Unrest In The Middle East.

The Associated Press has a summary of unrest in the Middle East:

“SYRIA

Syria’s vice president calls for a transition to democracy in a country ruled for four decades by an authoritarian family dynasty, crediting mass protests with forcing the regime to consider reforms while also warning against further demonstrations. Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa was speaking at a national dialogue. Key opposition figures driving the four-month-old uprising boycott the meeting, refusing to talk until a deadly crackdown on protesters ends.

EGYPT

Army troops firing in the air clash with stone-throwing protesters in the strategic city of Suez after crowds block a key highway to push for faster reform efforts, including probes of alleged abuses during the uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak. Suez has been hit by days of unrest over calls for swifter action against Mubarak-era officials. In Cairo, protesters block access to the Egyptian capital’s largest government building and threaten to expand sit-ins to other sites.
…”

Elsewhere the Torygraph reports:

“In scenes that would have been remarkable before four months of protests and violent suppression, the regime of President Bashar al-Assad allowed public criticism to be aired at a televised conference and promised “multi-party democracy” in response.

“The bullets are still being fired in Homs and Hama,” said one participant, the writer Tayyeb Tizini, of two major cities that have seen repeated demonstrations. “Laying the foundations for a civil society requires the dismantling of the police state.

“That’s an absolute prerequisite, because otherwise the police state will sabotage all our efforts.” He also called for the freeing of “thousands” of political prisoners, some who he said had been in prison for years.

But the convention was boycotted by many more leading dissidents and opposition figures with links to the street protests, calling its final purpose into question. “I thought 1,500 people died for more than a dialogue between the regime and itself,” one activist wrote on Twitter. “

Leaders’ Judgment?

I wanted to cover more of events in Syra and Yemen, but this piece in the New York Times is very relevant.

So I am not the only one with a low opinion of Binyamin Netanyahu:

“Journalists recalled that Mr. Dagan, who had refused contact with the media during his time in office, called a news briefing the last week of his tenure and laid out his concerns about an attack on Iran. But military censorship prevented his words from being reported.

“Dagan wanted to send a message to the Israeli public, but the censors stopped him,” Ronen Bergman of the newspaper Yediot Aharonot said by telephone. “So now that he is out of office he is going over the heads of the censors by speaking publicly.”

Mr. Dagan’s public and critical comments, at the age of 66 and after a long and widely admired career, have shaken the political establishment. The prime minister’s office declined requests for a response, although ministers have attacked Mr. Dagan. He has also found an echo among the nation’s commentators who have been ringing similar alarms.

“It’s not the Iranians or the Palestinians who are keeping Dagan awake at night but Israel’s leadership,” Ari Shavit asserted on the front page of the newspaper Haaretz on Friday.

“He does not trust the judgment of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak.”

It was Mr. Shavit who interviewed Mr. Dagan on stage at Tel Aviv University this week. And while Haaretz is the home of the country’s left wing, Mr. Shavit is more of a centrist.

“Dagan is really worried about September,” Mr. Shavit said in a telephone interview, referring to the month when the Palestinians are expected to ask the United Nations General Assembly to recognize their state within the 1967 border lines. The resolution is expected to pass and to bring new forms of international pressure on Israel. “He is afraid that Israel’s isolation will cause its leaders to take reckless action against Iran,” he said.

Nahum Barnea, a commentator for Yediot Aharonot, wrote on Friday that Mr. Dagan was not alone. Naming the other retired security chiefs and adding Amos Yadlin, who recently retired as chief of military intelligence, Mr. Barnea said that they shared Mr. Dagan’s criticism.

“This is not a military junta that has conspired against the elected leadership,” Mr. Barnea wrote. “These are people who, through their positions, were exposed to the state’s most closely guarded secrets and participated in the most intimate discussions with the prime minister and the defense minister. It is not so much that their opinion is important as civilians; their testimony is important as people who were there. And their testimony is troubling.”

This concern was backed by a former Mossad official, Gad Shimron, who spoke Friday on Israel Radio.

Mr. Shimron said: “I want everyone to pay attention to the fact that the three tribal elders, Ashkenazi, Diskin and Dagan, within a very short time, are all telling the people of Israel: take note, something is going on that we couldn’t talk about until now, and now we are talking about it. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, and that is the decision-making process. The leadership makes fiery statements, we stepped on the brakes, we are no longer there and we don’t know what will happen. And that’s why we are saying this aloud.” “

Update 1: Letters From a Young Contrarian does a great job, The Arab Spring into Summer: Today’s Events.

Update 2: Not forgetting Left Foot Forward’s Arab Spring latest: Murder, civil war and motor racing.

A Changing World Round Up.

What really has been going on in the world? I am not too sure, so am going to inflict on my readers yet another round up.

The Middle East dominates most of the news as far as I can see, but Western compliance, or should that be collusion, with the dictatorship in Bahrain deserves more coverage.

In Yemen, Saleh and his security forces continue to murder left, right and centre.

The Syrian regime follows suit, many murdered for opposing the Assad dictatorship.

Nukes get more subsidies, according to Left Foot Forward.

Thatcher would have dreams of these cuts, again LFF.

The CST, Spectator Alert: Ill-Mannered Jews Spotted in Savoy Grill.

Jon Stewart on Glenn Beck.

The Washington Post on the rise and fall of Egypt’s most despised billionaire, Ahmed Ezz.

Obliged to Offend considers the British Monarchy.

The well known racist, Helen Thomas, was interviewed at Playboy, Yourish has more.

Adam Holland on how some “anti-Zionists” are ‘delighted to announce that Helen Thomas …will be joining us’ at their conference, then thought better of it, fancy that, an old antisemite in the company of “anti-Zionists”!

The PCS think that Royal cleaners should get a living wage, couldn’t agree more.

A lot of real weirdos in the US hold a Adolf Hitler Birthday Party, then a smoke bomb goes off.

Norm on Jewish children and rockets.

EDL thugs in Halifax.

Prominent Israelis back Palestinian statehood drive, good thing too, I hope there is a Palestinian state shortly.

Bahrain’s Crackdown on University staff.

British journalists are not the only dead in Misrata.

The Beeb on Oman and Qatar.

There is another super injunction out, something about who screwed who, etc, Jon Slattery looks into it.

LabourStart’s campaign to help trade unionists in Bahrain.

Paul Rogers at OpenDemocracy, Libya: the view from the bunker.

Got an Ipad or Iphone? Then it is probably tracking your movements. Wow, not even I thought that Apple would commit that type of PR disaster.

A new book by a former Sarah Palin aide is coming out shortly, should be a laugh. At times, Palin make GW Bush seem like an intellectual.

Fancy eating with Nick Clegg? It will cost you £25,000.

Do a lot of flying? Old before their time at the Economist won’t thrill you.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi still in denial as he talks with the Washington Post.

Even the barefaced lobbyists in DC are sick of supporting Middle Eastern dictators. Bad karma or just bad PR?

Unrest amongst Ahwazi Arabs in Iran goes unreported in the West, but they are subject to discrimination and terrible human rights abuses at the hands of the Ahmadinejad regime.

Tom Gross on Goldstone, cartoons and racism.

Finally, Hezbollah planning to kill Israelis abroad. Not good.

In Syria.

Murder in Yemen, the shooting of unarmed protesters in Bahrain and now Syria, BBC News reports:

“At least three protesters have been shot dead in the south Syrian city of Deraa as security forces clamped down on a protest rally.

They were killed by security forces as protesters demanded political freedom and an end to corruption, eyewitnesses and activists told foreign media.

President Bashar al-Assad, whose Baath party has dominated politics for nearly 50 years, tolerates no dissent. “

Ali Abdullah Saleh And Conspiracy Theories.

In the last few weeks there has been a fair few examples of anti-Jewish racism invoked during the revolts in the Middle East, but not only that, Mubarak’s regime deliberately put it about that foreign journalists were “Zionist” spies and induce their supporters to attack the media accordingly.

The BBC’s John Simpson experienced this firsthand.

Now we have the ruler of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, doing his part to invoke conspiracy theories, AFP reports:

“Huge crowds poured into the centre of the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Tuesday in response to an opposition call for a mass rally against President Ali Abdullah, in power since 1978, drawing angry accusations from the veteran leader that it was all the work of Israel and the United States.

“The people want Ali Abdullah Saleh to leave,” the protesters chanted. “The people want to overthrow the regime.”

Saleh hit back, in an address to university professors at Sanaa University. “The events from Tunisia to Oman are a storm orchestrated from Tel Aviv and and under Washington’s supervision,” he said.

“What is taking place on Yemen’s streets is just a copycat attempt.”

Update 1: Yahoo news goes into more detail:

“However, in a speech to about 500 students and academics at Sanaa University, Saleh appeared to be turning on his ally, claiming the U.S., along with Israel, is behind the protest movement.

“I am going to reveal a secret,” he said. “There is an operations room in Tel Aviv with the aim of destabilizing the Arab world. The operations room is in Tel Aviv and run by the White House,” he said.

He said opposition figures meet regularly with the U.S. ambassador in Sanaa to coordinate efforts.

“Regrettably those (opposition figures) are sitting day and night with the American ambassador where they hand him reports and he gives them instructions,” Saleh alleged.

“The Americans also talk with the government officials about this (the protests), but they tell them `allow these people to demonstrate in the streets’,” Saleh said. “We say that this is a Zionist agenda.”

The wave of political unrest sweeping across the Arab world is a “conspiracy that serves Israel and the Zionists,” he added. “

Update 1: Kellie has provided a link to conspiracy theories at Al Jazzeera, Google translated:

“Israeli source revealed information about parking and Israeli security institution – and with the authorization of the Israeli government – of sending groups of mercenaries Africans to Libya for the attack on the rebels who took nearly two weeks ago in most parts of the country, demanding to drop the system, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi .

The source – a reporter for Yediot Ahronot on condition of anonymity – that the security leaks that Israel views the Libyan Revolution from the perspective of strategic security, and considers that the fall of the Gaddafi regime would open the door to the “Islamic regime” in Libya.

The source reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman have taken in a tripartite meeting on February 18 a resolution last recruiting African mercenaries fighting alongside al-Qadhafi

Islamic system

Confirmed leaks security, the meeting approved a request from Gen. Yisrael Ziv – the director of the security consulting “Global CSI T” which is active in many African countries – developed sets mercenary paramilitary Guinea, Nigeria, Chad and Central African Republic, Mali, Senegal and members of the rebel movements in In the Darfur region of southern Sudan at the disposal of Libyan intelligence official, Abdallah al-Sanusi.

According to the same source has confirmed the military intelligence chief Gen. Aviv Kokhvi during the meeting – also attended by Chairman of the Division of North Africa in the Foreign Shalom Cohen – The follow-up and accurate monitoring penetrans showed that the Revolution of Libya is dominated by “character of religious and fundamentalist,” and that the Muslim Brotherhood have a hand the upper, particularly in eastern Libya, and specifically the city of Benghazi .

He Kokhvi that if the regime fell, the Gaddafi alternative system would be “Islamic system”, which provides strategic depth of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Jordan and Sudan.

Revealed that the falsity of the leaks and Gen. Yossi Koprsawr and former Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami, former Israeli Ambassador in Paris is located in the breeze Zueli Senegal met with leaders of the Sanusi Libyan pro-Gaddafi at a military base in the Chadian capital N’djamena.

Billions of dollars

At this meeting View Sanusi on the falsity of his institution to provide security – that possession of an African military groups and units of military advisers and trainers – Libyan Arab Jamahiriya groups of members of this squad specially trained to fight in civil wars.

In return, Libya paid to the Israeli establishment to five billion dollars can be increased if the mercenaries proved their effectiveness in addressing the rebels Libyans.

It was also agreed on the transfer of these groups of African armed forces to Chad, then there is an air-borne from Libyan or Chadian into several regions and cities of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, such as the Sabha in the south and Tripoli in the center and walked in the north.

The same source said that the number of members of these groups amounted to fifty thousand equipped with a variety of weapons from the Russian-made and American, British and Israeli, including Kalashnikov rifles, “Tavor” developed and improved in Israel

Pledges to the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

According to the source itself, the party has given guarantees Libyan Foundation grant, “Global CSI T” – after the end of the revolution against Gaddafi – concessions in the field of exploration, extraction and export of Libyan oil and gas fields in several areas Sabha, Tobruk, Benghazi and Kufra.

Libyans also pledged to conclude a contract with the Israeli establishment active in the formation of military and security forces, preparation and training in Africa and Latin America, the Caucasus, in order to rebuild the forces and Libyan security bodies.

The Libyan side promised to allow the institution as well as the Israeli activity in the security field in Libya and the freedom to work from Libya for the activity in a number of neighboring countries, especially in the Darfur region of western Sudan, Niger and northern Chad. “

Union Coverage.

One of my regular readers has reminded me that I don’t cover trade unions enough.

I thought I would have a look at trade union rights in the Middle East, as it’s not a topic covered much in the Western media.

In the West, we take for granted what we have, and what others fought for, 8 hour working day, holidays, etc, the basics, so the Middle East, with its untold wealth and resources is a good starting place.

Despite a massive population, maybe as much as 300 million, we hear little news of the situation of ordinary people and workers in the Middle East.

Not unsurprisingly trade unions and trade unionists have many difficulties in the Middle East, their legal rights are often nonexistent, they are persecuted, attacked and even assassinated.

Attitudes towards trade unions and the treatment of workers is always a good indicator of the health of a society and we find a rather mixed picture when we consider the Middle East.

More often than not ordinary people in the Middle East don’t even have the basic right to join a free trade union, defend their working conditions, let alone strike.

In the end, the picture of workers’ rights in the Middle East is frequently bleak, as the International Trade Union Confederation 2009 survey relates:

“In Lebanon, Iraq, Israel and Palestine, the political tensions and violence are having a negative impact on trade union activities. The offices of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions, and some of the houses of its members, were destroyed by bombardments. In Lebanon, the government called on the army after a general strike was called in May that coincided with the aggravation of internal political tensions.

Changes in legislation have continued, but rather slowly. The effective exercise of union rights has accordingly been restricted or non-existent. In Iran, a new law enabling the establishment of free trade unions is being discussed. Promises of new laws guaranteeing increased trade union freedom have still not been kept in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar. In Iraq, the new labour code has not been presented to the Parliament; as a result, laws dating back to the former regime that severely restrict trade union activities remain in force. As a general rule throughout the region, migrant workers have no trade union rights. In Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates, the governments have brought in measures or proposed reforms aimed at improving the lot of migrant workers, however.

Trade unions are still banned in Saudi Arabia (where only the national workers’ committees are allowed to be set up in companies with over 100 workers), Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Despite the fact that trade union rights are enshrined in constitutions, restrictions remain and trade union pluralism and collective bargaining are virtually non-existent in the region. In Bahrain, for instance, although the government committed itself in 2007 to adopting a law allowing collective bargaining, the law has still not been adopted.

The right to strike remains limited in Oman, Qatar, Syria and Yemen, whilst it is totally banned in Saudi Arabia and banned in the public sector in the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Kuwait and Qatar. In addition, in many cases the list of essential services in which strikes are banned goes beyond the ILO definition.”

More later on.