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Sunday, March 6, 2011

Now Saudi Arabia!

Security forces in Saudi Arabia have detained at least 22 minority Shi'ite Muslims who protested last week over what they say is discrimination, activists said on Sunday. Saudi Shi'ites have staged small protests for about two weeks in the kingdom's east, which holds much of the oil wealth of the world's top crude exporter. It is also near Bahrain, scene of protests by majority Shi'ites against their Sunni rulers. "Twenty-two were arrested on Thursday plus four on Friday, so the total is 26. This was all in Qatif," said rights activist Ibrahim al-Mugaiteeb, who heads the Saudi-based independent Human Rights First Society. A Shi'ite activist in the Shi'ite town of Qatif in the Eastern Province said he knew of 22 arrests. Interior ministry officials could not be reached for comment. Shi'ite protests in Saudi Arabia started in the area of the main city town of Qatif and neighbouring Awwamiya and spread to the town of Hofuf on Friday. The demands were mainly for the release of prisoners they say are held without trial. Saudi Shi'ites often complain they struggle to get senior government jobs and benefits given to other citizens. The government of Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy without an elected parliament that usually does not tolerate public dissent, denies these charges. The interior ministry said on Saturday demonstrations violated Islamic law and the kingdom's traditions, according to a statement on state news agency SPA. "We are really worried by the detentions and harassment that people who take part in protests are facing," a statement by 15 rights activists said on Sunday. "These practices conflict with the right of peaceful association that the kingdom committed to ... at the U.N. Human Rights Council." The activists said wives and other relatives of around nine men detained since a deadly 1996 attack on U.S. military in Khobar were ejected from the office of the local governor, Prince Mohammed bin Fahd, on Saturday when they tried to petition for their release. "They met first on Wednesday with an official and he promised they would have a meeting with the governor. But when they went, he declined to meet and security guards intervened," the Shi'ite activist said. The Shi'ite website Rasid said they were verbally abused, as an official told them they were lucky the detainees had not been executed. The women started chanting "freedom, freedom." The U.S. ally has escaped protests like those in Egypt and Tunisia which toppling regimes but some dissent has built up as unrest spread in other Arab countries and Saudi neighbours Yemen, Bahrain, Jordan and Oman. More than 17,000 people have backed a call on Facebook to hold two demonstrations this month, the first one on Friday. A loose alliance of liberals, moderate Islamists and Shi'ites have petitioned King Abdullah to allow elections in the kingdom. Last month, Abdullah returned to Riyadh after a three-month medical absence and unveiled $37 billion in benefits for citizens in an apparent bid to curb dissent.

Pro-Gaddafi army celebrates after capturing Tripoli

Pro-Gaddafi army celebrates in the Tripoli, the capital city of Libya. According to a foreign news agency, sound of shots being fired in different parts of the city could be heard. Government official, Musa Ibrahim while denying claims of a clash said that the supporters of the Libyan president were celebrating after the army regained control in different parts of the country. According to the government television, Pro-Gaddafi army has regained control of Bin Jawwad, Bin Ghazi, Tobruk, Ras lanuf and Zawiya where the protesters have denied the claim. In Ras lanuf, Rebel Commander Bashir Abdul Gadi in a press conference said that his army has taken over Al Naflia near Al Jawwad.

Hundreds of North African migrants arrive in Italian island

Over 400 migrants of North African origin arrived in Lampedusa, sparking fears a new influx of refugees may be imminent on the southern Italian island. Almost 350 of the migrants arrived together in one large boat with the rest arriving in smaller vessels and later being picked up by the Italian coastguard. A joint operation by the European Union s border agency, Frontex, began on February 20 to try to stem the influx of Tunisian migrants to Lampedusa and up until Wednesday morning it had been six days since any boats had arrived on the Italian coastline. Italian authorities are concerned that instability in Libya could spark a new flow of migrants which would be difficult to stem. Rome, formerly Libya s closest ally in Europe, signed a friendship and co-operation treaty with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2008 that included joint operations between Italian and Libyan coastguard forces to stem the influx of illegal immigration into Italy. But with recent events in Libya it is clear that patrolling of waters along the Libyan coastline is no longer taking place. It was unclear what nationality the migrants were who arrived on Wednesday. They were to be taken away and processed before probably being moved to a detention centre in Sicily.