The future of Libya appears to be a knife-edge, as airforce fighter jets have bombarded the capital, Tripoli, reportedly on the orders of leader Muammer Gaddafi. Witnesses in Tripoli say that mercenaries are roaming the streets, firing at anyone they see in a bid to dissuade people from demonstrating against Gaddafi. High-level diplomats from Gaddafi’s government, meanwhile, have been resigning or disavowing themselves from his leadership across the world. Al Jazeera’s Lawrence Lee reports.
Continue reading …Cameron says UK prejudiced for believing Muslims cannot manage democracy
February 22, 2011 No Comment
Prime minister will tell Kuwait national assembly that Britain was wrong to prop up ‘highly controlling regimes’ as way of ensuring stability Britain has been guilty of a prejudice bordering on racism for believing that Muslims cannot manage democracy, David Cameron will say as he recasts foreign policy in light of protests across the Arab world. In a speech at the national assembly in Kuwait, the prime minister will abandon decades of so-called “camel corps” diplomacy by saying Britain was wrong to prop up “highly controlling regimes” as a way of ensuring stability. Cameron – who is facing anger in the UK for placing defence exports at the heart of his long-planned visit to the Gulf – will use the speech to show that Britain is promoting political reform in the region. The prime minister, who attended a ceremony in Kuwait with Sir John Major to mark the 20th anniversary of the first Gulf war, said: “Now, once again, this region is the epicentre of momentous changes, but pursued in a very different way. History is sweeping through your neighbourhood.” Cameron, who on Monday visited the scene of the demonstrations in Tahrir Square in Cairo that toppled President Hosni Mubarak, said the protests had highlighted a hunger for freedom across the Middle East. He depicted the protests as “movements of the people” that were not ideological or extremist. But he indicated that the demonstrations presented a challenge for Britain as he dismissed as a “false choice” the old calculation that authoritarian regimes needed to be supported as the price of ensuring stability. “For decades, some have argued that stability required controlling regimes and that reform and openness would put that stability at risk,” Cameron said. “So, the argument went, countries like Britain faced a choice between our interests and our values. And to be honest, we should acknowledge that sometimes we have made such calculations in the past.” He added: “But I say that is a false choice. As recent events have confirmed, denying people their basic rights does not preserve stability – rather, the reverse.” The prime minister said Britain and other western countries cannot impose any democratic model on the Arab world, but stressed: “That’s not an excuse, as some would argue, to claim that Arabs or Muslims can’t do democracy – the so-called Arab exception. “For me, that’s a prejudice that borders on racism. It’s offensive and wrong and it’s simply not true.” Cameron’s speech has been designed to lay to rest decades of British foreign policy which held that authoritarian regimes in the Gulf must be supported to guarantee stability. The strongest example is Britain’s close relationship with Saudi Arabia. The prime minister will not be visiting Saudi Arabia during his three-day tour of the Gulf. This is because King Abdullah is in poor health and not because Cameron wants to distance the UK from the kingdom. He is also distancing himself from US neocons who believe democracy can be imposed. Cameron outlined his thinking on this issue on Monday in Cairo, when he said: “Democracy is an important part of our foreign policy. “But I am not a naive neocon who thinks you can drop democracy out of an aeroplane at 40,000ft or that, simply by holding an election, you have satisfied the needs of democracy. You have had plenty of elections in Egypt, but that does not mean you have had a functioning democracy.” He developed this theme in his speech at the Kuwaiti national assembly in which he said the “building blocks” of democracy – an independent judiciary, free media and a “proper place” for the army – had to be laid with care. “Democracy is the work of patient craftmanship – it has to be built from the grassroots up,” he said. “It can’t be done overnight.” The prime minister outlined his approach to foreign policy in Kuwait because Britain believes its national assembly is a strong example of democracy in the Gulf. Its 50 members are elected by universal suffrage, though the majority of the population, many of whom come from the Indian sub-continent, do not have the vote. There are four woman members. The Kuwaiti prime minister, Sheikh Nasser Mohammed al-Ahmed al-Sabah, who was summoned for a grilling last year, only survived a confidence vote by 25 votes to 23. David Cameron Foreign policy Kuwait Middle East Egypt Nicholas Watt guardian.co.uk
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It has been over six months since the devastating floods hit Pakistan and displaced more than 20 million people. And now due to harsh winter conditions in remote parts of the Swat valley, residents have been cut off from the rest of the valley and left to fend for themselves. Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder reports from Swat valley, Pakistan.
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As protests continue across the Middle East and North Africa, are they being met with greater levels of violence?
Continue reading …An end to this ‘soft bigotry’ against the Arab world | Issandr El Amrani
February 22, 2011 No Comment
The west must revise its low expectations as Moroccans and other Arab peoples speak their minds There is a phrase coined in 2004 by Michael Gerson , a speechwriter for George W Bush best-known for having come up with “axis of evil”, that I’ve always liked. In a speech about education, he bemoaned “the soft bigotry of lowered expectations” that he believed existed against disadvantaged children. For several decades, there has been a soft bigotry of lowered expectations in the west and among Arab elites about the Arab world. The prevalent thinking about this region of over 300 million souls is that it offered no fertile ground for democracy, either because democracy risked bringing political forces hostile to western interests or because democracy is not a value that has much currency in the region. Many regimes understood this, and played a double game of decrying their societies’ “immaturity” while encouraging anti-democratic tendencies such as populism and, at times, a reactionary social conservatism. After the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, no one will buy this any more – and nor should they about two more north African countries: Libya and Morocco. Over the last few days, Muammar Gaddafi has waged a vicious battle over his compatriots , hiring foreign mercenaries to take out protesters. Gaddafi, in power since 1969 , is best known in the west for his eccentricity, from the voluptuous nurse that accompanies him everywhere to his habit of setting up a bedouin tent during state visits abroad. The focus on such personal foibles, as well as Libya’s alleged role in the Lockerbie bombing, has dominated the portrayal of the country. For most people around the world, Libya was Gaddafi. It turns out there are another 6 million Libyans, many of whom are now rebelling against the Gaddafi family, and that at least 200 have died in the last few days fighting for their freedom. Libya is the Arab world’s North Korea, a near-totalitarian nightmare and an insult to common decency. And as Pyongyang is protected by China, so Tripoli is being given cover by Tony Blair, BP and academics-turned-consultants like Anthony Giddens and Benjamin Barber . The idea is that it was best to try to help countries like Libya “reform”, even if the reforms in question tended to be mostly about making the place more business-friendly. The same rationale of lowered expectations can also hold for much more liberal and open Arab societies, For 15 years, Morocco has been considered the “best student” in an Arab class of deadenders. Next to Algeria’s traumatised society, Tunisia’s police state or Libya’s sheer hell, who could disagree? Morocco has made great strides since the 90s in terms of human rights, notably holding the Arab world’s first (if somewhat flawed) national reconciliation process and passing progressive laws on women’s rights. But for the last few years something has been increasingly rotten in the kingdom of Morocco. Advances for press freedom made in the 90s have been reversed. A political transition that had been made possible in the late 90s by a historic reconciliation between the opposition and the palace has stalled. A fragile economy has been hampered by a predatory royal holding that creates monopolies for itself. More and more Moroccans want something akin to what they see in Britain or Spain: a constitutional monarchy where the king is head of state but does not interfere in government. Like the protests elsewhere in the region, the peaceful demonstrations that have taken place in eight cities are about dignity. Moroccans, like other Arabs, are tired of being subjects: they want to be citizens. They would also like solidarity from the outside world, and to be seen as more than an exotic tourist destination. Outside the palm groves of Marrakech is a university where students are frequently beaten up by police; not far from Tangier’s glitzy casbah are young Moroccans who have to bribe their way to a menial job. Their voices deserve to be heard, and concentrating all power in the hands of one man – even one as popular as King Mohammed VI – is no model for 21st-century governance. In both Libya and Morocco, citizens are speaking their mind. It is not surprising that Libyans are angry, nor that they are being violently suppressed: they represent the death knell for Gaddafi’s grotesque regime. And it is not surprising that Moroccans, despite police intimidation and incitement by some pro-regime media, have broken their wall of fear and asked for the regime’s promises of reforms to be implemented. No matter how different their situations, they ask for the same thing: dignity and the world’s recognition of shared humanity. Libyans are not condemned to be ruled by Gaddafis for eternity; Moroccans do not have to settle for an absolute monarchy, no matter how enlightened. Encouraged by their neighbours’ example, they have higher expectations for their future, and so should you. Arab and Middle East protests Muammar Gaddafi Libya Egypt Morocco Middle East Algeria Tunisia Protest Issandr El Amrani guardian.co.uk
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More protests expected in Libya after Gaddafi appears on state TV to deny reports he has fled the country 9.09am – Libya: China has joined the international outcry over events in Egypt with its foreign ministry spokesman, Ma Zhaoxu, telling reporters that some Chinese citizens have been injured amid the unrest and businesses damaged. Ma said China called on the Libyan regime to “restore social stability and normalcy as soon as possible and spare no effort to protect the safety of Chinese people, organizations and assets in Libya.” 8.59am – Libya: The country’s ambassador to India has apparently confirmed that former African mercenaries are being used by the Libyan regime to crush protests, prompting some army troops to switch sides to support the opposition. Ali al-Essawi, who resigned in the wake of the crackdown, said: “They are from Africa, and speak French and other languages.” He added that he was receiving information from sources within the country. Essawi added: “They (troops) are Libyans and they cannot see foreigners killing Libyans so they moved beside the people… Libyans cannot do anything against the air fighters. We do not call for international troops, but we call on the international community to save the Libyans.” Earlier Essawi told Reuters said he expected more diplomats at foreign missions to resign due to the ongoing violence. “Fighter aircraft were bombing civilians on the streets of Tripoli, this is unprecedented violence,” Essawi said. The UN Security Council is to hold a meeting behind closed-doors today to discuss the crisis in Libya. 8.45am – Libya: Libya’s leader Moammar Gaddafi appeared briefly on Libyan state TV on Monday evening to deny reports that he had fled the country, as key diplomats continued to disown his regime. “I want to show that I’m in Tripoli and not in Venezuela. Do not believe the channels belonging to stray dogs,” Gaddafi said, reported by the station as speaking outside his house. He was holding an umbrella in the rain and leaning out of a vehicle. “I wanted to say something to the youths at the Green Square [in Tripoli] and stay up late with them but it started raining. Thank God, it’s a good thing,” the embattled leader said in a 22-second appearance. Libyan state TV earlier said military operations were under way against “terrorist nests” and there were predictions of a bloodbath by a desperate regime which feels the end approaching. Several key Libyan diplomats have disowned Gaddafi’s regime for its brutal crackdown on protesters and the country’s deputy UN ambassador has called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council, that will take place today. The Libyan ambassador to the United States urged Gaddafi to step down, the ambassador to India resigned as did the ambassador to Bangladesh who protested the killing of family members by government troops. Almost all Libyan diplomats at the United Nations backed deputy ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi’s pleas to Gaddafi to end his 40-year rule and to the international community to intervene. In other developments: • The US ordered all non-emergency staff to leave Libya – a sure sign that the crisis is worsening. • Libya’s justice minister announcing he was quitting, as did ambassadors in at least seven countries. • Benghazi, Libya’s second city and the scene of alleged massacres in recent days, was reported to be in the hands of anti-government protesters, but violence continued unabated. Residents were organising vigilante groups to protect themselves and distribute food. • Information remained fragmentary and confused, with phone lines and the internet intermittently cut and al-Jazeera satellite TV reportedly jammed by Libyan intelligence. • Qatar condemned the use of military aircraft and machine guns against unarmed protesters and called for an emergency meeting of the Arab League. • The death toll passed 250 after six days of unrest but this is a conservative estimate. Al-Jazeera quoted medical sources in Tripoli saying 61 people had died in the latest protests there. The International Federation of Human Rights estimated the death toll at 300 to 400. Arab and Middle East protests Libya Protest Yemen Egypt Bahrain Iran Tunisia Adam Gabbatt Matthew Taylor guardian.co.uk
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Al Jazeera’s Nazanine Moshiri reports from the Tunisian side of the border with Libya, where those leaving the upheaval are having their possessions confiscated. It remains too dangerous for Al Jazeera to enter Libya, Moshiri has reported, and our reporters are waiting for visas and permission to film.
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• Two vessels headed towards the Mediterranean, officials say • Israel has said it would take a ‘grave view’ of ships’ passage Two Iranian naval ships have entered the Suez canal and are heading towards the Mediterranean sea, a canal official said. The move is certain to anger Israel. “They entered the canal at 5.45am (3.45am GMT),” the official told Reuters. No other details were available. The Suez canal cuts through Egypt and allows shipping to pass from the Middle East to Europe and vice versa without circumnavigating the southern tip of Africa. The canal’s northern mouth, Port Said, is about 60 miles from Israel, but the ships’ route to Syria, their intended destination, would take them parallel to the Israeli coast. The vessels are a frigate and a supply ship. The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has said he would take a “grave view” of the passage of the ships, the first Iranian naval vessels to go through the canal since Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution. Iran appears to be testing the state of affairs in the Middle East after the fall of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. A longstanding peace treaty with Egypt is crucial to Israel’s regional security. Israel is anxious about political upheaval in Egypt and other Arab states aligned with its ally, the United States. Polls in Egypt suggest most of the main political forces will be less compliant with Israel and the US. A recently completed Israeli war game, the first since Mubarak quit Egypt’s presidency, concluded it would boost military preparations but try to avoid confrontation unless it sees a greater threat from arch-foe Iran. Egypt’s ruling military council, facing its first diplomatic headache since taking power on 11 February, has approved the vessels’ passage through the canal, a vital global trading route and major source of revenues for the Egyptian authorities. The decision was a difficult one for Egypt’s interim government. Cairo is an ally of the US while its relations with Iran have been strained for more than three decades. Analysts say Iran sees itself benefiting from the upheaval across the Middle East. Dislodgement and weakening of leaders sympathetic to the US is likely to embolden Tehran and lessen the chances of it making concessions on its nuclear programme. Iran denies it intends to build atomic weapons. Iran Middle East Israel Binyamin Netanyahu Egypt Hosni Mubarak US foreign policy United States guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …UK arms sales to the Middle East and North Africa: who do we sell to, how much is military and how much just ‘controlled’?
February 22, 2011 No Comment
UK sales of weapons and arms to the Middle East are in the news. So what is the market, run by the government’s Strategic Export Controls, worth? • Get the data How big are arms sales to the Middle East and North Africa? The unrest in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and across the region has brought attention to one of the UK’s most successful export markets: military equipment. It’s a world shrouded in secrecy, and centred on giant arms fairs, such as Idex , taking place in Abu Dhabi. In the UK the international arms trade is managed by Strategic Export Controls, which grant licenses. They’re not just for arms, but for a whole range of ‘controlled’ products. Here’s the official take from the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills : The Export Control Organisation is responsible for legislating, assessing and issuing export and trade licences for specific categories of “controlled” goods. This encompasses a wide range of items including so-called dual-use goods, torture goods, radioactive sources, as well as military items. Whether a licence is required depends on various factors including the items exported and any sanctions in force on the export destination. If items exported from the United Kingdom are controlled, then a licence is needed to legally export. Exporters are responsible for complying with the law, understanding the regulations and keeping informed. This is isn’t everything sold, but the vast majority and everything granted a license is categorised. The official reports ( published in PDF format ) detail the maximum values of licenses granted in each group. There is a searchable database (you can access it here ). But for the breakdowns, you have to use the PDFs. Licenses can and are often revoked – as some have just been to Bahrain. The reports also provide examples of products which can be sold in each category – and there’s also a complete guide to the different codes. It’s called the UK Military List , and it details exactly what’s controlled. The data gives a unique insight into the UK’s trade in controlled products and weapons in this region. And while demonstrators take to the streets in places like Libya, it’s raised the question: have we sold the weapons and riot control equipment being used against the protesters? Let’s look at Libya. The data shows that £215m worth of export licenses for controlled products were granted to companies selling stuff to Libya in the year to the end of September 2010. Of that amount, just under £8m were for equipment defined as military. Those products include riot control gear and tear gas. Iran features on this list too, not for military equipment but for ‘other’ products – £424m of them. They include civil jet engines, chemicals and civilian aircraft. What about the products classified under ‘other’? Campaigners such as the Campaign Against the Arms Trade point out that policing what happens to equipment once it gets to a country is impossible. How do you know that a navigation system is not being used in a military aircraft rather than a civil jet? We have collected this data together, from 1 October 2009 to 1 October 2010 – the first time that this data has been collected on one spreadsheet. It includes: • All categories of license by Middle East and North African countries • All the military breakdowns, by category • A complete breakdown of licenses by country The full data is below . What can you do with it? Data summary Download the data • DATA: download the full spreadsheet More data Data journalism and data visualisations from the Guardian World government data • Search the world’s government data with our gateway Development and aid data • Search the world’s global development data with our gateway Can you do something with this data? • Flickr Please post your visualisations and mash-ups on our Flickr group • Contact us at data@guardian.co.uk • Get the A-Z of data • More at the Datastore directory • Follow us on Twitter • Like us on Facebook Arab and Middle East protests Middle East Libya Bahrain Tunisia Egypt Simon Rogers guardian.co.uk
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An insight into the issue of China’s rapidly ageing population. Elderly people in China are traditionally venerated. But the speed of China’s development is causing social and demographic change. More and more elderly people are choosing to live in retirement homes rather than putting pressure on their children.
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