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Tunisia, Egypt, yemen, Libya, Bahrain,Syria, Who is next? (pg. 3)
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| Comrade Stalin |
| quote: | Originally posted by Ammar.Hasan
And now the American and Canadian government are attacking libya to help overthrow gadaffi now? |
Yes, and glad they're doing it. As for Afghanistan, I for one, want us to get the out. If they want to blow themselves up, let them. Just don't have our soldiers there stoking the flames of their own (and ours by participation) destruction. |
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| Zharen |
^
Agreed. I'm okay with Libya, but we really need to get out of Afghanistan. The more terrorists we kill, the more terrorists we create. It's an unending cycle. And with the recent event in Pakistan, more Pakistanis will be joining in blowing themselves up around American forces. The sheer level of both arrogance and idiocy involved with that conflict astounds me. |
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| Zharen |
Wow, and speaking of creating new terrorists...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/...s_n_838254.html
| quote: | SEATTLE -- A photograph of a U.S. soldier smiling as he posed with the bloodied and partially naked corpse of an Afghan civilian was among those published digitally Sunday by a German news organization, despite attempts by Army officials to keep them under wraps as part of a war crimes probe.
The photos published by Der Spiegel were among several seized by Army investigators looking into the deaths of three unarmed Afghans last year. Five soldiers based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, south of Seattle, have been charged with murder and conspiracy in the case.
Officials involved in the courts-martial had issued a strict protective order, seeking to severely limit access to the photographs due to their sensitive nature. Some defense teams had been granted copies but were not allowed to disseminate them.
It was not immediately known how Der Spiegel obtained copies.
One of the published photographs shows a key figure in the investigation, Cpl. Jeremy Morlock of Wasilla, Alaska, grinning as he lifts the head of a corpse by the hair. Der Spiegel identified the body as that of Gul Mudin, whom Morlock was charged with killing on Jan. 15, 2010, in Kandahar Province.
Another photo shows Pvt. 1st Class Andrew Holmes, of Boise, Idaho, holding the head of the same corpse. His lawyer, Daniel Conway, said Sunday that Holmes was ordered "to be in the photo, so he got in the photo. That doesn't make him a murderer."
The photo was taken while the platoon leader, Lt. Roman Ligsay, was present, Conway said. Ligsay has asserted his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to testify in the legal proceedings against his troops.
Conway sought copies of the photographs so that he could present them to a ballistics expert, who he argued might be able to tell whether the victim had been struck by the weapon Holmes was carrying. His request was rejected.
"I'm very disappointed that in an American judicial proceeding, I have to get potentially exculpatory evidence from a German newspaper," Conway said.
A third photo depicts two apparently dead men propped against a small pillar. Der Spiegel said the photo was seized from a member of the platoon, but did not involve the deaths being investigated as war crimes. Soldiers have told investigators that such photos of dead bodies were passed around like trading cards on thumb drives and other digital storage devices.
"Today Der Spiegel published photographs depicting actions repugnant to us as human beings and contrary to the standards and values of the United States Army," the Army said in a statement released by Col. Thomas Collins. "We apologize for the distress these photos cause."
The killings at issue occurred during patrols in January, February and May 2010. After the first death, one member of the platoon, Spc. Adam Winfield, sent Facebook messages to his parents, telling them his colleagues had slaughtered one civilian, were planning to kill more and warned him to keep quiet about it.
His father notified a staff sergeant at Lewis-McChord, but no action was taken until May, when a witness in a drug investigation in the unit separately reported the deaths. Winfield is accused of participating in the final killing.
Morlock has given extensive statements claiming the murder plot was led by Staff Sgt. Calvin Gibbs of Billings, Mont.; Gibbs maintains the killings were legitimate.
Morlock told investigators he and Holmes shot Mudin without cause; Holmes says that he fired when Morlock told him to, believing that Morlock had perceived a legitimate threat.
Morlock's court martial was scheduled for Wednesday. He has agreed to plead guilty to murder, conspiracy and other charges and to testify against his co-defendants in exchange for a maximum sentence of 24 years in prison.
One of his lawyers, Geoffrey Nathan, said while Morlock might be "physically responsible" for his crimes, including actions depicted in the photograph, "the people who are morally responsible are the American leaders who have us in the wrong war at the wrong time."
In addition to the five soldiers charged in the deaths, seven soldiers in the platoon were charged with lesser crimes, including assaulting the witness in the drug investigation, drug use, firing on unarmed farmers and stabbing a corpse. |
EDIT: Now with pic
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| Ammar.Hasan |
| Ah but you see, in war things like this are bound to happen, You can't expect them to be truly saints in Afghanistan. |
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| Moongoose |
| No one is expecting them to be saints, but what is described here is the real life equivalent of teabagging, and nobody likes those people. No need to be a saint, just dont be an ass. |
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| Zharen |
So I know this is a little late, but since this thread is about the Middle East riots, might as well add an article about Syria.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast...dex.html?hpt=T2
| quote: | Syria arrests opposition leader as protests continue
Syrian authorities arrested a prominent rights leader Tuesday as hundreds of anti-government demonstrators marched in southern parts of the country.
Loay Hussein -- a political prisoner from 1984 to 1991 -- was taken from his home in the Sehnaya district near the Syrian capital of Damascus, according to the country's Observatory for Human Rights.
Hussein had been supporting protesters who marched for a sixth straight day, chanting, "The people want to bring down the regime," a spokesman to the organizers told CNN from the southern city of Daraa.
The organizers are planning a day of mass protests Friday, he added.
Tuesday's protesters paraded through the Syrian towns of Sanamain and Jassem.
On Monday, protesters marched in Daraa after they buried the body of a protester who was killed Sunday in clashes between anti-government demonstrators and security forces, an eyewitness told CNN.
Sunday's protests came the same day a delegation from President Bashar al-Assad offered "condolences to the families of the two martyrs who died during the unfortunate events which took place in Daraa on Friday," according to SANA, the Syrian news agency.
Local tribal leaders have said they rejected a government proposal to bring about calm and have put together a list of demands including asking that the head of the local police and governor of Daraa be held accountable for the civilian casualties since Friday, witnesses said.
The United Nations Human Rights office reported that six people have been killed by security forces in the southern city of Daraa since Friday, calling for an "independent, transparent and effective investigation into these killings."
"The use of excessive force constitutes a clear violation of international law, which provides for individual criminal responsibility for violations committed," said Rupert Colville, spokesman for the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
"People have the legitimate right to express their grievances and demands to their government, and we urge the Syrian government to enter into a broad, meaningful dialogue with the protesters in an attempt to address those grievances," he said.
Opponents of the al-Assad government allege massive human rights abuses and are calling for political and economic reforms.
Syria is the latest in a string of Arabic-speaking nations beset with discontent. |
My god, they're toppling all over like dominoes. |
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| Comrade Stalin |
| This is good. Still waiting on Saudi Arabia and Iran. |
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| hardcore trancer |
| quote: | Originally posted by Comrade Stalin
This is good. Still waiting on Saudi Arabia and Iran. |
I highly doubt that will happen any time soon. Although I said the same about Syria not too long ago and look at them now. |
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| Zharen |
And now it spreads to Jordan
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast...x.html?hpt=Sbin
| quote: | Amman, Jordan (CNN) -- Demonstrations turned violent in Amman, Jordan, Friday as government loyalists clashed with protesters who are pushing for reforms.
Dozens were injured as the two sides converged in a hail of rocks and swinging sticks, according to protest organizers and the government. The country's General Security Directorate said at least 62 citizens and 58 security force members, including two senior officers, were injured
One man died of a heart attack Friday, officials said. His cause of death is disputed by some protesters who claim he was beaten.
Government opponents and supporters chanted dueling slogans while police stood by, one organizer said. But officials say police tried to separate the two groups and were initially overwhelmed before they later regained control of the situation.
Several thousand protesters voiced their discontent with the government. The number included young people, writers, artists and communists as well as "normal and independent people," said Toleen Tauq, one of the demonstration organizers. She described several waves of stone-throwing incidents.
The state-run Petra news agency reported that several hundred young people demonstrated, carrying placards stating "The people want reform" and "We want to live in dignity and freedom."
Protesters gathered near Jamal Abed Alnasser square for the second consecutive day, calling for the dissolution of the parliament, an elected government, and constitutional reforms, according to Petra, the official Jordanian press agency.
"The sit-in will continue until our demands are met," the agency quoted protest organizers as saying.
The demonstrations parallel similar movements across the region, where governments have been confronted by throngs of protesters demanding reforms.
"Since this wave of protesters has swept across our region, we've had protests every Friday," said Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh. "I think police were caught in between" the two groups, causing several officers to be injured.
"Things have gotten a little out of hand," he added. "But we have a leadership that initiates reform."
Many protesters advocate a constitutional monarchy and less power for the king; they also are angry about corruption and the privatization of some services, among other concerns, Tauq said.
The protesters also want independent judges; they argue that the country's intelligence service exerts undue influence over the judicial system, said Mohannad Al-Safeen, another protest organizer.
Jordan's economy has been hit hard by the global economic downturn and rising commodity prices, and youth unemployment is high, as it is in Egypt, where demonstrations toppled longtime President Hosni Mubarak.
Officials close to the palace told CNN that King Abdullah II is trying to turn a regional upheaval into an opportunity for reform. He swore in a new government following anti-government protests.
The new administration has a mandate for political reform and is headed by a former general, with opposition and media figures among its ranks. |
So let's see here, that's Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen (teetering on the brink of civil war), Iran (protest put down), Bahrain (Protest put down for now), a small uprising that was quickly quelled in Saudi Arabia, Syria and Jordan. Hopefully I didn't miss any, but wow. What an incredible chain of events. Never seen anything like it before. Truly this will go down in the history books. |
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| The17sss |
| quote: | Originally posted by Comrade Stalin
This is good. Still waiting on Saudi Arabia and Iran. |
all you care about is the VIX! :p
and so do I |
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| Comrade Stalin |
| quote: | Originally posted by The17sss
all you care about is the VIX! :p
and so do I |
Damn right. |
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| Zharen |
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/m...0205145476.html
| quote: | Bahraini firms have fired hundreds of mostly Shia Muslim workers who went on strike to support pro-democracy protesters, the opposition group Wefaq has said.
Officials at Batelco, Gulf Air, Bahrain Airport Services and APM Terminals Bahrain said they had laid off more than 200 workers due to absence during a strike in March.
"It's illegal in Bahrain and anywhere else in the world to just strike. You have to give two weeks' notice to your employer," one executive who did not wish to be named told Reuters news agency on Tuesday.
Bahrain's unions called a general strike on March 13 to support the Shia protesters against the Sunni-led government. The strike was called off on March 22.
It followed security forces cracking down on protesters removing them from the Pearl Roundabout, a square in the capital, Manama, that they had occupied for weeks as the epicentre of the anti-government demonstrations.
Wefaq, which is Bahrain's main Shia opposition group, said it estimated that more than 1,000 workers had been laid off and that most were Shia.
More lay-offs are expected at Bahrain Petroleum (Bapco) which has fired the head of its workers' union. Workers fear that hundreds could be sacked at the company after parliament launched an investigation headed by a Sunni hardline deputy.
Sackings denounced
In Geneva, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) denounced the mass sackings and "other repressive measures" in Bahrain.
The United Nations agency said it would organise a high-level mission to the Gulf state as soon as possible to talk to the government and to worker and employer organisations.
Some analysts said large-scale dismissals of workers could be politically risky by speeding up the disintegration of Bahraini society into Shia and Sunni enclaves.
"They're basically punishing people to the degree that they can, and I think in the long term this is a very risky strategy for them to take," Gala Riani of IHS Global Insight risk analysts said.
Clashes between protesters and security forces have killed at least 13 demonstrators and four police since protests broke out in February.
Bloggers, activists and protesters have been arrested as as part of a crackdown on dissident, with more than 300 detained and dozens missing.
The government suspended the only opposition newspaper, Al Wasat, on Sunday, accusing it of falsifying news about the unrest, and replaced the editor.
It resumed printing on Monday, the same day the government arrested and expelled two journalists, both Iraqis. A government spokesperson said Al Wasat had broken press laws. |
I honestly believe they are going too far with these protest crackdowns. I don't think we've seen the last of the Bahraini protests just yet... |
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