Showing posts with label Bahrain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bahrain. Show all posts

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Business-As-Usual in Bahrain: Poet Imprisoned

Ever wish people would stop criticizing the President?

Think 'there oughtta be a law' against saying bad things about America? Or Australia, or India, or whichever country you call "home?"

Some countries work that way:
"Bahrain tries ex-lawmakers, imprisons poet"
CNN (June 12, 2011)

"...Meanwhile, poet Ayat al-Qormozi, 20, was found guilty of assembling at Pearl Roundabout, the epicenter of anti-government demonstrations in the kingdom earlier this year. Additional charges included speaking out against Bahrain and the king.

"The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights said she read a poem criticizing government policy at the Roundabout.

"Mubarak, the government official, said Bahrain had freedom of speech, but that there were limits.

" 'Freedom of speech in this country has its boundaries and cannot touch on the leadership, and cannot call for the overthrow of the government,' he said.

"Her poem, he said, 'caused incitement and hatred to his majesty the king and to the prime minister' with lines such as 'we are people who kill humiliation' and 'assassinate misery.'..."
I think it's reasonable, in America, that calling for the overthrow of our government to be illegal.

That's what we have elections for - to swap out the current nitwits for new ones, who at least may do less damage.

Laws against criticizing the government? That makes revolution sound more reasonable. As I recall, that's part of why colonists got fed up with George III's administration, back when.

And that isn't, quite, another topic.

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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Libya, Syria, Bahrain: Journalists Uncooperative; 'the Masses' Worse

There's quite a bit going on in North Africa and the Middle East these days: sometimes to the point of pushing Japan's issues with earthquake and tsunami cleanup out as the lead news item.

I'm in the same position as Will Rogers: "Well, all I know is what I read in the papers." (Will Rogers, New York Times, Sept 30 1923, via The Quotations Page) Except that today, although newspapers are still around, I mostly read online news services. Times have changed a lot since 1923, when "all I know" was written. For that matter, this isn't the world of the '80s. I'll get back to that. (North Africa, the Middle East: What's Going On?)

The folks in Tunisia either started - or were the first in the series of - revolts against well-established, 'stable,' business-as-usual regimes. For what it's worth, I think they've got legitimate grievances. I've discussed that before, somewhat briefly. (March 18, 2011)

By the way, I'm going to discuss one aspect of what's happening in places where cultural roots go back millennia. That's not because I think it's a simple situation. On the other hand, I have (barely) enough time to write about this one facet.

Libya, My Take

Colonel Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi is, I think, having something of a public relations problem these days. Journalists, some of them at least, aren't cooperating. Some reporters have been downright dubious about the colonel's official line: and, what's impressive to me, their editors let the stories through.

In the 'good old days,' foreign leaders could, arguably, count on the journalists of the 'right sort' accepting the party line: and repeating it. I think deliberate, conscious, bias was seldom involved. More often, I hope, the incomplete, one-sided stories were a result of folks in a relatively small, insulated, subculture not recognizing their intellectual and emotional blind spots. (October 21, 2008)

Everybody, I think, has little choice but to see the world from their own viewpoint. Various news services have, in my opinion, shown rather distinct perspectives on Libya's events. Which isn't the same as thinking that 'they're making up' what they're reporting. (March 26, 2011)

Before moving on: is the Libyan colonel's name spelled Qadhafi, Qaddafi, or Gaddafi?

The answer is - yes. I've mentioned the difficulties of transliteration from one alphabet to another before. (February 21, 2011)

Yemen, My Take

There isn't quite so much news about the mess in Yemen, but it's quite real to folks living there - and their neighbors.

On paper, Yemen is a nation. It's been a member of the United Nations since 1947, 1967, and 1990: depending on which version of Yemen you count.

I'm not entirely convinced that the piece of real estate we call "Yemen" is actually a nation, in the traditional sense, which gets me into linguistics, semantics, culture, history, and more topics than I want to handle just now.1

Whatever Yemen is, folks living there are not having a good time. What passes for a central government there either has no control of most of the country, and at-best-marginal influence over what goes on in the capital. Or their government is unreliable on several levels. Maybe both. (November 6, 2010, January 13, 2009, October 28, 2007)

It looks like folks in Yemen have finally had enough, and are trying to swap out the boss for someone who won't do as much damage.

Quite a bit of the Yemen-related news I found focused on the "humanitarian crisis" there. Folks living in Yemen do not seem to be living well just now. Which reminds me of the phrase, "international community." And that's yet another topic.2

Syria, My Take

Syria, today, reminds me a little of the 'banana republics' of my youth. That was when at least part of America's government supported 'stable democracies,' whose presidente was sufficiently Machiavellian to hang on to power. Which gets me into Machiavelli, and yet more topics.3

Back to Syria and 'banana republics.' Back in the '60s, my government's insistence that one warlord was a "president" because his thugs got guns from America; and another was a "dictator" because his didn't was - - - distasteful. I'm still not convinced that it was necessary. Convenient, certainly. And that isn't another topic.

At least one cable/online news network seems to realize that Syria's "president" may not be running an entirely free and 'transparent' government. Examples:
  • Tik Root, American citizen, dropped out of sight in Syria
    • He's a college kid
    • Maybe he just needed a break from studies
      • Or, not
  • "...Mysterious men in black shirts carrying sophisticated weapons terrorized residents..."
    • They're 'foreigners'
      • Officially
      • Who get released as soon as someone turns them over to Syrian police
        • Allegedly
My hat's off to reporters - and editors - who report facts, say how they got the facts - and when they can't confirm what they're told. I admire accuracy: and think that the virtue has gotten to be something of a necessity, at least in parts of the West. And, again, I'll get back to that. (North Africa, the Middle East: What's Going On?)

Bahrain, My Take

Bahrain's interior minister said that his king isn't having folks killed because they follow a particular sort of Islam. I'm inclined to believe him. I think Bahrain's king is having folks who don't like his leadership killed - and that it's incidental that they're mostly not Sunni.

That doesn't mean that I think it's a good idea to try installing loyalty by killing folks who don't cheer loudly enough.

As for the Saudi King sending enforcers to Bahrain: I don't think it's right, in an ethical sense. On the other hand, I think it makes sense, in a sad sort of way. The House of Saud may believe that supporting one of the world's few remaining old-school kings is in their family's interest. And they may be right, at least in the short term.

"Odyssey Dawn"

The Pentagon's name for operations in Libya is "Odyssey Dawn." It's an odd name for something that's being presented as a relatively short mission. On the other hand, I wouldn't call it "Pentagon-crafted nonsense." I am willing to believe that:
"...that there's no hidden meaning behind 'Operation Odyssey Dawn.' It's just the product of the Pentagon's semi-random name-generating system...."
(Danger Room, Wired)
I do think that the name is a wonderfully poor choice, from a marketing point of view. Which is one reason why I'm inclined to believe that the choice of "Operation Odyssey Dawn" really did come from a "semi-random name-generating system," with little-to-no human intervention.

That Wired article explains the system, by the way. In my opinion, it's a good read - and somewhat off-topic for this blog.

North Africa, the Middle East: What's Going On?

There's much more going on in the swath of land from Libya to Yemen, involving countries including Egypt and Iran, and about 11,000 years of history. Since I've run out of time - and you may be running out of patience - I'll cut to the chase.

Gutenberg's movable type didn't start the Reformation, or make otherwise-law-abiding British colonists revolt against King George III. But I think the ability to mass-produce written documents - in large volume and at relatively low cost - made both a whole lot more likely. (February 23, 2011)

On the whole, I think Gutenberg's invention was a good idea. Arguably, movable type helped make literacy practical for more people. That led, I think, to:
  • Ideas spreading
    • Fast
    • Efficiently
    • With less distortion
      • Then there's propaganda
        • It's not a perfect world
  • More folks having access to information storage and retrieval that
    • Didn't rely on the memory of individuals
    • Didn't degrade over time
      • In principle
We don't live in a perfect world. But, on the whole, I'd rather live now than in 1450.

My view of how movable type affected the world is part of why I do not, in general, have a problem with folks having access to 'dangerous' technology: like LP gas, guns, or computers. (June 27, 2008)

Internet-capable cell phones with video cameras, blogs, and Twitter didn't, in my opinion, 'make' folks in Tunisia get fed up with their boss earlier this year. (January 24, 2011) But, like the printing press, Information Age technology made it easier - in some cases, possible - for folks to compare notes. And, eventually, decide that they'd had enough.

Finally, about reporters, editors, and a necessary virtue:

I am very glad to see at least some news services say where they got their facts, which facts they could verify, and which are more opinions or assertions than facts. I also think this is a sort of virtue born of necessity.

Information Age technology, and the social structures that are emerging, make it possible for folks to share what they've noticed with others. Many others. Back in the 'good old days,' a person who'd actually witnessed an event - and noticed that what happened didn't match what was in the papers - could share that discrepancy with neighbors. And that's about it.

Eventually, if the discrepancy was glaring enough - and the right traveler was going in the right direction at the right time - a few other folks would learn about the disconnect between news and fact.

That was then, this is now.

I think it's getting very difficult for a few Yankee gentlemen to decide what 'the Masses' in America should see - and even 'reputable' news services are learning that folks notice when 'the news' isn't quite what really happened. And I've been over this before. (January 7, 2009)

Related posts:
News and views:
Excerpts from recent news and views:

Libya

"Intelligence on the rebel forces battling Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has shown "flickers" of al Qaeda or Hezbollah presence but there is still no detailed picture of the emerging opposition, NATO's top operations commander said on Tuesday.

" 'We are examining very closely the content, composition, the personalities, who are the leaders of these opposition forces,' Admiral James Stavridis, NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe and also commander of U.S. European Command, said during testimony at the U.S. Senate.

"Gaddafi's troops on Tuesday reversed the westward charge of rebel forces as world powers met in London more than a week after the United States and other nations launched a military campaign aimed at protecting Libyan civilians.

"While Stavridis said the opposition's leadership appeared to be 'responsible men and women' fighting Gaddafi, he said that 'we have seen flickers in the intelligence of potential al Qaeda, Hezbollah. We've seen different things.'

" 'But at this point I don't have detail sufficient to say there is a significant al Qaeda presence or any other terrorist presence,' he said...."
(Reuters)
"Three loud explosions could be heard in Tripoli on Tuesday. It was the first time since the uprising began that such blasts were heard during daylight in the Libyan capitol.

"The three blasts came within about 20 minutes. No anti-aircraft fire could be seen at the time.

"To the east, Libyan forces pounded parts of the city of Misrata on Tuesday, with tanks firing mortar shells and troops using heavy artillery in an effort to retake control of the city, a witness told CNN.

"Coalition planes circled overhead but did not strike the tanks, he said.

"As representatives of numerous countries met in London to decide the next steps in their Libya effort, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi showed no sign of letting up his effort to crush the rebellion that seeks an end to his nearly 42 years in power.

"The day after Gadhafi's regime tried to convince journalists that it was in control of Misrata by taking them on a trip to part of the city -- but not allowing them into the city center -- his troops were killing and wounding civilians and evicting thousands of people from their homes, the witness told CNN...."
(CNN)
"President Barack Obama's defense of limited U.S. military engagement in Libya appears not to have won over many congressional critics of his administration's handling of developments in the northern African nation. The U.S. mission in Libya remains a contentious issue on Capitol Hill.

"The top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, John McCain of Arizona, says President Obama made a strong case for U.S. intervention in Libya in his speech to the nation late Monday. But, appearing on CBS' Early Show, McCain took issue with the president's assertion that going beyond a no-fly zone in Libya and forcing leader Moammar Gadhafi from power would be a mistake, drawing comparison's with Iraq.

" 'If Gadhafi remains in power, you will see a stalemate, the same kind of thing we saw with [former Iraqi leader] Saddam Hussein when we established a no-fly zone, sanctions, etc, and it lasted 10 years. Gadhafi in power will continue to commit acts of terror against his own people. And, of course, he is guilty of war crimes,' he said...."
(VOANews.com)

Yemen

"Yemen's political crisis deepened on Tuesday as President Ali Abdullah Saleh refused to step down in the face of mounting desertions by his supporters and officials said the government had lost control of six of the country's 18 provinces. Saleh told a meeting today that he would not step down as 95% of the Yemenis backed his call for a unified Yemen and instead it should be his opponents, who should leave the country, Al Arabia channel reported.

"The President's refusal comes as the death toll in the massive blast and fire at an ammunition plant in south Yemen shot up to 150 and transition of power talks remained stalled.

" '95 bodies have been identified and many others were burnt beyond recognition,' Mohsin Salem, a local government official in the Abyan province said, adding that the province where the incident had happened has been seized by the al Qaeda cadres.

"Yemeni official said, in recent days government forces has abandoned their force across the country, including areas where northern rebels have challenged the military and southern provinces where al Qaeda's Arabian branch has maintained sanctuaries.

"The collapse of the authority was acknowledged by the President himself, who told a committee from his political party that 'six of the Yemen's 18 provinces had fallen'.

"Saleh said the country was being ripped apart as he hardened his public stance declaring he would make no more concessions.

"The Yemeni strongman, who has been in power for the last 32 years has moved away from a dialogue with opposition mediated by American diplomats and Saudi Arabia...."
(Hindustan Times)
"A senior UN humanitarian official has expressed concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yemen as anti-government protests gain momentum in the impoverished Arab nation.

" 'I urge those involved to refrain from excessive violence and ensure the safety of the civilian population,' UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos said in a news release issued on Monday.

" 'I am especially concerned about the humanitarian situation in Yemen because, even before the recent protests, the country was facing a humanitarian crisis due to protracted conflict in the north displacing 300,000 people, some of them multiple times, she added.

" 'The recent fighting has again affected hundreds of people that have not recovered from earlier conflict, she further explained...."
(PressTV)
"A coalition of global campaign groups on Monday urged the U.N. Human Rights Council to call a special session on what they called a rights crisis in Yemen.

"The coalition, including non-government organisations (NGOs) from sub-Saharan Africa and Egypt, spoke out as Syria, also currently the scene of violent suppression of protesters, set out its case for election to the 47-nation council.

"The NGOs said Yemeni authorities were responsible for 'grave human rights violations, including the right to life' in seeking to quell mass demonstrations against the 32-year rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

"The situation in the country 'is representative of a pattern of wide-scale violations of fundamental rights and freedoms.... which need to be dealt with urgently by the international community,' they declared.

"New York-based Human Rights Watch and London-based Amnesty International were among signatories of the appeal. Last Friday the council ended a four-week sitting with no discussion of Yemen, Bahrain or Syria despite the violence in all three....
(Reuters)

Syria

"Tik Root, a Middlebury College student missing in Syria since March 18, might be in the hands of Syrian military intelligence's Branch 235, the Palestine Branch, which is known for its mistreatment of political prisoners, a dissident Syrian blogger says.

"That assertion, which the Root family said it has not been verified, came from Nizar Nayouf, editor of the blog Syria Truth. It comes amid growing attention to the student's plight: The New Yorker has blogged about his disappearance, and New York Times columnist and longtime international reporter Nicholas Kristof tweeted this Monday: “Why is Syria imprisoning Tik Root, an American student?”

"The Syrian blog about Root was published Thursday, six days after Root disappeared. It wrongly described him as a Princeton student, but accurately said he moved to Damascus from Alexandria after the “intifada” began in Egypt to continue his studies in Arabic...."
(March 28, 2011)
"Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must make more progress on political reforms and should meet the needs and aspirations of his citizens, U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said on Tuesday.

" 'We believe President Assad is at a crossroads. He has claimed to be a reformer for over a decade but he has made no substantive progress on political reforms and we urge him to ... address the needs and the aspirations of the Syrian people,' State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters.

" 'He has claimed the mantle of reform and he has implemented some economic reforms but on the political side he needs to make more progress frankly -- substantive progress," Toner said...."
(Reuters)
"Syria's Cabinet resigned Tuesday to help quell a wave of popular fury that erupted more than a week ago and is now threatening President Bashar Assad's 11-year rule in one of the most authoritarian and closed-off nations in the Middle East.

"Assad, whose family has controlled Syria for four decades, is trying to calm the growing dissent with a string of concessions. He is expected to address the nation in the next 24 hours to lift emergency laws in place since 1963 and moving to annul other harsh restrictions on civil liberties and political freedoms.

"More than 60 people have died since March 18 as security forces cracked down on protesters, Human Rights Watch said.

"State TV said Tuesday Assad accepted the resignation of the 32-member Cabinet headed by Naji al-Otari, who has been in place since September 23. The Cabinet will continue running the country's affairs until the formation of a new government.

"The resignations will not affect Assad, who holds the lion's share of power in the authoritarian regime...."
(FoxNews.com)
"Syrian security forces flooded the restive cities of Daraa and Latakia on Monday, patrolling the streets, protecting government buildings and in at least one case clashing with protesters, according to witnesses.

"Both cities have been the scene of violent clashes between protesters and security forces in recent days, with at least 37 deaths since last week, according to the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

"In Daraa on Monday, forces filed into the city's main square before dawn, tearing down the tents and anti-government signs of about 100 protesters who were staying there overnight, according to one eyewitness. The forces fired shots into the air and turned water cannons on the protesters, the witness said, leading to a clash with hundreds of nearby residents who rushed to the square to defend the demonstrators.

"The resulting confrontation lasted about 30 minutes, reportedly without injuries or arrests, according to the witness.

"Another witness said the army was blocking the city on three sides and that security forces, surrounding government buildings and the Al-Omari mosque where some protesters remained, had opened fire. The witness was not aware of any injuries.

"Syria's state-run news agency said the government denied firing on protesters, calling the allegations 'completely false.'....

"...In Latakia, another eyewitness said mysterious men in black shirts carrying sophisticated weapons terrorized residents overnight, firing into the air and banging on the doors of homes.

" 'We do not understand who these men are but government officials say they are members of a 'foreign group,' the witness said. 'We all think they are lying about this because every time one of them is captured and handed over to the police he is released.'...

"...CNN could not independently confirm the accounts because the Syrian government has yet to grant access to the network.

"Syria is the latest in a string of Arabic-speaking nations beset with discontent over economic and human rights issues. Syria's discontent is centered Daraa, a southern city in the impoverished country's agricultural region, where security forces and anti-government protesters have sporadically clashed for nearly two weeks...."
(CNN World)

Barhain

"Bahrain's interior minister said on Tuesday security forces had not targeted any sect after recent unrest, rejecting opposition complaints the Sunni-led state has subjected majority Shi'ites to abuse.

"Earlier this month, Bahrain's Sunni rulers, the al-Khalifa family, imposed martial law and called in troops from fellow Sunni-ruled Gulf neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, to quell weeks of pro-democracy protests led mostly by Shi'ites.

"The severity of the crackdown, which banned all public gatherings and spread masked security forces across the city to man checkpoints, stunned Bahraini Shi'ites and sparked criticism from the region's non-Arab Shi'ite power Iran...."
(Reuters)
"The UK government spent more than £175,000 chartering two aircraft to help just 18 people escape protests in Bahrain, it has emerged.

"The decision to charter the aircraft was taken after days of violent clashes in the Gulf state's capital, Manama.

"A number of people had been killed as Bahrain's Sunni Muslim rulers called in Saudi troops to help keep order...."
(BBC)
"Bahrain's largest Shi'ite opposition group Wefaq has accepted Kuwait as a mediator with Bahrain's government to end a political crisis gripping the tiny kingdom, a member of Wefaq said on Sunday.

"Bahrain imposed martial law and called in troops from neighboring Sunni-ruled states earlier this month to quell weeks of unrest by mostly Shi'ite protesters.

"Jasim Husain, a member of Wefaq, said Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah had offered to mediate between Bahrain's Sunni al-Khalifa ruling family and Shi'ite opposition groups...."
(Reuters)
1 Noting that Yemen may not be a nation isn't a criticism, by the way. I'm not convinced that the United States is, strictly speaking, a nation either. Not the way France, Italy, or Japan are, anyway. Then there are city states like Singapore and Vatican City. More topics. ("Member States of the United Nations," United Nations; CIA World Factbook, "Yemen" (last updated March 23, 2011))
2 The way "international community" is sometimes used gives me the impression that there's a bit of confusion about just what the term means.

In my opinion:
  • "The international community" isn't
    • Human Rights Watch
    • Amnesty International
    • The United Nations
  • "The international community" is
    • Leaders of
      • Governments
      • Multinational organizations
    • The rest of the 6,000,000,000-plus folks currently living
I am also of the firm opinion that none of the above are perfect.

Which doesn't mean that I think that the United Nations is some kind of plot.

I don't think the U. N. is even close to being the sort of 'parliament of man - federation of the world' that Tennyson imagined. But today: it's what we have to work with. (A Catholic Citizen in America (March 22, 2011)) I don't have all that sunny an attitude toward the United States Congress, either, and that's almost another topic.
3 Machiavelli, by the way, advocated a "strong central government." (Princeton's WordNet) "Machiavellianism" can be defined as:
  • "the political doctrine of Machiavelli: any means (however unscrupulous) can be used by a ruler in order to create and maintain his autocratic government"
    (Princeton's WordNet, again)
Do I think that 'the end justifies the means?' No. Do I think that we need some sort of government? Do my opinions involve the assumption that an objective reality exists; and that a few things are, simply, wrong? Yes. (A Catholic Citizen in America (March 12, 2011, August 30, 2010))
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Saturday, March 26, 2011

Libya, News, and Change

Update (April 4, 2011)
This isn't - as I've written many times - a political blog. I don't think that one person, or party, or country, is always right. I don't say that everybody who dislikes my favorite person, or party, or country, is stupid.

I even think that politicos whose policies I have little praise for can be right now and again.

Which is, in part, why I think America should be involved in hindering Colonel Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi's efforts to exterminate Libyans who won't say he's a great leader.

Even though it's happening during President Obama's administration.

Why Pick on Libya?

The Libyan colonel isn't the only north African/Middle Eastern leader who tries to maintain loyalty by killing folks who disagree: but he's the one who alienated enough of his neighbors to make the U. N. mandated coalition possible.

I've heard that Qadhafi has been playing his 'victim of the West' card. Never mind that the The Arab League supported the no-fly zone. Or didn't: it depends on who they're talking to, perhaps. (March 21, 2011)

'Victim of the West?' I think this article, from 2008, shows a somewhat more plausible view of America's efforts to accommodate the colonel's style of leadership:
"Libya pays $1.5 billion to settle terrorism claims"
CNN World (October 31, 2008)

"Libya has paid $1.5 billion to the families of terrorism victims, overcoming the final obstacle to full relations with the United States, the State Department said Friday.

"The payment ends Tripoli's legal liability in U.S. terror cases and paves the way for increased U.S. involvement in the oil-rich nation.

"President Bush signed an executive order Friday restoring Libyan immunity from terrorism-related lawsuits and dismissing pending cases over compensation as part of a deal reached this summer.

"David Welch, the top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East, who negotiated the agreement, called Libya's rehabilitation from a terrorist nation to a U.S. ally 'historic.'

"The pact closes the book on a contentious period in U.S.-Libyan relations, which began in the 1980s with a series of attacks involving the two countries, including the bombings of Pan Am flight 103, a German disco and U.S. airstrikes over Libya....

"...Congress unanimously adopted the Libyan Claims Resolution Act, sponsored by Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, which cleared the way to end the feud and created the victim compensation fund."
Okay: maybe that deal was some kind of plot by Big Oil. Or Big Cheese. Or something. (Apathetic Lemming of the North (February 22, 2011)) I don't think so: but I'm no conspiracy buff.

After all the effort that went into opening relations with Libya, why go after Qadhaffi now? There's U. N. Security Council Resolution 1973 (2011). (March 21, 2011) That's important, in my opinion.

I also think that it's wrong for a national leader to kill people who won't praise him.

No More 'Business as Usual'

Many folks who live in north Africa and the Middle East seem to have had enough of 'business as usual:' and have been swapping out old-style autocrats. This change of heart ended Tunisia's permanent presidency in January. Egypt's old-school leader was next, and now folks want something better in Bahrain, Yemen, Syria, and - Libya.

I don't think it's right for the Bahrainian boss to have his less-docile subjects killed: but he hasn't ticked off enough of his neighbors. The last I heard, he's even getting Saudi Arabia to help purge Bahrain of folks who disagree. (March 18, 2011)

There won't, I think, be an international coalition acting to protect Bahranian citizens from their boss. Not any time soon.

It is possible, however, to protect Libyans - and give the folks there who give a rip about turning their country around a chance to do so.

Libya: Risky? Of Course

Do I think that, with Qadhaffi gone, Al Qaeda or a similar group could take over? Yes. That's possible.

I also think that with Qadhaffi still in power, Al Qaeda or a similar group could find a safe haven in Libya. He's not, in my opinion, a particularly reliable, responsible, national leader.

Do I think that the folks who oppose Qadhaffi are 100-percent pro-American supporters of constitutional rights, equality under law, and vehicle emission standards?

Hardly.

I do think there's a good chance that the folks who oppose the colonel will not replace him with another autocrat. They might: but I prefer to believe that they want a serious change.

News May be Biased: and Still be True

I've discussed my view of old-school journalism before. Briefly, I think that very few journalists and editors deliberately lie. I do, however, think that they have their own assumptions about what the world is like:
Still, I seriously doubt that many stories are, essentially, fiction. Which ones are published, and which aren't - I've discussed that before.

All this is to introduce an article appearing on CNN today. It's possible that CNN decided to publish this because their editors believe that America's involvement in the efforts to frustrate Qadhaffi needs support. I also think that what's described actually happened: and shows what the colonel and his enforcers have been up to in Libya.
"Libyan woman bursts into hotel to tell her story of rape"
CNN (March 26, 2011)

"Breakfast at a Tripoli hotel housing international journalists took a decidedly grim turn Saturday when a desperate Libyan woman burst into the building frantic to let the world know she had been raped and beaten by Moammar Gadhafi's militia.

"Her face was heavily bruised. So were her legs. She displayed blood on her right inner thigh.

"She said her name was Eman al-Obeidy. She was well-dressed and appeared to be a well-to-do middle-aged woman. She spoke in English and said she was from the rebel stronghold of Benghazi and had been picked up by Gadhafi's men at a checkpoint east of Tripoli.

"She sobbed and said she was held against her will for two days and raped by 15 men. She showed the journalists how she had been tied at her wrists and ankles. She had visible rope burns.

"CNN could not independently verify al-Obeidy's story but her injuries appeared consistent with what she said....

"...International journalists, including CNN's staff, are not allowed to move freely in the Libyan capital and are escorted out of the hotel only on organized outings by government minders. This was the first time a Libyan opposed to Gadhafi attempted to independently approach the journalists here.

"What followed was a disturbing scene of how Gadhafi's government operates.

"Security forces moved to subdue the woman. Even a member of the hotel's kitchen staff drew a knife. 'Traitor!' he shouted at her in contempt. Another staffer tried to put a dark tablecloth over her head.

"One government official, who was there to facilitate access for journalists, pulled a pistol from his belt. Others scuffled with the journalists, manhandling them to the ground in an attempt to wrestle away their equipment. Some journalists were beaten and kicked. CNN's camera was confiscated and deliberately smashed beyond repair.

"Security men said al-Obeidy was 'mentally ill' and was being taken to a 'hospital.' They dragged her unceremoniously to a waiting white car.

"She kicked and screamed. She insisted she was being carted off to prison....

"...Later, a government spokesman said al-Obeidy was 'safe' and 'doing well.' He said her case was a criminal one -- not political -- and that she has been offered legal aid.

"But his assurances did little to assure the journalists who had witnessed Gadhafi's firm and pervasive grip on Libyan society. A woman who dared to speak against him was quickly silenced. Journalists who dared to tell her story paid a price.

"It was one tale that perhaps went a long way in illuminating the need to protect Libya's people...."
Somewhat-related posts:
In the news, now and in 2008:
Background, how I form my views:
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Friday, March 18, 2011

Bahrain, Foreign Troops, and - Maybe - the Last Stand of Kings

I'm getting to Libya in the next post.

The powers that be in Yemen and Bahrain are having a shot - literally - at trying the Libyan colonel's approach to leadership. They're having their enforcers kill people who say they don't like the way things are run.

Historically, America's leadership hasn't been quite that rough on folks who aren't on the same page whoever is running things in Washington. Even here, though, it seems hard to understand that "disagreement" isn't "treason;" and that someone can have a different opinion without being 'the enemy." I've posted about that before:
Still, I'd rather live in America:

Shia, Sunni, and Shooting the Opposition

Excerpts from today's news:
"Security forces and government supporters opened fire on demonstrators in the capital on Friday, killing at least 30 people. But the crackdown failed to disperse the protest, the largest seen so far in the center of the city, and President Ali Abdullah Saleh declared a state of emergency...."
(The New York Times)
"Hundreds of angry Iraqis demonstrated in the holy Shiite city of Karbala on Thursday, protesting the use of foreign troops in the crackdown against anti-government protests in Bahrain...."
(CNN)
"A senior Iranian cleric on Friday urged Bahrain's majority Shiites to keep up their protests—until death or victory—against the Sunni monarchy in the tiny island kingdom...."
(MercuryNews.com)
"Bahrain's Shiites are burying their dead amid a continued government crackdown in this Sunni-ruled island nation in the Persian Gulf...."
(ajc.com)
Some folks in televised news's op-ed segments have been saying that what's happening in Bahrain is a sort of proxy war between Shia Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia. I think they've got a point. Sunni and Shia, two flavors of Islam, aren't equally represented in Saudi Arabia, and Iran, or even in Bahrain, Iraq, and Yemen:

CountryShiaSunni
Bahrain170%30%
Iran289%9%
Iraq260%-65%32%-37%
Saudi Arabia15%95%
Yemen136%63%
1 PBS (see Background)
2 CIA (see Background)

Religion: Important, Yes; Everything, No

I think that religion is an often-misunderstood factor in society. I think that the politically correct notion that religion kills people is silly: but acknowledge that some have done bad things for what we call "religious" reasons. (October 31, 2007)(and A Catholic Citizen in America (April 12, 2010, July 24, 2009))

I am also fairly certain that the folks in Bahrain, at least, have fairly solid economic reasons for wanting change. Again, without accepting the notion that economics and class struggle, along with psychology and/or instinct, explains everything.

For all I know, the way the Persian and Arabic languages handle verb declensions may be a factor in today's conflicts. I think philology may prove to connect with neurology, psychology, and maybe genetics - and that's several other topics, as well as speculative.

Saudi Troops Killing Shia Civilians in Bahrain: So What?

Another excerpt from today's news:
"...This week, military forces from the Gulf Cooperation Council -- including Saudi Arabia -- arrived in Bahrain to help the kingdom control a wave of anti-government protests, prompting the Obama administration and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to urge council members to act with restraint and to allow the citizens of Bahrain to demonstrate peacefully.

"Although Bahrain's protesters are making primarily economic and political demands, there is a sectarian dimension: Bahrain's population is 70% Shiite; the royal family is Sunni, as is the royal family of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia recently has seen small demonstrations among its minority Shiites...."
(CNN)
I think that the Saudi royal family, and other traditionalists in the Arab world, are in an unenviable position. They seem to be dedicated to a way of life that's threatened. In a way, their troubles started in Europe and North America during the 18th century.

The 'good old days' of aristocratic privilege are gone. These days, even beating your wife, or your wife beating servants, is frowned upon in quite a few countries. (January 12, 2011, November 2, 2007) That, along with beer commercials and individual rights, must be hard to accept. For folks who grew up enjoying privileges, at least.

In the short run, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and like-minded folks may succeed in holding on to their old ways.

I think it depends in part on whether or not their enforcers run out of bullets, so to speak, before folks who want change run out of bodies and determination.

In the long run, I think their way of life is over. Monarchies may continue, along the lines of British royalty - and I'm not going to get started on the shenanigans there. I've written about the cultural angle of the war on terror before. (April 5, 2010, March 19, 2010, October 14, 2008, and elsewhere)

I also think that killing your subjects is a miserably ineffective way of instilling loyalty: whether practiced by an old-world monarch, or a self-styled revolutionary.

Which brings me to Libya: and that's another topic.

Related posts:
News and views:
Background:
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Saturday, February 19, 2011

Bahrain, Libya: My Take on the News

Excerpts from recent coverage of Bahrain and Libya's troubles, and my take.
"Bahrain: British Arms Export Licences Revoked"
Andy Jack, Sky News Online (February 19, 2011)

"More than 40 UK arms export licences for Bahrain have been revoked after a review following fears weapons from Britain may have been used to crackdown on protesters.

"The King of Bahrain ordered a start to 'dialogue' with all parties in the country, after armed troops opened fire on anti-government protesters in Manama.

"Dozens of people were hurt as armed officers fired at protesters around the Pearl roundabout.

"Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt said that 24 individual licences and 20 open licences for Bahrain had been revoked, following advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills...."
Like I've said, word gets around today. Fast.

And quite a few countries don't seem to like being part of what Bahrain's bosses have done. Partly, I hope, due to the ethics involved. More certainly, I think, due to a realization - at least among many Western governments - that killing potential customers is really bad for business.

For similar reasons, I think that killing one's subjects is bad for instilling a sense of loyalty. That may seem obvious, but folks like Bahrain's ruling family keep doing it.
"Libya, Yemen crack down; Bahrain pulls back tanks"
Maggie Michael and Brian Friedman, The Associated Press, via The Washington Post (February 19, 2011)

"Security forces in Libya and Yemen fired on pro-democracy demonstrators Saturday as the two hard-line regimes struck back against the wave of protests that has already toppled autocrats in Egypt and Tunisia. At least 15 died when police shot into crowds of mourners in Libya's second-largest city, a hospital official said.

"Even as Bahrain's king bowed to international pressure and withdrew tanks to allow demonstrators to retake a symbolic square in the capital, Libya's Moammar Gadhafi and Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh made clear they plan to stamp out opposition and not be dragged down by the reform movements that have grown in nations from Algeria to Djibouti to Jordan.

"Libyans returned to the street for a fifth straight day of protests against Gadhafi, the most serious uprising in his 42-year reign, despite estimates by human rights groups of 84 deaths in the North African country - with 35 on Friday alone.

"Saturday's deaths, which would push the overall toll to 99, occurred when snipers fired on thousands of mourners in Benghazi, a focal point of unrest, as they attended the funerals of other protesters, a hospital official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal...."
Killing folks who are mourning a victim of their government's enforcers. Like I said: I don't think that's a good way to inspire loyalty. Fear, yes. But it's my opinion that fear only works for so long as a substitute for a social contract. And that's another topic.
"Hague condemns Middle East violence"
The Press Association, via Google News (February 19, 2011)

"Britain has condemned the 'unacceptable and horrifying' use of violence by security forces in Libya, where live fire and snipers have been deployed to break up demonstrations against the 42-year rule of Moammar Gaddafi.

"The death toll during three days of protests in Libya is believed to be at least 84, in the most repressive official response yet to the wave of unrest sweeping across the Arab world.

"Meanwhile, in Bahrain, thousands of cheering and singing demonstrators re-occupied Pearl Square in the centre of the capital Manama as troops and riot police were ordered off the streets by the ruling Khalifa family in an apparent response to Western pressure...."
As I've said before, news travels fast these days.
"Bahrain Tensions Ease as Violence Escalates Through Region"
Business Report, SF Gate/The San Francisco Chronicle (February 18, 2011)

"Anti-government protesters in Bahrain celebrated a victory in their fight for democracy as authorities elsewhere across the region sought to crack down on calls for political change sparked by Egypt and Tunisia.

"Violence rippled across Yemen and Djibouti, both U.S. allies, as demonstrations against Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi entered a fourth day amid opposition warnings of an impending 'bloodbath' at the hands of security forces. Saudi Arabian shares retreated for a fifth day on concern political unrest in neighboring countries may hurt the Arab world's largest economy.

"In Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, thousands of protesters poured into the Pearl Roundabout in the capital, Manama, after tanks, armored personnel carriers and riot police withdrew on the orders of Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Unions have called a general strike for tomorrow to protest the government's violent quelling of demonstrations...."
"Bahrain Tensions Ease....?!" I don't know if that's wishful thinking, an effort to make the Bahranian ruling family look good - or a reference to something that's not all that obvious in the news.
"Bahrain royal family orders army to turn on the people"
Adrian Blomfield, The Telegraph (February 18, 2011)

"Bahrain's ruling family has defied mounting international criticism by ordering the army to turn on its people for the first time since pro-reform demonstrations erupted five days ago.

"As protesters attempted to converge on Pearl Roundabout, a landmark in the capital Manama that has become the principal rallying point of the uprising, soldiers stationed in a nearby skyscraper opened fire.

"Since they took to the streets, Bahrain's protesters have come to expect violence and even death at the hands of the kingdom's security forces. At least five people were killed before yesterday's protests.

"But this was on a different scale of magnitude.

"As they drew near, they were met first with tear gas and then with bursts of live ammunition.

"Many fled the first salvoes, scrambling down empty streets as the shots rang out behind them.

"As they ran, terror and disbelief flashed across their faces. One man shouted: 'They are killing our people! They are killing our people.'

"Cowering behind a wall, a woman wept, her body shaking in fear.

"But many refused to run, initially at least, determined to defy the violence being visited upon them. Some held their hands in the air and shouted 'Peaceful! Peaceful!'.

"The shooting resumed. One man crumpled to the ground, blood pouring from his leg; nearby a second was also felled. A scream went up: 'live ammunition!...

"...But even as they fled in headlong panic, a helicopter sprayed gunfire at them and more fell. Paramedics from ambulances that had rushed to the scene darted forward to help the wounded, but they too were shot at. Several were detained and at least one ambulance was impounded.

"Doctors at the nearby Salmaniyah hospital said they had received 32 wounded people, nine of whom were in a critical condition. There were unconfirmed reports of two deaths at Pearl Roundabout, but witnesses said the bodies had been seized by the army.

"Those caught up in the violence were mourners, returning from funerals of three people killed before dawn the previous day when police opened fire on protesters, many of whom were asleep, in a successful bid to regain control of Pearl Roundabout....

"...Most of the protesters are members of Bahrain's long-marginalised Shia majority. "They say they are not demanding the abdication of Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Bahrain's Sunni king, but they are calling for a constitutional monarchy that would treat the Shia fairly and make them equal subjects in his kingdom...."
Note: Bahrain has been a constitutional monarchy since 2002. ("Bahrain," CIA World Factbook (last updated February 11, 2011)) What the protesters want, apparently, is a change in the constitution. Or maybe a new constitution. Back to the article:
"...But they are demanding the resignation of his uncle Khalifa bin Sulman Al Khalifa, who has served as prime minister for 39 years.

"During his rule, the protesters say, the Shia have been turned into second class citizens, deprived of jobs in the army, police force and government while Sunnis from abroad have been given Bahraini citizenship to alter the kingdom's demographic balance.

"Government officials in Bahrain have warned that the Shia opposition is controlled by Iran, which seeks to use the kingdom to establish a foothold on the Arabian peninsula.

"Protesters insist that they have no love for Iran and are only seeking justice for themselves...." (The Telegraph)
In contrast to the SFGate piece, this was written by someone who almost certainly was not trying to soft-pedal the Bahranian rulers' decision to kill a few commoners and hope for the best.

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Bahrain and the Information Age

There's an old-fashioned way to deal with unruly subjects: kill them. A more contemporary wrinkle is to 're-educate' folks who don't approve of a country's leadership, or tuck the troublemakers in some cell where they'll be out of sight.

There was a time when communications between countries was a matter of diplomatic pouches, traveler's tales, and the occasional monograph by an aristocrat with a taste for travel.

In those days, killing commoners who made a fuss may have been an effective way of maintaining the status quo.

These days, not so much.

Between video cameras on cell phones and a rapidly-evolving set of online communities, what happens in some remote corner of the world - isn't all that remote. Think Iran's Neda Agha Soltan. (June 23, 2009)

Bahrain's Bosses and an Oppressed Majority

I haven't heard "oppressed minority" all that often lately, but another presidential election is coming up, and it may be run up the flagpole again. Which is another topic.

Sometimes minority groups in a country really are oppressed. That's not, in my view, a good idea. In the short term it's hard on the folks who aren't with the majority. In the long term, I think treating underlings unfairly is really bad for the folks in charge.

Then there are situations where you've got an oppressed majority. Again in my opinion, that's bad in the long run.

From the looks of it, the folks who conquered Bahrain a few centuries back are on a voyage of discovery, in which they'll discover that it isn't the 18th century any more.1 From the looks of things, it won't be an easy lesson.

Bahrain is a few islands off the coast of Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf. The biggest one is about 10 miles across by 30 long. ("Bahrain," CIA World Factbook (last updated February 11, 2011)) They've started running out of petroleum, but the king - or somebody with influence - has been smart, and got into petroleum refining and banking. Economically, the place isn't doing too badly.

Or, rather, it looks like the king and his family aren't doing too badly: along with folks who see things the king's way.

America's Involved: No Surprise There

The United States Navy's Fifth Fleet has a major support facility on Bahrain. In some circles, that's 'proof' that capitalist warmonger Yankee oppressors are grinding Bahrain's proletariat - - - and so on.

I see the American presence in Bahrain as no great surprise. Until Bahrain followed Tunisia and Egypt in this year's meltdown, the place was:
  1. In a strategically important part of the world
  2. Moderately stable
Some of Ameirca's more earnest intellectuals notwithstanding, this country isn't in the habit of knocking over governments and trying to set up clones of our government - or warmonger oppressors. America's government has blundered now and again - and I've discussed that before. (February 10, 2011)

Bahrain: "Kick the Bum Out," Not "Yankee Go Home"

Times, as I've said before, change. A few decades back, protests in another country often used 'Yankee go home' as a theme. In today's Bahrain, the protesters apparently think the king can stay - but want the king's uncle fired. The uncle's name is Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa (or Khalifa bin Sulman Al Khalifa). He's been prime minister since 1971 (Factbook, CIA). That's 39 years in the same top job.

Which is a case-in-point for why I think term limits are a good idea - and that's almost another topic.

There may have been epochs when one century was pretty much like another - and someone could lock himself in an executive office for several decades without losing track of what was going on outside.

This isn't one of those epochs.

At all

Today's World: Blink, and You'll Miss Something

I'm not a technological determinist. I don't think that devices we use 'make' us do things. On the other hand, I do think that our technology makes a huge difference in what we can do - once we've made up our minds.

And it's more complicated than that. Things usually are. Yet another topic.
Bahranian Brouhaha: Not Just Tech
I'm about as sure as I can be, that the Bahrainian trouble isn't entirely due to communications and information technology that's popped up since since the king's uncle started being prime minister.

Folks don't, I think, face bullets because some brass hat can't make a phone call without help.

Still, I think Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa and the rest of Bahrain's ruling family may not quite understand what's happened in the last four decades.

Folks who aren't in the upper crust aren't as isolated from each other as we were. The phrase "global village" may have political connotations: but I see it as also being a fairly good way of describing what's happening.

Provided that two people understand the same language, and have access to the Internet, it doesn't matter where each of them is: they can communicate.

Sharing Bad Jokes, Taking Down Autocrats

Most of the communication is trivial, at best: but that's human nature, I think. Most of us don't sit around thinking great thoughts and discussing the existential implication of banana peels.

Once in a while, some of us have something really important to say - or a vital picture to share. Since we're already sharing bad jokes, sports trivia, or what browser is best with our friends, we'll share the important bit of information.

Nothing unusual there. Folks have been doing the same sort of thing for thousands of years.

What's different today is that some of those little communities are spread over several continents. And some folks are involved in more than one community - so if something's really important, the news can travel fast. Very fast.

That's not an original observation - but I think it's an important part of life in the Information Age. I also think it's an important part of what happened in Tunisia, Egypt: and what's happening now in Bahrain and quite a number of other places.

This isn't a good time, in my opinion, for someone in an old-school regime to assume that killing a few commoners will solve a public relations problem. Word gets around faster now: and folks in 'the masses' can get their version of a story out. Maybe just as important: folks dealing with an unyielding, unreasonable regime can learn that they're not alone.

VCR to Twitter: Quite a Ride

I like technology, in general, and don't mind learning new ways of handling information. Which is a good thing for me, considering what I've learned to deal with since 1971. That was the year that the VCR videocassette was invented. Next came word processors and Pong (the first video game), followed by online bulletin boards, the World Wide Web, and Twitter.2
It's been quite a ride.

Somewhat-related posts:
News and views:
I've excerpted material from these sources and opined a bit in another post:
1Background:
"Bahrain "...In 1783, the al-Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the Persians. In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in 1971. Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. Facing declining oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has transformed itself into an international banking center. King HAMAD bin Isa al-Khalifa, after coming to power in 1999, pushed economic and political reforms to improve relations with the Shia community. Shia political societies participated in 2010 parliamentary and municipal elections. Al Wifaq, the largest Shia political society, won the largest number of seats in the elected chamber of the legislature. However, Shia discontent has resurfaced in recent years with street demonstrations and occasional low-level violence...." ("Bahrain," CIA World Factbook (last updated February 11, 2011))
2 A short list of new communications and information technology:
  • 1971
    • VCR / videocassette)
  • 1972
    • Word processor
    • Pong (first video game)
  • 1973
    • Community Memory
      • Precursor to online bulletin boards
    • Ethernet
  • 1979
    • Cell phones
  • 1981
    • MS-DOS
    • IBM-PC
  • 1984
    • CD-ROM
    • Apple Macintosh
  • 1985
    • Windows GUI
  • 1988
    • Digital cell phones
  • 1989
    • High-definition television
  • 1990
    • World Wide Web
      • Internet protocol (HTTP)
      • WWW language (HTML)
  • 1991
    • Digital answering machine
  • 1996
    • Web TV
  • 2000
    • Solid-state drive (SSD) / Flash drive
  • 2001
    • iPod
  • 2005
    • YouTube
  • 2004
    • Facebook
    • And a webfull of other online communities
    ("20th Century - the technology, science, and inventions," "Modern Inventions," About.com; "Timeline of Historic Inventions," "Facebook," "Bulletin boardsystem," Wikipedia)
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Blogroll

Note! Although I believe that these websites and blogs are useful resources for understanding the War on Terror, I do not necessarily agree with their opinions. 1 1 Given a recent misunderstanding of the phrase "useful resources," a clarification: I do not limit my reading to resources which support my views, or even to those which appear to be accurate. Reading opinions contrary to what I believed has been very useful at times: sometimes verifying my previous assumptions, sometimes encouraging me to change them.

Even resources which, in my opinion, are simply inaccurate are sometimes useful: these can give valuable insights into why some people or groups believe what they do.

In short, It is my opinion that some of the resources in this blogroll are neither accurate, nor unbiased. I do, however, believe that they are useful in understanding the War on Terror, the many versions of Islam, terrorism, and related topics.