UPDATED: As Arabia Protests, Libya Blocks Internet Access

UPDATED: As Arabia Protests, Libya Blocks Internet Access

by Mahmoud Al-Qudsi in Software

In light of the ongoing battle of citizens against corrupt and unjust regimes throughout the Arab world (more on Wikipedia), protestors have been increasingly reliant on social media websites to rally their numbers and organize their meets.

Over the past two days, protests have flared up considerably in Libya, Yemen, and Bahrain resulting in mass casualties at the hands of government security.

We now have reports from friends of NeoSmart Technologies in Tripoli, Libya (stay safe, guys! Please!) that the government has ordered ISPs to block access to most websites. Currently, most websites are unavailable and internet access is, by and large, being blocked.

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Libya, Yemen, Bahrain: Protests continue to erupt across region

Meris Lutz
The Los Angeles Times
February 16, 2011

Reports of clashes Tuesday night between protesters and police in eastern Libya were the latest spasm of unrest sweeping the Middle East and North Africa as leaders attempt to avoid the revolutionary fervor that brought down governments in Tunisia and Egypt.

The Libyan city of Benghazi was reportedly the site of clashes between protesters and police after the arrest of Fathi Terbil, spokesman and lawyer for the families of those killed in the so-called Abu Salim massacre. More than 1,000 prisoners are thought to have died in that incident in Libya’s Abu Salim prison in 1996.

The above footage was posted on YouTube by a user calling himself or herself “enoughgaddafi.” It claims to show Tuesday’s protest, although that could not be verified. Conflicting reports also emerged as to whether Terbil had been released.

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Netanyahu: Israeli army ‘ready for all eventualities’

AFP
February 15, 2011

The Israeli military is “ready for all eventualities” as the Arab and Muslim world undergoes “an earthquake,” Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday just days after Egypt’s regime collapsed.

“An earthquake is shaking the whole Arab world and a large part of the Muslim world and we don’t yet know how these things will turn out,” the premier said at a swearing-in ceremony for new army chief Major General Benny Gantz.

“We are ready for all eventualities because we know that the foundation of our existence, and our capacity to convince our neighbours to live in peace with us, is based on the Israeli army,” he said during a ceremony at his Jerusalem office.

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Tunisia deploys troops to stop Italy-bound migrants

By Tarek Amara

TUNIS | Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:54pm EST
 

TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisia has deployed soldiers to stop a tide of illegal immigrants trying to reach Italy, a military source said Monday, after Rome said a revolution in the north African country had set off a "biblical exodus."
More than 4,000 migrants have crossed the sea from Tunisia to the small Italian island of Lampedusa in the past week, underscoring the lingering instability in Tunisia since protests ousted its president a month ago to the day Monday.
Some analysts believe revolts in Tunisia and Egypt could spread to other countries in the region, creating a potential nightmare scenario for European governments which have relied on autocratic leaders in north Africa to help curb migration.
Catherine Ashton, the European Union's foreign policy chief, said on a visit to Tunis that she expected a trade deal with the bloc to be agreed within months, giving a boost to a Tunisian economy that has been battered by the turmoil of the past weeks.
The flow of illegal migrants sparked a diplomatic row, with Tunisia accusing Rome of infringing on its sovereignty after an Italian minister suggested sending police to Tunisia to stem the flow of people arriving on Lampedusa.

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Riots Break Out in Bahrain

Glen Carey
Bloomberg
February 14, 2011

Bahraini riot police were deployed to break up protests across the island nation as demonstrators, inspired by revolts in Egypt and Tunisia, demanded more political freedom and jobs.

Police fired tear gas into crowds in the areas of Diraz and Bani Jamrah. Earlier, residents of the Shiite Muslim village of Nuweidrat said clashes broke out between activists and police after morning prayers. Police were present on the outskirts of Nuweidrat, where Shiite flags adorned buildings along alleyways.

”We were starting our peaceful protests when riot police attacked us with tear gas,” Nabeel Rajab, head of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, said in an interview after the protest in Bani Jamrah was dispersed. “We will continue our protests until the government hears our demand.”

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14 February 2011 Last updated at 08:27 ET

Iran opposition: Will Arab uprisings spread?

As Iranian opposition groups threaten to rally in Tehran in support of the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, the BBC's Mohsen Asgari asks whether the Middle East political contagion could spread to Iran - the first non-Arab country.

Iranian opposition leaders have issued a call for a peaceful rally in support of the Egyptian and Tunisian uprisings to be held later today in Azadi Square - Tehran's counterpart of Cairo's now-famous Tahrir Square.

"In order to show solidarity with the popular movements in the region and specifically the freedom-seeking movement by the Tunisian and Egyptian people against their autocratic governments, we hereby request a permit to call for a rally," Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi wrote in a letter to Iran's interior ministry last week.

As widely expected, the authorities refused the permit. Instead, they put both men under house arrest and detained about a dozen of their key advisers.

However, some opposition groups have vowed to defy the ban and to stage their rally in Tehran despite threats from officials that any protesters will be punished.


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