Globalist Fueled Revolutions Around the World

Bahrain Declares Martial Law, Protests Flair (the Sunni Minority Rules Over the Shi'ite Majority)

March 14, 2011

Reuters - Bahrain declared martial law on Tuesday as it struggles to quell an uprising by the island's Shi'ite Muslim majority that has drawn in troops from fellow Sunni-ruled neighbor Saudi Arabia.

The three-month state of emergency will hand wholesale power to Bahrain's security forces, which are dominated by the country's Sunni Muslim elite, stoking sectarian tensions in one of the Gulf's most politically volatile nations.

In a sign of continued disturbances in the tiny kingdom, an opposition politician said a Bahraini man was killed and several wounded in clashes with police in the Shi'ite area of Sitra.

State television said a Bahraini policeman was also killed in clashes, refuting some reports that a Saudi soldier had died.

The United States, a close ally of both Bahrain and Saudi, said it was concerned about reports of growing sectarianism in the country, which is home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, and warned that violence from any side would make matters worse.

"One thing is clear: there is no military solution to the problems in Bahrain," White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said.

"A political solution is necessary and all sides must now work to produce a dialogue that addresses the needs of all of Bahrain's citizens," he added, speaking in Washington.

Local television and activists showed gruesome footage of wounded civilians, but it was difficult to pin down precise numbers of casualties as rumors spread across electronic media.

"In order for the situation to return to normal we have to establish order and security and ... stop the violations which have spread disturbances among the people of our dear country," Interior Minister Sheikh Rashed al-Khalifa said in television address, calling on Bahrainis to cooperate with security forces.

It was not clear if a curfew would be imposed or whether there would be any clampdown on media or public gathering.

SAUDI ANXIETY

On Monday, more than 1,000 Saudi troops rolled into the kingdom in a long convoy of armored vehicles at the request of Bahrain's Sunni rulers, flashing victory signs as they crossed the causeway that connects the two oil producers.

The United Arab Emirates said it also would send 500 police.

Analysts saw the troop movement into Bahrain as a mark of concern in Saudi Arabia that concessions by the country's monarchy could inspire the conservative Sunni-ruled kingdom's own Shi'ite minority.

Over 60 percent of Bahrainis are Shi'ites who complain of discrimination at the hands of the Sunni royal family. Calls for the overthrow of the monarchy have alarmed the Sunni minority, which fears that unrest could serve non-Arab Shi'ite power Iran.

Iran (the Main Shi'ite Power in the Gulf Where Most Ruling Families are Sunni Arabs) Objects to Foreign Troops in Bahrain

March 15, 2011

Reuters - Iran called the deployment of foreign troops in Bahrain unacceptable on Tuesday and warned Saudi Arabia and its ally Washington of "dangerous consequences" for intervening in the island nation's political crisis.

About 1,000 Saudi soldiers entered Bahrain on Monday as part of an effort by the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to help the government cope with protests by members of the Shi'ite majority.

The move has alarmed Iran, the main Shi'ite power in the Gulf where most ruling families are Sunni Arabs. Analysts say Saudi Arabia's action might increase tensions with Iran -- both major oil exporters -- to dangerous levels.

"The presence of foreign forces and interference in Bahrain's internal affairs is unacceptable and will further complicate the issue," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said at his weekly news conference.

Tehran said Washington was responsible for pushing its ally and oil supplier Saudi Arabia into getting involved in Bahrain, a small but important U.S. ally which is home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet.

The Pentagon has said it was not given any advance notice that Saudi or other regional forces would deploy to Bahrain.

Tehran summoned the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia and of Switzerland, which represents U.S. interests in the absence of direct diplomatic relations.

"Iran considers the United States as responsible for the dangerous consequences of such an illegal move," the ISNA news agency quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying.

The arrival of the Saudi forces came after mostly Shi'ite demonstrators overwhelmed Bahraini police on Sunday and blocked the highway to the main financial district in the most violent confrontations since troops killed seven protesters last month.

Bahrain's Shi'ites have complained of discrimination by the Sunni royal family and intervention in Bahrain by Gulf Arab troops is highly sensitive.

Iran's parliament also condemned the Saudi deployment.

"The Saudi rulers' sending of troops to Bahrain will not only bring a halt to the Bahraini people's movement, but also will bring dangerous consequences for the illegitimate Saudi ruling regime," said a declaration signed by 257 lawmakers, carried by the official IRNA news agency.

Iran, which has crushed opposition protests at home, has welcomed uprisings across the Arab Middle East as an "Islamic awakening" against despotic rulers.

Accusations abound of Iranian backing for activists among the Shi'ite majority in Bahrain, a charge Tehran has denied.

Mehmanparast dismissed as irrelevant a question about the possibility of Iran sending forces to Bahrain.

"Basically, we do not regard the presence and interference of other countries, especially the countries of the Persian Gulf region in the Bahrain issue, as correct," he said.

"Such interference and increasing suppression and violent confrontation is not the solution to the legitimate demands of the people."

Israel Seizes Ship with Iran Arms for Gaza

Reuters
March 15, 2011

Israeli naval commandos on Tuesday seized a cargo ship in the Mediterranean carrying what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said were Iranian-supplied weapons intended for Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.

A military spokeswoman said Israeli forces met no resistance when they intercepted the German-owned "Victoria" some 200 miles from Israel and were taking the vessel to the Israeli port of Ashdod.

Israel maintains a land and naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, a coastal enclave controlled by Hamas, an Islamist movement opposed to peace with the Jewish state.

The military said the vessel had set off from the Syrian port of Latakia and stopped in Mersin, Turkey, before heading toward Alexandria in Egypt. Turkey has no involvement in the arms shipment, the military said.

Palestinians use a network of tunnels to smuggle weapons and other goods from Egypt into the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu said he personally approved the operation, which he told reporters was carried out "on the high seas in accordance with international law."

"Many weapons were found on board, intended for terrorist forces in the heart of Gaza," Netanyahu said. "Iran is the source of the weaponry."

IRANIAN DENIAL

Asked about Israel's allegation that it seized Iranian arms on the vessel, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said:

"Don't trust Israeli media news. There is no such thing. We do not confirm it in any way."

An Israeli military spokesman said an initial search turned up three containers loaded with arms and more cargo would be examined after the ship reached Israel.

Last May, there was an international outcry when Israeli naval commandos seized a Turkish ship that was part of a flotilla trying to break the Gaza blockade.

The soldiers met violent resistance from pro-Palestinian activists when they boarded the cruise vessel Mavi Marmara and killed nine of them, in an incident that strained Israel's ties with Ankara.

In 2009, about 100 miles off Israel's Mediterranean coast, Israeli commandos seized the Francop, a freighter the Israeli military said was carrying hundreds of tonnes of Iranian arms, including rockets, to Lebanon's Hezbollah group.

Nine years ago, Israeli forces intercepted the merchant ship Karine-A in the Red Sea and brought it to the Israeli port of Eilat, where the military displayed 50 tonnes of weapons, including rockets, which Israel said Iran had sent to Palestinian militants.

Gaddafi Forces Seize Key Town, G8 Stalls on No-fly

March 15, 2011

Reuters - Muammar Gaddafi's forces seized a strategic town in eastern Libya on Tuesday, opening the way to the rebel stronghold of Benghazi while world powers failed to agree to push for a no-fly zone.

The small town of Ajdabiyah was all that stood between the relentless eastward advance of Libyan government troops and the second city of Benghazi and lies on a road junction from where Gaddafi's forces could attempt to encircle the rebel stronghold.

"The town of Ajdabiyah has been cleansed of mercenaries and terrorists linked to the al Qaeda organization," state television said, referring to the increasingly embattled rebels fighting to end Gaddafi's 41 years of absolute power.

Government jets opened up with rocket fire on a rebel checkpoint at the western entrance to Ajdabiyah, then unleashed a rolling artillery barrage on the town and a nearby arms dump, following the same pattern of attack that has pushed back rebels more than 100 miles in a week-long counter-offensive.

At least one missile hit a residential area. Residents and rebels piled into cars and pickups to flee town on highways toward Benghazi or Tobruk, which are still in rebel hands.

"The battle is lost. Gaddafi is throwing everything against us," said one rebel officer who gave his name as General Suleiman.

As well as the coastal road to Benghazi, there is also a 400 km (250 mile) desert road straight to Tobruk, near the Egyptian border, that would cut off Benghazi. But it was not clear whether Gaddafi's forces were strong enough to be divided and if they could operate with such long supply lines.

Soliman Bouchuiguir, president of the Libyan League for Human Rights, said in Geneva that if Gaddafi's forces attacked Benghazi, a city of 670,000 people, there would be "a real bloodbath, a massacre like we saw in Rwanda."

Gaddafi's planes, tanks and artillery have had few problems picking off lightly armed insurgents in the open desert, but have faced tougher resistance in towns that offer some cover for the rebels.

The small oil town of Brega, with a population of just 4,300, 75 km (50 miles) southwest of Ajdabiyah, changed hands several times in three days of heavy fighting, but also succumbed to superior government firepower on Tuesday.

"We have lost Brega completely. We could not face Gaddafi's forces," said a rebel, who identified himself only as Nasser.

"MENTAL DISORDER"

Foreign ministers from the Group of Eight countries meeting in Paris could not agree to press the U.N. Security Council to back a no-fly zone to protect Libyan cities from aerial bombing.

Instead, the G8 said Libyans have a right to democracy and warned Gaddafi he faced "dire consequences" if he ignored his people's rights. The G8 urged the Security Council to increase pressure on Gaddafi, including further economic measures.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Britain have led calls to impose a no-fly zone. But Gaddafi dismissed the plan...

Violent Protests Across Yemen, 3 Soldiers Dead

March 14, 2011

Reuters - Scattered clashes broke out across Yemen on Monday, with three soldiers killed in the north, as military forces were deployed to check nationwide protests demanding the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The impoverished Arabian Peninsula state has been rocked by weeks of demonstrations that have undermined Saleh's 32-year grip on power, with both pro- and anti-government supporters appearing to resort increasingly to violence in the struggle.

Seven demonstrators and three soldiers have died in clashes since Saturday, raising the death toll from unrest above 30.

The United States, which has long seen Saleh as a bulwark against a dynamic al Qaeda wing based in Yemen, has condemned the bloodshed and backed the right for peaceful protest, but has insisted only dialogue can end the political crisis.

Two soldiers and an officer were killed as clashes broke out in the northern al-Jawf province, which borders oil giant Saudi Arabia, Yemen's state news agency Saba said.

Fighting intensified after protesters stormed a municipal building. Security forces fired on them, wounding 10, but could not stop them seizing the building, a local official said...