MERGED: The Arab Spring

[peewee_toot]

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^^sakto. the arabs did the right choice...

[cassiopeia]

Sunod na mu.step down, si Abnoy unta

Suuuper! pero kinsai mu puli?

[peewee_toot]

he made the right decision. i hope ma peace na to didto sa middle east...

[cliff_drew]

MANAMA (Reuters) - Bahrain's king declared martial law on Tuesday as his government struggled to quell an uprising by the island's Shi'ite Muslim majority that has drawn in troops from fellow Sunni-ruled neighbour Saudi Arabia.

An uneasy calm fell on Bahrain overnight, and a defence ministry statement suggested action against protesters camped out for weeks at Pearl roundabout could be swift. Forces may impose curfews, disperse gatherings and evacuate areas, it said.

The three-month state of emergency hands power to Bahrain's security forces, which are dominated by the Sunni Muslim elite.

Clashes left three dead. A hospital source said two men, one Bahraini and the other Bangladeshi, were killed in clashes in the Shi'ite area of Sitra and more than 200 people were wounded in various incidents.

State television said a Bahraini policeman was also killed, denying media reports that a Saudi soldier had been shot dead.

Over 60 percent of Bahrainis are Shi'ites who complain of discrimination at the hands of the Sunni royal family. Calls for the overthrow of the monarchy have alarmed the Sunni minority, which fears that unrest could serve non-Arab Shi'ite power Iran.

The United States, a close ally of both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, said it was concerned about reports of growing sectarianism in the country, home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet. It dispatched Assistant Secretary of State Jeff Feltman to Bahrain to push for dialogue to resolve the crisis.

Speaking in Cairo, U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said she had told her Saudi counterpart to promote talks to resolve the situation.

"In order for the situation to return to normal we have to establish order and security and ... stop the violations which have spread disturbances among the people of our dear country," said Interior Minister Sheikh Rashed al-Khalifa.

Bahraini state media have said Shi'ite opposition activists, who complain the state has been naturalising Sunni foreigners to tip the sectarian balance, are targeting foreigners.

The opposition says the security forces are full of naturalised foreigners willing to use force against protesters.

SAUDI ANXIETY

On Monday, more than 1,000 Saudi troops rolled into the kingdom at the request of Bahrain's Sunni rulers. The United Arab Emirates has sent 500 policemen and Qatar said it would also send police.

Thousands of Bahrainis marched on the Saudi embassy in Manama on Tuesday to protest against the intervention.

"People are angry, we want this occupation to end. We don't want anybody to help the al-Khalifa or us," said a protester who gave his name as Salman, referring to the ruling family.

Analysts said the troop movement showed concern in Saudi Arabia that any concessions in Bahrain could inspire the kingdom's own Shi'ite minority.

Iran, which sits across the Gulf from Bahrain, criticised the decision to send in Saudi troops.

"The presence of foreign forces and interference in Bahrain's internal affairs is unacceptable and will further complicate the issue," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said at his weekly news conference in Tehran.

A Bahraini foreign ministry official called the remarks "blatant interference in Bahrain's internal affairs", the state news agency BNA said, adding that Manama had recalled its ambassador to Iran for consultations.

SECTARIAN CLASHES

Bahrain has been gripped by its worst unrest since the 1990s after protesters took to the streets last month, inspired by uprisings that toppled the leaders of Egypt and Tunisia.

Unlike those countries, where the mainly Sunni populations united against the regime, Bahrain is split along sectarian lines, raising the risk of a slide into civil conflict.

Violent clashes between youths wielding clubs, knives and rocks have become daily occurrences, forcing Bahrain University and many schools to close in order to avoid further trouble.

The United Nations and Britain echoed the U.S. call for restraint and the Group of Eight powers expressed concern, though analysts said the escalation showed the limits of U.S. influence when security was threatened.

Amnesty International urged Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to restrain their forces after witnesses said protesters were shot.

The disturbances are a major blow to the economy in Bahrain, whose oil reserves dwindling. Shops and offices were closed on Tuesday and the streets were deserted.

Fitch cut Bahrain's credit ratings by two notches to BBB from A-minus and said more downgrades were possible in the short term as political risk soared in the country.

The largest Shi'ite opposition group, Wefaq, condemned the imposition of martial law and urged international intervention.

In a sign security could deteriorate, Washington advised against travel to Bahrain due to a breakdown in law and order. Britain also advised against travel to Bahrain and said people without a pressing reason to remain should leave.

Armed youths attacked the printing press of Bahrain's only opposition newspaper Al Wasat overnight, in an effort to stop its publication. Metal barricades and piles of rocks blocked the main road to the financial district and most shops were shut.

Residents have placed skips and pieces of metal on the road, to prevent strangers from entering their neighbourhoods. Young men carrying sticks guarded the entrances to their areas.

"We are staying peacefully," said Ali Mansoor at Pearl square. "Our problem is not with Saudi Arabia, it is with the government."

Bahrain declares martial law, violence flares - Yahoo!

[peterpan1980]

Hundreds shot and wounded in Bahrain as king cracks down to quash protests

Read more: Hundreds shot and wounded in Bahrain as king cracks down to quash protests


At least 200 people were shot and wounded on Tuesday in a Shiite village south of the Bahraini capital, a medic said, as the king imposed a state of emergency after bringing in Saudi and Emirati troops to help quell anti-regime protests.



MY COMMENT: Unsa pa?

[Visual C#]

the successive and simultaneous arab "uprising" (i'd rather call them that than a 'revolution') can be seen in a number of perspectives and their consequent ramifications. with the marked differences that they have with each other, as was elegantly shown by master Visual C#, (Sunni vs. Shiite, Arab vs Persian, Islamists vs. Secularists)

the authoritarian Arab states finally got a taste of democratic uprisings that proved to be not just isolated incidents. you can say that other players with varied interests can be behind everything, but whether this is true or not, what must be noted is that such uprisings will never bear any fruit if it is not heavily supported by the majority of the populace.

the validity of the cause for democratic reform is real. this is over and beyond anything else that other people might say about the role other parties play. if indeed they have a hand in bringing this about, then they are only acting as midwives facilitating its birth.

Spot on. They have valid grievances; they want real democracy, but their monarchies will have none of it. The Saudi royalty is terrified of these revolutions. They have a significant Shiite minority, and if things go south in Bahrain, their Shiites will likely be inspired to do the same too. The Gulf states are wholly dependent on the United States for security. The real country to watch here make a move is Iran. They like instability among their neighbors, being a majority Shia nation, and a major regional power. Ditto for Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Oman and Yemen.

They will sadly remain divided for the next few years. The United States likes it that way, so that they can keep the good stuff (oil) controllable; this reminds me of the movie Syriana. That movie was confusing as hell, but incredibly realistic and plausible.

I know of only one stable, strong country in the Middle East, one power that can potentially unite the Islamic world. That country is Turkey. It'd be interesting to see their move in the next few years.

[tatajhun]

hehe payter kaau ang arab country cge lag gubot...

[JcBoY]

I know of only one stable, strong country in the Middle East, one power that can potentially unite the Islamic world. That country is Turkey. It'd be interesting to see their move in the next few years.

That's a fair analysis indeed! With Turkey, Iran and Syria they will probably the invincible Islamic Force someday.

[gareb]

Spot on. They have valid grievances; they want real democracy, but their monarchies will have none of it. The Saudi royalty is terrified of these revolutions. They have a significant Shiite minority, and if things go south in Bahrain, their Shiites will likely be inspired to do the same too. The Gulf states are wholly dependent on the United States for security. The real country to watch here make a move is Iran. They like instability among their neighbors, being a majority Shia nation, and a major regional power. Ditto for Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Oman and Yemen.

i agree that the relationship between the Saudi's and other Sunni monarchies with the US is a mutually beneficent one. the US turns a blind eye on the abuses that these governments do against their constituencies, particularly the oftentimes severe laws and human rights abuses, as well as stifling political reforms to restructure their autocratic and feudalistic governments. the US and the West become complicit actors in propping up these governments from internal and external threats in exchange for oil.

a prime example would be Iran with its infamous hostility against the West. for this, Iran is demonized by the West, underlining its abuses against its own people. same with Libya, and Saddam's Iraq. the US and the West's duplicity in the matter is laughable, but still causes my teeth to grind.

what would be interesting is what part the US and the West will play on the downfall of its Sunni allies, as suppose to the part that they will play with those that are not friendly to them.

I know of only one stable, strong country in the Middle East, one power that can potentially unite the Islamic world. That country is Turkey. It'd be interesting to see their move in the next few years

as it stands, present-day Turkey has its own unique set of problems which is a bit similar to the early days of nationalistic Egypt under Anwar Sadat.

on one side is the constitutionally entrenched secular (and a wee-bit autocratic) military, against a rising Islamist movement which has its moderate and extremist factions. the latter currently holds dominance in Turkish politics and is being challenged by the military in various grounds. largely the battle is waged in the courts and in the parliament. though possible, street battles and full fledged civil war is not something that's highly probable considering the stability of the political institutions (as suppose to the governments) and the high respect that people still has for the military.

what is curious in the present day scenario is that Islamic-leaning governments have been democratically elected into place, but the military, deeming the creeping institutionalization of Islam as state religion violates the Turkish constitution, every so often launches coups against such governments.

[Visual C#]

Turkey is currently the 17th largest economy in the world, the largest and most modern economy in the Muslim world, and has the second largest standing military in NATO. It is surrounded by a sea of instability, and if you look back at history, it was once the heart of the Ottoman Empire, the so-called "spiritual successor" of the Byzantine and Roman Empires.

Sure, you have the Islamists and the secular military fighting it over, plus a Kurdish separatist element, but I just don't see any other country dominating the Middle East in the next 15-30 years or so. Israel will remain isolated, Saudi Arabia has nothing going for it except oil (which we know won't last for long), and Iran won't get anywhere past their own borders, as it just gets the undivided attention of the United States, and so will watch their every move. Trying to expand with the world's superpower watching your every move is, to say the least, difficult.

Egypt might be a strong contender for the crown, though. But they're currently a basket case, incredibly turbulent politics, more turbulent than that of Turkey.