Libyan protesters brave bullets to close in on Gaddafi

TRIPOLI, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi will fight a popular revolt to "the last man standing," one of his sons said on Monday as people in the capital joined protests for the first time after days of violent unrest in the eastern city of Benghazi.

Anti-government protesters rallied in Tripoli's streets, tribal leaders spoke out against Gaddafi, and army units defected to the opposition as oil exporter Libya endured one of the bloodiest revolts to convulse the Arab world.

Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi appeared on national television in an attempt to both threaten and calm people, saying the army would enforce security at any price.

"Our spirits are high and the leader Muammar Gaddafi is leading the battle in Tripoli, and we are behind him as is the Libyan army," he said.

"We will keep fighting until the last man standing, even to the last woman standing...We will not leave Libya to the Italians or the Turks."

Wagging a finger at the camera, he blamed Libyan exiles for fomenting the violence. But he also promised dialogue on reforms and wage rises.

The cajoling may not be enough to douse the anger unleashed after four decades of rule by Gaddafi -- mirroring events in Egypt where a popular revolt overthrew the seemingly impregnable President Hosni Mubarak 10 days ago.

In the coastal city of Benghazi protesters appeared to be largely in control after forcing troops and police to retreat to a compound. Government buildings were set ablaze and ransacked.

In the first sign of serious unrest in the capital, thousands of protesters clashed with Gaddafi supporters. Gunfire rang out in the night and police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators, some of whom threw stones at Gaddafi billboards.

Human Rights Watch said at least 223 people have been killed in five days of violence. Most were in Benghazi, cradle of the uprising and a region where Gaddafi's grip has always been weaker than elsewhere in the oil-rich desert nation.

Habib al-Obaidi, a surgeon at the Al-Jalae hospital, said the bodies of 50 people, mostly shot dead, were brought there on Sunday afternoon. Two hundred wounded had arrived, he said.

"One of the victims was obliterated after being hit by an RPG (rocket propelled grenade) to the abdomen," he said.

Members of an army unit known as the "Thunderbolt" squad had brought wounded comrades to the hospital, he said. The soldiers said they had defected to the cause of the protesters and had fought and defeated Gaddafi's elite guards.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/21/libya-protests-idUSLDE71K00720110221

Unrest continues grappling in Mideast, N Africa

BEIJING, Feb. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- The wave of anti-government protests continued spreading in the Middle East and North African regions in the wake of uprisings that toppled leaders in Egypt and Tunisia.

In Bahrain, four protesters were killed and dozens wounded after anti-riot police stormed the Pearl Square in central Manama on Thursday.

The Bahraini army said in a statement the same day that tough measures will be used to keep stability of the country.

"The military staffs from the Bahraini Defense Force (the army) have been deployed in the capital in order to take all necessary measures to safeguard the security and safety of citizens and to protect their freedom and properties from violence," said the spokesman of the Bahrain Defense Force.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday expressed "deep concern" about deadly clashes in Bahrain and called for restraint.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Thursday also expressed disturbance over the violent raids against anti-government protesters in Bahrain and called on leaders to exercise restraint towards civilians and journalists.

"The reports from Bahrain overnight are deeply troubling, here as elsewhere, violence should not be used against peaceful demonstrators and against journalists." Ban told reporters at the United Nations.

In Yemen, one protester was killed and about 50 were injured Thursday in clashes between police and anti-regime protesters in the capital of Sanaa and southern port city of Aden, local sources told Xinhua.

Recently, several thousands of Iraqis sporadically took to the streets in several provinces across the country protesting unemployment and a sharp rise of food prices, as well as demanding better public services.

On Thursday, Hundreds of Iraqis rallied in southern Iraqi provinces, demanding better living, jobs and public services.

Seven people, including policemen, were wounded by the turmoil, according to a provincial police source.

In the northern African country of Lybia, several hundred people on Wednesday clashed overnight with police and government supporters in the eastern city of Benghazi, demanding the government to resign.

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http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-02/18/c_13738182.htm

Hamas concerned upheaval in Arab world will spill into Gaza

Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip are concerned about the effects of the upheaval in the Arab world, as Facebook messages call on Gaza residents to demonstrate against Hamas rule on Friday.

Several thousand people have joined the Facebook group calling for a protest against Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip. Another Facebook group is calling for protests against the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Far fewer people have expressed interest in that page, but Palestinian leaders in the West Bank also recognize that the protests in Tunisia and Egypt could spill over into Palestinian territory.

In what seems to be an effort to hold off possible demonstrations, PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said the Palestinian Authority will hold municipal elections in the near future, and senior Fatah officials said they are considering general elections as well.

In Gaza City, Hamas police used force earlier this week to disperse a small rally showing solidarity with Egyptian protesters. Police officers dressed in civilian clothing arrested six women and detained some 20 others, according to Human Rights Watch.

The women were taken to a police station, where policewomen insulted them and slapped one of them during an interrogation, according to the report. The protesters were told not to demonstrate again without Hamas police authorization.

The Egyptian protests have also had other effects on the Palestinians.

A delegation of senior Hamas figures who had been scheduled to leave Gaza on Sunday to travel through Egypt and hold talks with the exiled Hamas leadership in Damascus were unable to leave the Strip because Egyptian authorities shut down the Rafah crossing. The Hamas officials were supposed to discuss a possible deal for the release of captive Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit.

Also as a result of the upheaval in Egypt, several Palestinians held in Egyptian jails have escaped to the Gaza Strip, or are making their way there. Unconfirmed reports state that Ayman Nofal, a senior figure in the military wing of Hamas, is one of the escaped prisoners.

The events in Egypt are also expected to affect the standing of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who is considered to be a friend of Egypt's Hosni Mubarak. If Mubarak steps down as president, it will be a political blow for Abbas.

Mubarak is considered the informal patron of the PA, while Syrian President Bashar Assad is the patron of Hamas.


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http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/hamas-concerned-upheaval-in-arab-world-will-spill-into-gaza-1.340690

US Aid to Egypt Depends on Events

U.S. officials say there are no plans to cut off aid to Egypt. But they caution that aid will be reviewed as events unfold, indicating that the Egyptian government's actions going forward might jeopardize U.S. assistance. The bulk of USAID and State Department aid to Egypt goes toward security spending. A State Department official said Monday that the United States makes no apologies for helping to bolster Egypt's security.

As the crisis in Egypt continues, so, too, do questions about whether the United States will use its financial leverage in the country.

According to U.S. government figures, the State Department and USAID provided $1.5 billion in assistance to Egypt last year. The budget request for 2011 is about the same.

State Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters at the State Department that the United States does not want to see a particular outcome in Cairo, but a process that gives Egyptians the ability to determine their own government. He said there are no plans to cut funding to Egypt.

"We continue to provide assistance to Egypt. Based on what we see today, we don't envision taking any immediate action," said P.J. Crowley. "But as [White House Press Secretary] Robert Gibbs said Friday, as events unfold, we, of course, will continue to review our aid."

Washington has repeatedly called on the Egyptian government to allow for peaceful protests. But more than 125 people have died during crackdowns on demonstrations in the past week. Crowley indicated that such violence might jeopardize U.S. assistance and said that American funding comes with stipulations.

"If aid is used in a way that is contrary to our laws, our policies and our values, you know, we'll make adjustments as we need to," he said.

The bulk of U.S. assistance to Egypt is for security.

"We do provide assistance to Egypt, and some of that assistance is in the form of security assistance, and we make no apologies for that," said the U.S. State Department spokesman.

And Crowley said U.S. aid to Egypt has been beneficial to the region.
"Our relationship has been a stabilizing one," he said. "Certainly, the relationship between Egypt and the United States and the support that we, together with others, have provided have been a stabilizing force across the region. Egypt has been a strong supporter of the pursuit of peace in the Middle East."

Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1979 - Israel's first with an Arab nation - and Egypt has played a role in mediating Mideast peace efforts.

But analyst Tawfik Hamid of the Washington-based Potomac Institute for Policy Studies says the Egyptian attitudes in the future depend on the way the United States deals with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Hamid says the Egyptian people would continue to support U.S. policies in the Middle East on one condition.

"When they know that America is behind the people and behind the military against Mubarak, this can make America the most beloved nation in the eyes of Egyptians," said Hamid. "But if America lets them down with Mubarak, I don't think the problem will end and the country will be lost."

The Egyptian military has vowed not to use force against demonstrators. But analysts say it is unclear whether the military will defy or even remove Mr. Mubarak from office.

Meanwhile, State Department Spokesman Crowley said a former U.S. ambassador to Egypt, Frank Wisner, is in Cairo, not as an official envoy but as a private citizen. But Crowley added that Wisner has long-standing relationships with Egyptian leaders and is in a position to reiterate U.S. policy and to report back to officials in Washington.

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http://www.voanews.com/english/news/US-Aid-to-Egypt-Depends-on-Events--114983219.html

Egypt Sentences Muslim to Death in Killings of Christians

CAIRO — An Egyptian court sentenced a Muslim man to death Sunday for killing six Christians and a Muslim police guard outside a church in a drive-by shooting more than a year ago.

The ruling comes at a time of growing fear and fury among Egypt’s minority Coptic Christian population after the recent bombing outside a church in Alexandria, during New Year’s Eve Mass, that killed 22 people and wounded more than 90.

The bombing sent thousands of angry Copts rioting in the streets and criticizing the government as failing to protect them or to hold anyone accountable for the crimes against them, including the shooting, which took place in the town of Nag Hammadi.

On Sunday, an Egyptian state security court, amid heavy protection, convicted Mohamed Ahmed Hassanein, more commonly known as Hamam el-Kamouny, 39, for the “premeditated murder” of the seven people who were killed during the shooting last January, as well as for the “attempted murder” of nine others who were wounded.

The court has not yet ruled in the case of the two other defendants accused of having accompanied and assisted Mr. Hassanein.

It is not clear to what extent Sunday’s verdict, which cannot be appealed, will help placate Egypt’s Coptic community. Just last Tuesday a Muslim off-duty police officer boarded a train and shot dead a 71-year-old Christian man while wounding five others. Egyptian officials said the shooting was not religiously motivated, but did not provide an alternative explanation.

Egypt’s Muslim majority and Christian minority have a long history of peaceful coexistence and a deep sense of national identity that continues to unite them. But the recent rise in religious fervor, especially among Muslims, in Egypt and around the region has strained relations between both groups and led to sporadic eruptions of violence.

There are no official statistics on the size of the Christian minority in Egypt, but it is generally accepted that they make up about 10 percent of the population.

The magnitude of the attack on the church in Alexandria raised new fears regarding Egypt’s stability if its Copts continued to feel threatened.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/17/world/middleeast/17egypt.html