Russia blocks UN Council statement on Syria
16 July, 2012 – Agence France Presse – The Dialy Star

UNITED NATIONS: Russia on Monday blocked a proposed UN Security Council statement on mass killings in the Syrian village of Treimsa, diplomats said amid worsening deadlock over international action on the conflict.

Russian envoys opposed the statement saying it was not clear what had happened, council diplomats told AFP on condition of anonymity.

A draft statement had been proposed saying that the attack on the village on Thursday was a Syrian government “violation” of its commitments to UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan not to use heavy weapons. But Russia put a hold on its release.

Dozens of people were killed in Treimsa by President Bashar al-Assad’s troops and pro-government militias, according to Syrian activists. The government has denied involvement.

Russia has called for Major General Robert Mood, the head of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) to brief the council on the killings.

UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said UNSMIS was still trying to check the facts of what happened in Treimsa, but added that it was “quite apparent that something terrible happened there and that heavy weaponry was used.”

Western diplomats said they would now probably stop pressing for the statement so the 15-nation council can concentrate on negotiating a formal resolution on the future of the UN mission in Syria which has to be agreed by Friday.

Britain, France, United States, Germany and Portugal want a resolution that includes the threat of sanctions if Assad does not halt the use of heavy weapons. Russia rejects the threat of sanctions.

…more

Russia Says West Using “Blackmail” over Syria
By AJ Correspondents – 16 July, 2012 – IPS

DOHA, Qatar, Jul 16 2012 (Al Jazeera) – Russia has said it would block moves at the U.N. Security Council to extend a U.N. monitoring mission in Syria if Western powers did not stop resorting to “blackmail” by threatening sanctions against Damascus.

Special Envoy for Syria Kofi Annan holds a press conference on Jul. 11. Credit: UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré

Sergei Lavrov, Russian foreign minister, staked out a tough position on Monday before talks in Moscow with U.N. envoy Kofi Annan, dismissing international pressure on Russia and China to stop propping up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

His comments are likely to dim Western diplomats’ hopes that Moscow is trying to find a face-saving way to drop its support for Assad and accept that he should have no role in a transition.

“To our great regret, we are seeing elements of blackmail,” Lavrov told a news conference before Annan started a two-day visit that will include talks on Tuesday with President Vladimir Putin. “This is a counter-productive and a dangerous approach.”

Meanwhile, Morocco has asked Syria’s ambassador to Rabat to leave the country, the foreign ministry said on Monday.

The Syrian government in a tit-for-tat response declared the Moroccan envoy to Damascus as persona non grata and asked him to leave.

Violence in capital

There has been no let up in violence in Syria with parts of the capital, Damascus, under fire for a second day, activists have said, with government forces blocking roads in and out of the city.

“Mortar shelling resumed in the early morning,” the Local Coordination Committees (LCC), a grass roots network of activists, said on Monday.

Reuters news agency reports that the crackle of small arms fire echoes through the streets of Damascus.

Syrian troops backed by armoured vehicles were said to have advanced through the city centre, driving out rebels who had secured a foothold within striking distance of major state installations.

The military offensive on Monday reportedly continued to batter several neighbourhoods in the capital, including Midan, Tadamon – where snipers are reported to be positioned on rooftops – Kfar Souseh, Nahr Aisha and Sidi Qadad.

The LCC added that government troops and rebel fighters of the Free Syrian Army also clashed in the western Damascus district of Kfar Souseh.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported “dawn battles on the road south of Kfar Souseh, between rebel fighters and soldiers who were in a convoy passing through the area”. …more

Between reform and revolution: Sheikh Qassim, the Bahraini Shi’a, and Iran
16 July, 2012 – by .@Alfoneh of .@AEI – Dr. @saqeralkhalifa

The political stability of the small island state of Bahrain—home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet—matters to the United States. And Sheikh Qassim, who simultaneously leads the Bahraini Shi’a majority’s just struggle for a more democratic society and acts as an agent of the Islamic Republic of Iran, matters to the future of Bahrain.

A survey of the history of Shi’a activism in Bahrain, including Sheikh Qassim’s political life, shows two tendencies: reform and revolution. Regardless of Sheikh Qassim’s dual roles and the Shi’a protest movement’s periodic ties to the regime in Tehran, the United States should do its utmost to reconcile the rulers and the ruled in Bahrain by defending the civil rights of the Bahraini Shi’a. This action would not only conform to the United States’ principle of promoting democracy and human rights abroad, but also help stabilize Bahrain and the broader Persian Gulf region. It would also undermine the ability of the regime in Tehran to continue to exploit the sectarian conflict in Bahrain in a way that broadens its sphere of influence and foments anti-Americanism.

Key points in this Outlook:

Bahrain’s history is fraught with Shi’a marginalization, which, as the nation’s ties to the Islamic Republic of Iran grow stronger, has fomented a radical strain in the nation’s politics.

Political and clerical leader Sheikh Qassim’s transition from moderate reformist to zealous revolutionary serves as a broader warning to the United States of the shifting tides in Bahrain.

To ensure stability in the Persian Gulf, which is critical for oil transportation, the United States must work with the current government in Bahrain to encourage gradual reforms and civil rights for the Shi’a majority.

Every Friday, the elderly Ayatollah Isa Ahmad Qassim al-Dirazi al-Bahrani, more commonly known as Sheikh Qassim, climbs the stairs to the pulpit at the Imam al-Sadiq mosque in Diraz, Bahrain, to deliver his sermon. Wearing a white turban and cloak matching his white beard and reading his handwritten sermon on ethics aloud in a monotonous voice, the spectacled sheikh resembles the scholarly imam after whom the mosque is named rather than a revolutionary leader. However, every week, hundreds of Bahraini Shi’a line up to pray behind Sheikh Qassim in Diraz, and thousands find political inspiration in his sermons, which they follow on the Internet or radio and television broadcasts sponsored by the regime in Tehran and the Lebanese Hezbollah. Sheikh Qassim’s persistent demand for political reforms and his call for active resistance to the Sunni ruling elites of Bahrain have made him the preeminent Shi’a leader in Bahrain.

The Sunni ruling elites of Bahrain, however, see Sheikh Qassim not as a reformer but as a zealot revolutionary serving the Islamic Republic of Iran. They accuse him of trying to overthrow rather than reform the political order in Bahrain. Instead of bridging the gap between the Shi’a and Sunni, they claim, Sheikh Qassim widens the sectarian divide in society.

There is some truth to both perceptions of Sheikh Qassim. The history of the struggle of the Bahraini Shi’a, with which Sheikh Qassim’s political life is intertwined, illustrates his dual role. Sheikh Qassim expresses the just grievances of the Shi’a protest movement and demands civil rights for the Shi’a majority.[1] but increasingly he—and the Shi’a protest movement— act like revolutionaries rather than reformists. There is also unquestionably a relationship between Sheikh Qassim and the regime in Tehran, which he denies, but whose propaganda machinery he skillfully employs to spread his message.

Early Youth in Diraz

Tracing Sheikh Qassim’s early influences helps us understand his current beliefs and political alliances. According to a short biographic note on Sheikh Qassim released by Al-Wasat, he was born in the village of Diraz, west of the capital (Manama) along Bahrain’s northern coastline, around 1940.[2] However, the exact year of his birth is disputed.[3] His father, Ahmad al-Bahrani,[4] was a modest fisherman and did not belong to the prominent families in the village.[5] Sheikh Qassim was born into a rural Arab Shi’a family[6] who, as their family name (Bahrani) suggests, consider themselves the original inhabitants of the country.[7] This identity distinguishes them from the Khalifa ruling family, whom the Baharna consider to be foreign invaders,[8] but also from Ajam, or ethnically Iranian and Persian-speaking Shi’a of Bahrain. …more

Bahraini Revolutionaries Praise Iran’s Supreme Leader for Supportive Positions

16 July, 2012 – FARS

TEHRAN (FNA)- A group of Bahraini revolutionaries in a statement lauded the brave and historical positions taken by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei in support of the fair and legitimate demands of the Bahraini nation.

“Imam Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Revolution and the religious leader of the world Muslims, in a brave and historic move has repeatedly stood beside the Bahraini nation and has defended their fair and legitimate demands,” the statement by a group named February 14 Revolution’s Companions Coalition said on Monday.

The Coalition praised Ayatollah Khamenei’s positions, and expressed the hope that his revolutionary positions will heal the wounds of the martyrs’ families, the injured people, the detainees and others harmed due to their protests against the al-Khalifa regime.

Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid-February 2011, calling for an end to the Al Khalifa dynasty’s over-40-year rule.

Violence against the defenseless people escalated after a Saudi-led conglomerate of police, security and military forces from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar – were dispatched to the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom on March 13, 2011, to help Manama crack down on peaceful protestors.

So far, more than 69 people have been killed, hundreds have gone missing and thousands of others have been injured.

Police clampdown on protesters continues daily. Authorities have tried to stop organized protests by opposition parties over the past month by refusing to license them and using tear gas on those who turn up. …more

Pictures from the crackdown on today’s demonstrations around Bahrain
13 July, 2012 – by Bahrain Coordinating Committee Administrator

Opposition groups called for protests in ten areas around Bahrain to take place today, Friday, July 13th. The protests were set to start at 5pm Bahrain time. The Ministry of Interior announced yesterday that all demonstrations would be considered illegal, and anyone participating in today’s events would be breaking the law.

Today, riot police were on the scene early. Many streets were closed, and some towns were party sealed off, preventing people from getting in. Checkpoints were installed in other areas.

Despite the intense security measures and attempts to prevent protesters from joining the demonstrations, people went out anyway. The crackdown started even before even the demonstrations commenced. Tear gas and flashbang grenades were fired in every town that attempted to protest.

Riot police raided many private homes, in some cases firing at the occupants. In Karzakan, a 16 year old girl was shot with a flashbang grenade, and at the same house a 40 year old woman was forced out of the shower naked. Police also directly targeted protesters. A 13 year old from Al Dair was shot in her ankle with a tear gas canister.

SEE PHOTO GALLERY HERE

Bahrain’s Propaganda Machine is Turned up to Eleven
13 July, 2012 – Marc Owen Jones Blog

Lethal Shrouds, Weaponised Loudspeakers, and Freedom of Expression Events. These are just some of things you ought to be concerned about over the coming weeks. That’s right, the Bahrain government’s propaganda machine has kicked into overdrive, and it is now making even the most banal household objects seem like a potential Weapon of Mass Destruction. I don’t mean to trivialize matters, but after watching the weekly security report issued by the Bahrain News Agency (BNA), I am entitled to be a little sarcastic. For those who haven’t seen it yet, you can watch it here. Read on for highlights.

Firstly, the report begins with this introduction,

‘The security report brings you a summary of what happened during the week from rioting, vandalism and law-breaking which SOME still call it a peaceful protest. And through this week’s report once again we will show you by footage what has been labelled as peaceful as an act of terrorism, so let’s start this week’s report’.

So the BNA propaganda term are still keen to conflate any act of deviance as somehow an act of deceit, perpetrated by people who claim it is peaceful. In short, they wish to blur the lines between those who actually DO believe in peaceful protest, with those who use violence or other methods. In other words, anyone who wants political change, regardless of the methods they espouse, is a security threat. Figure 1 illustrates the general trend of government propaganda (I know it’s another flowchart – I couldn’t help myself).

…more

Despite the security preparations, hashish growers in the Bekaa are optimistic about the season.

Lebanon: Hashish Growers and the Government Face Off
By: Rameh Hamieh – 13 July, 2012 – Al Akhbar

(Photo: Alia Haju)

It is hard to predict how this year’s planned destruction of the hashish crop in the Bekaa will play out.

The farmers insist on confronting any such attempt, and the security forces are “determined” to destroy the cannabis crop.

While the security forces continue with their preparations – which include communicating with the owners of agricultural tractors as well as coordinating with the leadership of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Internal Security Forces (ISF) – hashish growers are adamant that they will “protect their livelihood.”

Fighting the coming invasion is the farmers’ last resort after the state deserted them by “abandoning any attempt to address agricultural problems, support traditional crops, and compensate losses resulting from natural disasters or any downturn in agricultural production in light of the Syrian crisis,” according to one farmer.

Despite the security preparations, hashish growers in the Bekaa are optimistic that the season “will pan out just like I see you and you see me,” says Abu Ali, as he checks the irrigation of his cannabis field and the stems which have grown over 70cm.

A written statement warned that the farmers “will deal with the hired workers as enemies, because they are conspiring against people from their area for a little bit of money.”
As he rubs the green leaf in his hand and smells its strong scent, this 50-something-year old man says that he bases his conclusion on the overall security situation in the country.

“Lawlessness is everywhere and they don’t dare confront anyone, so why should we be any different? Are we lesser mortals?” he asks, adding: “They should feel for us a little bit.”

Abu Ali does not hide the fact that many farmers “sowed their land – no matter how small – with cannabis seeds, because they are convinced the season will pan out,” pointing out that large areas “for as far as your eyes can see have been planted in Baalbek-Hermel.”

Hanna, a resident of a village in west Baalbek, says the responsibility “falls on the shoulders of the Lebanese state and some of its security agencies.”

He accuses these agencies of intimating to farmers that “no one will touch the hashish. Then they scouted the planted areas, took pictures of them from airplanes, and sent them to international institutions to collect funds in order to destroy them.”

Hanna asks political and party leaders to intervene to prevent the destruction operation this year. He refuses to believe that “the decision to destroy the hashish crop was taken by the security forces alone.”

Tractor owners, who are brought in to uproot the cannabis fields, have not been spared from the threats made by farmers. …more

Iran Sanctions: War by Other Means
By Conn Hallinan – 13 July, 2012 – FPIP

Now that the talks with Iran on its nuclear program appear to be on the ropes, are we on the road to war? The Israelis threaten it almost weekly, and the Obama administration has reportedly drawn up an attack plan. But in a sense, we are already at war with Iran.

Carl von Clausewitz, the great theoretician of modern warfare, defined war as the continuation of politics by other means. In the case of Iran, international politics has become a de-facto state of war.

According to reports, the annual inflation rate in Iran is 22.2 percent, although many economists estimate it at double that. In the last week of June, the price of chicken rose 30 percent, grains were up 55.8 percent, fruits up 66.6 percent, and vegetables up 99.5 percent. Iran’s Central Bank estimates unemployment among the young is 22.5 percent, although the Financial Timessays “the official figures are vastly underestimated.” The production sector is working at half its capacity.

The value of the Iranian rial has fallen 40 percent since last year, and there is a wave of business closings and bankruptcies due to rising energy costs and imports made expensive by the sanctions.

Oil exports, Iran’s major source of income, have fallen 40 percent in 2012, according to the International Energy Agency, costing the country nearly $32 billion over the past year. The 27-member European Union (EU) ban on buying Iranian oil will further depress sales, and an EU withdrawal of shipping insurance will make it difficult for Tehran to ship oil and gas to its diminishing number of customers. Loss of insurance coverage could reduce Iran’s oil exports by 200,000 barrels a day, or $4.5 billion a month. Energy accounts for about 80 percent of Iran’s public revenues.

Whipsawed by energy sanctions, the worst may be yet to come. The United States has already made it difficult for countries to deal with Iran’s Central Bank, and the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that would declare the Iranian energy sector a “zone of proliferation concern,” which would strangle Tehran’s ability to collect payments for its oil exports. Other proposals would essentially make it impossible to do business with Iran’s other banks. Any country that dared to do so would find itself unable to conduct virtually any kind of international banking.

If the blizzard of legislation does pass, “This would be a significant ratcheting-up of the economic war against Iran,” Mark Dubowitz told the Financial Times. Dubowitz is executive director of the neoconservative Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, which has lobbied for a series of economic assaults against the Palestinians, China, and Hezbollah. …more

Bahrain bans opposition rallies, dialogue efforts continue
13 July, 2012 – By Atallah al-Salim – Reuters

DUBAI: Bahrain has said it is banning opposition rallies in order to prevent disruption to traffic and street violence that are sabotaging efforts to end unrest in the Gulf Arab state.

But the opposition described the move as a new attempt to silence them.

The island state ruled by the Sunni Al Khalifa family has seen unrest since an uprising for political reforms, led by majority Shi’ites, was launched in February 2011 after revolts in Egypt and Tunisia.

The uprising was initially crushed during a period of martial law but unrest has continued with regular organised protests by opposition parties and clashes between riot police and youths who say the monarchy marginalises them.

A senior official said the government had no new plans to ban rallies outright, but wanted to make sure they did not turn violent.

The Interior Ministry said this week it had banned a series of rallies on Thursday and Friday organised by the leading opposition party Wefaq, the latest in a series of publicly announced bans over the past month,.

It cited public interest and traffic concerns.

“Holding these marches will damage people’s interests and hold up traffic,” state news agency BNA said latge on Thursday, citing public security chief Tariq al-Hassan.

“The marches cannot be considered as responsible freedom of expression,” it said, adding that march organisers had not been able to control them in the past.

Senior Wefaq member Abduljalil Khalil decried what he said was a new policy to end the use of the street to demand reforms.

“This will lead to more escalation since people now feel no hope. There is no chance to practise their freedom, they have cornered everybody now,” he said.

Amnesty International criticised the bans on Thursday, saying the government was violating fundamental rights. A government statement said the interior ministry was working on identifying “approved locations” for rallies.

Since April the authorities have stepped up efforts to crack down on unrest. Activists cite an increased use of shotgun pellets, whose use authorities have declined to confirm or deny.

…more

Commons select committee says Arab spring demands a change of policy in dealing with authoritarian regimes

Fears of human rights abuses prompt UK to revoke arms export licenses
Nick Hopkins – The Guardian – 12 July, 2012

The UK must change its arms export policy to prevent weapons and other military equipment being sold to authoritarian regimes because the Arab spring has shown the system is fundamentally flawed, a Commons report warns.

A review of export controls also highlights how the Foreign Office has admitted it is now concerned about allowing the sale of certain specialist equipment to Argentina, which has included counter-submarine hardware, as well as components for military radar and combat aircraft.

The report of the joint committees on arms export controls includes previously unpublished details about what has been sold abroad over the past two years.

It also highlights how an unprecedented number of export licences had to be revoked because of fears that British equipment could be used for human rights abuses in the Middle East and north Africa. In all, 158 arms licences had to be withdrawn.

The committee says this is “demonstrable evidence that the initial judgments to approve the applications were flawed”. Although restrictions have been introduced, MPs question whether exports to certain countries in the region, including Bahrain, can be justified.

Under the government’s own guidelines, licences cannot be issued if there is a clear risk that the equipment might provoke conflict or could be used to facilitate internal repression.

Records for last year show 97 licences were granted for sales to Bahrain for equipment including assault rifles, sniper rifles, body armour, gun silencers, shotguns, pistols, weapons sights and small arms ammunition.

“Bahrain is self-evidently a very sensitive country, given the very serious human rights violations that took place there,” said Sir John Stanley, the select committee chairman.

“There have been very serious human rights violations involving doctors and nurses. We have picked out those [licences] which we think are most questionable on grounds for use for internal repression.”

The committee says there is a compelling case for the Foreign Office to include the 28 countries on its watchlist for human rights abuses as part of a review of arms export policy. These nations include Russia, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

“The government should extend its arms export policy review to include authoritarian regimes and countries of human rights concerns,” said Stanley. On Argentina, Stanley said the views of the Foreign Office reflected concern in the government about the UK’s “previous Falklands experience, where British ships were tragically sunk and many people lost their lives”. He added: “The only explanation I can put is that the government is concerned about the policies they have been following hitherto on arms export licences to Argentina.” …more

Bahrain: Ongoing practice of torture of detainees, with the support of public prosecution
13 July, 2012 – Bahrain Center for Human Rights

The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) has confirmed, in its report back in November, torture cases committed by Ministry of Interior Officials. The BICI list of recommendations had action points to prevent such incidents. However, months after the report’s release, numerous torture cases have been documented by the Bahrain center for Human Rights (BCHR). The absence of accountability, the presence of a culture of impunity and the disregard of torture allegations by public prosecution are sources of grave concern for the BCHR.

In the past month, many severe cases of torture committed by Bahrain’s security forces have been witnessed and documented by rights activists. Torture is practiced in official MOI detention centers, unofficial centers (e.g. municipal buildings) and upon arrest in the houses being raided and these are only some of the cases:

Syed Hashim Salman Juma, 18 years old, is one of many torture victims. Syed was arrested in June after riot police attacked Malkiya village. According to his testimony, he was taken to Karzakan village municipality building where he was beaten with batons. Police poured water on him and electrocuted him 7 times on his back. They even tried to set his hair on fire but fortunately they failed. After they were done, he was taken to a deserted farm and he was told to run.

On 14 June 2012, yet another peaceful protest was repressed by Bahrain’s regime forces in Aali village. A group of protesters took shelter in a house in the area to get away from excessive use of tear gas and shooting. When inside the house, security forces raided it. The protesters were beaten with batons and belts, kicked and punched. A 16 year old boy was in the house at the time. He gave his testimony to the BCHR. He was beaten and insulted for half an hour and then taken by police to a yard in the village where he was further tortured and beaten. He was threatened with rape and murder, if he did not collaborate with the police and worked as a spy for them. Human rights activists and witnesses stated that they’ve heard screams and ambulance sirens. A BCHR representative went to the house and saw blood traces all over it.

UK drops restrictions on Bahrain arms sales: report
13 July, 2012 – Al Akhbar

The United Kingdom has dropped restrictions on arms sales to Bahrain despite the ongoing oppression in the Gulf state, a British magazine reported on Friday.

The British government cancelled several arms deals with the state after Manama began a harsh crackdowns on popular protests in February 2011.

But later in the year British officials issued the country invitations to military exhibitions, after intense lobbying and an official request from Bahrain, documents obtained by Private Eye magazine reveal.

Officials also arranged meetings between British arms contractors and the Bahraini authorities, the magazine said.

On Friday the British parliament’s Committee on Arms Export Controls issued a report expressing concern that current arms deals to Bahrain ignored rules on the country banning exports that might be used for internal repression.

Select committee chairman John Stanley said the government needed to make “significantly more cautious judgments on the export of arms.”

“Bahrain is self-evidently a very sensitive country, given the very serious human rights violations that took place there,” said Stanley. “There have been very serious human rights violations involving doctors and nurses.”

On Monday, the head of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) Nabeel Rajab was sentenced to three months in jail for tweets deemed offensive to the country’s autocratic rulers.

Bahraini authorities announced tough new penalties for assaulting security officers on Thursday, ranging from automatic detention to life imprisonment, according to the state-run Gulf Daily News.

Said Yousif, deputy head of the BCHR, told Al-Akhbar protests were continuing in the country, including in the capital Manama despite a ban by the government.

“In the US and the UK, many protest in London and Washington. So why, when it comes to Bahrain, do we have to protest in the villages?” said Yousif.

Condemning the continued UK arms sales, Yousif said the government “will not use it on Iran; they will not use it for any threats from outside Bahrain. They will use it on protesters.”

“The people of Bahrain are disappointed,” he added. …source

Saudi protesters rally in Qatif to demand release of Shia cleric
13 July, 2012 – Shia Post

Tension has been high in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province since last week after security forces detained Sheikh Nemr al-Nemr with almost daily protest rallies in the oil-rich region.

At least three people have been killed and many others injured in Riyadh’s crackdown on demonstrations against the detention of al-Nemr.

There has been no word on al-Nemr’s condition and whereabouts. The cleric was injured when regime forces attacked his car in Awamiyah to arrest him.

Since February 2011, Saudis have held demonstrations on an almost regular basis in the Kingdom’s Eastern Province, mainly in Qatif and Awamiyah, calling for the release of all political prisoners, freedom of expression and assembly, and an end to economic and religious discrimination against the eastern region.

However, the demonstrations have turned into protests against the Al Saud regime, especially since November 2011, when Saudi security forces killed five protesters and injured many others in the province. …more

Bahrain Feature: The “Security” Web — The Kingdom Talks with Saudi Arabia, Britain, and the US
12 July, 2012 – John Horne in EA WorldView

Bahrain’s Commander-in-Chief Hosts US CENTCOM CommandersWhilst meetings are part of every government’s day, a series of encounters in the past week suggest that security and Saudi union is again very much on the mind of Bahrain — and its allies.

The backdrop to this activity took place on Sunday, when the Bahrain Interior Minister, Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, visited his Saudi counterpart, Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The Saudi Gazette reported, “The talks focused on the recent raids by the Bahraini security forces that resulted in the uncovering of ‘terrorist hideouts’ and seizure of materials used for manufacturing explosive devices.” The Prince “lauded the cooperation between the two countries in security aspects”. Interestingly, the regime’s Bahrain News Agency buries this comment, following three paragraphs of what it describes as a “brotherly visit” by the Bahrain minister.

On Monday, US CIA Director David Petraeus was in Saudi Arabia for separate meetings with King Abdullah and Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, discussing “matters of common concern”.

On his return from Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the Bahrain Interior Minister met with the UK Ambassador Iain Lindsay, along with Deputy Ambassador Russ Kick. This follows a series of meetings the Interior Minister had in the UK a fortnight ago, during which the alleged bomb-making equipment was discovered in Bahrain. Scotland Yard subsequently sent specialist detectives to help with the investigation.

The Interior Minister saw Ghanim bin Fadl Al Buainain, Bahrain’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs who “lauded the pioneering role of the Saudi diplomacy, describing it as a successful model of the GCC joint political and diplomatic work regarding various regional and international issues.”

On the same day, the US Deputy Ambassador Stephanie Williams sat down with Prime Minister Court Chief Shaikh Hussam bin Isa Al Khalifa, who “underlined both countries’ keenness to further solidify strategic relations of cooperation in the political, economic, trade and security fields”. Yesterday, Deputy Ambassador Williams met with Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, the Deputy Prime Minister to discuss “current progress in bilateral friendly relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United States of America”.

Concluding this curious flurry of meetings, yesterday USA-CENTCOM’s Commander Lt-General David L. Goldfein met with Bahrain Defence Force Commander-in-Chief, Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa. State media reports the BDF Commander-in-Chief as having “explored with him bilateral cooperation relations and military coordination between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the friendly (sic) United States of America. Also during the meeting, the two sides explored various topics of mutual interest”. …more

International NGOs denounce the new arbitrary detention of Human Rights Defender Nabeel Rajab
11 July, 2012 – Bahrain Center for Human Rights

The Observatory
The Observatory denounces the new arbitrary detention of Mr. Nabeel Rajab, which seems to merely aim at hindering his human rights activities and at stifling his attempts to fight corruption in Bahrain. The Observatory also recalls that normally, Courts issue fines for cases of libel, and not imprisonment sentences.

The Observatory calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Rajab, and is extremely concerned about the fact that four cases have been filed against him since May 2012.

The Observatory more generally urges the Bahraini authorities to put an end to all acts of harassment – including at the judicial level – against Mr. Rajab, and to comply with the relevant international norms and standards, in particular the United Nations (UN) Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998, and international human rights standards and international instruments ratified by Bahrain.
(More)

Bahrain must immediately release a prominent human rights activist and prisoner of conscience sentenced to three-month’s in prison following his conviction for libel, after the authorities took exception to a post he made on Twitter, Amnesty International said today.

“Nabeel Rajab’s imprisonment is the latest example of how, despite government promises to introduce reforms following its violent crackdown on protesters in 2011, few improvements have been seen on the ground. It’s clear that repression of freedom of expression is continuing with impunity in Bahrain,” said Ann Harrison, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Deputy Programme Director.

“Like many others in Bahrain, Nabeel Rajab is a prisoner of conscience, jailed solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression. He should be released immediately and all other charges or convictions against him dropped or overturned. The authorities must also act to ensure that all human rights defenders are able to carry out their work without fear of reprisal.”
(More)

HRW – The Bahraini authorities should immediately release the prominent human rights activist Nabeel Rajab and overturn his conviction for posting an “insulting” tweet, which violates his freedom of expression. The authorities should immediately suspend, and then abolish, the use of any criminal laws that violate freedom of expression, including those that criminalize “insults” and peaceful criticism of the government.

“If anyone is guilty of insult today, it is the Bahraini government, which has reminded citizens they’re not free to express political views,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Using masked men to arrest Rajab, a champion of peaceful protest and human rights, would be laughable if the reality wasn’t so tragic.”

(More)

Reporters Without Borders strongly condemns the latest conviction and three-month sentence imposed on the activist Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, for posting messages on Twitter on 2 June that were alleged to be libellous.

The eagerness with which the authorities have pursued Nabeel Rajab, whose only crime was to express himself freely, is yet another affront to human rights activists,” the press freedom organization said. “The international community must step up its pressure on the kingdom, which is pursuing its crackdown against dissident voices with impunity.

“We urge Bahrain’s judicial authorities to concentrate its efforts on the cases of torture and serious human rights violations of the past few months and to call the perpetrators to account.”
(More)

Commander Blames US, British, Israeli Spy Agencies for Bahraini People’s Suffering
12 July 2012 – The Islamic Invitation Turkey

Commander of Iran’s Basij (volunteer) force Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi took the US, British and Israeli spy agencies responsible for the Bahraini people’s agony and the suppression of their uprising against the tyrannical rule of the al-Khalifa regime.

“What has stood against the integrated campaign of the Bahraini people is not al-Khalifa and al-Saud but the US, Britain and the Zionist regime,” Naqdi said, addressing a ceremony in Ahwaz city on Thursday.

“These are the US and Britain that identify the Jihadi groups by their spy networks and provide the Wahhabi torturers with (information about them),” he added.

Naqdi reiterated that if the US, British and Israeli spy agencies hadn’t helped the al-Khalifa regime with the suppression of the Bahraini people’s uprising, the Bahraini and Saudi rulers had fled their strongholds long time ago.

Bahrain, a US ally ruled by the Al Khalifa family, has been in turmoil since protests broke out in February last year.

Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid-February 2011, calling for an end to the Al Khalifa dynasty’s over-40-year rule.

Violence against the defenseless people escalated after a Saudi-led conglomerate of police, security and military forces from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar – were dispatched to the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom on March 13, 2011, to help Manama crack down on peaceful protestors.

So far, more than 69 people have been killed, hundreds have gone missing and thousands of others have been injured.

Police clampdown on protesters continues daily. Authorities have tried to stop organized protests by opposition parties over the past month by refusing to license them and using tear gas on those who turn up.

The opposition coalition wants full powers for the elected parliament and a cabinet fully answerable to parliament. …source

Erdogan to visit Russia next week
12 July, 2012 – Al Akhbar

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan leaves for Russia next Wednesday to discuss the developments in Syria with Russian President Vladimir Putin, his office announced Thursday.

“Significant regional and international developments led by Syria are on the table to be discussed thoroughly,” during Erdogan’s visit, the written statement said.

The talks are a new link in the chain of effective dialogue at the highest level between Turkey and Russia, the statement added.

Ankara and Moscow remain at odds regarding the armed conflict between President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the opposition that has claimed thousands of lives since mid-March last year.

Erdogan’s one-day visit comes after Ankara clashed with Damascus over the downing of a Turkish warplane on June 22 by Syrian fire over the Mediterranean and the death of its two crew.

Turkey viewed the incident as a hostile act and has taken steps to fortify its border with Syria, while Russian media outlets, citing unnamed Russian officials, placed the blame on the “provocative” Turkish fighter, which illegally entered Syrian airspace.

Turkey, a one-time ally of Damascus, has actively supported Syrian rebels, including providing them sanctuary on Turkish soil. Moscow has previously criticized foreign powers arming rebel groups as undermining peace efforts.

Turkey shelters more than 37,000 refugees on its side of the border with Syria, where rebel forces made up of Syrian army defectors are also based. …source

The First International Festival of Independent Filmmakers “NEW HORIZON”
5 July, 2012

It is our pleasure to announce the first international festival of Independent Filmmakers (NEW HORIZON). In collaboration with the Cinematic Organization of I.R.Iran, the festival will focus on social and political issues addressed over the recent surge of change and awakening throughout America, Europe and Islamic countries. The event will take place on September 1st, 2012 in Tehran.

Mission & Objective

Our mission is to create a platform where independent filmmakers and scholars from around the world can gather and feature their films. The festival also aims to provide academic grounds for profound debates on various aspects of world cinema and to encourage confrontations with the realities of our global society.

Key dates and deadlines

* Submission deadline August 10th, 2012

* Announcement of results August 15th, 2012

Festival/ Conference opening September 1st, 2012 *

* Closing Ceremonies September 5th, 2012

Festival Sections:

* Primary competitions

Short and Semi-feature Films (maximum 52 minutes)

Feature Films (60 minutes or longer)

* Peripheral meetings and Workshops

Topics

The Occupy movement in Wall Street America and Europe

The fall of regional monarchies and awakening movements in Islamic countries
The economic crisis in Europe and America
The role of Lobbies in the current American and European crisis
Resistance against occupation
Anti-war movements
Islam phobia and Iran phobia
A world toward sustained justice
A World without terrorism and nuclear weapons

…more

US still seeks dominance over post-revolutionary Mideast, North Africa
9 July, 2012 – By Colin S. Cavell – PressTV

Many observers, jaded by years of US indifference to the tyrannical rule of its autocratic client states, dismissed Obama’s proclamation as mere propaganda without substance. Subsequent US actions to support ‘democratic’ transitions since have both surprised regional analysts in some ways while confirming the worst of American intentions to others. However, one thing most are becoming increasingly in agreement on is the further articulation of a new US democratic model for the MENA countries in an attempt to perpetuate its continued dominance over the region.”

In the center along the North Africa coast is Libya. To its west sits Tunisia and Algeria. Facing Libya from its south is Niger, Chad, and Sudan. And to its east lies Egypt.

Flanked by six fellow African countries, Libyans are psychologically oriented towards its north which is rimmed by the Mediterranean Sea. In the northwest of the country lies the capital city of Tripoli. To the northeast sits Benghazi. And in the north center of the country, along the Mediterranean, and about midway between these rival locales, is the city of Sirte, birthplace of former leader Muammar Gaddafi, as well as the town in which he was slain in October of 2011 after 41 years of rule. Muslim-oriented for centuries, Libya and its North African neighbors, are now acting out, each in its own manner, the Arab Spring of democratic revolts.

In the far west of the Maghreb, or the western most countries which fell to the Islamic conquests of the seventh century, King Mohamed VI of Morocco acted quickly, following the self-immolation of Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi, to defuse the growth of a nascent domestic oppositional movement and proposed constitution reforms which were overwhelmingly approved by the country’s citizenry on July 1, 2011. The reforms give more powers to the parliament and prime minister and specifically require the king to appoint the government’s Prime Minister from the party which wins the most seats in competitive elections, rather than, as previously, appointing whomever he pleased. For his quick action, Mohamed VI may indeed have bought some time for the prolongation of Morocco’s 340-year-old Alaouite royal dynasty, though the democratic restructuring demanded by the Arab Spring cannot be put off indefinitely, and more power will need to be grasped by citizens’ elected representatives before there is genuine social peace.

Following the forced departure of Tunisia’s 23-year dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011, who fled to Saudi Arabia, democratic elections for a new Constituent Assembly were held later that year in October. The contested elections were won by the Islamist Al Nahda party (also known as Ennahda, which translates as “The Awakening”) with 41% of the vote for a total of 90 seats in the new 217-member parliament. Its nearest rival was the secularist Congress for the Republic (CPR) party which garnered almost 14% of the vote, securing 30 seats in the assembly. More importantly, the new democratic atmosphere ushered in a proliferation of newspapers where freedom of inquiry and speech are no longer taboo subjects.

Adjacent to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Suez, the people of Egypt cast their votes in a run-off presidential election on June 24, 2012 catapulting Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi to victory over his secularist rival former General Ahmed Shafik. With a narrow three percentage point advantage over the ex-dictator’s henchman, Morsi ushered in the first democratic elections for the country’s leader, as citizens looked forward to a new democratic social contract after the 30-year dictatorial rule of Hosni Mubarak was ousted in February 2011. The pro-democracy demands of the hundreds of thousands of protesters who daily jammed Tahrir Square in Cairo, the focal point of the rebellion, have unleashed a fury of pent-up emotions from a population sick and tired of autocratic or one-person rule.

And, this past weekend, the National Transition Council in Libya held its first democratic elections following the downfall of the Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, established by the General People’s Congress (GPC) under the direction of Gaddafi in 1977. The NTC’s July 7th vote will establish a new 200-member General National Congress (GNC) whose task is to draft a new constitution before calling for a new round of general elections. With 80% of its nearly three million voting-age citizens eligible to vote, early poll results are indicating a victory by a coalition called the National Forces Alliance (NFA), led by former Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril el-Warfally, who chaired the executive board of the National Transitional Council from March to October of 2011 during Libya’s civil war. The oppositional Muslim Brotherhood allied Justice and Construction Party, led by Mohamed Sowan, is presenting the biggest challenge to the NFA’s self-declared non-ideological “inclusive” coalition. Final results are expected later this week. …more

Bahrain closes Islamist party, cites “violent” cleric
10 July, 2012 – By Andrew Hammond – Reuters

DUBAI: A Bahrain court has dissolved a Shi’ite Islamist political party which has played a role in the Gulf Arab state’s wave of unrest, on the grounds that it answers to a religious authority who calls for violence.

Bahrain, a U.S. ally ruled by the Sunni Al Khalifa family, has been in turmoil since protests, led mainly by majority Shi’ites, broke out in February last year.

The Islamic Action party, Amal, follows a “hostile clerical authority who blatantly calls for violence and instigates hatred”, the Information Affairs Authority said in a statement on Tuesday. The court order came on Monday, it said.

The statement appeared to refer to the Iraq and Britain-based cleric Sayed Hadi al-Modarresi, an Iraqi who lived in Bahrain until he was accusing of plotting a coup in the island state after the 1979 Iranian revolution.

He directed video messages from abroad to Shi’ite protesters in Bahrain during last year’s uprising.

The statement said Amal had also broken regulations by failing to submit a copy of its annual budget to the ministry of justice, by not holding a public convention in four years, and by holding its last convention in a house of worship.

It also said the group had failed to give a “clear and definitive rejection and condemnation of acts of setting fires, sabotage, terrorising citizens, endangering their lives, jeopardising their freedoms and putting them and their property in direct danger”.

Authorities threatened to close Amal and the leading opposition group Wefaq last year during a crackdown on protests that erupted in the wake of uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. Intervention by U.S. officials appeared to thwart the plan.

A spokesman for Amal was not available for comment but Wefaq said the court’s action was part of a campaign to intimidate opposition parties.

“It is another indicator of the slow crackdown that’s going on. Bahrain is swimming against the current; I’m sure this policy will fail,” said Matar Matar, a former Wefaq member of parliament.

Amal has often set itself apart from a coalition of opposition parties led by Wefaq. It has complained of being targeted because it rejected out of hand the idea of a national dialogue with the government aimed at ending political crisis.

Clashes between protesters and police continue daily. Authorities have tried to stop organised protests by opposition parties over the past month by refusing to license them and using tear gas on those who turn up.

The government says youth protesters attack police without provocation and hold unlicensed protests in villages.

The opposition coalition want full powers for the elected parliament and a cabinet fully answerable to parliament. The government, dominated by the Al Khalifa family, has increased parliament’s powers of scrutiny over ministers.

…source

Angry Throngs at a Funeral in Saudi Arabia
Reuters – By KAREEM FAHIM – 10 July, 2012

CAIRO — Thousands of people attended a funeral in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a man killed during protests in a restive region of the country’s Eastern Province, a show of popular anger that came amid fears of a renewed crackdown on dissent.

Activists said the man, Muhammed el-Filfil, had been protesting the shooting and arrest on Sunday by government security forces of a prominent Shiite cleric in the Qatif region. Mr. Filfil was one of at least two people killed when security forces fired live ammunition at the protesters in the village of Awamiya, the activists said. A government official denied that any such clash had occurred.

The oil-rich Eastern Province, the stronghold of Saudi Arabia’s Shiite minority, has long been a focal point of anger at the rigidly conservative Sunni monarchy, and for Shiite complaints about a policy of entrenched, official discrimination.

Over the last year and a half, fearing the spread of the Arab uprisings, the government, using a mix of money and arms, moved forcefully to quell the discontent in places like Qatif. Jafer al-Shayeb, a member of Qatif’s municipal council, said despite offers of development from the government, “There have been no solutions to the major issues that people are complaining about.”

The unrest has persisted, fueled by detentions of dissidents and growing calls for political freedoms and civil rights. At least nine people have been killed since February 2011 in bouts of violence that seem to occur every few months, according to human-rights activists.

The latest clashes came after the arrest of the cleric, Sheik Nimr al-Nimr, who was known as a protest leader and a fierce critic of the royal family. There were conflicting accounts about how he was injured, with the government asserting that he was shot during an exchange of gunfire as he resisted arrest. Mr. Nimr’s brother told Reuters the cleric was detained while driving from a farm to his house.

In a short video said to show Mr. Nimr immediately after his arrest, he is lying in the back seat of a car, with blood on his white robe and a uniformed man holding his head. The government said Mr. Nimr had been charged with “sedition.”

During the large protests in Awamiya after the arrest, Mr. Filfil and another man, Akbar el-Shakhoury, were fatally shot during clashes with security officers, according to Waleed Sulais, a human-rights activist in Qatif. Mr. Sulais said that the government was often quick to resort to live ammunition and said that in addition to the deaths over the last year and a half, at least 35 protesters had been injured by gunfire in the same period.

In a statement to Reuters on Monday, an Interior Ministry spokesman said the number of protesters on Sunday was “limited” and “there was no security confrontation whatsoever.”

Mr. Shayeb, the Qatif council member, said that the unrest had come after months of relative calm in the region.

Mayy El Sheikh contributed reporting from Cairo. …source