US Calling for Syrian Leader to Step Down

US Calls for Syrian Leader to Step Down
October 7th, 2011 - VOA

The United States is calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down immediately, following the alleged assassination of a key opposition leader.

A White House statement strongly condemned Friday's killing of Mashaal Tammo, the spokesman for the Kurdish Future Party and a member of a newly formed Syrian opposition coalition. Activists say masked gunmen killed him at his home in the northern town of Qamishliwhen.

The White House warned Mr. Assad must step down now “before taking his country further down this very dangerous path.”

It also said the attacks demonstrate the Syrian regime's latest attempts to shut down peaceful opposition inside Syria, where thousands of protesters have been rallying for President Bashar al-Assad's departure.

The opposition leader was among eight people killed Friday in Syria, allegedly by security forces.

Earlier, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Mr. Assad needs to enact reforms or resign. But he added that Russia opposes foreign attempts to push Mr. Assad from power.

Russia had joined China on Tuesday in vetoing a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that condemned Syria for its crackdown on civilian protesters. The French news agency says anti-government protesters in the town of Dara'a trampled the Russian and Chinese flags on Friday.

Activists say another prominent opposition figure, former lawmaker Riad Seif, was beaten on Friday outside of a mosque in Damascus.

In another development Friday, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad blamed much of his country's deadly unrest on “terrorists.” He told the U.N. Human Rights Council that criminals have killed more than 1,100 people in Syria.

The world body, which is meeting in Geneva, is reviewing Syria's response to the pro-reform rallies.

The meeting is taking place a day after the U.N. raised its death toll from Syria's seven-month crackdown on dissent more than 2,900.

Protests in Syria Continue - Syrian-American Activists Fearful for Relatives in Syria

Syrian-American Activists Fearful for Relatives in Syria
Mana Rabiee
VOA - September 14, 2011




As protests in Syria continue, Syrian-American dissidents in the U.S. are increasingly faced with a troubling dilemma: Do they pursue their activism from afar - even if it places their relatives and loved ones back home in Syria at greater risk?

Radwan Ziadeh is a Syrian-American activist in Washington. Ever since the uprising in his homeland, this mild-mannered university professor has been a central figure in the Syrian opposition movement in the United States. Then last week, he got the message he had hoped never to receive.

"I get one line from my brother in Syria saying that ‘I have bad news for you, Radwan,'" Ziadeh said.

Ziadeh’s brother, Yasin, a small business owner, had been arrested after a protest in their hometown Daraa. Now, Ziadeh and his family are concerned that Yasin’s treatment in detention will be especially brutal - to pressure his activist brother in the U.S. into silence.

"This is why I always have some guilt that I have put my family in some pressure and always they been interrogating my mother and my brothers, trying actually to use them as a hostage to push me to be quiet," Ziadeh said.

Ziadeh is not alone. Khalid Saleh is a spokesman for the Syrian-American Council based in Chicago. He said Syrian-American dissidents are now thinking about how their activism in the U.S. may jeopardize the safety of their families back home.

"A few of us also were contacted by our family members in Syria telling us ‘Please cool things down because you are putting us at risk.’ The ‘mokhaberat’ - the secret security forces in Syria -- have reached out to a few of our family members, asked them questions about our activities here in the States, trying to get more information about us," Saleh said.

Some of those relatives have already paid a price for their family members’ activism in the U.S.

Malek Jandali is a Syrian-American composer and performed at a protest rally outside the White House in July.

A few days later, he said his elderly father and mother were attacked in their home by government security forces. "She was asking them ‘Why are you hitting me? What’s going on?’ and they kept referring to me and to my concert and how I stand by the people and how I mock the government and they kept beating her and telling her ‘We’re going to teach you how to raise your kids.'"

Reports of similar incidents have reached the U.S. State Department. They have raised the U.S concern with the Syrian embassy in Washington over allegations that Syrian-Americans as well as their families in Syria may have been harassed and intimidated by supporters of the Syrian government.

“Everyone has the right to have their opinion be heard without fear of repercussions, without fear of arrest, and without fear of their families being attacked. And any country that seeks to do those types of things to its citizens is completely inappropriate and acting outside of international norms and that’s unacceptable,” said Andy Halus, a State Department spokesman.

But as pressure on the Assad regime grows, activists like Ziadeh say they continue to receive threatening emails and text messages nearly every day.

"He’s threatening that ‘If your brother get exit from the prison I will kill him,'" Ziadeh said reading a threatening text message from his cell phone.

"Every minute I ask [my] self ‘Where is he right now? What is he doing inside the prison? Does he get good food? Does he get water? How is his family doing?’…This feeling make me very nervous every day, day by day, because I cannot do more," Ziadeh said.

Other Syrian-American activists also say that while they themselves are far from Syrian police and prisons - they never forget that each new protest could bring retribution on their loved ones back home.

US, Europe Call On Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Step Down

US, Europe Call for Syria’s Assad to 'Step Aside'
VOA - David Gollust

The United States and its key European allies on Thursday made a coordinated call on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, after he ignored appeals to end a brutal five-month crackdown on protestors. The U.S. appeal for regime change is coupled with far-reaching sanctions against the Damascus government, including a ban on imports of Syrian oil.

President Barack Obama began the diplomatic effort with a written statement condemning the Syrian leader for “ferocious brutality” against democracy protestors, including what, he called, “disgraceful” attacks on cities like Hama and Deir al-Zour.

Mr. Obama said President Assad’s calls for dialogue and reform have “rung hollow” as he imprisoned, tortured and slaughtered his own people. He said that for the sake of the Syrian people, “the time has come for President Assad to step aside.”

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton affirmed the call in a press appearance here.

“The people of Syria deserve a government that respects their dignity, protects their rights and lives up to their aspirations," said Clinton. "Assad is standing in their way. For the sake of the Syrian people, the time has come for him to step aside and leave this transition to the Syrians themselves.

Soon after the U.S. announcement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron said in a joint statement that by resorting to brutal military force against his own people, Mr. Assad “has lost all legitimacy and can no longer claim to lead the country.”

The Obama administration had been poised to make the call for regime change earlier this month, but reportedly delayed action pending final reform appeals to President Assad from Arab states and neighboring Turkey -- calls that went unanswered.

Secretary Clinton, who helped orchestrate the U.S.-European action, said the allies are not trying to dictate a resolution of the crisis.

“We understand the strong desire of the Syrian people that no foreign country should intervene in their struggle, and we respect their wishes," she said. "At the same time, we will do our part to support their aspiration for a Syria that is democratic, just and inclusive.”

The new sanctions announced by President Obama sharply expand on punitive measures targeted at the Syrian leader and his inner circle. An executive order by the president freezes all Syrian government assets subject to U.S. jurisdiction, and it bans U.S. imports of Syrian petroleum products. If as expected, the move is matched by the European Union on Friday, it will severely affect what has been the main driver Syria's economy.

Syria expert Andrew Tabler of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy says the U.S. action makes dealings in Syrian oil politically risky for European and other companies.

“It forces a lot of their companies to make a choice," said Tabler. "Do they continue their relatively small Syrian business or purchases of Syrian crude, or do they maintain their relationship with the United States? These kinds of sanctions push those companies into those kind of dilemmas.”

Analyst Ed Husain of the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations says that calling on Mr. Assad to step down weakens opposition members who will now be seen as stooges of the United States. He adds that Mr. Assad’s departure would trigger instability in a country that is a patchwork of ethnic alliances.

“It’s a country that is divided along sectarian lines hugely," said Husain. "And Assad’s party and Assad’s family - whether we like it [or not], it’s an ugly truth - have held that country together. And they know if Assad falls, there will be a bloodbath between the Alawis and Druze, the other minorities as well as the Sunni majority. And for those reasons, I think at least in the short term, Bashar al-Assad remains the least worst option.”

Omar al-Issawi, Middle East and North Africa Advocacy Director for Human Rights Watch says that although his organization takes no position on the call for regime change, he hopes it will increase international pressure for accountability on Syrian human rights abuses.

“Our prime concern is for the [Syrian] regime to put an end to the very serious, grave, human rights violations that have been taking place against overwhelmingly peaceful protestors," said al-Issawi. "We hope that the authorities in Syria follow up on the declaration of President Assad yesterday, when he said military operations have stopped.”

The U.N. Human Rights Council will hold an emergency session on Syria on Monday in Geneva.


VOA - August 18, 2011

Syria Protests in Hama - Nearly half million Syrians protest in an anti-Syrian government rally

Nearly Half Million Syrians Protest in Flashpoint City

VOA - July 08, 2011

Near a half a million protesters jammed the streets of the flashpoint city of Hama in an anti-Syrian government rally on Friday, as the U.S. ambassador traveled there to show American solidarity with protesters.

Rights activists told Western news media that crowds in Hama topped more than 450,000 - one of the largest gatherings since the uprising began four months ago.

Activists in Syria also say security forces have raided a Damascus suburb to quell an overnight protest against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Security forces reportedly fired bullets at civilians participating in the demonstration.

The Reuters news agency reported at least four dead in the siege and numerous injuries.


Ambassador leaves

In Hama, the Associated Press reported that U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford left the city by midafternoon as crowds swelled.

An activist in Syria told VOA that Ford was given videos from residents showing alleged human rights violation by Syrian forces.  The ambassador's presence attracted notice from residents, who she says threw flowers at his motorcade to show their appreciation.

The Syrian foreign ministry said Thursday that Ford's presence in Hama without prior permission constitutes "clear evidence" of a U.S. attempt to "increase tension and damage Syria's security and stability."

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Ford met with a dozen people on Thursday in a visit designed to show solidarity with protesters.

She said Ford has hoped to stay in the city until late Friday and that the U.S. embassy had informed the Syrian government that an embassy team was travelling to the city.

Families fleeing

Earlier, a Syrian activist monitoring developments in Hama told VOA in a telephone interview that dozens of families fled the city Thursday fearing a military crackdown. She said security forces have surrounded Hama with tanks, and that troops have detained more than 100 people.

The activist confirmed reports from rights groups that at least 25 people have been killed and more than 40 wounded in Hama in recent days. Troops had pushed through improvised barriers and roadblocks set up by Hama residents after massive anti-government protests last week.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Syria to stop the deadly crackdown. Ban asked the Syrian leadership to grant access in the country to U.N. aid workers and a fact-finding mission.

Rights groups say Syrian security forces have killed at least 1,400 civilians since mid-March while trying to suppress the anti-government uprising. The Syrian government says terrorists and Islamist militants have killed hundreds of security personnel during the same period.

 

 

Nearly Half Million Syrians Protest in Flashpoint City

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Iran Denies Role in Syria Crackdown - vicious assaults on peaceful protesters

June 14, 2011

Iran Denies Role in Syria Crackdown

VOA - Elizabeth Arrott | Cairo

Iran has rejected allegations from Britain and the United States that it is helping Syria crack down on domestic opposition with advice, equipment, and training. Iran remains a key Syrian ally, with the two governments finding common ground on such issues as Israel, Lebanon and Iraq.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accuses Iran of supporting the Syrian government in what she calls its vicious assaults on peaceful protesters and military actions against its own cities.

Violence in Syria - Rights groups say at least 1,100 have been killed...

France to Push for UN Vote to Condemn Syrian Violence

VOA, Margaret Besheer - United Nations June 07, 2011

France says it will push for a vote in the U.N. Security Council on a resolution condemning a government crackdown on protesters in Syria. Foreign Minister Alain Juppé says a vote could come soon.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a Security Council meeting on HIV/AIDS, Juppé said the situation in Syria is escalating and the council must take action.

“The repression is getting worse; the massacres are on the rise. It is inconceivable that the U.N. remains silent on such a matter. We are working with our U.K. friends to have as large a majority as possible on the Security Council. I think we have to move to a vote so that everyone can assume their responsibilities,” Juppe said.

President Barack Obama Tells Syria's Assad to Lead Transition or Leave

Obama Tells Syria's Assad to Lead Transition or Leave

VOA - David Gollust | State Department May 19, 2011

US President Barack Obama delivers a speech about United States' policy on the Middle East and North Africa at the State Department in Washington, May 19, 2011.

In his Middle East policy speech, President Barack Obama said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad faces the choice of either leading a democratic transition in his country or getting out of the way.  The comment came a day after the U.S. administration imposed sanctions on the Syrian leader and key aides.

President Barack Obama's comments stopped short of an outright demand Syria's leader step down. But the remarks were another sign of diminishing U.S. patience with President Bashar al-Assad, whose reform promises have been contradicted by an ongoing brutal crackdown on protesters.

"The Syrian people have shown their courage in demanding a transition to democracy," said Obama.  "President Assad now has a choice: he can lead that transition, or get out of the way.  The Syrian government must stop shooting demonstrators and allow peaceful protests, release political prisoners and stop unjust arrests, they must allow human rights monitors to have access to cities like Daraa, and start a serious dialogue to advance a democratic transition."

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on anti-government protesters...

Assad Family Grip on Syria Hampers Reform

VOA - Elizabeth Arrott | Cairo May 17, 2011

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on anti-government protesters has been leavened with at least verbal concessions to reform. But given the history of the country, the government and his family, some political analysts believe those promises will never be fulfilled.

Libya’s Former US Ambassador Says West Should Intervene

VOA Exclusive: Libya’s Former US Ambassador Says West Should Intervene

VOA - Cecily Hilleary March 10, 2011

Photo: VOA

Libya's former Ambassador to the US Ali Suleiman Aujali at VOA studios

NATO members are meeting in Brussels to consider military options in response to the growing crisis in Libya.  One of NATO's chief concerns is how to impose a no-fly zone without descending into all-out war.

Ali Suleiman Aujali recently resigned his post as Libyan ambassador to the United States, but he remains in Washington on behalf of the newly-formed Interim National Transitional Council. VOA’s Cecily Hilleary sat down with Aujali in our studios and spoke to him about the issue of a no-fly zone and other challenges facing Libya today.

Aujali: You know the problem the uprising is facing now – they are facing the air superiority of [Libyan leader Moammar] Gadhafi. And the other challenge is the shortage of rebels. Of course, they are not professional fighters. They are young people, students, doctors and lawyers. We have no soldiers supporting the revolution, except for the soldiers who quit the Gadhafi regime.
We need protection, but our people will fight. But protection must be provided  by the international community. We must paralyze the Gadhafi superiority in the air. The world must do something. There are options on the table. They have to pick one which would stop Gadhafi killing his own people.

Hilleary: The no-fly zone is not a simple matter though. In order to stop Libyan airstrikes, you have to strike at the Libyan air defense and you also need to hit the missile sites on the ground.

Aujali: If the international community, the European Union and the United States want to do it, they can do it. If they don’t want to do it, then they make [the situation] very complicated. This regime [Gaddhafi’s] would not be able to [put up any resistance] if there was one strike or two. They would collapse.

Hilleary: Mr. Gadhafi has said that if we take any action, Libyans are prepared to take up arms.

Aujali: How can Gadhafi – he failed to control his own country and he is going to fight the West? He blackmailed the West with [the threat of a deluge of] illegal immigrants, he blackmailed the West with al-Qaida, their fighting in Libya, and unfortunately there are some countries that believe what he’s saying. But this is not true. Libya has never been a home to al-Qaida.

The Libyan society is a very open society, a very compassionate society. And when he said “al-Qaida,” everybody [listened] up, especially in the West, and he used this word to make the West worried. Now, the Gadhafi regime is preparing boats and sending ordinary African people who came to work in our country and sends them [off to other countries], saying – look, if I’m not here, this is the challenge you are going to be facing. Europe, I think, does understand [this trickery], and I hope they will be more serious [in the effort] to stop Gadhafi.

Hilleary: NATO has said it is not going in without U.N approval, and the U.S. is saying the same thing, but two key votes on the U.N. Security Council are likely to veto any action.

Aujali: If the United Nations cannot do it, I think NATO can do it.

Hilleary: NATO is reluctant, though.

Aujali: Then they will regret [this], because what are they waiting for? Everyday day that Gadhafi is in power [longer], this means killing. Everyday day that Gadhafi is in power [longer], he is controlling the air. He is taking no [risks] now when he strikes, because there is no action [in response]. What is the international community waiting for? Srebrenica? Rwanda? And then what will happen? They will come on TV and say how sorry they are for this to have happened.

 

VOA Exclusive: Libya’s Former US Ambassador Says West Should Intervene

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China News - Foreign Journalists Were Detained and Harassed

China Muzzles Media to Prevent Mideast-Style Protests

Heda Bayron | Hong Kong March 04, 2011 - VOA

 

Chinese authorities appear to be nervous about the spread of protests that have toppled and threatened Middle Eastern and North African rulers in recent weeks.

The government has threatened to revoke visas and expel foreign journalists who report from certain busy areas of the country without prior approval.

Last Sunday, about 16 foreign journalists were detained and harassed by security forces in the Beijing shopping district of Wangfujing. The journalists were there to document a small gathering of people who responded to Internet calls for public gatherings to support the "Jasmine Revolution" in the Middle East and to call for reform in China. One American journalist was beaten so badly he was hospitalized.

Press freedom

Freedom of expression in China is already severely curtailed. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and many foreign broadcasters, like the Voice of America, are blocked, as are many foreign news Web sites.

Spreading protests

But since the protests in the Middle East and North Africa shook long-entrenched governments there, China has stepped up efforts to prevent similar protests.

Gilles Lordet, research coordinator for Asia at Reporters without Borders in Paris, says China has increased its control over the media and government critics since human rights activist Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October.

"It shows the nervousity [nervousness] of the government about demonstrations, about the possibility of that the demonstrations in the Middle East can have an impact on [a] network of human rights defenders, journalists and defenders of freedom of expression in China," Lordet said. "We see that it is a policy that’s more and more strict since the attribution of the Nobel Prize to Liu Xiaobo in October. The situation of the Middle East increased the nervosity of the government on this subject."

Track record

China’s communist party has ruled the country since 1949. The last mass anti-government protest in Beijing ended in bloodshed in 1989, when government forces fired at hundreds of students in Tiananmen Square. In 2008, unrest in Tibet was put down by the military, and in 2009, the government again suppressed riots in the Xinjiang autonomous region.

The organization Chinese Human Rights Defenders warned Thursday of a “new wave of frenzied repression in China. The group says many activists across China have been arrested or placed under house arrest for endangering state security and subversion related to calls for a Jasmine Revolution.

"I think we are seeing one of the harshest crackdowns in the last, probably, five years because if you look at how many people are under soft detention, there’s over a hundred," said Wang Songlian, a research coordinator for the group. "That number is more or less the same as the period during the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. But I think the difference here is that how quickly the government mobilized the police to put these activists under soft detention."

Social harmony

The government under President Hu Jintao has stressed the importance of social harmony. It has spent heavily on advanced surveillance systems, Internet censorship and other ways to snuff out social unrest or dissent before they spread. Some political analysts say this makes it impossible to easily launch a challenge against the government.

A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Thursday the Chinese government has nothing to fear and any attempt to destabilize the country cannot succeed.

Some overseas Chinese Web sites have called for protests again this Sunday. However, it is unclear whether citizens in China can still see these messages.

 

 

China Muzzles Media to Prevent Mideast-Style Protests

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Facebook, Twitter - Social Media a Critical Tool for Middle East Protesters

Social Media a Critical Tool for Middle East Protesters
Alex Villarreal March 01, 2011 - VOA

Social networking websites have played a critical role in the anti-government protests sweeping the Middle East and North Africa. But media experts say the people, not the technology, are driving the demonstrations.

Organizers of the protests in Tunisia and Egypt used Facebook and Twitter to mobilize supporters.

In Egypt, the Facebook page "We Are All Khaled Said" quickly amassed thousands of fans and is now up to nearly 1 million followers. The page, honoring a young Egyptian businessman allegedly beaten to death by police last year, was instrumental in organizing Egypt's uprising.

Protesters' online efforts have shown the power of social media as a tool for political change. But Egyptian journalist and blogger Mona Eltahawy says those calling the Middle East movements Facebook or Twitter revolutions are not giving the credit where it is due.

"Facebook and Twitter did not invent courage. And I think we owe it to these incredibly courageous people. I mean look how many people are being slaughtered in Libya, to recognize that this courage has been there for decades, whether people outside of those countries saw it or not. Facebook allowed you to see it. Facebook allowed them to connect. But at the end of the day, it's their courage to go out on the street and topple those regimes that must be saluted, before we salute anybody else," she said.

Eltahawy shared her views Tuesday at a panel discussion in Washington hosted by the Center for International Media Assistance and the National Endowment for Democracy.

Abderrahim Foukara, chief of television network Al Jazeera's Washington bureau, also spoke at the event. He said social media were incredibly important in publicizing the protests. But he said he doubts the websites could have spread that spirit of democracy alone, adding that other media also played an important role.

"There were a lot of young people using Tweets and Facebook, and they still are, to convey a sense, in the case of Libya, of the atrocities being committed against civilians. But in the case of Egypt for example, you needed a television medium, whereby Egyptians can have a conversation with each other in real time in a way that put what was going on in Egypt in context, not just for people in Egypt but also for other people around the region," he said.

Social networking websites also can be fragile. U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff said Facebook and Twitter have become "vital platforms" for mobilizing dissidents, but he pointed out that the tools are not immune to government influence.

"In Egypt, the government successfully shut down the Internet for five days during peak demonstrations, cutting off protesters' access to online resources. Similarly, in Libya, Tunisia and Bahrain, governments have worked to censor online content and slow down Internet connections. And in Iran, authorities have used Facebook user accounts to shadow and capture members of the opposition. These protests make it clear that digital media can be used to accelerate political and social change, but they also highlight the ability of authoritarian regimes to use the same tools to stifle it," he said.

U.S. officials have spoken out strongly against governments' efforts to block Internet services. Schiff said the U.S. government also is discussing how it can use social networking technologies to support democratic growth.

Michael Nelson, who teaches Internet studies at Georgetown University, says those seeking change have not let online crackdowns stop them. He said Internet users in the Middle East and elsewhere have found ways around the restrictions - using proxy servers, online gaming worlds and even dating sites to keep up communication.

"In many of these countries, the most technologically sophisticated 10 percent of Internet users will find a way to get what they want. The other 90 percent are often held back, they are often blocked. But as long as there's that 10 percent and they have relatives and they know other people, you can spread the word," he said.

Even after the revolutions, the panelists say social media will continue to play an important role, with citizens using the tools to discuss what kinds of countries they now want to build.



Social Media a Critical Tool for Middle East Protesters
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Africa’s Silence on Libya - Former U.N. Official Alarmed

Former U.N. Official Alarmed Over Africa’s Silence on Libya

Peter Clottey March 01, 2011 - VOA

 

The former director of governance at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa questions why African leaders and the African Union have been “alarmingly silent” about the crisis in Libya following what he describes as the grave human rights abuses perpetrated by forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi.

Okey Onyejekwe says a number of people across Africa are surprised and embarrassed that the continental body has failed to back Libya’s anti-government protesters who want democracy in their country.

“A number of people are quite surprised that the African Union and African states have been rather quiet on the goings on in North Africa and particularly recently in Libya. The issue here for me is that we in the continent should indentify with what is going on because we started the path of democratization on the fall of the Berlin Wall, in which African masses were beginning to demand the say-so in their affairs of the state and how they were governed.”

Officials of the African Union have yet to comment officially on the crisis in Libya, as anti-government protesters demand reforms and Gadhafi’s ouster after 42 years of rule.

“One of the challenges which African states have to address in this decade is the issue of becoming relevant players in global politics and on the reaction to what is going on in Libya, particularly the fact that unarmed civilians, who were simply asking for their basic rights, were being gunned down,” said Onyejekwe.

“Something which we in the African Union should join the rest of the world because across Asia, across Europe, there is total condemnation. And then, if we must become active players and be taken seriously in global politics, we need to have our voices heard on issues like this.”

Onyejekwe says it is unfortunate Africa’s leaders remain silent in the face of the ongoing crisis in Libya.

“There are quite a number of views on what some people have called alarming, deafening silence on taking a position, at the very least, on condemnation of the reaction of the Libyan government to the peaceful demonstrators. A number of people have speculated that some African states have identified with Gadhafi and are quite reluctant to be critical,” said Onyejekwe.

“Others have said that he (Gadhafi) has deep pockets (and he) has a lot of investments in several African countries, and they are quite also reticent based on this factor. But, it is misplaced given the fact that these are human rights issues, basic issues of decency, especially in the sense that African states themselves…have affirmed commitment to good governance and democratization.”

Recently, Jean Ping the African Union Commission chief condemned what he described as the “disproportionate use of force” against Libyan anti-government protesters. But, critics say the continental body has been ineffective in handling the crisis in Libya.

Meanwhile, in a Monday interview with several Western news organizations, Gadhafi said he cannot step down because he holds no official government position.

Former U.N. Official Alarmed Over Africa’s Silence on Libya

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UN Security Council - Tears Flow Over Bloodshed in Libya

Tears Flow at UN Security Council Over Bloodshed in Libya

Margaret Besheer | United Nations February 25, 2011- VOA

 

The Libyan ambassador to the United Nations made an impassioned appeal Friday to the U.N. Security Council, calling on the U.N.’s most powerful body to adopt a strong resolution and "save Libya." His speech ended with him embracing his deputy, who had defected from Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's camp earlier this week, and both men sobbing as the U.N. Secretary-General and other ambassadors came over to embrace them and shake their hands.

It was not immediately clear that Ambassador Abd al-rahman Shalgham was going to change his position and take the side of the Libyan people, but as his emotional speech to the council took shape, it became clear he no longer supported Gadhafi, a man he has called a friend since childhood.

Shalgham refuted Gadhafi’s claims that anti-government protesters are taking to the streets because they are on drugs, saying "a mountain" of pills would not have been enough for all the people who have taken to the streets of Benghazi. Through an interpreter, he addressed the council about Gadhafi.

"Today I listen to him telling his people either I rule over you or I kill you, I destroy you. Don’t be afraid, Libya is united, Libya will remain united. Libya will be a progressive state. But I tell my brother Gadhafi, leave the Libyans alone," said Shalgham.

He went on to recall his time as a non-permanent member of the Security Council representing Libya during 2008 and 2009. He said at that time he had condemned Israel's killing of children in the Gaza Strip, and now he regretted having to condemn the killing of children in his own country.

"Please United Nations save Libya! No to bloodshed! No to killing of innocents! We want a decisive, a rapid and a courageous resolution from you."

After his remarks, Shalgham and his deputy, Ibrahim Dabbashi, who broke ranks with the regime on Monday, embraced and both men began to cry. Other ambassadors came over and hugged them, and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who was in the chamber to brief the council, also vigorously shook Ambassador Shalgham’s hand.

Speaking to reporters afterward, the Secretary-General summed up the feeling inside the chamber. "We have witnessed an extraordinary scene in the U.N. Security Council; a truly historic moment. The Libyan ambassador delivered an impassioned plea for our help."

During his briefing, Ban again condemned the violence and told the council that now is the time for decisive action. He urged the council to consider all measures available and recounted some that are being considered in a draft Security Council resolution circulated to members on Friday.

Those measures include a travel ban and asset freeze targeting Gadhafi, his sons and daughter, and 13 senior government officials, as well as a comprehensive arms embargo and a referral of the Libyan situation to the International Criminal Court at The Hague. The council plans to meet in a special session Saturday to discuss the sanctions and possibly vote on the resolution.

The Secretary-General also welcomed the adoption of a resolution in the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva earlier in the day, which condemned the violence and called for the establishment of an independent, international investigation into possible crimes against humanity during the crackdown. The Human Rights Council also recommended that Libya be suspended from that body.

Ban said the president of the U.N. General Assembly said it would take up the issue of Libya’s suspension early next week. Two-thirds of the General Assembly would have to vote to suspend Libya from the council for it to take effect.

The Secretary-General also said he would be traveling to Washington on Monday to discuss the Libyan situation with President Barack Obama.

 

 

Tears Flow at UN Security Council Over Bloodshed in Libya

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Libya Protests Spread - Gadhafi Loyalists Reinforce Grip on Tripoli

Gadhafi Loyalists Reinforce Grip on Tripoli, Protests Spread

VOA News February 24, 2011

Fighters loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi are reinforcing their grip on the capital, Tripoli, as a growing popular uprising spreads across the eastern half of the country.

Anti-government forces there have consolidated control over key cities, and have vowed to "liberate" Tripoli.

Protest organizers in the capital, which is Gadhafi's stronghold, called for new rallies Thursday and Friday, raising the potential for a new bloody confrontation there.

Empty streets

Tripoli residents said the streets were largely deserted Wednesday, with people afraid to leave their homes. Armed militiamen and pro-Gadhafi loyalists - a mix of Libyans and African mercenaries - are reportedly roaming through Tripoli and fortifying the city's outer defenses. Security agents are said to be searching for people considered disloyal to the regime.

Anti-government forces claimed to have taken control of Misurata, Libya's third-largest city about 200 kilometers from Tripoli, marking the westernmost advance of the opposition movement. People fleeing across the border into Tunisia reported heavy fighting in the town of Sabratha, 80 kilometers west of the capital.

Protests spreading

Meanwhile, protesters and mutinous army units continue to consolidate their hold on nearly the entire eastern half of Libya's 1,600 kilometer-long coastline, setting up rudimentary governments and manning checkpoints along the main roads.

In the eastern city of Benghazi, cradle of the revolt against Gadhafi, rebels and supporters thronged the streets waving red, green and black monarchy-era flags and handing out food to passing cars. Benghazi residents also formed units to collect weapons and protect property.

In the eastern city of Baida, police stations, intelligence buildings and other installations representing Gadhafi's rule stood in ruins as people celebrated in the street. A VOA correspondent at the Egyptian border with Libya says "well-armed men" celebrating their control of the region were chanting and waving the country's pre-Gadhafi-era flag.

Military defections

In a further sign of Gadhafi's faltering hold, a Libyan newspaper reported Wednesday that two air force pilots parachuted out of their warplane and let it crash into the eastern Libyan desert rather than follow orders to bomb Benghazi. Earlier, two Libyan bombers had diverted to Malta rather than bomb civilians.

Gadhafi vowed to stay in power and called on his supporters to fight back against opposition protesters during a televised address Tuesday -- his first since the uprising began last week. He described anti-government demonstrators as "gangs" and "terrorists" on hallucinogenic drugs and threatened death to anyone who took up arms against Libya.

The overall death toll has been impossible to determine. Human rights groups say they have confirmed about 300 deaths, though witnesses suggest the number is far larger. On Wednesday, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said more than 1,000 people have likely been killed in Libya's week-long uprising.

Loyalist defections

In a significant setback to Gadhafi, a close associate, Interior Minister Abdel Fattah Younis, announced his defection and support for the uprising. Numerous other Libyan officials, including the justice minister, diplomats and military officers, have also turned against the Libyan leader in recent days.

On Wednesday, former justice minister Mustafa Abdel-Jalil was quoted as telling Swedish tabloid Expressen that Gadhafi personally ordered the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland that killed 270 people. Gadhafi has accepted Libya's responsibility for the bombing and paid compensation to the victims' families. But he hasn't admitted to personally giving the order for the attack.

The disintegration of Libya's government has added to the relative power of Libya's many tribes, each claiming the loyalty of thousands of members. Colonel Gadhafi's tribe, the Gadhafa, dominates parts of the armed forces. The Warfalla - cut out of the power structure since members allegedly attempted to overturn the regime in 1993 - have backed the eastern rebellion.

Gadhafi took power in a 1969 coup.

Video clips: Libya Protest (Some video clips courtesy of YouTube)

Gadhafi Loyalists Reinforce Grip on Tripoli, Protests Spread

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Libya's Newly Resigned Ambassador To India, expressed outrage at his country's use of fighter aircraft to bomb civilians in his home capital, Tripoli

Newly Resigned Libyan Ambassador Urges UN Action

Kurt Achin | New Delhi February 22, 2011 - VOA

The Libyan ambassador who resigned his post in protest of his government's handling of protesters is calling on the United Nations to take action against his country.

Ali El-Assawi, who up until this week was Libya's ambassador to India, expressed outrage at his country's use of fighter aircraft to bomb civilians in his home capital, Tripoli.

"This will increase the victims,” El-Assawi said. “This is unacceptable and we cannot imagine that."

El-Assawi quit his post Monday to protest the crackdown and says he has been receiving updates from sources inside the country.

He told an interviewer Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has been recruiting mercenaries from other African nations to quell the popular uprising. The organization, Human Rights Watch says more than 200 people have been killed in clashes.

El-assawi says the United Nations Security Council should take immediate action.

"United Nations Security Council should issue decree to block the airspace of Libya to protect the people, of using aircraft against the Libyans," El-Assawi added.

El-assawi's resignation is part of a broader pattern of desertion of the Gadhafi government by its senior diplomats in Asia. Libyan diplomats in China, Malaysia, and Australia have also severed ties with the Libyan leader.

"We want the bloodshed to be stopped," he said.

India is among a growing number of nations urging its citizens to avoid non-urgent travel to Libya and has set up a hotline for information about 18,000 Indians working there.

Newly Resigned Libyan Ambassador Urges UN Action

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China’s Jasmine Revolution - Internet Called For Demonstrations

China Tightens Security Ahead of Calls for Nationwide Protests

Stephanie Ho | Beijing February 20, 2011 - VOA

 

China has increased the presence of security forces around the country in response to an on-line call for nationwide demonstrations in solidarity with the so-called "Jasmine Revolutions" in the Middle East.

An online posting on the Internet called for demonstrations around the country Sunday, to mark what it called "China’s Jasmine Revolution."

The appeal went out to all Chinese who feel there is injustice in the country -- including parents whose children suffered from tainted milk, people who feel their homes were unjustly torn down, and people who are upset at the abuse of official privilege.

VOA

The square in front of the McDonald's restaurant during the peak of the rally.

The appeal urged people to go to designated locations in cities around the country, watch the developments and, if brave enough, shout out demands.

In Beijing Sunday, a few hundred people gathered quietly in front of a fast food restaurant near Tiananmen Square in the center of the city.

The only real noise from the demonstration was uniformed police officers moving through the crowd to try to disperse people. Eyewitnesses say the demonstrators did not chant slogans nor display banners, and did not talk to journalists at the scene.

Prior to Sunday’s gathering, authorities detained a number of activists, including prominent human rights lawyers.

Internet activist Tian Tian says she saw an unmarked car drive away with lawyer Xu Zhiyong early Sunday morning, when she went to the Beijing home of Teng Biao, another lawyer who also had been taken away.

She says she believes the detentions have to do with Sunday’s demonstrations, because authorities asked activists what their plans are for Sunday and urged them not to go out.

Meanwhile, the demonstrations in China were making their mark on the Internet social network, Twitter, where a hashtag set up for that topic received one thousand messages a minute by Sunday evening.

Many tweets about the Beijing demonstration agreed there were "lots of people," but that it was hard to tell who among them were actually protesters.

One tweet implied that nothing happened and joked that everyone should just go home because the crowd was all made up of plain clothes police.

China Tightens Security Ahead of Calls for Nationwide Protests

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Anti-Government Protests in North Africa Spread

Anti-Government Protests Spread in North Africa

Lisa Bryant | Paris February 20, 2011 - VOA

 

Thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets of Morocco and Tunisia Sunday, while there are reports of 173 people killed during clashes with security forces in eastern Libya.

Morocco was the latest Arab country with anti-government protests. Journalists report at least 2,000 people marched in the capital, Rabat, and other cities, calling for a new constitution, more economic opportunities, a crackdown on corruption, and for King Mohammed to cede some of his powers.

The protest sounds in Rabat, captured in a YouTube video, could not be independently verified. But news services report that unlike Saturday's anti-government protests in neighboring Algeria, Moroccan police kept a low profile.

By contrast, Libyan forces have reportedly cracked down brutally against anti-government protesters in Benghazi and other parts of eastern Libya. Human Rights Watch estimates more than 170 people have been killed. Others like Benghazi doctor Soheil Al Atrach, who was interviewed by Radio France Internationale, say about 200 people were killed in the area.

Dr. Al Atrach says about 100 bodies have been brought into the Benghazi hospital where he works. He estimates the crackdown by Libyan authorities have left another 100 dead in surrounding towns and about 600 to 700 people injured. He describes the scene at his hospital as a 'real butchery.'

But journalists have had a hard time independently verifying the events and casualty toll in Libya, because of controls on information.

The protests are part of larger calls for democracy and regime change that have resonated across the Arab world, starting with mass protests in Tunisia and Egypt that toppled the leaders of both countries.

Thousands of demonstrators also poured into the streets of Tunisia's capital, demanding the resignation of the interim government, which has been criticized for being slow to address economic and security concerns - and for its ties to the former regime of strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The caretaker government has promised elections within six months, but has yet to set a date. 

In Yemen, anti-government protests continued for the 11th straight day, with university students demonstrating in the capital, Sanaa.

 

 

Anti-Government Protests Spread in North Africa

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U.S. Senator John McCain Calls for ‘Regime Change’ in Iran

McCain Calls for ‘Regime Change’ in Iran
Thursday, February 17th, 2011 - VOA

U.S. Senator John McCain is calling for regime change in Iran, saying the government there is “oppressive” and “brutal.”

In an interview with Voice of America's Persian News Network Wednesday, Senator McCain said he thinks online social networking tools, like Twitter, will help Iranian protesters organize and ultimately succeed in changing the government.

McCain said the United States should support the protesters, and he criticized U.S. President Barack Obama for trying to negotiate with the Iranian government.

Mr. Obama has so far stressed sanctions and diplomacy as its preferred course in dealing with Iran, though in recent days he and some administration officials have spoken out harshly against Iran's crackdown on anti-government protesters.

Mr. Obama said this week the U.S. “cannot dictate what happens” in Iran and other countries in the region seeing major protests, but he said his administration will lend “moral support” to those seeking better lives.

McCain, the Republican party's nominee for president in 2008, has since had a frosty relationship with Mr. Obama.



McCain Calls for ‘Regime Change’ in Iran
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CBS News Correspondent Lara Logan - Brutal Attack

Brutal attack on CBS News correspondent Lara Logan

The National Press Club is urging authorities in Egypt to aggressively investigate and bring to justice the individuals responsible for the brutal attack on CBS News correspondent Lara Logan.  The NPC also notes with extreme dismay reports that dozens of other journalists have been injured or killed since the unrest began last month.

"We commend our colleagues in journalism as they work under the most adverse of circumstances and encourage governments everywhere to help facilitate the free flow of information.  Lara Logan's most admirable courage and top-notch skill in the face of adversity is well-known and inspiring.  The National Press Club sends best wishes to her as she recovers in the U.S. Our thoughts are also with other journalists who have been targeted during the unrest in Egypt," said NPC President Mark Hamrick.

National Press Club
http://press.org/

Thousands Protest in Bahrain for 3rd Day - Anti-Government Demonstrations

Thousands Protest in Bahrain for 3rd Day
Wednesday, February 16th, 2011 - VOA

Thousands of Bahrainis are holding a third day of anti-government demonstrations in the capital, Manama, where many of them joined a funeral for a second protester shot dead by police the day before.

At least 2,000 mostly Shi'ite activists occupied Manama's Pearl Square Wednesday, after setting up a tent camp Tuesday and spending a first night in the open. The protest site mirrors the occupation of a Cairo square by Egyptian activists who ousted their president last week.

The Bahraini protesters joined a funeral procession for a Shi'ite man shot by police Tuesday near the funeral of another Shi'ite protester killed in clashes with police the previous day.

Many of the Pearl Square protesters say they will remain there until they achieve their goals. Some are calling for the ouster of the minority Sunni dynasty that rules the Gulf island state, while others demand the immediate resignation of longtime Bahraini Prime Minister Sheik Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

At a news conference Wednesday, the head of Bahrain's main Shi'ite opposition bloc – the Islamic National Accord Society (Wefaq) – called for direct election of the prime minister, who currently is appointed by the king. The opposition leader, Sheikh Ali Salman, said his group's members of parliament – 18 of the 40 members of the Chamber of Deputies – will boycott the chamber until their demands are met.

Demonstrators also want Bahrain's ruling family to free political prisoners and open more opportunities for majority Shi'ites, who have long complained of discrimination.

Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa made a rare televised address Tuesday, offering condolences for the deaths of the two Shi'ite protesters and promising an investigation into the incidents. He also vowed to push ahead with political reforms that he began with a 2001 referendum that restored a parliament the following year.

Bahrain's interior ministry also has pledged to prosecute anyone using “unjustified” force against the protesters, who began rallying in Shi'ite villages across the state Monday in a “Day of Rage” called by cyber activists.

Earlier, Bahrain's rulers tried to ease public grievances by offering $2,600 in cash to all families and promising to loosen state controls on the media. However, many Bahrainis remain angry about poverty, unemployment and alleged attempts by the state to grant citizenship to Sunni foreigners in order to change the demographic balance.

About half of the island kingdom's 1.3 million people are Bahraini, while the rest are foreign workers. Shi'ites make up 70 percent of the population.

Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet and also is a regional offshore banking center.



Thousands Protest in Bahrain for 3rd Day
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