Arab World

Massive protests have forced the Baathist regime of Bashar al-Asad to lift the state of emergency that has governed the country since 1963. Without the emergency laws, which permit arbitrary arrest and imprisonment, Syria would be governed by the 1973 constitution, including these articles: ‘Article 38 [Expression] Every citizen has the right to freely and […]

Energy

Bush’s Pre-War Iraq Oil Deals Alarmed BP

Juan Cole

George W. Bush was quietly approaching US petroleum corporations and trying to do deals with the French and Russian governments and their energy companies regarding Iraqi petroleum fields in fall of 2002, according to British government documents. BP learned of these secret negotiations, and arranged for Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Trade Minister, Lady Elizabeth Symons, […]

Libya

Saif admits Qaddafis are Brutal Foreign Occupiers

Juan Cole

Saif al-Islam Qaddafi, son of the dictator, gave an interview yesterday to the Washington Post. In it he justified the Libyan army’s horrific attacks on the besieged city of Misrata: ‘ “You know what happened in Misurata? It’s exactly what happened in the Cold River [Nahr al-Bared], in Tripoli, Lebanon. The Lebanese army went and […]

Egypt

Egypt’s Ruling Party Dissolved

Juan Cole

A special administrative high court in charge of ruling on Egyptian political party affairs on Saturday declared the former ruling party, the National Democratic Party, to be defunct. For Egypt, a major opinion leader in the Arab world and a country with a fourth of all Arabs, to move to multi-party democracy is a world-historic […]

Yemen

Yemeni Women: “We Will not be Silent!”

Juan Cole

Oh no he di’n’t! Thousands of Yemeni women demonstrated against President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Saturday in Sanaa and Taizz, saying “We will not be silent!” They were protesting his complaint on Friday that there was gender mixing in the public rallies, which he said was contrary to Muslim culture, and his call for them […]

Libya

The Music of the Libyan Resistance

Juan Cole

Libyan rock guitarist Massoud Abu Assir is entertaining Free Libya forces and volunteers not far from the front lines, says AP. I couldn’t find Abu Assir’s video clips, but here are is Benghazi liberation rap via Russia Today : See also this PRI report on the music of the Libyan uprising.

Bahrain

Arab Spring Protests Continue

Juan Cole

1. Syria: In the biggest day of protests in Syria so far, tens of thousands of Syrians demonstrated against the Baathist state of Bashar al-Asad on Friday. Large crowds came out in the Douma suburb of Damascus, but were prevented by the tear-gas and the batons of the Syrian police from reaching the center of […]

Libya

Qaddafi Using Cluster bombs on Civilian Areas

Juan Cole

The NYT has confirmed that the pro-Qaddafi military in Misrata is using cluster bombs and other forms of indiscriminate anti-personnel weapon in the middle of a city full of non-combatants. Indiscriminate fire endangering civilian non-combatants is a war crime. Human Rights Watch has also confirmed the crime, saying in a press release: ‘ Government forces […]

Libya

Allies Insist on Qaddafi departure

Juan Cole

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, British Prime Minister David Cameron, and US President Barack Obama are publishing a joint op-ed in three newspapers on Friday in which they make it clear that the UN allies will not permit Muammar Qaddafi to remain in power, after what he has done to his people. Muammar Qaddafi’s forces on […]