Bahrainis urge release of prisoners

Mon Aug 15, 2011

Bahraini demonstrators have once again held rallies in several villages to demand the release of political prisoners and the pullout of the Saudi forces from their country.

Despite the government crackdown on protests, peaceful Bahraini demonstrators took to the streets on Monday to continue voicing their demands.

Thousands of protesters poured into the streets in the villages of Sitra, A'ali, Sanabis and several other locations on Sunday, calling for the downfall of the Al Khalifa regime.

Anti-government protesters have been holding protest rallies in Bahrain since mid-February.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates deployed military forces to Bahrain in mid-March to assist the Manama government in its brutal crackdown on the popular protests.

Scores of people have been killed and hundreds more arrested in Bahrain since mid-February. Numerous protesters have also been detained and transferred to unknown locations during the brutal onslaught on protesters.

Amnesty International has condemned the brutal crackdown on peaceful protests and detention of Bahraini demonstrators.

According to the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, there are currently over 1,000 political detainees inside the Middle Eastern country.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/194028.html.

'US troops to stay in Iraq beyond 2011'

Mon Aug 15, 2011

An analyst says US administration is putting intense pressure on the Iraqi government to extend the stay of American troops in the country beyond the 2011 deadline.

“I don't believe they (US troops) will be leaving [Iraq] by the end of this year (2011)... the Americans are pushing for a new agreement,” Zayd al-Isa, a Middle East expert, told Press TV on Monday.

Al-Isa pointed out that Washington has lost many important allies in the popular uprisings currently sweeping the Arab world and it cannot afford to lose its grip Iraq too.

The Middle East expert added that President Barack Obama is afraid that pulling US troops out of Iraq may lead to the deterioration of the situation in of the country, which may work against him in the 2012 presidential election.

“The Republicans, particularly the neo-conservatives, are going to use it (US troop pullout) against them (Obama and his Democratic supporters) [in the 2012 election], particularly if there is deterioration in the situation,” Al-Isa said.

The analyst, however, said that breaching the terms of the withdrawal agreement between Washington and Baghdad would as be illegal as it is binding.

The Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) signed between the United States and Iraqi governments mandates that Washington withdraws its troops from Iraq by the end of December 2011.

The US invaded Iraq in 2003 under the pretext of destroying alleged weapons of mass destruction (WMD) belonging to executed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

However, it was later found that the country did not possess any WMDs at the time and that the US and Britain, which led the invasion, were well-aware of the non-existence of such weapons in Iraq, but took military action against the oil-rich nation anyway.

Over one million Iraqis have been killed as a result of the occupation, according to a study by the British polling group, Opinion Research Business (ORB).

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/194072.html.

Yemenis welcome defected troops

Mon Aug 15, 2011

New footage shows a group of Yemeni troops receiving a warm welcome from anti-government demonstrators after their defection from the military.

Overnight gatherings were held late on Sunday in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, and the southern city of Taizz to celebrate the defections.

The defectors made a statement of intent promising stay with the popular revolution against the regime of Ali Abdullah Saleh.

On Sunday, protesters in Taizz rallied in support of a transitional council. The demonstrators also chanted slogans against Saudi Arabia.

The Yemeni anti-government youth groups have set up a transitional council to manage the country's affairs and to make efforts to force Saleh to give up power before his possible return from Saudi Arabia.

Saleh and five other high-ranking officials were evacuated to Saudi Arabia for alleged medical treatment following a rocket attack on the Yemeni presidential palace in Sana'a on June 3.

Protesters in Yemen have vowed to continue their rallies through the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan until their demands are met.

Hundreds of people have been killed and many more injured in the Middle Eastern country since the popular uprising began in late January as a result of the brutal crackdown on anti-government protests by military forces and bands of thugs loyal to Saleh.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/194010.html.

Jordan MPs want Israeli envoy expelled

Sun Aug 14, 2011

Thirteen members of Jordan's parliament have called on their government to expel the Israeli ambassador from the Jordanian capital of Amman.

In a memo signed and passed on to Jordan's Lower House Speaker Feisal Fayez on Sunday, the Jordanian lawmakers also called on their government to condemn Tel Aviv's illegal settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, Xinhua reported.

Jordan and Egypt remain the only two Arab countries to have diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv.

Israel recently approved the construction of 1,600 illegal units in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood in East al-Quds (Jerusalem).

The plan was announced last year after Israel resumed the expansion of illegal settlements following a 10-month partial freeze that prompted the Palestinian Authority (PA) leaders to break off US-sponsored talks with Tel Aviv that had resumed after a lengthy stalemate.

The approval has been condemned by the international community.

Robert Serry, UN coordinator for the Middle East, called it a “provocative action [as it] undermines ongoing efforts by the international community to bring the parties [Palestine and Israel] back to negotiations.”

Israel, however, claims the construction plan has been put forward because Tel Aviv currently faces an “economic crisis.”

Moreover, Israel has announced plans to authorize the construction of a further 2,700 illegal units.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/193969.html.

Jordan vows reforms to avert protests

Mon Aug 15, 2011

Jordan's King Abdullah II has backed proposals for constitutional reforms that grants more powers to the parliament while critics cry foul, insisting that such reforms are not authentic.

King Abdullah agreed on Sunday to changes in the nearly 60-year-old constitution of the country amid escalating protests that demand for real political reforms and an end to government corruption, the Associated Press reported.

The critics have censured the reforms as not sufficient, stressing that they still allow Abdullah to maintain most of his absolute powers. They also emphasize that the introduction of constitutional changes is intended to avert growing popular protests against the regime's dictatorial rule.

"This is part of the government's gimmicks to block real reforms," said Wael Atout, a 28-year-old anti-regime protester, adding that "The changes are insufficient; we said we want to be able to elect our prime ministers."

In April, the king of Jordan appointed a panel to introduce amendments to the kingdom's 1952 constitution. The panel submitted its proposals to king Abdullah on Sunday.

Jordan's constitution has been widely criticized for marginalizing the parliament and limiting its powers.

The amendments are slated to pave the way for choosing a premier from a parliamentary majority rather than having one selected by the autocratic monarch.

It will also prepare the ground for the creation of institutions that guarantee that the state respects the constitution and lives up to its principles.

The proposed amendments are expected to be approved by mid-September.

Protest rallies have been staged across Jordan for seven months to push the government to increase the powers of the parliament. Jordanians are also demanding lower prices for food, a greater participation in politics, and the election of a prime minister.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/193987.html.

Voter registration ends in Tunisia

2011-08-14

Tunisia's Independent High Electoral Commission (ISIE) on Saturday (August 13th) announced that voter registration for the country's October 23rd election would close on August 14th, TAP reported. Registration will continue through October 12th for servicemen and members of the security forces, youths turning 18, voters whose ban on participation is lifted, and for Tunisians returning from overseas.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2011/08/14/newsbrief-04.

Jordanian lawmakers call for expelling Israeli ambassador

AMMAN (BNO NEWS) — Thirteen Jordanian parliament members on Sunday called for expelling the Israeli ambassador to Jordan in response to “Israeli offenses against the Palestinian people,” Ammon News reported.

A parliamentary memo signed by several MPs also called on the Jordanian government to issue a statement to condemn the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Jordan and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1994 to normalize diplomatic relations, which saw the exchange of diplomatic missions in Amman and Tel Aviv. Trade and social relations between the two countries, however, have not seen the level of normalization as was expected.

Israel announced earlier this week plans to develop new units in East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as the capital of their future State. The announcement came after Israel lifted last September a 10-month freeze on settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been stalled since Israel refused to extend the freeze. Palestine demanded a stop to settlement construction in East Jerusalem and the West Bank area as a key element for continuing peace talks, aimed at reaching a two-state solution based on the 1967 Green Line.

East Jerusalem was captured by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967 when it also occupied the West Bank and Gaza, which the Palestinians seek as constituent parts of their State.

Sunday, August 14th, 2011

Source: WireUpdate.
Link: http://wireupdate.com/wires/19450/jordanian-lawmakers-call-for-expelling-israeli-ambassador/.

Egyptian military interrogates activist over Facebook status update

CAIRO (BNO NEWS) — Egyptian military prosecution officers on Sunday detained and interrogated activist Asmaa Mahfouz for allegedly writing a Facebook status against the military, the Al-Ahram state-owned newspaper reported.

The blogger and former April 6 Movement member is accused of inciting violence against the military and members of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. She will remain in detention until a bail of 20,000 Egyptian pounds ($3,355) is paid, according to reports.

Mahfouz was a member of the April 6 youth movement, which participated in the mass protests that ousted President Hosni Mubarak, who ruled Egypt in a 30-year-long regime. She is not the first activist to be summoned by the military prosecution, however.

Several of those arrested during clashes at Cairo’s Tahrir Square in late June were also being interrogated by the military prosecution on Sunday. Clashes erupted between families of those killed during the January 25 Revolution and Central Security Forces between June 28 and 29.

According to Amnesty International, at least 840 people were killed and over 6,000 people were injured in the violent repression that took place during the January uprising. Activists and protesters have been asking for the prosecution of those implicated in the killings of protesters.

Sunday, August 14th, 2011

Source: WireUpdate.
Link: http://wireupdate.com/wires/19452/egyptian-military-interrogates-activist-over-facebook-status-update/.

Is Saudi Arabia really counter-revolutionary?

WARNING: Article contains propaganda!

* * * * *

By F. Gregory Gause, III
Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Would the monarchs of the Holy Alliance have supported a democratic uprising anywhere in Europe in 1820? Would Prince Metternich have backed nationalist movements in 1848? Of course not. But their supposed reactionary analogue in the Arab upheavals of 2011, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, has now come out, forcefully if indirectly, for a regime change in Syria. That makes the third time during this Arab spring that Saudi Arabia, the supposed champion of the status-quo, has thrown an Arab leader under the bus. Bashar al-Asad now joins Muammar al-Qaddafi and Ali Abdullah Saleh in the club of Arab leaders Saudi Arabia can do without.

The immediate reaction to the Saudi recall of its ambassador to Damascus in many news outlets (including the BBC, the New York Times and the Washington Post) emphasized the incongruity (and the hypocrisy) of an absolute monarchy that had sent troops to Bahrain to put down popular protests calling on a fellow dictator to stop oppressing his people. But that is the wrong frame in which to understand Saudi Arabia's regional policy during this time of Arab upheaval. The right frame is the regional balance of power battle between Riyadh and Tehran. In that context, the Saudi move against the Asad regime makes much more sense.

Syria is Iran's most important and longest-standing Arab ally. Under Bashar's father, Hafiz al-Asad, Damascus was able to sustain good relations with Riyadh while also cultivating the Persian connection. But the son has proven less nimble in balancing his regional relations. Syrian support for Hezbollah in Lebanon (and assumed Syrian involvement, if not directly then indirectly, in the assassination of Saudi ally Rafiq al-Hariri) alienated Riyadh. Bashar even publicly insulted the Saudi king and other Arab leaders over their stance during the Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006. King Abdullah was hesitant to break fully with Damascus, as demonstrations against the regime accelerated over the past five months, given the importance of Syria in regional politics. But the escalating violence of the past week, coming at the beginning of Ramadan, seemed to seal the issue. Dealing Iran a blow in regional politics trumps the risks of greater instability.

While public opinion is hardly a major factor in Saudi foreign policy decisions, on the break with Syria the King was following, not leading, his people. The Saudi media and Saudi-owned pan-Arab media has been vehemently opposed to Asad's crackdown and sympathetic to the protestors. This is where the Ramadan timing comes into the picture. During the holy month religious feelings are heightened. The sectarian element of the Syrian confrontation, with an ostensibly secular and Alawite Shiite dominated regime brutally suppressing the Sunni Muslim majority, becomes a more prominent element in how the overwhelmingly Sunni Saudis, population and leadership, view events.

The sectarian factor, never absent, is now becoming a more open element in the Saudi-Iranian rivalry. The Saudi and Gulf commentary on events in Bahrain was openly sectarian. While the Saudi leaders do not explain their policies in sectarian terms and tend to view the region more in balance of power terms, they have always thought that sectarianism was their hole card in the confrontation with Iran. There are more Sunnis in the region than Shiites. They know it and the Iranians know it. But playing up the sectarian element of regional conflict will blow back on the Saudis sooner rather than later. Heightened sectarian tension provides fertile ground for extremist salafi jihadist movements like al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) to sell their anti-Shiite ideas and recruit new members. The Saudi leadership believes it has the AQAP threat under control, but their current actions could be providing a safety net for an organization that, like its parent, has suffered serious reverses in recent years.

The "sectarianization" of regional balance of power conflicts should concern the United States as well. The United States has an interest in a stable Iraq, a stable Lebanon, a Syria that does not implode into all-out civil war, and a Bahrain that overcomes the bitterness of its government's recent brutal crackdown on its citizens. Heightened sectarian feelings work against all those interests. While the Saudis are correct that there are more Sunnis than Shiites in the Muslim world, privileging sectarian identity gives the Iranian regime an entry into the politics of many Arab states. Riyadh would be better served by encouraging a common Arab identity that overcomes sectarian differences and emphasizes the foreignness of Iran in the Arab world while marginalizing sectarian extremists like al Qaeda and its sympathizers.

While the sectarian issue should be a concern for the United States, in the immediate term the Saudi move against the Asad regime places Riyadh squarely on the side of Washington yet again. Even those not particularly friendly to the Saudis call for the United States to join the kingdom in upping the pressure on Damascus. This points to the bankruptcy of another popular "Arab spring" trope -- the supposed crisis in Saudi-U.S. relations. It is certainly true that the two countries have ended up on opposite sides of some regional issues, like the fall of Hosni Mubarak and the Bahraini crackdown. A U.S. veto of a Palestinian statehood resolution in the Security Council will also highlight their differences. But on a number of issues the Saudis and the United States have lined up together -- Libya, Lebanon, containment of Iran -- and even cooperated directly as in Yemen. U.S. arms sales to and military training missions in Saudi Arabia continue apace. The Saudi-U.S. relationship is complicated and changing, but it is hardly on the brink of divorce.

So where do the Saudis stand as the Arab spring undergoes a hot summer and an uncertain fall? Saudi Arabia is against regime change in allied states. It supports its fellow monarchs both out of concern for its own domestic regime security, ideological solidarity, and balance of power politics. It might not like democracy much, and certainly not at home, but that does not mean it will oppose all democratic movements. Its support for the March 14 anti-Syrian coalition in Lebanon in the last two Lebanese elections was crucial. When leaders, even leaders with whom it has had decent relations in the past, no longer can get the job done, the Saudis will help usher them out the door. They will deal with their successors in a pragmatic way (as the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces in Egypt, the deposers of Saudi ally Hosni Mubarak, quickly realized). They will oppose leaders and groups that they think are allied with Iran, whether it is Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Asad regime in Syria, or Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Iraq. Their focus is on checking and rolling back Iranian influence in the Arab world. That is what drives their policy, not some imagined notion of anti-revolutionary dictatorial solidarity. Let's understand Saudi regional policy for what it is, and let Prince Metternich rest in peace.

Source: Foreign Policy.
Link: http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/08/09/is_saudi_arabia_really_counter_revolutionary.

Arab Uprisings: The Saudi Counter-Revolution

by Mary Casey on August 10, 2011
in POMEPS Briefings

POMEPS Briefings 5 – August 9, 2011

Late at night on Sunday, August 7, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia delivered an unusual televised rebuke to Syria’s Bashar al-Asad calling on him to “stop the killing machine” and immediately begin reforms. The Saudi move against Damascus was only the latest twist in Riyadh’s newly energetic foreign policy. Since March, Saudi Arabia has been in the forefront of a regional counter-offensive designed to blunt the momentum of the Arab uprisings and shape the new regional order to its liking. After a decade of a regional order defined by an alliance of “moderate” autocracies aligned with the United States and Israel against a “Resistance” axis, the Saudis have responded to an age of revolution by leading what many now call a regional counter-revolution. This has placed them at odds with the Obama administration in key theaters, disrupted long-standing alliances, and brought Riyadh to the forefront of regional diplomacy.

There were good reasons to believe that Saudi Arabia might itself be caught up in the regional storm. It has a large population of frustrated youth, high rates of unemployment or underemployment, and considerable pent-up resentment. Its religious establishment maintains rigid control over the public sphere, even as the population is thoroughly saturated by alternative messages through satellite television and the Internet. An aging and divided leadership holds out the possibility for dangerous succession struggles. It has a serious sectarian Sunni-Shi’a divide. And it has a tradition of demands for political reform from both Islamist and liberal (in a Saudi context) challengers. Nevertheless, the much-hyped #mar11 hashtagged revolution aimed at Riyadh fizzled. The Saudi regime moved quickly to shored up its home front. There King Abdullah combined ruthless repression of potential challengers with a package of sweeping subsidies and targeted financial inducements. While these might bust the budget in the long term, they succeeded for the time being in placating key sectors of potential dissent.

With the home front secure, Riyadh made Bahrain the first great battlefield of the counter-revolution. Saudi Arabia drew a line against the spread of democracy protests into the Gulf. It torpedoed an attempted political bargain between moderates in the al-Khalifa regime and the organized opposition in favor of a draconian, scorched field assault on all independent political life. On March 14, Saudi tanks rolled in to enforce the hard-line policy, at the invitation of the Bahraini monarchy, and pushed a sectarian Shi’a and Iranian face on the Bahraini democracy movement. The sharply sectarian turn, as the Sunni dynasty painted a Shi’a and Iranian face on their domestic opponents, marked the first point in the Arab uprisings when the “Cold War” of the 2000s fully imposed itself upon its successor. It would have been a delicious historical irony had the Saudi dispatch of troops to Bahrain followed the path of the Iraqi attempt to do the same in Jordan in 1958. During the original Arab cold war, Baghdad played Riyadh’s part as the heart of the counter-revolution, and its effort to send troops to shore up a conservative ally ended with a bloody military coup. The Saudis were taking no such chances this time.

Saudi Arabia also sought to bolster friendly monarchies outside the Gulf against domestic challengers. It mended ties with Qatar and pushed the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) forward as the premiere regional security organization. It offered significant financial assistance to Jordan and Morocco, and even tendered a somewhat baffling bid to allow the two entry into the GCC. Both monarchies offered limited reforms in an attempt to placate the moderate wings of their opposition movements. They also sought to rebuild ties with the military regime ruling Egypt. Initially furious with the loss of Mubarak — which in their view the Obama administration discarded “like a used kleenex” — they nevertheless moved quickly to cement their relationship with Egypt’s SCAF by promising significant financial assistance. It is also widely believed that they poured financial, political and media support into friendly political movements in Egypt and around the region, including the Muslim Brotherhood, salafi trends, and conservative business interests.

While many in the region now see counter-revolution anywhere, in fact this trope likely gives far too much credit to the Saudis, the SCAF, and the rest of the alleged conspiracy. They are certainly trying to shape regional politics to their liking, but the results have not been particularly impressive. The Saudi effort to broker a transition plan in Yemen has gone nowhere. The near collapse of the Yemeni state left politics gridlocked, with not even the dire wounding of President Ali Abdullah Saleh in a mysterious attack and his flight to a Saudi hospital breaking the stalemate. Its early enthusiasm for intervention in Libya, fueled in no small part by long-festering resentment over Moammar Qaddafi’s reported attempt to assassinate King Abdullah, faded. The regime long seemed baffled by the unrest in Syria, unable to decide how to respond to the turbulence. It remains to be seen whether it can sustain the level of energetic diplomacy of the last few months as a succession crisis looms and regional challenges mount. And even if it does, little in its diplomatic record over decades suggests that its approach of throwing money at problems will work.

Saudi Arabia’s alliance with the United States has thus been sorely tested by the Arab uprisings. Where the Obama administration sought to place itself on the side of history, supporting popular aspirations against autocracy, its most important Arab ally chose instead to double down on autocracy. The U.S. recognized the damage done to its policies by the crackdown in Bahrain, but declined to openly challenge the Saudi initiative. Washington and Riyadh still agree on the challenge posed by Iran, but increasingly diverge not only on the traditional Arab-Israeli front but also on the response to the Arab uprisings. This POMEPS briefing offers perspective on Saudi Arabia’s current position and suggestions as to where it might be headed.

Source: Project on Middle East Political Science.
Link: http://pomeps.org/2011/08/arab-uprisings-the-saudi-counter-revolution/.

Khamenei won't support Assad to the end

Saturday 13 August 2011
Meir Javedanfar

Iran and Syria have long been allies, yet as if Khameni realizes Assad's situation is not salvageable, he will abandon him.

For President Bashar al-Assad, the situation in Syria is becoming worse every day. In the middle of the biggest crisis his regime has faced, he has had one friend on whom he could rely: Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei has been Assad's steadfast friend, providing him with political as well as material support. But as Assad's position worsens, he will need to rely on Khamenei's regime more, especially since an increasing number of Assad's neighbors are turning against him.

First was Turkey, which used to be a close ally. Now, the Turkish government is putting pressure on Assad and warning him to stop killing demonstrators and to implement reforms as soon as possible. And then the Saudis joined in by telling Assad to stop "his killing machine" and withdrawing their ambassador. A number of other Gulf states followed suit.

Assad has good reason to rely on Khamenei. The two regimes have been allies for many years. They have common interests with regard to Israel, Palestine, and groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas. In fact Assad would be right to assume that the Iranian government owes his family. While most of the Middle East backed Iraq in its eight-year war against Iran, it was Bashar's father, Hafez al-Assad who stood against the tide.

Despite the closeness between the two leaders and the regimes, Syria's president should be under no illusion: Ali Khamenei is his friend, but he will not sink with Assad's ship. The moment the Iranian leader realizes that Assad's situation is not salvageable, he will leave him. This will most probably be done privately. In public, Khamenei and the rest of the Iranian regime will continue their support. They may even offer Bashar refuge in Iran. But, behind the scenes, it would be another story.

The reason is very simple: many have said that the Iranian regime is extremist. This is true. It is extremist about its own well-being. To Khamenei there is nothing more important and sacred than this. He is ready to sacrifice anything that would pose a risk to it – including Bashar al-Assad. And one day, if the political and economic costs of Iran's nuclear program start threatening the regime's stability and interests, he would give that up too.

Khamenei will not commit political suicide by staying with Assad until the last moment. Doing so would be very damaging for the regime's interests. Iran is becoming more isolated every day. It does not need a new enemy in Damascus in the event of Assad's fall, especially when this could impact on its ability to supply weapons to Hezbollah through Syrian territory (not to mention relations with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which it conducts through its offices in Damascus). It could also lose access to its economic interests in Syria.

These interests are all important to Khamenei, and he will want to protect them. Therefore Assad should not be surprised if one day he finds that, while Iran supports him publicly, behind the scenes its leaders are anticipating his demise by cavorting with members of the Syrian opposition.

For now, we don't know if the Iranian government is doing this but the noted change in Iran's English-language government press – especially since the clashes started in Homs province – may indicate how things inside Iran's corridors of power are changing.

At an official level, the state-owned PressTV continues to support Assad's regime. PressTV has been full of reports about demonstrators being backed by foreign powers (Israel, the UK and the US are the usual suspects). However, after the clashes started in Homs, PressTV also started reporting Syrian forces firing on crowds, as well as quoting human rights activists who openly state that the Syrian army has been attacking civilians.

When the protests in Syria first broke out many Persian media outlets in Iran stayed mute on the demonstrations. However, these days they are not only reporting on them but many are openly critical of Assad – much more than the English-language government-owned press.

A good example appeared on 28 July in the Jomhouri Eslami newspaper, a publication which has been close to Khamenei over the years. In an article headed "Assad's salvation is in reforms and not in the barrel of the guns", it said:

"A question which Assad and his advisers have to answer is: how long can they continue with armed confrontation and violence? Can they use more violence than Gaddafi and bombard demonstrators like him? Did Gaddafi's use of violence return the people to their homes?"

The article went on to say that the Syrian army had killed hundreds in the cities of Dera'a and Homs. This is a far cry from the early days of the Syrian uprising when civilian casualties were ignored, while news agencies such as Mehr reported on "millions of demonstrators" supporting Assad.

According to Masoud Adrisi, Iran's former ambassador to Lebanon, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, has now changed his position and is asking Assad to respond to his population's demands. The change in tone of reports from Iran could indicate that Khamenei is following Nasrallah, albeit at a slower pace. Sometimes a teacher can learn from his student.

Source: The Guardian.
Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/aug/13/khamenei-support-assad.

Israel Quietly Acquiesces to Egyptian Storming of Sinai

August 14, 2011

With Israel’s nod, Egyptian armored vehicles, special forces and hundreds of police have flooded into the northern Sinai to beef up security against marauding Bedouins who have directly challenged Egyptian control in the area.

The forces came in over the weekend, a long two weeks following highly visible attacks by bands of gunmen who staged bloody raids on a police headquarters in El Arish that left six people dead including two officers, while others blew up the pipeline supplying gas to Israel and Jordan.

“The security reinforcement is aimed at protecting people, possessions, as well as the security headquarters,” North Sinai Governor Maj. Gen. Abdul Wahab Mabrouk told the state-run Al-Ahram newspaper.

The troop movement was reportedly dubbed Operation Eagle and is said to be aimed at restoring order. Tanks and armored vehicles were stationed in El-Arish, just some 40 kilometers from the Gaza Strip. Officials declined to give the precise number of Egyptian forces involved in the operation.

The deployment of troops has been done in close coordination with Israel, Israeli security sources told The Media Line. Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amos Gilad, the director of policy and military affairs at the Israel Defense Ministry, was in Cairo in recent days to finalize the maneuver, sources said. Defense Ministry officials declined to comment on this officially or to give details about the new troop arrangements.

This is the largest deployment of Egyptian troops so close to the Israeli border since the two nations signed a peace treaty in 1979 that strictly demilitarized the peninsula into three zones. Israel and Egypt fought four wars across the Sinai, but the border has been relatively peaceful for the past three decades.

With Egypt was preoccupied with domestic turmoil during the Arab Spring, its grasp on the Sinai Peninsula slackened. Many of the 300,000 Bedouins there, already bearing a grudge for what they claim has been to be marginalized by the Egyptians, had thrived on smuggling, which quickly picked up during the security vacuum in the wake of the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak.

“Because of the turmoil in Egypt, the Bedouin were becoming overly self-confident and independent. But now it looks as though this is an attempt to show that there is a boss in Cairo now,” Amb. Alan Baker, a former legal adviser to Israel’s foreign ministry, told The Media Line.

Last month, head of Israel military intelligence Maj.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi warned that the Egyptian security forces “are losing control over the Sinai region.” In May, Israel’s General Security Service issued a report saying that terrorist organizations were exploiting the chaos in the Sinai to smuggle large quantities of weapons into the Hamas-run Gaza strip and that the border was wide open in Rafah.

According to Israeli security estimates, Hamas has been able to double the number of rockets in its possession from 5,000 to 10,000 and in the first six months of 2011, they have smuggled in more than three times the amount of explosives than in all of 2010, the GSS report said.

Israel has periodically allowed the Egyptians to increase their troop presence in the Sinai. According to the peace treaty, one mechanized division is allowed to be stationed along the Suez Canal in the so-called Zone A. Along Zone C, adjacent to the 250-kilometer long border with Israel, the Egyptians are allowed to deploy only police. But in 2007, an agreement was reached to allow 750 security forces along the border town of Rafah, ostensibly to fight smuggling, but also to ensure the Palestinians from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip did not seep into Egyptian territory.

Zone B, where El Arish is located and where the new forces deployed, had been allowed to have four battalions and no more than 4,000 personnel. The eastern Sinai is patrolled by the 1,900-man Multinational Force and Observer (MFO) organization of peace keepers who monitor the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, but stay out of any domestic spats.

“The Egyptians have been very careful to observe the peace treaty to the letter and I can’t see them violating it now,” said Amb. Baker, now director of the Institute for Contemporary Affairs, a pro-Israel think tank in Jerusalem.

Since the ouster of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak on Feb. 11, Israel has grown concerned that its relationship with the border nation could change.

“The Sinai is likely to become a ‘no man’s land’ from a security point of view, where terrorist organizations will be able to maneuver more easily,” Yoram Schweitzer, a senior research fellow at Israel’s Institute for National Strategic Studies, told The Media Line.

He added that the opportunity raised the possibility of a strategic shift between Israel and Egypt and required new military and security arrangements on the border.

We don’t know where Egypt is going and we don’t want to change the agreement, but Sinai has become more problematic not just for Egypt, but for Israel as well. The Egyptians used to control it better. I don’t know if it is too late, but it is better late than never,” Schweitzer said.

The deployment of Egyptian forces with Israel’s blessing could be the beginning of these new such arrangements and a sign that the situation is about to change dramatically.

Source: All Headline News (AHN).
Link: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/90057100?Israel_Quietly_Acquiesces_to_Egyptian_Storming_of_Sinai.

Rick Perry Declares His Presidential Candidacy

By Andrea Hayley
August 14, 2011

Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced his candidacy for president of the United States on Saturday, Aug. 13, at a conference organized by the conservative blog, RedState.com in the Palmetto State, S.C.

Perry leaned heavily on his record as the longest running U.S. governor, creating a record number of jobs for the state of Texas. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Texas has created more jobs than any other state, and currently has an unemployment rate of 8.2 percent, marginally less than the nationwide average of 9.1 percent.

“It is time to get America working again,” Perry told an audience of around 400 people for his announcement.

Texas is home to 1 in 12 Americans—yet since June 2009, 4 in 10 new jobs were created in Texas, according to Perry.

Perry also criticized President Barack Obama for policies which led to the “first ever downgrade in the credit rating of the United States.”

“The fact is for nearly three years, President Obama has been downgrading American jobs, downgrading our standing in the world, downgrading our financial stability, downgrading confidence, and downgrading the hope of a better future for our children,” Perry said.

Perry promised he would support an agenda of reduced government spending, lower regulation, tax cuts, and the elimination of laws allowing “unnecessary” lawsuit filings.

The third plank of Perry’s platform was his vision for a foreign policy that puts the policy of American exceptionalism first. In a statement on his website he wrote that he believes “America’s place in the world is in peril, not only because of disastrous economic policies, but from the incoherent muddle known as our foreign policy.”

Perry grew up in Paint Creek, Texas, on a cotton and wheat farm. He is a former United States Air Force pilot, honorably discharged with the rank of captain. He attended Texas A&M University, is married, and has a son and a daughter.

Perry was first elected to public office in 1984, and served three terms in the Texas Legislature, before winning the office of lieutenant governor in 1998. He became governor in December 2000, after George W. Bush resigned to become president.

Perry is expected to do well in polling, joining the ranks of current front-runners, Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Perry fits in to the current field’s strongly conservative policy platform.

In 2009, talking to a Tea Party rally, the governor famously supported those in the state of Texas who wish to secede from the United States, citing the federal government’s size and interference in state affairs as the cause.

In 2010 Perry proposed letting states opt out of the federal Medicaid program.

On Sunday Perry was in Waterloo, Iowa, his first stop as presidential candidate, giving a campaign speech to supporters.

Bachmann, the winner of Saturday’s Ames Straw Poll, was also in Waterloo celebrating her win at a Republican fundraiser.

Ames Straw Poll Results

Bachmann campaigned hard in Iowa prior to the highly publicized Straw Poll, as did former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, whose disappointing third place finish in the poll led him to drop out of the presidential race.

Although the Iowa poll has accurately predicted a candidates’ ultimate success only once, it is still seen as the first indicator of candidates’ popularity. Iowa is a first-in-the-nation caucus, and the state’s socially conservative population gives a good indication of the acceptance of GOP candidates.

Close to 17,000 votes were cast during a daylong event filled with music, barbecue, and speeches.

Bachmann barely won the lead with 29 percent of the votes, followed by Congressman Ron Paul (28 percent), then Gov. Pawlenty (14 percent), former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (10 percent), and former Godfather’s Pizza CEO, Herman Cain (9 percent). Gov. Perry came in sixth, receiving 3.6 percent of the vote despite not officially being on the ballot.

Former Gov. Mitt Romney was seventh, with 3.36 percent, or 567 votes, followed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (2.28 percent), and Gov. Jon Huntsman (0.41 percent). A late entry into the race, Congressman Thaddeus McCotter, took 0.21 percent of the vote.

Romney, Gingrich, and Huntsman did not officially participate in the poll.

Source: The Epoch Times.
Link: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/united-states/rick-perry-declares-his-candidacy-60370.html.

Tens of Thousands Protest Chemical Plant in China

By Chen Jinghui & Luo Ya
August 14, 2011

Party Secretary gives in under pressure, vows to relocate plant.

Large scale protests broke out in China’s northeastern coastal city of Dalian on Aug. 14, as residents demanded that a paraxylene chemical plant be shut down and moved. They only dispersed after the local Communist Party Secretary gave in to their demands—a rarity in China.

People held banners that read “refuse poison” and “Fujia get out of Dalian.” Fujia is the name of the company that runs the plant.

Dalian resident Mr. Li told Voice of America, “At today’s event there were over 30,000 people, including students and citizens. The entire People’s Plaza was full. I took a lot of pictures and video. The whole place shouted the slogan, ‘Fujia chemical, get out of Dalain.’”

Resident Mr. Chen told The Epoch Times that people held banners and signs, wore poison masks, and distributed bottled water.

Party authorities seemed to waver between suppression and compromise, according to accounts by participants at the protest; in the end they decided on the latter.

At a little past 5 p.m., Communist Party Secretary of the City Tang Jun came to speak, guaranteeing that the plant will be relocated: “The government agreed today to immediately shut it down, tell it to stop production. But it will need time to relocate it,” he said. People then began dispersing.

But the regime was prepared to use force to crush the protest, one resident, Mr. Chou, said. He said that there were several pepper spray trucks in the yard of the city government building, but that they were never deployed.

Dalian resident Mr. Li said that many paramilitary police and regular police came, but did not clash with the protestors. “They also live in Dalian, I think, and they also don’t want their living environment to be polluted.”

Searches for “Dalian,” a city of over six million, were blocked on Sina Weibo, a popular microblogging platform. Residents said that cell phone service in areas around the main plaza was also blocked.

The paraxylene plant is run by Dalian Fujia Dahua Petrochemical Ltd. Construction began in October 2007 and the plant started operation in November 2008.

When typhoon Muifa hit the shores of Dalian, waves breached the dike and flooded the plant. As of Aug. 8, locals said the air around the plant was laced with a sharp odor, leading residents to suspect that poisonous gas had leaked.

When CCTV and other reporters went to the scene they were attacked by security personnel.

The plant is only just over 12 miles from the city center, which heightens local concerns. Paraxylene is toxic to humans and can cause cancer and birth defects.

Source: The Epoch Times.
Link: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/china-news/tens-of-thousands-protest-chemical-plant-in-china-60363.html.

Help For Somalia Comes From Unexpected Sources

By Shannon Liao
August 14, 2011

The crisis in Somalia has grown so acute—with an estimated 3.2 million people now on the verge of starvation—that aid is coming in from some unexpected places.

On Friday, the government of Somaliland announced it was making its first ever offer of aid to another state. Somaliland is a breakaway region of northwest Somalia on the Gulf of Aden. It unilaterally declared independence in 1991 but has never been internationally recognized as a country. Nonetheless, the population of about 3.5 million people has its own functioning government, unlike Somalia, with its own currency, and national infrastructure that operates independently of Somalia.

Somaliland authorities said they will “collaborate with the international community” to help famine-stricken Somalis, reported Somaliland Press. They will also create a seven-member Emergency Humanitarian Committee to address Somali needs.

The situation in Somalia has grown worse in the past two months. Five regions of Southern Somalia are now officially deemed to be suffering from famine, up from two on July 20.

United Nations Humanitarian Affairs chief Valerie Amos visited Banadir Hospital in the capital Mogadishu on Saturday and described the scenes she saw as “heartbreaking.”

“The children are so weak they can’t lift their heads, while their mothers are in despair,” she said, according to a U.N. news release.

But while there are heartbreaking stories, there are also heartwarming ones. One 11-year-old boy in Ghana, West Africa, Andrew Adansi Bonnah, was so moved by the images he saw on television of impoverished children that he started a charity to raise over $13 million, according to the Ghana News Agency. Although he has raised less than $700 so far, he hopes to get businessmen and philanthropists involved. He has also met with U.N. agencies like UNICEF and the World Food Program.

“Now, I am letting the public know about the plight of the Somali children and setting up of the fund so that they can help to raise the money,” Andrew told GNA.

Source: The Epoch Times.
Link: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/world/help-for-somalia-comes-from-unexpected-sources-60358.html.

تعديلات لدستور الأردن تحصّن البرلمان

الأحد 14/8/2011

قيدت صلاحيات الملك في حله
تعديلات لدستور الأردن تحصّن البرلمان

تسلم ملك الأردن عبد الله الثاني مساء الأحد التعديلات المقترحة على الدستور الأردني, التي تضمنت تعديلات جوهرية خاصة من جهة تحصينها للبرلمان من الحل، وهي تعديلات وصفها الملك بالتاريخية.

وتضمنت التعديلات إضافة مواد جديدة أهمها إنشاء محكمة دستورية تم حصر الطعن أمامها في الحكومة والبرلمان، وإنشاء هيئة مستقلة للانتخابات، وخفض سن المرشح للبرلمان إلى 25 سنة، وجعل القضاء مختصا في الفصل في نيابة أعضاء مجلس النواب، حيث كان المجلس هو الذي ينظر بالطعون في أعضائه.

البرلمان والحكومة
وألزمت التعديلات الحكومة التي تحل البرلمان بالاستقالة خلال أسبوع، وألا يغيب البرلمان أكثر من أربعة أشهر في حال حله. وفي حال لم تجر الانتخابات في هذه الفترة يعود المجلس المنحل للانعقاد، كما رفعت مدة الدورة العادية من أربعة إلى ستة أشهر، وانتخاب رئيس مجلس النواب كل سنتين بدلا من سنة.

كما قيدت التعديلات إصدار القوانين المؤقتة في فترة غياب البرلمان في ثلاث حالات، هي الحرب والكوارث والنفقات التي لا تحتمل التأجيل.

ونصت على محاكمة الوزراء أمام القضاء العادي وأن يسمح للبرلمان باتهام الوزراء بالأغلبية المطلقة لا بأغلبية الثلثين، كما هو منصوص حاليا.

ولم تتطرق التعديلات لصلاحيات الملك في الدستور، خاصة حقه في اختيار رئيس الوزراء، غير أنها قيدت صلاحياته في حل البرلمان, ونصت على ضرورة عقد الانتخابات خلال أربعة أشهر فقط من حل مجلس النواب.

كما نصت التعديلات على ضرورة عرض معاهدات الصلح, والتحالف، والتجارة, والملاحة, وكل أنواع المعاهدات والاتفاقات على مجلس النواب, وألا تكون الشروط السرية في المعاهدات مناقضة للشروط العلنية.

وفي مجال القضاء, نصت التعديلات على إنشاء مجلس قضائي يتولى شؤون القضاء، والنص على أن يكون القضاء الإداري أمام محكمة العدل العليا على درجتين بدلا من درجة واحدة كما هو معمول حاليا.

ومن أبرز التعديلات في مجال القضاء هو النص على تقييد صلاحيات محكمة أمن الدولة بالنظر في قضايا الإرهاب, والخيانة العظمى, والتجسس, والنص على منع محاكمة المدنيين أمام المحكمة التابعة للقضاء العسكري.

سقف زمني
وفي كلمة ألقاها في حفل إفطار أقيم بهذه المناسبة في قصر رغدان وسط عمان, وصف ملك الأردن التعديلات بـ "التاريخية. وقال "نقدم اليوم لشعبنا العزيز ولأجيال الحاضر والمستقبل هذه المراجعات والتعديلات التاريخية التي تعكس مستوى النضوج السياسي والقانوني الذي وصل إليه الأردنيون، وهم على أبواب مئوية دولتهم التي تأسست على قواعد الحرية والوحدة والمساواة".

وحدد الملك مدة شهر لإقرار هذه التعديلات وفق القنوات الدستورية تمهيدا لإقرار قانوني الانتخاب والأحزاب ليضافا إلى قانوني البلديات ونقابة المعلمين لاستكمال المسيرة الإصلاحية، كما حدد سقفا زمنيا لا يتجاوز الربع الأخير من هذا العام لإنجاز هذه القوانين كافة.

وقال عبد الله الثاني "لقد أمرت بالقيام بهذه المراجعات للنصوص الدستورية وإجراء بعض التعديلات عليها انطلاقا من مسؤوليتي وواجبي تجاه شعبي العزيز، وتلبية طموحاته، وما فيه الخير له، في الحاضر والمستقبل".

وكان لافتا دعوته لأن "يتحول الحراك الشعبي الوطني إلى عمل مؤسسي ومشاركة شعبية فاعلة في التشريع وتشكيل الحكومات حتى نخرج من دائرة رفع الشعارات إلى توفير القنوات لممارستها باعتبارها حزبية أو نقابية أو شبابية، وفي إطار عملية سياسية مؤسسية تحترم تداول الحكومات، من خلال حكومات برلمانية، وعبر عملية انتخابيه عصرية على أساس أحزاب ذات برامج وطنية".

وفي كلمة له أمام الملك, شدد رئيس لجنة تعديل الدستور -رئيس الوزراء الأسبق أحمد اللوزي- على أن المراجعة الدستورية تمت "بمنهجية وعقلانية وموضوعية بعيدا عن الانفعال باللحظة الراهنة والآراء المسبقة واستجابة واعية لمقتضيات المستقبل"، في إشارة فهمت على أن التعديلات لم تتم تحت ضغط المطالب الشعبية.

وفيما كان أعضاء السلطات التشريعية والتنفيذية والقضائية وقادة الأحزاب وإعلاميون في حضرة الملك تجمع العشرات من شبان "الحراك الشبابي الأردني" في إفطار تقشفي احتجاجا على ما أسموه "ترقيع الدستور".

وهتف الشبان "اسمع اسمع يا نظام شعب الأردن ما ينضام"، و"يا عبد الله يا بن حسين أراضي الشعب راحت وين".

ودعا موظف في الديوان الملكي الشبان لحضور طعام الإفطار باسم الملك، غير أنهم اعتذروا كون إفطارهم كان "تقشفيا"، وفق ما ذكروا.

المصدر: الجزيرة.
الرابط: http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/EXERES/582A2CDB-7D65-44FC-8C54-68B337CE774D.htm.

فعاليات ليلية تندد بـ'البلطجة' على المطالبين بالاصلاح

2011-08-15

خبرني- شارك عشرات المواطنين بعد صلاة التراويح ليل الأحد الاثنين في اعتصام دعت إليه لجنة حراك مأدبا والمؤلفة من عدة أحزاب وتجمعات منها الحركة الإسلامية وممثلين عن أحزاب أخرى إمام مبنى بلدية مأدبا وسط المدينة .
واستنكر المعتصمون الاعتداءات التي تعرض لها معتصمون في مدينة الكرك الجمعة الماضية من قبل " بلطجية" وأكدوا أيضا على مطالبهم السابقة بالإصلاح.
ونوه المنظمون بان هذا الفعاليات ستكون دورية خلال الشهر المبارك.
إلى ذلك انطلقت مسيرة مساء الأحد من أمام المسجد الكبير نحو دار المحافظة في الطفيلة جنوب الأردن ، تنديدا بالاعتداء الذي تعرض له الحراك الشبابي والشعبي في محافظة الكرك يوم الجمعة الماضي .
واستنكر المشاركون تساهل الحكومة مع اعمال البلطجة في الشارع الاردني.
ولوحظ ارتفاعا غير مسبوق في الهتافات التي رددها المشاركون في المسيرة ،إلى جانب الهتافات التي تحيي الحراك الشعبي في مختلف محافظات المملكة ،وتندد باعتداءات البلطجية على المطالبين بالإصلاح .

ونظم التجمع الإصلاحي لشباب حي الطفايلة في عمان بعد صلاة التراوح ليل الأحد الاثنين, مسيرة سلمية طالبت بالجدية في تحقيق الإصلاحات ومحاربة الفساد.

ونددت المسيرة باستمرار سياسة البلطجة في الشارع وكان آخرها الاعتداء على معتصمين في الكرك.
وحاول البعض قطع الطريق على المسيرة والاعتداء عليها إلا أنها أكملت طريقها .
الى ذلك دانت اللجنة التنسيقية لاحزاب المعارضة والحراك الشبابي في مخيم البقعة الاثنين الاعتداء الذي تعرض له مشاركون في اعتصام في مدينة الكرك الجمعة الماضية .
وقال الحراك في بيان حصلت " خبرني " على نسخة منه "إن المتتبع لما تتعرض له المسيرات والاعتصامات السلمية المطالبة بالإصلاح من اعتداءات يدرك ان البلطجة لم تعد عملا فرديا ومعزولا بقدر ما تمثل سياسية رسمية تنتهجها الدولة بهدف ضرب الشارع بالشارع".
وأضاف البيان "إن اللجنة التنسيقية أحزاب المعارضة والحراك الشبابي في مخيم البقعة إذ يستنكرون تلك السياسة الرسمية ،يحملون الدولة بأجهزتها الأمنية المسؤولية عن تلك الاعتداءات نتيجة لتقصيرها عن القيام بواجبها في حماية المواطنين".
وتابع "إن ما تعرضت له مسيرة الكرك يوم الجمعة الماضية يضاف إلى سلسلة الممارسات المنبوذة التي تمارسها الدولة من خلال سعيها إلى ضرب اللحمة الوطنية بين مكونات المجتمع الأردني، وتجاوزت ذلك إلى محاولة تفتيت أهل العشيرة الواحدة".
وأشار إلى أن" تنسيقية الأحزاب والحراك الشبابي في البقعة تؤكد على أن سياسة البلطجة الرسمية لن تثني الشارع المطالب بالإصلاح عن مواصلة مطالبة المشروعة، وتحذر في حال مواصلة تلك السياسة من جر البلاد إلى حالة من الاحتقان لا تحمد عقباها".
وختم البيان "وهنا فعلى الأجهزة الأمنية القيام بواجبها وعلى الحكومة وضع حد لهذه الممارسات غير القانونية ومحاسبة المسؤولين عنها واتخاذ الإجراءات القانونية بحقهم.والمبادرة بالاستجابة إلى مطالب الشعب الأردني بالإصلاح بسرعة وقيل فوات الأوان".
وقال الحراك في بيان حصلت " خبرني " على نسخة منه "إن المتتبع لما تتعرض له المسيرات والاعتصامات السلمية المطالبة بالإصلاح من اعتداءات يدرك ان البلطجة لم تعد عملا فرديا ومعزولا بقدر ما تمثل سياسية رسمية تنتهجها الدولة بهدف ضرب الشارع بالشارع".
وأضاف البيان "إن اللجنة التنسيقية أحزاب المعارضة والحراك الشبابي في مخيم البقعة إذ يستنكرون تلك السياسة الرسمية ،يحملون الدولة بأجهزتها الأمنية المسؤولية عن تلك الاعتداءات نتيجة لتقصيرها عن القيام بواجبها في حماية المواطنين".
وتابع "إن ما تعرضت له مسيرة الكرك يوم الجمعة الماضية يضاف إلى سلسلة الممارسات المنبوذة التي تمارسها الدولة من خلال سعيها إلى ضرب اللحمة الوطنية بين مكونات المجتمع الأردني، وتجاوزت ذلك إلى محاولة تفتيت أهل العشيرة الواحدة".
وأشار إلى أن" تنسيقية الأحزاب والحراك الشبابي في البقعة تؤكد على أن سياسة البلطجة الرسمية لن تثني الشارع المطالب بالإصلاح عن مواصلة مطالبة المشروعة، وتحذر في حال مواصلة تلك السياسة من جر البلاد إلى حالة من الاحتقان لا تحمد عقباها".
وختم البيان "وهنا فعلى الأجهزة الأمنية القيام بواجبها وعلى الحكومة وضع حد لهذه الممارسات غير القانونية ومحاسبة المسؤولين عنها واتخاذ الإجراءات القانونية بحقهم.والمبادرة بالاستجابة إلى مطالب الشعب الأردني بالإصلاح بسرعة وقيل فوات الأوان".

المصدر: خبرني.
الرابط: http://www.khaberni.com/more.php?newsid=60100.