Civil Unrest in the Mid East and Africa (All Articles)

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Yemen Forces Attack Areas of Opposition

SAN'A, Yemen—Security forces headed by family members of Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh launched military attacks Friday on unarmed opposition and on defected troops inside and to the south of the capital just days after Mr.[/TD]
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Egypt's economy slumps under weight of unrest

CAIRO (AP) — Drivers passing Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo curse the protesters.
On radio shows, callers question whether the youth activists and others involved in the new wave of demonstrations over the past week are nationalists, selfish children or saboteurs.
Political differences aside, what has become clear is that the latest clamor against Egypt's military rulers is pummeling the country's already flailing economy at a crucial time when many hoped winter tourism would pick up. A financial crisis is looming, say analysts.
"We're not far off," said Neil Shearing, chief emerging markets economist with Capital Economics. "There's enough money left in the coffers to get through the year, but not much beyond that. Crunch time is two to three months away."
It took 30 years to engineer the revolution that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak in February. But it only took months to push the 7 percent annual growth rate of recent years to an anemic forecast of only about 1 percent this year.
The difficulties keep mounting. The stock market tanks daily and foreign reserves have fallen by almost 40 percent so far this year.
The drop is linked to the protests that have persisted since Mubarak's fall, and more specifically, the wide gap between the expectations of the population after the uprising and the reality of what the government could deliver.

Egypt's economy slumps under weight of unrest - Yahoo! News



All 3 arrested US students leave Egypt

Arab League Votes in Favor Of Sanctions to Strain Syria




URGENT: Countries approve economic sanctions
against Syria in move to pressure regime to end
crackdown

• Egypt's Military Ruler Urges Voters to Attend Protested Elections
• Yemen Sets Date for
  Presidential Vote

Egyptians Head to the Polls In Landmark Elections

Amid turmoil, Egyptians begin voting in nation's first
parliamentary elections since ex-leader Mubarak's ouster

• U.S. Student Freed From Egyptian Prison: I Was Not Sure I'd Live
  
  
  
  U.N.: Syria Has Commited 'Crimes Against Humanity'
  
  Syrian Official: Arab Sanctions 'Economic War'
  
  5 Dead in Congo Election Clashes, Minister Says
  
  Somali Militants Ban 16 Aid Groups, U.N. Agencies

Qaddafi's Daughter Urges Libyans to Topple Interim Government

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  AP
  FILE 2005: Aisha Qaddafi, the daughter of Libyan leader Moammar Qaddafi, looks on before making a speech on the achievement of Libyan women in Cairo.

The daughter of Muammar al Qaddafi urged Libyans Tuesday to overthrow the country’s interim government in an audio message likely sent from Algeria where she has been in exile.
“Avenge the blood of your martyr,” Aisha al Qaddafi said on Syrian-based Arrai television, AFP reports. “Revolt against the new government.”
She reportedly went on, “My father has not left; he is always among us. Don’t forget the orders of your father urging you to continue fighting, even if you no longer hear his voice.”
By recording the message, Aisha al Qaddafi violated the terms of her exile and the Libyan government has requested Algeria arrest and deport her to face criminal charges, The Tripoli Post reported.
It’s unclear when the message was recorded, but the 40-day mourning period since the strongman’s death has passed.


Read more: Qaddafi's Daughter Urges Libyans To Topple Interim Government | Fox News



Turkey Imposes Economic Sanctions on Syria

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[TD="class: esc-layout-thumbnail-cell"]Sydney Morning Herald



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[TD="class: esc-layout-article-cell"]Somali Islamists ban aid groups, renewing famine concerns Christian Science Monitor - ‎2 hours ago‎



Somalia's Islamist insurgency banned Western aid agencies from its territory, raising concerns that famine could return to parts of the northeast African nation.
Related Somalia » Suicide attack » Mogadishu »

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From Somalia:Somalia: Suicide bomber in Somalia tries to attack army HQHorseed Media
Opinion:Making strides in SomaliaNew Straits Times

See all 200 sources »
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[TD="class: esc-layout-thumbnail-cell"]Telegraph.co.uk



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[TD="class: esc-layout-article-cell"]Arab Spring takes toll on expats' quality of life Jerusalem Post - ‎2 hours ago‎


The quality of life for foreigners living and working in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has certainly taken a turn for the worse over the past year, but they might be surprised to find that some of the ...
Related Vienna »

Vienna tops quality of life listUPI.com

Vienna, Austria Named World's Best Place to LiveTIME

See all 162 sources »
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[TD="class: esc-layout-article-cell"]Rwanda steps up campaign for greater ownership of aid The Guardian (blog) - ‎10 hours ago‎


After playing hard to get, China is back at the negotiating table, partly due to some brokering from Andrew Mitchell, the UK international development secretary, who arrived in Busan, South Korea, for the fourth high-level forum on aid ...[/TD]
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[TD="class: esc-layout-article-cell"]UN report says Syria now in a civil war with 4000 dead from Assad regime ... Washington Post - ‎37 minutes ago‎



BEIRUT - Syria has entered a state of civil war with more than 4000 people dead and an increasing number of soldiers defecting from the army to fight President Bashar Assad's regime, the UN's top human rights official said Thursday.[/TD]
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Iran prepping al-Qaida for large-scale attacks – Report : Homeland Security News

Amnesty International Under Fire for Demanding Bush's Arrest During Trip to Africa

• 
  Reuters
  Dec. 1, 2011: Former President George W. Bush speaks with Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete upon arriving at the State House in Dar es Salaam.

Former members of the George W. Bush administration assailed Amnesty International Thursday for demanding the former president's arrest while he and his family are in Africa, calling Amnesty's campaign at best a form of "harassment" and at worst a threat.
The world's largest human rights group said Thursday "there is enough evidence in the public domain" to justify Ethiopia, Tanzania or Zambia arresting the former president during his visit to the region on charges of committing "crimes under international law." The president is traveling in the three nations between Thursday and Monday to promote AIDS and cancer awareness.


Read more: Amnesty International Under Fire For Demanding Bush's Arrest During Trip To Africa | Fox News

Fresh Syria Violence Kills 4, Wounds 2 Lebanese

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  AP2011
  Nov. 29, 2011: Italian U.N. peacekeeper soldiers, foreground, and Lebanese army forces, background, patrol an area where rockets were fired from south Lebanon into north Israel, near the village of Ain Ebel, south of Lebanon.

BEIRUT -- Hours of intense shooting and clashes across Syria killed at least four people Friday and wounded dozens more -- including an 11-year-old girl who was struck by stray bullets that whizzed across the border into Lebanon, activists and security officials said.
The most serious violence appeared to be in the Syrian town of Talkalakh, where witnesses reported more than six hours of explosions and gunfire starting at 3 a.m. The town is within walking distance from Lebanon, and at least two people were struck by bullets on the Lebanese side.


Read more: Fresh Syria Violence Kills 4, Wounds 2 Lebanese | Fox News

Panetta Scolds Israel
For 'Isolation' in Region




Defense secretary tells Israel, 'get to the
damned table' on peace talks, laments recent
diplomacy efforts

• Israel Blames Palestinians for Freeze in Talks

Israeli Strike Kills 2 Suspected Militants in Gaza

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  Dec. 8, 2011: Palestinians gather around the wreckage of a car targeted in an airstrike in Gaza City.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip-- An Israeli airstrike on a car near a crowded park in downtown Gaza City killed two suspected militants on Thursday, the second such attack this week after a period of relative calm along the Israeli-Gaza border.
Similar flare-ups have in the past escalated into a wider confrontations between Israel and Hamas-ruled Gaza. After Thursday's strike, Israel's military alleged the two men in the car had planned to infiltrate Israel to attack soldiers and civilians, but provided no details.


Read more: Israeli Strike Kills 2 Suspected Militants In Gaza | Fox News

(COMMIE) Senator John Kerry Meets With Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo

CAIRO – Sen. John Kerry has met in Cairo with members of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group that's set to dominate the new parliament.
In a statement, the Muslim Brotherhood says three of its top officials attended the meeting with the Massachusetts Democrat, who was accompanied by U.S. Ambassador Anne Patterson.
Brotherhood officials vowed to respect civil rights and international treaties that have been signed in the past. That assurance could be an attempt to calm fears that the group may try to re-examine Egypt's peace treaty with Israel.
The group says Kerry told the Brotherhood's members that he's not surprised by their success in parliamentary elections.



Read more: Senator John Kerry Meets With Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood In Cairo | Fox News

Syrian Violence Spills Into Jordan With Embassy Raid




Syrians wound at least two of their diplomats in attack
the first time a violent protest has spilled over border

• France Suspects Syria Behind Lebanon Bombing
• Full Coverage: Syria

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[TD="class: esc-layout-article-cell"]US: Assad's Syria a 'dead man walking' Christian Science Monitor - ‎1 hour ago‎



The State Department official, Frederic Hof, told Congress on Wednesday that Assad's repression may allow him to hang on to power but only for a short time.[/TD]
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Libyan Leader Calls on Syria's Assad to Step Down

WARSAW, Poland -- The chairman of Libya's National Transitional Council has called on Syria's president to step down, saying the Syrian people have the right to determine their own destiny.
Mustafa Abdul-Jalil said Friday that Syrian President Bashar Assad should quit. He said Assad can always put himself up for election in a democratic vote to see if his people really want him.
He says "if the Syrian people are willing to choose Assad, then let it be."



Read more: Libyan Leader Calls On Syria's Assad To Step Down | Fox News

Egypt's Military Police Clash With Protesters

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  Dec. 16, 2011: Egyptian protesters throw rocks at military police during clashes near Cairo's downtown Tahrir Square, Egypt.

CAIRO -- Soldiers stormed a protest camp outside Egypt's Cabinet building, expelling demonstrators calling for an end to military rule, just as officials were counting votes Friday in the second round of Egypt's parliamentary elections.
The clashes underlined simmering tensions between activists and security officers and threatened to ignite a new round of violence after a mostly peaceful vote Wednesday and Thursday in an election considered the freest and fairest vote in the country's


Read more: Egypt's Military Police Clash With Protesters | Fox News

Panetta Extends Hand to Libya



AP

• Defense Secretary Leon Panetta greets members of the Libyan
  delegation during his historic visit to Libya, where he says the
  U.S. is ready to help, but establishing democracy in Libya 'will
  not be easy.'

• U.S. Rolls Back Sanctions on Libya's Banks
• U.N. Unfreezes Assets of Two Libyan Banks
• OPINION: Morocco's Peaceful Model Inspires Telling Phone

---------- Post added at 08:54 ---------- Previous post was at 08:48 ----------



Eight Killed, Almost 300 Injured in Cairo Violence
Published December 17, 2011
| NewsCore

• 
  AP
  December 17, 2011: Egyptian protesters carry an injured fellow protester during clashes with military police near Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt.

CAIRO – Clashes between Egyptian security forces and protesters against continued military rule killed eight people and wounded another 299, the health ministry said Saturday, overshadowing the vote count in the latest round of a landmark general election.
"The toll from incidents on Friday outside the cabinet offices reached eight dead and 299 wounded," according to Adel Adawi, an aide to the health minister quoted by state news agency MENA.


A previous toll said there were three dead and 257 injured.
Security forces moved to retake control of the area around the cabinet offices early Saturday, erecting razor-wire barriers on access roads, AFP reported. But after a few hours of calm, new clashes erupted, pitting demonstrators who threw stones and Molotov cocktails against troops and police.
Demonstrators have been camped outside the cabinet offices since Nov. 25, when they branched off from larger demonstrations in nearby Tahrir Square. The square -- which served as the nerve center of the 18 days of protests that led to the downfall of Hosni Mubarak -- and nearby buildings were set ablaze Saturday, Al Jazeera reported.
The protesters at the cabinet offices objected to the military's appointment of a new caretaker prime minister, calling on the generals to transfer power fully to a civilian government.
The military has said it will step down only once a president has been elected by the end of June, following a protracted series of phased parliamentary polls.




Read more: Eight Killed, Almost 300 Injured In Cairo Violence | Fox News

Egypt's Military Clashes With Protesters For Third Day

CAIRO – Troops and protesters clashed Sunday in Cairo for the third straight day, pelting each other with rocks in skirmishes near parliament in the heart of the Egyptian capital.
At least 10 protesters have been killed and 441 others wounded in the three days of violence, according to the Health Ministry. Activists say most of the 10 fatalities died of gunshot wounds.
The violence began when one of several hundred peaceful protesters staging a sit-in outside the Cabinet offices was detained and beaten by troops. The protesters are demanding that the nation's ruling military immediately step down.


Sunday's clashes are taking place as unofficial results from a second round of voting in parliamentary elections show the continued dominance of Islamist parties at the polls.
The violent, chaotic scenes suggested that the military -- fresh after the first rounds of parliament elections that it claimed bolstered its status as the country's rulers -- was now determined to stamp out protests by activists demanding it transfer power immediately to civilians.
TV footage, pictures and eyewitnesses accounts showed a new level of force being used by the military against pro-democracy activists the past two days. Military police openly beat women protesters in the street. Witnesses said they beat and gave electric shocks to men and women dragged into detention, many of them held in the nearby parliament building, witnesses said.


Read more: Egypt's Military Clashes With Protesters For Third Day | Fox News

How's this for " stable " Hillary.... I guess Obama should consider hiring Glenn Beck instead.

Egyptian Troops Attempt to Evict Protesters in Pre-Dawn Raid

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  AP
  December 18, 2011: An Egyptian military solider throws a rock toward protesters near Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt .

CAIRO – Egyptian troops and riot police raided Cairo's Tahrir Square early on Tuesday in their latest attempt to evict protesters who want the ruling military to immediately step down, according to a field hospital doctor.
Ahmed Saad said a 15-year-old protester was in critical condition after suffering a gunshot wound in the attack.
The troops and police initially succeeded in chasing the protesters out of the square, but they returned a short time later using a different route. The security forces pulled out of the square following clashes in which each side pelted the other with rocks.
It was the second pre-dawn raid in as many days on the city's central square. It comes as Egypt's ruling generals are coming under mounting criticism at home and abroad over the excessive use of force by troops against unarmed protesters, including women, since the latest spate of violence broke out on Friday. At least 14 protesters have since been killed.


Read more: Egyptian Troops Attempt To Evict Protesters In Pre-Dawn Raid | Fox News

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[TD="class: esc-layout-article-cell"]Egyptian women decry abuse by soldiers Washington Post - ‎56 minutes ago‎



CAIRO - Thousands of women, enraged by images of female protesters being dragged through the streets by soldiers during weekend protests, marched in central Cairo on Tuesday to decry the Egyptian military's recent use of force against demonstrators.[/TD]
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[TD="class: esc-layout-article-cell"]Syria crisis: Scores reported killed as violence grows BBC News - ‎18 minutes ago‎



Scores of people have been killed in Syria, opposition activists say, in a second day of heavy bloodshed. Meanwhile video has emerged of a young boy, whose body was apparently torn in half by shelling in the city of Homs.[/TD]
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Activists Say At Least 100 Killed in Syrian Town

BEIRUT – Syrian troops assaulting a northwest town with machine gun fire and shelling have killed at least 100 people in one of the deadliest episodes of the 9-month-old uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime, activists said Wednesday.
Tuesday's attack on the town of Kfar Owaid in Idlib province showed the Syrian government was pressing ahead with its crackdown despite its agreement this week to an Arab League plan for bringing a halt to the bloodshed.


Read more: Activists Say At Least 100 Killed In Syrian Town | Fox News

Egypt's Ultraconservative Islamist Party Supports Israel Treaty

CAIRO – The spokesman of Egypt's ultraconservative Islamist party told Israeli Army Radio in unprecedented remarks broadcast Wednesday that the group is not opposed to the country's historic peace treaty with Israel.
Yousseri Hamad's interview with the Israeli broadcaster is unusual for followers of the Salafi Islamic trend, who typically shun Israel for its policies toward Palestinians and its annexation of east Jerusalem, home to Islam's third-holiest site.


The interview countered Israeli fears that Islamist parties would seek to cut ties with Israel.
In his remarks to the Israeli station, Hamad said the Salafi Nour Party is committed to agreements signed by previous Egyptian governments, including the 1979 peace treaty with Israel.
"We are not opposed to the agreement, and we are saying that Egypt is committed to the agreements that previous Egyptian government have signed," he said, noting that if Egyptians want changes on the treaty, "the place for that is the negotiation table."
In response to the interview, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said the comments were worth considering.
"This is certainly food for thought and we will of course keep observing very attentively developments in Egypt," he said.
Many Israelis are concerned that Islamist parties are looking to cancel the peace treaty, the first between Israel and an Arab nation. The agreement is a pillar of security for both countries. For Israel, it has allowed diversion of military resources to other fronts. Egypt has benefited from billions of dollars in U.S. military aid.



Read more: Egypt's Ultraconservative Islamist Party Supports Israel Treaty | Fox News

Syrian Village Wiped Out in 'Massacre'

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• AP/ APTN

• Troops unleash barrage, killing over 100 villagers, witnesses say,
• marking one of the bloodiest days in 9-month uprising and intensifying
• world condemnation of the Assad regime's crackdown.

Is Iran Helping Syria's Embattled Regime?

VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Tehran may be using commercial
planes to send weapons to Syria to aid regime

• Observers Head to Syria Amid International Uproar