Middle East landscape rapidly changing

[stew]

Uncle Sam should invade Lybia and bring liberation and democracy.  Worked in Iraq didn't it?

Aye, I bet you wish they had remained neutral in WW2 as well, probably not.

Where are the Un in all of this, surely it is their job to protect the masses from genocide, no wait, that cant be right, sure they let people die by the thousands in Africa.

Some of you clampetts blame the US for everything and there have been quite a few on here talking up Ghadaffi over the years, what do ye think now lads.

[Tyrones own]

Uncle Sam should invade Lybia and bring liberation and democracy.  Worked in Iraq didn't it?

Aye, I bet you wish they had remained neutral in WW2 as well, probably not.

Where are the Un in all of this, surely it is their job to protect the masses from genocide, no wait, that cant be right, sure they let people die by the thousands in Africa.

Some of you clampetts blame the US for everything and there have been quite a few on here talking up Ghadaffi over the years, what do ye think now lads.

Yea and strange to see Chavez' name crop up... sure he has been quite highly regarded here along with Castro/quevara and the likes
amongst the humanitarians for quite a while now what with them being quite the beacons for democracy throughout the ages and all

Bottom line is there are some here that can't seem to make up their minds between good dictators and not so good ones 
which all seems OK by all accounts as long as the end result is getting the boot in to Uncle Sam, cause that's clearly what seems important here    Haters

[PadraicHenryPearse]

bit rich there TO..... the US has seemed to have the same problem (one recent example being musharraf).... the difference is the US decision effect countless lifes while on here people can only comment on it. Funny how you seem more concerned about comments on here then the effects ill fated US foreign Policy.

[Aerlik]

Bottom line is there are some here that can't seem to make up their minds between good dictators and not so good ones 

Namely?

And how do you view Dermott McMurrough now when we're at it?  Hero or villain?

[mylestheslasher]

Ghadaffi appeared on Libyan TV last night to say he was still in the country and not in Venezuela as reported. He also declared war on his own civilians but heh lets ignore that and muddy the waters instead by talking about Chavez!

[Groucho]

Bottom line is there are some here that   the USA can't seem to make up their minds between good dictators and not so good ones 
which all seems OK by all accounts as long as the end result is getting the boot in to Uncle Sam what the USA wants, cause that's clearly what seems important here.

Fixed that for you.

[Carmen Stateside]

Bottom line is there are some here that   the USA can't seem to make up their minds between good dictators and not so good ones 
which all seems OK by all accounts as long as the end result is getting the boot in to Uncle Sam what the USA wants, cause that's clearly what seems important here.

Fixed that for you.

This.

[give her dixie]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/cameron-attacked-for-egypt-visit-with-defence-sales-team-in-tow-2221695.html

David Cameron faced charges of hypocrisy last night after he arrived for a tour of the Gulf with some senior figures from the defence industry.

His long-planned visit was originally to bang the drum for British business in export markets, but has become dominated by the turmoil in the Middle East. After leaving Britain early, Mr Cameron became the first world leader to visit Egypt since President Hosni Mubarak was toppled. The Prime Minister is also preparing, in a speech to the Kuwaiti parliament today, to urge governments across the region to respond to calls for reform.

Despite the change in his agenda, Mr Cameron is still taking a large delegation from business and industry, including eight representatives of defence firms attempting to secure contracts in the Gulf states. Among them are: Ian King, chief executive of BAE Systems; Alastair Bisset, group international director at QinetiQ; and Rob Watson, regional director of Rolls-Royce.


Meanwhile, the Defence minister Gerald Howarth is in Abu Dhabi, where he is leading Britain's biggest ever delegation to an international arms fair. More than 100 UK firms are showcasing their products at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference, which is aimed at governments in the Middle East and North Africa.

Yasmin Khan, senior campaigns officer at the charity War on Want, called for the Prime Minister's "shameful" and "ill-timed" trip to be cancelled. She said: "It is deplorable that David Cameron is seeking to exploit the crisis by promoting sales of weapons and torture equipment to the region."

Sarah Waldron, campaigns co-ordinator at Campaign Against the Arms Trade, said: "The UK Government prioritises the interests of arms companies – it makes a mockery of claiming to have a rigorous approach to arms sales. People in the Middle East are dying in an attempt to get democracy and yet Cameron and other ministers are still selling weapons used to oppress them."

The Government last week revoked a series of export licences to Libya and Bahrain amid fears the equipment – including tear gas and pepper sprays – could be used for internal repression.

Mr Cameron in Cairo condemned as "completely appalling" the suppression of protests in Libya. He said: "I call on them even at this late stage to stop. People's aspirations for greater democracy, for greater freedom, for greater rights should be met with reform, not repression."

Meanwhile, in London the Libyan ambassador, Omar Jelban, was summoned to the Foreign Office to be told "in the strongest terms" of the Government's "absolute condemnation" of the use of lethal force against protesters. William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, promised that the Government would give "every possible assistance" to the estimated 3,500 Britons in Libya in helping them to leave the country.

Yet Mr Cameron was forced to defend the inclusion of defence industry representatives in the travelling party, arguing that it was "very much in Britain's interests" that the UK continued to promote defence relationships with countries in the region.

He said: "Britain has a range of strong defence relationships with countries in the region. I seem to remember we spent a lot of effort and indeed life in defending and helping to defend Kuwait.

"So the idea that Britain should not have defence relationships with some of these countries I don't understand. It is quite right that we do.

"We have some of the toughest rules on export licences and exports of arms anywhere in the world. Everything has to meet those rules."

The packed agenda saw Mr Cameron hold talks with the head of the armed forces supreme council, Defence Minister Mohamed Tantawi, and Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq – deliberately steering clear of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's popular Islamist group.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office last night dropped its advice against "all but essential" travel to Cairo, Alexandria and Suez. A spokesman said the situation in Egypt was "much improved" following Mr Mubarak's departure.

[Banana Man]

didn't the PSNI send boys out to Libya a while back to train them on crowd control and no I am not taking the piss, i think it caused an almighty row at the time

[Ulick]

You're right. I'd  forgotten all about that:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8262362.stm

[give her dixie]

Ghadaffi appeared on Libyan TV last night to say he was still in the country and not in Venezuela as reported. He also declared war on his own civilians but heh lets ignore that and muddy the waters instead by talking about Chavez!

Is this a Tuk Tuk, or a Popemobile that Gaddafi is driving?

[give her dixie]

Leader Of Egyptian Unions To Wisconsin Protesters: 'We Stand With You As You Stood With Us'  

One of the most underreported stories about the pro-democracy movement in Egypt was the role of labor unions in the demonstrations, many of which were protesting against neoliberal right-wing economic policies just as much as they were protesting against the Mubarak dictatorship. During the uprising in that country, AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka praised the role of organized labor, saying, "The people's movement for democracy in Egypt and the role unions are playing for freedom and worker rights inspires us and will not be forgotten."

Now, as tens of thousands of union members and other Wisconsin residents are taking to the streets to protest against Gov. Scott Walker's (R) attempt to abolish collective bargaining rights for most public workers, a leader of Egypt's largest umbrella group of independent labor unions is praising the Wisconsin movement. In a videotaped statement, Kamal Abbas, the General Coordinator of the Centre for Trade Unions and Workers Services, tells the Wisconsin protesters, "We stand with you as you stood with us." He says "no one believed" that the revolution against the Mubarak regime would succeed, yet they were able to bring the dictator down within 18 days. He encourages demonstrators to stay strong, saying, "Don't give up on your rights. Victory always belongs to the people who stand firm and demand their just rights":

I am speaking to you from a place very close to Tahrir Square in Cairo, "Liberation Square", which was the heart of the Revolution in Egypt. This is the place were many of our youth paid with their lives and blood in the struggle for our just rights. From this place, I want you to know that we stand with you as you stood with us. [...]

No one believed that our revolution could succeed against the strongest dictatorship in the region. But in 18 days the revolution achieved the victory of the people. When the working class of Egypt joined the revolution on 9 and 10 February, the dictatorship was doomed and the victory of the people became inevitable. We want you to know that we stand on your side. Stand firm and don't waiver. Don't give up on your rights. Victory always belongs to the people who stand firm and demand their just rights.

Last week, Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) said there are "similarities" between the movements in Egypt and Wisconsin, in that "that people are wanting to be heard, and they are taking direct action." Additionally, Ian's on State Street, a pizza place near the Wisconsin capitol building, has been taking orders from Egypt for Wisconsin activists. While the actions that Walker and Mubarak are taking are far from directly analogous, many demonstrators have taken to drawing satirical comparisons. Following Walker's threat to call in the National Guard to deal with a labor strike, activists launched the site Mini Mubarak, humorously comparing the governor's threat to the actions of the now-resigned Egyptian autocrat

http://thinkprogress.org/2011/02/21/leader-egyptian-unions-wisconsin/

[give her dixie]

It will take more than a tour of Occupied Palestine and Syria to improve Israels international image......

Chilean miners to visit Israel Wednesday

Tourism Ministry plans extensive tour for miners, hoping they will help improve Israel's image


Thirty-one of the 33 miners who were trapped for 68 days underground in Chile are due to arrive in Israel Wednesday for a week-long tour. "It won't be a circus," the Tourism Ministry vowed ahead of the long-awaited visit.

The ministry wants to use the heroes' visit to improve Israel's image in the world. The miners will be traveling with their wives, the local governor, and senior Chilean journalists.

Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov will welcome the miners at the airport, from where they will travel to Jerusalem for an afternoon press conference. Hosts say the tour will be of a spiritual character, allowing the miners to "give thanks" for their heroic rescue.

In Jerusalem, the party is set to visit the Old City, the Western Wall, the Knesset, Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, and a number of churches. On Saturday they plan to tour Bethlehem, and then to get a taste of the Jerusalem nightlife.

Then, on Sunday, the miners plan to visit Masada and the Dead Sea after a special ceremony at the Presidential Residence. Throughout the visit they will also get to see Nazareth, Megiddo, the Golan Heights, Tiberias, and the Kinneret. A goodbye ceremony will be held in Tel Aviv.

The Palestinian Authority was outraged that the miners would not visit its territories as well, and the Palestinian foreign ministry said it would appeal to its Chilean counterpart to organize a tour of the West Bank.


http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4032020,00.html

[give her dixie]

Defiant Gaddafi refuses to quit amid Libya protests

Col Gaddafi said the world powers knew they could not unseat him Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi has refused to stand down amid widespread anti-government protests which he said had tarnished the image of the country.

In his first major speech since unrest began last week, Col Gaddafi said the whole world looked up to Libya and that protests were "serving the devil".

Reading from the country's constitution, he said enemies of Libya would be executed.

Rights groups say nearly 300 have been killed in the violence so far.

A defiant and angry Col Gaddafi said that he had brought glory to Libya. As he had no official position in Libya from which to resign, he would remain the head of the revolution, he said.

He blamed the unrest on "cowards and traitors" who were seeking to portray Libya as a place of chaos and to "humiliate" Libyans.

Civil war threat

The protesters had been given drink and drugs, he said, frequently shouting and banging his fist on the table as the address continued.

He called on "those who love Muammar Gaddafi" to come on to the streets in support of him, telling them not to be afraid of the "gangs".

"Come out of your homes, attack them in their dens. Withdraw your children from the streets. They are drugging your children, they are making your children drunk and sending them to hell," he said.

"If matters require, we will use force, according to international law and the Libyan constitution," and warned that the country could descend into civil war or be occupied by the US if protests continued.

The BBC's Frank Gardner said it was an extraordinary speech even by Col Gaddafi's usual standards, full of theatrical defiance against almost everyone.

He appears completely divorced from reality, says our correspondent, saying that he had not authorised the army to use force, despite opposition statements that more than 500 people have been killed and more than 1,000 are missing.

Human Rights Watch said at least 62 bodies had been taken to hospital morgues since Sunday, in addition to the 233 people it said had been killed outside the capital previously.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12544624

[Trout]

Saw a few Libyans that are protesting in London being interviewed on the telly there, they are a very shifty looking bunch.