Unlimited MENA Revolt Thread

[Cain]

The real reason why no-one knows if Qadaffi has fled Libya or not yet...


...is because no-one knows how to spell his fucking name correctly.

Right now there is a totally unaware passport control officer somewhere saying "I hope your enjoy your visit to our country, Mr. Kaddafiye."

Incidentally, before the rumours of fleeing began, it was said Libya was paying pro-regime mercenaries around $500/day, which is significantly higher than in Egypt.  Nevertheless, the Libyan Air Force refused to bomb protestors, and protestors have apparently captured a tank.  And Benghazi tribes are threatening to cut off Libyan oil from reaching the West unless the violence stops.

All of this makes it my favourite North African Revolution so far, especially since the protestors may end up doing a victory lap around a burnt down palace in a tank for the world media to see.

[Juana Go?]

I like that image.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Also, according to CNN, helicopter gunships have been firing into the crowds and Malta now reports that two pilots have defected because they were ordered to fire on civilians.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Wait, when did Libya go tits up?

[Adios]

Wait, when did Libya go tits up?

 

Damn hard to keep up, isn't it?

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Wait, when did Libya go tits up?

You cannot take cat naps this century... didn't you get the memo?

[Cain]

Rumours of trouble have been circulating since Tunisia went all awesome, and got more credible during the Egypt revolution.  Things really took off a few nights ago though, it seems.  It's hard to say with any certainty though, as media access is far more heavily regulated in Libya than Egypt.

Nevertheless, it seems 200+ people have died in the last couple of days, the Army are in hiding and police stations are getting burned to the ground.

I'm surprised Erik Prince hasn't offered his services to Qadaffi yet.  AFAIK he is trying to create a "new" and totally unrelated to Blackwater mercenary company on the continent.  Then again, maybe we just haven't heard it yet.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Okay, Cain, give us a recap.  Which "ME" countries are in revolt?  I've completely lost track.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Wait, when did Libya go tits up?

 

Damn hard to keep up, isn't it?

I took most of the weekend off from the interbutts, and I'm totally lost.

[Cain]

Okay, Cain, give us a recap.  Which "ME" countries are in revolt?  I've completely lost track.

Officially

Egypt - revolted/still revolting
Tunisia - revolted
Libya - revolting
Yemen - protests, could be revolts
Bahrain - revolting
Syria - early signs of protests, media blackouts since
Jordan - protests just turned violent, courtesy of government goons
Iran - some protests
Algeria - rallies and protests
Morocco - protests just turned violent yesterday
Qatar - there has been some organizing for protests, but nothing major seems to be happening just yet.

Turkey is pretty stable, as you would expect, and so are Saudi Arabia (where deposed dictators will probably outnumber the general population soon) and UAE.

[Adios]

In addition to Cains list;

DJIBOUTI - Protesters in Djibouti are angry about the economy. The country is home to Camp Lemonnier, the only U.S. military base on the African continent. Protesters have called for President Ismail Omar Guelleh - whose family has ruled the country since its independence from France in 1977 - to step down ahead of the elections scheduled in April.

JORDAN - Jordan's economy is struggling as commodity prices rise and youth unemployment is high, as it is in Egypt. Its king has called for swift reform.

KUWAIT - Protests are relatively new, beginning over the weekend. Demonstrators, who want greater rights for longtime residents who are not citizens, attacked security forces late last week.

SUDAN - Protesters are demanding an end to National Congress Party rule and government-imposed price increases. A "Day of Rage" was reportedly organized on Facebook against the government, but it failed to materialize. Human Rights Watch says authorities used "excessive force" during largely peaceful protests on January 30 and 31 in Khartoum and other northern cities. Witnesses said that several people were arrested, including 20 who remain missing.

Whoops, he had Jordan.

[Cain]

Libyan diplomats in Sweden have resigned and abused the English language, calling the government violence in the country "genocide".

http://www.thelocal.se/32178/20110221/

[Misery's Fred Trough]

I seem to recall one of the talking heads mentioning there were some minor rumblings in Iraq as well.  Minor as in probably less significant than what's happening in Wisconsin. 

[Cain]

In Iraq they tend to protest with belts full of Semtex.

[Adios]

I seem to recall one of the talking heads mentioning there were some minor rumblings in Iraq as well.  Minor as in probably less significant than what's happening in Wisconsin. 

IRAQ - Unlike other nations, protests here have not targeted the government. Demonstrators are enraged by corruption, the quality of basic services and high unemployment. Most recently, on Sunday, A 17-year-old boy died and 39 people were injured were injured as demonstrators battled Kurdish security forces in Sulaimaniya in northern Iraq, officials said. CNN's Reza Sayah reports from Islamabad, Pakistan, on the violence. Masked gunmen attacked and burned an independent television station in Iraq's Kurdistan region Sunday, wounding a guard, police officials and the broadcast company said.