and intelligence services, and some have been warned not to try and leave the country.  Close monitoring of the internet and telephone conversations has also been reported.  Wednesday’s rally, which attracted 200 people, was dispersed violently and several people were arrested and beaten.  Two foreign journalists were also recently denied entry to the country.


Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Protests, Syria | Comment »

Libya Update: Mitiga Air Force Base Taken By Protesters

February 25th, 2011 by Alec

Martin Chulov, from Britain’s The Guardian, has tweeted that the Mitiga air force base has fallen to anti-government protesters.


Posted in Libya, Protests | Comment »

Libya Update: Five Reported Dead In Tripoli, Zawiya Attacked

February 25th, 2011 by Alec

According to Al-Jazeera’s Libya live blog, government forces attempted to retake the town of Zawiya west of Tripoli but were repelled by protesters and anti-government forces.  Five deaths have also been reported from Tripoli on Friday along with sporadic gunfire in several city districts.

The New York Time’s The Lede is also live blogging the uprising in Libya and reports that protesters are still trying to march from the eastern suburb of Tajura to Green Square in the heart of of the capital.


Posted in Libya, Protests | Comment »

Libya Update: Libyan Mission in Geneva Quits

February 25th, 2011 by Alec

The AP reports that the entire Libyan mission to the U.N. in Geneva quit at the Human Rights Council session on Friday.  Adel Shaltut, the Second Secretary at the U.N. mission asked the council to stand and observe a moment of silence to honor the revolution in Libya.


Posted in Diplomacy, Libya, Protests, United Nations | Comment »

Libya in Crisis: Gadhafi’s Response

February 25th, 2011 by Naureen

Writing for the Foreign Policy Research Institute, Dana Moss discusses how protests in Libya have unfolded and how the country differs significantly from Tunisia and Egypt.  Libya lacks an independent civil society and due to Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi’s policies, “tribal and provincial identity has trumped nationalism.”  Given Gadhafi’s mistrust of the army, he has ensured that it is “criss-crossed and divided by tribal affiliations” making it a relatively unimportant institution in the country. Additionally, Gadhafi has attempted to manipulate the masses by attempting to position himself as separate from the politics of the country by stating that he is not “a president to step down” and by calling on Libyans to end protests to prevent the U.S. and Western powers from invading the country.  He has also blamed al-Qaeda backed Islamists for instigating protests but has also attempted to invoke religious legitimacy by citing the Qur’an. The one concession Gadhafi has made is agreeing to the formation of a constitution, long advocated by his son Saif al-Islam, who is seen as a reformer. The regime has attempted to reposition him as a possible future leader given their late realization that “an earlier adoption of Saif’s proposed reforms would have undercut some of the current opposition.”


Posted in Civil Society, Islamist movements, Libya, Military, Protests, Reform, al-Qaeda | Comment »

Libya: Pro-Gadhafi Forces Barricade Tripoli For Friday Protests

February 25th, 2011 by Alec

Libyan security forces barricaded the capital city on Friday in anticipation of protests and a continue push by anti-government protesters to take the city. Checkpoints were set up throughout the capital and plain clothes security officers and militias patrolled the streets. In a desperate attempt to stave off an advance by anti-government forces and protesters, Muammar Gadhafi offered a 150% increase in some government worker wages and promised an additional 400 dollars to every family.

Fierce fighting in Zawiya, outside Tripoli, left at least 100 dead as pro-Gadhafi forces attacked protesters. Anti-government forces claim control of all of eastern Libya and have been pushing towards Tripoli.

libyamap.jpg

Courtesy of the Wall Street Journal


Posted in Libya, Protests | Comment »

Iraq: Five Reported Dead in ‘Day of Rage’ Protests

February 25th, 2011 by Alec

On Thursday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, in a televised address, urged Iraqis to boycott planned Friday protests claiming they were being infiltrated by Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda loyalists.  Despite the call, thousands turned out on Friday across the country to demand better government services.  Protests took place in ten cities from Basra in the south to Mosul in the north.  In some cases protesters burned buildings and security forces fired on protesters in Baghdad, Ramadi, and Salahuddin Province killing five and wounding several.  The provincial governor in Basra resigned as a result of the protests in that city.  Vehicular traffic in Baghdad has been banned in order to prevent protesters from reaching the city’s Tahrir Square (not to be confuse with the square of the same name in Cairo).


Posted in Iraq, Protests | Comment »

Members of House React to Situation in Libya

February 24th, 2011 by Naureen

Chairwoman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) released a statement on Libya earlier this week calling for the Libyan regime to be held accountable for attacks on its citizens, for the UN to revoke Libya’s membership on the Human Rights Council, and for the U.S. and other free democratic nations to impose economic sanctions and freeze the regime’s assets.  Ranking member of the committee Howard Berman (D-CA) stated that the Colonel Muammar Gadhafi’s brutal response to protesters “forfeited whatever shreds of legitimacy” his regime had and called on the international community to consider all measures to end the violence, including the immediate freezing of all assets.  He also commended the defection of Libyan diplomats and urged the military leadership to do the same.  Reps. Jim McDermott (D-WA), Mike Honda (D-CA), Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) also issued a statement on Thursday condemning the violence in Libya and calling for international action along with the establishment and enforcement of a no-fly zone over the country.  They also urged the Libyan military to immediately stop “its unlawful and immoral crackdown against the people of Libya.”


Posted in Congress, Human Rights, Libya, Military, Multilateralism, Protests, United Nations, sanctions | Comment »

Libya After Gadhafi

February 24th, 2011 by Naureen

As protests continue to escalate in Libya, The New York Times asks experts what the international community can do and what difficulties lie ahead in a post-Gadhafi Libya.  President of the American University in Cairo Lisa Anderson asserts that Gadhafi will leave “a legacy of lawlessness and mistrust in Libya that will be very difficult to surmount” as the regime has thwarted the development of stable institutions and civil society.  Multilateral intervention may be necessary, she states.  Chairman of the department of political science and geography at the University of Texas at San Antonio Mansour O. El-Kikhi agrees with Anderson, but is optimistic given popular support for the 1951 constitution and the development of local committees to the maintain peace and necessary services.  He calls on the West to provide Libyans with necessary non-military goods.  Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, echoes Anderson and states that unlike Egypt and Tunisia, “Libya seems destined for a complete change in orientation” which is “likely to be slower, more uncertain and more violent.”

Ronald Bruce St John, author of several books on Libya, states that the creation of functioning and effective social and political institutions will take time and also notes the importance of tribes in creating a provisional government.  He calls on the Administration to stress its full support for Libyan protesters.  Noman Benotman, analyst at the Quilliam Foundation and former leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, also notes the importance of tribal structure and the need to incorporate elements formerly close to the Gadhafi regime to help manage a democratic transition.  He calls on the West to “support the Libyan people while not interfering in their choices.”  Duke University professor of public policy and political science Bruce W. Jentleson argues that with Gadhafi willing to shoot civilians, a military intervention by coalition forces may be necessary.  Journalist Lisa Goldman states preconceptions about leadership and conditions necessary for civil society and democracy are being challenged as a provisionary government has been formed in the eastern Libya by tribal leaders who are willingly sharing power with the youth leaders.


Posted in Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Islam and Democracy, Libya, Multilateralism, Protests, Reform, Tunisia, US foreign policy | Comment »

Libya: Clashes in Zawiya, Near Tripoli

February 24th, 2011 by Alec

Carol J. Williamswriting at the Babylon and Beyond blog at the Los Angeles Times, says that anti-government protesters have been clashing with government troops for control of the city of Zawiya near the capital Tripoli.  An army unit attacked the main mosque of the city and up to 100 people have been reported killed.


Via LibyaFeb17 blog.


Posted in Libya, Protests | Comment »

Egypt’s Protest Movement Analyzed

February 24th, 2011 by Naureen

The International Crisis Group’s latest report looks at the popular protest movement in Egypt and its impact on the broader Middle East. The report states that the success of the Tunisian uprising played a critical role in pushing Egyptians to initiate their own movement and also discusses how post-Mubarak Egypt will largely be shaped by the features that characterized the uprising. The report states that a tug of war between the popular but unorganized opposition and the entrenched military, who sought to protect its own interests and hopes to control the pace and scope of change, will likely continue.  It also asserts that as the process moves, “from the streets to the corridors of power,” opposition rivalries are likely to re-emerge and the absence of empowered representatives or an agreed upon agenda will harm its effectiveness. Additionally the report states that the Muslim Brotherhood does not have majority support and will likely invest in long-term strategies as its message, “will resonate widely and be well served by superior organization.” However, as its political involvement deepens it will have to contend with internal tensions between generations.

The report also provides recommendations to Egypt’s military council and current power-brokers to help steer the transition and calls on Western powers to provide economic assistance and avoid “attempts to micromanage the transition”  or “react too negatively to a more assertive, independent foreign policy.”


Posted in Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Foreign Aid, Military, Muslim Brotherhood, Protests, Reform | Comment »

Obama Statement on Libya Violence

February 24th, 2011 by Alec

President Barack Obama, speaking from the White House on Wednesday, condemned the use of violence in Libya against civilians.  He stated the the U.S. was trying to ensure the safety of American citizens in Libya while working with international partners on “a way forward.”  Obama extended condolences to the family and loved ones of those injured or killed in Libya and reiterated American support for the universal rights of the Libyan people: “That includes the rights of peaceful assembly, free speech, and the ability of the Libyan people to determine their own destiny.  These are human rights.  They are not negotiable.  They must be respected in every country.  And they cannot be denied through violence or suppression.”  Obama also stressed the importance that the international community speak with “one voice” on the situation in Libya and said that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would be traveling to Geneva to meet with foreign counterparts at the Human Rights Council.

Jennifer Rubin, writing at her blog Right Turn, criticized the President’s statement and policy on Libya as “hapless.”  She further called his language choice “obtuse” in not directly stating that Muammar Gadhafi has committed war crimes against his own people and further said the statement portrayed Obama as weak.


Posted in Libya, Protests, US foreign policy | Comment »

Video: Rally in Benghazi (CNN)

February 24th, 2011 by Alec

The following video, from CNN, shows a massive rally in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, which is now under the control of anti-Gadhafi forces.


Posted in Libya, Protests | Comment »

U.S. Places Sanctions on Iranian Officials

February 24th, 2011 by Naureen

On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the U.S. has placed sanctions on two Iranian officials, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi,the prosecutor general in Tehran, Mohammed Reza Naqdi, and the commander of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force,  for perpetrating human rights abuses against Iranian citizens. She stated that it “has been  made clear to the world that Iran denies its citizens the same fundamental rights it continues to applaud elsewhere in the Middle East” and called on Iran to free all political prisoners and prosecuted minorities and to uphold its citizens universal rights. Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights Michael Posner stated that Wednesday’s action “underscores our enduring commitment to support Iranians seeking to exercise their universal rights and expresses our solidarity with victims of torture, persecution and arbitrary detention.”


Posted in Human Rights, Iran, Protests, sanctions | Comment »

Libya Update: French Doctor In Benghazi Estimates 2000 Deaths

February 23rd, 2011 by Alec

Gérard Buffet, a French doctor working at Benghazi Medical Center, gave an eyewitness account (French) of the atrocities he witnessed against Libyan civilians during the fiercest period of the government crackdown on Benghazi.  Reported by the French site LePoint, Buffet says that the Libyan regime relied on primarily Chadian and Nigerian mercenaries to attack protesters.  He reported that on the first day of violence the hospital received 75 dead bodies, on the second day 200, and on the third day 500 bodies.  He also said that the mercenaries were firing at people’s legs and abdomens and that one of his own medical students was shot in the head.  He estimated that a up to a total of 2,000 may have been killed so far.


Posted in Human Rights, Libya, Protests | Comment »

Libya Update: Libyan Embassies Around The World Resign/Denounce Gadhafi

February 23rd, 2011 by Alec

The following list, compiled anonymously, shows Libyan embassies around the world that have so far either denounced Gadhafi and the Libyan government’s massacre of protesters or fully resigned in protest.  Embassies in Egypt and Tunisia witnessed protests while embassies in India, Indonesia, Australia, Bangladesh, as well as missions to the U.N. and Arab League have resigned.  The embassies in Malaysia, Malta, and the U.S. have publicly denounced the Libyan government.

Diplomats at the Libyan Embassy in Morocco (Rabat) lowering the Libyan flag and destroying a portrait of Gadhafi


Posted in Libya, Protests | Comment »

Libya: Soldiers in Derna Executed (Warning: Extremely Graphic Images)

February 23rd, 2011 by Alec

The following video contains extremely graphic images of violence.  The video shows Libyan soldiers bound and executed by hired mercenaries on behalf of the Libyan government, for refusing to follow orders and shoot peaceful protesters.


Posted in Human Rights, Libya, Military, Protests | Comment »