http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2011/...solidarity.gifQuote:
Originally Posted by NeoTheranthrope
God bless them for trying.
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http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2011/...solidarity.gifQuote:
Originally Posted by NeoTheranthrope
God bless them for trying.
Sounds like the English Riot ActQuote:
Originally Posted by NeoTheranthrope
http://lagduf.com/wp-content/uploads...7949390313.jpg
With regard to the riot act, that felony crime was punishable by death.
Fuck that Government in Bahrain. I want Napalm to burn their King straight to hell.
The US needs to unilaterally drop all support for states run by thugs, despots, and murderers.
The Cold War is over, and no serious threat exists to the United States, to even begin to justify our association with these countries.
We need to finally move towards being the beacon of freedom we purport to be.
The problem's not that nothing's happening and shit's boring, quite the opposite, there's shit going down EVERYWHERE. The whole region is hot.
Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Bahrain, Palestinian-controlled ares of Israel, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and Morocco, plus the countries to where Al Jazeera's and Al Arabia's reporters haven't been able to get into yet.
It's like a fucking tidal-wave: something happens off-shore, out of sight where nobody notices, there's this little tiny 4-in wave, which nobody on the water actually sees... until it gets to shallow water, then... it turns into this massive monster torrent that washes everything away.
Cuz I'm praying for rainQuote:
Originally Posted by NeoTheranthrope
and I'm praying for tidal waves
I wanna see the ground give way.
I wanna watch it all go down.
Mom please flush it all away.
I wanna see it go right in and down.
I wanna watch it go right in.
Watch you flush it all awaaaaaaaaay.
:buttrock::buttrock::buttrock:Quote:
Originally Posted by Popcorn Sutton
This is why.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lagduf
This is why, I hate posers like the baggers and the birfers and FOX News [sic]. If any of these whiners gave half a shit about democracy, GENUINE DEMOCRACY, they would be banging down the State Department's door DEMANDING that we cut off aid to tyrants and airlifting supplies to protesters/patriots. Instead they are whinging about the Muslim Brotherhood and scary angry brown people with guns (and always... the price of oil). FUCK ALL OF THEM.
If they actually pull it off, it would be a great way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the independence of all the imperial colonies during WWI.
Things have gotten bloody in Bahrain a Libya. Police and internal security forces are openly shooting protesters with live ammunition in both countries.
The government of Libya has issued a statement that says: "anyone who goes against the government is committing suicide"
In Bahrain: Police are attacking protesters INSIDE the hospitals. Doctors, medical staff, and bystanders are being killed.
According to one Al Jazeera commentator on the ground in Bahrain: the state Security Force are made up of foreign mercenaries from countries like Pakistan or Uzbekistan (which is VERY BAD for the protesters) which are under direct control of the Bahraini hard-line prime minister (who is the uncle of the moderate King).
Iran would always bring in hard core muslims from Palestine and pay them to beat up the Iranians.Quote:
Originally Posted by NeoTheranthrope
Truly detestable. I hope the Bahraini government gets their due, under the noose.
Imagine if in this country, GW Bush brought in foreigners from impoverished and ultra religious nations to beat up Americans in a protest. That's what these middle easterners are dealing with from their own governments. And that's just the government's first resort. No telling what the next level will be for those monsters.
Scorecard for those following at home, but don't want to accidentally the whole (currently) 15-page tl;dr thread:
In the beginning, came Wikileaks...
- Wikileaks, a state-less, de-centralized whistleblower/terrorist organization ("In a time of universal deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act." -George Orwell.) dedicated to ending unnecessary state secrecy by legal means (and not so legal means), received a large cache of U.S. State Department Diplomatic cables.
- The total cash of 251,287 cables are "released" but they aren't all "public." There is the "insurance" .zip archive file with all the 251,287 cables password-protected and encrypted (which can be unlocked with a single tweet), however the public (the ones you can actually read) cables have been carefully vetted and redacted by several large news organizations, have been released as small batches every few weeks.
- The first batch, and each subsequent batch, revealed what U.S. diplomats at home and abroad really think about their diplomatic counterparts, as opposed to... the U.S. State Department's carefully sanitized public PR-line on foreign powers and personalities.
- The individual cables revealed anything from inane gossip, all the way to overt illegal shenanigans, by both foreign actors, and the U.S.'s own personnel, contractors, and corporations abroad.
- What this meant for the peoples' of the Middle East and North Africa was here is: OFFICIAL confirmation of things previously rumored about their own respective governments and heads-of-state.
- In each respective autocratic regimes, there is always an undercurrent of rebellion, but because the differences between disparate groups, that current has been erratic, unfocused, and as a result; easily crushed by each respective states' security apparatus. However the wikileaks created way for organizers on the ground to focus and channel this undercurrent into a massive unidirectional torrent.
- The fuel was always there, but cablegate was the spark that ignited the dry tinder into a super-massive firestorm.
Tunisia.
- A Mostly-Arab, Mostly-Muslim, fairly-small, Mediterranean, Northern-African country.
- Considered progressive compared to other countries in the region technologically and politically. It's people are literate and fairly tech-savvy, which is why why protesters were able to mobilize so quickly after the first batch of cablegate leaks dropped.
- (former) leader: Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, hightailed it just a few days into the protests, and currently believed to be living in exile in the U.A.E.
- Media Coverage: fair
- Status: toppled! An interim government is being formed over the existing bureaucracy.
Egypt
- A Mostly-Arab, Mostly-Muslim, (with a fairly-large Christian minority), large, Mediterranean, Northern-African country.
- Like Tunisia, Egypt is comparatively progressive technologically, and has a fairly literate population, but has a major problem with youth unemployment. It is the region's economic and political powerhouse, important U.S. ally, as well as, neighbor and (reluctant) ally of Israel. First country to attempt complete disconnection from the Internet.
- Special note: The Egyptian Army, made up of mostly conscripts, is afforded a great deal of respect and admiration by the Egyptian people and should be considered a separate entity from the governmental political apparatus.
- (former) leader: Hosni Mubarak, former Air Force Officer and hero of the 1968 Yom Kippur war with Israel. Removed / forcibly resigned from office by the army after 18 days of protests. He is believed to be currently residing in his Sharm el-Sheikh resort home.
- Media coverage: excellent
- Status: toppled! The Army is is currently in control of the country, pending a hand-over to the new interim government after elections scheduled in September. Over 300 dead.
Libya
- An almost entirely Arab, Muslim, large, Oil-producing, Northern African, Mediterranean country.
- Because of it's fairly low population and high rate of oil production, it has a high level of wealth per-capita, which is offset by being, quite possibly, the most repressive and tightly-controlled regime in the Arab word.
- (former?) Nuclear-club wannabe.
- Leader: Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi, as close to a genuine supervillan as reality will let you get. He's actually quite popular for fighting the good fight against the Great Satan of America for so many years. However, his health is poor which may be his undoing... Gaddafi is rumored to have fled the country.
- Special note 1: According to one Al Jazeera commentator, protesters are being sniped by mercenary troops stationed on surrounding rooftops, as most of the protesters are dead from headshots (troops shooting on the ground tend to hit center-body-mass, as it is hard to aim while dodging rocks and firebombs).
- Special note 2: There is a definite schism in the army, some supporting the army, some supporting the protesters.
- Media coverage: good (which is surprising)
- Status: FULLY DESTABILIZED! The regime has issued a statement: "anyone who goes against the government is committing suicide." The Internet and cell network are down! Protesters are openly being killed by pro-government police, mercenary troops, regular army troops, tanks, helicopter gunships, and bombed by jets. There has been extensive bombing and artillery shelling of protests in Tripoli, and other major cities. Protest groups combined with sympathetic army units in the southern part of the country have taken the oilfields there "hostage." The eastern half of the country is fully in the hands of the anti-government protesters and sympathetic army units. Well over 300 dead (and probably several times that...).
Bahrain
- A tiny, tiny, Arab, Muslim, non-gas-or-oil producing, island Persian-Gulf State.
- It is relatively-poor, compared to the surrounding oil-producing Persian Gulf-states. The Shia majority is ruled by the 10% Sunni minority, leading to sectarian friction. Host country to Manama Naval Base, home to the U.S. Navy's 5th fleet and is an important U.S. strategic interest.
- Leader: Ruled as a monarchy by King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman ibn Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa, but the real power appears to be hard-line Prime Minister Khalifa ibn Salman Al Khalifa, head of the army and security/police force.
- Special note: The According to one Al Jazeera commentator, the Security Force and much of the Army are comprised by foreign mercenaries who have no compunction against shooting civilians.
- Media coverage: good
- Status: Bloody open revolt. After a violent 3am police take-over of protest rally-point Pearl Roundabout, protesters re-grouped at Salmaniya Hospital, the only "open to the public" hospital on the island (there are are others, but they're for the Royal Family, the military, the police, and Sunni elites). Police have left Pearl Roundabout, which is now being re-occupied by protesters. 70 (probably more) dead.
Yemen
- An Arab, Muslim, largely tribalist, smallish country on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula.
- Oil-poor, and without any other major industries to sustain it, Yemen is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the Arab World. Also poor. Really poor. West-African poor. Seriously.
- Leader: President Ali Abdullah Saleh
- Media coverage: fair
- Status: Bloody open revolt. Protesters are rallying to Yemeni University, and at last report, were being attacked by government-paid anti-protester thugs. 4 dead.
Jordan
- Arab, mostly Muslim (with a small Christian minority), smallish, non-oil producing, very-dry high-desert, Arabian country.
- A constitutional monarchy. Unlike it's neighbors, Jordan has few natural resources to exploit, so the country is trying to reshape itself as a regional business and banking hub via very progressive economic policies.
- Leader: King Abdullah II
- Media coverage: bad.
- Status: Peaceful open revolt. Although, there's been intermittent clashes with anti-protester groups.
Algeria
- An almost entirely Arab, Muslim, large, Oil-producing, Northern African, Mediterranean country.
- Largest country in the Arab world. Economy based mostly on oil, but the country is trying to expand it's economy into other areas, and is still recovering from a bloody, decade-long, civil war.
- Leader: President Abdelaziz Bouteflika
- Media coverage: poor.
- Status: Peaceful open revolt.
Syria
- Mostly Arab, mostly Muslim, medium-sized, minor oil-producing, Eastern-Mediterranean Arabian country.
- Formerly an fully-autocratic dictatorship, until President Hafiz al-Assad died on 10 June 2000, Sirya made a turn for the slightly more open and somewhat less repressive (baby steps). It is still in a state of open war with Israel, with clashes flaring up between the two countries on a regular basis.
- Nuclear-club wannabe. Had an (alleged) fast-breeder reactor being constructed by North Korean experts, before Israel (allegedly) blew it to shit.
- Leader: President Bashar al-Assad, son of the former president.
- Media coverage: bad to none
- Status: Small protests
(I'll edit this later, as I get more time and info: )
Palestinian-controlled areas of Israel
- (placeholder)
- Media coverage: poor
- Status: Small protests
Iraq
- (placeholder)
- Media coverage: bad
- Status: Small protests.
Morocco
- (placeholder)
- Media coverage: bad to none
- Status: Protests violently put down
Iran
- (placeholder)
- Media coverage: poor
- Status: Protests violently put down.
Should we add Wisconsin to this thread?
(and Ohio http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-0...n-to-ohio.html)
Considering those protests are result of the tax-me-not school of NIMBY-ism, and not because of enduring an autocratic regime for X-number of decades, I'd give that a big: NO. They're whiny little bitches compared to the shit that's going down in Bahrain, Yemen, and Libya, so FUCK 'EM!Quote:
Originally Posted by Nesagwa
Oh come on, they're threatening protests with military action.Quote:
Originally Posted by NeoTheranthrope
Calling the military, even the national guard, on American citizens would be political suicide.
They're asking for it. I say round up all the people that claim to be tea party supporters and have them shaved, sterilized and destroyed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lagduf
We could just ignore them, not take them seriously, and then maybe they'll go away.
I think the democrats from WI hiding out of state so they can't be compelled to attend their legislative session is absolutely hilarious.
Hey guys, if you have something to add to the scorecard, feel free do so: just quote the relevant section or paragraph, highlight your revision with the dreaded underline, and I'll go back to edit my post to match.
The question is, why are the men revolting? I'd expect the women to be more upset in light of their inferior social status given by this religion.
Economics.Quote:
Originally Posted by SNKorSWM
If the men in this country realized how hard they're being swindled the would do the same thing, only here Christianity and the sub topics of abortion at homosexuality seem to block the masses ability to see the truth.
Syria had an unprecedented protest event, the first in a generation. An estimated 1,500 people took to the streets of Damascus on Thursday, after a shopkeeper's son was allegedly beaten by police. They did not demand regime change, but they are flexing.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/m...syria-protests
Saudi Arabia is fretting apparently.
Couple videos just put up from the Bahrain protests (graphic). Pretty disgusting what is going on.
Morocco has a huge protest planned for Sunday, seems much less likely to turn violent compared to the likes of Libya of Bahrain, but you never know.
"If we have the guarantee that the demonstration will be peaceful and that there will be no harm to people or goods then we support Moroccan youth," Yassine said. "I am talking about the demonstrators, not the police. There can be no guarantee with the makhzen."
There was even a protest in rich (and lazy) Kuwait.
Kuwait's stateless rally for rights. Although, It doesn't really have anything to do with the current unrest.
I'll tell you, it was actually pretty nice having a hotel with BBC, CNN Int'l (which is much better than domestic) and Al Jazeera English on subsequent channels. In about an hour or so you could get all the main news from three perspectives. They really need to bring that latter onto more US lineups; at least we have online.
They'd need to rename it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobak
Human Rights Watch says up to 200 people have been killed in past three days during rallies calling for ousting of Muammar Gaddafi.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/a...ddafi-protests
Article is quite a bit longerQuote:
Libyan security forces have reportedly killed up to 200 protesters demanding the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi, in an attack labeled "horrifying" by the British foreign secretary.
U.S.-based Human Rights Watch upgraded its death toll several times Sunday, saying most of those killed were involved in protests in the eastern cities of Benghazi, Bayda and Tobruk. The group called it one of the worst crackdowns so far in the wave of anti-government protests across the Middle East.
A group of 50 Libyan Muslim leaders on Sunday urged security forces to stop killing civilians.
"This is an urgent appeal from religious scholars, intellectuals, and clan elders from Tripoli, Bani Walid, Zintan, Jadu, Msalata, Misrata, Zawiah, and other towns and villages of the western area," the appeal signed by the group of leaders said, Al Jazeera reported. "We appeal to every Muslim, within the regime or assisting it in any way, to recognize that the killing of innocent human beings is forbidden by our Creator and by His beloved Prophet of Compassion (peace be upon him) ... Do NOT kill your brothers and sisters. STOP the massacre NOW!"
A doctor in Benghazi told Al Jazeera that he had seen 70 bodies at the city's hospital on Friday. "I have seen it on my own eyes: At least 70 bodies at the hospital," said Wuwufaq al-Zuwail. He added that security forces had prevented ambulances from reaching the site of the protests.
Residents in Benghazi, about 600 miles east of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, reported Saturday that there was no electricity in parts of the city and that tanks were stationed outside the court building.
Human Rights Solidarity, a campaign group, said that snipers on rooftops in Al-Baida — a city of 210,000 — had killed 13 protesters and wounded dozens of others. Police stations in the town were set on fire as protesters burned posters of Gaddafi, according to the Telegraph.
Jazzy TVQuote:
Originally Posted by Popcorn Sutton
Bty, populous, have you seen this old clip?
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/we...azeera-english
Thanks for that, I hadn't see it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobak
That is definitely my favorite Samatha Bee segment. In the past I've found her kind of awful. I guess I was too high strung during the election season to really find her brand of humor funny at all.
There are lots of rumors flying around about what's going on in Libya. This recent Al Jazeera piece is a summary --but it leaves out the rumor that some tribes and even some members of the military have defected.
In other news....Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobak
Ronald Reagan Surrendered.
That's what I've been trying to tell you.Quote:
Originally Posted by Popcorn Sutton
I love the Libyan State representatives explanation for the violence: "eBaums did it"Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobak
I'm going to send you a quart of apple pie whether you like it or not old man!Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthtownKid
With the protests in Morocco and Algeria, ALL of North Africa is either toppled or on fire.
You are a prince. Let me give you my shipping address:Quote:
Originally Posted by Popcorn Sutton
Federal Bureau of Investigation
935 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20535
Haha Old STK in the mud, you never disappoint!Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthtownKid
In Libya: The State Security force troops are looting the banks and government buildings in Tripoli. The army is divided and various units are attacking each other; airforce units from the north are attacking ground units in the south. Mercenaries are shooting protesters. Protesters are overrunning the mercs and executing them as they go. East Libya is completely under protester control. Cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria...
Libya is in the midst of a spectacular implosion.
It seems that Qaddafi may have been too confident in his own personality cult and control over his own military.
The big rumor going around official circles (as per Al Jazeera) is that Qaddafi may have left the country.
The first few paragraphs from the latest full article posted by the NY Times:
I think this is going to get very violent.Quote:
The 40-year-rule of the Libyan strongman Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi appeared to teeter Monday as his security forces retreated to a few buildings in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, fires burned unchecked and senior government officials and diplomats announced defections. The country’s second-largest city remained under the control of rebels.
Security forces loyal to Mr. Qaddafi defended a handful of strategic locations, including the state television headquarters and the presidential palace, witnesses reported from Tripoli. Fires from the previous night’s rioting burned at many intersections, most stores were shuttered, and long lines were forming for a chance to buy bread or gas.
In a sign of growing cracks within the government, several senior officials — including the justice minister and members of the Libyan mission to the United Nations — announced their resignations. And protesters in Benghazi, the second-largest city where the revolt began and more than 200 were killed, issued a list of demands calling for a secular interim government led by the army in cooperation with a council of Libyan tribes.
Mr. Qadaffi’s security forces waved green flags as they rallied in Tripoli’s central Green Square Monday under the protection of a handful of police, witnesses said. They constituted one of the few visible signs of government authority around the capital. The ubiquitous posters of Colonel Qaddafi around the capital had been torn down or burned, witnesses said.
[more]
Al Jazzy's still doing a great job. They just showed pictures of Libyan jets that have suddenly landed in Malta.
The word by Malta's gov't (remember, Malta is the closest EU country to Libya):
As soon as the fighter jets landed, without authorization, they were taken into custody by the Maltese military and immediately announced they were Libyan Air Force colonels who are defecting because they were ordered to attack protesters. They also claim they saw their cohorts attack civilians and then made the decision to defect instead of following through on their mission --this does corroborate the rumors that the Libyans were using jets on the civilians. Of course, these colonels could be saying this to get out in a hurry too. Libyans who have been living in Malta and protesting outside the Libyan Embassy have all gone to the airport to celebrate the defectors as heroes.
Very dramatic stuff :)
I'd check to see if his home in NJ is in use.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobak
I say we give him Detroit. Seriously, what's the worst that could happen? He'd probably approve the Robocop statue.Quote:
Originally Posted by OMFG
Amazing!Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobak
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobak
Venezuela, according to the U.K.'s diplomatic corp. (my guess is that he's fallen ill and he's in desperate need of medical attention in a friendly country that doesn't have an extradition treaty)Quote:
Originally Posted by OMFG
Edit: officially denied by Venezuela
9 Libyan diplomats have stepped down, the Libya's own diplomat to India has condemned Kahdafi and the violence.
The Libyan ambassador to the U.S. has stepped down, condemned Kahdafi (normally a shooting offense), and put forth a personal plea to President Obama to supply aid and establish a no-fly zone over Libya.
Kahdafi is supposed to be giving a speech soon. Stay tuned: http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/