Kuwait braces for PM ouster mass rally

Tue Mar 8, 2011

Kuwaiti youth groups plan to hit the streets on Tuesday to demand the removal of the incumbent prime minister and push for political reforms in the Persian Gulf state.

The anti-government protests aim to drive Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah out of office and add pressure for greater political freedom in the country, Reuters reported.

The protest organizers, the Kafi (Enough) and al-Soor al-Khames (Fifth Fence) groups, maintain that they will not budge on their demands for the departure of Sheikh Nasser, and have called for a premier from outside the ruling al-Sabah family.

"We will distribute watermelons to lawmakers as they enter the parliament on Tuesday, as a symbol of chaos and discontent with their performance," Mubarak Alhaza, a member of the Kafi youth movement said.

Tuesday's protests will present a challenge to the Kuwaiti government, which bans demonstrations without prior permission.

The demonstrations come on the crest of a recent tidal wave of anti-government protests that has raced across the Middle East, originating with revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, which have swept longstanding autocratic rulers from power.

The Kuwaiti premier, a nephew of the ruler Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, was appointed in early 2006. He has fought parliamentary opposition since his appointment.

Five of his six cabinets have been forced to resign, while the parliament has been dissolved three times.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/168796.html.

Tunisia disbands secret police agencies

Mon Mar 7, 2011

The Tunisian interim authorities have dissolved the political police and the state security apparatus due to its close association with the former regime.

The Interior Ministry said in a statement that the two bodies were notorious for human rights abuse under ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

"These practical measures are in harmony with the values of the revolution, in the wish to respect the law, in word and deed, and in consecrating the climate of confidence and transparency in the relationship between the security services and the citizen," the statement read.

The developments came hours after interim Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi announced a new government free of any remnants of the Ben Ali regime.

The new 22-member interim government -- called the public authority -- includes five new ministers and two women.

The removal of Ben Ali regime figures was a key demand of protesters whose rallies continued even after the fall of the authoritarian leader in January.

Protesters fear that their revolution may be hijacked by those still loyal to the former president's oppressive policies.

The revolution that ousted Ben Ali after 23 years in power has sparked off other popular uprisings in North African and Middle Eastern countries -- one of which led to the downfall of long-time Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/168726.html.

Egypt's MB opens dialog to avoid split

Tue Mar 8, 2011

Egypt's largest opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, has suggested negotiations with a faction of young members in an attempt to bridge an internal schism.

On Monday, senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood called on Mohamed Kamal Farag, the coordinator of a youth wing of the group, to meet and create a plan to resolve existing conflicts and restore unity, the official Arabic website of the Muslim Brotherhood, Islamonline reported.

The announcement was made after some 2,000 young members of the Muslim Brotherhood said they were planning to stage a “revolt” against its governing body, the Guidance Bureau and Shura Council, on March 17 to demand its dissolution.

Young members say there is no reason why the group refuses to make a strong showing after the January revolution, which led to the ouster of Egypt's longstanding ruler Hosni Mubarak.

They are calling for the formation of a transitional committee, headed by the group's former Secretary General, Mohamed Mahdi Akef, until a new board is elected.

The young members also expect organizational "change" to take place within the Muslim Brotherhood by April 2011, when they would begin taking steps to "modernize" the group and its scopes of activities.

Meanwhile, Farag has welcomed the recent move by the veterans of the Muslim Brotherhood.

“Opening dialogue with us is a good sign,” he pointed out.

He also underlined that the planned March 17 revolt could be postponed if the party leadership heeds their demands.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/168787.html.

Two major Libyan oil ports closed

Tue Mar 8, 2011

Ras Lanuf and Brega, two major oil ports in eastern Libya, have been closed as pro-regime forces intensify attacks on the revolutionary forces.

Embattled Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi's warplanes have launched fresh airstrikes on anti-regime positions around the port city of Ras Lanuf, Reuters reported late Monday.

Reports say at least three people have been killed in the attacks. The violence resulted in the closure of two oil ports of Ras Lanuf and Brega.

"Ras Lanuf is not operating. It's the same in Brega," an official in a shipping company in Ras Lanuf said.

The revolutionary forces have begun pulling back from Ras Lanuf and the nearby city of Ben Jawad after the regime resorted to heavy use of air attacks.

According to an anti-government official, beleaguered Gaddafi could attack oilfields like a "wounded wolf."

Meanwhile, reports say fighting erupted in the Libyan city of Zawiyah as forces loyal to the incumbent ruler launched a renewed attempt to capture the city.

Three of the revolutionary forces and over 30 pro-Gaddafi soldiers lost their lives in the clashes.

Earlier on Sunday, Gaddafi's tanks shelled the civilian population in the western city of Misratah. According to medics, at least 21 people, most of them unarmed civilians, were killed in the clashes.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/168784.html.

Egypt's new cabinet promises security

Tue Mar 8, 2011

Egyptian newly appointed Interior Minister Major General Mansour Esawy has promised to reinstate security and stability in the North African country, pledging to restore public confidence in the police.

Esawy promised Monday to make "every effort in the coming period to restore security and stability in the Egyptian streets," AFP reported.

The news comes a few days after anti-government protesters stormed several state security buildings, taking confidential documents.

The authorities urged the return of documents, citing "national security" concerns.

Egypt's new interim Prime Minister Essam Sharaf named Esawy, a former security chief, as the country's interior minister on Monday in an attempt to meet protesters' demand.

In Egypt the Interior Ministry is in charge of the security forces.

Esawy further promised that he would take "all necessary measures to restore confidence between citizens and the police."

Sharaf and his new cabinet were sworn in by Egypt's military rulers on Monday. The interim cabinet includes only three ministers who served under the previous regime.

Sharaf was appointed the country's interim prime minister on Thursday after widespread protests against the then premier Ahmad Shafiq.

Shafiq was appointed by ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak during the final days of his regime. Mubarak was ousted on February 11 after 18 days of demonstrations across the North African nation.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/168778.html.

Turkey religious minority stages protest

Tue Mar 8, 2011

Members of a major religious community in Turkey have staged a demonstration in a show of protest against what they call unequal treatment.

Tens of thousands of Alevis gathered in the western city of Izmir in a demonstration of unprecedented scale, calling for broader rights and freedoms, a Press TV correspondent reported.

“This is so important. Today, is the resurrection of Alevi society,” said former lawmaker and renowned Alevi folk musician Arif Sag, addressing the protest, which he called historic.

Turkey's second-largest religious community after the Sunnis Muslims, Alevis comprise 25 percent of the population. The faith group, which adheres to a branch of Shia Islam, say the acceptance of Sunni Islam as the country's official religion has prevented them from enjoying the full gamut of their rights.

The demonstrators called for legalization of cemevi -- Alevis places of worship.

Dogan Bermek from the Federation of Alevi Foundation said as there were not recognized places of worship for the Alevis, “then we don't get the same equal treatment for those services that we have to pay...taxes, we pay for the services, we pay for the electricity and things like that.”

In November, Abdullah Gul became the first Turkish president to visit a cem house -- a place for the performance of cem or the central Alevi corporate worship service.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also promised to recognize the cem houses and grant equal rights to minorities.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/168761.html.

Yemen Shias continue anti-govt. rally

Tue Mar 8, 2011

Tens of thousands of the Shia Muslims based in the northern Yemen have repeated their protests against the government, braving prospects of government-ordered bloodshed.

The demonstrators took to the streets of several cities including Sa'ada, the capital city of a northern province of the same name, where the faith group is concentrated.

The minority, which has recently joined nationwide anti-government demonstrations, has for long complained about efforts by the Yemeni leadership and neighboring Saudi Arabia to socially, economically, and religiously marginalize the community.

The Shias have been subjected to numerous Sana'a-authorized armed offensives -- many carried out by Saudi forces and some reportedly by the United States.

The protesters on Monday voiced solidarity with the outraged public, who have been demanding the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime since January.

Saleh has already been in office for 33 years, with several opposition members arguing that his long-promised reforms have not materialized.

The country's opposition and religious figures have envisioned a roadmap for the ruler's departure before the end of this year.

The head of state has, however, said he would stay in power until the end of his term in 2013.

Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds more have been injured in Sana'a's crackdown on anti-regime protests.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Houthi leader said that two protesters were killed and nine others were wounded during armed attacks by the government forces on the Shias' rallies on Friday.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/168771.html.