Everyone is rightly upset about what the army did in Tahrir Square last night. Let’s remember, however, the military already moved against peaceful protesters in Suez and is accused of involvement in arrest and torture of hundreds during the uprising. And almost every day there is a statement from the army warning strikers and protesters, […]
Geography Archives: Middle East
PFLP Condemns the Gaddafi Regime’s Massacres against the Libyan People
22 February 2011 The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine demanded an immediate end to the bombardment and massacres against the heroic Libyan people, condemning the killing of demonstrators committed by the Gaddafi regime. The PFLP demanded the protection of the Libyan people and their rights, and emphasized its support for the demands of […]
Al Jazeera Promotes Libya’s “Crown Prince” Who Calls for Military Intervention in Libya
Al Jazeera received a lot of kudos for its exciting coverage of the intifadas in Tunisia and Egypt. Many of us in the West in particular found it to be a useful source of information, since the Western media’s coverage of them, largely shaped by imperialist preferences as always, was quantitatively lesser and qualitatively worse […]
Cynicism’s Danse Macabre
The politics of plunder imposed by the United States and its NATO allies in the Middle East is in crisis. This was inevitably unleashed with the high cost of grain, the effects of which are being felt with more force in the Arab nations where, despite their enormous oil resources, the shortage of water, arid […]
What Is the National Front for the Salvation of Libya?
In his blog Lenin’s Tomb, Richard Seymour asserts confidently: Because the trouble for the US and UK governments in this revolt is that they really, really don’t want Gadaffi to fall. Gadaffi is someone with whom they can do business. By contrast, the National Front for the Salvation of Libya, long a leading element in […]
Azmi Bishara on Libya
On Al Jazeera, Dr. Azmi Bishara said that the violence unleashed in Libya against the Libyan people is beyond belief — indicative of desperation on the part of the political order — or rather “disorder” — in Libya, attempting to put a quick end to the uprising before escalation, as the situation is a […]
Bahrain: Army Officers Join Protesters
Joining the protest was a small group of army officers, conscious that the military firing on protesters contributed to the death toll of seven. “We decided that our job is to protect people, not to beat them up. Weapons that have been used against the people are weapons of shame. These weapons should be […]
Bahrain’s Potential Domino Effect in the Persian Gulf
On my first nighttime visit to Pearl Square I couldn’t help but notice the immense number of youth amongst the huge gathering of tens of thousands of people in the midst of an atmosphere of joy and victory. University students and teenagers who were able to organize themselves by resorting to the latest trend of […]
Egyptians Rally in Support of the Libyan Uprising
Hundreds of Egyptians gathered at the Libyan Embassy in Cairo to show their support for the Libyan uprising and to demand that Muammar al-Gaddafi step down. This video was released by Ahram Online on 21 February 2011. | Print
From Egyptian Workers to American Workers: “We Stand with You as You Stood with Us”
Kamal Abbas is General Coordinator of the Centre for Trade Unions and Workers Services, an umbrella advocacy organization for independent unions in Egypt. The CTUWS suffered repeated harassment and attack by the Mubarak regime and played a leading role in its overthrow. Abbas, who witnessed friends killed by the regime during the 1989 Helwan […]
Protest against Gaddafi in Istanbul
The IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, as well as several other NGOs, held a protest against the Gaddafi dictatorship on 21 February 2011, condemning the Libyan head of state for giving orders to fire on civilian protesters, and expressing support for the Libyan resistance. The protesters gathered in Taksim Square and marched on to the Libyan […]
Hezbollah Statement on the “Crimes Committed by the Gaddafi Regime” in Libya
Hezbollah lashed out Monday at the “crimes committed by the Gaddafi regime” in Libya.
Egypt: Independent Trade Unionists’ Declaration
Cairo, 19 February 2011 Revolution — Freedom — Social Justice Demands of the Workers in the Revolution O heroes of the 25 January revolution! We, workers and trade unionists from different workplaces which have seen strikes, occupations, and demonstrations by hundreds of thousands of workers across Egypt during the current period, feel it is right […]
Bahrain: The Revolutionary Camp Stands Firm
Bahraini man in the revolutionary camp: “Zine El Abidine down, Mubarak down, Al Khalifa down, down, down.” James Bays: “Can the king make political concessions, or is it too late?” Bahraini woman in the revolutionary camp: “It’s too late. Too late now. Now the people, they — you can hear them — they want […]
Madison Is Our Cairo
With the Koch Brothers footing his campaign, Scott Walker assumed the governorship of Wisconsin on January 7, 2011. Walker’s first action as Governor was obeisance to the corporate class that put him in office: he gave $140 million in tax breaks to businesses, including WalMart, and then screamed “budget crisis!” This move allowed him to […]
Bahrain: Teachers on Strike
“When the General Strike was announced yesterday, I didn’t give it much heed. . . . Teachers, some of them at least, heeded that call. I noticed a few gathering with their Bahraini flags and a couple of hastily written placards standing in front of their school’s gate near where I live. I approached […]
Iran: The First Time as Tragedy . . .
“‘Today?’ asked the younger cook, as he placed a very large skewer on the charcoal. ‘Is anyone supposed to come out today?’ ‘Yes,’ I said after a short pause, pretending not to be that interested. ‘It’s the seventh day of mourning for the people who died last week.’ The young man rolled his eyes, the […]
Photo from Egypt: “Egypt Supports Wisconsin Workers”
Muhammad Nusair, 21, is an activist and engineering student in Egypt. He blogs at <politirature.wordpress.com>. Cf. Muhammad Nusair, “From Tahrir to Wisconsin” (19 February 2011). var idcomments_acct = ‘c90a61ed51fd7b64001f1361a7a71191’; var idcomments_post_id; var idcomments_post_url; | Print
Winners Still Undecided, in Germany and the Middle East
Which way to look? So much was happening inside and outside Germany! Most dramatic were the revolutionary events on the southern shores of the Mediterranean. Aside from amazement that those decade-long dictators could be forced out by the will of the people, there were some worries among sun-seeking German vacationers who annually flee the icy […]
US Military Aid to Bahrain
Patty Culhane: Now that shots have been fired in the name of Bahrain’s government, a key ally to the US and home to the strategically critical US Navy base, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton seems to be showing some support for the Bahraini government’s position. . . . Danielle Pletka, American Enterprise Institute: Not […]
