Tunisian Parliament meets after ruling party banned

Tunisia's parliament met Monday to vote emergency powers for the country's interim president after the government banned the ruling party of ousted leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali

AFP, Monday 7 Feb 2011

Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi told the 125 deputies present in the 214-seat parliament that they had to approve the measure in order to bring peace to a country still mired in turmoil three weeks after Ben Ali was ousted in a popular revolt.

"Time is precious. Tunisia has real need of rule by decree to remove dangers," he said at the first parliamentary session since Ben Ali's overthrow.

"There are people who want Tunisia to go backwards but we must honor our martyrs who fought for liberty."

A vote on the new legislation will take place later Monday before the measure goes before the upper house of parliament, the Senate.

If approved it will give interim president Foued Mebazaa power to rule by decree and sidestep a parliament dominated by the Constitutional Democratic Assembly (RCD), the party of Ben Ali which was suspended on Sunday.

Eighty percent of deputies belong to the long-feared RCD, which had a monopoly on power under Ben Ali and could still stand in the way of reform.

Prior to Monday's vote hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside parliament demanding the dissolution of the assembly, known as the unpopular RDC's one-time power base.

The suspension on Sunday is a first step towards dissolving the party which opponents fear could return to power following elections scheduled for six months from now.

The party claims two million members out of a total population of 10 million and remains a well-organized political group which could mount a strong political campaign.

Under the suspension, the RDC is banned from organizing meetings and public gatherings while its offices have been shut down.

The government moved to suspend the party in part to soothe renewed bouts of violence that have broken out after it relaxed a curfew imposed on January 12.

The interim government, which replaced top police chiefs and the governors of all of Tunisia's 24 provinces just days before, had hoped the move would help calm the unrest.

But protesters and opposition politicians are calling for a more thorough shakeup, judging some of the newly named governors too close to the old regime and the RDC.

In unrest northwest of the capital on Sunday 40 people were injured, one badly burned in the torching of a police station, in the town of Kef, hospital sources said.

In the southern town of Kebili, one youth died after he was hit by a tear gas canister during clashes with security forces, the state news agency TAP reported.

An interior ministry source said that two people were killed and 13 injured, including four policemen, in street protests in Kef on Saturday.

Several hundred demonstrators had been calling for Kef police chief Khaled Ghazouani to be sacked for abuse of power, according to TAP.

By Monday calm was restored in the town with soldiers patrolling the streets, local union official Raouf Hadaoui told AFP by telephone from Tunis.

TAP meanwhile reported the arrests of two members of the security forces suspected over the deaths of two detainees in Sidi Bouzid, in the center of the country.

It was in Sidi Bouzid that a young man, Mohamed Bouazizi, died after setting himself on fire on December 17, triggering the uprising.

Source: Ahram.
Link: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/5170.aspx.

Israel refuses Egyptian request to station more troops in the Sinai

Monday, 07 February 2011

The Hebrew daily, Ma'ariv, today confirmed that Israel has rejected an Egyptian request to send additional Egyptian troops into the Sinai to deal with growing threats in the area as described by Egyptian sources.

Egypt justified its request citing an increase in activity from organizations based in the area and referred to the recent bombing of a gas pipeline.

Israel stated that it had looked into the Egyptian request in detail; however it had decided to refuse the request. It also said that in the event of a return to security and stability in Egypt, the Egyptian troops recently deployed in the Sinai should be withdrawn.

According to a mutual agreement, Israel has prohibited the presence of the Egyptian army in the Sinai desert since the signing of the Camp David Accord in 1979.

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/news/middle-east/2029-israel-refuses-egyptian-request-to-station-more-troops-in-the-sinai.

Iran to launch several satellites

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad plans to launch several home-built satellites by March 2012

AFP, Monday 7 Feb 2011

Iran plans to launch several home-built satellites by March 2012, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday after the unveiling of four new prototypes.

"I think from the end of this (Iranian) year (to March 20) and through the next year, we will see many launches" of domestically-built satellites, Ahmadinejad said at a ceremony in Tehran.

The president's remarks coincide with celebrations of the 32nd anniversary of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution that falls on February 11.

Every year Iran uses the run-up to the anniversary to trumpet its scientific, technological and military achievements.

Iran unveiled on Monday what it said were prototypes of four new home-built satellites -- Rasad (Observation), Fajr (Dawn), Zafar (Victory) and Amir Kabir-1 and also engines of a Safir-B1 (Ambassador-B1) rocket, reports said.

The country does not have an operational satellite of its own but Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi announced in December that two satellites, Fajr and Rasad-1, would be launched by the end of the current Iranian year to March 20.

But on Sunday, Vahidi said a launch date for Fajr and Rasad-1 was "not fixed" yet, indicating their launch would likely be delayed.

Iran in February 2009 sent into space its first home-built test satellite Omid (Hope) carried by a Safir-2 rocket.

Twelve months later, it launched a capsule carrying live turtles, rats and worms aboard a Kavoshgar-3 (Explorer-3) rocket in what was Iran's first experiment to send living creatures into space.

Fajr, which was unveiled on Monday, is a reconnaissance satellite constructed by the defense ministry, while Amir Kabir-1, the details of which were unavailable, is built by Tehran's Amir Kabir university.

Rasad is constructed by Malek Ashtar University of Tehran which is linked to Iran's elite military force, the Revolutionary Guards, while details of Zafar were unavailable.

Iranian media reports said last week that the Safir-B1 rocket can carry a satellite weighing 50 kilograms (110 pounds) into an elliptical orbit of 300 to 450 kilometers (185 to 280 miles).

Iran on Sunday opened its first center to receive satellite images, a new stage in its space program and the equipment for which it says have been manufactured locally.

Iran's missile and space programs have sparked concern abroad that such advanced technologies, combined with the nuclear know-how which the nation is acquiring, may enable Tehran to produce an atomic weapon.

Tehran denies its nuclear program has military aims.

Source: Ahram.
Link: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/5147.aspx.

Sudan braced for historic announcement

Sudan secession referendum results will be announced in a ceremony by President Omar al-Bashir and southern leader Salva Kiir

AFP, Monday 7 Feb 2011

Final results of Sudan's landmark independence referendum for the south due out on Monday were expected to confirm a landslide vote for secession, paving the way in July for the creation of Africa's newest state.

The results, to be announced at a ceremony in Khartoum attended by President Omar al-Bashir and southern leader Salva Kiir, are effectively known already, after preliminary results released on January 30 showed almost 99 percent of south Sudanese voted to break from the north.

Bashir, who has already recognized the prospect of partition, on Sunday repeated his commitment to developing good relations with the south after independence, and said southerners staying in the north had nothing to fear.

"Southerners in the north will be protected, they will not be expelled and their property will not be confiscated nor their lives threatened," he was quoted as saying by Ajras Al-Hurriya, a newspaper considered close to the ex-rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement.

The January 9-15 referendum defied expectations by taking place on time and largely without incident, despite the major logistical challenges facing the organizers and fears that the Khartoum government might try to block a process that will almost certainly split Africa's largest nation in two.

Instead, senior northern officials said shortly after the preliminary results were confirmed that the government would accept the final outcome of the vote.

The cabinet was expected to endorse the final results on Monday, prior to the formal announcement ceremony.

"The spokesman for the government will make a statement about the results after an extraordinary cabinet meeting at 1200 GMT," a cabinet source told AFP.

The referendum commission said the final results would be announced at 1630 GMT.

Reflecting the relatively smooth conduct of the referendum, which drew praise from world leaders, the commission said on Sunday that no appeals were filed, which might have delayed the final announcement by a week.

The vote was the centerpiece of a 2005 peace deal that ended a devastating 22-year conflict between the largely African Christian south and the mainly Arab Muslim north.

In addition to the sensitive question of citizenship, Khartoum and Juba now have less than six months to agree on a number of thorny issues that have yet to be resolved, among them the status of the flashpoint Abyei region, oil-revenue sharing, and border demarcation.

More than 37 people died in clashes in Abyei in January, amid a deadlock over a planned simultaneous plebiscite on whether the region stays with the north or joins the south.

At the African Union summit in Addis Ababa last week, Kiir reiterated the SPLM's stand that the contested region should hold the referendum or be handed to the south by a presidential decree.

Northern opposition leaders have also warned that southern independence will encourage separatist movements in other parts of Sudan like Darfur, where renewed fighting between rebels and the Sudanese army has forced more than 43,000 people to flee their homes since December, according to UN estimates.

And at least 50 people were killed in fighting in south Sudan’s Upper Nile state last week, in a revolt by militiamen refusing to turn in heavy weapons, according to local officials.

The referendum itself has prompted jubilation in the south.

By contrast, its outcome has caused sadness and at times anger in the north, where student activists organized street protests last week calling for regime change, civil liberties and an end to debilitating price rises, that were swiftly suppressed by the security forces.

"Today is a sad day for all the citizens of north Sudan. It's a tragedy somehow," said a 23-year-old student activist, who gave only his first name of Mohammed.

Source: Ahram.
Link: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/5142.aspx.

Assange lawyer: Risk of 'denial of justice'

By JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press

LONDON – The lawyer for Julian Assange argued Monday the embattled WikiLeaks founder would face a secret trial that violates international standards of fairness if sent to Sweden to face sexual assault allegations.

The leader of the secret-spilling website is fighting extradition in part because Swedish rape trials are customarily held in secret, Geoffrey Robertson said at the start of a two-day extradition hearing. Closed-door hearings would be "a flagrant denial of justice ... blatantly unfair, not only by British standards but by European standards and indeed by international standards," he said.

The British lawyer representing Sweden, Clare Montgomery, countered that Swedish trials were based on the principle that everyone deserves "a fair and public hearing." She said that in cases where evidence is heard in private it will often be published after the trial and recited in the judgment.

Assange is accused of sexual misconduct by two women he met during a visit to Stockholm last year. Rape trials are often held behind closed doors in Sweden to protect the alleged victims.

He denies wrongdoing. Defense lawyers also argue he should not be extradited because he has not been charged with a crime, because of flaws in Swedish prosecutors' case — and because a ticket to Sweden could eventually land him in Guantanamo Bay or on U.S. death row.

Montgomery, opened by dismissing several key planks of the defense. She said Marianne Ny, the Swedish prosecutor who is seeking Assange's extradition, did have the power to request the European Arrest Warrant, dismissing defense claims that she is not authorized to do so.

She said the rape allegation was an extraditable offense even under Sweden's broad definition of the crime. Assange's lawyers say he cannot be extradited because he has not been charged with a crime in Sweden and is only wanted for questioning — and that the allegation is not rape as understood under European and English law.

Robertson said Assange faces an allegation known in Swedish as "minor rape."

"That is a contradiction in terms," he said. "Rape is not a minor offense." He said Assange had had consensual sex with his two accusers.

Montgomery contested this, saying "the Swedish offense of rape contains the core element of rape ... the deliberate violation of a woman's sexual integrity through penetration."

American officials are trying to build a criminal case against WikiLeaks, which has angered Washington by publishing a trove of leaked diplomatic cables and secret U.S. military files. Assange's lawyers claim the Swedish prosecution is linked to the leaks and politically motivated.

Preliminary defense arguments released by Assange's legal team claim "there is a real risk that, if extradited to Sweden, the U.S. will seek his extradition and/or illegal rendition to the USA, where there will be a real risk of him being detained at Guantanamo Bay or elsewhere."

Many legal experts say the Guantanamo claims are fanciful, and Sweden strongly denies coming under American pressure.

Nils Rekke, head of the legal department at the Swedish prosecutor's office in Stockholm, has said Assange would be protected from transfer to the U.S. by strict European rules.

"If Assange was handed over to Sweden in accordance with the European Arrest Warrant, Sweden cannot do as Sweden likes after that," he said. "If there were any questions of an extradition approach from the U.S., then Sweden would have to get an approval from the United Kingdom."

Assange, wearing a blue suit, was flanked by prison guards as the hearing opened at Belmarsh Magistrates' Court. Celebrity supporters including Jemima Khan and Bianca Jagger also attended.

WikiLeaks sparked an international uproar last year when it published a secret helicopter video showing a U.S. attack that killed two Reuters journalists in Baghdad. It went on to release hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. military files on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it later began publishing classified U.S. diplomatic cables whose revelations angered and embarrassed the U.S. and its allies.

The furor made Assange, 39, a global celebrity. The nomadic Australian was arrested in London in December after Sweden issued a warrant on rape and molestation accusations.

Released on bail on condition he live — under curfew and electronically tagged — at a supporter's country mansion in eastern England, Assange has managed to conduct multiple media interviews, sign a reported $1.5 million deal for a memoir, and pose for a magazine Christmas photo shoot dressed as Santa Claus.

The extradition case revolves around the contested events of Assange's trip to Sweden in August. Two Swedish women say they met Assange when he visited the country and separately had sex with him, initially by consent.

In police documents leaked on the Internet, one of the women told officers she woke up as Assange was having sex with her, but let him continue even though she knew he wasn't wearing a condom. Having sex with a sleeping person can be considered rape in Sweden.

Assange is also accused of sexual molestation and unlawful coercion against the second woman. The leaked documents show she accuses him of deliberately damaging a condom during consensual sex, which he denies.

Robertson denied Assange had committed any sexual offenses under English law. He said all relationships, long or short, contain "moments of frustration, irritation and argument. This doesn't mean, in this country, that the police are entitled to sniff under the bedclothes."

Assange's lawyers also complain they have not been given access to text messages and tweets by the two women which allegedly undermine their claims. They say text messages exchanged by the claimants "speak of revenge and of the opportunity to make lots of money."

The extradition hearing is due to end Tuesday, but Judge Howard Riddle could take several weeks to consider his ruling — which can be appealed by either side.

CNN Student News Transcript: February 7, 2011

February 6, 2011

Transcript

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: I'm Carl Azuz and this is CNN Student News! We're back from the weekend with 10 minutes of commercial-free headlines, including why you shouldn't believe everything you read.

First Up: Egypt in Crisis

AZUZ: We're beginning in Egypt where there are some signs that things are slowly getting back to normal. In the capital city of Cairo, some shops and banks are re-opening, and traffic is starting to look like it did before the political protests of the past couple weeks. But there are some changes going on in the country. On Saturday, some key members of the ruling party resigned. And yesterday, Vice President Omar Suleiman met with representatives from groups that have protested against the Egyptian government. They talked about some ideas for how Egypt might move forward, although some of the protesters still out in the streets said the people meeting with Suleiman don't necessarily represent them.

We've been watching this political unrest in Egypt and other parts of the Middle East. Barbara Starr joins us now to talk about the potential impact that it could have on the American military.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: With unrest now sweeping across Egypt and neighboring countries, new questions about whether it's a security crisis here at the Pentagon. A quick look at the map tells you how deeply tied the U.S. military is to regimes across the Middle East and Persian Gulf.

In Egypt, the U.S. provides around $1.3 billion a year in military aid. In return, the U.S. gets vital military air, land and sea access. U.S. warships transit the Suez Canal on their way to and from the Persian Gulf. Loss of the canal could lead to catastrophic delays and a crisis.

In Yemen, where President Saleh is facing demonstrations and has already said he won't run for re-election, the U.S. has been quietly training Yemeni forces to go after a rising threat from al Qaeda. The U.S. has conducted drone and missile strikes inside Yemen. The question: will a new government cooperate with U.S. counterterrorism efforts?

In Jordan, King Abdullah is facing increasing discontent due to rising prices and unemployment. Jordan remains one of the U.S.'s closest allies in the War on Terror. Jordan's intelligence services secretly operate against key al Qaeda targets. Jordan has also helped train Iraqi forces, and Jordanian troops serve in Afghanistan.

Three key Gulf allies provide other assistance. Qatar is home of the regional headquarters of the U.S. Central Command, which oversees the region and keeps a close eye on Iran. Kuwait is a staging area for U.S. troops moving in and out of Afghanistan and Iraq. And Bahrain is home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet, which patrols the Persian Gulf and pirate-infested waters off Somalia.

The U.S. spends billions of dollars in military aid and assistance across the region in return for all of this access. But the question may now be if the social unrest that is emerging leads to regime change, will the new regimes want to do the old business with the U.S. military? Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEO)

Source: CNN.
Link: http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/studentnews/02/06/transcript.mon/.

Egypt approves 15 percent raise for govt employees

By HADEEL AL-SHALCHI AND SALAH NASRAWI, Associated Press

CAIRO – Egypt's embattled regime announced Monday a 15 percent increase in salaries and pensions in the latest attempt to defuse popular anger amid protests demanding President Hosni Mubarak's ouster.

The cabinet decision follows earlier promises to investigate election fraud and official corruption, which have done little to persuade the tens of thousands occupying downtown's Tahrir Square to end their two-week long protest.

State TV also announced that the family of a detained Google Inc. marketing manager who helped organize the anti-Mubarak demonstrations, "has been notified that he will be released this evening."

Wael Ghonim was one of the most prominent youth organizers of the protests and was seized by security agents on Jan. 28.

Newly appointed Finance Minister Samir Radwan says some 6.5 billion Egyptian pounds ($960 million) will be allocated to cover the increases, which will take effect in April for the 6 million people on public pay rolls.

In the past, public sector employees have been a pillar of support for the regime, but in recent years as prices have soared, their salaries have stagnated in value forcing the government to periodically announce raises to quell dissatisfaction.

Following widespread labor unrest in public sector factories in 2008, Mubarak announced a 30 percent increase in prices that appeared to temporarily blunt public anger.

After the two weeks of instability that has pushed the Arab world's most populous nation to the edge of anarchy, the crisis now appears to be settling into kind of stalemate, with the government offering minor concessions that dodge the protesters' central demand: Mubarak's departure.

The regime appears confident in its ability for the moment to ride out the unprecedented storm of unrest, and maintain its grip on power, at least until September elections.

Egypt's state-run news agency reported that Mubarak ordered the country's parliament and its highest appellate court to reexamine lower-court rulings disqualifying hundreds of ruling party lawmakers for campaign and ballot irregularities, that were ignored by electoral officials — possibly paving the way for new elections.

The ruling National Democratic Party won more than 83 percent of the 518 seats in the 2010 parliamentary elections, which were widely condemned as being rigged.

Judicial officials also promised to start the questioning on Tuesday of three former ministers and a senior ruling party official accused of corruption charges after they were dismissed by Mubarak last week. The cabinet reshuffle was intended to placate protesters by removing some of the most hated officials in the government.

The official Middle East News Agency said former Tourism Minister Zuhair Geranah would be questioned Tuesday along with the former ministers of housing and trade.

MENA also reported that the country's top prosecutor had imposed a travel ban on former Interior Minister Habib al-Adli and froze his bank account.

Protesters on the square Monday said they remained unsatisfied.

"Our main objective is for Mubarak to step down," said student Mohammed Eid. "We don't accept any other concessions."

Cairo, however, seemed Monday morning to be closer to its normal weekday routine than on any day since the Jan. 25 start of the unrest.

Banks were open for limited hours along with many shops. The stock market announced it would reopen next Sunday, though schools were still shut for the mid-year holiday. Traffic was returning to ordinary levels in many places and the start of the nighttime curfew has been pushed an hour later to 8 p.m.

Rami Ghoneim, an unemployed internet activist, said the protesters were in no rush to leave so long as their central demand was not met. The more they stay, he said, the more concessions the regime would offer.

"It is like a wound, the more you press on it the more blood gushes out. We will press until we empty it," he said.

Egypt demonstrators entertain to keep morale high

By DIAA HADID, Associated Press – Mon Feb 7

CAIRO – Two rows of men greet demonstrators at the main entrance to Tahrir Square, clapping as people enter, and chanting in the rhythms of a traditional Egyptian wedding procession.

"We are becoming bigger!" they shout. "God is Great!"

Inside Cairo's main square, musicians stroll, a man reads poetry to the crowd and vendors hawk potato chips, tea, hot food — even socks.

Tahrir Square, the scene of deadly battles with firebombs, rocks, horses and camels just last week, has taken on a carnival mood in the past few days as demonstrators try to establish an enduring presence, complete with food and entertainment, in their campaign to demand Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's ouster.

Fruit vendor Ashraf Gaber, 30, asked people to express themselves in a few words, then wrote their thoughts on pieces of A4 paper he placed on a stack besides him.

Volunteers added it to a collage that spread out before Gaber in a a series of rows held down by rocks.

"We have to make the people happy!" Gaber shouted. "Express what is in your hearts!" he told the crowd.

"Oh Mubarak, you are a shoe!" read one — a particularly stinging insult in Arab culture.

"An Interior Ministry of Thugs!" read another.

Nearby, crowds of young men and women cheered and sung as Fadi Mikhael, 29, strummed an oud — or Arabic lute — to a Western beat.

"We won't be quiet! Raise your voice!" he sang on a stage, his voice amplified by four powerful speakers. The crowd clapped and repeated the chorus.

Poetry writing and recitation is a popular Arab pastime, a manifestation of pride in a language that's rich with subtle shades of meaning and unifies a people of different ethnic backgrounds and two major faiths.

There is a regional satellite television talent show just for poets — with viewers in the millions — and others dedicated to poets mocking each other in verse.

On another impromptu stage, a middle-aged man read poetry into a microphone as another crowd clapped at his ability to cleverly rhyme the stanzas.

"I am a peasant with a sheaf of wheat/I give it to the people generously," he read.

Nearby, demonstrators used stones, once used to repel pro-Mubarak supporters, to spell out slogans on the ground.

The command "Leave!" in Arabic spelled covered a few square feet (meters) of the square. The latest addition: "70 Billion" — the Mubarak family's rumored wealth.

Vendors sold dates, plastic cups of hot tea, socks — three pairs for $2 — sesame-seed snacks, potato chips and juice. Young men and women gathered in circles, debating the day's events. Before Jan. 25., Egyptians would not have dreamt of discussing politics so openly.

"We are learning a culture of respectful disagreement here," said Nashat Cross, 28, a Christian who works as a translator. "The level of cultured discussion is something I really admire."

From time to time, somebody in the crowd would begin chanting anti-Mubarak slogans, and hundreds of others joined in, clapping.

Men sometimes bellydanced on the side to the rhythm of the chants.

Another procession of men stood at the exit, waving the red-white-and-black Egyptian flag, banging drums, blowing on harmonicas and singing, again, like an Egyptian wedding procession.

"You'll come back, wont you?" they chanted. "You'll come back to liberate us!"

Young Kuwaitis call for anti-government protest

A Kuwaiti youth group called Sunday for a mass rally outside parliament on Tuesday to protest the government's "undemocratic practices" and to press for its ouster

AFP, Sunday 6 Feb 2011

A Kuwaiti youth group, Fifth Fence, said it is using Twitter, the US-based microblogging service that allows people to use mobile phones and computers to broadcast short text messages, to urge people to gather in large numbers for the protest.

Interior Minister Sheikh Jaber Khaled al-Sabah had been due to appear in parliament on Tuesday to be questioned about the death of a Kuwaiti citizen under torture at a police station.

But the inquiry was delayed after the government and its supporters in parliament decided to postpone sessions for six weeks, a move that angered the opposition which described it as unconstitutional.

"We at the Fifth Fence call on the Kuwaiti people to assemble at parliament... on Tuesday at 11.00 am (0800 GMT) to press for our legitimate right of holding sessions and to declare our rejection of the continuity of this government and its undemocratic practices," the group said in a statement.

It stressed the proposed protest is not linked to any external events, a clear reference to the massive anti-regime demonstrations still raging in Egypt.
The group also invited opposition MPs to attend the gathering.

Mohammad Ghazzai al-Mutairi, 35, died on January 11 at a police station after he was severely tortured for six days, according to a parliamentary probe. Sixteen policemen have been arrested in connection to this case.

Sheikh Jaber, a member of the ruling family, resigned over the incident but the cabinet asked him to stay on.

Source: Ahram.
Link: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/5066.aspx.

Turkish PM praises growing ties with Syria

Turkey's prime minister praised booming ties with one-time foe Syria, saying that a joint dam project at the border between the two neighbors would further strengthen cooperation

AFP, Sunday 6 Feb 2011

"We want the whole region to prosper, together with Turkey... that we struggle not to walk all over each other but to help each other. And we have achieved this with Syria," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in televised remarks at the Turkish-Syrian border.

He was speaking at a ground-breaking ceremony for a joint "Friendship Dam" to be built over the Orontes river at the border, also attended by his Syrian counterpart Mohammed Naji Otri.

Erdogan was to travel to the Syrian city of Aleppo for talks with President Bashir al-Assad later Sunday.

"God willing, the dam will be completed in a short time. God willing, we will jointly use the electricity to be produced and we will jointly irrigate our fields," Erdogan said.

Turkey and Syria also plan to set up a joint bank, inaugurate a high-speed train between Aleppo and the southern Turkish city of Gaziantep and link their natural gas networks as part of other projects by the end of 2011, he added.

After decades of animosity, Turkish-Syrian ties have flourished since 1998, when Damascus forced Turkish Kurd rebel Abdullah Ocalan out of Syria, where he had enjoyed safe haven.

Syria, along with Iraq, have often complained that Turkey -- with a series of dams built on the Euphrates and Tigris -- monopolizes the waters of the two rivers.

Under Erdogan's Islamist-rooted government, ties with Arab countries have seen a spectacular revival, with Ankara signing a series of trade deals and visa-free travel accords with countries in the region.

Ankara's drive for a leadership role in the Middle East has led some to suggest that Erdogan's government is pursuing a "neo-Ottoman" policy in a region its forebears ruled for centuries.

Pointing to a shared history, Erdogan said Sunday that "Turks, Arabs and other ethnic groups in the region fought together and died together" against the Crusaders, Christian knights from western Europe who fought for control of parts of Turkey and the Middle East in the Middle Ages.

"And not only against the Crusades, throughout the 1,000 years that followed we were together on this soil, we were brothers to each other.

"We have always said that there should be no problems between brothers... and that if there are any, they should be resolved," he said.

Source: Ahram.
Link: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/5096.aspx.

Taliban not allied to Al-Qaeda: paper

WARNING: Article contains propaganda!

* * * * *

Agence France-Presse
Washington, February 07, 2011

US scholars believe Afghanistan's Taliban has been wrongly perceived as ideological allies of Al-Qaeda, The New York Times reported late Sunday.

Citing a report to be published Monday by New York University, the newspaper said authors of the study think the guerrilla group
could be persuaded to renounce Al-Qaeda.

NATO plans to begin this year handing Afghan forces the security lead in the battle against Taliban rebels, province by province, with the aim of giving them full responsibility across the nation by 2014.

The alliance hopes to build up Afghan security forces to 306,000 soldiers and police by the end of the year to begin taking over from around 140,000 foreign troops fighting across the nation.

According to The Times, the university report says there was substantial friction between the groups' leaders before the September 11, 2001, attacks and that hostility has only intensified.

The authors, Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn, have worked in Afghanistan for years and argue that intensified military operations against the Taliban may make it harder to reach a settlement.

The report, "Separating the Taliban from Al Qaeda: The Core of Success in Afghanistan," says attacks on Taliban field commanders and provincial leaders will leave the movement open to younger, more radical fighters and will give Al-Qaeda greater influence, the paper pointed out.

The authors suggest that the United States should engage older Taliban leaders before they lose control of the movement.

The authors do not oppose NATO's war, but suggest that negotiations should accompany the fighting, The Times said.

A political settlement is necessary to address the underlying reasons for the insurgency, they write. Otherwise, they warn, the conflict will escalate.

Source: Hindustan Times.
Link: http://www.hindustantimes.com/Taliban-not-allied-to-Al-Qaeda-paper/Article1-659485.aspx.

Rohingya refugees harassed at Nayapara official camp

Friday, 04 February 2011

By Kyaw Hla

Molana Mohamed Yousuf fled to Bangladesh from his home in Burma’s Arakan State 20 years ago because of the brutal treatment where he and other Rohingya people suffered at the hands of the military government. But, recent harassment by Bangladeshi authorities has left the seventy-seven year old wondering if he made the right choice.

“I came to Bangladesh because of religious persecution and other human rights abuses such as forced labor, restrictions on movement, marriage, and education, as well as land confiscation, arbitrary arrest and extortion, and because I was denied the right of citizenship. Bangladesh is the same Burma.”

Mr. Yousuf and other Rohingya refugees claim they are not safe at Nayapara official camp because of arbitrary arrest and torture by the camp security force, which is supervised by the UNHCR and the Bangladesh government.

“I was arrested by the camp security force because I demanded the release of my son,” Mr. Yousuf, who is a camp religious teacher, told kaladan Press.

“On November 30, 2010, the camp security force and members of the office staff went to my shed and arrested my son, 27 year old Molana Jaber, and accused him of illegally using electricity in a camp school. The next day, I went to the camp security office to see my son and demanded the release my son because he was sick. The security officer refused it. When I cried out more I was caught and tied with ropes tightly like an animal and beaten without any investigation.”

However, he and his son were released after family members complained about his treatment.

Mr. Yousuf said, a doctor at Nayapara clinic refused to admit him after his release, but only provided some medicine.

“I suffered with serious pain and fever after being released. I feel I did not get proper treatment from the refugee clinic. My family took me outside the camp for better treatment,” he said.

“My family and I do not feel safe in the Nayapara camp.”

A relative of Mohamed Nasir, 35, from Block D of the camp told Kaladan Press security officers dragged Mr. Nasir by his shirt to their shed on November 27, after finding him repairing his fishing nets.

A community leader said refugees often fish to supplement their family’s food supplies because the World Food Program does not provide fish or other meats.

Mr. Nasir was held overnight, but was released after paying 1,500 taka to a camp police officer named Sub-Inspector Nepal.

Like Mr. Nasir, many official refugees are arrested arbitrarily and detained one or two nights by the camp security force and camp police, a refugee said.

Residents said police have demanded 1500 taka to 3,000 for their release. They will be kept and severally beaten by police if they do not pay.

Camp security forces also arrest people who visit to their relatives in the camp.

They said this type of harassment has been going on at Nayapara camp nearly one year.
“Police and camp security frequently enter the camp to arrest residents for the purpose of extorting money,” camp residents said.

“We face the same problems and persecutions from the Bangladeshi authorities in the refugee camps as we do from the Burmese military in Arakan State ”, said one refugee on condition of anonymity.

However, a UNHCR source said the agency has been trying to stop the harassment, but can’t because the Bangladesh government ignores their complaints.

A UNHCR report says Bangladesh is host to Rohingya refugees, an ethnic, linguistic and religious minority in Myanmar's northern Rakhine (Arakan) State, which constitutes one of the most protracted refugee situations in the world. Some 28,700 refugees reside in the two camps of Kutupalong and Nayapara, in the south-eastern district of Cox's Bazar. They represent the residual population of the 250,000 refugees, who arrived in 1991, most of whom were subsequently repatriated. In addition, the Government has estimated that another 200,000 unregistered persons of concern from Myanmar live in Bangladesh without any legal status, mostly in the villages outside the camps.

The report also says that though positive government policies have ensured some improvements in the situation of registered refugees over the past few years, their quality of life remains very poor. Moreover, a 3 per cent annual increase in poverty levels and high illiteracy and unemployment rates in the district, are contributing to a growth of hostility towards the refugees, affecting the unregistered population in particular. This has resulted in more than 28,000 unregistered persons of concern from Myanmar settling spontaneously outside Kutupalong camp, where they face high rates of malnutrition and poor sanitary conditions.

A school teacher from Nayapara refugee camp said, on condition of anonymity, that the camp security forces and police enter the camp and arrest innocent refugees from the roadside and near water supplies. They also extort money from shopkeepers, destroying their shop if they are not able to pay.

The teacher is calling on the UNHCR and the international community to immediately stop this harassment and to protect the refugees according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“We have been living at small sheds with six and seven family members at Nayapara refugee camp since 1991. I ask the international community how long should we be forced to live like animals?"

Source: Kaladan Press Network.
Link: http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3022:rohingya-refugees-harassed-at-nayapara-official-camp.

Hamas political deputy claims West Bank will not put up with PA much longer

Sunday, 06 February 2011

The deputy leader of Hamas's political bureau, Dr Mousa Abu Marzouk, has claimed that the Palestinians living in the Occupied West Bank "will not be patient for long with the Ramallah Authority's system of administering the affairs of the territory". These include, said Dr. Abu Marzouk, the PA's "practices that are a historic deviation from the Palestinian revolution amid the absence of any political progress; the major shutdown of negotiations and even the shutdown of the future vision of how to deal with the issue as a whole".

During a lengthy dialogue conducted on the Arab Future website and published in full by the Palestinian Information Center, Dr. Abu Marzouk stressed that what he called the "dictatorship of the security forces and their service to the occupation" are some of "the most provocative factors for the Palestinians". He noted that both the first and second Palestinian uprisings proved the ability of the people to take control of matters away from the official authority.

With regard to the anticipated next Israeli war against the Gaza Strip, Abu Marzouk is of the opinion that it will be apparent before it happens, through Israel's domestic preparations, diplomatic activity and the call-up of military reservists and troop movements. As such, he said, Israel's aggression will not be a total surprise. "It may not be possible to say specifically when the assault will begin, but the signs will be there and they won't be open to interpretation; the issue will be far clearer than on the previous occasion."

He added, "Whoever thinks we are preparing for Israel's next assault on the Gaza Strip without possessing the necessary tools is mad. We are using every possible means to obtain defensive capabilities so that we can resist the occupation forces. And we will resist them when they cross the border." Abu Marzouk confirmed his belief that the Israelis will emerge from the next war in a far grimmer state than they did at the end of "Operation Cast Lead".

When asked about the possibility of Israel launching a war on two fronts simultaneously, Abu Marzouk said, "I don't expect Israel to do that; any student of Israeli politics knows that the Zionists do not fight on two fronts at any one time." When Israel was obliged to fight on two fronts in 1973, he pointed out, it fought Egypt and ignored Syria until American supplies arrived. Only then, he said, did Israel move its forces to the Syrian front. With regard to statements made by Azzam al-Ahmed, who talked of Gaza being returned "by force", Abu Marzouk said that the Fatah official responsible for dialogue "should encourage Israel to launch a new war against Gaza" if that's what he believes.

Addressing the issue of national reconciliation, Abu Marzouk confirmed that there is no use in repeating past mistakes: "I believe that if any future discourse on reconciliation does not proceed from the basis of a partnership between the Palestinian people as a whole and without exception, then we will not achieve a substantial result. We demand the participation of all Palestinian groups and activists so that discussions are inclusive. The influence of one or two groups on the future of all Palestinians is no longer acceptable."

According to Dr. Abu Marzouk, Hamas welcomed the toppling of the Tunisian president Ben Ali: "We welcomed the Tunisian revolution because it adds new weight to the Palestinian cause; the closer a government regime is to the nation and its feelings, to the people and their desires and aspirations, the more the Palestinian issue rises on the scale of priorities, with increased clarity and validity across the Arab and Islamic world." He confirmed that the Tunisian revolution will open the way for the establishment of fresh relations between Hamas and other Arab states.

On Hamas's policy for dealing with Arab states in general, Abu Marzouk mentioned that the Islamic Resistance Movement accepts whatever Arab states can give, including any help and support for the Palestinian people, without reflecting in any negative way on the relationship. He stressed that Hamas is working to consolidate all positive aspects of relationships with Arab states, no matter how small, in order to maximize them.

Finally, with regards to US and EU dealing with Hamas, Abu Marzouk said, "It has become abundantly clear that those who wished to isolate Hamas from the Palestinian issue, including the United States, have realized the error of this policy." This, he claimed, is what is being circulated within the US administration, with analysts saying that it is "impossible to isolate Hamas from the Palestinian issue". As a result, he said, "However long it may take they have no alternative but to engage with Hamas if they really are sincere about peace with justice."

Source: Damascus – The Palestinian Information Center

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/articles/arab-media/2025-hamas-political-deputy-claims-west-bank-will-not-put-up-with-pa-much-longer.

Turks march in Istanbul for Egyptian freedom

Sunday, February 6, 2011
İPEK EMEKSIZ
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Protesters acting in solidarity with ongoing demonstrations in Cairo’s Tahrir Square acted out the ouster of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, represented by a pharaoh-masked figure, in Istanbul’s central Taksim Square on Sunday.

“Tahrir is not just a square for Cairo anymore. It is the voice of people longing for freedom and justice, who are angry at poverty and lawlessness. Therefore, we call to them from Taksim Square [representing freedom],” said Abdullah Demirhan, the Istanbul chair of the People’s Voice Party, or HSP, which organized the event.

Party members gathered in front of Galatasaray High School on İstiklal Avenue and walked toward Taksim Square alongside a live camel, chanting slogans such as “Mubarak, go away” and “The people of Egypt are not alone.”

“As Mubarak’s men used camels and horses this week to attack the Egyptian freedom fighters who have been struggling for 12 days, we decided to respond to him by preparing this demonstration. We invite him to hear the cry of his people,” said Yavuz Selim Kurt, the Istanbul deputy chair of the HSP, which refers to itself as the HAS Party.

Criticizing Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s stance toward the protests in Egypt, Demirhan said the prime minister used unclear sentences in his call to Mubarak. “When he had to talk, Prime Minister Erdoğan half-heartedly said, ‘Hear the cry of the people,’” Demirhan said. “But I wonder how much Erdoğan listens to the voice of his people? It’s Erdoğan himself who says [only] two parties should stay [in Parliament] in Turkey.”

The ongoing protests in Egypt are not a blast of anger, Demirhan said, adding that the outcry there and in Tunisia, Yemen and Jordan within the last month is the result of a wish for a world without dictators.

The dictatorship of the pharaoh should be brought down in Egypt in favor of a democratic, liberal and pluralist system, said Ahmet Yıldırım, a pharmacist supporting the protest in central Istanbul. “I think Mubarak will be overthrown in six months. There is no return from now on, until a democratic system supporting different thoughts is implemented,” said Yıldırım, walking with his wife and two children. “After Egypt, the protests will probably spread to Syria.”

The Egyptian people are not alone in being deprived of freedom, said Abdulkerim Buğra Şimşek, 21, who added that the group that had gathered in Taksim Square had done so to protest all dictators. “We’re here to give support to freedom fighters. Even though Mubarak appears to try to change the system by appointing new politicians, it will not work. These are political tricks and people are aware of that,” he said. “The important thing is not to change the names, but to alter the political system.”

Another supporter at the protest said it is time for Mubarak to leave, adding that his 30-year stint as president of the country is too long already.

“Egypt is just a symbol. There are so many dictators in the world that should leave. It’s always the people who are oppressed,” said Yakup Öztürk, 35.

Source: Hürriyet.
Link: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=a-camel-demonstration-from-taksim-to-tahrir-square-2011-02-06.

PM Erdoğan hears out Saturday Mothers on missing persons

07 February 2011, Monday
GÜRKAN TUZLU, İSTANBUL

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over the weekend met with Saturday Mothers, an advocacy group that meets every week in İstanbul's Galatasaray Square in its cause to seek justice for enforced disappearances in Turkey, marking the first time a prime minister talked to the group.

Twelve members of the Saturday Mothers and members of the Human Rights Association (İHD) participated in the meeting on Saturday at the Dolmabahçe Prime Ministry Office in İstanbul's Beşiktaş district.

The activists first met in front of the Galatasaray High School, as they normally do, in their 306th meeting. Speaking to the press before the meeting on behalf of the group, Maside Ocak said, “I want to be hopeful about the meeting that we will have with the prime minister.” She said they had met with parliamentary speakers and deputies before, but this was the first time they will be speaking to a prime minister.

“We have been here for 17 years and for the first time a prime minister will meet us,” she said, adding that the group would demand that mass graves in the East and Southeast be excavated and that those who are responsible for the disappearances and unsolved murders be held accountable. “I want all the mass graves to be opened. I want the search for a gravesite to end for all the families. Up till today, many have recounted stories of how their sons went missing. In the past few days Arif Doğan and other JİTEM members were talking about this. We want these people to openly and truly confess everything at this point.”

The cases of missing persons and unsolved murders in the East and Southeast, highly common in the ‘90s, are usually attributed to an illegal anti-terrorism and intelligence unit called JİTEM inside the Gendarme General Command. Arif Doğan is a retired colonel who is now a suspect in the trial of Ergenekon, a secret organization with members of the military, bureaucracy, press and other civilian spheres, that is accused of having plotted to overthrow the government. He claims that he was the founder of JİTEM. Although the background to JİTEM’s founding has not been completely illuminated by investigators, the evidence they have so far clearly indicate that JİTEM and the military members of Ergenekon are related. Doğan and some ex-JİTEM members have shared some information about the disappearances, both in court testimonies or via the press, but in general have not included the names of the victims of extra-judicial executions.

İHD İstanbul Branch President Abdülbaki Boğa said the victims of unsolved murders and disappearances in Turkey numbered 17,500, adding that the İHD had presented a comprehensive report on the disappearances to the prime minister. Deputy Chairwoman of the AK Party’s Parliamentary Group Ayşenur Bahçekapılı and Parliament’s Gender Equality Commission head Güldal Akşit also participated in the meeting.

During the meeting, mothers of the missing persons said they “sought no revenge, only justice.” They demanded a commission in Parliament to investigate the disappearances and that Turkey involve the UN Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances.

During the meeting, the prime minister said that involuntary disappearances have been prevented for the past eight years, adding that the government was resolute in its determination to fight such crimes. He promised that his government will do everything in its power to alleviate the pain of the victims’ families. He said that although it was not easy to achieve results in cases after more than 30 years have passed, they were not going to hide behind any excuses and try to solve every case.

The prime minister noted each statement from the victims’ families, Boğa said, “He also said that unsolved murders and the disappearance of custody are a human rights issue.”

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Kadriye Ceylan -- the mother of missing Tolga Baykal Ceylan -- said, “I think that his approach will be different after this point. I am waiting and I am hopeful. I am hoping that they will find my son’s body and deliver it to me. We now have renewed hopes as mothers of the missing.”

Missing Hayrettin Eren’s mother, Elmas Eren, said her son has been missing for 30 years, noting “The prime minister took notes. We hope that he will help us.”

The sister of Cemil Kırbayır -- who has been missing since he was detained by the gendarme on Oct. 7, 1980, when he was a student at the Kars Atatürk University -- said, “I want justice. I hope your conscious hurts, Kenan Evren,” referring to the general who lead the coup d’état. The participants also included the mother of Cemil Kırbayır, 103-year-old Berfo Kırbay. He was only 24 at the time and his mother has not left her village in the hopes that one day her son might return.

Another participant was Hanım Tosun, whose husband Fehmi Tosun -- whose name was listed in an album by the rock band U2, along with other victims of injustice -- disappeared in 1995. Her husband was taken to custody in 1994 in İstanbul, where they had to migrate when their village was burned down, from their home in Avcılar. He was taken to a vehicle with the license plate 34 UD 597, as she and her children watched from the balcony. He never returned. In a recent concert in İstanbul, U2 once again mentioned Tosun’s disappearance on the stage.

Source: Today's Zaman.
Link: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-234731-pm-erdogan-hears-out-saturday-mothers-on-missing-persons.html.

Parliament's busy agenda, prime minister's late-night check

07 February 2011, Monday

Tension is gradually increasing in the Turkish Parliament, which will recess at the end of March due to the upcoming general elections. Party leaders are toughening their tone and making offending remarks that affect deputies as well.

Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is probing Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s perfume expenses and his interest in personal care products. Criticizing Kılıçdaroğlu for being so brazen and unashamed about his mistakes, Erdoğan warned that if Kılıçdaroğlu continues his capricious behavior he will not be taken seriously.

During one period in the past, Erdoğan had decided to ignore CHP leader Deniz Baykal and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli and had vowed not to utter their names even in criticism.

The friction between party leaders is making deputies, who are worried about being re-elected to a seat in Parliament, more aggressive. While some deputies, particularly those with a background in academia, have announced that they will not run for Parliament again, deputies who are seeking re-election are making unexpected remarks. Inspired by the revolts in Tunisia and Egypt, 10 CHP deputies called on the Turkish public to take to the streets and show resistance to the government. The attempt was seen by many as an effort to win the leader’s approval and become nominated as a candidate for deputy.

But the CHP leader was not very impressed by the move.

There were other upsetting developments for Kılıçdaroğlu as well. An example was the attempt to surround Parliament to protest the sack law that is being discussed in the general assembly.

But the next bill Parliament is set to handle will be even more upsetting for the CHP leader. The bill that foresees increasing the number of chambers and members in the Supreme Court of Appeals and the Council of State is causing unbelievable agony for not just the CHP leader but for all neo-nationalists and even the top administration of the MHP.

While the bill was being discussed in the parliamentary Justice Commission last week, CHP deputies quit their membership in the commission, which was an unprecedented move in Parliament. It was the first time deputies had resigned from a commission just to obstruct the commission’s work. If the attempt to blockade Parliament to protest the sack law had been successful, the opposition would have taken the same steps for the bill regarding the Supreme Court of Appeals. There is speculation that the opposition will try to conduct demonstrations around Parliament again as well as seek other measures.

But the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government is determined to enact the bill to relieve the higher judiciary’s heavy workload. According to the timetable that was carefully devised, Parliament was supposed to finish debating the sack law on Wednesday and start debating the bill on the Supreme Court of Appeals and the Council of State the same day. But the timetable was not met. Parliament was supposed to finish handling the seventh part of the nine-part sack law on Friday. But instead it finished the fifth part. Noting that they are going to put Plan B into action, an AK Party executive said: “Fortunately, we have the opportunity to make up for this. By starting the work period a day early, we will be able to close the gap on Monday.” If the delay was any longer, the AK Party might have withdrawn the sack law in order to start talks on the Supreme Court of Appeals-related bill. Prime Minister Erdoğan appears very resolute with regard to the judicial reform that both the CHP and the MHP want to block.

During the part of Tuesday’s group meeting that was closed to the press, Erdoğan asked his deputies to maximize efforts to ensure that Parliament functions effectively for the next two months. Deputies with whom we spoke after the closed meeting said: “We are starting a period in which we are going to work day and night again. The prime minister wants to stand before the public with the bills passed.”

Erdoğan is so steadfast about working hard that he even checked up on deputies in Parliament in the middle of the night upon returning from a trip to Kyrgyzstan.

Misery in the MHP headquarters

Party headquarters are like a pre-election barometer. The excitement in all important opposition parties, including smaller parties with a disposition to grow, becomes clear months before the elections.

But when I visited MHP headquarters with the intent to see the excitement in the party, I did not observe the enthusiasm that an opposition party should have. On the contrary, there was a dull and gloomy atmosphere.

While speaking with MHP deputies, I noted that the lack of enthusiasm in the party headquarters was not a good sign. While some candidly voiced their misery others said: “No, you must be mistaken. We are very excited and very hopeful.”

A friend of mine who is not thinking of running for Parliament again said: “Everyone is bothered by the impression that the party has lost energy and votes while in opposition. I can see this clearly in my polling district.”

Another deputy said he was having trouble convincing his own wife and children to vote for the party.

MHP leader Bahçeli had asked every member of the party to persuade five friends from elementary school, five friends from middle school, five friends from high school, five friends from military service and five friends from his neighborhood to vote for the MHP. But forget having every member bring 25 new voters, the MHP is having trouble keeping its current constituents, and several members are even resigning from the party due to various policies that have been enforced and problems that have occurred within the party. The decisions of the Gaziantep organization, the Beypazarı mayor and Bahçeli’s own adviser to leave the party are some of the resignations that have had a cold-shower effect on the party.

Does the “fatigued” MHP really have a threshold problem?

A MHP deputy who is also a friend of mine answered this question in these words: “Forget the election problem, we cannot even tolerate the loss of a single point. Our biggest setback is the inability to criticize party discipline and the leader’s authority. Facts are not voiced so as not to upset Mr. Bahçeli, but it’s becoming clearer every day what we will experience on June 13.”

The MHP, which will compete against the CHP to become the main opposition party, is unhappy that it faces the risk of becoming a smaller instead of a bigger party.

Source: Today's Zaman.
Link: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-234742-parliaments-busy-agenda-prime-ministers-late-night-check.html.

Cold winds blow between Turkey, KKTC after protest

07 February 2011, Monday

A protest against austerity measures in Turkish Cyprus has strained ties between Ankara and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan lashed out at anti-Turkey slogans, bluntly pointing out that Turkish soldiers died to protect Turkish Cypriots and that it is the Turkish financial assistance that helps the KKTC authorities pay the salaries of civil servants.

Erdoğan's remarks, made during a visit to Kyrgyzstan last week, have divided Turkish Cypriot politicians. Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister İrsen Küçük said Erdoğan's reaction reflected Erdoğan's deep sadness over the anti-Turkey placards during the Jan. 28 protest, while three opposition leaders have issued a joint statement condemning Erdoğan's remarks. President Derviş Eroğlu, for his part, said the Turkish reaction to some of the slogans, which he said could be considered “insulting,” was natural but also noted that some of this reaction stemmed from “misinformation” about the situation on the island.

“Ankara, take your hands off us; this land is ours, we will run it” and “Ankara, we don’t want your money or [austerity] package” were some of the messages the protesters wrote on placards on Jan. 28. In Kyrgyzstan, Erdoğan said protesters told Turkey to “get out” and said it was meaningful that those who rely on Turkey for their salaries come up with such a protest. “Who are you to tell me to get out? I have martyrs [who died during Turkey’s 1974 intervention in Cyprus to protect Turkish Cypriots from Greek Cypriot attacks], I have strategic interests,” Erdoğan said. “We are supporting Turkish Cyprus. Shouldn’t this be reciprocated?”

He also said the lowest salary for a Turkish Cypriot civil servant was TL 10,000 -- a figure later disputed by Eroğlu, who said as president, even he does not make that much money.

The dispute raised prospects of a revision in policy towards the KKTC. The issue is likely to come up when the Cabinet gathers for a regular meeting today.

Turkey annually transfers TL 450 million to help the Turkish Cypriot economy, which has been isolated from the rest of the world for about three decades due to an international trade embargo. This year, the KKTC government estimated the budget deficit at TL 600 million and prepared a package of austerity measures to meet TL 150 million of that deficit, which resulted in up to 40 percent cuts in civil servant salaries. The Turkish donation of TL 450 million will also be used in meeting the budget targets. In addition to the donation, three public banks also transferred 10 percent of their revenue to the KKTC to help raise living standards on the island.

Greek Cyprus linkage

On Sunday, both Erdoğan and Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Çiçek, who is in charge of relations with the KKTC, appeared to put the blame on Turkish Cypriot groups that they said have links with the Greek Cypriot administration.

“What happened is the act of a group that has links with the south [Greek Cyprus],” Erdoğan told reporters before departing for the southern province of Hatay, where he later took part in a ceremony to launch construction of a dam on the border with Syria.

Çiçek, speaking to Today’s Zaman, said protesters worked in cooperation with “elements supported by the Progressive Party of Working People [AKEL],” the former party of Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias. The Greek Cypriot administration, on the other hand, denied any link with Turkish Cypriot protesters on Sunday, with Greek Cypriot government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou claiming that the Turkish Cypriot protesters sent a message to Turkey about “Turkey’s illegal presence” on Cyprus, referring to about 35,000 Turkish troops deployed in Turkish Cyprus since 1974.

Çiçek blamed “bad management” of the economy for the current austerity measures in the KKTC. “One of the main problems of the KKTC economy is mismanagement of the funds coming from Turkey. When the global economic crisis came on top of this, the Turkish Cypriot government had to take some measures. But trade unions and opposition parties blame Turkey for this,” Çiçek told Today’s Zaman, also accusing Turkish Cypriot leaders of remaining silent in face of protests against Turkey until Erdoğan spoke out.

Source: Today's Zaman.
Link: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-234733-cold-winds-blow-between-turkey-kktc-after-protest.html.

PM Erdoğan calls for transitional gov't for Egypt

07 February 2011, Monday

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called for a transitional administration in Egypt, which he says will help the shift to democracy and prevent further chaos and bloodshed in the Arab country.

Erdoğan called on the Egyptian authorities to pave the way for a democratic transition in the shortest time possible while talking to reporters in İstanbul at the airport before his departure to Hatay to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of a joint dam with Syria on early Sunday. “If this succeeds, people will certainly embrace such a result. But one needs to prepare the grounds for this,” the prime minister said. Erdoğan noted that there should be a trusted authority, such as a transitional administration, to oversee the change. “Achieving this will help everything there,” Erdoğan stressed. Asked about his telephone conversation with US President Barack Obama on Friday, the second in a week, Erdoğan said they agreed on things related to Egypt during their telephone conversation, and urged the Egyptian authorities to heed the democratic demands of their people without delay.

A White House statement said late Friday that Obama spoke to Erdoğan by phone, one in a series of ongoing consultations between the close allies. The statement said that the two leaders discussed the unfolding events in Egypt and their shared commitment to a future that realizes the aspirations of the Egyptian people. “President Obama and Prime Minister Erdoğan agreed that the US and Turkey would continue to consult closely as events unfold in Egypt and on our broader shared agenda,” it said.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu told reporters in Munich on Saturday that Obama and Erdoğan agreed on Friday, during their discussion on Egypt, that the foreign ministers of the two countries would “comprehensively discuss” the turmoil in Egypt on the sidelines of the 47th Munich Security Conference.

Obama first called Erdoğan last Saturday, days after the upheaval in Egypt began and both leaders “have agreed that people’s demands for legitimate and natural democratic rights should be recognized by their leaders,” a Prime Ministry statement said.

“All we want is that democratic will of the Egyptian people regarding their rights and freedoms be addressed,” Erdoğan told reporters on Sunday, stating Turkey’s position on the Egyptian unrest.

Following days of official silence, on Tuesday Erdoğan, the most admired political figure across the Arab world, speaking before his deputies, strongly urged Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, to heed the demands of his people and advance the democratic rights of Egyptians. Mubarak has ruled his country with an iron fist for 30 years.

Erdoğan said on Sunday that addressing people’s demands in Egypt is also extremely important for the prosperity and tranquility of the region. “Stability in Egypt will also affect the region very positively,” he said. Noting that he is following the developments in the region closely and sees the determination of the Egyptian people, Erdoğan said the determination to bring about change is not only on the streets of Cairo but is sweeping other regions, too.

Opposition leaders started holding talks with the Egyptian government on Sunday following 12 days of unceasing protests in several cities across Egypt calling on Mubarak to relinquish power. Starting last Wednesday, allegedly government-orchestrated pro-Mubarak mobs attacked protesters, resulting in more than 100 deaths. The total death toll since the beginning of the protests, Jan. 25, has reached to 300, according to UN estimates. Top officials from Mubarak’s National Democratic Party (NDP), including the president’s son, Gamal Mubarak, have resigned from the party, signaling that the party will not maintain its grip during and after the September elections. Mubarak is insisting on remaining in power until the elections.

Erdoğan attributed all these negative developments to problems related to the current Egyptian administration. He said these protests are not a “limited phenomenon” but are a result of the prevalent discontent among the general public, adding that he hopes the killings and bloodshed will be stopped.

The prime minister also talked on the phone with his Greek counterpart, George Papandreou, largely discussing the recent developments in Egypt, the Prime Ministry Press Office reported on Sunday.

Source: Today's Zaman.
Link: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-234730-pm-erdogan-calls-for-transitional-govt-for-egypt.html.

Top Jordan website offline; security services blamed

Jordan's most popular news website, Ammonnews, accused the security services on Monday of taking it offline after it published a statement that denounced "a crisis of authority" in the kingdom

AFP, Monday 7 Feb 2011

"Ammonnews was completely hacked and closed down. Only the Jordanian security services have the technical capacity to do this," chief editor Basel Okoor told AFP.
"We received today (a message) that said: 'You are working against the interests of the state, we are going to hack you', which was the case a few minutes later," Okoor said.

Calling up the Ammonnews home page on Monday produced this message in Arabic: "Ammon's management announces the site has been shut down by order of the security services."

Okoor said the personal email accounts of his staff had been hacked as well, and that they no longer had "technical access" to the site.

Ammon on Sunday said it had been the target of "piracy and anonymous attacks" for having published a statement by 36 prominent individuals from the major tribes in Jordan that are the backbone of the kingdom.

The statement -- issued against the backdrop of mass protests in Egypt -- spoke of a "crisis of authority" and "profound corruption" in Jordan, adding that the kingdom would "sooner or later" face a popular revolt.

Ammonnews was Jordan's first news site when it launched in 2006. Fifty others have since sprung up, but Ammonnews remains the most popular with 250,000 daily visitors, according to data from web traffic monitor Alexa.

Popular discontent in Jordan has manifested itself in several protest rallies against rising prices and corruption, although none have called for regime change.

Source: Ahram.
Link: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/5164.aspx.

Jordan PM faces popular revolt warning

Jordan's new Prime Minister faces potential upheaval less than a week after appointment

AFP, Monday 7 Feb 2011

Less than a week after his appointment, Jordan's new premier is facing potential upheaval, with the Islamist opposition refusing to join his government and key tribes warning of a popular revolt.

Prime Minister Maaruf Bakhit is trying to form a cabinet tasked with pushing through reforms to counter popular discontent inspired by Tunisia's revolt and ongoing anti-regime protests in Egypt.

Bakhit has met MPs, senators, trade unions as well as the powerful Islamist movement, which said on Sunday it has rejected an offer to join the new government after questioning the prime minister's reformist credentials.

At the same time, 36 members of major tribes, which form the backbone of the regime in Jordan, condemned the country's "crisis of authority" and corruption, warning of a popular revolt.

"We did not discuss the details of the offer, but all what I can say is that taking part in this government under the current circumstances is out of the question," Hamzah Mansur, leader of the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, told AFP.

"We are not asking for miracles. Our demands are realistic, practical and do-able. We demand early general polls in line with a new electoral law."

The tribal leaders joined the Islamists in their demands.

"We call for a modern electoral law based on consultations with all political forces in Jordan, enhancing freedoms and the formation of a national salvation government to oversee a transparent parliamentary election," they said in a joint statement.

The tribes represent nearly 40 percent of the Jordanian population, and their role is vital in the country's politics and stability.

Their loyalty to the Hashemite ruling family has been crucial in times of crisis over the past century.

The IAF, which has been pushing for more political reforms, boycotted the last general election in November in protest at constituency boundaries set up under a new electoral law, which it said over-represented rural areas considered loyal to the government.

When Bakhit was appointed on Tuesday, the Islamist opposition objected to King Abdullah II's choice, saying the premier is not a reformist. But Islamist leaders expressed satisfaction on Friday after meeting both him and the king.

Bakhit said on Saturday that his cabinet -- which he hopes to have in place by next Thursday -- would "include personalities who are credible and close to the people."

The king instructed the 64-year-old career soldier and former prime minister to undertake a sweeping program of political and economic reforms following weeks of street protests.

Popular discontent in Jordan has led to several protests, inspired by the revolts which have ousted Tunisia's strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and threatened the regime of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak.

"Jordan will sooner or later be the target of an uprising similar to the ones in Tunisia and Egypt due to suppression of freedoms and looting of public funds," the tribal leaders said.

They warned against the "interference in executive decisions by those who have no constitutional powers," in an apparent reference to Queen Rania, wife of King Abdullah.

"The queen is building centers to boost her power and serve her interests, against the will of Jordanians and Hashemites," the leaders said, comparing her to the wife of ousted Tunisian president Ben Ali.

The group said the country suffers from a "crisis of authority" and growing influence of "corrupt businessmen in the entourage of the executive power, affecting political decisions and ignoring national interest."

They called for a "trial of the corrupt who have looted the country and public funds, regardless of who they are and irrespective of their rank and importance."

Source: Ahram.
Link: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/5125.aspx.

Jordanian tribal figures criticize queen, demand reform

By Tim Lister, CNN
February 6, 2011

Amman, Jordan (CNN) -- In unprecedented criticism of Jordan's royal family, three dozen prominent Jordanian tribal figures issued an urgent call for reform Sunday and warned that the country may follow Tunisia and Egypt into turmoil without it.

The statement from 36 members of the country's major tribes attacked what they called the interference of Queen Rania in running the country. The queen, "her sycophants and the power centers that surround her" are dividing Jordanians and "stealing from the country and the people," the letter states.

The tribal figures said they were sending a clear message to King Abdullah II. They warned that if corruption was not prosecuted and reform was not implemented, "similar events to those in Tunisia and Egypt and other Arab countries will occur." The internet and satellite television had overcome the ability of regimes to stifle the thirst for information, the statement said.

There has been no response from the royal palace to the statement, which was posted on a popular Jordanian website. But the website, ammonnews.net, later complained that it had been the target of "intentional hacking" and that the statement had been removed.

Jordan's tribes make up about 40% of the country's population and are seen as the bedrock of support for the Hashemite monarchy that has ruled the country for nearly a century.

Though it was not clear whether all the signers were speaking for their tribes, such criticism of the monarchy is rare in Jordan -- recent street protests that criticized the government stopped short of calling for King Abdullah II to step down.

Abdullah marks twelve years on the throne this month, but faces growing criticism among Jordanians amid a recession and allegations of widespread corruption among officials. He dismissed his Cabinet last week, acknowledging that corruption needed to be tackled and political reforms urgently pursued.

Rania, 40, has been married to Abdullah for 17 years. She has had a high profile at home and internationally and has been involved in a number of charitable causes, including youth unemployment.

The tribal leaders said Sunday that allegations of corruption by Layla Trabelsi -- the wife of longtime Tunisian strongman Zine El Abedine Ben Ali, who was forced into exile by a popular revolt in January -- and by Egyptian first lady Suzanne Mubarak have been "the catalyst of populist movements" in those countries. What has happened in Jordan is even worse, the statement said.

"We refuse the squandering of public money and aid to polish her own personal image at the expense of the nation," the statement said. The signatories demanded a breakdown of how aid money from the United States and European Union was being spent and called for a new election law and greater media freedom.

Resentment of Rania, who is Palestinian, is not new among Jordan's Bedouin tribes, but has risen sharply. In recent days, tribal sources have expressed to CNN their resentment about what they perceive as her lavish lifestyle and her interference in politics.

Source: CNN.
Link: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/02/06/jordan.monarchy/?hpt=T2.

Jordan tribes slam 'crisis of authority'

A group of members of major tribes, which form the backbone of the regime in Jordan, condemned the country's "crisis of authority" and corruption, warning of a popular revolt

AFP, Sunday 6 Feb 2011

"Jordan will sooner or later be the target of an uprising similar to the ones in Tunisia and Egypt due to suppression of freedoms and looting of public funds," 36 tribal leaders said in a joint statement.

They warned against the "interference in executive decisions by those who have no constitutional powers," in an apparent reference to Queen Rania, wife of Jordan's King Abdullah II.

"The queen is building centers to boost her power and serve her interests, against the will of Jordanians and Hashemites," the leaders said, comparing her to the wife of ousted Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

The tribes represent nearly 40 percent of the Jordanian population and their role is vital in the country's politics and stability. Their loyalty to the Hashemite ruling family has been crucial in times of crises in the past century.

The group said the country suffers from a "crisis of authority" and growing influence of "corrupt businessmen in the entourage of the executive power, affecting political decisions and ignoring national interest."

They called for a "trial of the corrupt who have looted the country and public funds, regardless of who they are and irrespective of their rank and importance."
"We call for a modern electoral law based on consultations with all political forces in Jordan, enhancing freedoms and the formation of a national salvation government to oversee a transparent parliamentary election."

A popular news website, ammonnews.net, said on Sunday it was the target of "anonymous (Internet) piracy and attacks" for publishing the statement.

"The statement has been mysteriously removed from our site, which was attacked. We have been informed by some parties that we will be sued for publishing the statement," Basel Akur, the site's editor, told AFP.

Popular discontent in Jordan has led to several protests, inspired by revolts which have ousted Tunisia's strongman Ben Ali and threaten the regime of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak.

Source: Ahram.
Link: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/5095.aspx.