People power forces change in Tunisia

[vanlose kid]

Saudi Hiccup?

As riots raged in Cairo on Friday and dominated the news wires around the globe, Saudi Arabia, it appears, may be getting ready to join the list of Arab nations protesting their governments.

In the port of Jeddah relatively heavy rainfall combined with a non-existent drainage system to wreak havoc on the city and its 4 million inhabitants. The city is literally flooded and the torrential, and very rare, rains have caused around $ 1 Billion USD worth of damages.

So far there are 11 dead and over 100 injured as a result. Incredibly, over 11,000 cars were stranded in floodwaters as water levels were reported to be 4 meters (13.2 feet) deep in some areas. Rescue helicopters have ferried almost 500 people to safety!

Oddly enough, and unfortunately for the government, the same scenario happened in 2009!

Back then it was dubbed Saudi's "Katrina Moment". Over 122 people were killed (some estimate it was more like 500) and hundreds injured as the government fell on its face during the response effort.

That led to widespread discontent and a fury of criticism of the local government mainly via, you guessed it...Facebook. The main theme was "Where are the billions in oil revenue going?".

Back in 2009 and according to the CS Monitor:

Mr. Khair, the lawyer, says he intends to file a class action suit against Jeddah's municipality. He does not think any official will be forced to resign, he adds. "In Saudi Arabia, we didn't hear about someone leaving his office."
The attorney says that the Facebook page was a useful alternative because street protests are illegal in the kingdom. The Internet "is the only way. We don't have another way," he says.

The episode has demonstrated "how technology allows people to shout out loud. I have never seen this before in Saudi," says Asaad, the lecturer. Even if people commenting on Facebook "use pseudonyms, it's a start," she adds. "But nowadays, people are using their real names."

Which brings us to today.

A mass blackberry messenger message has gone out in Jeddah calling for a demonstration on Saturday, the 29th. It says:

“On Saturday there will be a demonstration in front of the municipality for Jeddah … gather as many people as you can,” the message ran. “We need brave men and women. We don’t want any more lies … We have to do something.”

Another message also sent via Blackberry urged all government and private sector employees to hold a general strike next week in protest at the authorities’ neglect of the city’s infrastructure.


This is very serious news if it happens. The ruling Saud family's main areas of support are centered around the capitol city, Riyadh. There are long standing historical tensions with the people of the western provice, Hijaz, of which Jeddah is the largest city. Jeddah is also the second largest city in Saudi Arabia overall and is the port of arrival to the more than 2 million Muslims who make the pilgrimage to Mecca every year.


Also, in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia are most of the shunned Shia Muslims of the country. They are regarded as infidels by some hardline Wahhabists and face a glass ceiling when working in public bureaucracies. There have been tensions there also and several protests.


Here is an excellent paper about the ethnic and religious background of Saudi Arabia.


In addition to the religious and social tensions in Saudi, perhaps the economic tensions are the greatest of all. According to a recent report by Booz & Co., unemployment in Saudi Arabia is estimated to be 13-14% in 2008. Additionally, 48% of Saudis between the age of 20-24 are unemployed as well as 31% of Saudis between 25-29.


70% of the population is under the age of 34 and the Median age is 24.9.


In other words, the powder is dry...


Here is a video of the clashes between police and Saudi Shia's (keep in mind the source is Iran's Press TV)




Here is a video of the catastrophic floods in Jeddah this week:



http://fedupmontrealer.blogspot.com/201 ... iccup.html

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[vanlose kid]

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[stefano]

Interesting stuff from Pambazuka (well worth a regular read). Interview with Samir Amin, Egyptian economist who's a director of the Third World Forum in Dakar. Excerpts, my bold.
_______________
I want to emphasise again this movement doesn’t belong to a particular group of people. This is a popular general movement. There are no foreign countries or groups behind it. It is social in essence. However it must be said that the Western powers will try to create an Islamic alternative and will try to support a movement of this sort in order to avoid a really democratic alternative [cf. also big fuss made over Rachid Ghannouchi]. They already have started to do it, re introducing in the country the language of ‘Saudi Arabia’ as some commentators of the Tunisian people have already said.

It is very difficult to try to guess what the future holds for the country. For sure the establishment of a democratic and secular regime is not easy. Assuming the best – that is a democratic government supported by the people – (and that is not absolutely guaranteed), such a government will be confronted with the economic and social challenge: How to associate this democratisation of the political management with social progress? That is not easy. Tunisia’s ‘success’ for some time was based on three sources: The delocalisation of some light industries from Europe, tourism, mass out migration to Libya and Europe. Now those three channels have reached their ceiling and even start to be reversed. By which macro policy they could be replaced? Not easy to imagine for a small country, vulnerable and with little resources (no oil!). Solidarity and South-South cooperation might turn to be vital for an alternative. The Western powers will do all they can to have the democratic regime unsuccessful in this respect, and create therefore conditions favourable for a false ‘Islamic alternative’, labelled ‘moderate’.

[vanlose kid]

Libya Next?
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 01/30/2011 15:39 -0500

The one country landlocked between Tunisia and Egypt has so far been oddly silent. Not so much any more. Al Jazeera reports that the Libyan government has imposed a state of emergency for "fear of demonstrations and rallies" comparable to those in Tunisia and Egypt. And ranked 17 in the world for oil production (and 9th in proven reserves), this is one that crude HFT algos may want to keep an eye on.



From Al Jazeera, google translated:

Libyan sources familiar with the island revealed that a state of alert security prevail in the east of the Libyan cities, confirmed that elements of the police and support central and distributed to all government buildings.

The sources said that the Libyan government imposed a state of emergency and security alert since the outbreak of the revolution, Tunisia, for fear of demonstrations and rallies similar in Libyan cities.

The sources of the existence of orders to stop any gathering, whether in government or outside.

Under these instructions - Sources confirm - The Libyan government later abolished the league matches of Libyan Football Association which was to be organized during the month.

In conjunction with the ongoing events in neighboring Egypt, the forces imposed from the central support and the police since yesterday evening checkpoints in several major regions in both the white and Benghazi and Derna and Tobruk.

These enhancements come at a time when Libya is following with interest the Libyan street events taking place in Egypt over the satellite news channels deployed in all the cafes and shops in cities of Libya.

He said the Libyans before the popular revolution that swept cities in Tunisia and has succeeded in toppling President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, after 23 years of rule.

It is feared the Libyan regime of infection along the Tunisian and Egyptian into Libya, especially in light of similar conditions and problems such as poor living conditions and the absence of freedoms.

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/libya-next

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[nathan28]

Interesting stuff from Pambazuka (well worth a regular read). Interview with Samir Amin, Egyptian economist who's a director of the Third World Forum in Dakar. Excerpts, my bold.
_______________
I want to emphasise again this movement doesn’t belong to a particular group of people. This is a popular general movement. There are no foreign countries or groups behind it. It is social in essence. However it must be said that the Western powers will try to create an Islamic alternative and will try to support a movement of this sort in order to avoid a really democratic alternative [cf. also big fuss made over Rachid Ghannouchi]. They already have started to do it, re introducing in the country the language of ‘Saudi Arabia’ as some commentators of the Tunisian people have already said.

I wish I was more familiar with Amin. Is he suggesting that we can't see the rise of something like an authentically democratic "Islamic Democratic" parties?

[stefano]

I don't know a lot about Amin but have appreciated what I've read by him so far... He has a book out I'd like to read, Ending the Crisis of Capitalism or Ending Capitalism?

I don't think he's saying "Islamic Democratic" parties can't exist, rather that the danger is of Islamist parties receiving funding from the West in exchange for promising, when they have power, to keep the yoke on labour and human rights activists as heavy as it has been. Tunisia will be worth watching for that. Ben Ali and Bourguiba before him were very hard on Islamists so now a whole section of the population feels 'it's our time', apparently they're in the streets in Tunisia now handing out religious tracts and so on. I think voters will be able to tell the difference between someone asking for reasonable religious rights and someone talking about a theocracy. Especially women who are better off than women in Algeria and Lybia, and know it. I just thought it was interesting especially with the airtime Rachid Ghannouchi has been getting, although he's been around for years and I don't think he'll turn into a puppet. Another twist is that Sakher El Materi, Ben Ali's son-in-law, had tried to co-opt the religious right with a radio station and a TV station, so maybe people will be extra cynical of any religion-flavoured movements.

[nathan28]

I don't know a lot about Amin but have appreciated what I've read by him so far... He has a book out I'd like to read, Ending the Crisis of Capitalism or Ending Capitalism?

I don't think he's saying "Islamic Democratic" parties can't exist, rather that the danger is of Islamist parties receiving funding from the West in exchange for promising, when they have power, to keep the yoke on labour and human rights activists as heavy as it has been. Tunisia will be worth watching for that. Ben Ali and Bourguiba before him were very hard on Islamists so now a whole section of the population feels 'it's our time', apparently they're in the streets in Tunisia now handing out religious tracts and so on. I think voters will be able to tell the difference between someone asking for reasonable religious rights and someone talking about a theocracy. Especially women who are better off than women in Algeria and Lybia, and know it. I just thought it was interesting especially with the airtime Rachid Ghannouchi has been getting, although he's been around for years and I don't think he'll turn into a puppet. Another twist is that Sakher El Materi, Ben Ali's son-in-law, had tried to co-opt the religious right with a radio station and a TV station, so maybe people will be extra cynical of any religion-flavoured movements.

I think this shows how out-of-control the west is in some regards. The neoliberal managerial class is committed to secular democracy, but only to the extent it promotes liberalism. They'll even seek to install Islamist and Islamic groups that would promote a liberal market agenda if the alternative is a secular state at all prone to social democracy. At the same time some there are certainly genuinely liberatory elements within Islam, and I think that there's elements of fear about and attempt to co-opt this by the technocratic western classes, who would much rather see Wahabists than Koran-inspired feminist Muslims rise to power.

[stefano]

I got the following by email, quite a lot of capital involved:

The minister of foreign investments and international cooperation declared on Friday that the government will dissociate companies of ex-ruling families and shareholders. This means that any shareholder in any company belonging to the ex-ruling family will continue to enjoy full rights. As for the shares belonging to the ex-ruling families, the government is awaiting a court decision to transfer ownership to the Tunisian state. The latter will appoint an independent auditor and an independent lawyer to enforce the court decision.

[Seamus OBlimey]

3.46pm: A Cairo resident has contacted the Guardian to tell us she is hearing reports of looters dressing up as members of the military and using this guise to get access to shops. This would tie in with reports we're hearing that the military is telling Egyptian citizens not to dress in military uniforms (an instruction that is probably advisable on any day).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/201 ... ve-updates

[stillrobertpaulsen]

Saudi Hiccup?

As riots raged in Cairo on Friday and dominated the news wires around the globe, Saudi Arabia, it appears, may be getting ready to join the list of Arab nations protesting their governments.

In the port of Jeddah relatively heavy rainfall combined with a non-existent drainage system to wreak havoc on the city and its 4 million inhabitants. The city is literally flooded and the torrential, and very rare, rains have caused around $ 1 Billion USD worth of damages.

So far there are 11 dead and over 100 injured as a result. Incredibly, over 11,000 cars were stranded in floodwaters as water levels were reported to be 4 meters (13.2 feet) deep in some areas. Rescue helicopters have ferried almost 500 people to safety!

Oddly enough, and unfortunately for the government, the same scenario happened in 2009!

Back then it was dubbed Saudi's "Katrina Moment". Over 122 people were killed (some estimate it was more like 500) and hundreds injured as the government fell on its face during the response effort.

That led to widespread discontent and a fury of criticism of the local government mainly via, you guessed it...Facebook. The main theme was "Where are the billions in oil revenue going?".

Back in 2009 and according to the CS Monitor:

Mr. Khair, the lawyer, says he intends to file a class action suit against Jeddah's municipality. He does not think any official will be forced to resign, he adds. "In Saudi Arabia, we didn't hear about someone leaving his office."
The attorney says that the Facebook page was a useful alternative because street protests are illegal in the kingdom. The Internet "is the only way. We don't have another way," he says.

The episode has demonstrated "how technology allows people to shout out loud. I have never seen this before in Saudi," says Asaad, the lecturer. Even if people commenting on Facebook "use pseudonyms, it's a start," she adds. "But nowadays, people are using their real names."

Which brings us to today.

A mass blackberry messenger message has gone out in Jeddah calling for a demonstration on Saturday, the 29th. It says:

“On Saturday there will be a demonstration in front of the municipality for Jeddah … gather as many people as you can,” the message ran. “We need brave men and women. We don’t want any more lies … We have to do something.”

Another message also sent via Blackberry urged all government and private sector employees to hold a general strike next week in protest at the authorities’ neglect of the city’s infrastructure.


This is very serious news if it happens. The ruling Saud family's main areas of support are centered around the capitol city, Riyadh. There are long standing historical tensions with the people of the western provice, Hijaz, of which Jeddah is the largest city. Jeddah is also the second largest city in Saudi Arabia overall and is the port of arrival to the more than 2 million Muslims who make the pilgrimage to Mecca every year.


Also, in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia are most of the shunned Shia Muslims of the country. They are regarded as infidels by some hardline Wahhabists and face a glass ceiling when working in public bureaucracies. There have been tensions there also and several protests.


Here is an excellent paper about the ethnic and religious background of Saudi Arabia.


In addition to the religious and social tensions in Saudi, perhaps the economic tensions are the greatest of all. According to a recent report by Booz & Co., unemployment in Saudi Arabia is estimated to be 13-14% in 2008. Additionally, 48% of Saudis between the age of 20-24 are unemployed as well as 31% of Saudis between 25-29.


70% of the population is under the age of 34 and the Median age is 24.9.


In other words, the powder is dry...


Here is a video of the clashes between police and Saudi Shia's (keep in mind the source is Iran's Press TV)




Here is a video of the catastrophic floods in Jeddah this week:



http://fedupmontrealer.blogspot.com/201 ... iccup.html

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Great work, vanlose kid! I linked to your research in my most recent blog post. Just cause nothing happened on the 29th doesn't mean that cauldron still isn't boiling.

[vanlose kid]

Italy declares state of emergency over influx of 5,000 Tunisian immigrants
A state of emergency has been declared by the Italian government after 5,000 illegal immigrants fleeing riot-torn Tunisia arrived in just five days.

Nick Pisa in Rome 5:23PM GMT 13 Feb 2011

Coastguard officials said that in just one 12-hour period 977 had arrived, with many more boats seen on radar screens approaching from north Africa.

The vessels carrying the illegal immigrants had all arrived on the tiny volcanic island of Lampedusa, which is just 60 miles from the Tunisian coast and the lone accommodation centre was struggling to cope.

Extra coastguard and navy patrols were dispatched to the waters between Lampedusa and Tunisia in an attempt to block the influx.

On Sunday, Tunisia sent security forces to coastal areas to stop the exodus.

Roberto Maroni, the interior minister, said the emergency had been declared because they feared "possible terrorists" had infiltrated the illegal immigrants and would then slip into the country.

He added that there was a risk that some of those who were trying to enter Italy could have come from prisons that were stormed during the unrest last month and had escaped.

Maurizio Massari, a foreign ministry spokesman, said: "The influx of illegal immigrants from Tunisia needs to be dealt with utmost urgency for national security.

"There is the possibility of infiltration by criminals who have escaped from prison or terrorists trying to get into Europe via our shores – that's why we need a European response.

"Italy has asked for an urgent meeting with the European Council of Justice and Internal Affairs to coordinate a European response to this new emergency."

To cope with the vast numbers many of the illegal immigrants were being ferried to the nearby larger island of Sicily where there were more accommodation centres.

Calm seas meant that dozens of boats were making the short crossing – which is the equivalent of travelling from London to Brighton – and more were expected in the coming days.

Lampedusa harbour master Antonio Morena said: "We have had hundreds and hundreds of people arrive, more than we can cope with and they are being moved on by sea and air to Sicily.

"The sea is calm and the weather is good and so that means the boats will keep coming – we can see them on the radar screens and the last time we looked there were at least another ten."

The influx comes after the fall of Tunisia's veteran ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on January 14 and the ensuing weeks of social unrest and lawlessness.

One woman trying to flee to Italy said: "The situation in Tunisia is still very bad. Prices are going up, there is unrest and there is still violence. Women are being raped and people are being robbed."

Tunisia's foreign minister, Ahmed Ounaies, resigned. The 75-year-old retired diplomat joined the reshuffled transition government formed on January 27 by Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi.

In the first government of national unity announced on January 17 he had been appointed secretary of state at the foreign ministry.

He had barely resumed work since returning from a visit to France on February 4, diplomatic sources said.

He had been heckled by foreign ministry staff on February 7 demonstrating outside and inside the ministry demanding his immediate departure after the Paris visit, as a result of which he took his personal belongings and left.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... rants.html

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