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

I wonder what kind of chemicals. sounds like it might take a mass killing of civilian as well as oposition group members for the international community to get involved.

US Works Around UN on Syrian Mess

• AP
• Obama administration helps organize 'friends of Syria' meeting as part of push for work 'outside the UN system' after China, Russia veto anti-Assad resolution despite a new wave of violence in the country.

• VIDEO: The Syrian Crisis Now
• Activists Ask for Food, Supplies Amid Blasts in Syria
• YOU DECIDE: Time to Intervene?

• 
  AP
  Feb. 8: Hundreds of Tibetans gather on the side of a main street in Nangqian county, China's Qinghai province.

BEIJING – Two Tibetan brothers on the run since taking part in anti-government protests two weeks ago have been shot dead in southwest China's Sichuan province, a U.S.-funded broadcaster reported Friday.
Radio Free Asia said the two were shot and killed after being surrounded in Luhuo county on Thursday. The county was the site of anti-government protests on Jan. 23.
Radio Free Asia cited sources in the area and in the Tibetan exile community in India. It identified the two as Yeshe Rigsal, a 40-year-old monk, and his 38-year-old brother, Yeshe Samdrub.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/02/09/report-says-2-tibetans-killed-by-security-forces/?test=latestnews#ixzz1lx0TfDqC

Deadly Blasts Rock Syria

• 
• Reuters
• Two explosions hit security compounds in largely pro-government city of Aleppo, reportedly killing 25 and wounding scores as State TV blamed 'terrorists' looking to destabilize the region.

• US Works Around UN for 'Friends of Syria' Meeting
• VIDEO: Witnesses Say Syrian Military Shelling Civilian Targets
• YOU DECIDE: Time to Intervene?

• 
  Jan. 27, 2012: Syrian army defectors stand guard on a rooftop to secure an anti-Syrian regime protest in the Deir Baghlaba area in Homs province, central Syria.

To arm or not arm? That is the question. The Syrian opposition is being crushed by forces loyal to President Bashar al Assad, any attempts at diplomatic pressure are being thwarted by Russia and China vetoing resolutions at the UN, and economic sanctions aren’t much use when a dictator seems to have decided it’s a case of kill or be killed.
So what to do about Syria and the dictatorial Assad? Republican Sen. John McCain, an influential voice in foreign affairs as the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, believes we should think seriously about “arming the opposition.” The White House says that’s not an option being “considered” right now. Perhaps not actively considered, but it’s hard to believe it hasn’t been discussed at some pretty high levels.
And a lot of experts believe, like McCain, that in the wake of the complete failure of diplomacy, it’s a question that has to be reconsidered. Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer of the Center for Advanced Defense Studies believes we should use the model the Clinton White House used for getting weapons to the Bosnians, running so-called “black ops” to get weapons to the Syrians. It’s something the U.S. also did to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan after the 1979 invasion.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/02/10/us-debates-arming-syrian-opposition-as-defense-strategy/?test=latestnews#ixzz1m0ieZfHn


- Deadly blasts kills 28 in Syrian city
- OPINION: No Easy Solution for Syria

• Al Qaeda Chief: Muslims Should Help Syrian Rebels
  
  
  Head of Al Qaeda calls on Muslims across world to help Syrian rebels, saying they can't rely on West
  • Arab League Considers Revival of Syrian Mission
  • Syrian Elites Looking For Way Out, Officials Say
  • Report: Relative Says Bin Laden Wanted Kids to Move to the West

New York Times
Arab League Seeks UN Peacekeeping Mission in Syria
New York Times - ‎32 minutes ago‎

CAIRO - The Arab League asked the United Nations Security Council on Sunday to send a peacekeeping mission to Syria, and it called on Arab nations to sever diplomatic relations with Damascus in an effort to pressure the government to end the violence ...

msnbc.com
Hamas Rift Opens Over Fatah Deal
Wall Street Journal - ‎27 minutes ago‎

By JOSHUA MITNICK A move to unite with the rival Fatah party in a Palestinian government has opened up a split in Hamas. The discord escalated this past weekend as Gaza leader Mahmoud al-Zahar criticized an agreement last week by exiled political chief ...

Globe and Mail
Long on the sidelines, China wades into volatile Mideast
Globe and Mail - ‎19 minutes ago‎

Long content to look on from a distance as its rivals vied

Intel Chief: Al Qaeda Moving Into Syria

• 
• AP
• US intelligence director James Clapper tells Congress Al Qaeda is 'extending its reach into Syria,' possibly with Iran's help, noting Tehran sees Al Qaeda as insurance policy against western aggression.

• VIDEO: Report: Iran, Syria Working Together to Evade Sanctions
• UN Calls for Assad to Step Down
• Thai Police: 2 More Suspects in Terror Case
• Iran Tensions Raise US Safety Concerns

Exclusive: Algeria seizes missiles smuggled from Libya: source

By Lamine Chikhi | Reuters – 14 hrs ago

ALGIERS (Reuters) - Algerian security forces have found a large cache of weapons, including shoulder-fired missiles, which they believe were smuggled in from neighboring Libya, a security source briefed on the discovery told Reuters on Saturday.
The find follows warnings from governments in the region that instability in Libya after the end of Muammar Gaddafi's rule is allowing weapons taken from Gaddafi's arsenal to fall into the hands of al Qaeda's north African branch and other insurgent groups across the Sahara desert.
The weapons cache was discovered in the desert about 60 km (40 miles) south of In Amenas, an energy-producing Algerian region near the border with Libya, said the source, who spoke to Reuters on condition on anonymity.
The source said the cache was located following a tip-off from a smuggler who had been arrested. He said it contained a "large quantity" of arms including the shoulder-launched missiles - a weapon which, in some variations, could be used to bring down an aircraft.

http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-algeria-seizes-missiles-smuggled-libya-source-225719106.html


Syrian security forces clamp down on Damascus

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis and Angus MacSwan | Reuters – 42 mins ago

AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Police and militia patrols fanned out in the Syrian capital's Mezze district on Sunday to prevent a repeat of protests against President Bashar al-Assad that have threatened his grip on Damascus, opposition activists said.
On the international front, China said it believed a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis was still possible but Britain's foreign minister said he feared the Middle Eastern country will slide into civil war.
China's official Xinhua news agency reflected Beijing's view a day after a Chinese envoy met Assad in Damascus while thousands of Syrians demonstrated in the heart of the capital in one of the biggest anti-government rallies there since a nationwide uprising started nearly a year ago.
Sunday, the body of Samer al-Khatib, a young protester who was killed when security forces opened fire on the protest, was buried in Mezze early in the morning.
Security forces maintained a heavy presence to prevent the funeral from turning into an anti-Assad demonstration, opposition activists contacted by Reuters from Amman said.


http://news.yahoo.com/china-hopes-peaceful-solution-syria-104548431.html

Syrian officials killed in shootings, while government blames 'terrorists' for uprising

• 
  AP
  Feb. 8, 2012: A Syrian rebel runs for cover during an exchange of fire with army troops, unseen, in Idlib, Syria.

BEIRUT – Gunmen opened fire Sunday on a car carrying a senior Syrian state prosecutor and a judge in the restive northwest province of Idlib, killing both of them and their driver, according to the state news agency.
Syrian military defectors waging an armed struggle against President Bashar Assad's regime control parts of Idlib province, which borders Turkey. It has been one of the regions hardest hit by the government crackdown on an 11-month-old uprising against Assad's regime.
State news agency SANA said Idlib provincial state prosecutor Nidal Ghazal and Judge Mohammed Ziadeh were killed instantly in the attack. Activists reported at least 14 other people killed


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/02/19/syrian-officials-killed-in-shootings-while-government-blames-terrorists-for/?test=latestnews#ixzz1mskTPrV9

Egypt withdraws its ambassador to Syria
- VIDEO: Government crackdown escalates

The Guardian
US Joint Chiefs chairman: It's "premature" to decide whether to arm Syrian rebels
CNN - ‎21 minutes ago‎

(CNN) -- President Barack Obama's top military adviser says it is premature to aid in arming the Syrian opposition, reinforcing the belief of a rebel commander that the uprising is an "orphan revolution" without the international support prevalent in ...
Related Syria » Bashar al-Assad » Homs »
Syrians say a 'sense of war' is creeping up on DamascusHaaretz
Syrian Army Reinforcements Head To HomsNPR
Highly Cited:Egypt recalls its ambassador to SyriaReuters
Opinion:US - Turkey United On SyriaVoice of America
Live Updating:Syria: calls to arm the opposition - live updatesThe Guardian
See all 1,142 sources »




Christian Science Monitor
Yemen elections: Only one choice, but is it still progress?
Christian Science Monitor - ‎38 minutes ago‎

Yemen heads to the polls Tuesday to choose a replacement to President

Opposition group raises Syria death toll to 50

BEIRUT – A main opposition group says the death toll in Syria has risen to 50, including 30 in the battered city of Homs.
The activist group Local Coordination Committees gave the figures, but they could not immediately be confirmed by others.
The report comes as the Red Cross calls for a daily two-hour cease-fire nationwide so that emergency aid can reach beleaguered parts of the country.
Government troops heavily shelled rebellious districts in the resistance stronghold of Homs amid fears of a new round of bloody urban combat in a country careening toward all-out civil war.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/02/21/opposition-group-raises-syria-death-toll-to-50/?test=latestnews#ixzz1n2qmVtHU

Syria Escalates Attacks on Rebel City

• 
• AP

• American reporter, French photojournalist among those killed in shelling on rebel stronghold of Homs, as President Bashar Assad's regime launches barrage on rebels and army defectors opposing his rule.

• American Reporter Marie Colvin 'Fearlessly Covered Wars' for 25 Years
• OPINION: Marie Colvin Died as She Lived — With Courage and Compassion
• VIDEO: Members of Media Die Covering Syrian Uprising
• VIDEO: Will US Take Action in Syria?

Telegraph.co.uk
Syria Shelling Kills 74, Including Two Journalists
Voice of America - ‎3 minutes ago‎

February 22, 2012 Syria Shelling Kills 74, Including Two Journalists Edward Yeranian | Cairo Syrian government troops kept up shelling of the protest-hub city of Homs Wednesday, killing more than 70 people including two Western journalists.

RT
Israeli Police clash with Palestinians throwing rocks at Jerusalem holy site
Washington Post - ‎40 minutes ago‎

JERUSALEM - Israeli police clashed with hundreds of Palestinians throwing rocks after Muslim prayers at Jerusalem's most sensitive holy site on Friday.


AFP
Russia backs Annan Syria role, urges Homs ceasfire
AFP - ‎56 minutes ago‎

MOSCOW - Russia on Friday welcomed the appointment of Kofi Annan as the UN and Arab League envoy for the crisis in Syria and called for an immediate ceasefire to evacuate wounded from the city of Homs.


New York Times
Diplomats Gather to Press Syria to Halt Crackdown
New York Times - ‎17 minutes ago‎

TUNIS - Diplomats, government ministers and high officials met in the Tunisian capital on Friday for a meeting of the so-called “Friends of Syria” designed to put pressure on President Bashar al-Assad, a day after a United Nations panel concluded that ...

Drones Proposed for Syrian Atrocities

• 
• AP
• Sens. McCain, Lieberman and Graham suggest using unmanned drones to document atrocities in Syria, in addition to their current use monitoring sites containing weapons of mass destruction.

• Obama Pledges Continued Pressure on Assad to Stop Violence
• Body of Journalist Marie Colvin Being Held by Syria
• EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Fox News Interviews Colvin in 2004: PART 1 | PART 2

Yemen: Car bomb outside presidential compound kills 21

SANAA, Yemen – A Yemeni health official says a car bomb outside the gate of a presidential compound in a southern city has killed at least 21 people, hours after the country's new president was formally inaugurated.
The health official said the fatalities in the blast Saturday in the city of al-Mukalla were presidential guards. A security official said it was a suicide blast. He did not provide a death toll.
Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not allowed to speak to the press.
Southern separatists and Islamist insurgents are active in the region.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/02/25/yemen-car-bomb-outside-presidential-compound-kills-21/?test=latestnews#ixzz1nPQnQim3

New York Times
Yemen Swears in New President to the Sound of Applause, and Violence
New York Times - ‎1 hour ago‎

SANA, Yemen - Yemen's first new president in more than three decades was sworn in on Saturday, taking over a country with a broken economy, crumbling infrastructure, violent separatist movements, an active Qaeda franchise and Islamist militants in ...
Related Yemen » Ali Abdullah Saleh » Mansour Hadi »
Obama hails 'new beginning' for YemenBBC News
Yemen: Car bomb kills 25 in southern cityThe Associated Press
From Yemen:President Ali Abdullah SalehNational Yemen
Opinion:Yemen loses a dictator, but not his shadowChristian Science Monitor
See all 1,239 sources »




The Associated Press
Violence across Syria on eve of constitution vote
The Associated Press - ‎39 minutes ago‎

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Syria defied international calls to halt attacks on rebel enclaves as at least 89 people were killed nationwide Saturday on the eve of a constitutional referendum that the opposition sees as a ploy by President Bashar Assad's ...
Related Syria » Bashar al-Assad » Tunisia »
Syria assails Saudi over arming opposition callsMiamiHerald.com
Arming Syrian opposition may lead to bloody civil warXinhua
From Syria:China: Western Interference will Bring Chaos and UnrestDay Press News
Opinion:Unified front needed to deal with Al Assadgulfnews.com
See all 908 sources »




The Guardian
Syria: more killed in shelling of Homs as bid to evacuate journalists fails
The Guardian - ‎31 minutes ago‎

The Syrian military took its bombardment of the Baba Amr district of Homs into a fourth week yesterday as the Red Cross tried to evacuate more traumatised civilians.

Syria's New Constitution a 'Sham'?

• 
• AP
• Syria holds vote on new constitution intended to open up its political system, but Western powers call the move 'phony' and a 'farce,' as President Assad's regime attacks anti-government protesters.

• Mother of Killed Journalist Hopes Syria Will Release Body
• VIDEO: Syrian Government Reportedly Kills at Least 103 in Attacks

Car bomber attacks major church in Nigeria


JOS, Nigeria – A suicide car bomber detonated his explosives Sunday morning outside of the major church in the heart of a restive central Nigerian city that has seen hundreds die in religious and ethnic violence, an official said, killing three people and injuring others.
The explosion struck the main headquarters of the Church of Christ in Nigeria during its early morning service, Plateau state spokesman Pam Ayuba said. The blast killed the bomber and a father and child near the explosion, while wounding others, Ayuba said.
Police officials in the city could not be immediately reached for comment. A military spokesman for the area also did not answer calls for comment.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, though a radical Islamist sect known as Boko Haram has launched increasingly bloody attacks across Nigeria, including attacks on churches. A Christmas Day bombing of a Catholic church claimed by the sect in Madalla, a town just outside the country's capital Abuja, killed at least 44 people.
The group also claimed responsibility for bomb attacks on Christmas Eve that struck Jos, killing as many as 80 people.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/02/26/car-bomber-attacks-major-church-in-nigeria/?test=latestnews#ixzz1nW61JoXm

Egypt delays trial of rights workers as US diplomats look for resolution

• 
  AP
  In this Jan. 23, 2009, file photo, Sam Lahood stands by as his father, Ray LaHood, is sworn in as transportation secretary.

American officials are evaluating the latest developments in a case in Egypt against 16 American democracy advocates, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Sunday after an Egyptian judge delayed the trial until late April.
It's "a fluid situation and there are a lot of moving parts," Clinton said at a news conference in Morocco.
The workers, including Sam LaHood, the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, are charged with operating without a license and using illegal foreign funds to foment unrest. Seven of the Americans have been banned from leaving Egypt.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/02/26/egypt-delays-trial-americans-working-for-rights-organizations/?test=latestnews#ixzz1nW6uceJ4

Telegraph.co.uk
Syria Says Voters Back New Constitution, Fresh Violence Kills 10
Voice of America - ‎16 minutes ago‎

February 27, 2012 Syria Says Voters Back New Constitution, Fresh Violence Kills 10 VOA News Activists say Syrian military forces killed 10 people Monday while the government announced that Syrian voters overwhelmingly approved a new constitution that ...
Related Syria » Bashar al-Assad » Homs »
Red Cross successfully delivers aid to Syrian cityFox News
Syria Constitution Gets 89% Support as EU Tightens SanctionsBusinessWeek
From Syria:Syria: New Constitution as Battles ProlongDay Press News
Opinion:AP Interview: Syrian official says West meddlingAtlanta Journal Constitution
In Depth:Syrians Said to Approve New Charter as Battles ContinueNew York Times
See all 2,457 sources »




The Guardian
EU Imposes New Syria Sanctions
Wall Street Journal - ‎28 minutes ago‎

By LAURENCE NORMAN BRUSSELS—The European Union reacted to escalating violence in Syria by imposing fresh sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad's regime Monday while it urged the country's opposition forces to work more closely together.

USA TODAY
Wounded British journalist escapes Syria
USA TODAY - ‎9 minutes ago‎

BEIRUT (AP) - Syrian rebels spirited a British photographer who had been trapped in the opposition stronghold of Homs out of the country Tuesday after he was trapped for days under fierce government shelling that killed 13 of those trying to save him, ...