EA WorldView: EA Middle East & Turkey

Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: After the Houla "Massacre", Another 60 Deaths

Scott Lucas — Sun, 27 May 2012 13:38:12 +0000

A rally in the Damascus suburb of Douma on Saturday night with a message about the Houla "masscare", "These are our martyrs, we will never forget them"

1837 GMT: Syria. The United Nations Security Council is in emergency session to discuss Friday's mass killing in Houla.

Diplomats said Russia is blocking a strong statement condemning the regime, insisting that the Council first hear from Maj. Gen. Robert Mood, the head of the UN's observers in Syria.

The draft statement, which has not been supported by Russia and China, said that the members of the Security Council "condemned in the strongest possible terms the Syrian armed forces’ heavy shelling of a civilian populated area", arguing, "This indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force against civilian population constitutes a flagrant violation of international law." It said, "Those responsible for perpetrating this crime must be held accountable."

A demonstration in the al-Asali section of Damascus today:

1628 GMT: Syria. Alex Thomson of Britain's Channel 4 has been in Houla today with Syrian regime forces. He writes, that despite Friday's mass killing of civilians, "Syrian army keep sending gun-mounted APCs [armoured personnel carriers] to fire", and continues:

Intermittent firefights all over town. Incoming M16 rounds from FSA sniper position.
— alex thomson (@alextomo) May 27, 2012

One Syrian soldier shot 10 metres away. They dragged him away.
— alex thomson (@alextomo) May 27, 2012

UN told me their work was hampered by a Syrian Army armed APC their vehicles, firing 2 rounds and starting another firefight.
— alex thomson (@alextomo) May 27, 2012

Thomson has also posted a blog entry on his day. Despite his position with Syrian forces, he is sceptical of the regime line that Friday's death were due to "terrorists", in part because of the accounts of UN observers:

In the town of Houla they questioned people repeatedly and the story was always the same, that at approximately 12.30pm on Friday after prayers there was a sustained barrage lasting in the region of two hours from the Syrian army.

This was followed by concerted attacks on foot led by the Shabiha, and this is when the masacre occured. The killings, these sources say, happened some time in the period from 3pm on Friday to approximately 1-2am on Saturday.

1620 GMT: Egypt. The campaign of Abdel Moneim Abdel Fotouh, the former senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood, has said it will file a request for the suspension of the Presidential vote based on a lis of 12 categories of violations, including vote-buying, registration of deceased voters, barring of observer, and mistakes in records.

Abdel Fotouh fared poorly compared to predictions, trailing far behind the top three vote-getters.

Hamadeen Sabahi, who finished third in the ballot, has already filed a request for suspension because of voting irregularities and the disputed qualification of Ahmed Shafiq, the former Vice President in the Mubarak regime, who finished second.

1610 GMT: Morocco. Despite recent Parliamentary elections and declared reforms by the monarchy, the mass protests of February 2011 continue in Morocco --- a march today of workers in Casablanca:

1400 GMT: Syria. Activists claim regime forces shot dead at least two men on Sunday in Damascus suburbs amid protests to condemn Friday's killings in Houla.

One of those killed, Riad Mahmoud, was among a crowd of 2000-3000 people who marched in the neighbourhood of Yalda on the southern edge of the capital and were confronted by armed members of a secret police division, according to activists.

A senior Arab League official says the Assad regime has denied permission for a deputy of United Nations/Arab League envoy Kofi Annan to travel to Damascus.

The official said Syria blocked the former Palestinian foreign minister Nasser al-Kidwa because it does not want to deal with the Arab League.

Annan is due in Damascus on Monday.

Claimed footage with sounds of clashes between insurgents and regime forces in the Midan section of Damascus today:

1325 GMT: Egypt. A criminal court has found Zakaria Azmi, the Chief of Staff of former President Hosni Mubarak, guilty of corruption, sentencing him to seven years in prison and fining him 36.3 million Egyptian pounds ($6 million).

Elmy was also a legislator and a senior member of Mubarak's National Democratic Party.

Azmi is one of about three dozen key figures of the Mubarak regime in detention facing corruption charges. The group includes two former Prime Ministers, the ex-Speaker of Parliament, and several wealthy businessmen and Cabinet ministers.

Sunday’s verdict comes less than a week before a court is due to issue its ruling in the trial of Mubarak and his sons Gamal and Alaa.

1125 GMT: Syria. A demonstration today in Ma'arat Harma in Idlib Province:

1030 GMT: Syria. Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi has told journalists that Damascus retains the right to defend its citizens: "We will not forfeit that."

Makdissi said the United Nations Security Council should be looking into who is arming insurgents, inciting violence, and calling for NATO intervention.

Makdissi continued that the regime had shown the images of Friday's killings of more than 90 people in Houla "because we're not afraid. We know what happened."

0950 GMT: Syria. The Twitter account of British Foreign Secretary has been announcing a series of steps after Friday's mass killings:

Charge d'affaires at Syrian Embassy in London will be summoned to @foreignoffice tomorrow at my instruction over #houlamassacre
— William Hague (@WilliamJHague) May 27, 2012

Hague also said he will soon be speaking to United Nations envoy Kofi Annan and "will call on Russia to support rapid & unequivocal pressure on #Assad regime and accountability for crimes".

0945 GMT: Syria. Activists say a bomb has struck a security vehicle in Damascus, causing casualties.

Both the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees of Syria claim the explosion occurred in the upscale neighborhood of Mazzeh. The LCCS say the incident was near a military airport.

0730 GMT: Syria. Helene Cooper and Mark Landler of The New York Times report:

In a new effort to halt more than a year of bloodshed in Syria, President Obama will push for the departure of President Bashar al-Assad under a proposal modeled on the transition in another strife-torn Arab country, Yemen.

The plan calls for a negotiated political settlement that would satisfy Syrian opposition groups but that could leave remnants of Mr. Assad’s government in place. Its goal is the kind of transition under way in Yemen, where after months of violent unrest, President Ali Abdullah Saleh agreed to step down and hand control to his vice president, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, in a deal arranged by Yemen’s Arab neighbors. Mr. Hadi, though later elected in an uncontested vote, is viewed as a transitional leader.

The success of the plan hinges on Russia, one of Mr. Assad’s staunchest allies, which has strongly opposed his removal.

0605 GMT: Syria. Saturday's news was dominated by the aftermath of the killings in Houla in Homs Province the day before. United Nations observers, including the head of the mission, Maj. Gen. Robert Mood, visited the site and reported 92 bodies, including those of 32 children and teenagers.

Victims were later buried in a mass grave, as Mood condemned “in the strongest possible terms the brutal tragedy”. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and the UN envoy for Syria, Kofi Annan, went farther. Countering Syrian State media's claim that "Al Qa'eda-linked terrorists" were responsibile, they pointed at the regime:

This appalling and brutal crime, involving indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force, is a flagrant violation of international law and of the commitments of the Syrian government to cease the use of heavy weapons in population centres and violence in all its forms.

Those responsible for perpetrating this crime must be held to account.

Meanwhile, another 60 people reportedly died at the hands of security forces across Syria on Saturday, including 25 in Homs Province and 15 in Idlib Province.

Bahrain Live Coverage: Regime on Human Rights "You Are Biased. P.S. We'll Sue You"

Scott Lucas — Sun, 27 May 2012 10:21:52 +0000

Protesting the detention of women, youth defy security forces to set up a burning-tyre barricade in Dar Kulaib (see 0719 GMT)

1914 GMT: Is this the latest step in the regime's crackdown on human rights activists?

The founder of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, is serving a life sentence. The head of the Centre, Nabeel Rajab, has been imprisoned since 5 May. Now the Centre's Said Yousif Almuhafda is being http://yfrog.com/nxolzokj" target="_blank">targeted by the regime's newspaper Alayam, accused of implementing an Iranian agenda and lying to foreign media.

1014 GMT: Defense lawyer Mohsin al-Alawi says a court has sentenced six people to prison terms of up to 15 years, claiming they were plotting with Iranian agents to overthrow the regime.

Three of the men were sentenced in absentia, including Ali Mushaima, the son of imprisoned opposition leader Hassan Mushaima.

Al-Alawi said two other accused received lesser sentences and were freed because they had spent six months in detention.

0909 GMT: The National reports that the price of prime office space has dropped by a third in the past three years amid financial and political uncertainty.

Property company CBRE estimates that half the space in the kingdom is empty. Occupancy may be as low as 25% in the showpiece Bahrain Financial Harbour, opened in 2007,and billed as a rival to the Dubai International Financial Centre.

Only 78 companies are listed as tenants in BFH's directory, and some of those have shut down. That compares with 848 firms in the DIFC at the end of 2011. The National continues, "A multi-storey retail space beneath the two towers is a ghost town, with a few branches of Caribou Coffee and Costa Coffee sparsely populated. A Starbucks cafe and a Jashanmal bookstore had shut down."

0719 GMT: Protesters are calling for marches and demonstrations of resistance across Bahrain today to demand freedom for women detainees --- Bilad Alqadeem:

Karzakan:

0714 GMT: The regime-linked Gulf Daily News cheers:

An initiative to wipe out anti-government graffiti has proven so successful that it has been rolled out in other trouble areas across Bahrain.

It features the beautification of villages by painting religious murals to prevent vandals from spraying anti-monarchy slogans on public and private property.

Organisers are encouraging the country's youth to come out in force to show off their artistic talents and paint cultural images, Islamic phrases and the 99 names of Allah.

0707 GMT: In a Saturday feature, "Preaching Religious Tolerance, Practicing Religious Discrimination", EA's John Horne noted that King Hamad's wife would be the guest of honour at a Paris ceremony organised by the French branch of a Catholic charity, Aid to the Church in Need. The Bahrain News Agency follows up:

Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, wife of His Majesty the King and President of the Supreme Council for Women affirmed that Bahrain was and still is a place for peaceful coexistence between different religions and cultures and a living example for religious freedom.

She pointed out that Bahrain is known for its historical and civilized position whereby mosques and churches exist near each other and both the sound of Muslim call for prayer and the sound of the ringing of bells of churches can be heard, This, she said, represents the humanitarian and professional approach of dealing among the various religious sects of the society.

0700 GMT: Following up our initial entry (see 0600 GMT) --- sources have told EA that activists returning to Bahrain from the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva have been informed that they will be "summoned for interrogation".

0653 GMT: The Bahrain News Agency reports that the kingdom will stop broadcasting its channels on satellite operator Arabsat from 1 June to protest an Iran-led "hostile" media campaign.

Bahrain's International Affairs Authority criticised Arabsat for failing to heed repeated requests "to take official measures" against the Iranian channels which tried "to incite sectarianism and shake security and stability" in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

0600 GMT: On Friday, the United Nations Human Rights Council put out a strong message to the Bahrain regime. In its Periodic Review, the Council put 176 recommendations calling on the Kingdom to address issues of rights and abuse that had not been resolved, despite assurances by the authorities of "reform". The President of the Council added a special message:

Recently I was informed....about a media campaign which is taking place in your country, identifying and threatening representatives of civil society who came to Geneva to participate in this review. Given these press reports I would like to express my concern at those incidents, reminding you that intimidation is inconsistent with the spirit of democratic participation, which inspires this universal periodic review and this mechanism in the council.

Yesterday the regime offered its response through the Minister of Interior, Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa:

some human rights organizations adopt a single view of information they get about Bahrain, as they are only convinced of what they hear from one side and give the deaf ears to official responses....Such bias[ed] approach should be avoided by people working in the field as they are expected to have a positive role in supporting the truth with objectivity....The matter raised doubt of how those organizations are selecting their information.

The Minister then addressed the President of the Council:

[He hadn't[ received complaints from concerned individuals about threats they are receiving. He said that statements of those representatives who claimed to be threatened would be taken as part of legal procedures to know the truth.

The Minister expressed his thanks to countries' representatives who showed objection of what was mentioned by the Council President as it considered as violation to agreed-upon protocols and a new practice.

And there was more from the Minister --- the headline of the Arabic version of his statement: "[We Are] Registering Statements of Civil Society Representatives in Geneva to Take Legal Action Against Them".

The Latest from Iran (27 May): A New Parliament Opens

Scott Lucas — Sun, 27 May 2012 09:46:04 +0000

President Ahmadinejad and former President Rafsanjani enter the first session of the new Parliament todaySee also The Latest from Iran (26 May): Propaganda Watch

1825 GMT: Nuclear Watch. Earlier today (see 0635 GMT) we had noted the defiant stance of the head of the atomic energy organisation, Fereydoun Abbasi, that the International Atomic Energy Agency would not be allowed to inspect the Parchin military site. This, we suggested, was a major step back from possible accomodation over Iran's nuclear programme, given that IAEA head Yukiya Amano had said only a week ago that an agreement over inspections was imminent.

Western media, however, are focusing on another section of Abbasi's comments on State TV, namely that Iran is standing on its right to enrich uranium to 20% on its soil: "“We have no reason to retreat from producing the 20 percent because we need 20 percent uranium just as much to meet our needs."

We are not so struck by the remark. Abbasi has been a "hard-liner" in the past --- in contrast to, for example, President Ahmadinejad --- on the level to which Iran can enrich.

Today's comment should be seen more as a re-assertion by the regime of a tough negotiating position after the failure to get any advance, and indeed signs of a retreat, on a deal at last week's Baghdad talks. Iranian officials blame the situation on the initial proposal put by the 5+1 Powers, which did not explictly recognise Iran's right to enrich and which offered no significant gesture on sanctions.

1821 GMT: At the Movies. The House of Cinema, the organisation for many of Iran's filmmakers and actors, has restarted its activities after a five-month ban.

The Ministry of Culture suspended the House, soon after the arrests and sentencing of a number of documentary makers, in late 2011 on the grounds that it did not have a licence. Last week, however, the Administration Court ruled that the Ministry had not followed proper procedure.

1638 GMT: Politics Watch. The blog of Hamed Talebi, political editor of Fars, has reportedly been filtered after he warned against Gholam Ali Haddad Adel as the next Speaker of Parliament.

1608 GMT: A Syrian Admission from the Revolution Guards. According to Baztab, Ismail Qa'ani, the deputy head of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, has said, "The presence of the Islamic Republic...has stopped great massacres in Syria."

1356 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Journalist and human rights activist Farshad Aswad has been arrested at the airport he was leaving Iran.

Aswad had worked with Nasrin Sotudeh, the prominent defence attorney who has been imprisoned for six years.

1349 GMT: Picture of the Day. Vahid Lalipour, on his release from Evin Prison today after serving a one-year sentence:

1345 GMT: Loyalty Watch. Seyed Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the late Ayatollah Khomeini, has said that some expected a power struggle after his grandfather's death, "but due to Ayatollah Khamenei's leadership, it did not happen".

1340 GMT: Economy Watch. Iranian authorities, amid general criticism that imports are harming domestic producers, have banned Chinese Qur'ans from entering the country.

1220 GMT: Economy Watch. Mohammad Taghi Lashkari, the head of the fish farmers' union, warns of damage from the second phase of subsidy cuts "if the Government does not support us". Lashkari said production was down by 40% this year.

1200 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Writer and translator Manijeh Najm-Araghi, the secretary of the Iranian Writers Guild, has been summoned to serve her one-year prison term.

1000 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Five Kurds have reportedly been sentenced to a total of 46 years in prison.

The five, all residents of Maku city in West Azerbaijan, are Mostafa Armin, Mousa Hatefi, Saeed Derayat, Ali Marhamati, and Vali Balkhanloo. They were arrested last year.

Balkhanloo and Armin were sentenced to 15 1/2 years in prison for mohareb (enmity against God). Derayat and Marhamati were sentenced to four years, while Hatefi received a seven-year term.

0935 GMT: Ahmadinejad Watch. President Ahmadinejad has spoken at the opening of the new Parliament, "Today, evils have been mobilized from all directions to put the Iranian nation under pressure. Removing and resisting the pressures, and cooperation, are the main priority today."

Perhaps more significant than this rhetoric was the President's renewed attempt to assert his authority, drawing a line against Parliamentary interference, "Any effort to intervene in another's affairs will not serve the country. This is only devastating."

In his address to the legislators, the Supreme Leader advised them to avoid "unwarranted challenges" to the Executive and the judiciary.

0755 GMT: Defending the Rapper Watch. Throughout this month, Iranian clerics and politicians have called for the execution of rapper Shahin Najafi for his song "Naqi", invoking the 10th Shia Imam to criticise the political and social situation in the Islamic Republic. A website posted a $100,000 bounty for the killing of Najafi, who is in exile in Germany.

Yesterday, as Arshama3's Blog summarises, supporters of Najafi turned out in cities across Europe. A photo from Frankfurt:

0645 GMT: All-Is-Well Alert. The head of the Central Bank, Mahmoud Bahmani, has declared that Iran has implemented a new system for international financial transactions.

Bahmani said the system would replace the SWIFT network used for most transactions around the world.

In March, SWIFT cut off services to Iranian banks subject to sanctions by the European Union that were adopted in January. The step has reportedly had a significant effect on Iran's international trade and movement of assets.

0635 GMT: Nuclear Tough Talk. The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Fereyoun Abbasi, has issued a defiant No to the International Atomic Energy Agency over its insistance on inspecting the Parchin military site: “The agency is interested in visiting Parchin due to pressure from countries that want the agency to investigate the issue.”

The IAEA has requested the inspection because of claims that the Islamic Republic has a high-explosives containment vessel, which could be used in development of a nuclear weapon, on the base. However, Abbasi maintained, "No documents or reason has been presented to us” for a visit.

Does this mean that Iran is turning its back on IAEA Director Yukiya Amano, six days after he had discussions in Tehran and announced that a deal on Parchin would be reached "very soon"?

0625 GMT: The Islamic Republic's 9th Majlis has been opened with a message from the Supremer Leader, read by his representative, "[This] is a powerful message by which the Iranian nation addresses the contemporary world."

Perhaps more interesting is the manoeuvring for the Speaker's chair. For weeks, it has appeared that Ali Larijani, the Speaker in the 8th Parliament, might lose his position to former Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, former Speaker and relative of the Supreme Leader by marriage. However, as the two candidates addressed the factions organising themselves for the new Parliament this weekend, the feedback was that groups such as the Velayat Followers --- who claim to have more than half the members of the new Parliament --- would overwhelmingly back Larijani.

Syria, Egypt (and Beyond) Live Coverage: More than 50 Die in Houla; A Presidential Run-Off in Cairo

Scott Lucas — Sat, 26 May 2012 10:30:29 +0000

UN military observers view dozens of victims of Friday's killings in Houla in Syria

2015 GMT: SyriaTonight's protest in the Kafarsouseh section of Damascus, in sympathy with the people of Houla:

1945 GMT: Algeria. Lawmakers of the "moderate" Islamic Green Algeria Alliance and two smaller Islamic factions have walked out of the inaugural session of the new Parliament to protest against an election they claim was rigged to give a majority to the ruling party.

The MPs held up placards reading "No to fraud!" and then left. They hold about 60 seats in the 462-seat parliament.

In the election on 10 May, the ruling National Liberation Front won 220 seats, and the allied RND party came second with 68 seats.

1929 GMT: Egypt. More political drama tonight....

Hamdeen Sabahi, who finished a strong third in the Presidential election, to the surprise of many observers, has given a rousing speech to enthusiastic supporters. Sabahi said that he will not tell his supporters for whom to vote in the Presidential run-off.

The audience responded, "Down down with military rule! The people say, we don't want felool (remnants of the regime)!"

Sabahi's campaign is also filing an appeal for suspension of the election because of voting irregularities and a pending case over the right of former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, who finished second in the vote, to stand for President.

1925 GMT: Syria. The Local Co-ordination Committees of Syria claim that 49 people have died across the country at the hands of security forces, including 25 people in Homs Province.

1700 GMT: Syria. Mass burial of victims of Friday's attack on Houla that killed at least 92 people:

1655 GMT: Yemen. Military officials and local sources say 33 people, including six soldiers, have been killed today in clashes between regime forces and insurgents in the south of the country.

1625 GMT: Syria. The head of the United Nations observers, Maj. Gen. Robert Mood, has condemned “in the strongest possible terms the brutal tragedy” in Houla, where he said 92 bodies, including those of more than 32 children and teenagers, had been counted.

A team of UN observers visited the area. Mood later told reporters in Damascus, “Those using violence for their own agendas will create more instability, more unpredictability and may lead country to civil war."

Syrian State media has blamed the deaths on "Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist groups".

1623 GMT: Syria. Plainclothes supporters of the regime beat people with sticks in Baghdad Street in central Damascus:

1600 GMT: UAE. Al Jazeera English offers a lengthy overview of the detention of 15 political activists in the United Arab Emirates in the past year.

All but two of the detainees are members of the Reform and Social Guidance Association [al-Islah], which advocates reform and "adherence to Islamic principles". The chairman of al-Islah, Sultan bin Kayed al-Qasimi, the cousin of the ruler of the northern emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, is among those held.

1555 GMT: Syria. Claimed video of mourners at a funeral in Aleppo dispersing amid gunfire by security forces:

1315 GMT: Syria. Claimed footage of security forces firing on a demonstration in the Qaddam section of Damascus today:

A large rally in Aleppo remembering the dead in the attack on Houla on Friday:

1235 GMT: Tunisia. Hundreds of Salafi Islamists have attacked bars and shops and clashed with security forces in Jendouba.

The crowd was protesting the arrest of four men in connection with previous attacks on alcohol vendors. A Ministry of Interior official and a witness said they were throwing rocks and petrol bombs.

Police responded with tear gas, breaking up the group, but fighting continued.

1225 GMT: Egypt. Ahmed Shafiq, who finished second in this week's Presidential ballot and will face the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi on 16-17 June in a run-off, has been holding a lengthy press conference. Al Jazeera English offers a selection of quotes.

1135 GMT: Syria. A claimed image of the some of the bodies of those slain in Houla on Friday:

1100 GMT: Syria. LiveStream is showing a demonstration of thousands of people in Aleppo, calling for the downfall of the regime after the deaths in Houla on Friday.

A demonstration in Kafroumeh in Idlib Province for the dead of Houla:

And Latamneh in Hama Province:

1050 GMT: Syria. As United Nations observers visit the scene of yesterday's killings, activists have raised the toll of those killed in the assault of Houla in central Syria to more than 90.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 90 people had been slain, while a local activist, Abu Yazan, said 12 people died in shelling and 106 were killed when pro-regime plainclothes enforcers, known as "shabiha", stormed the area.

Abu Yazan said shelling began after an anti-regime demonstration following Friday Prayers. Later the shabiha raided the village of Taldaw, just south of Houla, entering homes and shooting at civilians.

1045 GMT: Yemen. A Saudi diplomat kidnapped by insurgents in Yemen has urged Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah to meet his captors' demand for the release of women prisoners, in a video message posted on the Internet on Saturday.

"I plead the custodian of the two mosques (Saudi King Abdullah) to bring me back to my family, to my children and wife," said Abdallah al-Khalidi, the Saudi deputy consul in the Yemeni port city of Aden, who was abducted in March. "I plead King Abdullah...to save me and release me from al Qaeda in return for the release of the imprisoned sisters."

1020 GMT: We have moved our Bahrain update to a separate entry for Live Coverage.

0930 GMT: Syria. Back from a Saturday break to find the leaked report from Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to the United Nation Security Council about the Syrian situation. Dated 25 May, the letter is gloomy: "Measured against the commitment of [UN envoy Kofi Annan's] six-point plan, the overall situation in Syria remains extremely serious and there has been only small progress on some issues."

While expressing concern about "an alarming number of explosion in population centres, including acts of terrorism", the gist of the report is criticism of the Assad regime on issues such as the failure to withdraw military forces or cease operations; continuing arrests and detentions; and "massive violations of human rights".

0440 GMT: Egypt. After a day of drama and uncertainty in the counting of ballots, confirmation finally came last night that the Presidential run-off will be between the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate, Mohamed Morsi, and Ahmed Shafiq, the Vice President in the last weeks of the Mubarak regime.

The outcome was filled with surprises. The Nasserite socialist Hamdeen Sabahi outperformed expectations, and at one point was a possibility for the run-off before falling short of Shafiq's second-place total. Former Brotherhood candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, expected to be a strong contender, trailed badly from the early stages of the count. So did former Foreign Minister Amr Moussa, predicted by many to make the run-off and even lead the first-round tally.

0430 GMT: Syria. James Miller writes....

Friday's headline would have been the largek widespread protests held across the country, or the report that a Russian ship was destined for Tartus, stocked with weapons to bolster the Assad regime. But then the news emerged from Houla in Homs Province where several shells fell on a group of homes in a residential neighborhood, killing perhaps more than 50 people, among them 13 children.

The graphic video shows the bodies, the newest victims during the 15 months of the uprising. With another impressive show of protest strength, but after Assad's forces killed so many, not only in Houla but beyond --- activists claim 115 slain on Friday --- neither the crackdown nor the uprising show any sign of slowing.

Bahrain Live Coverage: UN Human Rights Council Sends Message to Regime

Scott Lucas — Sat, 26 May 2012 10:02:44 +0000

Friday's statement by the President of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Laura Dupuy Lasserre

1306 GMT: Claimed footage of police mobilising and using tear gas in Alma'ameer on Friday night, after a march of youth through the village:

1011 GMT: Yesterday, as the Universal Periodic Review concluded, the President of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Laura Dupuy Lasserre, put out a special announcement to the regime:

Recently I was informed....about a media campaign which is taking place in your country, identifying and threatening representatives of civil society who came to Geneva to participate in this review.

Given these press reports I would like to express my concern at those incidents, reminding you that intimidation is inconsistent with the spirit of democratic participation, which inspires this universal periodic review and this mechanism in the council.

For this reason I simply wish to remind you that we are all duty bound to ensure that nobody is persecuted on his return to his country for having participated in meetings of the human rights council or other bodies.

In this connection we hope the government, as you yourself have mentioned Mr. Minister will genuinely involve all civil society interested in the implementation of the recommendations of this second review.

I am making this appeal on the basis of a decision of this council which is quite clear in paragraph 30 in establishing the fact that the council energetically rejects any attempt at intimidation or reprisals against persons or groups cooperating or having cooperated with the United Nations, their representatives and their human rights mechanisms.

The President went further by naming the activists who might face retaliation by the regime:

I express full confidence in the senior delegation with us today because I know that it will offer all guarantees to those persons identified in the press.

Quite simply I would like to mention them so you can carry out [the] follow-up: Dr. Nada Dhaif, Mrs. Maryam AlKhawaja, Mrs. Lamees Dhaif, Mr. Mohamed Al Tajer, Mr. Abdulnabi Alekri, Mr. Sayed Hadi Al Musawi, Mr. Hassan Marzooq, Mrs. Jalila Al Salman, Mr. Isa Alghayeb, Mrs. Alaa Shehabi, Dr. Taha Alderazi and Mr. Faisal Hayat.

0948 GMT: Amidst this week's criticism by the United Nations (see 0940 GMT), the regime might seek solace in an interview of the Bahraini Ambassador to the UN, Huda Nonoo, by The Washington Post.

However, the outcome may not be to the liking of the monarchy. The headline is sympathetic, "Bahrain Protests Have Complicated Job for Houda Nonoo, First Jewish Ambassador from an Arab Nation". However, EA's John Horne, in a separate analysis, has noted the contradiction between Nonoo's projection of Bahrain's record on religious minority and the regime's discrimination against the Shia religious majority. And the article in the Post, beyond the headline, is far from accommodating. It opens:

After months of requests, Nonoo, 47, had finally consented to a one-on-one interview, the only one she granted to The Post during the writing of this article. Conditions: The interview could last only 30 minutes; a representative from Qorvis, a Washington lobbying and public relations firm, had to be in the room; and questions about her husband and two sons would not be allowed. The clock started ticking.

The Ambassador is soon portrayed as a weary spokesperson with a difficult task: "[Events have] thrown Nonoo into nonstop defense mode, and she readily talked about the rejection she had experienced. “I have to explain to friends what Bahrain is. It’s hard that your friends think the opposite, and the media has not helped us at all."

0940 GMT: The opposition society Al Wefaq highlights this week's Universal Periodic Review by the United Nations Human Rights Council of the Bahraini regime's position on human rights, with more than 170 recommendations for action to deal with violations and abuses.

Al Wefaq has highlighted calls to implement the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry by September; immediate release of all political prisoners; accountability for those involved in torture and violations; despatch of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights to Bahrain; rebuilding of mosques demolished by authorities; and freedom of expression and freedom of media, including for the opposition.

Bahrain Special: Preaching Religious Tolerance, Practicing Religious Discrimination

John Horne — Sat, 26 May 2012 03:21:09 +0000

Bahrain Shia pray at the site of a demolished mosque, 24 December 2011

An event in Paris today, raising awareness and support for the universal right of religious freedom, has chosen an unexpected guest of honour: the King of Bahrain's wife.

La Palme De La Liberte, "The Palm of Freedom", is organised by a the French branch of a Catholic charity, Aid to the Church in Need. Attendees and passersby in Notre-Dame Square will see an oasis constructed from fifty palm trees, each three metres tall. Senior Catholic clerics from Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan and Hong Kong will be at the ceremony.

The choice of Princess Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa as guest of honour at an event calling for religious tolerance has concerned many human rights activists, given the Bahraini regime's record of discrimination against Shia citizens. Her presence at the event appears to be less a recognition of reality and more the outcome of an emerging public relations campaign, where the focus is placed on Bahrain's positive approach to religious minorities to distract from its treatment, claimed as oppression by many, of the religious majority.

It is unclear if the charity is fully aware of the accusations of religious discrimination against the Bahrain regime --- EA attempted to contact them yesterday, but there was no response --- from prominent institutions across a spectrum of issues. On Thursday, for example, the US State Department observed in its 2011 human rights report on Bahrain :

Discrimination on the basis of gender, religion, nationality, and sect persisted, especially against the Shia population. The government demolished multiple Shia religious sites and structures during the year.

In a separate report on religious freedom, the State Department highlighted structural discrimination against Shia citizens, particularly in employment and government roles.

These reports echo the findings of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) and those of Amnesty International in their summary of April 2012. Amnesty argues that the Bahrain "orchestrated a collective punishment policy against the Shi’a community", adding, "The government has not taken any steps to tackle discrimination or incitement to hatred, or work towards real reconciliation between the ruling family and the Shia population."

Observations by NGOs who have visited Bahrain point to the continuing discrimination against Shia citizens. Physicians for Human Rights argues that "over the past 14 months...the Government of Bahrain has denied a largely Shia segment of its population" the right to safe medical treatment, "resulting in widespread fear among many who seek [it]". Human Rights First's report cites testimony of Shia citizens who were subject to religious harassment by police during recent arbitrary arrests (where they were also subject to beatings). Such anti-Shia religious harassment was found by the BICI report to be one of "the most common techniques used on detainees," suggesting that there has been little by way of reform.

None of this, however, has stopped the Bahrain regime from claiming the exact opposite. And they have seized upon the public platform given them by the Catholic charity to push this propaganda to an overseas audience.

On Thursday, Sameera Rajab, Bahrain's new Minister of State for Information, spoke at a press conference in France supporting today's Palm of Freedom event. Rajab praised "religious freedoms" in Bahrain and claimed that " public and private jobs are accessible by all", according to Gulf News Daily, who copied almost word-for-word the report of the press conference by the regime's Bahrain News Agency.

Meanwhile, The Washington Post published an interview with Bahrain's Ambassador to the US, Houda Nonoo. Ambassador Nonoo took issue with accounts of 2011, including some of the findings of the BICI report, "All these problems are not reality", and asserted, "The Shiites are treated the same way as everyone else." The week before, Ambassador Nonoo was in Europe where, in her own words, she "[took the opportunity] to share Bahrain’s unique story of religious tolerance and religious freedom".

Certainly, Ambassador Nonoo is a far more appropriate person to claim that Bahrain is a beacon of religious tolerance than Sameera Rajab. In 2007, the US Ambassador to Bahrain, William Monroe, raised concerns about "Rajab's role in pushing a sectarian agenda" at a conference in Iraq which was strongly anti-Shia. And, as noted by Marc Owen Jones, Rajab publicly promoted anti-Shia conspiracy theories during the events of 2011.

Bahrain's alleged "religious tolerance" carries personal overtones for Ambassador Nonoo. As a member of Bahrain's tiny Jewish community --- numbering around 30 citizens --- Nonoo is doubly symbolic: she is not just from a religious minority, but is also a Jewish representative for a predominately Arab state. Accordingly, she is an ideal figure to spearhead a propaganda offensive, particularly given her closeness to PR firm Qorvis (indeed, she insisted that a representative from Qorvis was present during The Washington Post interview).

It is precisely this --- positive treatment of religious minorities in an Arab state --- Ambassador Nonoo, Sameera Rajab and Princess Sabika al-Khalifa (three women, no less) are currently selling to the West. This serves to project Bahrain as a novel place of tolerance and thus clearly not in need of significant change.

In late February, a Qorvis issued press release reported on a talk Nonoo gave to Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church, where she is "highlighted the Kingdom's superlative record in preserving religious freedom". The press release cites the following passage from her speech:

Bahrain is a free and open society. Women are fully empowered members of society. Although Bahrain is a Muslim country, religious minorities – including Christians, Jews, Hindus and Baha'i – enjoy full freedom of worship.

Today, next to mosques, Bahrain is home to 19 registered Churches, a synagogue, Hindu temples and many other places of worship.

EA readers may remember a similar line being fed to a New York Times reporter by three Western expatriate women in Bahrain:

All three said one reason they had stayed in Bahrain was its openness — a Gulf state with Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, synagogues, Hindu and Baha’i temples.

At her press conference in Paris, Rajab emphasised, "Religious minorities enjoy their full status....The recent incidents in Bahrain have in no way affected exercising religious rituals by the minorities."

Positive treatment of religious minorities should be applauded, of course. The point here is that its current promotion has another motive: diversion from the regime's mistreatment of the Shia majority.

The historic and continued discrimination against Shia citizens in Bahrain is regarded by many as institutionalised sectarianism, an opinion buttressed by the Al-Bandar report. Serious accusations have been leveled at the regime by NGOs, foreign governments, and the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, but little to nothing has been done by the regime to address political, institutional, and structural causes, enabling the views which guided such policy and practice to remain intact.

There is often a notable disconnect between the Bahrain regime's rhetoric and the reality of its actions. Indeed, it is the role of the public relations firms paid millions to market a fantasy version of the island Kingdom to cover up this disconnect. However, this latest attempt for a vision of Bahrain as a modern, reforming state is remarkable in its audacity, and --- given the events at home, rather the presentation abroad --- more than a little chilling in what it perhaps purports to achieve.

Syria, Egypt (and Beyond) Live Coverage: More than 50 Die in Houla; A Presidential Run-Off in Cairo

James Miller — Fri, 25 May 2012 22:40:34 +0000

Saturday's Live Coverage has now been moved to the top of the homepage....

Egypt, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Waiting for a Presidential Outcome

James Miller — Fri, 25 May 2012 10:38:53 +0000

Children in Rastan, which has been shelled by regime forces this month, protest by lying down in front of the cars of United Nations observers

2103 GMT: Syria. According to the Local Coordinating Committees, today's death toll has risen to 51, with at least 40 killed in Houla, Homs (see previous updates).

2054 GMT: Egypt. It was messy, it was long awaited, it was ovedue, it's going to be disappointing to some, but it's hard to argue that it isn't historic. There are the results of the first presidential election in Egypt:

1. Mursi 5,553,097 (25.30 per cent)

2. Shafiq 5,210,978 (23.74 per cent)

3. Sabbahi 4,739,983 (21.60 per cent)

4. Abul-Fotouh 3,936,264 (17.93 per cent)

5. Moussa 2,407,837 (10.97 per cent)

As we predicted earlier, the results will trigger a runoff election between the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Mursi and Ahmed Shafiq, a former air force commander and Mubarak's last Prime Minister.

2035 GMT: Syria. Al Arabiya is reporting that a Russian ship filled with weapons is headed towards the Syrian port of Tartus, a weapons shipment designed to bolster the Assad regime. The allegation is not that unusual - we've heard it before, and at least one allegation of this nature was proven to be false. What is unusual, however, is the large amount of specific information in the report, and the fact that is was backed by several unnamed Western diplomats, according to Reuters:

Western diplomats said the report was credible.

One diplomat told Reuters that the vessel, which is called "Professor Katsman," is owned by a Maltese firm, which itself is owned by a Cypriot company that is owned by Russian firm.

Diplomats said the Russian firm might have been acting on behalf of state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, though that was not clear.

Rosoboronexport, and the Russian government, have declined comment on the story.

2026 GMT: Syria. According to Free Syrian Army officers, an entire battalion of Syrian regular army fighters has defected near Damascus and joined the opposition:

Free Syrian Army [FSA] spokesman Colonel Khalid al-Hammoud informed Asharq Al-Awsat that “203 soldiers have defected from the regime, including 3 officers from the al-Qatifa area, which is close al-Qalamoun in the Rif Dimashq Governorate.”

He added “these defections took place after this operation was intensively pursued by FSA officers, convincing the entire battalion to leave the al-Assad army.”

The FSA spokesman revealed that “the battalion was subject to confrontation and bombardment by the Syrian army, with al-Assad regime forces targeting them with mortar strikes, resulting in the deaths of 5 soldiers…others were able to flee – with all of their equipment – by marching through orchards and farms, and they have joined the FSA.”

2016 GMT: Syria. The death toll in Houla, Homs, continues to climb, as reports of shells having hit homes continue to come in. According to the LCCS, more than 30 have died there. Many videos, including this graphic video, show scores of dead or dying men, women, and children.

1912 GMT: Syria. Another video reportedly taken today in Douma. According to the description, it shows a "rocket strike" in a residential neighborhood of the suburb. Could this rocket strike be the RPG hit seen in the previous video?

1858 GMT: Syria. The controversial claim of the day - according to the account that uploaded this video, it shows a soldier in the Assad army firing an RPG at shops and civilians in Douma earlier today, an effort to disrupt and deter the formation of protests:

The claim has been circulating for about an hour, and has now been posted by the LCCS. We'd note, however, that there are no distinguishable features of buildings or landmarks that are visible in the video could help verify the location or the narrative. As such, we stress that the video is unconfirmed.

1801 GMT: Syria. At least 5 people were killed today in Aleppo, as thousands took to the streets in protest. Here is another video, a screen grab from Al Jazeera Mubasher, showing the moment that the security forces open fire on the crowds:

1735 GMT: Syria. The death toll in Syria has likely topped 30 today. Almost an hour ago the LCCS put that number at 22, but new reports suggest that tally is already obsolete. Here is the breakdown of the old numbers:

9 martyrs in Hama, 5 martyrs in Aleppo, 3 martyrs in Homs, 3 martyrs in Damascus Suburbs (Zamalka, Dumair, Erbeen) and 2 martyrs in Daraa.

Within the last 30 minutes, however, the LCCS reports (and posts a graphic video of) 10 new martyrs and dozens of wounded in Houla (Hawle), west of Homs. This video shows shelling and gunfire, likely heavy weapons mounted on tanks or armored vehicles:

Also, LCCS posts video of the shelling of Ariha, in Idlib province:

Among the other reports from the LCCS - heavy shelling of Kafer Naboda, west of Khan Shaykhoun and east of Qa'alaat al Madiq, and area where the Syrian regime has almost constantly been bombarding for months. Other villages and towns in Hama and Idlib are also reportedly under attack at this hour

However, arguably the most disconcerting reports are the reports of heavy fighting in Harasta, Irbeen, Jisreen, and other areas in the Ghouta suburbs, east of the capital (Map).

1613 GMT: Syria. While the Free Syrian Army is struggling to defeat Assad's military, and there is little hope for foreign intervention in the foreseeable future, there is another, even more dangerous, and much more imminent threat to the Assad regime - it could run out of food.

The economy has fallen apart, and the situation is only getting worse in Syria, but this crisis started at the same time that Syria was already importing huge amounts of grain to feed its people. Faced with a massive influx of refugees from Iraq, and agricultural problems partially due to drought, the Assad regime needed large quantities of imported food, much of which was heavily subsidized, in order to keep the population fed.

With sanctions making it hard for Asaad to find credit, and Syria's reputation finding it hard to find viable partners, the Assad regime is finding it increasingly hard to import grain, even though food is not covered by sanctions:

On Friday, in what might prove to be a turning point on a path toward a politically corrosive food crisis, government data showed the domestic grain harvest falling well short of target and the state grains agency failing to find a single acceptable offer to fulfill a major import tender it issued last month to buy animal feed for its livestock farmers.

"Syrian purchase interest has fallen off in the last 10 days or so," one trade source familiar with exports to Syria of wheat and other grains for human consumption and animal feed told Reuters. "Banks are becoming tougher in checking compliance with sanctions. It is becoming more difficult to get finance from any banks."

State currency reserves have been depleted and the Syrian pound has lost nearly half its value, adding to import problems.

As import problems persist, the price of importation is growing, adding to the budget crisis at a faster and faster pace. Assad may soon be faced with a stark choice - curtail his crackdown against Syria's popular uprising, likely leading to a stronger opposition, or cut food subsidies significantly, likely leading to a stronger opposition.

1603 GMT: Syria. BBC correspondent Paul Wood and cameraman Fred Scott have a must-watch report on the situation in Al Rastan, where the situation is not improving, and even the press cannot escape the falling shells.

1540 GMT: Syria. Now we've found this video which reportedly shows today's protests in the Bustan al Qaser area of Aleppo.

And we've also found this video - a large protest in the Barzeh district in north-central Damascus:

But again, all is not peaceful. This video reportedly shows smoke rising from Jisreen, Damascus, after an explosion there.

1502 GMT: Syria. Digging into the latest numbers from LCCS (see last update) all the deaths in Aleppo, all five of them, are reported in the Salah el Deen or Bustan al-Qaser districts, both prominent and central areas where large protests have taken place (Map). Video posted earlier shows gunfire in Salah el Deen. (update 1352 GMT)

1452 GMT: Syria. According to the Local Coordinating Committees, a network of activists with a presence in every area of the country, there have been 19 people killed so far in today's violence:

7 martyrs in Hama, 5 martyrs in Aleppo, 3 martyrs in Homs, 2 martyrs in Damascus suburbs (Zamalka, Dumair) and 2 martyrs in Daraa.

Cracking open the numbers, what's significant is that many of these reported deaths, and the other reports of violence, aren't just coming from the far flung corners of the country, but in the key cities and major suburbs of Hama, Aleppo, and Damascus.

1424 GMT: Egypt. Morsi vs. Shafiq in a runoff election? Not so fast, say some who are watching the results in Cairo:

Incomplete results from Cairo suggest a big lead for Sabahy in the capital. The leftist candidate is also comfortably beating Shafiq to second place in Giza.

Ahram Online which is still calling it as Morsi v Shafiq run off says we are still waiting for results from Cairo, Giza, Asiut, and Qalyoubiya governorates, where one third of electorate live.

Mohamed Abd el-Hamid calls for patience:

However, the results from Assiut are in and Morsi and Shafiq placed 1 and 2, with Sabahy a distant 4th. Basically, it may all come down to Cairo.

1417 GMT: Egypt. It appears that there will be a runoff election, and as Al Jazeera's Sharine Tadros reports, the results are a lot different than many thought they would be only a week ago:

At Morsi HQ, press conference will be at 9pm tonight to announce their final results. Spokesperson says it's shafik vs morsi
— Sherine Tadros (@SherineT) May 25, 2012

At shafik HQ they all seem shocked twitter.com/SherineT/statu…
— Sherine Tadros (@SherineT) May 25, 2012

At shafik HQ: One of the campaigners just asked the guy in charge of counting whether shafik can catch up Morsi. Reply 'no way'
— Sherine Tadros (@SherineT) May 25, 2012

Meanwhile, The Guardian posts this message from the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammed Morsi, who looks like he'll be in the next round of voting:

1352 GMT: Syria. Last week all eyes were on Aleppo, particularly on the University, where students returned to campus to protest after security forces shut the dormitories for more than a week during a raid that killed a half dozen students. Today there have been massive protests in the Salah el Deen area of Aleppo, south of the university.

However, security forces reportedly opened fire on the crowd. This video reportedly shows some of the violence:

Injuries are reported.

Young man with an injury in his back from gunfire at a protest in #Aleppo city today.youtube.com/watch?v=S5G4YL… #Syria
— Free Syrian (@HamaEcho) May 25, 2012

1346 GMT: Syria. According to Iranian Press TV, the Lebanese prime minister has announced that the pilgrims who were arrested in Aleppo, Syria, have been released.

1337 GMT: Syria. This video was reportedly taken in Quddsaya, a few miles northwest of the center of Assad's power in Damascus. According to the LCCS and several eyewitness reports, these security forces attacked a crowd of protesters after they began to chant. It is unknown if there have been injuries or arrests.

1319 GMT: Syria. Things have already turned deadly today. Security forces reportedly opened fire on a crowd in Zamalka, Damascus, killing at least 1 person. The video below shows both the gunfire and the evacuation of a martyr. A second video, from a different account, shows a similar scene:

In this graphic video, reportedly taken today, a child lies dying in the streets of Irbeen, Damascus. The hook lying in the streets was apparently used to try to recover the body, but activists are worried that the sniper who took the shot is waiting for another target:

1305 GMT: Syria. Already today we are inundated with videos of large protests across many areas of Syria. It's very early, but today appears to have been another show of strength for the peaceful protesters, and the trend over the last month is that the protest movement is steadily growing.

In the war-torn town of Binnish, a strategic key point in Idlib province, the people have a simple message for the world - "We Are Not Terrorists."

Increasingly frustrated at international inaction, and increasingly targeted by the Assad regime, the always-defiant protesters in Kafranbel, Idlib, have this message:

"Obama! Learn that one man with courage makes a majority. Be America's President once before fading away - Occupied Kafranbel 25 5 2012"

This area was heavily attacked by tanks, artillery, and reportedly helicopter gunships earlier this week.

This video was taken in the Khalidiya district in Homs, outside the Khaled Ibn Walid Mosque, an mosque that has not seen protests since last year because of the nearly-constant attacks on the central areas of what used to be Syria's 4th largest city. The constant military attacks, and the threat of death, has clearly not weakened the resolve of many in Homs.

A central square fills with protesters in Al Bab, Aleppo:

El Waer district of Homs, another area always facing nearly constant threat of military shelling:

This was taken somewhere in the Jabal Al Zawiyah area of Idlib:

We've heard that a very large (activists are saying "massive") protest is growing in Ma'arrat al Nouman, an area that saw a significant spike in violence mid week. This is just one video that we've seen:

These are only a very small sample of the videos we've seen. There are some that are at least as impressive as these. If these protests appear like large, defiant, and strong challenges to the Assad regime, then one should note the theme of today's protests: "Our next rendezvous, Damascus."

Oh, and while we're talking about Damascus - Ad Dumayr:

Daraya, Damascus:

But this protest may be the most impressive - it was reportedly taken in the Golden Mosque of Damascus, in the Kaber Atkah district, directly in the center of the capital.

James Miller takes over today's live coverage. Thanks to Scott Lucas for getting us to the afternoon.

1135 GMT: Egypt. A significant twist which indicates that the first round of the Presidential election is far from resolved....

Many observers had called the outcome as a run-off between the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi and Ahmed Shafiq, Prime Minister in the Mubarak regime. However, Ahram Online is now reporting that Nasserite socialist Hamdeen Sabahi has overtaken Shafiq.

1130 GMT: Syria. A large demonstration in the Kobani area of Aleppo:

Jbeileh in Deir Ez Zor Province:

Talbiseh in Homs Province:

1040 GMT: Syria. A demonstration this morning in the al-Asali section of Damascus:

0950 GMT: UAE. Human rights activist Ahmed Abdulkhaleq Ahmed has been detained.

Ahmed belongs to the Bedoon (stateless) community and is one of five actvists arrested in 2011 for "publicly insulting" the United Arab Emirates President and other top officials. The five were found guilty in November but were pardoned and released a day after their conviction, having spent eight months in prison.

0930 GMT: Syria. The Local Co-ordination Committees in Syria claim that nine people have died so far today, six of them in a single incident in Hama Province.

0920 GMT: Egypt. David Kirkpatrick of The New York Times offers an explanation of the likely outcome of the Presidential vote (see 0806 GMT):

The Islamist candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood [Mohamed Morsi] will face former President Hosni Mubarak’s last prime minister [Ahmed Shafiq] in a runoff to become Egypt’s first freely elected president, several independent vote counts concluded Friday morning....

Mr. Shafik’s law and order message resonated with voters, helping him to overtake the two candidates previously considered, along with Mr. Mursi, to be the front-runners. One was Amr Moussa, a former foreign minister under Mr. Mubarak and former head of the Arab League, who had offered a softer but similar message. In the final weeks of the race, Mr. Moussa’s support appears to have all but collapsed in favor of Mr. Shafik....

[Former Brotherhood member Abdel Moneim] Aboul Fotouh came in third, according to multiple tallies. But in the final weeks of the campaign, some of his more secular-minded supporters appear to have shifted their allegiance to another dark horse, Hamdeen Sabahi, a Nasserite socialist, who appeared to narrowly trail Mr. Aboul Fotouh in the vote count.

0850 GMT: Yemen. In a week when aid agencies warned of a "catastrophic food crisis" and international donors considered billions in assistance to Yemen, Al Jazeera English's Inside Story considers the situation:

0810 GMT: Syria. Claimed footage of shelling of the Jobar section of Homs this morning:

0806 GMT: Egypt. Partial results indicate that the two men who will proceed to the run-off election for the Egyptian Presidency are the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi and Ahmed Shafiq, former Prime Minister in the Mubarak regime.

Brotherhood officials are already declaring this as the outcome. They claim that, with votes counted from about 12,800 of the roughly 13,100 polling stations, Morsi has 25% and Shafiq 23%. Former Brotherhood official Abdel Moneim Abul-Fotouh has 20% and Nasserite candidate Hamdeen Sabahy 19%.

0617 GMT: Syria. The statement of Burhan Ghalioun as he officially resigned as head of the opposition Syrian National Council:

We were not up to the sacrifices of the Syrian people. We did not answer the needs of the revolution enough and quickly enough.

I submitted my resignation precisely to say that this path of division between Islamist and secular doesn't work, and I think the Syrian regime has won in that respect because since the beginning it has tried to play on this division.

0607 GMT: Syria. Cleric Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zoaby, the head of the Free People of Syria, has said that Syrian insurgents will today free two of 13 Lebanese Shia men kidnapped this week: "After benign efforts and contacts done by the Sheikh...two of the Lebanese will be released today. The regime is responsible for their safety."

The statement said efforts were being made with groups in Lebanon, Europe and some Arab countries to secure the release of the other 11 men.

0600 GMT: Bahrain. The US State Department has issued its 2011 "Country Report on Human Rights Practices" for Bahrain. Despite the dry language and conservative approach --- for example, sticking with the statement of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry of 35 killed in the conflict, rather than the more than 80 claimed by activists --- this passage is striking in its casting of blame:

The most egregious human rights problems reported in 2011 included the inability of citizens to peacefully change their government; the dismissal and expulsion of workers and students for engaging in political activities; the arbitrary arrest and detention of thousands, including medical personnel, human rights activists, and political figures, sometimes leading to their torture and/or death in detention; and lack of due process.

Other significant human rights concerns included arbitrary deprivation of life; detention of prisoners of conscience; reported violations of privacy and restrictions on civil liberties, including freedoms of speech, press, assembly, association, and some religious practices. In some instances the government imposed and enforced travel bans on political activists. Discrimination on the basis of gender, religion, nationality, and sect persisted, especially against the Shia population. The government demolished multiple Shia religious sites and structures during the year. There were reports of domestic violence against women and children. Trafficking in persons and restrictions on the rights of foreign workers continued to be significant problems.

0500 GMT: Egypt. After two days of voting, the count is underway in the Presidential election.

Eleven candidates are vying for two spots in a run-off ballot on 16 and 17 June, assuming no one gathers a majority of the vote today.

The Muslim Brotherhood is claiming that its candidate Mohamed Morsi is leading the count, an assessment supported by other observers. The heated chatter right now, however, is who will finish second. Speculation says Ahmed Shafiq, the former Prime Minister in the Mubarak regime; former Brotherhood member Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh; and --- unexpectedly --- Hamdeen Sabahi, the leader of the Nasserist Dignity Party, are all in contention. So far, the biggest "loser" is former Foreign Minister and Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, who is reported to be far behind.

Syria. A far different day in Syria, where protests rather than peaceful ballots are likely to be the story.

The dramatic headlines of violence have faded this week, with all sides appearing to re-assess and re-group. However, the Local Co-ordination Councils of Syria report that 40 people still perished across the country on Thursday.

Egypt Opinion: A Reminder After the Presidential Vote "The Revolution Lives"

Josh Shahryar — Fri, 25 May 2012 09:34:07 +0000

An advisor to Ahmad Shafiq, Vice President in the Mubarak regime and candidate in the run-off for Egyptian President: “The revolution has ended. It is one and a half years.”

The results in Egypt's first "free" Presidential elections are almost complete, with a run-off vote projected between Ahmad Shafik, a stalwart of the Mubarak era, and the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi.

The dreams of Egypt's reform-minded youth, who toppled Hosni Mubarak 15 months ago and ushered in an era of real rather than staged elections seem to be lost. In the run-off on 16-17 June, it will be the drama of dictators and Islamists that will be staged once again on voting day. Military power will win, as the Supreme Council of the Armed Force ensures that progress towards a true, liberal, human rights-respecting democracy is checked, no matter who is elected.

I have hope, though.

My old Egyptian roommate, Ahmed Rady, spoke at length to me last year about the situation in Egypt. One of his remarks stuck to my mind and I remember it to this this day: "The revolution was basically us, the youth, telling our parents we couldn't deal with this system anymore."

Today may appear to belong to the parents. Some chose Shafik because they believed in his promises of bringing law and order through strong-handed authoritarianism. Others voted for Morsi because they are not so enthusiastic about a non-conservative Egypt.

But the day still belongs to the youth who wanted real change. Not just the government, but the system of government. They may have lacked a candidate who seemed viable in this election but their fight still remains: the most important part of the struggle was not about removing the government but altering how governments would come to power in Egypt from this point on. Without the struggles and sacrifices of these youths, their parents, friends, and peers who did not share their aspirations would not have the privilege to make the choices they made this week.

That is the true testament to their power. Their voices may have been drowned out by the military's anatagonism and by those who watched as these kids took bullets for the right to vote. They, however, are still here. And so is the system they brought with their blood, tears, broken bones, mutilated bodies, missing eyes and violated virginities.

For all the concern expressed today, this system works better than the last one. Egypt's progress can be slowed, but it cannot be halted. Its march towards true reform and rights can be checked, but it cannot be stopped.

Democracy is here to stay. It may seem like it's not working right now, but it's the first semi-free presidential election ever. Give this democracy time to take up roots, to dominate, to become the only way of governance acceptable to all.

In time, the frightened generation of cowering acceptance will wither away. The children of today will become parents and when the time comes, all of them --- not just some of them --- will join hands with the children they have raised to respect reform, human rights, and democracy. They will continue to go to the polls, not to enshrine the obsolete faces of power but to improve the future beyond those faces.

Respect, Tahriris, respect.

Iran Special: Statement By EU's Catherine Ashton After E3+3 Talks

James Miller — Thu, 24 May 2012 18:30:47 +0000

The E3+3 (sometimes known as the 5+1 Powers) talks with Iran about its nuclear program have ended in Baghdad. The parties have agreed to meet in Moscow on 18-19 June to continue the discussions.

STATEMENT BY CATHERINE ASHTON, HIGH REPRESENTATIVE
FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY AND VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE COMMISSION IN BAGHDAD ON 25th MAY 2012

First of all, I would like to thank the Iraqi government, and in
particular Foreign Minister Zebari, for the excellent hospitality and
organisation of these talks.

The E3+3 remain firm, clear and united in seeking a swift diplomatic
resolution of the international community's concerns on the exclusively
peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme, based on the NPT, and the
full implementation of UN Security Council and IAEA Board of Governors
Resolutions. We expect Iran to take concrete and practical steps to
urgently meet the concerns of the international community, to build
confidence and to meet its international obligations.

We have met with our Iranian counterparts over the last two days in very
intense and detailed discussions.

In line with our agreement in Istanbul, the E3+3 laid out clear proposals
to address the Iranian nuclear issue and, in particular, all aspects of
20% enrichment.

We also put ideas on the table on reciprocal steps we would be prepared to
take.

Iran declared its readinness to address the issue of 20 percent enrichment
and came with its own five-point plan, including their assertion that we
recognise their right to enrichment.

Having held in-depth discussions with our Iranian counterparts over two
days - both in full plenary sessions and bilaterals -it is clear that we
both want to make progress, and that there is some common ground. However,
significant differences remain. Nonetheless, we do agree on the need for
further discussion to expand that common ground.

We will go back to our respective capitals and consult. We will maintain
intensive contacts with our Iranian counterparts to prepare a further
meeting in Moscow with arrival on 17 June with talks on 18th an 19th June

As we have already agreed, the talks will be based on a step-by-step
approach and reciprocity.

We remain determined to resolve this problem in the near term through
negotiations, and will continue to make every effort to that end.

Bahrain Live Coverage: Activist Zainab Alkhawaja Gets 1-Month Sentence

Scott Lucas — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:32:51 +0000

1640 GMT: A policewoman charged with torturing journalist Naziha Saeed during last year's crackdown on protests will go on trial next month, prosecutors said today.

The unnamed officer is accused of "us[ing] force against the victim to make her confess to a crime". Saeed, the Bahraini correspondent of France 24 and Radio Monte Carlo Doualiya, was arrested on 22 May 2011.

The statement continued, "[The policewoman] beat her and caused her...harm...[by] slapping her, beating her with a plastic tubing, kicking her in all parts of her body, in addition to insulting her."

The first court hearing is set for 6 June.

Saeed recounted her experience earlier this week:

a policewoman asked me 2 imitate donkey's walk&voice, &she sat on me but I fell on the ground cause she s huge &I'm skinny #Bahrain #torture
— nazihasaeed (@nazihasaeed) May 22, 2012

beatings and insults Continued for hours in which they rotate beating by officer &policewomen between me & the nurses #Bahrain #torture
— nazihasaeed (@nazihasaeed) May 22, 2012

1430 GMT: Activist Zainab Alkhawaja has been sentenced to one month in prison for allegedly abusing a policewoman during a demonstration in April.

Alkhawaja is the daughter of the founder of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, who was given a life sentence last June and is on Day 105 of a hunger strike calling for freedom for political prisoners. Arrested on numerous occasions, including once when she was trying to see her father in a military hospital, Zainab Alkhawaja has been held in prison since 21 April.

Yesterday a prison letter from Zainab Alkhawaja, written on 19 May, was released: "If I get released, every village I pass through will shout the names of countless prisoners of conscience. All the walls will show me their faces. Around me, I will see their grief-stricken mothers and fathers, their wives, their children."

0843 GMT: Bahrain. Protesters offer their version of street signs, repeatedly painting on the road, "Down With [King] Hamad".

(Cross-posted from Egypt, Syria, and Beyond Live Coverage)

Turkey Live Coverage (24 May): Erdogan Government Sidelining Its Minister of Interior?

Ali Yenidunya — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:40:50 +0000

1220 GMT: Following Minister of Interior İdris Naim Şahin's recent announcement that the order of the Uludere operation --- which killed 34 civilians in January --- was given by top air force commanders, the opposition BDP's deputy Hasip Kaplan has responded in Parliament:

Let us ask this to Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Mehdi Eker, since the Defence Minister is not present here. He will give a better answer. Which beast gave that order?

1100 GMT: A deputy of the opposition Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), Leyla Zana, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of spreading propaganda for PKK.

Zana was convicted in 1994 for having links to PKK and she was released in 2004.

1030 GMT: The Deputy Chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Hüseyin Çelik, criticised Minister of Interior İdris Naim Şahin for his recent remarks on the Uludere incident in January, which killed 34 civilians as they were smuggling goods from Iraq. Çelik disowned Şahin's claim that the slain were smuggling for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), as “extras” of the militant group. Çelik said:

We think this approach and style by Mr. Minister is not humane. It is also clear that the style and approach of Mr. Minister does not belong to the AK Party. It is not possible to get something right from something wrong. If they had been captured alive, they would be put on trial on charges of smuggling, but this incident overshadowed the smuggling issue.

Egypt, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Day 2 of a Presidential Election

James Miller — Thu, 24 May 2012 06:09:31 +0000

See Also, Bahrain Live Coverage: Activist Zainab Alkhawaja Gets 1-Month Sentence
Wednesday's Egypt, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: An Election in Cairo, Conflict Beyond Damascus

2045 GMT: Syria. According to the Local Coordinating Committees of Syria, 38 people have been killed so far today:

10 martyrs were reported in Idlib, 7 in Hama, 6 in Damascus Suburbs (Beit Jinn, Zabadani, Abadah and Douma), 12 in Homs (Rastan, Qosair and Deir Baalba), 1 in Daraa (Kalzour), 1 in Deir Ezzor, and 1 in Aleppo.

2025 GMT: Syria. Many suspect that the results of the parliamentary election were rigged. The process itself excluded many parties and candidates that would have been legitimate challenges to the status quo. Earlier today I wrote about the convenient symmetry of the results of the parliamentary election and today's leadership vote. Everything about the election smells fishy.

Today, parliament met for the first time and elected their leadership board. To no great surprise, a former the Baath party official won the position of speaker. The rest of the results (English) are published by Syrian state media's SANA here (Arabic).

So, the former Baath party makes up the majority of the parliament, and the leadership. If you're the Syrian opposition, this sounds rigged. But if you're the Twitter Account Hama Echo, then you KNOW it's rigged:

Very interesting, a page posts the parliament leadership results the day before today's voting. facebook.com/photo.php?fbid… What do you think?
— Free Syrian (@HamaEcho) May 24, 2012

The link in that Tweet leads to an opposition Facebook page, posted yesterday (20 hours ago) that had the results of TODAY's parliamentary leadership vote. The results of today's vote were leaked before the vote even took place, and they match 100% the official results published today on SANA.

Click for full-sized image

Speaking with Shakeeb al-Jabri, he says that he, too, had seen that list. According to Al-Jabri, it's possible that the results were guessed, as experts of Syrian politics could have determined the results based on the official parliament results. Either way, however, neither al-Jabri nor Hama Echo expressed much surprise that the vote could have been rigged and the results of today's votes leaked beforehand.

Even if the results could have been guessed, that still says a lot about the openness of the process. Even if today's results weren't rigged, the results were predetermined - and the Baath parties stranglehold on parliament solidified - long before today's swearing in of parliament.

1943 GMT: Syria. In my latest assessment of the West's response to the Syrian crisis, I argue that the US in particular is not doing enough to end the crisis. I also suggest that there are many options beyond military intervention, even options that do not resort to arming the insurgent fighters.

Well, according to unnamed officials speaking with the AP, the US government is seeking to facilitate the arming of the Free Syrian Army without actually arming the opposition themselves:

The effort, U.S. officials told The Associated Press, would vet members of the Free Syrian Army and other groups to determine whether they are suitable recipients of munitions to fight the Assad government and to ensure that weapons don’t wind up in the hands of al-Qaida-linked terrorists or other extremist groups such as Hezbollah that could target Israel.

The plan, which has not yet been finalized, reflects U.S. frustration that none of the previous efforts — including diplomatic rhetoric from the United Nations and the multinational Friends of Syria group, and special envoy Kofi Annan’s plan for a cease-fire — has even begun to nudge President Bashar al-Assad from power. The vetting would be the first tiny step the U.S. has made toward ensuring that the Syrian opposition uses the weapons to fight Assad and not to turn it into a full sectarian conflict.

1813 GMT: Syria. The former head of the Syrian National Coincil, Burhan Ghalioun, has broken his silence about the SNC's failures, and his own resignation.

“We were not up to the sacrifices of the Syrian people. We did not answer the needs of the revolution enough and quickly enough,” Ghalioun told AFP, adding that the bloc was split between Islamists and secular activists.

The Paris-based academic said he resigned because “he did not want to be the candidate of division” within the SNC and “to say that this path of divisions between Islamist and secular does not work.”

Ghalioun said the SNC’s slowness was down to the consensual way it was run.

“The current formula is a coalition formula of a few parties and political groups that monopolize decisions and don’t give any chance to members to really take part in decisions, that’s what caused a lot of inertia,” he said.

“We were slow, the revolution goes at 100 kilometers per hour and we move at 100 meters per hour perhaps because we were blocked by this consensus rule,” he said.

So far, however, the SNC doesn't seem any better organized since Ghalioun's departure.

1642 GMT: Yemen. 35 Al Qaeda militants have been killed after they attacked the city of Jaar, in western Wadi Bani province. According to officials, the army is making progress in its campaign against Al Qaeda linked militants in Jaar, though the jihadis are putting up "resistance." Fighting also continued in Zinjibar, where the military is engaged in heavy battles with militants.

1628 GMT: Syria. According to the latest tally by the Local Coordinating Committees, a network of activists throughout Syria, the death toll today has reached 33:

10 martyrs were repoted in Idlib, 7 in Hama, 6 in the Damascus Suburbs (Beit Jin, Zabadani, Obada, Douma), 9 in Homs (Rastan, Qoseir, Deir Baalba), and 1 in Daraa.

According to the LCC, the Syrian regime launched machine gun attacks at several army checkpoints in Al Rastan, and the firing started right after the UN observers left.

Looking at the numbers, what's striking is how widespead the violence in Rif Dimashq is reported to be. Beit Jin is west of the capital, near the border with Lebanon (suspicious, as Lebanon is an important smuggling conduit for Syrian insurgents). Zabadani is northwest of Damascus. Douma is one of the capital's most important suburbs, just east of Damascus, and UN observers where there today. Obadah is south of the city.

Also, the regime is continuing to target towns in Hama and Idlib provinces, continuing efforts to disrupt the opposition there. However, curiously enough the number of killed so far in Daraa province is low, suggesting a possible halt to this week's heavy campaigning there.

The violence has been less patterned over the last few days - perhaps the presence of UN observers, who are moving all over the country, is disrupting the cycles of protesting and crackdown that we've become so accustomed to.

1507 GMT: Syria. Jonas Renz, who follows this conflict closely on Twitter, picks up s series of videos posted by another Twitter account showing claims of recent activity of the Free Syrian Army. The first video appears to show a truck, mounted with a heavy machine gun, near the hulk of a burning tank in Al Atareb, Aleppo, on Tuesday. What's interesting is that activists in Atareb, not directly affiliated with the FSA, had posted video of the destroyed tank on Tuesday, but did not show the FSA unit responsible for the attack.

This video, which we cannot verify as we have not previously seen many videos from this Youtube account, reportedly shows a gun battle in Ma'arrat al Nouman, in Idlib province, yesterday. We can verify that there has been fighting in and around that area for several days. The feature of the video, however, is the large anti-aircraft gun, mounted to the back of a truck, in the hands of the FSA.

Another video, which we cannot verify, reportedly shows an IED attack against an Assad patrol (very likely killing at least one of the soldiers) somewhere in the Jabal al Zawiyah region of Idlib on May 18th (may be disturbing, explosion happens after 1:40):

This video, which comes via a different source, reportedly shows the formation of a new FSA battalion in rural Damascus. Note that not only do soldiers have RPGs and AK-47s, standard fare for fighters on both sides, but that the men in the front appear to have more sophisticated rifles than most FSA fighters:

It's anecdotal, but these are all signs that, whether through capturing weapons from the regular army or though smuggling, the insurgent fighters in Syria are becoming better equipped than we've seen to date.

1410 GMT: Syria. Today was the first meeting of the newly-elected Syrian parliament, marking the first time that non-Baath party members have been able to run for parliament. A new day for Syria.

Or not. Despite the claims that this election marks a major reform, Mohamed Jihad Al Lahham, head of the Damascus branch of lawyers’s syndicate, a "former" Baath party member, has been elected as the new speaker of parliament. Lakham won the vote by receiving 225 out of 250 votes.

The symmetry of the vote is interesting - apparently, exactly 90% of the parliament supports the Baath party's ideology. Other interesting symmetrical numbers emerged from the election results. The Popular Front for Change and Liberation, an opposition group, only won 5 seats. There are also precisely 30 women in parliament now.

1346 GMT: Syria. A UN panel said today that both the opposition and the government are committing crimes against prisoners, and the civilian population. The statements stressed, however, that the government was still to blame for the vast majority of these crimes.

"Fighters in anti-government armed groups were killed after being captured or wounded," the report said. "In some particularly grave instances, entire families were executed in their homes — usually the family members of those opposing the government."

Children, including boys as young as 10, have said they are "tortured to admit that older male members of their family are Free Syrian Army soldiers or supporters," the report said. The Free Syrian Army is the rebel force trying to topple the government.

The report went on to acknowledge that there have been crimes committed by anti-government groups as well. According to the panel, soldiers and suspected informants have been executed or tortured, there have been abductions for the purposes of prisoner exchanges and ransoms, and roadside bombs are an increasingly popular weapon.

One thing that the report glosses over - while the panel was cautious to avoid equating the volume of crimes committed by government forces to those committed by anti-government groups, most discussions about such things ignore that the anti-government groups are not centrally governed, while the Syrian government is supposed to be. In other words, the bad actions of parts of the opposition are lumped together. The report is also unclear as to whether the massive car bombings and suicide attacks are included as crimes committed by anti-government groups. We do know that the FSA is using IEDs against Assad troops, but it is unclear if there have been civilian casualties as a result of these attacks.

Also, Human Rights Watch previously listed a similar report, but most of the crimes documented in the report were committed by a single FSA battalion in Homs, and a small group in Idlib province. It's hard to know whether this panel's findings are more or less comprehensive than that one.

Still, the panel's findings that these crimes are increasing, on both sides of the conflict, is ominous, and if the qualifications I listed above are considered, then the findings are also consistent with evidence we've encountered. No doubt about it - things in Syria are getting progressively worse.

James Miller takes over today's coverage from Scott Lucas.

0843 GMT: Bahrain. Protesters offer their version of street signs, repeatedly painting on the road, "Down With [King] Hamad".

0830 GMT: Syria. Google has announced that its mapping software, such as Google Earth, and other products like its Chrome web browser will be available in Syria after the US Government gave export approval.

Last year Google arranged with Washington to waive sanctions and make the same services available to people in Iran, while blocking access by Government computers.

0810 GMT: Yemen. US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has claimed that American cyber-warriors hacking the websites of Yemeni insurgents, changing ads that bragged about killing Americans into ads that showed the death toll of attacks on the local population.

0737 GMT: Syria. Reuters profiles an economic consequence of the political crisis, with an exodus of poor to Lebanon:

Huddled under Beirut's concrete bridges and around street corners are thousands of Syrian men who have left home and crossed the border in recent months in the hope of finding work as day laborers.

From 13-year-old schoolboys to limping elderly men, most of them represent impoverished families from Syria's rural regions who are suffering the brunt of a deepening economic crisis as a 14-month-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad drags on.

"We could barely buy a pack of bread. We're suffering from hunger, so I had to come here and do whatever I can," said Mohammed Mahou, 23, a father of three from an eastern farming town called al-Qamishli.

Syrians who once headed for day work in Aleppo and Damascus have found construction projects halted. Farmers like Mahou say they are unable to work their fields because prices of fertilizer have risen sharply and some areas are unsafe to farm.

Meanwhile, prices for basic food staples in Syria have nearly tripled, they say.

On Wednesday, Syria Minister of Oil Sufian Allaw blamed sanctions for shortages of cooking gas and other basic goods and for the loss of $4 billion from the economy.

0730 GMT: Syria. The Local Co-ordination Committees of Syria claim 18 people died at the hands of security forces on Wednesday, including five defecting soldiers.

The LCCS has also distanced the opposition from this week's kidnapping of 13 Lebanese Shia in Aleppo Province, blaming President Assad's forces:

The gang of a regime that currently rules Syria has recently reached the stage of spreading chaos through explosions that move from town to town in the country to terrorize Syrian citizens and prevent them from participating in the Revolution of Freedom and Dignity. The regime also employs this tactic to consolidate its mandate in the country, to protect itself for as long as possible. The regime and its supporters are working day and night to find justifications for the “disorder” its main representatives have long described, both in and out of the country.

0610 GMT: Egypt. A later start for us today because of academic business, so we open with this summary from Al Jazeera English of Day 1 of the Egyptian Presidential election:

Egypt is set to resume its first free presidential election after voting passed off calmly on the first day apart from a stone-throwing attack on candidate Ahmed Shafiq, who was premier for a few days before Hosni Mubarak fell.

The race broadly pits religious conservative candidates against secular ones like Shafiq and Amr Moussa, the former Arab League chief who previously served as Mubarak's foreign minister.

Long queues formed at polling stations early on Wednesday, and some were packed late into the evening. But turnout, so far, seemed lower than an earlier parliamentary vote when conservatives swept up most seats. The scorching sun deterred some.

Bahrain Live Coverage: A March in Sitra

Scott Lucas — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:56:24 +0000

2035 GMT: According to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Bahraini regime has agreed to consider recommendations to release political prisoners, outlaw torture and join the International Criminal Court.

The Council said Bahrain will consider 176 recommendations submitted by other nations. part of a review that all 193 U.N. members are required to undergo every four years.

The regime was heavily criticised earlier this week, even by the US and Britain, for its repression of dissent and abuses since mass protests began in February 2011.

1805 GMT: Activists using the Twitter account of the detained activist Zainab Alkhawaja have posted a lengthy letter, dated 19 May, that she wrote in prison. An extract:

If I get released, every village I pass through will shout the names of countless prisoners of conscience. #Bahrain
— angry arabiya (@angryarabiya) May 23, 2012

All the walls will show me their faces. Around me, I will see their grief-stricken mothers and fathers, their wives, their children #Bahrain
— angry arabiya (@angryarabiya) May 23, 2012

1255 GMT: A relatively quiet day in Bahrain, but we note this footage of a protest march in Sitra on Tuesday:

Demonstrators called for the immediate release of all political prisoners, especially the hunger striker Abdulhadi Alkhwaja. Chants included, "Abdulahdi said it...Freedom or Martydom"; "We know our leaders very well. The bars shall not make them surrender"; "Down Down [King] Hamad".

Syria Opinion: Empty Talk --- The US and Its Allies Have No Strategy to End This Crisis

James Miller — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:46:03 +0000

Protesters in Kafranbel in Idlib Province send a message to President Obama, 16 December 2011

CNN knows it. The Washington Post is mystified by it. It's a safe bet that Bashar al Assad is fully aware of it as well.

There is no will in the West to intervene in Syria any time soon. Despite all the reasons to intervene in Syria, neither the United Nations nor NATO nor the US have shown any interest in getting involved.

To many, this news will be greeted with a sigh of relief. To others, this will be a disappointment and even a cause for anger.

But beyond this immediate revelation, there is a wider significance: the UN, NATO, and the Obama Administration are not just signalling that they are hesitant to intervene. They are also sending a crystal-clear message to the Assad regime that it is not at risk for a Libya-style takedown any time soon. Bashar, you are safe.

International action to end the crisis, thus far, has focused primarily on sanctions: sanctions that appear to be having a devastating effect on the Syrian economy, as well as the budget of the Syrian government. According to a CNN report, Assad's cash reserves have dwindled from more $30 billion in March 2011 to a current level of $6 billion to $9 billion, with the estimated cost of his crackdown $1 billion per month. Major trading partners, such as the European Union, have cut themselves off, and Damascus is left without a market to sell oil. The regime has struggled to provide adequate refined oil to its cities, there are widespread food shortages, and violence or general strikes shut down commerce in cities for days at a time.

The remainder of the international efforts have focused on covertly arming the insurgent fighters of the Free Syrian Army. Arms, coming across the borders Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey, have given the FSA new hope. The weapons have been provided by private foreign backers, though there are rumors that Saudi Arabia, and possibly others, are also in on the act.

I have made the argument that arming the opposition is not enough to end the crisis and could carry with it unintended consequences. Three months later, with no end in sight, that argument has been at least partially vindicated. Assad, equipped with helicopter gunships, an unused air force, heavy artillery, and a vast quantity of armoured vehicles, anti-aircraft guns, and tanks, has been able to unleash hell on many cities. Even in the FSA's biggest victories, the insurgents have been largely incapable of stopping Assad's military might. The areas around the capital are still in control of the regime, and despite gains for the FSA in some areas, Assad remains the Goliath in the battle.

As a result, there are many calling for more action from the international community. Ideas have ranged from the establishment of humanitarian corridors to a no-fly zone, to full-scale air military intervention. However, with struggling Western economies, dcomplications on the ground in Syria, and general war fatigue, it is no huge surprise that the Western powers have not opted for more direct action, which would likely be tantamount to war, to end the crisis.

What is surprising is that the West has lots of options on the table beyond these --- everyday options --- but hasn't acted to stop the bloodshed or end the Assad regime.

What are these other options? One need to look no further than the West's reactions to Iran, US actions against Al Qaeda in Yemen, or even international efforts to stop piracy off the coast in Somalia. No additional US warships have been moved into the Mediterranean. No additional air forces have been moved to bases near Syria. Some additional aerial and surveillance has been done against Syria, but there has been no talk of greatly increasing those efforts. No troops have been sent to train the forces of US allies. No generals have spoken about how easy it would be to destroy Assad's artillery that is in the open when it is bombing civilian positions.

There has been no build-up, there has been no sabre-rattling. The US and its allies are effectively telling Assad that not only is intervention far from a favoured option, but that there are no preparations even to respond to the crisis in short order --- and there will not be any time soon. If you're a Somalian pirate, you have received more attention from the Pentagon than the Assad regime --- at least as far as the public face of the West's military might is concerned.

What is left as a strategy? Hope. The EU hopes that sanctions will topple the regime. Kofi Annan hopes the observers will end the violence. Obama hopes that Kofi Annan is right. NATO hopes that if then does not work, then Obama will do all the work himself. Saudi Arabia hopes that getting the Syrian insurgents some AK-47s or high-powered sniper rifles will topple the regime. Turkey hopes that refugees will stop flocking across its borders. The whole world hopes that, as the crisis draws on, jihadis, who are loving every minute of this, will not get involved.

The problem? There is absolutely no evidence that any of those hopes will succeed. There is no strategy for removing the Assad regime, nor ending the crisis, nor even limiting the amount of violence until the opposition just goes home (which is not going to happen). This is a growing threat that could destabilise the region, right in the center of the Middle East, and there is absolutely no thought as to how to limit or contain that threat, forget about eliminating the problem all together.

Nothing has been done to end the crisis. In fact, the efforts of the US and Europe have likely only made it worse. The only thing that has been done (maybe) is arming the opposition. If arming the opposition was part of a wider strategy to end the crisi, then it could be defended. However, all it seems to have accomplished is to make the pot simmer, only giving Assad more excuses to use his weapons to try to end the opposition to his rule.

And he knows this. Every day provides more evidence of Assad's defiance. UN observers are filmed while looking at tanks that were supposed to have withdrawn. Assad forces shell heavily- populated cities that are only a few kilometers from the UN monitors, open fire on civilians right in front of the observers, and damage UN vehicles. There is growing evidence that Assad is using helicopters to attack ground positions. The rate of arrests has not slowed, and in many places has increased.

The Free Syrian Army is stepping up its attacks but appears incapable of defeating the regime's troops in the short term, and suicide attacks and car bombs (no matter who is responsible) are wreaking havoc on the civilian populous. The country is becoming food-insecure, is facing a fuel crisis, and does not have the medical supplies to prevent or reverse a growing humanitarian crisis. Nothing is getting better in Syria. Everything is getting worse.

And, so far, there is not even a bluff to stop the violence.