Is anybody else watching Al Jazeera this morning?

[sufrommich]

It's difficult to watch. There's a doctor at a hospital in Bahrain begging the outside world to do something,there are bodies everywhere,they're using machine guns on the crowds,so many bodies at the hospital that they can't keep up.
In Libya they've got footage from a cell phone camera of bloody streets and wounded and dead people. The Libyan government is warning protesters that "they are committing suicide".:scared:

[CJvR]

1. MGs?!?!?!

If they use MGs on crowds things will turn spectaculary nasty in a hurry.
Jez! A MG in a crowded street can score hundreds of casualties in a few seconds.

[sufrommich]

2. Doctors in Bahrain are reporting that there has been a

massacre.Hospitals are full of casualties.

[L. Coyote]

44. WATCH LIVE online link here:

http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/

LATEST:
Bahrain forces fire at protesters
Shots were heard around Pearl roundabout in Manama after nightfall, at least 23 wounded.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/20112184122210251.html

Shots were fired by soldiers around Pearl roundabout in Manama, the Bahraini capital, a day after police forcibly cleared a protest encampment from the traffic circle.

The circumstances of the shooting after nightfall on Friday were not clear. Officials at the main Salmaniya hospital said at least 50 people were injured, some with gunshot wounds.

Some doctors and medics on emergency medical teams were in tears as they tended to the wounded. X-rays showed bullets still lodged inside victims.

"This is a war," said Dr. Bassem Deif, an orthopedic surgeon examining people with bullet-shattered bones.

Protesters described a chaotic scene of tear gas clouds, bullets coming from many directions and people slipping in pools of blood as they sought cover.

...........

[highplainsdem]

35. CNN confirming there was machine gun fire.

[CJvR]

47. Sure?

I heard a bit of the gunfire on Al-Jaz and it sounded more like AKs, which is still bad but not quite MG bad.

[malaise]

3. And the silence from those who warned the Egyptian army not to harm

the people is deafening.

M$Greedia is also caught up in its own contradictions because of Wisconsin..

[RainDog]

4. horrid news n/t

[chill_wind]

5. Clinton statement (video) at link:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/bahrain/8332041/Hillary-Clinton-calls-for-restraint-in-Bahrain.html

[Catherina]

39. Imagine the strong condemnation if it was Iran. US increased aid to Bahrain another repressive ally

Imagine the strong condemnation if it was Iran, but since Bahrain is another repressive ally all we can muster is concern.

Just last year our Secretary of State praised last years' elections in Bahrain as a model for the region.

U.S. facing dilemma in Bahrain. Does it support the regime or the demonstrators?
Manama : Bahrain | Feb 18, 2011


Bahrain is important to the U.S. in that the 5th fleet is stationed there. It plays a pivotal role in hemming in Iran and ensuring the safe transport of oil from Iraq to western markets. Clinton expressed "deep concerns" about the attack on sleeping anti-government protesters on Wednesday night that killed at least five civilians. Last I heard the security forces had just attacked protesters at a hospital.

...

After the election Hilary Clinton visited Bahrain and praised it as a model for the region. This model seems to be a favorite, introducing legislatures with limited powers and usually with repression of opposition parties so that mostly approved groups win. Clinton was asked about arrests and reports of torture. Clinton said:""I think the changes that are happening in Bahrain are much greater than what I see in many other countries in the region and beyond." But obviously the opposition in Bahrain did not share this optimistic view. Even a bribe to stifle dissent of 2,700 offered by the king to each household did not seem to work.

...

Graham Fuller a former CIA analyst says:"Washington is now faced again with another hard choice...," "Continue to go with local repressive regimes out of a misguided sense of ‘American interests'? Hold on to unpopular military bases at all costs - thereby deepening local anger and perhaps giving Iran ultimately a greater voice in events?" "Or should it quietly drop support for this repressive regime, allow events to take their course and accept that long-overdue change is coming?"

...

Chas Freeman,who served as ambassador to Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War, agreed with the dilemma faced by Washington but concluded:"If you come out in favor of change, then you are at considerable risk of damaging your political-military equities. If you bow openly to expedience of military interests, then you are discrediting yourself morally and ideologically," "There are moments when silence and respect for the ability of others to straighten out their own politics may be the best course." It is difficult for the U.S. to take this complete hands off approach since it is in such flagrant contradiction to the professed U.S. aim of spreading democracy and democratic values. The solution is to profess these values and wring ones hands at the violence but try to work behind the scenes to save the ruling elite as much as possible and try to promote sufficient reforms to save the system.

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/8232034-us-facing-dilemma-in-bahrain-does-it-support-the-regime-or-the-demonstrators

Thanks for posting that. Shame on us. A thank you to Patrick Leahy.

...

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), chairman of the Senate State/Foreign Ops appropriations subcommittee, “has asked State officials … to identify the equipment and units” involved in the attacks,” Leahy’s spokesman David Carle told POLITICO Thursday.

The so-called Leahy Law – which requires the cut-off of U.S. military aid to forces determined to have perpetrated human rights abuses -- “does apply to Bahrain,” since "the U.S. Government provides support to the Army," Carle said.

Whether the Leahy law “comes into effect of course … depends on what the facts are determined to be," he said.

Complicating matters, the Persian Gulf nation is a key U.S. strategic ally, providing a base to the Fifth Fleet of the U.S. Navy, which works to ensure the free flow of oil, and keeps a close eye on Iran.

...
http://www.politico.com/blogs/laurarozen/0211/US_urges_restraint_on_Bahrain_after_overnight_attack_on_protesters.html?showall

Bahrain to get $19m US military aid
Manama: Thu, 12 Aug 2010

Bahrain's military is in line for a $19.5 million cash injection from the US government, a report said.

The funding was provisionally assigned by the US Senate Appropriations Committee as part of the Department of State Foreign Operations and Related Programmes Appropriations Bill, said the report in the Gulf Daily News, our sister newspaper.

It is part of the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programme, which offers grants to foreign governments to finance the purchase of American-made weapons, services and training.

...

The bill includes a provision restricting assistance to units of any foreign security force that uses torture, subject to a Secretary of State certification.

...

https://www.tradearabia.com/news/DEF_184451.html

Are these figures correct?

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Obama ups military aid to Arab League states

WASHINGTON — The administration of President Barack Obama has proposed an increase in U.S. military aid for several Arab League states.

The administration has submitted a proposed budget for fiscal 2011 that included military assistance increases for Bahrain, Libya, Morocco, Oman and Yemen. Officials said several Middle East countries also received forward funding over the last year as part of the Foreign Military Financing program.

Under the budget proposed by the State Department, U.S. military aid to Bahrain would increase from $8 million in fiscal 2009 to $19.5 million next year, Middle East Newsline reported. The U.S. Navy maintains its Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, regarded as the poorest of the six GCC states.

...

U.S. military aid to Yemen would increase from $12.5 million in 2010 to $35 million in 2011. Officials said Yemen would receive a range of helicopters as well as special operations forces training.

Libya would see an increase in U.S. military assistance from $150,000 to $250,000 in 2011. Officials said the rise would enable U.S. military training of Libyan forces.

...

http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2010/ss_gulf0101_02_09.asp

[Cleita]

6. The protestors need to go home and protest another day.

What worked in Tunisia and Egypt is that the military didn't back up the dictators and left them standing alone with no power. The military is backing up the regimes in Bahrain and Libya and those tinpot kings will have the power to retaliate and crush the leaders and any others who participated. They need to be sure the military is on their side the next time. It's sad but it's the reality.

[sufrommich]

8. Oh Ok, maybe you should call Al Jazeera and ask them to

spread the word. :eyes:

[Cleita]

10. Huh? I'm just stating what is true.

Al Jazeera has nothing to do with what the protestors need to do. Al Jazeera is reporting incidentally at great risk to themselves too. If anything I would call them up to congratulate them on doing CNNs job.

[sufrommich]

12. What "other day" should protesters wait for? nt

[Cleita]

15. The day they get the military on their side, then they

can topple their king or whatever they have. The Egyptians did it. Otherwise they are sitting ducks right now and need to live to protest another day.

[sufrommich]

As far as revolutions go, Egypt was an anomaly,revolutions

tend to be bloody.
What makes you think the military would switch sides? The only thing that will happen to these people if they went home and waited for another day is that they would be rounded up and arrested or never seen again.Ask Iran.

[Cleita]

19. Well if you want to go back to bloody revolutions, remember

that very few of those were successful. I know ours was one, but we almost didn't make it.

[sufrommich]

27. There is nothing to compare the latest popular protests

in the Middle East.It has a long history of military coups with very little popular participation,this is a new ballgame over there. There was indeed a successful popular revolution in the Middle East in Iran. Unfortunately the for Iranians ,they ended up with a "meet the new boss" government,I expect they'll right that too.

[Cleita]

30. I really want them to succeed, but I also want them

to live to fight another day. Yes, there is such a thing as collateral damage but there is also carnage and apparently this is what will happen today. They need to fight a guerilla fight in this atmosphere. Peaceful protests will not be allowed by their totalitarian governments and as long as the military props up those government they will die and not accomplish what they are setting out to do.

[chill_wind]

18. Protestors are being SHOT IN THE HEAD. Without some fast intervention or help from the outside world

what would your advice be at the moment?

[Cleita]

21. There will be no intervention.

The world is wary of interfering with the inside turmoil of nations after Bush botched up that option by invading Iraq.

[sufrommich]

36. Why would I offer advice to the People of Bahrain. It's their

choice as to whether or not they wish to sacrifice their lives for something.

[EFerrari]

24. Libya has imported mercenaries and there are foreign troops

in Bahrain -- reportedly some from Saudi and some from Jordan.

[Cleita]

26. The Saudis definitely have a vested interest in

Bahrain remaining as it is or so said our friend Noam Chomsky yesterday. I'm of the opinion that the Saudis need to be toppled first.

[Catherina]

37. No they don't. Once you start, backing down is suicidal. The military

wasn't on the people's side in Tunisia or Egypt, they stepped in to seize power.

On the absolute contrary, they need to ramp it up, just as they're doing.

[LaurenG]

7. I feel this is exactly what would happen to Americans should we ever come together

as a country and say enough. I feel so badly about this. :cry:

[Cleita]

9. I believe so too.

The only difference would be that our right to protest would be given lip service for awhile until they had time to muster up the troops they needed to crush us.

[Inuca]

17. Get real n/t

[LaurenG]

20. Kent State nt

[Bandit]

31. How come no one ever mentions Jackson State as well?

I guess because it was a black school....

[LaurenG]

32. It looks like you just did

Good point - Jackson State http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_State_killings :cry:

[Cleita]

23. You really don't think that if we seriously took to the

streets with rock throwing, shutting down businesses, setting up vigilante groups in our neighborhoods that they wouldn't send the strykers and abrams into our cities? Look up the race riots of the sixties and seventies if you aren't sure.

[stillwaiting]

41. We need to start a movement that speaks to the military and police effectively BEFORE

the big revolution begins.

If we can make inroads with enough of the military and police to get them on our side and have them identify with OUR position (which is the position for their friends and family members) instead of identifying with the elite then we will win.

It must be a sustained effort that gets them thinking and discussing amongst themselves leading up to the revolution.

We'll need creative ideas to penetrate the bubble that's purposefully been built to divide the police and military from the people of our country.

We can and we will do it one day.

[highplainsdem]

11. Just turned it on. Army reportedly firing on people, even from helicopters.

[sufrommich]

13. There are also reports of snipers on buildings.nt

[chill_wind]

22. Reuters- 4 dead. 235 wounded. CNN quotes a source describing mainly head wounds.

A doctor and paramedics trying to reach the wounded protestors killed as well.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/18/us-bahrain-shooting-idUSTRE71H3YI20110218

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2011/02/live-bullets-reportedly-fired-at-protesters-in-bahrain/1

[sufrommich]

28. Horrible. nt

[CJvR]

29. Considering that...

...Bahrain only have a population of about 725.000, of which almost a third is guest labor, 240 killed and injured is a substantial crackdown. If the reports of head wounds are accurate then the fatalities will rise sharply in a few hours.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

14. Blood in Benghazi, too.

[sufrommich]

16. Yes, with the government warning protesters that they are

"committing suicide". Ominous words.

[kenny blankenship]

25. That "King" and his family are about to join the Capets and the Romanovs

[chill_wind]

33. Bahrain using UK acquired crowd control weapons on protestors

Despite concerns among activists over Bahrain's human rights record, British firms were last year granted licences to export an arsenal of deadly crowd control weapons. The approved licences included exactly the kind of weapons and ammunition used by Bahraini riot police to clear the Pearl Roundabout protest encampment, including shotguns, teargas canisters, "crowd control ammunition" and stun grenades, the paper said.

Meanwhile, Human rights groups have called for an immediate suspension of arms supplies to Bahrain, and an explanation why they were granted.

http://www.sify.com/news/bahrain-using-uk-acquired-weapons-for-crackdown-on-protestors-news-international-lcsuafhcjbe.html

Britain under fire for selling arms to Bahrain
Government accused of 'providing tools for repression'

By Alistair Dawber

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/britain-under-fire-for-selling-arms-to-bahrain-2218423.html

[Bigmack]

34. Imagine if the US didn't have a stake in ....

the government of Bahrain.

Imagine if we could stand back and deplore this kind of shit and take the high ground, instead of trying to triangulate how these developments might alter our position in the area and what it means to our fleet base in Bahrain.

Naw... let's just keep the Empire going.

[fishwax]

38. it looks like a very bloody day for Libya

Fighting in several different cities, with the anti-government forces apparently taking control in Bayda but still fighting with military reinforcements ...

[sufrommich]

40. Opposition groups in Libya are claiming that Qaddafi

is using mercenaries from other African countries.

[fishwax]

43. and that they have captured and executed a significant number of those mercenaries

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/middle-east/2011/02/17/live-blog-libya

"7:11 pm More reports of potentially very deadly fighting in Bayda. Aamir Saad, a political activist, claims that anti-government demonstrators in Bayda have "executed 50 African mercenaries" - presumably a reference to the government militias - and "two Libyan conspirators". Remember: Bayda is where protesters managed to regain hold of the city with the support of local police, according to Reuters. LibyaFeb17.com, an invaluable source of social media aggregation on the Libya protests, posted a translated version of the television interview given to Al Jazeera Arabic by Saad."

[CJvR]

46. That will...

...run up the butchers bill in a hurry. Nothing like street fighting to generate casualties on a large scale.

[fishwax]

42. reports that the protesters have taken control in Benghazi, Libya's second largest city

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/middle-east/2011/02/17/live-blog-libya

"7:58 pm Sources on the street in Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city and the site of large protests, are now claiming that they have driven government militias away and taken control. These reports are primarily being fed through English-speaking Twitter users who are not in Libya themselves, such as @ShababLibya, @Cyrenaican, and @ChangeInLibya."

[L. Coyote]

45. Bahrain Propaganda HERE:

http://twentyfoursevennews.com/