Troops deployed in Tunis

(EPA)

AFP and a host of other international news agencies are now reporting that troops have been ordered into Tunis Wednesday morning in a bid to quell the unrest.

Armoured vehicles rumbled through the streets and troops alighted from
trucks to take up positions at major intersections and at the entrance to the
Cite Ettadhamen quarter where the clashes took place late Tuesday. (AFP)

Here is an interesting commentary by Marc Lynch on the unfolding situation in Tunisia and it's possible implications for other Arab regimes. Jordan for one is feeling nervous and the government has moved quickly to announce measures to reduce energy costs and subsidize basic food items.

Tunisia unrest

Is Ben Ali on his way out?

As violent clashes between the Tunisian regime and protesters continue unabated is it becoming increasingly more legitimate to ask the $million question: are President Ben Ali's days numbered? And will the military now sense the futility of continuing to back a regime that has become so bankrupt that it's only way of governing is to rely on brutal repression ?

The answer to this question will depend to a large extent on how long the current rioting can be sustained. The indications so far, however, are that the cycle of violence is set to continue. The regime's response has been lamentable but entirely predictable: the resort to brutal repression and the use of live bullets (35+ dead), the censoring of the media and social networking sites and the closure of educational facilities in a bid to stop people gathering. These tactics have and will continue to fuel further protests.

What started out as a protest for jobs and better economic conditions in the central region has now transformed into a nationwide protest against the rule of Ben Ali himself, with pictures of the President being openly burned in the streets - the significance of which cannot be overemphasised in Arab world.

Yesterday, the Big Man himself appeared on TV and gave a rather muddled ( albeit typical of Arab leaders) speech with a raft of implausible promises to: double employment opportunities and create 300,000 new jobs, hold a national conference (exciting stuff), and increase government-citizen communication.

In typical fashion he blamed the current trouble on agitators and extremists .. blah ... blah ..blah - the same tired rhetoric used by all Arab leaders. He then, rather bizarrely, ended by thanking Colonel Qaddafi for his support and for treating Tunisians "just like Libyans." Whether or not this was a veiled call for assistance is anyone's guess but it is unlikely to impress Tunisians.

The next couple of weeks will prove crucial and all eyes will be on the military - who may sense that Ben Ali has become more of a liability than an asset.

Violence escalates in Tunisia and Algeria

Algeria

Violence in both the above neighbouring states has spiralled in recent days as the regimes have resorted to increasingly desperate and bloody tactics to bring them under control. Al-Jazeera is now reporting that as many as 20 people have been killed in Tunisia in the past 24-hours as the government has resorted to using live-bullets against its own people. A real sign of desperation on the part of the Ben Ali dictatorship if ever there was one. AFP has also been reporting on events and the mainstream media are now starting to take a greater interest as the violence escalates, see here and here. There is currently a media blackout in Tunisia but local blogs place the death toll much higher.

Some scenes of the rioting can be viewed here.

Meanwhile, in neighbouring Algeria protests are continuing unabated and have spread with rioting taking place in Skikda, Sale, Constantine, Batna, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Tebessa, Guelma and Annaba. The official state media have reported two deaths. The rioting is both countries is being driven by the same factors: High unemployment and rising prices, combined with frustration at political systems run by a small cabal of politicians and their military and business cronies. More info on the situation in Algeria can be found here.

p.s. Here is some interesting analysis by Marc Lynch on the recent protests in the MENA region, including the riots in Jordan and events in Egypt.

Israel

Female Israeli activist could be sent to prison for praying at Wailing Wall

An Israeli activist who defied orthodox Jewish custom by leading a group of women in open prayer at Jerusalem's Wailing Wall has been told to expect years in prison for breaching the peace. Read the story here.

Source: The Telegraph

US Incompetence in Iraq

'How the US let al-Qaida get its hands on an Iraqi weapons factory'

There's an exlusive extract in the Guardian today from Dominic Streatfeild's new book - A History of the World since 9/11. Click here to get a flavour of the sheer scale of US incompetence/negligence. This extract focuses on the failure of the US to protect major weapons depots, the contents of which were subsequently looted and sold on to al-Qaeda. Oooops.

Restless times

Protests grip the Arab World - but will they have an impact?

There is gathering specualtion about the protests in Tunisia, Jordan and now Algeria and whether or not - as Marc Lynch puts it - they represent an 'Arab Spring' similar to what took place in lebanon in 2005 (and then fizzled out). Personally, I doubt it. The regimes in question have been quick to act to supress the demostrations and censor the media, albeit an increasing difficult task in the age of social media. The powers that be will be quick to grease the palms of the military and security services upon which they rely. And as long as they are able to find the funds to do that (kindly supplied by foreign donors. EU assistance to Tunisia 2011-2013: Euro 240 million) then it will be business as usual.

Also, we have been here before. Protests in the Arab world are nothing new. The 1990s witnessed fairly widespread unrest as bread riots swept through the region. Although this lead to a few cosmetic reforms, for example the restoration of parliamentary elections in Jordan, it did not change the status quo of authoritariansm.


But hey, who knows? While I don't expect any regimes to fall in the near future, things are definitely changing and civil activism is growing, particulalry among the educated middle classes. The impact of social media and satellite TV will serve to drive this process and sustain and spread the pervading sense of frustration among Arab youth, frustrated over lack of employment opportunities and repressive political systems.

A rather optimistic Brian Whitaker has an interesting take on this here.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia captures Israeli 'spy vulture'



The large bird, which was carrying a GPS transmitter and a tag bearing the identification code R65 from Tel Aviv University, strayed into rural Saudi Arabian territory at some point last week, according to a report in the Israeli daily Ma'ariv.

Residents and local reporters told Saudi Arabia's Al-Weeam newspaper that the matter seemed to be linked to a "Zionist plot" and swiftly alerted security services. The bird has since been placed under arrest.

The accusations went viral, according to the Israeli Ha'aretz newspaper, with hundreds of posts on Arabic-language websites and forums claiming that the "Zionists" had trained the birds for espionage.

The incident comes amid growing paranoia among Israel's neighbours over the nation's growing military might.

Several weeks ago an Egyptian official reportedly claimed that a shark that attacked tourists off the coastal resort of Sharm el Sheikh was also acting on behalf of the Israeli spy service.

Source: The Telegraph