Libyan unit "defects" as more Arab protests simmer

TRIPOLI/MANAMA | Sun Feb 20, 2011

(Reuters) - Members of a Libyan army unit said they had defected and "liberated" the country's second city from forces loyal to veteran leader Muammar Gaddafi after scores of protesters were killed in the bloodiest revolt now shaking the Arab world.

Two residents of Benghazi told Reuters on Sunday that members of the army's "Thunderbolt" squad had switched sides after days of violence that mark the most serious challenge to Gaddafi's 42-year rule. Al Jazeera reported clashes in the capital between thousands of protesters and Gaddafi supporters.

Revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt have shaken the Arab world and inspired protests across the Middle East and North Africa, threatening the grip of long-entrenched leaders.

In the Gulf kingdom of Bahrain, thousands of protesters gathered in a square in Manama, calling for political change and awaiting promised talks with the island's Sunni rulers.

But after days of violence, the mood among the mainly Shi'ite protesters appeared to be more conciliatory.

Unrest also hit Yemen, Tunisia, Morocco, Oman, Kuwait, Algeria and Djibouti over the weekend as people took to the streets demanding political and economic change.

In Iran, thousands of security personnel deployed in the streets of Tehran and other cities to prevent protesters rallying in spite of a ban, opposition websites said.

But the most dramatic developments were in Libya.

Al Jazeera, citing unnamed sources, said thousands of protesters clashed with supporters of Gaddafi in Tripoli's Green Square.

In the port city of Benghazi, two residents said members of the army's Thunderbolt squad had arrived at the local hospital with soldiers wounded in clashes with Gaddafi's personal guard.

"They are now saying that they have overpowered the Praetorian Guard and that they have joined the people's revolt," lawyer Mohamed Al-Mana said by telephone. It was not possible to independently verify the information.

Habib al-Obaidi, who heads the intensive care unit at Benghazi's Al-Jalae hospital, said at least 50 people had been killed and 100 seriously wounded since 1300 GMT on Sunday.

"Today has been a real tragedy ... since 3 p.m. (1300 GMT) and up to 9.15 pm, we received 50 dead, mostly from bullet wounds," he said. "There are 200 wounded, 100 of them are in very serious conditions."

Human Rights Watch said 84 people were killed on Saturday and 20 overnight, bringing the toll by Sunday morning to 173.

One witness had earlier said that many police and soldiers had joined protesters.

Another witness said security forces had opened fire on protesters demanding an end to the 41-year rule of Gaddafi, who has responded to the biggest challenge of his power with ruthless force.

Benghazi residents said tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of protesters had taken to the streets to bury some of the dead.

The clamor for reform across a region of huge strategic importance to the West and the source of much of its oil began in Tunisia in December. The overthrow of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali then inspired Egyptians to rise up against strongman Hosni Mubarak, overthrowing him on February 11.

The tide has challenged Arab leaders, including many who have long been backed by the West as vital energy suppliers and enemies of Islamist militants. While each uprising has its own dynamics, from religion to tribalism, all protesters seem united by frustration over economic hardship and a lack of political freedom under entrenched elites.

U.S. SAYS GRAVELY CONCERNED

The United States said it was "gravely concerned" by credible reports of hundreds of deaths and injuries in Libya, and warned its citizens to delay travel there.

"Libyan officials have stated their commitment to protecting and safeguarding the right of peaceful protest," said Philip Crowley, assistant secretary of state, in a statement.

"We call upon the Libyan government to uphold that commitment, and hold accountable any security officer who does not act in accordance with that commitment."

U.S. Embassy dependants were being encouraged to leave the country.

In Bahrain, the main opposition party said it wanted the crown prince to show signs of addressing opposition demands before any formal dialogue could start.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the Bahraini government should step up reform efforts rather than attacking peaceful protesters.

Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, of the ruling Sunni Muslim dynasty, made conciliatory noises after days of violence in which six people died.

"All political parties in the country deserve a voice at the table," he told CNN. "I think there is a lot of anger, a lot of sadness...We are terribly sorry and this is a terrible tragedy for our nation," said the prince, who is seen as a reformist.

But Ibrahim Mattar, a lawmaker of the main opposition Wefaq party, said that they wanted the crown prince to show signs of addressing their demands before any formal dialogue could start.

"We are waiting for an initiative from him, with a scope for dialogue," he said, adding that the prince should "send a small signal he is willing to have a constitutional monarchy."

The opposition is demanding a constitutional monarchy that gives citizens a greater role in a directly elected government. It also wants the release of political prisoners.

On the crown prince's orders, troops and armored vehicles left Manama's Pearl Square on Saturday, which they had occupied after a police attack on protesters who set up a tent city there. The demonstrators quickly reoccupied the square.

Speculation was growing that Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, in office since independence from Britain in 1971, would be replaced by the crown prince, who has pushed aside for now the hawks in the royal court.

Shi'ites complain of unfair treatment in Bahrain, an ally of the United States, whose Fifth Fleet is based there.

In Tunisia on Sunday, security forces fired into the air as tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered downtown to call for the replacement of the interim government -- a sign that problems are not all swept away with the removal of a dictator.

In Yemen, the leader of the secessionist Southern Movement was arrested and shots were fired at a demonstration in the capital Sanaa on the ninth consecutive day of unrest.

Thousands are demanding the departure of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who called for dialogue with the opposition.

But the coalition of main opposition parties said there could be no dialogue with "bullets and sticks and thuggery," or with a government "which gathers mercenaries to occupy public squares ... and terrorize people."

At least 2,000 protesters gathered in a square in Morocco's capital on Sunday to demand that King Mohammed give up some of his powers and clamp down on government corruption.

(Reporting by Reuters bureau; Writing by Diana Abdallah; editing by Mark Trevelyan)

Source: Reuters.
Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/20/us-protests-idUSTRE71F41K20110220.

Libya's ambassadors to India, Arab League resign in protest against government

21/02/2011

Libyan Ambassador to India Ali al-Essawi resigned in protest against his government's violent crackdown on demonstrators who have called for the ouster of the country's leader, Muammar Gaddafi, the Indian Express daily website reported on Monday.

Ambassador al-Essawi also accused the government of using foreign mercenaries to break up mass protests.

There was no immediate comment from the Libyan Embassy in New Delhi.

Libyan security forces began withdrawing from the country's capital Tripoli on Monday, the satellite channel Al-Jazeera reported.

On Sunday evening, Libya's permanent representative in the Arab League, Ambassador Abdel Moneim al-Huny, announced his resignation to protest Libyan authorities' use of violence against demonstrators, Al-Masry Al-Youm news agency reported.

Protests in Libya, one of the world's major oil suppliers, started on February 15 amid violent anti-government demonstrations across the Middle East. Riots are largely centered in the eastern cities of Benghazi, Bayda and Tobruk, but there are reports that unrest has been spreading to the west of the country as well.

The human rights organization Human Rights Watch reported that the death toll has reached at least 233, but Libyan authorities have confirmed the death of 84 people.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, a son of President Gaddafi, has blamed opposition members outside the country of organizing protests in Libya.

Libyan protesters have reportedly attacked the state television center and set several public buildings on fire in the capital.

NEW DELHI, February 21 (RIA Novosti)

Source: RIA Novosti.
Link: http://en.rian.ru/world/20110221/162698818.html.

Iran's Suez passage delayed until Wednesday

20/02/2011

The passage of two Iranian warships through the Suez Canal has been delayed by 48 hours or until Wednesday morning, Haaretz reported on Sunday citing a canal official.

Earlier this week, Egypt's new authorities approved a request by Iran to allow two Iranian warships en route to Syria to cross the Suez Canal. The passage was planned at 6 a.m. on Monday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday Israel "views with utmost gravity" the move calling it an attempt "to expand influence."

Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting that the "security component is critical to any peace agreement."

TEL AVIV, February 20 (RIA Novosti)

Source: RIA Novosti.
Link: http://en.rian.ru/world/20110220/162691902.html.

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood to establish political party

21/02/2011

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood movement has decided to establish a political party, a senior member said Monday.

"The establishment of this party answers the aspirations of the Egyptian people for a better future," Mohammed Badie was quoted as saying on the group's website.

The structure and leadership of the party, expected to be called the Freedom and Justice Party, will be announced soon, Badie added.

The Muslim Brotherhood was banned under the rule of Hosni Mubarak, who stepped down as president on February 11 after 18 days of large-scale anti-government protests.

The movement was founded in 1928 by schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna. It was banned in 1954 but retained a large following.

A representative of the group has become a member of the commission reforming the country's constitution. However, the Muslim Brotherhood says it does not aim to take power and will not nominate a candidate in the forthcoming presidential election.

CAIRO, February 21 (RIA Novosti)

Source: RIA Novosti.
Link: http://en.rian.ru/world/20110221/162705288.html.

Malaysian prime minister arrives in Turkey

2/21/2011

Malaysian Prime Minister Mohamed Najib bin Abdul Razak arrived in Turkey on Monday.

Razak, who is the formal guest of Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will meet with Turkish and Malaysian businessmen in a round-table meeting in Istanbul.

Razak will also attend a forum to be jointly organized by Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia, non-governmental organization "The International Movement for a Just World" (JUST) and Turkey’s Bahcesehir University.

Source: Turkish Press.
Link: http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=364242.

PM Erdoğan promises harsher punishment for animal cruelty

22 February 2011, Tuesday

A number of animal-loving public figures met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sunday and appealed for stricter laws against animal cruelty at Dolmabahçe Palace, where the prime minister's İstanbul office is located.

The delegation included singers Yonca Evcimik, Ajda Pekkan and Burcu Güneş, musician Metin Özülkü, actor Tuna Arman, movie critic Ömür Gedik and Animal Rights Federation (HAYTAP) President Ahmet Kemal Şenpolat. The group appealed to the prime minister to change the penalties for animal cruelty, which currently consist of paying a negligible fine for torturing an animal as these crimes are considered misdemeanors.

Animal activists want animal cruelty to be classified as major offenses under the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). Prime Minister Erdoğan, according to the delegation, said he became an animal lover himself after his son got a dog and promised to change the existing legislation after the June 2011 election.

He thanked the delegation for the informative meeting, which lasted about one-and-a-half hours.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, HAYTAP President Şenpolat said their appeal was probably the most innocent demand the government has ever seen. He said the prime minister showed a high level of sensitivity toward the issue. “For the most part, it won’t be possible to change this law before the election, but we have been promised that it will be changed for sure after the election. After this change, people who commit animal cruelty or mistreat animals will be tried in court.”

HAYTAP also presented a detailed report to the prime minister on dealing with Turkey’s stray animal problem, calling for sanctions against pet owners who abandon their pets or refuse to neuter them and allow them to breed and also called for stricter rules for pet shop owners and limitations on importing animals.

Dancer and singer Evcimik said after the meeting: “I have seen today here that I really didn’t know our prime minister before, because I found out that he is a serious animal lover who lives close to cats and dogs. I feel that he will be helpful in this matter; I saw compassion in his eyes.”

Singer Pekkan also said the meeting had been very positive.

“Prime Minister Erdoğan promised us change in this regard. We also saw that he is very sensitive about animal rights,” Özülkü said.

Güneş said she was thankful for the meeting. “I saw that he really is an animal lover. Our prime minister’s son has a dog, and he also loves the dog. He really likes animals. We want these to be reflected through the rest of society. The prime minister gave us examples from the Prophet Muhammad and Mevlana [Jelaluddin Rumi] regarding compassion and the love for animals.”

Thespian Arman said, “Prime Minister Erdoğan said he will take steps to punish those who perpetrate violence against animals.”

In general, Turkey’s animal rights laws are better than in most countries. The Turkish Animal Protection Act No. 5199 specifies that municipalities should neuter and return all stray animals to where they were taken from, in line with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations to bring down populations. Many countries have failed to pass such legislation and instead rely on euthanasia to deal with the problem of unwanted animal populations. However, Act 5199 falls under the category of misdemeanors, which are considered “lesser” criminal acts in Turkish law. Because of this, in most cases, an individual who tortures an animal doesn’t go to trial. In some cases where the animal has an owner, the offender can be tried for damaging “property,” but most animal cruelty cases go unpunished. Animal activists have been calling for moving Act 5199 under the scope of the Turkish Penal Code, saying this is the only effective way to prevent animal abuse.

Source: Today's Zaman.
Link: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-236296-pm-erdogan-promises-harsher-punishment-for-animal-cruelty.html.

Hundreds of students rally in Algerian capital to express anger at government reform

Feb 21, 2011

ALGIERS, Algeria — About 500 students have rallied in Algeria's capital, part of the wave of unrest in Arab world to register discontent with national governments.

Monday's protest near the ministry of higher education follows scattered strikes and protests in recent weeks in defiance of a ban on public gatherings in Algiers dating to a bloody Islamic insurgency in the 1990s.

The students want the government to scrap a new law that dilutes the value of their diplomas by giving equal status to less-qualified degree holders in the job market.

Police were out in force, and some students claimed they were beaten bloody with police sticks.

President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has promised to lift a 19-year-long state of emergency, including the ban on public gatherings, by month's end.

Copyright © 2011 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Yemen separatist leader held, two die after protests

By Mohammed Mukhashaf and Mohammed Ghobari
ADEN/SANAA | Sun Feb 20, 2011

(Reuters) - The leader of Yemen's secessionist Southern Movement was arrested and shots were fired on the ninth day of demonstrations in the capital Sanaa on Sunday.

A male protester and a young girl died in a hospital in the southern city of Aden, after being wounded, apparently by stray bullets, during protests on Saturday in a nearby town, a doctor told Reuters. Their deaths brought the toll from the past two days to seven.

Thousands of people staged sit-ins in the cities of Ibb and Taiz, as well as in two districts of Aden, to demand the departure of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who renewed an offer of dialogue to opposition parties.

Saleh, a U.S. ally battling a resurgent al Qaeda wing based in Yemen, has held power for 32 years in the poor Arabian Peninsula state, which faces soaring unemployment, dwindling oil and water reserves, and chronic unrest in northern and southern provinces.

Security in Aden was stepped up on Sunday, with tanks and armored vehicles out on main streets.

Hasan Baoum, head of the secessionist Southern Movement, was arrested by an "armed military group" in an Aden hospital where he was being treated, his son Fadi Hasan Baoum told Reuters.

Baoum was also arrested in November last year, accused of planning illegal demonstrations.

CALL FOR DIALOGUE

Saleh renewed his call for dialogue with opposition parties and blamed the latest protests on "elements outside the system and the law."

"Dialogue is the best way. Not sabotage. Not blocking the roads," he told tribal, military and civil leaders in Sanaa.

But the coalition of main opposition parties, including the Islamist Islah and the secular Socialist Party, said there could be no dialogue with "bullets and sticks and thuggery," or with a government "which gathers mercenaries to ... terrorize people."

Around 50 government supporters tried to break up a demonstration outside Sanaa University by 1,000 protesters.

A Saleh supporter fired shots from an assault rifle but there were no reported casualties and the government supporters soon dispersed, while the protesters chanted, "Leave, Ali!"

Both sides fired weapons on Saturday outside the university -- the first reported use of firearms by demonstrators. Several protesters were hurt in those clashes.

PROTESTS AND SIT-INS

Protests have taken place across Yemen, a country of 23 million which borders the world's top oil exporter Saudi Arabia.

In the southern city of Ibb, around 1,000 protesters set up camp in Freedom Square waving banners which read "Leave" and "The people want the fall of the regime," witnesses said.

In Taiz, thousands continued a sit-in for a ninth day. Hundreds launched new sit-ins in the Mansoura and Crater districts of Aden.

Twelve Yemeni human rights groups demanded in a statement that security officials in Aden, Sanaa and Taiz be put on trials over attacks on protesters.

On Saturday, Saleh blamed a "foreign agenda" and a "conspiracy against Yemen, its security and stability" for the protests against poverty, unemployment and corruption which have gained momentum since the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.

Saleh is facing an al Qaeda branch that has launched attacks at home and abroad. He is also confronted by a separatist revolt in the south and trying to maintain a shaky truce with Shi'ite Muslim rebels in the north.

(Additional reporting Mohamed Sudam; writing by Jason Benham, Dominic Evans and Firouz Sedarat; editing by Mark Trevelyan)

Source: Reuters.
Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/20/us-yemen-idUSTRE71J18H20110220.

Turkish PM Erdogan vows to quit party post if he loses vote

Sun Feb 20, 2011

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan pledged Sunday to step down as chairman of the AK Party to prove he is not a "dictator" if it finishes second in a June general election.

Most opinion polls have shown that AK, which first came to power in 2002, is well ahead of its rivals in a campaign to win its third term. See.

"If my party finishes second, I will leave my post as chairman. I will take to the road in Anatolia and join my people and work from there," Erdogan said in a speech broadcast live by the news channel NTV.

"Will those who accuse me of having dictatorial aspirations step aside if their party finishes second?" he said.

Erdogan's critics say he has taken an authoritarian turn as with arrests of military officers, journalists and other political opponents on coup-plot charges continuing just months before the general election.

Hundreds of people are in prison during a series of mass trials, at which prosecutors have linked the defendants to Ergenekon, an ultra-nationalist network, or other illegal groups that plotted to overthrow Erdogan in a number of failed coups.

"To those who say we've created an empire of fear, I say we believe in democracy and we trust the people," Erdogan said.

Nationalists view Erdogan's efforts to advance Turkey's European Union membership drive, including greater cultural rights for ethnic Kurds, as a threat to Turkish unity.

Secularists, including members of the armed forces, worry that AK harbors a secret Islamist agenda because of its roots in a banned religious movement.

The officially secular Turkish state strictly controls religion in a country whose population is 99.9 percent Muslim.

(Writing by Ayla Jean Yackley; editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: Reuters.
Link: http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE71J2FW20110220.

Hamas has new initiatives in store

20-02-2011

Al Qassam website - Hamas politburo chief Khalid Mishaal said his party has in store new initiatives relating to developments in Palestine after consulting with Palestinian factions.

The announcement comes after the US used its power of veto to strike down a resolution put to the UN Security Council that would have condemned Israeli settlement activity in East Jerusalem and the West Bank as illegal.

"In upcoming days we have a word we will say, an act we will do, and initiatives we will launch,” Mishaal said to mark the opening of the Zahr Hanoun center for women and Palestinian heritage in the Damascus Yarmouk refugee camp.

"I need not say more than that these developments and changes around us with the curse of failure and standstill we have tasted and what Palestine suffers on all levels, we are forced to review the situation in Palestine beyond the headlines that some are trying to drown us in,” he added.

"The depth of the crisis made in recent years at the hands of people who have chosen a crooked path in light of Zionist arrogance and what it is doing to our land, and in light of American bias, we must make a radical review of all the issues and details of the situation in Palestine.”

"We in Hamas and the resistance factions and many of the respected Palestinian officials are keeping that in mind and will discuss our options. All of that will soon be before our people, who alone possess the cause, the legitimacy, the decision and the choice.”

Separately, Mishaal expressed Hamas's joy over the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, saying they roused a spirit in Palestine and embodied the will of the people.

"We are happy Egypt returned to its natural state. The [Muslims] yearn for an Egypt that knows its affiliation, its allies, its duty, its enemies and knows who conspires against [it]. Change happened in Egypt and I wish it reaches its full objectives to be enjoyed by the people of Egypt, Gaza and Palestine, so Egypt will become on the side of its sister states in the region.”

Speaking before hundreds at the Zahr Hanoun women's and heritage center opening ceremony, Mishaal said: ”Heritage is not far from the battle. He who has no heritage has no present and no future.”

"Our struggle is over the land, man, holy places, decision, independence, sovereignty, culture, history, identity and symbols; and Israel wants to steal our heritage like it stole our land,” Mishaal said.

Source: Ezzedeen al-Qassam Brigades - Information Office.
Link: http://www.qassam.ps/news-4192-Hamas_has_new_initiatives_in_store.html.

Israeli government orders boycott of US Jewish organizations which oppose its policies

Thursday, 17 February 2011

A Hebrew-language newspaper in Israel claims that the Israeli government has instructed its embassy in Washington to boycott Jewish organizations in America which oppose Israel's official policies, particularly with regard to settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

According to the 17 February edition of the online Enyan Merkazi, the Israeli ambassador in Washington is taking practical steps to implement the boycott order. Michael Oren has briefed the heads of Jewish organizations in the US on his government's boycott directive because of the conflict between their positions and some official policies of the Israeli government.

It was for this reason that the entire staff of Israel's embassy in the US capital was prohibited from participating in an annual conference held by J Street. The relatively new community organization is gaining in influence and effectiveness in delivering a message which is often in stark contrast to the staunchly "pro-Israel right or wrong" approach of the largest Israel lobby group in the US, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). J Street has expressed opposition to Israel's insistence on Washington using its veto in the UN Security Council to oppose any resolution that may condemn the Zionist state's settlement policy in the occupied Palestinian Territories.

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/news/middle-east/2066-israeli-government-orders-boycott-of-us-jewish-organisations-which-oppose-its-policies.

Barghouti warns that Israel is exploiting regional events to push Judaisation of Jerusalem

Thursday, 17 February 2011

A deputy in the Palestinian Legislative Council has warned that the Israeli occupation authority is exploiting international preoccupation with other events in the Middle East to implement its plans for the Judaisation of Jerusalem and the imposition of more "facts on the ground" in the occupied city. Mustafa Barghouti said that Israel's announcement that its military colleges would be transferred from the Galilee district to occupied East Jerusalem "amounts to a declaration of war on the Palestinian people". Israel plans to locate the colleges on more than 32,000 sq meters of occupied land. Plans to build 120 settlement units in the north of the Holy City as well as nineteen synagogues in the settlement of Har Homa have also been announced.

Mr. Barghouti, who is also the Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative, said it is essential to address the "settlement surge" launched by the Israeli occupation authority. He called for popular resistance along with demands to the UN for sanctions and a boycott against Israel. He also stressed that the time had come to end the internal division in the Palestinian community and restore national unity in an effort to confront the "imminent dangers" to the Palestinians and their national rights.

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/news/middle-east/2068-barghouti-warns-that-israel-is-exploiting-regional-events-to-push-judaisation-of-jerusalem.

Fishermen killed by Israel "had no weapons on or near them"

Friday, 18 February 2011

Further information about the killing of three Palestinian fishermen from Gaza has been made public. Israel Defense Forces sources claim that the three men were trying to infiltrate the Zionist state with intent to cause harm. However, official medical reports compiled by medics on the scene state that no weapons of any kind were found on or near the men who were killed. The men were working on the beach when they were hit by Israeli artillery fire.

A spokesman for the government in Gaza, Sami Abu Zuhri, said: "The execution of three Palestinian fishermen in the northern Gaza Strip is a war crime and a crime against humanity. It was a premeditated operation by the Israeli occupational forces, despite the knowledge that the victims were indeed fishermen going about their lawful business on the beach near Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza." Mr. Abu Zuhri added that the Israeli statement about the incident was "entirely false" and "an attempt to hide the facts."

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/news/middle-east/2071-update-fishermen-killed-by-israel-qhad-no-weapons-on-or-near-themq.

Iran naval ships to cross Suez Canal on Monday

CAIRO | Sat Feb 19, 2011

(Reuters) - Two Iranian naval ships will sail through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean on Monday, a Suez Canal official said, in what will be the first passage of Iranian naval ships through the canal since 1979.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has described Iran's plan to send the ships through the canal en route to Syria as a "provocation."

The official said the vessels would arrive at the southern mouth of the canal in the Red Sea's Gulf of Suez on Sunday. They would enter the canal in the northern convoy on Monday morning and complete the journey to the Mediterranean by evening.

An Egyptian army source said on Friday that the military, which has been running Egypt since President Hosni Mubarak was toppled from power on February 11, had approved Iran's request to send the ships through the canal.

The decision had posed an early diplomatic headache for Egypt's interim government. Cairo is an ally of the United States and has a peace treaty with Israel but its relations with Iran have been strained since the 1979 revolution.

Egypt's Western allies are watching for hints of any shift in policy toward its Middle East neighbors.

(Writing by Tom Perry; editing by Michael Roddy)

Source: Reuters.
Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/19/us-egypt-iran-canal-idUSTRE71I3QW20110219.

Algerian police disperses protesters in Algiers

ALGIERS, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The protesters in Algeria on Saturday failed in organizing a rally against the government as thousands of police intervened.

The security authorities have deployed thousands of policemen on the roads leading to the Concorde square, and the demonstrators and journalists were forced out of the square.

About 400 to 500 demonstrators have been dispersed, while the security forces remained on the spot.

Although the police did not use tear gas, the National Coordination for Change and Democracy (CNCD), the non-recognized opposition group told Xinhua that some protesters were injured on Saturday, without mentioning the number.

The protesters chanted anti-government slogans, including " people want to overthrow the regime," and "Free and Democratic Algeria."

The CNCD has decided to protest every Saturday in Algiers until President Abdelaziz Bouteflika meets their demands.

The Algerian government claims the supporters of the CNCD as " minority," after major opposition parties like Socialist Forces Front (FFS), Ennahda Movement and Al Islah Movement decided to boycott the call of the CNCD.

The government has banned marches in the capital of Algiers for security reasons, referring to suicide bombings of 2007 which killed tens of people.

Source: Xinhua.
Link: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-02/20/c_13740084.htm.

Iraqi Kurdish official says democratic initiative a correct step

19 February 2011, Saturday
AZIZ İSTEGÜN, ARBIL

A senior Iraqi Kurdish administration official has welcomed a democratic initiative the Turkish government launched that includes more rights and freedoms for Turkey’s Kurdish population, praising the country’s prime minister’s steps in this regard.

Falah Mustafa Bakir, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government Department of Foreign Relations, told Today’s Zaman that he considers the democratic initiative a correct and honest step in Turkey. Noting that the steps taken by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in trying to resolve problems are effective ones, Bakir said Erdoğan’s policies are opening doors (to addressing the problems related to ethnic Kurds living in Turkey) and that his administration also wants to solve problems using dialogue.

Bakir noted that his administration is closely following developments in Turkey and that the Kurdish administration is explicitly against violence, emphasizing that the decades-long Kurdish problem cannot be resolved in only a few days.

“The Kurdish problem cannot be solved with weapons and toughness.

Problems are addressed through dialogue. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party [PKK] terrorist organization is part of Turkey’s domestic affairs. We are concerned over the fact that the PKK is using Iraqi territories as a safe haven from which they attack Turkey,” Bakir said.

Explaining that the Kurdish regional administration will continue improving its already good relations with Turkey, Bakir said he appreciates the developments in politics and economy in Turkey. The official added that Turkey is a big country that has assumed a very good role with its “zero problems with neighbors” policy and that his administration wants to see Turkey as a member of the European Union.

“Turkey has always been a good neighbor. It has friendly ties with the Kurdish administration. The opening of Turkey’s Arbil consulate is a nice step. We have wanted to establish brotherhood between Turkey and Iraqi Kurds since 1991. We are at a very advanced level in relations. This is beneficial for both sides,” Bakir concluded.

Source: Today's Zaman.
Link: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-236050-iraqi-kurdish-official-says-democratic-initiative-a-correct-step.html.

Malaysian prime minister to visit Turkey

19 February 2011 Saturday

Bilateral relations and cooperation opportunities between Turkey and Malaysia, as well as regional and international matters that concern both countries will be on the agenda of Razak's talks in Turkey

Malaysia's prime minister will hold a series of talks in Turkey between February 21-23.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mohamed Najib bin Abdul Razak will arrive in Turkey as the guest of Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a statement from Turkish Prime Ministry's Press Office said on Friday.

Bilateral relations and cooperation opportunities between Turkey and Malaysia, as well as regional and international matters that concern both countries will be on the agenda of Razak's talks in Turkey, the statement said.

As part of the visit, Razak will also get together with Turkish and Malaysian businessmen in Istanbul and attend a forum to be jointly organized by Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia, non-governmental organization "The International Movement for a Just World" (JUST) and Turkey's Bahcesehir University, the statement noted.

Source: World Bulletin.
Link: http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=70005.

Iran opens Intl. Islamic Unity confab

19.02.2011

The 24th International Islamic Unity Conference was being held as “an Islamic wave was spreading all over the world”, Secretary General of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Taskhiri told in his speech at the opening ceremony of the conference on Saturday, Press TV reported.

Ayatollah Taskhiri pointed out that the Islamic world was moving toward materializing its goals and that a new Islamic Middle East was taking shape to the dismay of the arrogant powers. He also hoped that the Islamic world would further unite to overcome its enemies.

He went on to say that holding the annual conference of the Islamic Unity was among the activities of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought.

Ayatollah Taskhiri added that among many other objectives, the forum sought to disseminate Islamic culture throughout the world and to bring closer Muslim clerics and scholars.

The cleric further explained that the 24th meeting of the forum would be held February 19 to 21, with a focus on finding “intellectual and practical solutions to realize Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought.”

More than 200 scholars from 57 countries have been invited to attend the international conference.

Source: Trend.
Link: http://en.trend.az/regions/iran/1832516.html.

Islamic group condemns US veto of Israeli settlement resolution

19.02.2011

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) on Saturday denounced the United States for using its veto power to block a United Nations resolution that would have condemned Israeli settlements as being illegal, DPA reported.

"It is a devastating blow to the credibility of international efforts to resume the peace process," the group said in a statement.

Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians had begun in September, but collapsed just three weeks later when a partial Israeli freeze on settlement construction in occupied Palestinian territories was allowed to expire.

The Palestinians have said they will not return to the negotiating table until Israel renews the moratorium.

The OIC, which has 57 member states and is headquartered in Saudi Arabia, argued that the US veto will only encourage Israel to continue its violations.

The group also reiterated calls for an immediate freeze to Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

All of the UN Security Council's 14 other members supported the resolution, which also had strong Palestinian and Arab backing. But the US argued that the measure would further hinder the peace talks.

Source: Trend.
Link: http://en.trend.az/news/arisc/1832550.html.

Egypt: US veto of Israeli settlement resolution "disappointing"

19.02.2011

Egypt said on Saturday that the United States' decision to veto a United Nations resolution condemning Israeli settlement-building activities was "disappointing", DPA reported.

The US vetoed the Arab-backed resolution on Friday, arguing that the measure would further hinder Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

A spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Hossam Zaki, predicted that the veto will instead push all sides away from the talks and further damage the credibility of the US as a mediator.

Its stance was "not only disappointing to the Palestinian and Arab people, but also on an international level, especially in all of the states that supported the draft resolution," Zaki said.

The other 14 countries on the UN Security Council voted for the resolution.

The peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians had begun in September, but collapsed just three weeks later when a partial Israeli freeze on settlement construction in occupied Palestinian territories was allowed to expire.

The Palestinians have said they will not return to the negotiating table until Israel renews the moratorium.

Source: Trend.
Link: http://en.trend.az/news/arisc/1832536.html.

Egyptian military pardons soldier turned protester

19.02.2011

The Higher Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces, now in control of the country, said Saturday it had pardoned a soldier who defected to join protesters during the recent popular uprising, DPA reported.

The military said Major Ahmed Shoman was pardoned because the army "believes in the noble purpose behind the January 25 revolution," despite his actions having gone "against the laws and charters ruling this institution."

Shoman spoke to Arab media during the protests in Tahrir Square, which served as the hub of Cairo's anti-government protests, saying he wanted to protect the people, not the regime.

He had been scheduled to be tried in a military court this Tuesday on charges of incitement to overthrow the government, neglect, disobeying orders, and surrendering his weapon when he joined protesters.

The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights had urged the military to pardon Shoman, saying it would be "the expression of the national spirit of the army," according to the Daily News Egypt.

He was among a handful of soldiers who joined protesters during the 18-day long popular revolt that led to the ouster of former president Hosny Mubarak after nearly 30 years in power.

Source: Trend.
Link: http://en.trend.az/regions/world/ocountries/1832543.html.

German journalists to be released by Iran

19.02.2011

The two German journalists detained in Iran are to be released in exchange for a 500-million-rial (48,400-dollar) fine, the Isna news agency reported.

The German Foreign Ministry said efforts are being made to bring the journalists home "as soon as possible", DPA reported.

Source: Trend.
Link: http://en.trend.az/regions/iran/1832545.html.

China tries to stamp out 'Jasmine Revolution'

By ANITA CHANG
The Associated Press
Sunday, February 20, 2011

BEIJING -- Authorities rounded up dozens of dissidents and cracked down on calls for a "Jasmine Revolution," which urged demonstrations in more than a dozen Chinese cities Sunday apparently modeled after the wave of pro-democracy protests sweeping the Middle East.

The source of the call was not known and many activists seemed not to know what to make of it, even as they spread the word. They said they were unaware of any known group being involved in the request for citizens to gather in 13 cities and shout, "We want food, we want work, we want housing, we want fairness."

The authoritarian government, always on guard to squelch dissent, appeared to be taking the threat of protests seriously and moved to stamp out the spread of the message that first appeared on U.S.-based Chinese-language website Boxun.com.

More than 100 activists in cities across China were taken away by police, confined to their homes or were missing, the Hong Kong-based group Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said. Families and friends reported the detention or harassment of several dissidents, and some activists said they were warned not to participate Sunday.

Police pulled Beijing lawyer Jiang Tianyong into a car and drove away, said his wife, Jin Bianling. She told The Associated Press by phone Saturday night that she was still waiting for more information.

On Sunday, searches for "jasmine" were blocked on China's largest Twitter-like microblog, and status updates with the word on popular Chinese social networking site Renren.com were met with an error message and a warning to refrain from postings with "political, sensitive ... or other inappropriate content."

Mass text messaging service was unavailable in Beijing due to "technical issues," according to a customer service operator for leading provider China Mobile. In the past, Chinese authorities have suspended text messaging in politically tense areas to prevent organizing.

On Beijing's busy Wangfujing pedestrian mall, where protesters were told to rally in front of a McDonald's restaurant, there was a heavier-than-normal police presence amid the crowds of shoppers. Along with uniformed police and "public security volunteers" wearing red armbands, plainclothes officers monitored the crowd with video and still cameras. A police surveillance van was parked across the street from the restaurant.

Boxun.com said its website was attacked by hackers Saturday after it posted the call to protest. A temporary site, on which users were reporting heavy police presence in several cities, was up and running Sunday.

China's authoritarian government has appeared unnerved by recent protests in Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain, Yemen, Algeria and Libya. It has limited media reports, stressing the instability caused by protests in Egypt, and restricted Internet searches to keep people uninformed.

The call for a Jasmine Revolution came as President Hu Jintao gave a speech to top leaders Saturday, asking them to "solve prominent problems which might harm the harmony and stability of the society." Hu told the senior politicians and officials to provide better social services to people and improve management of information on the Internet "to guide public opinion," the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

The ruling Communist Party is dogged by the threat of social unrest over rising food and housing prices and other issues.

In the latest price increase, the National Development and Reform Commission announced Saturday that gasoline and diesel prices would be raised by 350 yuan ($53) per ton.

Tensions were already high in recent days after a video secretly made under house arrest by one of China's best-known activist lawyers, Chen Guangcheng, was made public. Chen and his wife reportedly were beaten in response, and some of Chen's supporters reported being detained or beaten by authorities after meeting to discuss his case.

---

Associated Press writer Charles Hutzler contributed to this report.

Source: The Washington Post.
Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/19/AR2011021901021.html.

Yemen security forces kill protester

WARNING: Article contains propaganda!

* * * * *

By AHMED AL-HAJ, Associated Press – Sat Feb 19

SANAA, Yemen – Yemeni riot police in the capital shot dead an anti-government protester and injured five others on Saturday when they opened fire on thousands marching in the 10th day of unrest rocking the country. The country's leader blamed the unrest on "a foreign plot."

Protesters seeking to oust longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a key U.S. ally in fighting al-Qaida terrorists, began marching from the University of Sanaa to the Ministry of Justice, chanting: "The people want the fall of the regime."

They were met by police and government supporters with clubs and knives who engaged in a stone-throwing battle with the protesters. At one point, police fired in the air to disperse the march.

A medical official said one man was shot in the neck and killed. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

The capital became quiet during an afternoon period when Yemenis traditional chew a popular stimulant leaf, known as qat.

It was the 10th straight day of protests in Yemen inspired by uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, which have killed seven people across the country. Demonstrators want the immediate ouster of Saleh, who has ruled for 32 years.

In a meeting with civic leaders, Saleh said Yemenis have the right to express themselves peacefully and that the perpetrators of the unrest were trying to seize power by fomenting instability.

"The homeland is facing a foreign plot that threatens its future," Saleh said, without elaborating. He has tried to blunt discontent by promising not to seek re-election when his term ends in 2013.

Meanwhile, residents of Yemen's port city Aden, where fierce riots have resulted in at least four deaths, said troops in armored vehicles had deployed in the main streets, at the entrances to some districts and at key buildings such as the governor's office. Many police had withdrawn from the streets, apparently to avoid confrontation with protesters who still gathered in some areas.

Vice President Abd Rabou Mansour met top officials in Aden and decided to seal off the city for a 12-hour period ending at 6 a.m. Sunday to prevent people outside Aden from joining the protests, said a security official spoke on condition of anonymity.

Earlier, residents said groups of men were looting and burning government buildings and that there was no sign of the police or armed forces.

Municipal councils in at least two neighborhoods of Aden suspended their work to protest what they said was the excessive use of force by security forces.

Saleh is already facing a restless population, with threats from al-Qaida militants who want to oust him, a southern secessionist movement and a sporadic armed rebellion in the north.

To try to quell new outbursts of dissent, Saleh pledged to meet some of the protesters' demands and has reached out to tribal chiefs, who are a major base of support for him.

But a key chief from Saleh's own tribe was critical of his policies and threatened to join the protesters — an apparent attempt to pressure the embattled leader of the world's poorest Arab country.

For now, most of the protesters are students, educated professionals and activists who used social media sites Facebook and Twitter in summoning people to the streets.

Nearly 100 killed in Libyan crackdown on unrest

By MAGGIE MICHAEL, Associated Press – Sat Feb 19

CAIRO – Libyan forces opened fire on mourners leaving a funeral for protesters Saturday in the flashpoint city of Benghazi, and a medical official said 15 people were killed, with bodies piling up in a hospital and doctors collapsing in grief at the sight of dead relatives.

The deaths pushed the overall estimated death toll to 99 in five days of unprecedented protests against the 42-year reign of Moammar Gadhafi. Government forces also wiped out a protest encampment and clamped down on Internet service throughout the North African nation.

As relatives buried their dead, they fell victim to a mixture of special commandos, foreign mercenaries and Gadhafi loyalists armed with knives, Kalashnikovs and even anti-aircraft missiles trying to quell the demonstrations, witnesses said.

"The blood of our martyrs is still leaking from coffins over the shoulders of the mourners," one female protester, who is also a lawyer, said while standing in front of about 20 coffins lined up in front of the Northern Court building in Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city and the epicenter of the current unrest.

Before Saturday's violence, Human Rights Watch had estimated at least 84 people have been killed.

Hospitals ran low on medical supplies and were packed with bodies shot in the chest and head, said the medical official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of fears of reprisal.

"Many of the dead and the injured are relatives of doctors here," the official, who provided the figure of 15 dead, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "They are crying, and I keep telling them to please stand up and help us."

Information is tightly controlled in Libya, where journalists cannot work freely, and some of the accounts could not be independently confirmed. Other information comes from opposition activists in exile.

Gadhafi has been trying to bring his country out of isolation, announcing in 2003 that he was abandoning his program for weapons of mass destruction, renouncing terrorism and compensating victims of the 1986 La Belle disco bombing in Berlin and the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland.

Those decisions opened the door for warmer relations with the West and the lifting of U.N. and U.S. sanctions, but Gadhafi continues to face allegations of human rights violations in the North African nation.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague called reports of the use of snipers and heavy weapons against demonstrators in Libya "clearly unacceptable and horrifying," and criticized restrictions on media access.

Before the Internet was shut down, videos posted on a Facebook page showed Libyan protesters smashing a stone representation of the "Green Book," which is Ghadhafi's manifesto, as well as destroying billboards of the Libyan leader. Video of torched Revolutionary Committees buildings also were posted.

Protesters say that defiance is growing with the increasing bloodshed and attempts by authorities to silence them by offering financial compensation to relatives of the dead.

"Gadhafi's men came to us and tried to bribe many of our colleagues," said the female protester, but she added that the opposition would not agree to any negotiations with the regime because of the bloodshed.

Her account could not be verified independently but was identical to those of several others contacted by the AP.

Hatred of Gadhafi's rule has grown in Benghazi in the past two decades. Anger has focused on the shooting deaths of about 1,200 inmates — most of them political prisoners — during prison riots in 1996.

Families of the dead since then have been holding small demonstrations calling for the prosecution of those responsible for the killings. But the current protests have been larger, apparently spurred by revolts that ousted the Tunisian and Egyptian leaders.

"There's no turning back," said Mohammed Abdullah, a Dubai-based member of the Libyan Salvation Front. "It is over for Gadhafi."

According to several accounts, police in Benghazi initially followed orders to act against the protest but later joined with them because they belong to the same tribe and saw the foreign mercenaries taking part in the killings.

A similar scenario took place in other eastern cities, including Beyda, which once housed Libya's parliament before Gadhafi's military coup in September 1969 toppled the monarchy.

Protests spread to outside the southern city of Zentan and west to Mesrata, the third-biggest city in Libya.

"Now people are tearing down the posters of Gadhafi. This never happened before," a protester from Mesrata said by phone who did not want to give his name because of fear of reprisal.

The capital of Tripoli, however, remained a stronghold of support for Gadhafi, with security forces swiftly curbing small protests erupting in the outskirts. Secret police were heavily deployed on the streets, as residents kept their opinions and emotions secret.

Residents reported receiving short messages on their mobile phones warning about taking any action against Gadhafi, national security and the oil industry, which are among "red lines" in Libya that must not be crossed.

A female protester said she tried to rally people in the streets Friday but ended up among 150 protesters detained by police at the end of the day. She was let go because she was the sole woman among them.

"It is very, very difficult for protesters to appear in the streets of Tripoli, except at night. People are under siege and those who dare to show up are arrested," she said.

State-run media show only footage of the flamboyantly dressed Gadhafi, which it called "the inspiring leader," waving to hundreds of cheering loyalists.

Libyan author Hisham Matar, whose novel "In the Country of Men" was shortlisted for the 2006 Man Booker Prize, said the regime wants to make "an example of Benghazi."

"The danger now is that because of the extraordinary impunity with which the Gadhafi regime and security apparatus are able to act, we might see the death toll rise even higher," said Matar, whose father, a political dissident, was kidnapped in Egypt in 1990 and never seen again.

MPs scrutinize government, several to block confidence vote

2011-03-03

By Wael Jaraysheh

AMMONNEWS - Member of Parliament Nariman Rousan on Thursday attacked former Royal Hashemite Court Chief Basem Awadallah and Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit's first government in the parliamentary session discussing the cabinet's statement to parliament.

Rousan said before the Lower House of Parliament that Awadallah was an employee at the Prime Ministry and was granted Jordanian citizenship 10 years before leaping to be appointed in the position of Royal Court Chief.

Roussan described Awadallah as "Jordan's Cohen," a name she gave him back in 2008 in a parliamentary session.

"This official began with a few JD's, and ended up with millions," Roussan said, demanding an inquiry into international aid funds that were spent "without monitoring or accountability."

Roussan thanked PM Marouf Bakhit for his announcement to relaunch Jerash Festival, and announced that she will abstain from giving a confidence vote "out of respect to the people," after she had granted the confidence vote to former Prime Minister Samir Rifai's government.

She questioned Bakhit's government's ability to hold the previous government accountable for the excessive temporary laws it issued, and to combat corruption and the corrupt regardless of their positions, and whether the current government is capable of forming a constitutional court.

Meanwhile, MPs Abdul Nasser Bani Hani and Tamam Rayati announced that they will not grant a vote of confidence to Bakhit's government, joining 8 other MPs who announced so yesterday.

In his statement, MP Salem Hadban said that corruption is still ongoing in many government apparatuses, and expressed that the demonstrations that have been taking place in the kingdom are "generally not politicized" but rather a natural reaction from the young Jordanians, many who are unemployed and face difficult living conditions.

MP Khalaf Hwaimel said that he hopes that the aim of the reforms proposed in the government program presented to parliament is to work for "national interests" away from hiding behind pretexts and appeasement.

He stressed that political reform stands on the basis of preparing regulatory legislation for political activism in the country, such as the municipalities, public freedoms, decentralization, and electoral laws.

MP Khalaf Zyoud called on the government to stay in touch with citizens throughout the governorates and listen to their concerns, and stressed the need to create jobs for the young unemployed.

On her part, MP Myassar Sardiya said that political, social, and administrative corruption has been the trademark of former governments, despite the fact that such governments took upon themselves the platform and slogan of combating corruption.

Saridya demanded that embezzled public funds be retrieved, and stressed that the government needs to achieve social justice, referring to the marginalization of Badia citizens, and stating "the government is exploiting us, not serving us."

She noted that Jordanian media and journalism is richer and more mature than governments themselves, adding that previous governments have worked to belittle and degrade the media through the "ill-mentioned code of conduct" that Rifai's government endorsed.

In his statement, MP Wasfi Rawashdeh denounced Israeli Knesset member Aryeh Eldad's continuous calls for turn Jordan into an alternative homeland for the Palestinians.

He shed light on the need to reform and "cleanse" the judicial authority, and stressed that political reform is the measure by which the street will judge both the government and parliament.

He stressed the need to expedite the process of carrying out a national dialogue within a specific methodology and suitable timeframe.

Rawashdeh said that his decision to grant confidence to the government depends on the latter's response to his inquiries and demands.

Meanwhile, MPs Musa Zawahreh, Jamal Qamwah, and Mijhem Sqour also announced that they will block a vote of confidence.

* By Banan Malkawi for Ammon News English

Source: Ammon News.
Link: http://en.ammonnews.net/article.aspx?articleNO=11625.

Jordan's King Abdullah Names Karaki as New Royal Court Chief

By Massoud A. Derhally - Mar 3, 2011

Jordan’s King Abdullah appointed Khaled al-Karaki, a former minister of education and deputy prime minister, as his new royal court chief, replacing Nasser Lozi, the state-run-Petra news agency reported today.

Karaki previously served as chief of the royal court under King Hussein of Jordan in the 1990s, father of the present monarch. It’s customary for the king to change the royal court chief whenever a new prime minister is appointed and a government is formed.

Jordan’s King Abdullah swore in the government of Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit, replacing that of Samir Rifai on Feb. 9 asking it to bring in immediate political and economic changes without hesitation.

He was responding to protests by Islamist led opposition groups that have been staged on Fridays since the revolt in Tunisia that forced President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali into exile on Jan. 14. The unrest has also spread to Egypt, where Hosni Mubarak stepped down as president after mass protests, and Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Algeria.

King Abdullah, who appoints the government, can dissolve the legislature and rule by decree in its absence.

Source: Bloomberg.
Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-03/jordan-s-king-abdullah-names-karaki-as-new-royal-court-chief.html.

Jordan's new government wins confidence of lower house

Thu, 03 Mar 2011

Amman - Jordan's new government narrowly won a vote of confidence in the lower house of parliament Thursday.

The 63-47 vote, with seven abstentions, came at the end of four days of debate on the government's major policies, presented by Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit on Sunday.

During the debate, which involved most of the chamber's 120 deputies, Bakhit came under heavy criticism from many lawmakers who cast doubt on his ability to carry out the promised democratic reforms assigned to him by King Abdullah II.

Deputies accused him of "rigging" the 2007 general elections when he was in power.

According to local media, Bakhit faced the possibility of losing the confidence vote. But many of those who opposed him had no choice but to vote in his favour, because his government's failure could prompt the dissolution of the lower house by King Abdullah II.

Bakhit formed his cabinet last month after the monarch sacked the administration Samir Rifai under pressure from demonstrations that swept the country. Protesters demanded political and economic reforms, finding inspiration from the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.

Ironically, Rifai was forced to step down despite his government winning a confidence vote with a majority of 111.

Thursday's vote gives Bakhit the green light to go ahead with a plan to open dialogue with all components of Jordan's political spectrum, including the Islamic-led opposition. That will be a run-up to reforms in which governments are based on parliamentary majorities.

Debate in recent days has focused on turning Jordan into a constitutional monarchy, which would limit the powers of the king, particularly in the choice of prime ministers and cabinet ministers.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/370165,wins-confidence-lower-house.html.

Jordanians protest Saudi inmate abuse

Thu Mar 3, 2011

Jordanians have staged a sit-in protest in front of the Saudi embassy in the capital Amman, urging Riyadh to release their countrymen that it has jailed without any charges.

The Wednesday move was attended by scores of Jordanians, including those who had their family members incarcerated in Saudi prisons, as well as a number of human rights campaigners, Xinhua reported.

The demonstrators held up pictures of the detainees and banners, pleading with Saudi King Abdullah for the release of the inmates.

"We ask the Saudi king and the Saudi ambassador to Jordan to release Jordanian prisoners in Saudi Arabia. Some of the prisoners have been held in the country for four to seven years without trial," said one protester.

Another demonstrator introduced himself as the brother of a prisoner "who has been in a Saudi jail since 2007."

"I request the Saudi king to release him. This is everyone's demand here," she said.

Both countries have recently been witnessing popular display of censure at their rights record. The pro-democracy wave has been set off by the recent revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, which ended in deposition of the countries' heads of state.

Last month, a demonstration was held in the oil-producing Eastern Saudi province of Qatif against undue incarcerations.

Most recently, a group of women took to the streets of the kingdom to object to their husbands' having been forced to endure at least 15 years of detention in Saudi prisons without trial.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/168045.html.

US backs Jordan's planned reforms in response to protests

Wed, 02 Mar 2011

Amman - A senior US official met separately Wednesday with Jordan's King Abdullah II and Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit to relay Washington's support for the political and economic reforms recently pledged by the two leaders, according to a US embassy statement.

Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Michael Posner "emphasized the strong, long-term American commitment to the well-being of Jordan and the US appreciation of Jordan's many decades of work toward regional peace and prosperity," the statement said.

He also underscored the "US support for the king's call for sustained, serious and comprehensive program of political and economic reform as the key to realizing the enormous potential of Jordan and Jordanians," it added.

King Abdullah recently asked the new government of Bakhit to carry out "real and speedy reforms" that lead to the formation of cabinets by political parties or coalitions with majorities in parliament.

The monarch earlier fired the cabinet of former Prime Minister Samir Rifai in response to a series of demonstrations that drew inspiration from the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.

On Friday, thousands of Jordanians demonstrated in Amman and other major cities demanding the dissolution of the newly elected lower house of parliament and callin for early elections.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/369950,planned-reforms-response-protests.html.

Jordanians rally for prisoners release

Wed Mar 2, 2011

Hundreds of people have staged a rally in Jordan's capital, Amman, to call for the release of over eighty political prisoners.

About 400 people took to the streets to protest as 27 inmates launched a hunger strike.

The anti-government protesters chanted slogans and held posters in front of the Grand Husseini Mosque in central Amman to urge King Abdullah to release their jailed relatives held at Swaqa prison, 50 kilometers south of the capital.

"The place of those who fight the Zionists should not be jail," read one slogan on a poster, in reference to those who are jailed for plotting attacks against Israeli targets.

Jordan was the second Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel after Egypt, and shares a border with both Israel and the occupied West Bank.

This is while international and local human rights organizations, as well as the opposition, have urged the Jordan's government to reform the country's prisons.

They have also called on the authorities to ban torture and protect prisoners' rights.

Thousands of members of Jordan's Islamic Action Front, and supporters of major political parties have rallied for reforms in recent weeks.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/167767.html.

Demonstration in Jordan for jailed Islamists

WARNING: Article contains propaganda!

* * * * *

By ABDUL JALIL MUSTAFA | ARAB NEWS
Mar 1, 2011

AMMAN: Hundreds of relatives of Islamists jailed in Jordan on security charges demonstrated in front of the Grand Husseini Mosque in central Amman on Tuesday to press for their release.

They chanted slogans and raised placards urging King Abdallah to pardon their jailed relatives.

One of the placards read "the place of those who fight the Zionists should not be jails." The slogan referred to Islamists jailed after they were condemned by the State Security Court for plotting attacks against Israeli targets.

Scores of Jordanian Islamists were also found guilty by the tribunal for plotting to fight US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

At least 27 Islamic prisoners at Swaqa prison, 50 kilometers south of Amman, were on Tuesday on hunger strike to urge the government to give them freedom, according to the spokesman of the Public Security Directorate, Maj. Mohammad Khatib.

Hundreds of laborers were also involved in a separate demonstration in front of the Parliament Tuesday to demand investigation into cases of corruption inside the country’s General Workers Union (GWU), eye witnesses said.

Source: Arab News.
Link: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article293194.ece.

Jordan PM promises election law this year

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan's prime minister promised Sunday to introduce laws some time this year that would give Jordanians a greater say in politics, but angry opposition leaders said the pace of reform is too slow.

A growing protest movement in Jordan is seeking far-reaching political reforms that would restrict the authority of Jordan's King Abdullah II. Currently, the king can dissolve the Cabinet and parliament by decree.

In a speech to parliament Sunday, Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit, appointed by the king earlier this month, said he is serious about reforms. "I'm not opting for a temporary containment policy, but real reform is a gradual process," he said.

The prime minister said he needs time for a public dialogue about new legislation.

However, Islamist opposition leader Zaki Bani Ersheid said al-Bakhit's speech was "pathetic, disappointing and frustrating."

"Reform isn't gradual and won't take a year. It must be immediate and I mean within one month at the latest," said Bani Ersheid of the Islamic Action Front, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, Jordan's largest opposition group.

"We're not willing to take promises anymore," he said. "It's not only laws that must be amended, but there must also be constitutional changes that would allow for the prime minister and the Cabinet to be elected."

Al-Bakhit told lawmakers that his priority was to change a controversial election law, which the Brotherhood and other critics claim favors conservative tribal loyalists of the king.

The ultimate goal is to have future governments formed from a parliamentary majority, al-Bakhit added.

Jordanian protesters demanded that the prime minister be chosen through elections, not by the king.

Al-Bakhit said the other laws to change this year include bolstering the country's 34 political parties and legislation that would widen press freedoms.

He also promised a decentralization law that would grant far greater autonomy to distant towns and to amend the municipal elections law, which the Brotherhood says has reduced votes in its favor.

Al-Bakhit also pledged to fight corruption and favoritism.

For eight consecutive Fridays, Jordanians have held street demonstrations to demand political change, lower food prices and the dissolution of a parliament they say was chosen on the foundation of a flawed electoral law.

So far, the protests have been largely peaceful and the crowds are much smaller than in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.

In one concession, the Cabinet last week revoked a legal provision requiring protesters to seek police permission before holding public rallies.

Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Prince Faisal attends Kuwait's celebrations of independence

Saturday, 26 February 2011

Kuwait, Feb. 26 (Petra) -- Deputizing for His Majesty King Abdullah II, HRH Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein on Saturday attended Kuwait's celebrations of national occasions.

The prince attended a military parade north of the capital Kuwait. He also attended a dinner ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of Independence, 20th anniversary of liberation and 5th anniversary of Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah assumption of powers.

Prince Faisal was accompanied by Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt. General Meshal Al Zaben.

Source: Jordan Directions.
Link: http://www.jordandirections.com/2011022619575/local/prince-faisal-attends-kuwait-s-celebrations-of-independence.

King congratulates Saudi monarch over successful treatment

Saturday, 26 February 2011

Amman, Feb. 26 (Petra) -- His Majesty King Abdullah II on Saturday sent a cable to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, congratulating him over a successful therapeutic trip abroad.

The King expressed his heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz's return safe and sound to his country, after completing a successful treatment.

King Abdullah II wished the Saudi monarch continued good health and wished the Saudi Arabia further progress and prosperity.

Source: Jordan Directions.
Link: http://www.jordandirections.com/2011022619564/local/king-congratulates-saudi-monarch-over-successful-treatment.

110 Jordanians arrive from unrest-hit Libya

Saturday, 26 February 2011

Amman, February 26 (Petra) -- 110 Jordanian citizens arrived in Amman Saturday morning coming from Libya within a continued evacuation process ordered by His Majesty King Abdullah II to airlift Jordanians wishing to return home.

Jordanian Ambassador to Libya Monther Qaba'ah said the citizens were flown home by a Jordan Aviation plane. He added that a Royal Jordanian aircraft will bring home another batch of Jordanian citizens from Tripoli airport.

Source: Jordan Directions.
Link: http://www.jordandirections.com/2011022619570/local/110-jordanians-arrive-from-unrest-hit-libya.

Jordan holds largest pro-democracy rally

Fri Feb 25, 2011

Several thousands of Jordanians have taken to the streets of the capital city, Amman, calling for immediate political and economic reforms.

The protest rally organized by the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, and 19 other political parties is believed to be the largest pro-democracy demonstration in Jordan since January.

The protest rally began following the Friday Prayers. Around 3,000 security personnel were deployed across central Amman on Friday, which was dubbed the "Day of Anger".

Jordanian officials say police officers were deployed to protect the rally and to prevent clashes between pro-democracy protesters and pro-government activists.

Protesters, estimated to be over 10,000 in number according to IAF, have called for an elected government, constitutional reforms and the dissolution of the parliament. At present, King Abdullah appoints and dismisses the prime minister.

"We are demonstrating today against the official bullying and to demand reforms. We seek regime reforms. We want a true parliamentary monarchy. The monarchy should not dominate parliament," leading trade unionist Maisara Malas told AFP.

"Reforms have become a necessity that cannot be delayed. We want immediate constitutional change to help create productive governments and a truly representative parliament. These are the demands of all Jordanians,” Hamzah Mansur, chief of IAF told the crowds.

"Aim of this protest is to have constitutional changes to bring elected government and elected parliament that forms government as well as constitutional court. We also want the departure of this government and parliament to lead to constitutional monarchy," said senior leader of the Muslim Brotherhood Salem Falahat.

Meanwhile, the supporters of the royal family have also gathered in the heart of the capital to protest against opposition demonstrators.

In early February, after week of pro-democracy protests across Jordan, King Abdullah sacked Prime Minister Samir Rifai over the slow pace of reforms and appointed Marouf al-Bakhit as Jordan's new premier.

Bakhit has promised to follow instructions given by the king and carry out "real economic and political reforms," including amending the election law.

But the opposition in Jordan says Bakhit is not a reformist.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/167009.html.

Jordan launches electoral reform

Thu, 24 Feb 2011

Amman - Jordan's government said Thursday it had set up a committee tasked with overhauling the country's electoral law in a bid to appease protesters calling for greater political choice.

The eight-member committee will hold talks with "trade unions, political parties, civil society organizations, independent politicians and retired army personnel," said Jordan's government spokesman, Taher Adwan.

The panel, to be chaired by Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit, has been given between three and six months to come up with concrete proposals.

"The objective will be working out real reforms, including a modern election law that ensures the presence in parliament of strong parties," he said.

The move came a day before another pro-reform demonstration was to be held after Friday prayers at the Grand Husseini Mosque in downtown Amman.

Jordan King Abdullah currently enjoys the power to choose prime ministers and cabinet members, and many complain that the country's parliament does not enjoy enough power.

The king said earlier this week that he wanted to see political parties with clear majorities.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/369028,jordan-launches-electoral-reform.html.

Jordan's Muslim opposition say protests to resume; Government condemns Libya's crackdown

By Dale Gavlak (CP) – Feb 22, 2011

AMMAN, Jordan — Jordan's powerful Muslim Brotherhood vowed to resume protests, saying Tuesday that the government did not keep a promise of speedy reforms.

The announcement puts added pressure on Jordan's King Abdullah II to give up some of his sweeping powers, but is not seen as a threat to his rule. Opposition figures have called on the king to surrender the authority to appoint Cabinets and dissolve parliament.

Under pressure from street protests inspired by uprisings roiling the Arab world, Abdullah instructed his government earlier this month to enact "quick and real" political reforms, allowing greater public say in the decision-making.

However, protesters say little has been done so far to meet their demands, such as changing a controversial election law, which the Brotherhood says favors the king's loyalists. The Brotherhood is Jordan's largest opposition group.

The Brotherhood and its political wing, the Islamic Action Front, had refrained from participating in protests for the past two weeks, saying they wanted to give newly appointed Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit a chance to carry out reforms.

However, Brotherhood spokesman Jamil Abu-Bakr said Tuesday that the government installed on Feb. 9 has not carried out the promised reforms.

He condemned attacks on protesters last Friday in Amman, which saw eight wounded in the first violence in weeks of demonstrations.

Abu-Bakr claimed that "thugs" were used or hired to carry out "aggression by groups that do not want reforms."

He urged the government to take action against those behind the attack and move quickly toward reform.

Meanwhile, Jordan urged Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to halt his bloody crackdown on a weeklong uprising in the North African nation, signaling growing frustration across the Middle East with the longtime ruler's harsh response.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Kayed said that "spilling the blood of the brotherly Libyan people must stop immediately."

Jordan's relations with Libya have often been bumpy because Gadhafi is a vocal critic of Jordan's peace treaty with Israel.

About 500 protesters, including eight Jordanian women lawmakers, unionists and Brotherhood leaders gathered outside the Libyan embassy in Amman, demanding Gadhafi's ouster. They chanted: "Gadhafi, get out; Libya must be freed."

Also Tuesday, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh sent a supportive message to Bahrain, where anti-government protests have rattled the monarchy.

Jordan has historically maintained warm relations with Bahrain, another Arab kingdom with similar pro-Western outlook and close alliance with the United States.

Jordan is concerned that unseating the Bahraini king would set a precedent, ultimately undermining other Arab monarchies.

___

Associated Press writers Jamal Halaby and Sameer N. Yacoub in Amman contributed reporting.

Copyright © 2011 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Jordan king wants 'real and fast' reforms

Feb 20, 2011

AMMAN — Jordan's King Abdullah II on Sunday urged speedy reforms, comprehensive dialogue and more efforts to battle corruption amid popular discontent and pro-reform protests.

"When I talk about reform, it means that I want real and fast reforms," the king told government officials, MPs, senators and members of the judiciary, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

"Political reforms need to be modern. I am waiting for government recommendations about a mechanism for a comprehensive dialogue to help achieve political development."

The king called on the government and parliament to "move swiftly to deal with any issue related to corruption."

"If you suspect corruption, start an investigation immediately. If you find out that the corruption accusations are untrue, make this clear... irresponsible talk harms the country," he said.

Jordanians have been demonstrating since January to demand political and economic reform, calling for an end to corruption and for suspected corrupt officials to be put on trial, regardless of their rank.

On Friday, witnesses and medics said that a mob wielding batons waded into a pro-reform protest in Amman injuring eight people in the first such violence since protests began in Jordan.

The government has condemned the violence, and Justice Minister Hussein Mujalli said on Sunday a probe into the incident was under way.

Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved.

Jordan Government Forms Committee to Probe Attacks on Protesters

By Nayla Razzouk - Feb 20, 2011

Jordanian Justice Minister Hussein al-Majali said he has formed a judicial committee to probe assaults that left four protesters injured.

The five-member committee will carry out a “serious” investigation to bring the assailants to justice, al-Majali said in remarks published by the state news agency Petra.

The demonstrators were beaten by assailants wielding sticks during a protest in Amman after they were confronted by pro- government activists chanting slogans in allegiance to King Abdullah, General Security spokesman Mohamad al-Khatib said Feb. 18.

Islamic and other opposition groups in Jordan have held demonstrations every Friday since a revolt in Tunisia forced President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali into exile on Jan. 14. Pro- democracy protests have spread to Egypt, Libya, Bahrain and Yemen since Ben Ali’s ouster.

Jordan’s King Abdullah dismissed his government and formed a new one earlier this month that was tasked with starting a “genuine political reform process.”

Opposition leaders, including Islamist Leith Shbeilat and political activist Muaffaq Mahaddeen, held a press conference after the attack to denounce the assault, which they said was carried out by “thugs” sponsored by state security forces.

They vowed to demonstrate to mark a “day of rage” on Feb. 25 to draw attention to the assault and pursue demands for political and legislative changes, better living conditions and anti-corruption measures.

They’re seeking a law that would guarantee more representative elections and a prime minister that is elected instead of being appointed by the king.

Jordan, one of the smallest economies in the Middle East, imports more than 90 percent of its oil and relies on foreign investment and grants to finance its budget and current-account deficit.

Like Egypt, Jordan is an American ally that has signed a peace treaty with Israel and is one of the biggest Middle Eastern recipients of U.S. aid.

Source: Bloomberg.
Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-20/jordan-government-forms-committee-to-probe-attacks-on-protesters.html.

Jordan Regrets U.S. Veto of UN Resolution on Israeli Settlements

By Nayla Razzouk - Feb 20, 2011

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said the U.S. veto of a United Nations resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank as “regretful,” the state news agency Petra reported.

“This is a regretful position as the United States has constantly declared that Israeli settlements are illegal,” he said in an interview with Petra today.

Judeh urged the U.S. to “correct” its position, which he said would encourage Israel to build more settlements and thus jeopardize chances of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The U.S. position also harms the “credibility” of the U.S. in its role in the Middle East peace process, he said.

Jordan is an American ally that has signed a peace treaty with Israel and is one of the biggest Middle Eastern recipients of U.S. aid.

Source: Bloomberg.
Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-20/jordan-regrets-u-s-veto-of-un-resolution-on-israeli-settlements.html.

KADDB to participate in IDEX 2011

Saturday, 19 February 2011

Amman, Feb. 19 (Petra) -- The King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) and its Investment Group (KIG) will be participating in the International Defense Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi, UAE , which will kick off Sunday .

KADDB’s participation in IDEX 2011 with a double-storey booth of 290 square meters, is the fifth of its kind as a result of the previous success achieved in 2009 and other participations in defense exhibitions in Europe and Asia.

The Bureau will exhibit for the first time the capabilities of its test and evaluation center, through the Weapons & Ammunition testing facilities and the Automotive testing procedures.

The KADDB Investment Group (KIG) is participating with ten of its subsidiaries under KADDB umbrella.

Companies participating at IDEX 2011 include Jordan Manufacturing & Services Solutions (JMSS), Arab Ready Meals Company (ARM), Jordan-Russian Electronic Systems Co. (JRESCO), Jordan Advanced Machining Company (Jordan Amco), Jordan River Hawk Ship Building And Support, Jordan Light Vehicle Manufacturing, NP Aerospace Jordan, the Jordanian Company for Manufacturing Special Boots, and Jordan Electronic Logistics Support (JELS). All subsidiaries will be displaying as well demonstrative videos for other products and service they offer.

KADDB considers its participation at IDEX 2011 an opportunity to have maximum exposure to decision-makers and key players in the industry by promoting the products, services and capabilities and to target new investment opportunities as well as enhance relationships with current and previous contacts.

The King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) was established by a Royal Decree on the 24th of August 1999 to provide an indigenous capability for the supply of independent, high quality, efficient and cost-effective scientific and technical services to the Jordan Armed Forces (JAF).

Source: Jordan Directions.
Link: http://www.jordandirections.com/2011021918891/local/kaddb-to-participate-in-idex-2011.

12 candidates to vie for vacant Amman seat

Saturday, 19 February 2011

Amman, Feb 19 (Petra) -- Twelve candidates will run for a parliament seat rendered vacant by the death of a lawmaker in Amman, the Central Elections Commission CEC head announced as a three-day period set to apply for candidacy expired on Saturday.

The Council of Ministers had set March 19 as the day of balloting to fill the seat in Amman's First District left vacant by the death of MP Rashed Barayseh.

Amman Governor and CEC Chairman, Samir Mbaydin, said the commission had accepted all the candidates list as their applications had met candidacy regulations, adding that their names will be published in local dailies tomorrow.

He told Petra that voters could contest any of the candidates at the specialized Court of Appeal over a period of three days starting tomorrow. Mbaydin said balloting and vote-counting will take place in the same centers where voting for the 16th Jordanian Parliament took place last November.

Source: Jordan Directions.
Link: http://www.jordandirections.com/2011021918882/local/12-candidates-to-vie-for-vacant-amman-seat.

ملك الأردن يأمر بحماية شبيلات

20/2/2011 م

محمد النجار-عمان

قال مدير الأمن العام الأردني الفريق حسين المجالي إن الملك عبد الله الثاني أمر بتوفير حماية مسلحة للمعارض البارز ليث شبيلات، الذي أكد النبأ للجزيرة نت.

وقال المجالي في مؤتمر صحفي مع وزير الدولة الأردني لشؤون الإعلام الناطق الرسمي باسم الحكومة طاهر العدوان مساء السبت، إن الملك اتصل به وأمره بتوفير الحماية المسلحة لشبيلات، مشيرا إلى أن الأمن يوفر الحماية المخفية والمرئية للكثير من المعارضين السياسيين.

وجاء المؤتمر الصحفي للحديث عن تداعيات الأحداث التي شهدتها عمَّان الجمعة، حيث اعتدى أكثر من 100 شخص مدني بالعصي والحجارة على مسيرة نظمها قوميون ويساريون تدعو لإصلاحات سياسية، مما أدى لإصابة عدد من المعارضين فيما كسرت يد الكاتب الصحفي موفق محادين.

واتهمت المعارضة أجهزة الأمن بأنها وفرت الحماية لـمن سمتهم "البلطجية"، الذين يتهمهم معارضون بأنهم ينتمون لأجهزة أمنية.

لكن مدير الأمن العام أقسم أنه لا دخل للدولة الأردنية أو أجهزتها الأمنية بالاعتداء الذي تعرضت له المسيرة، وكشف عن خطة جديدة لتعزيز التواجد الأمني حماية للمسيرات القادمة "دون التدخل فيها أو منعها".

تصريحات نارية

من جهته أكد شبيلات للجزيرة نت أن الأمن العام يوفر الحماية، وقال إنه تلقى اتصالا من مدير الأمن العام الذي أبلغه أن هناك سيارة حراسة له تحت تصرفه الشخصي، وأن له الحق في قبول الحراسة أو رفضها.

وقال شبيلات إن المجالي أبلغه أن لدى أفراد الحراسة أوامر بإطلاق النار على كل من يحاول الاعتداء عليه.

وتابع قائلا إنه قَبِل هذه الحراسة بعد أن تعرض في مناسبات عدة لاعتداءات بدفع من جهات رسمية بسبب تصريحاته السياسية، وكان آخرها الاعتداء عليه قبل نحو عام ونصف العام من أشخاص مدفوعين من "ضابط يحاكم حاليا بقضية فساد"، على حد قوله.

ولفت شبيلات إلى أنه كتب وصيته في الرسالة التي وجهها للملك عبد الله الثاني نهاية الشهر الماضي، وأنه أرسل نسخة منها لمدير الأمن العام مطالبا بحمايته كمواطن أردني.

وكان شبيلات قال في تصريحات وصفت بـ"النارية" أمس بعد الاعتداء على مسيرة المعارضة إنه لا إصلاح في الأردن دون "إصلاح مؤسسة العرش".

واعتبر أن الأردن ينزف بسبب الديوان الملكي، ودعا إلى إصلاحات تحقق قيام ملكية دستورية عبر تقليص سلطات وصلاحيات الملك.

وقال شبيلات أيضا "حتى نتجنب حربا أهلية وحتى نحافظ على العرش هناك مواصفات لصاحب العرش، وكما قلت العرش ممنوع أن يهتز لا من شبيلات ولا من الحاشية ولا من صاحب العرش".

واعتبر أن أكثر ما هزَّ مؤسسة العرش في السنوات العشر الأخيرة هو صاحب العرش نفسه، على حد قوله.

ودعا لأن "يعلن الملك أنه يقبل بالدستورية الملكية وحينئذ أنا أتشرف أن أقول أهلا وسهلا بأبو حسين (الملك عبد الله الثاني) سيدنا وسيد سيدنا".

مسيرة الجمعة

وفي سياق تداعيات مسيرة الجمعة التي استحوذت على اهتمام الرأي العام الأردني أعلن الوزير طاهر العدوان عن تكليف الحكومة وزير العدل حسين مجلي تشكيل لجنة تحقيق للكشف عما جرى ومحاسبة المعتدين على المسيرة السلمية للمعارضة.

وقال العدوان "ما حدث الجمعة لم يكن للحكومة أي علاقة به وأضر بسمعة الأردن والحكومة والشعب الأردني وصورة المملكة في الخارج".

واعتبر أن ما جرى "جاء في وقت أعلنت فيه الحكومة عن بدء العمل لتحقيق الإصلاح الشامل"، مشيرا إلى أن ما جرى تم في وقت أعلنت الحكومة فيه نيتها تعديل قانون الاجتماعات العامة وإلغاء شرط الحصول على الموافقة المسبقة على تنظيم التظاهرات والاحتجاجات.

وقال إن الحكومة فخورة بما قام به الأمن العام من حماية المسيرات على مدى 7 أسابيع ماضية، معتبرا أن حماية المسيرات وتوفير الأمن لها "حق للشعب الأردني وليس منة من أحد".

وردا على اتهامات المعارضة التي وصفت حكومة معروف البخيت التي تشكلت قبل 10 أيام بأنها "حكومة قمعية"، قال العدوان "من يدعي ذلك فهو مخطئ، هذه حكومة إصلاح شامل".

وفي رده على سؤال للجزيرة نت حول المطالبات بأن تشمل الإصلاحات تعديلات دستورية أكد العدوان أن الحكومة لا تمنع الحوار حول أي مطالب ومنها التعديلات الدستورية باستثناء أسس المواد التي تمثل أسس الدولة.

وتابع "جرى على الدستور 36 تعديلا ويمكن عبر الحوار العودة عن بعض التعديلات وإجراء تعديلات أخرى"، داعيا المعارضة لتحضير رؤيتها للإصلاح منتقدا الدعوات لمقاطعة الحوار مع الحكومة.

المصدر: الجزيرة.
الرابط: http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/EXERES/6666558C-9381-41DA-A874-C830094525D5.htm.

Jordan protest turns violent

Anti-government protests become routine on Fridays in Jordan since popular uprisings swept Egypt and Tunisia.

18 Feb 2011

At least eight people have been injured in clashes that broke out in Jordan’s capital between government supporters and opponents at a protest calling for more freedom and lower food prices.

The protest was the seventh straight Friday that Jordanians took to the streets demanding constitutional reform and more say in decision-making.

Jordan's king enjoys absolute powers, ruling by decree: He can appoint and dismiss cabinet and parliament whenever at anytime.

Amani Ghoul, a teacher and member of the movement that organized the protests insisted the protests will continue until their demands are met.

"We want a complete overhaul of the political system, including the constitution, the parliament dissolved and new free and fair elections held," she said.

Pro-government supporters

At least 200 government supporters trailed the anti-government protesters, chanting: "Our blood and souls, we sacrifice for you Abu Hussein" - a reference to Jordan's King Abdullah II before clashing with the opposition march.

Tareq Kmeil, a student at the protest, said: "They beat us with batons, pipes and hurl rocks at us. We tried to defend ourselves, to beat them back."

He said at least eight people suffered fractures to the skull, arms or legs.

"Police didn't do anything to protect us. They just stood on the side watching us getting beaten," Kmeil said.

Police spokesmen were not immediately available for comment.

Some pro-government supporters denounced Al-Jazeera, blaming it for fomenting unrest across the Arab world.

"Al-Jazeera is behind every sickness," read some of their signs.

Walid al-Khatib, a Bedouin Sheikh, joined at least 300 pro-government supporters in the western town of Theiban, saying he had to come out to profess his support for the king and country.

"I love King Abdullah and the stability of Jordan. I don't want this to ever change," he said.

But not everyone is upbeat about the government.

Akhram Ismail, 50, a government employee of 17 years who earns a meager $140 per month, said his salary was not enough to feed his six children and wants to see changes to aid the poor.

Ismail vowed that Jordan would not see an end to the protests anytime soon.

"The government recently promised civil servants a pay raise of $28, while politicians play with millions," he said.

Source: al-Jazeera.
Link: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/201121821116689870.html.