Ahmadinejad Scapegoats Israel For Region's Woes (AGAIN)

It's the common tactic of dictators, despots, autocrats, and theocrats in the Middle East. When all else fails, blame Israel.

That's what Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is doing once again. He also calls the notion of a 2-state solution "Satanic". He's spewing his usual anti Israel venom, claiming that there would be peace and tranquility in the Middle East if Israel simply didn't exist.

Of course, that would mean ignoring the Libyan dictator Mumar Khadafi's violent crackdown against fellow Libyans in a brutal civil war that has already killed thousands.

It would mean ignoring Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad's brutal crackdown against fellow Syrians who are opposed to his ongoing regime and its ongoing murder of protesters and children.

It would mean ignoring the Yemeni civil war that has broken out amid Ali Abdullah Sale's refusal to transition to a new government.

It would mean ignoring the violent crackdown against protesters in Bahrain.

It would mean ignoring the Tunisian revolution.

It would mean ignoring the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak by the Egyptian people.

It would also mean ignoring the brutal crackdown by Ahmadinejad's own government against opposition groups.

None of those events had anything to do with Israel or the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict.

In fact, the ongoing civil wars, protests, and crackdowns have everything to do with the multitude of failed regimes, failed economic policies, and absolute repression of the Arab street by unelected regimes.

Israel has nothing to do with any of this.

But Israel is regularly scapegoated by these regimes, and Ahmadinejad in particular, because these regimes have no other answers and use Israel as a convenient excuse for all that ails the region.

President Obama's Speech On Middle East Relations

Some reports prior to the President addressing the issue today claimed that this would be some form of a reset but the speech was actually a rehash of longstanding US positions, with a few caveats. I don't think this broke new ground, although there are more than a few people claiming that the US has changed position on Palestinian-Israeli relations.

For one thing, the President admitted that the US hasn't exactly held countries like Bahrain, Yemen and Saudi Arabia to the same standards that it should have when those regimes cracked down against protesters. This part is particularly good - because he admits that his own Administration's policies towards Bahrain, Yemen, and even the Saudis has been flawed:

Our opposition to Iran's intolerance - as well as its illicit nuclear program, and its sponsorship of terror - is well known. But if America is to be credible, we must acknowledge that our friends in the region have not all reacted to the demands for change consistent with the principles that I have outlined today. That is true in Yemen, where President Saleh needs to follow through on his commitment to transfer power. And that is true, today, in Bahrain.

Bahrain is a long-standing partner, and we are committed to its security. We recognize that Iran has tried to take advantage of the turmoil there, and that the Bahraini government has a legitimate interest in the rule of law. Nevertheless, we have insisted publically and privately that mass arrests and brute force are at odds with the universal rights of Bahrain's citizens, and will not make legitimate calls for reform go away. The only way forward is for the government and opposition to engage in a dialogue, and you can't have a real dialogue when parts of the peaceful opposition are in jail. The government must create the conditions for dialogue, and the opposition must participate to forge a just future for all Bahrainis.

As for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the President said that there cannot be a resolution when the Palestinians deny Israel's right to exist. Yet with that in mind, how exactly can he turn around and restart the peace process when that's precisely the situation Israel faces? With Hamas involved in the Palestinian Authority, the amount of pretzel logic need to claim that the Palestinians accept a 2-state solution is mind-boggling, especially when both Hamas and Fatah refuse to accept Israel (Fatah being part of the PLO and the Palestinian Authority).

Heck, we can't even get the Palestinian Authority to adhere to their obligations under Oslo to stop inciting Palestinians to violence and otherwise de-legitimizing Israel's right to exist.

The President briefly mentioned Jerusalem in the speech, but the key was that the resolution would involve land swaps and as agreed upon by the parties.

The United States believes that negotiations should result in two states, with permanent Palestinian borders with Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, and permanent Israeli borders with Palestine. The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states. The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, and reach their potential, in a sovereign and contiguous state.

As for security, every state has the right to self-defense, and Israel must be able to defend itself - by itself - against any threat. Provisions must also be robust enough to prevent a resurgence of terrorism; to stop the infiltration of weapons; and to provide effective border security. The full and phased withdrawal of Israeli military forces should be coordinated with the assumption of Palestinian security responsibility in a sovereign, non-militarized state. The duration of this transition period must be agreed, and the effectiveness of security arrangements must be demonstrated.

Also, I'm curious how he intends to have a contiguous Palestinian state when Gaza and the West Bank are separated as they are now. Previous discussions have suggested building land bridges or tunnels, but none of these issues can be acted upon until the Palestinians get over the threshold issue of accepting a 2-state solution, which is something that was originally included in Oslo.

On this point, the President's speech regarding Israel and the Palestinians isn't breaking ground. It rehashes the American positions since at least the George H.W. Bush Administration (Madrid Conference). It doesn't break any new ground.

Yet, there are some media outlets that clearly get the reporting on this wrong, including the AP.

President Barack Obama is endorsing the Palestinians' demand for their future state to be based on the borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East war, in a move that will likely infuriate Israel. Israel says the borders of a Palestinian state have to be determined through negotiations.

In a speech outlining U.S. policy in the Middle East and North Africa, Obama on Thursday sided with the Palestinians' opening position a day ahead of a visit to Washington by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu is vehemently opposed to referring to the 1967 borders.

This is inaccurate reporting at its finest. Obama hasn't changed US position on resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict, and is still committed to final status talks to resolve final borders.

Where Obama clearly gets it wrong is in his statements to cajole Bashar Assad into leading a transition of how Syria is governed. Assad hasn't remained a dictator by getting out the way or transitioning his regime into something else. The Hama Rules rule for a reason in the ME (and Assad's father stayed in power using them to the hilt). Assad's only error is that he didn't use enough power to crush the opposition weeks ago.

So unless the US is going to get involved in Syria to the same extent that the US/NATO is in Libya, Assad isn't going anywhere unless the Syrian people rise up and are joined by the military in that uprising. That isn't likely to happen as the military has pretty much remained solidly behind the Assad regime. There were some reports that some units refused to fire on protesters, but they were dealt with by Assad's loyalists.

Sanctions aren't going to get Assad to change tactics.

UPDATE:
With the growing brouhaha over Obama's speech as it relates to Israel and its borders, this is perhaps the most important part of his speech, as per the transcript:

For the Palestinians, efforts to delegitimize Israel will end in failure. Symbolic actions to isolate Israel at the United Nations in September won't create an independent state. Palestinian leaders will not achieve peace or prosperity if Hamas insists on a path of terror and rejection. And Palestinians will never realize their independence by denying the right of Israel to exist. As for Israel, our friendship is rooted deeply in a shared history and shared values. Our commitment to Israel's security is unshakeable. And we will stand against attempts to single it out for criticism in international forums. But precisely because of our friendship, it is important that we tell the truth: the status quo is unsustainable, and Israel too must act boldly to advance a lasting peace.

Everything else is moot unless the Palestinians recognize Israel's right to exist. That includes any talk of final status borders.

This is the strongest wording on this point and it supersedes all talk about Israel's borders. After all, if the Palestinians don't accept Israel's right to exist, talk about borders is moot.

Moreover, if Obama was truly talking about 1967 borders as the media keeps shilling, then in reality he'd be talking about the post 1948 border (aka the Green Line), but that's not the terminology he used.

There was a specific reason he used 1967 line - with agreed upon land swaps, because it is a reference back to UN SCR 242 and 338 and Oslo, all of which involve land for peace and do not require Israel to return to the pre 1967 Green Line border.

Crackdown in Bahrain Leaves Protesters Dead

At least six protesters were killed when Bahraini security cleared out the main square where protesters had encamped demanding political and social reforms. The Bahraini security was backed by the Saudis, who are trying to keep the situation in Bahrain from spiraling out of control and spilling over into their own country, but the situation is just as likely to backfire leaving the Bahrainis and Saudis disaffected and demanding change. Moreover, it potentially puts the US in an awkward position since it has had close relations with both the Saudi and Bahraini regimes.



For the protesters, their next concern is that the regime will begin mass arrests.

Once again, Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has to declare that the violent crackdowns seen elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa are unjustified - which is particularly ironic since Iran's mad mullahs and Ahmadinejad have had no problems doing the same with Iran's political opposition - including house arrests for key leading members of the opposition including Mirhussein Mousavi.

Ahmadinejad's action's aren't surprising though. He's trying to exploit the sectarian differences between the protesters in Bahrain, who are largely Shi'ite, and the Sunni ruling regime - a 1,000+ year schism that still causes violence to this day.

Uncertainty and a worsening security situation in Bahrain is leading some governments to warn its citizens to stay away or to leave the country, including the Philippines.

The crackdown has also sent oil prices higher, even though they had been drifting down since the Japanese quake likely resulted in lesser demand in the short term.

Violent Clashes in Bahrain as Saudis Ride In To Quell Protests

Protests in Bahrain continue, and security forces used tear gas and rubber bullets against the protesters. One such incident was caught on video and shows a member of security firing a tear gas canister at point blank range at a protester - who is lucky that he wasn't killed outright.



The violence appeared to overwhelm the Bahraini security and there are reports that the Saudis have been called in to help quell the protests.

Saudi troops who crossed into Bahrain were heading in the direction of Riffa, a Sunni Muslim area that is home to the royal family and a military hospital, witnesses said.

They saw 150 armoured troop carriers, and about 50 other vehicles including ambulances, water tankers, buses and jeeps. The vehicles were lightly armed and there were no tanks or missile launchers in the procession.

As with the protests seen elsewhere in the Middle East, the protesters are demanding more political representation, more rights, and economic and religious freedoms (particularly among the Shi'ite minority). The Saudis were part of a Gulf Cooperation Council Force that includes Bahrain and its Gulf neighbors Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman.

Protesters who have been calling for democratic reforms have successfully shut down large swaths of Manama, the capital city, and Bahraini security forces have fought back with teargas and rubber bullets. Pro-government civilians have in some cases attacked protesters with sticks, knives and swords; the protesters have responded with rocks and other objects, witnesses have said.

Witnesses in Manama said that most downtown businesses were closed Monday.

Authorities in Saudi Arabia, which is connected to Bahrain by a causeway, have looked at its smaller neighbor with growing nervousness, fearful that a victorious Shia majority in Bahrain could embolden Saudi Arabia's own Shiite minority in nearby oil-rich Eastern Province. They are also worried about Iran exploiting the situation off their coast, although American officials have said that they do not believe Iran has been involved in the Bahrain protests.

A pro-government political society in Bahrain called Sunday for martial law to be imposed, the state news agency reported, while the White House issued a statement condemning the use of force.

On Saturday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates met with Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa and pushed him to take stronger steps toward democratic reforms.

The Saudis are keenly aware that they need to quell protests should opposition groups within Saudi Arabia generate sufficient support to overwhelm the Saudi security forces. Last week's failed Friday demonstrations showed that the Saudis have effectively tamped down the possibility of demonstrations for the moment, but that could change if the opposition efforts in Bahrain are successful in wringing out concessions above and beyond that which the Bahraini regime has agreed to.

Protests Continue Across Middle East

The Saudis regime hopes that a $37 billion package to buy off the discontented Saudi populace to the extent that they will not rise up to topple the regime. The Saudis, by acting quickly may have averted the kind of bloodbath seen in Libya, but money isn't going to solve the problem.

Oman, after first trying to disperse the crowds with force, has taken a similar tact, but it doesn't appear as though the attempts to buy off the crowds will work in the long term - especially when they see the success of Tunisians and Egyptians in ridding themselves of autocratic and kleptocratic regimes that brutally crushed opposition groups for decades and stifled economic and social development. Just because the Omani leader Sultan Qaboos bin Sa’id isn't as bad or harsh an autocratic rule as others in the region doesn't make him a role model, let alone someone that should have unfettered power. The Omani people are realizing this as well. They want something different, and something better than autocratic rule.

Protesters in Yemen have once again taken to the streets.



There are now attempts by an imam aligned with al Qaeda to claim that the efforts are an attempt by Israel and the US to destabilize the Arab world. It's a laughable claim, considering that the US strategic interest in the region was to maintain stability - by backing regimes it considered loyal to US interests, regardless of their domestic policies.

As thousands of demonstrators for and against President Ali Abdullah Saleh took to the streets on Tuesday, a cleric accused by the United States of having links to Al Qaeda joined the protesters for the first time to call for the replacement of the government with an Islamic state.

An elderly antigovernment protester reacted during a demonstration demanding the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen in Sana.

The call by Sheik Abdul Majid al-Zindani seemed a marked contrast to the upheaval that brought down the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt and threatens the rulers of Libya, Bahrain, Oman, and Yemen where uprisings have been seen as secular and inspired by democratic goals.

Mr. Zindani’s appearance coincided with an unusual display of anti-American sentiment by Mr. Saleh, who accused Washington and Israel of fomenting unrest to destabilize the Arab world — an accusation that seemed more remarkable because the United States has been Mr. Saleh’s most powerful Western backer during his three decades in power.

“From Tunis to the Sultanate of Oman,” Mr. Saleh said, the wave of protest is “managed by Tel Aviv and under the supervision of Washington,” he said.

Bahraini officials are trying to negotiate with opposition groups ahead of planned protests following the deaths of several protesters last week.

A Bahraini minister urged opposition protesters on Tuesday to sit down for a national dialogue with the government, as another mass rally was expected later in the day in the capital, Manama.

'We cannot have a fruitful discussion unless we sit at one table. Everyone can bring his ideas and his thoughts about the future of Bahrain,' said Minister of Social Development Fatima al-Balooshi, speaking with reporters in Geneva.

His plea came days after members of an Islamic Shiite opposition group resigned from parliament. There has also been a partial cabinet reshuffle, and the release of hundreds of prisoners by the king.

Parliamentarians from the largest opposition bloc, al-Wefaq, resigned on Sunday to protest seven people killed in clashes between protesters and security forces. The group, which held 18 of 40 seats in the lower chamber, is calling for the government to step down.

The Bahraini government also denies reports that Saudi tanks were involved in the show of force to stop additional protests, but that those tanks that crossed the causeway into Bahrain were Bahraini tanks returning from celebrations in Kuwait.

Death Toll Rises In Libya as Regimes Continue Crackdowns Against Protests

It's believed that at least 200 people have been killed in Libya by Mumar Khadafi's security forces. The protesters have been rallying against Khadafi's failed 40+ year rule over the country, and comes amidst revolutions in neighboring Tunisia and Egypt.

Moammar Gadhafi's forces have opened fire on mourners at the funeral for anti-government protesters in the city of Benghazi, where a doctor says at least 200 people have already been slain in days of demonstrations.

A man shot in the leg Sunday said marchers were bearing coffins to a cemetery when they passed a Gadhafi compound in Libya's second-largest city. The man said security forces fired in the air and then opened up on the crowd.

A hospital official says four people have been wounded, two seriously.

The doctor in Benghazi, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he fears reprisal, said his hospital is out of supplies and cannot treat more than 70 wounded who were hit in the attacks and need attention.

"I am crying," the doctor said. "Why is the world not listening?"

Witnesses told The Associated Press a mixture of special commandos, foreign mercenaries and Gadhafi loyalists went after demonstrators on Saturday with knives, assault rifles and heavy-calibre weapons.

Protesters were again attacked in Yemen as well, as the Yemeni regime attempted to break the protests there as well.



There are ongoing demonstrations in Bahrain as well. The situation there remains dangerous but the security forces have backed off for the moment.

In Bahrain, thousands of jubilant opposition protesters moved back into Pearl Square in the capital, Manama, Saturday, setting up a tent camp after the Gulf state's minority Sunni rulers ordered police and army forces to withdraw.

Bahrain's ruling al-Khalifa family also offered to open a dialogue with the majority Shi'ite-led opposition, which has demanded democratic reforms to strip the constitutional monarchy of its powers to fill key government posts.

UPDATE:
It looks like a full scale insurrection is going on in Libya, as opponents to the regime took a car packed with explosives and drove it into a military camp to blow it up; security forces then opened fire on the protesters.

Protests in Benghazi, Libya, escalated Sunday, as protesters packed at least one car with explosives and sent it crashing into a compound wall at the Alfadeel Abu-Omar military camp, witnesses said.

Security forces then fired on protesters as they attempted to breach the camp, the witnesses said.

Earlier, thousands of mourners, some carrying coffins above their heads, crowded into the streets of Benghazi.

The crowds walked as part of a funeral for several people killed in clashes that began Saturday afternoon between civilians and security forces loyal to Gadhafi, eyewitnesses told CNN.

Clashes disrupted the funeral processions on Sunday as mourners walked toward the city's main cemetery, witnesses said. The route used by them passes by police headquarters and the Alfadeel Abu-Omar military camp.

One man, who was in the procession, said a uniformed battalion opened fire on the mourners. Some people were killed, he said, but did not give a number.

UPDATE:
Numerous reports indicate that the death toll continues rising, but there are also reports that elements of the Libyan military have defected from Khadafi, particularly in Benghazi. Clashes have now broken out in Tripoli.

Khadafi's son warns that the regime will restore calm at any price, which means that the bloodshed will only increase significantly.

Libya's army has been told to restore security "at any price" and will remain loyal to longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi, Gadhafi's son told Libyans in a televised address early Monday.

[Updated: 1:30 a.m. Monday, Libya; 6:30 p.m. Sunday ET]: The son of longtime Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi early Monday promised widespread reforms, including increased salaries and a relaxed criminal code, in an attempt to head off a growing revolt.

[Updated: 1:19 a.m. Monday, Libya; 6:19 p.m. Sunday ET]: The son of Moammar Gadhafi warned early Monday that the country faced "civil war" and a breakup of the nation if protesters go on.

[Updated: 1:09 a.m. Monday, Libya; 6:09 p.m. Sunday ET]: The son of Moammar Gadhafi said early Monday that a "great sedition" was under way in Benghazi, the country's second-largest city, but said the death toll was smaller than what is being reported by international news outlets.

Days of Protest and Rage Continue Throughout Middle East and North Africa

Protests continue throughout the Middle East and North Africa, with the deadly consequences in Libya and Yemen.

Libyan protesters defy Gadhafi and his regime is struggling to put down growing protests in cities other than Tripoli. The Libyans are preparing for a day of protest against Khadafi's regime.



Bahrain mourners call for end to monarchy. The funerals today have become rallying points for opposition to the Bahraini monarchy.



There are further protests in Jordan.

Four protesters die on Yemen's 'Friday of Rage'.

Meanwhile, the situation in Iran has gotten even more complicated. There are reports that the IRGC, which is the regime's elite military cadre that has its hands in every aspect of the Iranian economy and has been considered most loyal to the regime's mullahs, has actually sought to get assurances that they will not be asked to open fire on protesters.

I'd say that's pretty significant and should give a modicum of hope to the opposition who had previously confronted a united IRGC that was more than willing to use force.

The problem is that the officers who signed that letter are most likely to be replaced/erased from their commands by the regime. They're pretty ballsy to make such demands on the regime, which showed absolutely no qualms about opening fire on the protesters last time.

If the IRGC isn't as reliable as previously believed, that means that the enforcement role may be picked up to an even greater extent by the Basij or the Iranian regime may try to shift around its troops that they know to be loyal to deal with the protesters.

That hasn't stopped the calls for opposition leader Mirhussein Mousavi to be killed and follows similar calls from the Iranian parliament for the death of those opposed to the regime.

With all the unrest in the region, Libya has called off an Arab League summit scheduled for March 29.

A week after Hosni Mubarak was deposed in Egypt, there are renewed protests and strikes, including among Suez Canal workers protesting wages and economic conditions. The problem is that the military, which sent Mubarak packing, has a vested interest in consolidating power in itself and isn't nearly as willing to make changes to the economy because it has inserted itself into nearly every area of the economy.

UPDATE:
Things are getting quite dangerous in Bahrain for mourners and journalists as military has opened fire on mourners and journalists.

A Western official quoted a witness saying that the shooters were from the military, not the police, and that protesters began dropping to the ground after the firing started.

It was not immediately clear if the army was using live ammunition or rubber bullets to fire at the crowd, mostly young men who had been part of a funeral procession for protesters killed earlier in a crackdown by police on their peaceful revolt against the government.

Minutes later, forces in a helicopter fired on a reporter and videographer who were shooting a video on the latest violence.

That earlier crackdown killed at least five people and, once again, left the Obama administration in the uncomfortable position of dealing with a strategic Arab ally locked in a showdown with its people.

On Thursday, the masses of once-peaceful protesters were transformed into a mob of angry mourners chanting slogans like “death to Khalifa,” the king, while the opposition withdrew from the Parliament and demanded that the government step down. At the main hospital following the violence, thousands gathered screaming, crying and collapsing in grief.

Military helicopters opened fire on journalists with the New York Times.

My colleague Michael Slackman reports that he and a video producer for The Times, Sean Patrick Farrell, were just shot at from a helicopter over Bahrain's Pearl Roundabout as they were filming a report there, minutes after the army opened fire on protesters trying to march into the area they had been cleared out of one day earlier in a deadly raid.

A Bahriani blogger who writes on Twitter as RedhaHaji expressed his shock on the social network, writing: "This is not real. Not happening."

UPDATE:
Nicholas Kristof, who is reporting from Bahrain notes that there have been quite a few protesters who were grievously wounded - many with head trauma.

Protests and Deaths Rock Libya and Bahrain

Libya's Mumar Khadafi and the Bahraini regimes are both using deadly force to quell the protests that have sprung up in the wake of the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt.

Reports of deaths in Libya mount.

There were reports of 16 deaths, but they could not be independently confirmed.

A text message sent out earlier on mobile phones had threatened Libyans planning to take to the streets, activists and bloggers said.

"From Libya's youth to anyone who dares to cross any of the four red lines come and face us in any street on the ground of our beloved country," the Short Message System dispatch said, referring to a speech by Saif el-Islam Gadhafi, Moammar Gadhafi's son, in which he described the lines as Islamic law, the Quran, Libyan security and his father.

They apparently did little to deter demonstrators. Protests in the isolated North African nation broke out this week, part of a larger anti-government movement sweeping the region.

Libya's regime has limited foreign journalists access to the country, which limits its coverage other than from reports and tweets from those inside the country trying to spread the word about the protests.

Bahrain is also racked by protests, and a US journalist was among those injured in melees between protesters and Bahraini security.

A US reporter for ABC News was beaten by thugs armed with clubs early Thursday while covering the unrest in Bahrain, the US network reported.

Correspondent Miguel Marquez was caught in the crowd and attacked while covering protests in Manama, ABC said.

Marquez, who said he was not badly injured, was clubbed while he was on the phone with his headquarters in New York describing the scene as riot police stormed through a Manama square in the dark in a harsh crackdown on anti-regime protesters.

"No! No! No! Hey! I'm a journalist here!" he yelled while still on the phone. "I'm going! I'm going! I'm going! I'm going! ... I'm hit."

He said that the thugs pulled his camera out of his hands.

"I just got beat rather badly by a gang of thugs," Marquez said in a later call to ABC headquarters. "I'm now in a marketplace near our hotel where people are cowering in buildings."

Bahraini security launched a brutal assault on the protesters using lethal force in the process:



The military moved forcefully to clear the main square where protests hoped to converge following the scene of protests in Tahrir Square. The military now occupies the square, leaving the protesters to find alternative locations and regroup for further demonstrations.

With the death toll rising, the demonstrations and protests are likely to be connected with the funerals of those killed by security forces. That's likely to be a rallying point against the Bahraini regime that has moved too slowly on political and economic reforms.

UPDATE:
The brutality with which the Bahraini regime is putting down the demonstrations is heartbreaking to Nicholas Kristof, who writes:

The pro-democracy movement has bubbled for decades in Bahrain, but it found new strength after the overthrow of the dictatorships in Tunisia and Egypt. Then the Bahrain government attacked the protesters early this week with stunning brutality, firing tear gas, rubber bullets and shotgun pellets at small groups of peaceful, unarmed demonstrators. Two demonstrators were killed (one while walking in a funeral procession), and widespread public outrage gave a huge boost to the democracy movement.

King Hamad initially pulled the police back, but early on Thursday morning he sent in the riot police, who went in with guns blazing. Bahrain television has claimed that the protesters were armed with swords and threatening security – that’s preposterous. I was on the roundabout earlier that night and saw many thousands of people, including large numbers of women and children, even babies. Many were asleep.

I was not at the roundabout at the time of the attack, but afterward at the main hospital (one of at least three to receive casualties) I saw the effects. More than 600 people were treated with injuries, overwhelmingly men but including small numbers of women and children.

One nurse told me that she was on the roundabout and saw a young man of about 24, handcuffed and then beaten by a group of police. She said she then watched as they executed him at point-blank range with a gun. The nurse told me her name, but I will not use full names of some people in this column to avoid putting them at greater risk.

Dr. Ahmed Jamal, the president of the Bahrain Medical Society, said that one doctor, Sadiq Ekri, a surgeon, had been badly beaten by riot police while attempting to treat the injured. Dr. Ekri has a suspected fracture at the base of his skull, according to Dr. Jamal.

Kristof also reports anecdotes that the Saudi military was involved in the military suppression of the protests and the bloody and violent nature of the suppression.

Bringing in foreign troops would also explain why things got so violent so quickly. The Saudis would have no connection to the protesters (as the Egyptian troops felt kinship with the protesters), and so wouldn't be aligned in interests. If this is confirmed, the Bahraini king brought in foreign troops to do his dirty work to stay in power.

UPDATE:
Tanks seen in this video M-60s, which are older American-designed tanks. Both the Bahraini and Saudi military has significant numbers of this older tank.

There is supposedly video of Saudi tanks rolling across the causeway into Bahrain, but I can't locate that at the moment. Photos claiming Saudi tanks are rolling into Bahrain are also M-60 tank variants. I can't make out any identifying markings to say which army operates those tanks.

Yet, there are reports that the Saudis sent 150 tanks and personnel carriers into Bahrain via Qatar. Stay tuned.

UPDATE:
Via Memri, there is additional confirmation that the Saudis are assisting the Bahraini regime crack down against the protesters - and it may be part of a strategy to keep the Saudi regime in place by thwarting protests in neighboring countries.

Protests and Threats

The protests continue in Iran, Yemen, and even Bahrain, along with Egypt and Algeria. Two people were killed in the Bahrain protests, and members of the Parliament have walked out.

Two protesters have died in clashes with Bahraini police, sparking angry calls from young cyber-activists for regime change and a walkout of parliament by Bahrain's main Shiite opposition bloc.

The events prompted King Hamad to express sorrow for the deaths, announce a ministerial probe and pledge to press ahead with reforms, in an address to the tiny Gulf state facing Iran across the Gulf that is ruled by his Sunni family.

The Islamic National Accord Association which has 18 seats in the 40-member house earlier announced it had "suspended its membership" in parliament over the killings of the Shiite demonstrators.

The decision came because of "the deterioration in security and the negative and brutal way in which (authorities) dealt with the protesters, killing two of them," bloc member MP Khalil al-Marzooq said.

Fadel Salman Matrouk was shot dead in front of a hospital on Tuesday where mourners gathered for the funeral of Ali Msheymah who died of his wounds after police dispersed a protest in a village east of Manama on Monday, he said.

In Iran, the regime is calling for the heads of opposition leaders - they want them executed.



The members of Parliament calling for the blood of members of the opposition, including former President Rafsanjani aren't doing so unless they have the blessings of the mullahs and IRGC, and that's on top of the fact several political prisoners are presumed to have been executed by the regime:

Members of the Iranian parliament issued fiery chants against opposition leaders and former presidential candidates Mehdi Karrubi and Mir Hossein Moussavi.

Press TV aired video Tuesday of lawmakers chanting "Moussavi, Karrubi ... execute them."

Lawmakers also named former President Mohammad Khatami in some of the death chants.

The calls for the leaders' executions come after a particularly deadly month in Iran. At least 66 people were executed in January, according to Iranian media reports. Most of the executions were reportedly carried out for drug offenses, although at least three involved political prisoners, a U.N. statement said.

The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood is planning a political party, which is sure to raise eyebrows over their ultimate intentions, but forming a political party is preferable to a hostile takeover and imposing their theocratic will over that of the population. Protests there continue, because of the ongoing economic concerns that helped spark the revolution/coup d'etat.

The Algerian PM thinks that the protesters are a small minority that is expressing discontent. I think he's deluding himself if he thinks that a small percentage of his countrymen are satisfied with conditions and he's likely to fall into the same trap that Mubarak did just days ago.

UPDATE:
Video from the Bahraini protests: